Chapter 148: The Ghost Market

The poison blood in this porcelain bottle was the very cause of Li Guanyi's ten years of torment—each time the searing pain in his chest flared, it drove him nearly to unconsciousness, lasting often one or two hours, and when it finally subsided, he would be drenched in sweat as if oozing from his pores, nearly dying.

This was still only because Li Guanyi's mother had already transferred the Qingluan bird's spiritual manifestation to him.

Without his mother's protection, Li Guanyi would have died outright from the pain.

Upon hearing the old man say it was an artifact of the Ying royal house, Li Guanyi's eyes flickered with emotion, then settled again.

As expected…

He merely thought this in his heart.

Elder Guan Shier stood at the entrance of the Ghost Market, staring at the porcelain bottle; he pulled out a silver needle, dipped it in the poison blood, then casually touched it to a mechanism. Li Guanyi watched as the Bai Yu on the mechanism visibly changed color, soon turning purple, then deepening to black at its densest points.

Elder Guan Shier's expression froze. He looked at Li Guanyi and said:

"You!!!"

The elder of the Mo family's face shifted through several expressions before finally fixing on the boy and saying:

"This is a level reserved solely for the Emperor's command."

"Legend says it came from the most toxic substance—a relic obtained eight hundred years ago when the Red Emperor ordered the empire's divine generals to hunt down and slay an ancient beast called Fei, a creature left over from the mythic age of antiquity."

"It resembled a bull with a white head, one eye, and a serpent's tail. Its name was Fei. Where it walked through water, the water dried up; where it passed over grass, the grass died; its appearance heralded a great plague across the land."

"The Red Emperor personally led the divine generals to subdue it, slaying the ancient beast that had brought ruin to that era."

"When the mountain-sized beast fell, five hundred li around it became a poison source, and it took eight hundred days for the poison to dissipate. What remained was a massive swelling beneath its oxen horns, filled with blood as clear as jade, exquisitely lethal—the ancestors of the Ying state took it away."

"They ascended to power, and on several occasions of mortal peril, they relied on the brow-blood of Fei."

"It is exceedingly precious; only when the Emperor deems it absolutely necessary does he authorize its use. The current Emperor of Ying, renowned for his benevolence and resolve, has used such means to kill no more than three people…"

Elder Guan Shier spoke slowly, each word deliberate: "This thing—never show it to anyone again."

"Or you'll bring disaster upon yourself."

Li Guanyi said: "I only dared to show it to you because you are a Mo elder."

Elder Guan Shier had no reply. The Mo family's knights were famed across the land, the most trusted martial group in the world; their First Mo Juzi was one of the Six Palace Lords, guaranteeing the Mo family's integrity.

Elder Guan Shier tossed the porcelain bottle to Li Guanyi, then pulled out a wooden box and handed it over.

"Put it in here—it masks the aura better, safer."

Li Guanyi thanked him and stowed the box. The Mo elder fell silent for a long while, gazing at Li Guanyi, then sighed deeply and said:

"The Emperor of Chen, the Emperor of Ying, the Ying Imperial Prince, the martial world… Fei blood, assassins chasing you… Someone like you, entering the martial world, will never find peace. Your father's reputation was too great, his ambitions too vast, his enemies too many."

"The whole world is your enemy, child. Your fate is grim."

Li Guanyi tucked the box back at his waist, patted the sword there, and replied with a carefree smile: "I've lived this long, limbs intact, neither blind nor deaf. Though poor, I've not starved to death—and I've gained a full set of Wu Gong."

"I have friends. I have masters."

"High-ranking allies across the four seas, Mr. My fate is good!"

Elder Guan Shier said nothing more. He merely smiled, bid farewell to the Ghost Market's Bu Ye Hou, then returned to Li Guanyi and said: "Your temperament suits you well as a Mo practitioner. The world is vast—I await the day your name shakes the four corners."

"I'm off."

The Mo practitioner merely waved his hand over his shoulder, slung his box onto his back, and walked away with effortless grace, saying nothing else. Li Guanyi's smile faded. He gripped his sword and went to pay his respects to the Ghost Market's Bu Ye Hou.

