American Comics: Tales of Cultivator

**Chapter 155: Troll Black Market Encounter**

Kate Corrigan was giving a lecture to the Agents of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, while Anung Un Rama kept wandering around behind him.

Especially his restless hands, from time to time touching this, hammering that, making some banging and clanging sounds, which made Kate Corrigan turn around, unable to bear it any longer.

Anung Un Rama, also known as the tall Hellboy, shrugged innocently and complained to the Bald Supervisor:

"Kate Corrigan, I don't understand why Liz Sherman doesn't like discs and cats. Those discs are all collector's editions, and those cats are so cute and fluffy."

Listening to Hellboy's non-stop, nagging complaints, the expression on Kate Corrigan's face gradually went out of control. He had been sent to New York to urgently coordinate the sudden incidents in New York.

Not to listen to this red-skinned kid complain about his girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the group of Agents who had been standing in front of the Bald Supervisor, looking terrified and waiting for disciplinary action, watched the tall, fierce Hellboy complain about his girlfriend like a wronged little wife.

This huge contrast made some female Agents even snicker uncontrollably.

"Hey, buddy, maybe you should put a little more of that energy you spend on discs and cats into Liz Sherman. You know, women are for companionship!"

The Fishman Abe Sapien, who had been standing behind Hellboy without much presence, looked at the Bald Supervisor's unpleasant complexion and the expressions of suppressed laughter on the faces of the Agents from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch.

He coughed, walked over and patted Hellboy Anu's arm, then walked in front of that group of Agents.

"Hey everyone, I'm Abe Sapien, you should have heard of me—"

The group of Agents from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch nodded in agreement. For the Agents of the Bureau for Paranormal Defense, Hellboy Anu, Fire Woman Liz Sherman, and Fishman Abe Sapien were some of the most famous investigators in their bureau.

Even more so than their elusive Supervisor Alexander Covennas!

"Headquarters didn't send us here to give everyone disciplinary action. It's your Supervisor Alexander Covennas who caused big trouble. We need to take him back for investigation, so we need to find his whereabouts as soon as possible! Otherwise, he'll be in danger."

The green-skinned Fishman wearing aviator sunglasses faced the crowd. The eyes behind the strangely shaped sunglasses surveyed the crowd present.

At the same time, he used his super perception ability to observe the heart rate and blood flow speed of the Agents present.

"That Agent, may I ask if you know the whereabouts of Supervisor Alexander Covennas?"

Abe Sapien quickly used his perception to lock onto a middle-aged man whose heart rate was accelerating and who was sweating nervously all over.

"He's the Deputy Supervisor of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, Elsie George," Kate Corrigan told Fishman Abe Sapien the middle-aged man's identity.

At the same time, his gaze, carrying a hint of malice, glanced at the lush hair on Elsie George's head.

"Alright, Supervisor George, come with me to the Office. It seems we need to talk!" Kate Corrigan beckoned to the middle-aged man.

"Although I am the Deputy Supervisor of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, you also know that Alexander is not only the Supervisor of the branch but also the most senior investigator and one of the founders of the bureau!"

Inside the Supervisor's Office of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, the Deputy Supervisor of the branch complained to Kate Corrigan in a wronged tone:

"All the field Agents of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, as well as several Special Operations Teams, only take orders from him. As for what he actually did, I really don't know!"

Kate Corrigan picked up a cup of coffee, waved his hand, gestured for him to relax, and comforted him:

"George, no one is holding you responsible now. What I want to know is Alexander's whereabouts? Do you know his hiding place?"

"Alexander rarely comes to the branch. Our Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch has had a Federal Navy Retired Military Vessel Destroyer for a long time now. He has always worked on the sea area—"

"On the sea?" Kate Corrigan heard the Deputy Supervisor's words and quickly took out an encrypted phone from his pocket.

"Hello, this is Kate Corrigan. Get our satellite moving and find a Destroyer in the Seas near New York!"

"What model?" Kate Corrigan asked the Deputy Supervisor, covering the phone!

"Fletcher-class Destroyer!" the Deputy Supervisor replied.

"Fletcher-class, the hull painted black?" The voice on the phone sounded a bit strange.

"Yes, yes, yes, it's because Alexander likes black, so he had the color of the hull changed!"

The Deputy Supervisor next to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Base quickly said, facing Kate Corrigan's questioning gaze.

"Supervisor Kate Corrigan, I regret to inform you that just last night, a Federal Navy Fletcher Retired Military Vessel was found sunk in New York Port!"

"Black?" Kate Corrigan said, touching his bald head, pacing anxiously in the Office.

