Volume Twelve: Invitation to Hell, Chapter Thirty-Five: The Human Marketplace

Waking up early, the group found themselves bored. With nearly an entire day left before the Dark River Ghost Market officially opened, sitting around idly seemed pointless. Recalling the marketplace for human-to-human trade that "Three-Eyes" had mentioned, they thought they might stumble upon something interesting. Feeling intrigued, everyone decided to go and take a look.

Yaoguang smiled and once again assumed the role of guardian. After paying the entry fee, the group entered the trading market. As soon as they stepped inside, Jiang Yun and the others were overwhelmed by the dense crowd and the cacophony of voices. "No wonder we didn't see many people elsewhere; it turns out they’re all gathered here. It seems there are quite a few treasure hunters."

It took a while for them to adjust to the atmosphere. Suddenly, a cold snort sounded in Yaoguang’s ear. She turned her head and immediately spotted a familiar figure. Her first reaction was that it was quite a coincidence, but her second was one of resignation. It was simple: with so many cultivators gathered here, it wasn't strange to run into someone she knew.

Yaoguang looked at the source of the sound but had no intention of engaging. She didn't believe there could be any common ground between them. They were here to browse, and she saw no need to invite trouble. Given the motley crowd and the fact that she was responsible for her companions, she felt the need to be cautious. Thus, her attitude was to ignore him; if there was anything to be said, it could wait until they left the ghost market.

Unexpectedly, just as Yaoguang turned to leave, the man spoke up in a booming voice: "Well, well, Phoenix, aren't you always the one who prides herself on being so high and mighty? Why come to the Dark River Ghost Market to trade? That’s a bit hypocritical, isn't it? Don't you know the cost of dealing with ghosts is high? I thought you despised this Dark River Ghost Market the most. How is it that after all these years, you’ve had a change of heart?"

As soon as his words fell, whispers erupted around them.

"Who is this 'Phoenix'?"
"Never heard of her."
"Why come here if you look down on the market?"
"Who knows? She’s just a hypocrite."
"Coming here to put on a show? Is she looking to die?"

The gossip made Yaoguang feel as if a hundred ducks were quacking in her ears; she couldn't help but feel annoyed. Jiang Yun, who was holding her arm, clearly felt several probing gazes landing on Yaoguang and was momentarily bewildered.

Yaoguang shook her head helplessly. She didn't want to entertain the man's provocation. She was here to investigate a case and had no interest in arguing with anyone. So, she didn't respond, took Jiang Yun and the others, and turned to walk away.

But the man would not let it go. He blocked their path, though he kept a distance of several meters, sneering at Yaoguang: "Don't go. After all these years, you’re still so beautiful." As he spoke, he lewdly licked his lips.

"Get lost," Yaoguang said calmly. Her voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present.

The man looked sheepish but continued to grin wickedly: "You love to play hard to get, but I like that feistiness."

"Who the hell are you?!" Nalan Yu could no longer stand it and shouted angrily.

"Where did this little sissy come from? Such a loud voice," the man remarked, looking at Nalan Yu.

"You..." Just as Nalan Yu was about to make a move, Yaoguang reached out and stopped him.

"Ah Yu, a piece of rotten scum will still be a pile of filth even a thousand years from now. If you strike him, aren't you afraid of getting your hands dirty?" Yaoguang didn't look at the man again; she simply pulled Jiang Yun behind her. Her precious apprentice could not be touched by such filth.

Hearing himself called "rotten scum," the man’s eyes flared with rage: "Phoenix, I’ll kill you!" He roared and tried to charge forward. However, he didn't even make it to Yaoguang before being "politely" stopped by the market’s security guards, who warned him that fighting—including the use of magic—was strictly forbidden in the marketplace.

The man stood there, fuming: "Phoenix, don't be smug. Just wait. There’s a good show waiting for you in this market."

Yaoguang couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind and turned to leave. The man, trembling with anger, cursed at her: "Phoenix, you bitch, you’re nothing but a whore!"

But Yaoguang never looked back.

This commotion made Yaoguang and her group the center of attention and gossip, but she didn't care at all. However, everyone noticed a few hostile, probing gazes, which truly made them vigilant.

Yaoguang continued to walk through the market with Jiang Yun. Nalan Yu walked beside her, having pulled a thin needle from somewhere; it danced nimbly between his fingers, dazzling to behold. He smiled gently and said in a low voice: "Sister, do you want me to teach that guy a lesson?"

