“Those... Henry. Even I can't always tell if they're genuine. If even one out of a hundred is real, that's already pretty good. So far, no one has managed to cultivate any qi from them. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

　　Charles Reed hesitated.

　　“Brother, let me give you some advice—don't mess around with those copies. If something goes wrong, you'll ruin your own body, and there's no way to fix it.”

　　“Do you have a way to find one?”

　　Henry Walker raised an eyebrow. He was familiar with the fat man's expression—whenever he looked like this, it meant he had an idea, but was hesitating about whether to say it.

　　“There is a way... Henry, the kind of manual you're looking for, there actually is one at this auction...”

　　A trace of difficulty appeared on Charles Reed's face.

　　“Why didn't you say so earlier?” Henry Walker raised an eyebrow.

　　“It's not that I didn't want to say, but this thing is going to be auctioned at the black market...” Charles Reed said helplessly.

　　“The black market?”

　　Henry Walker immediately understood.

　　The black market was an anonymous auction—none of the customers revealed their faces or names. Most of the items auctioned there were shady, some even tainted with blood.

　　Those who liked to attend the black market were mostly desperados and vicious types.

　　“Can you arrange for me to attend?”

　　Henry Walker had already made up his mind to go.

　　Ordinary thugs wouldn't dare provoke the Lu family.

　　The Lu family had thirty or forty strong and brave men, and among the guards were several experts like Uncle Baker.

　　Master Andrew Walker also had countless connections with the local authorities, and if anything happened, he could even call on the military for help.

　　A household like this really had nothing to fear from common criminals.

Chapter 7: The Auction (Part 1)

　　“Of course I can arrange it. It's just...”

　　The fat man looked troubled. What kind of people went to the black market?

　　Murderers, robbers, bandits, thieves—anyone with a shady background could get in. If Henry accidentally got into a conflict and got hurt, that would be a real injustice.

　　“You mean I should keep a low profile, right?” Henry Walker smiled, understanding his concern.

　　He didn't just represent himself, but the entire Lu family in Jiulian City. If anything happened to him, the Lu family would definitely hold Charles Reed accountable.

　　“I'm glad you understand. Henry, your status is different. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be so worried...” Charles Reed sighed.

　　“Got it. Just make the arrangements. I have to get my hands on that item.” Henry Walker insisted.

　　“Sigh...” Charles Reed had no choice but to agree.

　　Henry Walker confirmed the start time of the black market with him, then waited for Charles Reed to send over a VIP invitation.

　　He took the invitation and finally left the restaurant.

　　“Top-quality rouge and powder! Ladies, come and take a look!”

　　“First-class goods, just brought in from Zihua City in the Central Plains!”

　　“Ziyang flower-scented blush, unique to our shop!”

　　On the street outside the restaurant, vendors were pushing wooden carts selling cosmetics, slowly moving along the roadside.

　　Henry Walker glanced around—this street was dedicated to selling rouge and powder.

　　Many women and family members liked to shop here.

　　As the sun set in the west, a light drizzle had just fallen, leaving the ground wet and a bit reflective, tinted with a faint red glow.

　　Henry Walker let out a breath, and as soon as it left his mouth, it turned white and slowly dissipated.

　　He looked back at the restaurant. The huge shadow of the Goldfish Restaurant was cast by the sunlight.

　　This was the largest restaurant in Jiulian City, and it was peak hours—customers were coming and going in a constant stream, the noise overwhelming.

　　Henry Walker stood in the restaurant's shadow, glancing to both sides.

　　Except for the area in front of the restaurant, the rest of the street was rather quiet.

　　Vendors pushed their cosmetic carts, slowly moving in and out of the shadows.

　　As Henry Walker watched, he thought about buying a small gift for Second Madam and Yiyi. These cosmetics weren't expensive, and sometimes you could find good quality ones—they made nice little presents.

　　He walked a few steps down the street, wanting to see which vendor was best.

　　In the afternoon, the street grew even quieter, with many shops already closed.

　　There weren't many pedestrians on either side of the street—only a few could be seen now and then.

　　Strangely, even though the vendors selling cosmetics could see there weren't many people around, they still smiled and hawked their wares enthusiastically.

　　Their cries echoed one after another, reverberating through the empty street.

　　Henry Walker squinted, but didn't find it odd, thinking perhaps it was just a custom unique to this world.

　　He looked around and found a vendor whose cart was painted a pale red. The cart had a banner stuck in it that read: Central Plains Liji Cosmetics.

　　The vendor pushed the cart slowly, smiling, dressed in gray cloth and wearing a gray-and-white melon cap.

　　“I remember Liji Cosmetics is a pretty reputable old brand from the Central Plains.”

　　Henry Walker recalled from memory and slowly walked toward the vendor's cart, planning to pick out some good cosmetics for Second Madam and Yiyi.

　　The vendor moved forward slowly, with a few children playing and chasing each other nearby.

　　The cart slowly passed the children, then turned into a small alley in the shadow by the street.

　　Henry Walker figured he was about to pack up, so he quickened his pace to catch up.

　　“Hey! Henry!”