"Yes, the entire vessel was painted black, and no casualties were found on board!"

"Shit!" Supervisor Kate Corrigan cursed angrily.

"Perhaps this is also a good thing!" Abe Sapien, who had been checking the items in the Office nearby, trying to find some leftover clues, turned around and said.

"What do you mean?" Kate Corrigan looked at Fishman Abe Sapien, a bit puzzled.

"Our mission is to arrest him, take him back to Headquarters, and imprison him. This gives them an explanation while also preventing the intelligence Alexander possesses from leaking! If we can't find him, it also means others will have a hard time finding him. This way, we don't have to worry about him leaking the bureau's intelligence!"

"Supervisor George, I need you to mobilize all the manpower of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch. You must find Alexander's whereabouts as soon as possible!"

Kate Corrigan looked at the Deputy Supervisor of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense New York Branch, George, and emphasized the word 'Supervisor'.

"No problem. I have good connections with some High-level Staff at the New York Police Department (NYPD). I can mobilize their strength to search for Alexander together!"

Having been Deputy Supervisor for so many years, George clearly understood the meaning behind Kate Corrigan's words. His eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up from the sofa.

After greeting Kate Corrigan, he hurried directly out of the Office.

"What now?" Hellboy Anu sat on the sofa, his large frame making a large section of the sofa collapse. He was smoking a cigar, looking at Kate Corrigan and Fishman Abe Sapien.

"Alexander has operated in New York for so many years, and Headquarters has never been able to intervene.

The manpower we can mobilize in New York is only them. We can only wait!"

Kate Corrigan listened to the sound of that Deputy Supervisor constantly making calls outside the Office and said, shaking his head.

"Before that, Anu, maybe you can accompany Abe Sapien on a trip to the Troll Black Market to investigate the whereabouts of Urnos!"

At the New York Continental Hotel, a notice hung high in the most prominent position of the hotel's bounty board.

Photo/Image, Name: Alexander Corvinus, Dead or alive. Found whereabouts, 5 million US dollars. Bring back complete corpse, 10 million US dollars. Capture alive, 20 million US dollars.

From time to time, Servers from the Continental Hotel came forward to replace the new bounty notes. In just one hour's time, Alexander Corvinus's bounty increased by nearly 5 million.

Among these bounties, the part published by Lane through the Continental Hotel is only a portion. Another part is the increased reward from the Major New York Gangs out of goodwill towards Boss Tang.

Of course, there are also some people afraid of suffering unwarranted disaster, who paid money to prove to Boss Tang that this attack incident had nothing to do with them.

The remaining funding composition is much more mixed. There is remittance from the Continental Hotel in Italy, said to be the bounty offered by the Gambino family.

There is also bounty invested by a certain fried chicken shop following the trend.

The amount appearing on the Continental Hotel's bounty list is only a part. It is said that in other intelligence black markets, there is another bounty no less than here being posted.

In the manager's office of the Continental Hotel, the hotel manager opened a bottle of whiskey and poured for the man with a face full of stubble in front of him.

"I heard you went to Italy, but I didn't expect you would come back to New York!"

"Winston, I have reconciled with your Continental Hotel. Besides, the High Table has already changed two seats, why haven't I seen them send out the adjudicator!"

John Wick picked up the whiskey in front of him, drank half a glass with gulps, and said to his old friend with some dissatisfaction.

Winston, the manager of the New York Continental Hotel, raised his wine glass and pursed his lips: "Of course, it's because they can't afford to offend that one—"

"That Tang has already replaced Kingpin and become one of the twelve seats of the High Table. Oh no, he holds two seats!"

"John, if you have the strength to take down any one of the powers behind the High Table, you can also replace them—"

"This damn world!" John Wick picked up the whiskey bottle on the table and poured himself another full glass of whiskey.

"This is how the world is, survival of the fittest. Looking at you, did you encounter difficulties in Italy?" Winston looked at John Wick:

"If you have trouble, just say it. As long as it doesn't violate the Continental Hotel rules, we are all old friends, just say it!"

"Find me a few big jobs?"

John Wick's words made Winston pause: "John, haven't you already retired? Want to return to your old business?"

John Wick drank a glass of wine gloomily.

He shouldn't have taken the snake woman to Italy in the first place, not to mention running into that Bringer of Disaster named Tang.

As a man, he also didn't seem to anticipate what kind of place Italy really was.

The Fashion Capital, the Headquarters of many luxury goods brands are in that damned place. Letting a woman without self-control go there is equivalent to completely emptying the man's wallet.

