Volume Twelve: Invitation to Hell, Chapter Thirty-Eight: Entering the Ghost Market of the Undercurrent

With nearly two hours remaining until the Dark River Ghost Market opens at midnight, Yaoguang decided to go back to sleep.

Nalan Yu looked at her with a sense of helplessness. "Sister, with a formidable enemy at our doorstep, how can you sleep so soundly instead of making preparations?"

Yaoguang smiled faintly, stifled a yawn, and said from the bed, "Instead of wasting time worrying, it is better to sleep soundly and conserve our energy to deal with them. Don't you think? Besides, do you really think your sister is that incompetent? Even if Qian Shou uses his hidden forces, he may not necessarily be a match for me. Whether a group of evil practitioners can overcome my celestial class—can't you tell who will win? I simply do not reveal my true form until it is necessary."

Nalan Yu sighed. "You have a point." He nodded and lay down as well.

When the cell phone alarm chimed, it was exactly 11:30. In this otherwise quiet late night, the encampment was unusually lively. Light and the clamor of voices spilled from the windows, as if a market fair were in full swing.

When Yaoguang woke, the others were already up. After a quick tidy-up, they headed out.

Once outside, they realized what "a sea of people" truly meant. With ten thousand people gathered, it created quite a spectacle. The streetlights in the encampment were on, and the roar of the generators drowned out the noisy crowd.

Yaoguang stretched, grabbed Jiang Yun, and led the group to follow the flow of people. Since she didn't know where the actual Dark River Ghost Market was located and couldn't be bothered to ask, she simply followed the herd. Everyone seemed anxious to reach the destination; the crowd was packed, yet they moved surprisingly fast. After about twenty minutes, they had left the area where the research institute was situated.

Beyond the institute lay a flat valley that grew increasingly expansive as they walked. It resembled the shape of a kettle, where the institute sat at the narrowest point, explaining why the space opened up the further they traveled.

As the terrain widened, the crowd became less congested. Yaoguang spotted Du Ping among the people in front. He seemed to notice her too, but by tacit agreement, neither made a move.

At the Dark River Ghost Market, trading was the priority. After walking for another half hour through the valley, they reached a vast clearing where the crowd came to a halt.

Here, the generators hummed thunderously, and the area was illuminated by various lights. This was the widest part of the valley, and the people waiting showed no signs of impatience despite the density. Everyone was curious about the market, pushing forward to get a better look. Once she reached the front, Yaoguang immediately sensed the fluctuations of a formation. Upon closer inspection, she confirmed it was a protective spell.

The area had been cleared of weeds and trees, surrounded by a long circle of black fabric. Masked figures in black and others in Taoist robes moved in and out, busy with tasks. Those in the know immediately recognized that they were maintaining the formation, waiting for it to stabilize.

It was all rather mystical.

Behind her, Xuan Chen clicked his tongue. He had always thought he had seen enough of the world, but he now realized there were still many mysterious places he had yet to encounter. If you told someone who hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would think you were boasting; only by experiencing it yourself could you understand. In one's lifetime, there are always mysteries beyond one's reach. Never be arrogant or think you are well-versed and omniscient, and never think you have everything under control—doing so leads to a loss of reverence for all things. Everything in heaven and earth contains natural mysteries; it is best to adapt to nature rather than trying to enslave everything for one's own service. Such arrogance will eventually demand a price—perhaps even a painful one paid by an entire clan.

As Xuan Chen’s thoughts drifted, voices arose from nearby.

"I wonder if any real 'Old Ghosts' will appear at this Dark River Ghost Market. They are the most valuable."

"Never mind the Old Ghosts; if we could just get a few Celestial Spirits to join, we’d be more likely to obtain treasures. It’s not easy for anyone in this day and age."

"Forget it. You get what you pay for. Even if a Celestial Spirit came, could you afford the price?"