The Bu Ye Hou sat upon his chair, his expression gentle and composed—but Li Guanyi did not know if this was his true face. The Bu Ye Hou smiled: "How was your reception at the Netherworld Ghost Market?"

He had found, within a short time, the Mo elder most likely to heal the musician.

The Netherworld Ghost Market's influence was indeed among the pinnacle of martial world power.

Li Guanyi nodded and thanked him.

The Bu Ye Hou said: "If you're satisfied, we must settle accounts. The Ghost Market operates on clear pricing. Bring it." He clapped his hands, and a masked Ghost Market attendant delivered a box.

The Bu Ye Hou gestured for Li Guanyi to open it.

Li Guanyi opened the box and found inside a token.

Made of wood, its texture warm and smooth.

It was the Guest Token of the Netherworld Ghost Market.

Though merely the lowest-tier wooden token, it could not compare to Master Siming's.

But it still marked him as a Guest.

He could receive aid within the Ghost Market, gain access to rare materials, even participate in certain secret gatherings and exchange intelligence.

Li Guanyi looked at the Bu Ye Hou, who sipped his tea calmly and unhurriedly:

"Almost forgot."

"You completed a commission for our Netherworld Ghost Market."

"Around our Ghost Market, there are many black-market merchants who learned of our existence and sought to attach themselves to our name—but lacked a Guest Token. So they built huts nearby, trading goods. We wished to remove them, but never had a good opportunity."

"We posted a bounty—and you fulfilled it, clearing them all out."

"This Guest Token is for you."

"As for the musician Miss's arm… ha… you've already paid for that."

Li Guanyi stared at the Bu Ye Hou before him, rubbing the token in his palm, and asked: "May I ask when the bounty for the black-market merchants beyond the Ghost Market was posted?"

The Bu Ye Hou stroked his teacup and smiled: "Just now."

"I see. I understand."

Li Guanyi nodded, swept his sleeve, and stowed the token. Dawn was faintly breaking. He thought a moment and said: "May I try using the Ghost Market now?"

Li Guanyi nodded, swept his sleeve, and put away the token; the sky was faintly lightening. After a moment's thought, he said, "Can I try using this Ghost Market?"

He summoned someone to give Li Guanyi a detailed explanation of the Ghost Market's various districts. Li Guanyi halted before the area for intelligence trading. The Ghost Messenger said: "Here, you may record what you wish to know and place it in the box."

He summoned someone to give Li Guanyi a more detailed explanation of the Ghost Market's different districts. Li Guanyi stopped and looked at the place where intelligence was traded. The ghost official said, "Here, you can write down what you wish to know and place it in the box."

"Then it will be placed back in the box. The one who investigates will not know your identity—or rather, among us Ghost Messengers, intelligence is not shared, ensuring your anonymity."

Then place it in the box; those who investigate the information will not know your identity, or rather, among us ghost messengers, the information we gather is not shared, to ensure the safety of our clients' identities.

As for the intrinsic value of the information, it must be traded for gold, treasures, or information of equivalent worth.

Li Guanyi tried once; he fell silent for a moment, wrote down several generals' names, among them two of the twenty-four scattered generals of Tai Ping Gong, the rest being generals who had left Chen State for various reasons, then placed them in the box.

Whether or not those twenty-four generals were willing to help him, he still instinctively wanted to learn their whereabouts and safety.

Many guests, for the first time, always wish to test the Ghost Market's methods.

The ghost officials have long grown accustomed to such things.

They merely nodded and said: "Then, three days from now, the guest may return to the Ghost Market for your results. Payment will be collected according to the informant's wishes, with the Ghost Market taking a two-percent fee—this has been explained to you in advance."

When all was finished, Li Guanyi left the Ghost Market. His sword hung at his waist, his sleeves still stained with blood. He walked slowly away from the market; it had just rained, and the morning mist clung to his skin, carrying a faint chill. He stepped out of the street and stood at the corner, turning back to look.

He saw thin mist shrouding the Ghost Market, blurring its form—truly a phantom, ghostly place.

He turned and strode away, ate breakfast at the street corner: hot porridge went down his throat, then two baskets of buns. He exhaled a long breath of stale air, listened to the chatter around him, and at last, yesterday's events were behind him.