After a few months, his only remaining retirement fund was completely empty, turning into a pile of useless luxury handbags and designer clothes.

The most crucial thing is, in that place Rome, the assassin business really doesn't make as much money as New York. Not to mention not getting a single job for ten days to half a month, and there's a whole bunch of peer competition.

John really had no method, that's why he returned to New York. However, John Wick didn't want to elaborate on these circumstances with his old friend.

"Recently there's a big job in New York, it's finding someone. The bounty posted just at the Hotel is over 20 million! You can give it a try!"

Winston saw his old friend didn't want to speak and didn't press further. He just introduced it to him while holding his wine glass.

John Wick said gloomily: "I saw it when I went upstairs just now, but finding people is not my specialty!"

"Not interested? I see they are all coveting this bounty. The entire Underworld of New York is about to turn into a chaotic mess!

Even the Beggar King's People have started moving. That's right, his connections in New York are the widest. If that person is really in New York, it's probably impossible to hide from his eyes!"

You know, under the Beggar King, there are nearly forty percent of the homeless people in all of New York. It can be said he is the King of Intelligence of all New York.

"I have another business here, the commission is 10 million. The employer's target is to assassinate the King of a small East African country!"

"I'll take it! Mission target, Location—" Before Winston finished speaking, John Wick immediately agreed.

Next month's credit card bill is imminent. He no longer has the energy to be picky anymore.

Valentine's Day, it's all that damn Valentine's Day. Otherwise, how could he have been groggily climbed into bed by the snake woman after drinking too much!

"This is the target. He will appear in Washington next month to attend a secret meeting. Your mission is to cooperate with the employer's people to take him down!"

Winston raised his hand, and a black butler handed him a piece of data/information.

Winston handed a photo to John Wick. The person in the photo was a fat old black person.

"Need to cooperate with others?" John Wick frowned.

He has always been used to working alone!

"If you can take him down yourself, that would naturally be best!"

Winston smiled, took a credit card from the black butler's hand, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards John Wick.

"This is my supplementary credit card. It has a limit of three hundred thousand. You can take it and use it first! I will deduct the expenses from your commission!"

John Wick nodded towards Winston, picked up the credit card on the table, and put it into his pocket.

New York, Brooklyn, inside a Small Alley.

"Is it her?"

A tall Hellboy and a Fishman wearing glasses were peeking from the Corner of the Alley. Their target for peeking was not some great beauty, but rather an old lady walking shakily and pushing a walker.

The old lady who had difficulty walking stopped at the Street Corner, took out a bag of cat food from the walker, sprinkled it on the ground, and constantly made a "zzzzzz—" calling sound with her mouth.

Under the temptation of the cat food, a group of stray cats soon gathered around. A group of stray cats licked the cat food on the ground, completely unaware that the old lady was showing a greedy face towards them.

"Obediently, come home with me!"

The old lady stared at the fattest stray cat, holding clothes in her hand, seeming to be drooling at the corners of her mouth, and slowly approached it.

"Meow!"

The old lady covered it with her coat. The fat cat only managed to let out one cry before it was wrapped up in the clothes.

The sudden movement scared this group of stray cats, and they scattered and fled.

The old lady put the clothes wrapped around the fat cat into the cat cage on the walker, shakily pushed the walker, preparing to walk back.

Just then, two figures, one red and one green, one tall and one short, blocked the old lady's path.

"You, what do you want to do?" The old lady's face was full of fright.

"We want to enter the Troll Black Market, want you to lead the way!"

Hellboy Anu clasped his hands, his finger joints cracked audibly, intimidating the old lady.

"Enter the Troll Black Market? Just you two!" The old lady's frightened expression disappeared, and she sized up the red-skinned big guy in front of her with an expression of underestimation.

Anu turned his head to look at Fishman Abe Sapien: "Did you bring the canary?"

Hearing Anu mention the canary, the old lady was startled. She involuntarily took a few steps back.

The Fishman Abe Sapien next to her lifted the white cloth on the bird cage he had been carrying, revealing the constantly chirping canary inside the bird cage.

Fishman Abe Sapien slowly approached the old lady holding the bird cage. The old lady repeatedly retreated, seeming very afraid of this little bird in the cage.

"No, no, take it away, I'll take you to the Troll Black Market—"

Fishman Abe Sapien and Anu pressured this old lady into a vehicle, under the deterrence of the canary bird cage that Abe Sapien occasionally raised.

The old lady quickly brought them to a Dilapidated Two-story Building in an Alley.

In front of the old, peeling iron gate, the old lady suddenly tore off the human skin she was disguised in, revealing her bloated, fat troll body.

