After the two human traffickers confessed.
Su Wu Ming revealed the information he had gathered from his visits to the East and West markets: “Kang Yuan Li, the magistrate of the West Market, said that if such a type of preservative spice can’t be found on the market, you can only go to the Ghost Market.”
Lu Ling Feng furrowed his brows: “The Ghost Market again. It seems we have to go there.”
“Especially that man called Yin Shi Lang, he’s most suspicious.”
As the two chatted casually, the two human traffickers suddenly began to convulse, their breathing quickened, and their eyes bulged: “Help, save me…”
It only took half a minute for them to die on the spot.
Su Wu Ming and Lu Ling Feng rushed forward to investigate but found no issues, except for a few marks on their buttocks left by the constable’s mace.
Su Wu Ming couldn’t understand, confused, “No injuries, no poisoning, and both men have practiced martial arts for years. How could they die so suddenly?”
“Give me a hand. Carry them back to the morgue. I need to perform an autopsy.”
Lu Ling Feng reluctantly carried the corpses to the morgue.
Meanwhile.
Dou Cong returned to report, gratefully saying, “Thank you, my lord, for allowing me to avenge myself.”
Wei Ming used the Ghost Pact technique to bind Dou Cong as his ghost servant.
“You have two choices: one, cultivate as a spirit, devour souls and strengthen your cultivation. When you become powerful, you can manifest a physical body and be no different from ordinary people. Two, in the future, I will help you rebuild your body and help you return to life!”
Dou Cong pondered for a moment, then shook his head: “Dou Cong doesn’t know how to choose, but for now, I am willing to serve as your ghost servant and serve you.”
“Very well!” Wei Ming nodded. At this time, Dou Cong as a spirit was more valuable to him than a living Dou Cong.
Besides, he hadn’t unlocked the “Double-Whole-Hand” technique yet. Even if he wanted to rebuild a body, he didn’t have the ability to do it.
“When you want to be reincarnated, just tell me. I will fulfill your wish!”
“Thank you, my lord. Your kindness and generosity, Dou Cong cannot repay. Whether as a ghost servant or a reincarnation, Dou Cong will always follow you, be your slave, and serve you!”
On the other side.
Su Wu Ming’s investigation yielded no results, and Lu Ling Feng lost patience, so he left with his men, preparing to go deep into the Ghost Market to arrest Yin Shi Lang.
Su Wu Ming scratched his head, confused: “Why did they die?”
“Forget it. The most urgent matter is to go to the Ghost Market first.”
Su Wu Ming summoned all the constables in the Chang’an County Office and said he was going to the Ghost Market to investigate.
However, none of the constables were willing to go. Some claimed their wives were giving birth, others said their eyesight wasn’t good, and some simply said they were afraid to go.
Su Wu Ming sighed helplessly: “It’s fine, I was just asking. I wouldn’t go to that kind of place anyway.”
Leaving those words behind, Su Wu Ming was about to go to the morgue to cut a piece of cloth from Dou Cong’s corpse.
“Wait a minute, Senior Brother. Why don’t I go with you? It would be a chance to experience the legendary Chang’an Ghost Market!”
Wei Ming, carrying a stack of files, walked out of the archives room.
“Junior Brother, aren’t you afraid?”
“Fear? What’s there to fear? People live there, good and bad, outlaws, beggars, and refugees. But no matter what, they are all my fellow citizens of the Great Tang. The Ghost Market belongs to the Great Tang territory.”
“And I, Wei Ming, as a Supervisor Censor, can investigate any injustice, unknown place, or unlawful person in the world. I will never let them get away with it!”
“Good, well said, Junior Brother! Senior Brother will be back soon. Let’s, our brothers, go explore the Ghost Market that even gods and spirits fear!”
Suddenly stopping, he looked at the files in Wei Ming’s arms and asked, “What are these files?”
Wei Ming replied: “The case files of the eight missing brides.”
Su Wu Ming was overjoyed upon hearing this, quickly taking the files and gratefully saying, “Thank you, Junior Brother.”
Wei Ming smiled: “There’s no need to be so courteous between us.”
Because there was no point in being polite, those files would soon be useless!
As Su Wu Ming carried the files to the morgue, Wei Ming turned to the Chang’an constables who were looking at each other in astonishment.
“Everyone, you really don’t want to go?”
Constable Lao Jia bowed: “My lord Wei upholds justice, working tirelessly for the people. We are all deeply admired, but…”
Lao Jia looked embarrassed. Lao Luo picked up the conversation: “My lord, although the Ghost Market belongs to Chang’an, it’s a place where all sorts of people gather. It’s very dangerous inside.”
Constable Lao Liu added: “When County Magistrate Wu was here, he brought us to the Ghost Market to capture a criminal. But after returning, County Magistrate Wu… you know what happened next.”
