Chapter 252: Huangquan Night Market! Penniless ghosts don

In the global livestream, above the light curtain.

The image froze.

That raised middle finger, like a pillar holding up the heavens, arrogantly jabbed at the sky.

It also stabbed into the retinas of countless people worldwide.

Not convinced?

Hold it in!

The next second.

Zzz—!

The signal cut off instantly.

The all‑covering light curtain and countless screens plunged into darkness at once.

The boiling news everywhere fell into a brief vacuum.

But after just one second, a more violent surge exploded!

"It just went black? Damn it, I haven't even taken a screenshot yet!"

"Holy crap! When others raise their middle finger it's just showing off and gets them beaten, but when the Pure God does it, I just want to kneel and shout 666!"

"What now? The picture's gone—where's the reward segment?"

"Surely the big shot isn't going to perform how to turn that pile of rotting meat into sashimi for us?"

It seemed to be responding to the clamor all around.

Line after line of sand‑like text slowly seeped out from the center of the light curtain.

【First Stage: Hundred Demons Night Parade—Ended!】

【Congratulations to those still alive—you've earned a breathing space.】

Upon seeing this line of text.

Whether it was the survivors in Sakura Country hiding in closets and under beds, trembling.

or the global audience in front of the screens watching the spectacle, they all unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

Finally……

Has it stopped?

That maddening children's song, those rotting‑meat monsters crawling all over the streets, those scenes that make your sanity plummet at a glance……

It's practically a nightmare!

But if we end the nightmare now, these wounds can slowly heal!

But……

Before that breath could fully relax, the sand‑like text on the screen suddenly collapsed and reassembled.

Dong—!

After a grim toll of the bronze gong, a new prompt appeared, dripping with bloody malice.

【Second Stage: Huangquan Night Market—Loaded!】

【Prompt One: Here, poverty is the only original sin.】

【Prompt Two: Points are purchasing power, and also…… your life.】

【Prompt Three: Here, every breath you take consumes.】

【Wishing you all happy shopping.】

……

Night market?

Shopping?

Everyone was dazed.

Did the art style shift a little too suddenly?

But the next second, reality gave them the answer.

That nauseating crackling sound stopped.

The corpse‑oil rain retreated!

Faintly, waves of noise came from afar.

The sound was strange, as if heard through a thick layer of water.

And also like something crawling out from the cracks of coffins deep underground.

"Huh?!"

In place, Su Ming lifted his head to look at the sky.

The murky, yellow‑tinged heavens, as if steeped in brine, now turned an eerie blue‑gray.

It was like a huge livid stain covering the sky above.

Thick blue‑gray mist surged from somewhere, instantly flooding the streets and buildings.

And within the depths of that fog.

One after another, pallid white and blood‑red intertwined lanterns lit up.

They hung from every utility pole and every rooftop.

The formerly empty, dead‑silent street now became……

extraordinarily lively!

One after another, figures clad in funeral garb, gaunt as withered stalks.

Pushing rickety carts and carrying bamboo baskets, they swaggered out from the shadows.

Some have no heads, a flag bearing the character for wine stuck in their neck cavities.

Some have their tongues dragging on the ground, holding rusty scissors that make a ka-cha sound.

Some have three hands, fiddling with an old abacus that has been spun for who knows how many years.

They thus occupied the streets and set up stalls.

This is... a netherworld night market?!

Innumerable survivors hiding in their homes peered through the cracks, seeing the outside scene, and swallowed their saliva in fear.

Go out?

What a joke!

Keep lying low!

As long as you don't go out, as long as you aren't discovered…

But suddenly.

Drip—!

In everyone's mind, a clear water-drop sound rang out.

Immediately after, innumerable days of hiding at home since the instance opened received a death‑like prompt!

【Points: -1】

【Warning: Insufficient points! Current balance is negative!】

【Warning: When debt points reach 1000, forced liquidation will be carried out!】

Innumerable people widened their eyes, their scalps exploding.

What does that mean?

Clearly we didn't do anything, why are points being deducted?!

Before they could react, the speed of the jumping numbers was faster than their heartbeat!