"True enough. We are only qualified to attend three sessions of the Dark River Ghost Market. I don't know if we'll ever get the chance to witness the 'Dark Night Ghost Market' that opens after 1:00 AM on the final day. From what I’ve heard, that market is truly magical and would overturn everything we know. It almost makes me believe in immortals."

"Shh, don't talk about that. Let's just wait until we get in and see if we can snag a good deal. No need to rush; this is only the first session."

* * *

"Hmm."

As they spoke, the two anonymous discussants fell silent. Chu Tianyou and Xuan Chen exchanged a look. So, the Ghost Market had so many secrets! Celestial Spirits? Did they mean the kind of immortal entities that the Phoenix worshipped?

In reality, the "Celestial Spirits" these people spoke of were not true gods, but spiritual entities with supernatural powers, mostly formed through the cultivation of animals. Just like the spirits worshipped by the Phoenix—weren't the Hu, Huang, Chang, and Mang spirits all animal-based?

Everyone knew that people could be good or evil, and the same applied to these spirits. The spirits Yaoguang worshipped were all benevolent, following the righteous path and building good karma.

However, some were not. Seeking a good spirit could bring great fortune, but seeking a bad one often led to disaster. They offered no real help; instead, they had ulterior motives. Their so-called "help" was merely a game of shifting karmic debt and grievances onto the possessed individual, rather than resolving their problems.

Therefore, those possessed by malevolent spirits often met tragic ends.

Thus, when dealing with such spirits, one needed eyes as discerning as Yaoguang’s. If you lacked the ability, it was best to keep your distance and show respect without getting involved.

It was unclear how many such spirits would appear at the Dark River Ghost Market. They were certainly more capable than ordinary ghosts, as they possessed specific supernatural powers. Ordinary ghosts who achieved cultivation by chance likely wouldn't bother attending a Ghost Market.

Many attendees held high expectations for these spirits. Any animal spirit that had achieved such cultivation had endured long ages, and perhaps one could find an opportunity there.

Various thoughts raced through Xuan Chen's mind, completely ignoring the "Dark Night Ghost Market" that would overturn everyone's understanding after 1:00 AM; in his view, it was likely beyond their reach anyway.

Time ticked by. Finally, the people working around the black fabric stopped. An unassuming old man in a Taoist robe stepped forward, whispered to a few people, and said, "It's about time. Come up."

Following this, a group of people approached from the other side of the valley—half in black robes, half in Taoist robes. Behind them followed a group dressed in simple cyan robes.

"Master, who are those people in cyan robes?" Jiang Yun asked, puzzled.

Yaoguang glanced at them and said, "They are all people with 'Yang-deficient' constitutions. This means their 'Ba Zi' has low Yang fire; they are extremely prone to seeing unclean things and are easily possessed."

Hearing this, Jiang Yun sensed them and confirmed they were indeed people with excessive Yin and deficient Yang.

The group stood in silence before the black fabric, waiting in line. Less than two minutes later, a person in black robes approached, inspecting them one by one. After each check, he handed over a pill and whispered something.

The person in black was Qian Shou! Yaoguang stood in the crowd, watching him coldly. He seemed to sense her gaze, suddenly turned his head, and grinned at her. The hostility in his eyes was unmistakable.

Yaoguang did not flinch, meeting his gaze directly. Two pairs of eyes locked across the crowd.

Perhaps not expecting Yaoguang to be so bold, Qian Shou's face twitched slightly, and a flicker of anger appeared in his eyes. Just then, another person stepped forward. Yaoguang looked—it was the old man in white!

He walked up to Qian Shou and whispered something. As he finished, Qian Shou’s expression turned even uglier. He turned to glare at Yaoguang and let out an obvious huff. The old man in white also turned to look at Yaoguang and smiled, his gaze filled with hidden meaning, leaving Yaoguang somewhat bewildered.

