Chapter 421

The little old lady seemed to have been to the pawnshop many times, already thoroughly familiar with every procedure.

She placed the blue cloth jacket on the counter, then fished out five copper coins from her clothing pocket and set them beside the jacket before turning and leaving.

Both Li Qingying and I were somewhat dazed throughout the process.

Because the little old lady mentioned Yin Dang Hang as soon as she entered.

She said that on the fifteenth of each month, the shopkeeper must go to Yin Dang Hang to settle accounts.

Even her third son works there as an employee.

This amount of information left us momentarily unable to react.

I instinctively called out to her: 'Auntie, wait a moment, I have something to say…'

The little old lady ignored me, tiptoeing out of the pawnshop on her small feet; I hurried after her, reaching to grab her shoulder, but my hand passed right through her body.

Actually, from the moment she entered, I could tell she wasn't human.

But when she came in, her soul body was solid; according to past experience, I can usually touch soul bodies like this.

Yet I never expected that when my hand passed through her body, she would vanish into thin air.

Li Qingying chased after her, poked her head out looking around, but saw nothing.

She murmured, 'Really, I've seen a ghost.'

Indeed, that's exactly seeing a ghost.

I turned to look at the two items on the counter.

Upon looking, I was also stunned.

On the counter there was no blue cloth jacket at all—only five copper coins sitting there alone.

Li Qingying and I exchanged a glance, and we both understood in our hearts.

It seems even that blue cloth jacket just now wasn't of the mortal world; when the old lady left, the jacket disappeared as well.

But those five copper coins were genuine.

I took a small wooden box from the display shelf behind me, put the copper coins inside, then placed the box back on the shelf.

This little incident was too bizarre, and there's nowhere to inquire about it, so we can only set it aside for now.

But I never expected that the little old lady would come again the next night.

She still held that blue cloth jacket, placed it on the counter upon entering, used the same lines, and I watched helplessly as she again produced five copper coins from her person and set them beside the jacket.

This time I didn't wait for her to turn and leave before speaking: 'Auntie, may I ask about your third son's basic situation? After all, I need to know whom to deliver the clothing to.'

The little old lady slightly opened her mouth, as if about to speak, but the words got stuck at her lips.

Then she vanished into thin air right before our eyes once again.

Along with her, the blue cloth jacket also disappeared.

I sighed, utterly speechless, and casually took down that small wooden box from the display shelf, intending to put these few copper coins inside, only to find the box was completely empty.

Well, it turns out these copper coins are also recycled.

The next morning, the weather wasn't great; dark clouds hung heavily over Linghai to the north, as if a heavy rain were coming.

The weather forecast showed today would be a big sunny day, with no rain.

So Linghai over there must be cooperating with Liu Junyan's arrangements.

At noon, I received a call from Jin Wuya, who said the person tailing the Copper Coin Person reported that the Copper Coin Person was heading toward Huicheng.

Indeed, everything matched our speculation.

Now I only hope that before we return from the Ghost Market, Linghai over there won't need to trigger heavenly thunder.

After all, while the strategy is good, the risk exists alongside it; it's best if nothing goes wrong.

The whole day was calm and peaceful, with nothing major happening.

By evening, I had already packed up my things.

At ten o'clock at night, Liu Junyan drove, and we set out straight for the land temple behind the back gate of the seafood market, waiting for the Ghost Market to open.

The Ghost Market's gate opens at midnight and everyone must leave the Ghost Market by 3 a. m.

Without special reason, ordinary people are not allowed to linger in the Ghost Market; supposedly there would be serious consequences.

Our car was parked in a dark spot by the road; I took out the backpack I had prepared earlier, just about to sling it onto my back when Liu Junyan took it from me.

The backpack contained the two 'eggs' wrapped in cinnabar spirit bones; they are the purpose of this trip, and we must protect them well.

Liu Junyan took the backpack, and I then took out the Soul-guiding Lamp, holding it in my hand.

The Soul-guiding Lamp was covered with a black cloth; this thing is too eye-catching, and the Ghost Market is full of mixed characters, so I don't want to invite trouble unnecessarily.

Several people were already waiting at the land temple's gate, looking worried, with little conversation among them, just silently waiting.

Just after midnight, the land temple's gate changed color to a dusky red, looking somewhat frightening.

I am not a first-time visitor to the Ghost Market, but before I always came with Li Qingying; this is the first time I've come with Liu Junyan.

Liu Junyan obviously knows this area well; we followed the crowd and entered the Ghost Market gate together.

In the Ghost Market, heads thronged everywhere, with vendors' cries and bargaining sounds; this scene inexplicably reminded me of the scene I experienced in a dream before the pawn ticket of Yin Dang Hang appeared.

It was virtually identical.

We didn't linger much, had no interest in the things on either side of the street, and Liu Junyan took my hand, heading straight southwest.

Our goal was clear, after all, Yin Dang Hang is hidden between the Ghost Market and the Chenghuang Temple, not easy to find.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people in the world unaware of Yin Dang Hang's existence.

We only have three hours, which is extremely urgent.

Yet even though we had made sufficient mental preparations, when we reached the westernmost edge of the Ghost Market and looked toward the southwest, we were still stunned.

To the southwest, adjacent to the Chenghuang Temple's position, there is a river.

The source of this river is unknown; far off it is shrouded in a sheet of white mist, and the river water flows straight from within that mist, heading westward.

Moreover, to the west of Gui Shi, it is said that is the Ghost Gate to enter the Nether Realm.

Every month on the fifteenth night, Gui Shi opens; this ghost gate will swing wide open, and some ghost officials from the Nether Realm will enter Gui Shi through this gate to maintain order and purchase goods.

Some personnel who want to enter the Nether Realm to conduct business will also take the opportunity to enter through this ghost gate.

However, personnel who enter the Nether Realm without a permit will face great danger; it's easy to go in but not come out.

We walked back and forth along the river several times, but found nothing.

Time passed unnoticed, and I and Liu Junyan both became somewhat anxious.

If this time we cannot find Yin Dang Hang within the allotted time and complete the transaction on the pawn ticket, we don't know what consequences we will face.

Just when we were feeling harried, a familiar faint fragrance came from behind; I and Liu Junyan turned around simultaneously, and indeed saw Hu Yulin standing not far behind us, smiling at us.

He wore a plain smoky-gray long robe today, with no adornments, looking quite simple and elegant, yet still could not conceal his gorgeous bearing.

I exclaimed delightedly: "Brother Hu, how did you come here?"

"If I don't come, how long do you plan to keep circling here?" Hu Yulin laughed, closed his fan, pointed at the river, and said to Liu Junyan, "Seventh Lord, jump..."