Chapter 2679: Psycho City Lord's Rules of Love and Conflict 02

That night, it grew dark. The four were arranged to stay in the Heaven-character shaped large room of the Imperial Merchant Ke Zhan in the capital.

The National Teacher led ten disciples, and five solemn-looking enlightened monks laid down layer upon layer of formations inside and outside the room.

"When midnight arrives, the formation will automatically guide your souls to Ghost City. Remember, the rules of Ghost City differ from the mortal world; the first night is for reconnaissance—do not clash with the city's ghosts unless absolutely necessary. At dawn, the formation will guide you back."

The National Teacher's voice was cold and clear, gesturing for the disciples to place the four Liuli Pearls and the gray wood powder separately on one side.

"The Liuli Pearls must be carried on your person; if you become separated in the city, use them to sense and contact your companions. Ghost Powder is for disguise—sprinkle it over your body to mask mortal vitality; one bag should be enough to last the night."

The disciples placed the tray holding the two items on the table in the room, bowed, exited, and gently closed the door.

The door shut, sealing off the outside world.

Jin Chen divided the Liuli Pearls and Ghost Powder equally among the three, lay down on the bed, and began to sleep.

Chu Jiu Shan, seeing this, cheerfully grabbed the bed blanket and spread it on the footstool beside the bed, lay down comfortably, muttering, "It's not bad to have a bed to sleep on; the senior brother beside me is even more peaceful..." He also prepared to sleep with a carefree heart.

Liu Shuoyue and Zang Huaian exchanged glances, deeply aware that Jin Chen's power was unfathomable; now was not the time to quibble over formalities.

The room was spacious, so each found an armchair against the wall, sat down, adjusted their breathing, and closed their eyes to focus.

The night deepened, and all sounds fell silent.

The candles in the room quietly extinguished, and midnight approached.

Suddenly, a gust of yin wind poured into the room, causing the bed canopy to sway slightly.

——

When the four opened their eyes again, they found themselves in the middle of an unfamiliar street.

The sky was dim, resembling neither dawn nor dusk, shrouded in an ambiguous gray haze.

Jin Chen was the first to adapt to the change in light, lazily narrowing his amber eyes, silently observing the surroundings.

Flanking the bluestone road were shops, hanging sign banners like funeral cloth.

At first glance, it was no different from an ordinary street in the capital.

Chu Jiu Shan curiously peered out and asked, "Senior brother, have we... entered Ghost City? It still looks quite normal."

In his imagination, Ghost City should be a purgatory of a hundred ghosts marching at night, skulls littering the ground, and resentment soaring to the heavens; yet this overly ordinary street instead made his skin crawl.

"Something's off." Liu Shuoyue's voice was cold and clear, her yin-yang pupils glowing faintly in the dim light.

She raised her hand, pointing to the banner swaying before the tavern not far away.

By rights, the banner should bear the characters for wine or tea, but the ink swirling across it twisted and knotted into extremely bizarre, narrow, abnormal runes—not any script they knew; staring too long, the strokes seemed to writhe like living things, inexplicably eerie.

Chu Jiu Shan followed her gaze and instantly shivered, finally fully waking to realize where he was: "Ah ah ah! We've really come in!"

He let out a cry, hastily reaching into his bosom to feel around, "Liuli Pearls... the Liuli Pearls are still here! Ghost Powder... where is my Ghost Powder!" He

Chu Jiu Shan frantically turned out every pocket, sleeve, and even his boot linings, his face growing paler as he exclaimed, "It's gone, not seen! My Ghost Powder is missing!"

Liu Shuoyue frowned, quickly checking herself as her face darkened.

"Mine isn't here either."

Zang Huaian's expression worsened; he silently shook his head, his face turning ashen, "I didn't bring any in either."

Without Ghost Powder to conceal mortal vitality, in this Ghost City they could at any moment be devoured by countless evil spirits.