This silent drama was quite interesting. Unable to figure out the underlying intrigue, Yaoguang stopped thinking about it and stood there languidly. She lit a cigarette, signaling her attitude: do whatever you want.

* * *

Soon, Qian Shou finished inspecting the people in cyan robes, handed out all the pills, and turned to leave. Jiang Yun was curious about what the pills were and was about to ask Yaoguang when she heard the discussions around her.

"Done. I wonder how many spirit mediums will die this time?"

"This is a case of 'one willing to beat, one willing to suffer.' What can we do? The life-saving pills they give the mediums are mediocre at best. If they were ginseng pills, they might actually save a life."

"Forget it, ginseng pills would cost too much. Enough, don't talk about it; we'll be entering soon."

The conversation was simple, but Yaoguang understood: the cyan-robed figures were spirit mediums, and the pills were meant to keep them alive. Jiang Yun vaguely grasped the reality of the Dark River Ghost Market, and a strange feeling stirred in her heart. What were these mediums thinking, choosing to enter this market as commoners?

There was no time for deeper thought. Someone stepped forward to open a slit in the black fabric, and the cyan-robed figures filed in one by one. Clearly, several of them wore expressions of terror.

As the fabric was opened, a surge of Yin energy rushed out, seemingly mixed with a cacophony of "human voices."

"The merchants have arrived. Our goal is to find Huang Quan. I suspect Huang Quan is one of the merchants here," Yaoguang told everyone via telepathy.

After the last medium entered, several figures who appeared to be managers went in, and the black fabric was quickly drawn shut. Everyone waited in silence, with only a few minutes left until midnight.

After a few minutes of silence, a person in black walked to the front and shouted, "Many old friends know the rules of the Dark River Ghost Market, but since there are always new faces, I will specify: the entry fee is five thousand per person! Don't say we are greedy; I only want to point out that the cost for each spirit medium is no less than ten thousand. Don't tell me you can trade without them; we are all capable people, but if you anger a merchant, it won't be a pleasant outcome. Some merchants have great power, and if they decide to haunt you, that’s even worse! Plus, there are ordinary people participating in this market. I won't say more; you all know the benefits of spirit mediums. Very well, the Dark River Ghost Market is now officially open."

The man in black left. A chair and a table for collecting fees were set up in front of the black fabric. With the help of the order-keepers, the crowd quickly formed a line and began entering one by one.

Jiang Yun stood behind Yaoguang and whispered, "Master, this is too expensive. With seven of us, if we attend three times, that’s 105,000. Do we have enough money?"

Yaoguang turned, patted her cheek with a reassuring smile, and held up her hand, spreading all five fingers.

Jiang Yun was immediately relieved; her master meant she had brought 500,000.

As they spoke, it was soon their turn. Since they had been standing near the front, they were high in the queue. After paying 35,000, the fee collector shouted inside, "Is the first batch of a thousand full yet?"

"Not yet, still a hundred short," a voice replied from within.

The collector nodded, tore off seven red tickets, and handed them over. "Hurry up. Each batch only has one hour. After an hour, someone will come to clear out those holding red tickets."

"Why trade in batches? Why only an hour?" Huo Mingkun asked, puzzled.

"What else? If ten thousand people went in at once, it would be chaotic. You're lucky to be in the first batch. Once dawn breaks, even with the protective formation, many merchants will leave, leaving only a few behind. Those at the back might not even get a chance to participate. Also, keep your tickets safe. If you don't participate in the first session, you won't be qualified for the next two, and those with red tickets today will have to wait at the back tomorrow according to the rules." After saying this, he waved them through.

Without further ado, they entered behind the black fabric. Once inside, everyone except Yaoguang couldn't help but shudder—not because of the cold, but because the layout and atmosphere were deeply oppressive.

It turned out it wasn't just a layer of black fabric, but a series of them arranged to form something like a tent.

Yaoguang looked at the group and said, "Let's split up. If you find Huang Quan, report it via telepathy."

The group nodded.