When Li Guanyi was in low spirits, his appetite improved; now that his mood had settled, his heart felt as clear as morning sun. Two more days remained until the quarterfinals, with two matches each day. His own fight was tomorrow, yet as his gaze swept the crowd, he noticed many more martial figures had appeared.

All carried weapons, brows raised with spirit.

Many among them were no slouches in cultivation.

Li Guanyi's Current Realm was the Second Heavenly Layer, a Captain in the army—a mid-level force. Yet as he glanced around, he spotted several martial figures at his own level, all of advanced age, and some even higher.

Though Jiangzhou had become the center of the world's storm, the storm's core was truly the rival states. The martial world had always been clearly separate from the court—yet now so many skilled martial figures had appeared.

In one place alone, he could spot several formidable fighters.

Then surely even more renowned masters had come to Jiangzhou.

Not to mention Diliu Sect's Master Yu Jin Bingge, and Disan Sect's Western Regions Living Buddha—though not among the Shida Sect Masters, there was also the Princess, whose single thought could make snow fall within the palace, Chen Chengbi, the paragon of martial sincerity.

Those two, in their day, had traveled the world under the name of Hu Guo Mountain Villa.

Li Guanyi suddenly remembered what Yue Dage had said.

The martial heroes of the world had come to Jiangzhou to rescue Marshal Yue.

For this reason, Yue Dage had given Li Guanyi the tiger tally of his Tiger Spear Corps as a token.

Li Guanyi looked at those bold warriors, raised his hand to press his temples, and felt the situation in Jiangzhou grew ever more chaotic the more he understood—like a vortex, pulling him deeper.

Suddenly, the Xuan Gui Fa Xiang reappeared on Li Guanyi's shoulder.

Li Guanyi froze, wondering why this creature, which never moved unless there was immense benefit, had emerged—when he saw the Xuan Gui Fa Xiang shift its four legs, slide off his shoulder, glide over to a martial figure, and settle there in silent stillness.

Li Guanyi realized the Fa Xiang had expanded his perception: though he had not opened his ear orifices, he clearly heard their voices:

"I heard the Sword Saint's grandson, Young Sword Saint Xu Huiyang, is also competing?"

"Heh, yes. It's no surprise that Yu Jin Bingge's disciple—a royal descendant, even a distant one—joins this contest. But the Sword Saint roams the martial world freely; his grandson serving the Crown Prince? Truly a pity."

"You don't know, then?"

Someone chuckled, lowering his voice: "I heard the Sword Saint allowed him to come because the Chen royal house possesses something extraordinary—a treasure—hidden in the Library Pavilion."

"The top finisher may choose one item from the Inner Cabinet. Xu Huiyang probably wants that."

"He only just joined the Crown Prince's side."

"Oh?! What is it?!"

The one revealing it hesitated: "I—I don't know."

"But if the treasure's there, why hasn't anyone taken it?"

The revealer sneered: "Taken? Take what? When the Sword Saint went mad, he chased down seventy-six bandits of Mount Yan, wiped out an entire region of bandits, destroyed thirteen martial sects—and Chen Chengbi, who brought thirty years of clean governance to that region, still stands there."

"Have you forgotten the title 'Chen the King-Slayer'?"

"If not for his royal lineage and long absence from the martial world, he'd surely rank among the Shida Sect Masters."

"This old man is of the royal house."

"And rumors say two other royal members possess inner power as potent and brutal as Chen Chengbi's. Everyone knows the imperial palaces of Chen and Ying hold countless treasures—yet why hasn't anyone taken them?"

Everyone fell silent, then shifted topics to ease the awkwardness: "Still, I heard his opponent isn't bad—he's Li Guanyi, the one who cleared out the Ghost Market."

The three-heavenly-layer man with the mustache said: "He's indeed formidable, but he's four full years younger than Xu Huiyang. With four years' difference, and Xu Huiyang having been raised on pills since childhood, personally trained by the Sword Saint—such resources can't be matched by a Gold Guard."

"Besides, he cares deeply about winning this."