Yaoguang glanced at the needle in Nalan Yu's hand. She remembered that her younger brother was most skilled with hidden weapons—a skill she had taught him hand-in-hand years ago. She had taught him because the boy was too lazy; he felt swords and sabers were too heavy, but he kept pestering her to learn martial arts, so she had taught him this technique. Her brother had once dominated a large territory with his hidden weapons, earning the nickname "The Shadowless Hero."

Yaoguang shook her head and smiled at Nalan Yu: "No. A person like that should be dealt with in front of everyone. You don't need to worry about it. I will handle it!"

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Sister. But who exactly is he?" Nalan Yu put away the needle, looking curious.

"A scoundrel who has been chasing the Divine Venerable for over three hundred years. Everyone in the cultivation circle knows this story. His name is Du Ping. He always claims he will marry the Divine Venerable, following her around like a piece of stubborn plaster. Years ago, because he was so persistent, he was severely injured by the Divine Venerable. I never expected this toad to still be alive. It’s just that he thinks the Divine Venerable is still a minor immortal. If he knew she was already a Supreme God, I wonder if he’d be scared to death," Three-Eyes appeared beside them at that moment, laughing as he mocked the man.

"Damn, with his looks, he dares to claim he'll marry Sister Phoenix? He must still be dreaming," Chen Haixu added, his face full of disdain.

"It’s not surprising. Since the Divine Venerable started walking the path, she has been recognized as the most beautiful woman in the world. The number of people lusting after her beauty could fill the East Sea. But regardless of one's rank, one should have some self-awareness. This toad simply treats the Divine Venerable's mercy as a snack, thinking it's fun to play with. The fact that the Divine Venerable ignores him just means she doesn't consider him a person at all." As Three-Eyes said this, his eyes were full of adoration for Yaoguang. With that, he chuckled and walked away, leaving the group stunned.

After the farce, everyone quickly adjusted their moods and continued to browse the market. As for the onlookers, they ignored them completely.

As this was their first time experiencing such a market, many things truly felt novel and strange, and some of the items for sale were bizarre and inconceivable.

Along the way, magic artifacts were the most common, followed by various secret techniques, medicinal herbs, and so on.

Every stall required an appointment; only when the previous transaction was concluded could the next person enter to inspect the goods and negotiate.

The most bizarre items were people selling themselves or their spiritual power. If someone was willing to pay, they could follow the buyer for several years as a helper. Those selling spiritual power would transfer their own energy to the buyer. There were even people selling their life span or their fortune.

"Master, the other things are easy to understand, but selling life span or fortune is just too bizarre. How can things like that be sold?" Jiang Yun asked, puzzled.

"It’s essentially defying the heavens to change one's fate, transferring one's own life span to the buyer through secret methods. You can also transfer someone else's to another person," Xuanchen explained. "The price is steep, and the cost is equally high."

"So that's how it is," Jiang Yun nodded.

"It's a desperate gamble, as these arts are very dangerous. A moment of carelessness could result in the total destruction of one's soul," Chu Tianyou added.

Jiang Yun clicked his tongue. It was truly a collection of bizarre things.

After browsing, Yaoguang found herself quite interested in a few artifacts and some medicinal herbs.

Additionally, there were several protective artifacts that had been nurtured by Taoist practitioners. They were imbued with spiritual energy, and she thought they could be placed in Nalan Yu's office or building. After acquiring the Luo Corporation, she feared there might be lingering threats who would make things difficult for Nalan Yu while she was away.

However, were there really few wealthy people at such a gathering? These types of items were clearly the most popular, and the prices were shockingly high.

But Yaoguang was willful. In this short time, she acquired several artifacts. She kept a decent "Three-Clear Bell" for herself and gave the "Gathering Yang Cauldron" to Nalan Yu. Two exceptionally well-nurtured sandalwood bead bracelets were given to Jiang Yun and Huo Mingkun, respectively. As for Chu Tianyou and Xuanchen, she set aside spiritual jade for them.

By the end of the walk, they had gained quite a lot. They reached the stall selling century-old wild ginseng, and Yaoguang inspected the goods. It was indeed century-old ginseng of good quality. She planned to take it back and refine it into a medicinal elixir; it would perfectly suit the constitutions of those around her.

After wandering through the remaining stalls with waning interest, they decided it was time to return.