The three turned their gazes toward the silent Jin Chen, holding their last hope.

Jin Chen calmly reached into the hidden pocket at the back of his robe, felt around for a moment, and pulled out a small cloth bag.

"Mine is still here; that's fine—using it sparingly will be enough to share."

Although Liu Shuoyue couldn't recall when she had lost the Ghost Powder, seeing there was still a chance, she felt somewhat relieved: "Thank you, Brother Jin."

Zang Huaian also clasped his fists and said in a low voice, "My gratitude is endless; tonight we can only cautiously endure until morning."

The four carefully divided that bag of Ghost Powder and applied it to the acupuncture points where yang energy was strongest.

The cool yin energy seeped into the skin; Jin Chen sensed that the vigorous yang energy was temporarily suppressed, and the vague repelling aura that arose upon entering this place gradually dissipated.

Just then, a yin wind swept across the empty streets, and immediately afterward, the sound of clappers striking came from afar,

Thud, thud, thud——

"The weather is dry, beware of fire..."

The night watchman's cries drew nearer from far away, their hollow echoes.

"There's still night watch in Ghost City... oh, it's the night watch ghost." Chu Jiu Shan muttered timidly, shrinking behind the tall Jin Chen and Zang Huaian, peeking out through the gap between their shoulders.

All that could be seen was a hunched figure holding a lantern, striking the clapper, slowly walking from the end of the street, his receding silhouette fading away.

Chu Jiu Shan let out an "eh," saying, "This ghost looks almost like a living person—how can we tell who's a ghost and who's a person? This is too dangerous."

Jin Chen glanced at him sideways, flicked his forehead with a finger, and said, "Use your brain, Chu Jiu Shan. This is Ghost City—aside from us four living people, where would any others come from?"

"... Oh oh right!" Chu Jiu Shan winced, covering his forehead, gave an embarrassed laugh, "I forgot in my panic."

"Don't make a sound." Zang Huaian suddenly lowered his voice, his muscles tensing, his ears twitching, "The night watch ghost has disappeared."

Jin Chen, however, calmly replied, "It hasn't disappeared."

Zang Huaian, knowing this person's eyesight and hearing far surpassed his own, hurriedly asked, "Where is it?"

Jin Chen's slender fingers extended from his sleeve, pointing upward, "On your head."

Zang Huaian's pupils contracted sharply, a chill surging from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

He slowly lifted his head, only to see the night watch ghost, which should have departed, now standing silently behind them all.

The night watch ghost was short in stature, yet its neck stretched upward like boneless, extending over three feet; its bluish-gray head drooped, a pair of hollow eyes with only whites, no pupils, fixedly staring at them.

Chu Jiu Shan shut his eyes tightly, refusing to open them.

Zang Huaian instinctively moved to strike, but Jin Chen restrained his wrist.

Jin Chen lifted his head, calmly meeting the upside-down ghost's gaze, "What business do you have?"

The night watch ghost tilted its head, its voice dry and raspy.

"It's late—why not return indoors to rest? The streets... are unsafe."

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, then continued asking, "Where is it unsafe?"

The night-watch ghost thought seriously, was stumped by the question, blankly shook his head, "I don't know, it's just unsafe."

Jin Chen: "……"

"We're about to head back, may I ask how to get to the Tongyun Ke Zhan?" Liu Shuoyue spoke timely.

She reported the name of the Ke Zhan where they had stayed during the day, harboring a probing intention; if there were a Ke Zhan with the same name in this ghost city, then the rumor that humans and ghosts share the city, with day and night alternating, would gain another corroboration.

The night-watch ghost's elongated neck slowly twisted again, producing a faint sound that made one's teeth ache; he pointed with his chin toward a direction on the street: 「「Go straight, turn around this street, and you'll arrive. 」」

After giving directions, the night-watch ghost sniffed again above their heads, then shrank back his neck, clapped the wooden clapper, and left.