"I heard he specifically sought out generals from the army who wield spears and battle halberds. Since yesterday, he's been studying tactics to counter Li Guanyi. A fourth-heavenly-layer general even demonstrated halberd techniques for him—what an advantage."

"Eh? That's allowed?"

"Hmph. The Crown Prince's top swordsman, wielding the Crown Prince's authority—why shouldn't he summon martial practitioners from the army to train with him?"

The Xuan Gui Fa Xiang glided back and settled on Li Guanyi's shoulder.

It no longer extended its claw toward the Library Pavilion.

Instead, its claw gripped Li Guanyi tightly, its pea-sized green eyes fixed unblinkingly on the boy.

It seemed to say nothing.

Or perhaps it had said everything.

"Alright, alright—I'll go upstairs this time, okay?"

"Let's see what's so tempting you."

Li Guanyi patted it, smiling to soothe it.

The tiny Xuan Gui widened its eyes at him, almost demanding he swear an oath.

Li Guanyi let the Fa Xiang disperse, then walked back to the Xue household, thinking deeply. His parents' affair involved the Ying royal house—something he had already considered, so this news did not shake his spirit.

His thoughts returned to the two immediate matters he must resolve.

First: Chen Yuyun.

Second: his opponent, Xu Huiyang.

Li Guanyi's mind flashed through Xu Huiyang's records: grandson of the world-renowned Sword Saint, a genius at nineteen with Third Heavenly Layer, gentle in nature, wielding peerless sword qi, having mastered Daoist sword control and Confucian heart-sword.

He once walked barehanded through the Sword Graveyard and never touched a single blade—he is the most likely heir to the Sword Saint's title, once severing a river's flow for three full breaths with a single, simplest horizontal slash.

Even when he rarely strikes.

He still ranks thirty-fourth among martial artists who have reached the age of standing firm in the world.

Li Guanyi had seen his duels—he almost always defeated his opponents with just a single gesture, and he never drew his sword until the quarterfinals. Li Guanyi felt immense pressure; his Second Tower had only just opened the Third Eye, and his only advantage was one thing.

Physicality!

Li Guanyi quickly made his judgment.

Golden skin, jade bones, dragon sinews, tiger marrow—this physique signifies rapid, short-term explosive power. For ordinary martial artists, such an explosive burst leaves them utterly exhausted, but for one with dragon sinews and tiger marrow, it is normal output.

Moreover, his blood and qi surge quickly, and he possesses the Ten Thousand Ancient Crimson Moon Immortal Body.

Li Guanyi pondered for a long time and realized the situation was dire.

Compared to that young Sword Saint, his greatest strength was this:

He could take more punishment.

And while Li Guanyi, who mastered multiple supreme techniques, possessed direct combat-ending attacks, the prerequisite was that without his Third Eye opened, he could keep up with his opponent's movements and land his techniques stably.

Of course, the supreme techniques themselves were his trump cards—more important than victory, they must not be exposed.

As Li Guanyi contemplated this, a faint rustling came from the corner. He looked up and saw a familiar figure appear on the wall.

White-haired, tall, and imposing—it was Chen Chengbi.

The old man looked at him, grinned, and suddenly appeared beside Li Guanyi.

He grabbed him with one hand and then sprinted off.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?"

Chen Chengbi laughed excitedly:

"Xu Huiyang hired a fourth-rank peak general to train with him. Old man here has to find you someone too—at least someone who can make you fight Xu Huiyang, fight well, fight beautifully, that's what's fun. Boy, don't lose to the Sword Saint's brat grandson."

Li Guanyi laughed and groaned: "What are you going to do?"

Chen Chengbi shoved a bun into the boy's mouth and said: "Eat."

"Cough cough—the mountain man has his own clever plan."

Soon Li Guanyi learned who the old man intended for him to meet.

Chen Chengbi arrived at a temple, where a novice monk said:

"Elder, Elder, the Living Buddha has just retired for the night."

Chen Chengbi said: "Retired? No, no!"

"He hasn't slept!"

The old man kicked open the door and shouted:

"Hey hey hey, baldy, come out!!!"

"The greatest possible physicality in all of history lies right here!"

"Come out!"