Bang bang bang! It extended its thick fingers and knocked on the iron gate. Soon the window on the iron gate was pulled open, revealing a pair of eyes. Clang!

After the owner of the eyes confirmed her identity, they pulled open the iron gate.

Three days had passed since Boss Tang returned to New York from Monaco. The entire New York was about to be turned upside down by these gang members and Hitmen, but Alexander was like a clay ox entering the sea.

Completely disappeared without a trace. "Didn't find him!?"

In the pavilion, a Rosewood Long Table, a pot of Green Tea. Tang Song sat on a chair, quietly watching a lake of lotus flowers bloom.

Bowl-sized lotus flowers competed to bloom in the lake. White lotus, pink lotus, and there were even some pale golden lotus cups. The breeze blew, the Lake Surface rippled with water ripple, and each lotus flower swayed in the expanse of green, truly beautiful.

Beside the Long Table, a striped fierce tiger lay lazily beside Tang Song's foot, its belly rising and falling, emitting bursts of purring sound.

Lane stood in front of the Long Table, reporting the information to Tang Song with an unpleasant complexion.

He once boasted to Kane that he could find information about Alexander Corvinus within two days, but now three days have passed.

Whether it was the Police or the people sent out by the Major and Minor New York Gangs, none of them found the whereabouts of Alexander Corvinus.

This is the second time. The last time was that mutant named Logan. He mobilized all manpower, and still hasn't found that mutant's whereabouts.

Two times in a row, it couldn't help but make Lane start to suspect if the people below were slacking off and being deceitful, deliberately concealing information.

"Our people went to investigate that Retired Military Vessel sunk in New York Port. No traces of attack were found; it was blown up from the inside.

The people below suspect he has already escaped from New York. I suggest mobilizing our Peripheral Forces throughout the entire Federation."

Listening to Lane's words, Tang Song slowly stood up. Beside the Long Table, he picked up a transparent test tube containing blood-red liquid, unscrewed the test tube, and dripped half a tube into that inkstone.

And from the jade bowl next to it, he used a small jade spoon to scoop out three spoons of top-grade cinnabar—

"Boss, I'll grind the ink!"

Seeing Tang Song picked up the green jade stone strip, preparing to grind the cinnabar in the inkstone, Lane quickly took it over.

"Kingpin spent over twenty years becoming the Leader of the New York Underworld, spreading his business throughout the entire Federation, and was called the Crime Boss!"

"How long did we spend? Half a year!"

Tang Song spread out a piece of xuan paper, placed a blank talisman paper on top of the xuan paper, and took out the jade-handled wolf hair brush.

"Don't rush, take your time. The person I want to find can't escape!"

Lane used the green jade stone strip to fully grind the cinnabar and blood, quickly forming a pool of viscous blood ink.

Tang Song used the jade-handled wolf hair brush, dipped into the blood ink, and quickly drew a blood talisman on the talisman paper.

Winding and twisting, like an abstract immortal's finger pointing the way pattern.

After drawing the talisman, Tang Song placed the jade-handled wolf hair brush on the inkstone, picked up the talisman paper, and folded it into a paper crane in a few folds.

Hmm, Tang Song glanced at the ugly thing in his hand.

It has two wings, a pointed beak, made of paper. That's right, it's definitely a paper crane.

"Go!"

Tang Song flicked his finger. This ugly thing paper crane flapped its two uneven wings and flew into the air.

"Call Kane and that batch of Gunmen from the Training Camp. Have them bring firearm. Let's go take a look at which mouse hole that old gentleman Alexander is hiding in!"

Tang Song kicked the tiger whose purring sound was deafening. "Roar," the groggy tiger got up and let out a roar. When it met Tang Song's gaze, it immediately closed its mouth, sullenly wagged its tail, and followed behind Tang Song.

...

"This is the Troll Black Market, it's so big!"

The bustling street looked at least half the size of a small town. Those setting up stalls and selling goods here are not humanity.

Most of them are bloated trolls. These ugly big guys who are at least two meters tall are the masters of this Troll Black Market. It is said that the builder of this Black Market was a troll wizard, who used black magic to shroud this area of New York, isolating it from humanity's gaze.

Allowing the others living in New York to buy the supplies they need in this Black Market.

After all, not all dark race are like werewolves and vampires, having human-like faces. Some with strange appearances, creatures not suitable to appear in the Human World, can only buy the things they need in this kind of Black Market.

The coming and going "people", except for trolls, each one had a strange appearance. Abe Sapien and Anu walked among them, completely inconspicuous.

"Fresh internal organs, fresh human organs, only one thousand US dollars!"