Wei Ming nodded: “Alright, since you’re all unwilling to go, then help me do something else.”
“Go to a few places and dig up some corpses for me!”
Constables Lao Liu, Lao Jia, and Lao Luo looked at each other, bewildered and dumbfounded.
…
The entrance to the Ghost Market.
Wei Ming and Su Wu Ming walked together.
Wei Ming said: “Chang’an City was designed by Yuwen Kai of the Former Sui Dynasty. He combined the six high hills in the city and used the six lines of the Qian Gua (乾卦) to design the city.”
“The position of nine-two is in the Imperial City, where the emperor resides. The position of nine-three is in the Imperial City, where officials work and stay overnight. As for the most prestigious position of nine-five, the Xuan Du Guan (玄都观) and Xing Shan Temple (兴善寺) were built to suppress it.”
“However, in the late Sui Dynasty, the depression next to the Xuan Du Guan became increasingly deeper, forming an underground world.”
“Since the establishment of the Great Tang Dynasty, the curfew has been strict, so some homeless people and those who do business at night gather here.”
“It is commonly known as the Ghost Market!”
Su Wu Ming exclaimed in admiration: “Junior Brother, you have vast knowledge. You even know the origin of the Ghost Market. I admire you.”
Wei Ming waved his hand: “Let’s go, Senior Brother. There are many fugitives, robbers, and ruthless criminals here. You have to be careful.”
Su Wu Ming smiled confidently: “Senior Brother has been to the Ghost Market many times when he followed our master. This is your first time, so I’ll be your guide.”
As soon as they entered the Ghost Market, they bumped into a disheveled chicken thief.
He even collided with Su Wu Ming.
Wei Ming glanced at him and saw that although the old man was over sixty years old, he was in good health. He had a pair of sharp eyes and a red, bulbous nose.
This must be Fei Ying Jun, the disciple of Sun Si Miao, the “Pharmaceutical King”!
Fei Ying Jun loves to eat chicken. He’s also called Fei Ji Shi (费鸡师, literally, “Chicken Teacher”) and Ji Shi Gong (鸡师公, literally, “Chicken Teacher Grandmaster”). He’s a skilled physician and has an acute sense of smell, able to distinguish thousands of medicinal herbs.
He’s the healer of the Tang Ghost Detective team!
Without Fei Ji Shi, the Tang Ghost Detective team would have died long ago.
What a talent!
Suddenly, Fei Ji Shi screamed in terror, “Ghost! Ghost! He’s a ghost!”
He let out a loud cry, scaring everyone away, and ran away quickly himself.
Su Wu Ming, who was helped up, was confused: “What did he just call me? A ghost?”
Wei Ming patted Su Wu Ming’s chest: “I saw that old beggar sniffing your chest. Maybe he smelled something on you that frightened him.”
Su Wu Ming was stunned for a moment: “What could be on me… wait!”
He realized and pulled out a piece of cloth stained with the Soul-Returning incense: “That old beggar recognized this incense!”
“Junior Brother, wait for me here. I’ll go after that old man.”
Before he finished speaking, Su Wu Ming had already chased after him.
Ignoring Su Wu Ming, Wei Ming released Dou Cong and ordered, “Lead the way.”
“My lord, please follow me.”
Wei Ming followed Dou Cong into the Ghost Market until they reached a building.
A banner hung in front of the building, inscribed with the words: “Yin Shi Lang, Omnipotent!”
Wei Ming laughed: “What a big claim.”
“I wonder if he’s as big as your other identity, Eleven Lady!”
Dou Cong blushed and turned her head away. She had just discovered that the lord had such a frivolous side.
“My lord.” Dou Cong hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “I feel very comfortable as a spirit in the Ghost Market. There is a faint but powerful force that’s nourishing my spirit.”
Wei Ming raised his eyebrows: “Oh? Does the Ghost Market have such an effect on spirits?”
It probably has something to do with Yuwen Kai’s choice of the nine-five position.
Since ancient times, Yin and Yang have been in harmony and intermingled. The nine-five position is extremely yang. The Xuan Du Guan was built as the dwelling place of the gods, while the depression next door sank, yang reaching its peak, necessarily giving rise to yin.
It seems that the Ghost Market is not just a gathering place for the miscellaneous, a place for forbidden trade, but possibly a genuine Ghost Market!
From another perspective, could the Chang’an Ghost Market be a small underworld within a radius of hundreds of miles?
People in Chang’an and its surrounding areas who died in the Ghost Market area, or who were buried in the Ghost Market after death, their numerous souls, nurtured by the special environment, have not dissipated.
If we can find those spirits and devour them all…
Hiss!!!
Wei Ming was excited at the thought.
“Dou Cong, I need you to do something for me.”
“My lord, just give your orders.”
“Find where the spirits live.”