【Points: -2】

【Points: -3】

【Points: -4】

……

Innumerable people went mad!

Because, they finally understood that rule!

【Here, every breath consumes.】

This is not some baseless metaphor!

This is the rule! It's an iron law!

1 second deducts 1 point.

1 minute equals 60 points!

1 hour equals 3600 points!

If you don't go out to kill monsters, you don't earn points.

Even if you just hide at home and catch your breath, it's a capital offense!

A negative 1000 points triggers forced liquidation…

As for those who didn't participate in the First Stage activities…

Their lives now have only about ten minutes left!

If they still don't go out to find a way, what awaits them is eradication by the rule!

How is this a night market?!

This is clearly forcing the rats out of their holes!

No!

Don't!

The entire Sakura Country echoed with countless desperate howls!

To survive, innumerable people cried for their parents and charged into that strange green mist!

……

The Light Curtain in the sky, the live‑broadcast lenses, all lit up again, and the scene switched.

In everyone's view, a bespectacled young man staggered over to a stall.

"Yo, a customer?"

At the stall in the corner, the vendor was an old ghost with only an upper body.

He was propping himself up with both hands on the ground, looking up at the rushing bespectacled man.

It wore a smile on its face.

But that smile…

No matter how you look at it, it's creepy.

After all, whose good person has their mouth corners sewn shut with black thread?

"Guest, your complexion doesn't look good; your Yintang is dark."

The old ghost rubbed its hands and pointed at the bespectacled man's head.

It can see it!

That bright red number, still jumping wildly!

【-107】!

If you don't spend something, or earn something...

Your delicate skin and flesh body is about to be recycled by the night market, huh.

The bespectacled man trembled all over, his teeth chattering.

I... I have no points... I didn't go out just now...

No money?

The smile on the old ghost's face instantly collapsed, becoming extremely vicious.

No money, what are you doing out on the street? Poor ghost!

But...

Its gaze greedily swept over the bespectacled man, like picking pork at a vegetable market.

Although our shop is a small business, we also support barter.

I see your legs are quite sturdy; you just ran over, right? Muscle elasticity is good.

Although the meat is a bit sore, it's fresh.

How about... cutting it off?

I'll give you a high price... 500 points?

500 points!

The bespectacled man froze.

What the hell can this do?!

500 points, at a rate of one point per second, only enough for him to live over eight minutes!

A pair of legs for eight minutes?!

This is more than just a black shop; it's basically stuffing people into a meat grinder!

No... I won't sell! I won't sell!!

The bespectacled man shook his head wildly, turned, and tried to run.

But the next second.

Clatter——!

A rusted iron chain shot out from the mist like a poisonous snake, instantly tightly wrapping around his ankle.

The old ghost had somehow climbed behind him, now holding a notched bone-chopping knife, grinning with his mouth split open.

Once you're in the night market, how can you leave without spending?

Let's have a look; if you don't sell your legs, we'll reluctantly take anything else you have!

Under the light curtain, the bespectacled man's legs went weak, shaking like chaff in a sieve.

Finally, he tremblingly pulled out a dagger flashing with cold light from his pants pocket!

This... this, can it be exchanged for points? This is an Excellent-grade dagger! Very sharp!

Huh?!

The old ghost let out a soft 'yi', took the dagger, and sniffed the rust smell at the tip of his nose.

Then, it extended three fingers.

300 points!

That's just because I personally like collecting these little trinkets; if you went to the neighboring stall...

Hmph, trying to sell for 200 points would be hard!

Hiss——!

Hearing this, the world erupted in an uproar!

An Excellent-grade weapon here can only be exchanged for 300 points?!

What does 300 points mean?

Converted into that damn breathing tax, it's only enough to live five minutes!

A knife for five minutes of breathing time?

Holy shit! This isn't just inflation; it's outright robbery!

At these prices, even the capitalists of Huax Street would tear up and call it expert!

If that's the case... then those people hiding just now would have to empty their savings!

Wrong! If this night market lasts a long time, even emptying one's savings might not be enough!

Countless people recalled the initial rule reminder!

Black-hearted?

No.

In this Huangquan Night Market.

Poverty is the greatest sin!