A fat troll by the roadside was shouting. In the basket in front of him were some heart, liver, intestines, lungs, these internal organs.

The coming and going "people" looked like they were used to strange things, seeming to have long been accustomed to it.

Among the "people", from time to time, "people" would go over to bargain. When they saw a ghoul emitting a foul smell all over, using a gold necklace, exchange it for a set of human five organs at the troll stall owner's place,

Anu only felt his fist harden!

Although he is a demon, he was raised as humanity by his adoptive father since childhood, and he has always considered himself humanity.

Seeing the rampant selling of human internal organs in the Troll Black Market, Anu clenched his fist and wanted to rush forward and beat this troll soundly.

"Don't be impulsive, Anu. Wait until we leave here, then mobilize the bureau's main force to wipe this place out—"

Abe Sapien pulled Anu's arm and shook his head at him.

Anu looked around. As far as the eye could see, the surroundings were densely packed with either trolls, or various half-orcs, goblins, and black wizards wearing black cloaks. The entire Troll Black Market had at least hundreds or thousands of others. Seeing Anu dressed as a Black Wizard, he remembered his purpose for coming to the Troll Black Market, and only then did he loosen his fist.

He stared at several Black Wizards selling human bones at the stalls. Just as he was about to go over and lift their hoods to see if the target was there,

"Anu! Look?"

Fishman Abe Sapien poked Anu from behind. Anu followed Abe Sapien's gaze.

Not far away, a dark elf and an old man wearing a black coat were walking together, talking and laughing.

"Alexander!"

Abe Sapien didn't have time to stop him at all. Anu directly let out a roar and pounced directly towards Alexander Corvinus.

Everyone in the entire Black Market was startled by Anu's roar. All the "people" looked at him in unison.

Alexander Corvinus, who bore the brunt, looked towards Anu, a bit surprised: "Red-skinned monkey, you could actually find this Troll Black Market!"

Anu swung his fist and rushed towards Alexander.

"Stop him!"

The dark elf standing beside Alexander gave an order. A tall human-like giant ape monster stepped out from behind him, launched an iron fist with a chain from his right hand, and directly smashed Anu, who had pounced in front of him, flying away.

"I didn't expect people from the bureau would find this place so quickly. Prince Nuada, I'm sorry, I have to leave first. Don't worry, I will arrive with the crown fragment at the agreed time—"

Alexander Corvinus glanced at Anu, who was locked in a fierce fight with the giant ape, nodded towards the dark elf beside him, and was about to turn and leave.

Suddenly, a burst of noise came from near the exit of the Troll Black Market.

"We've arrived!"

A row of black commercial vehicles stopped in the Small Alley. The car doors were pulled open, and one by one, burly figures, Big Men wearing bulletproof vests, pulled open the car doors and walked out of the vehicles.

They stood with guns in front of the RV in the middle, guarding each other, and looked around warily.

Kane, sitting in the front passenger seat of the RV, got out of the vehicle, walked to the back and pulled open the car door. A striped fierce tiger over three meters long suddenly leaped down from the vehicle.

The tiger paced inside the Alley, occasionally letting out a low growl.

Tang Song got out of the vehicle, leaning on his cane. A paper crane landed in his palm, lightly pecked his palm, and then flew towards the iron gate at the end of the Alley.

"Interesting!" Tang Song followed the direction of this bloodline tracking paper crane, drawn with Marcus's blood, and looked.

His gaze was immediately attracted by an energy barrier.

No wonder Alexander's traces couldn't be found. Tang Song, fingers pointed like a sword, pointed at his own brow. His gaze then stared at the Alley.

Under the eye of breaking illusion, Tang Song's divine sense penetrated through this Black Wizard barrier and saw the densely packed dark creature inside.

"Boss!"

Kane walked forward. Just as he was about to say something to Tang Song, Tang Song waved his hand at him:

"Kane, this time, I'll do it myself!"

Tang Song extended his hand. The five yin wallet flew out of his pocket and flew to his palm. The wallet mouth opened, and four white bone small banners spun out from inside the five yin wallet.

Tang Song sprayed out a mouthful of true essence. The four small banners directly transformed into four ghastly white radiance, flew high up, circled around, and descended at the four corners of the Alley.

For every zhang they descended, the small banners grew a bit larger. Soon, four white bone banners over ten meters long landed at the four corners of this Residential Area, and streams of black energy hung down.

Enveloping the entire Residential Area within, on the white bone banner faces, vaguely, huge ghosts and gods descended, walking into the barrier shrouded in black energy.

(End of chapter)