Chapter Eighty-Five.

Chapter Eighty-Five.

A sharp, stylish brake, and the small yellow bike carrying two people drew a circle on the ground, coming to a cool stop.

Gu Dongting, unfazed, stood up from the back seat and said indifferently, “We’re at the Ghost Market now.”

Shen Wang locked the bike, scanned the code, and then rubbed his sore buttocks.

He had underestimated the vastness of the imperial capital.

Riding from the Liang residence to the Gu residence, and then to the Ghost Market took several hours. Though Shen Wang’s constitution could handle hours of intense cycling without getting tired... his buttocks did ache.

In the future, if there’s a license plate restriction, he should consider borrowing a car. Picking up a bike on the street might be cheap, but it’s indeed tiring.

Looking at the Ghost Market ahead, Shen Wang wore a thoughtful expression: “Is this... the Ghost Market?”

Before him lay a barren wasteland, a bald patch of yellow earth without a ghost in sight.

Gu Dongting glanced back at him, leading Shen Wang forward. They found a hole about a meter high under a stone tablet.

Shen Wang looked at the hole and couldn’t help but quip, “This looks more like a robbers' tunnel.”

“You’re not wrong,” Gu Dongting slightly lifted the hem of his long robe and bent to enter the hole, “This was originally an ancient princess’s tomb, breached by tomb raiders, leaving only a single chamber.”

Later, this tomb was used as a base by a group of tomb raiders, often bringing people here for shady transactions. Over time, as more and more people from all walks of life learned of this place, it gradually evolved into an underground market.

A few years later, after the tomb raiders were caught, investigators found the tomb completely plundered, leaving only one chamber. The authorities didn’t seal or protect the tomb, allowing the ghost market to persist.

Today, this place has become a well-known ghost market in the mystic community.

Shen Wang had an epiphany, following Gu Dongting into the cave, which gradually widened from a narrow tunnel to a space where one could stand upright and even have some headroom.

Shen Wang also noticed that there seemed to be a confusing formation outside, which would make ordinary people wander dizzily in the passageways before leaving.

After winding paths, the space finally opened up.

Gu Dongting handed Shen Wang a mask of indeterminate shape: “It’s better to disguise yourself in this mixed crowd.”

Saying this, Gu Dongting also put on a mask.

“This really is the imperial capital, even a ghost market is so sophisticated,” Shen Wang expressed his rural awe.

It was broad daylight outside, but the underground tomb was shrouded in darkness, with a few miserly dim old lamps on the walls barely allowing one to discern silhouettes.

In the spacious chamber, lanterns were placed at intervals on the ground, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.

“Let’s go,” Gu Dongting led the way.

Shen Wang walked towards the light of the lanterns, no one speaking, the silence so profound it was unnerving.

If not for feeling the presence of stall owners sitting silently in front of their lanterns and vaguely seeing oddly dressed, indistinct buyers walking between the stalls, Shen Wang might have thought this was a literal ‘ghost’ market.

Shen Wang crouched down, straining his eyes to see what was on the stalls.

A soft laugh from Gu Dongting beside him, who whispered almost inaudibly, “Don’t use your eyes, use your spiritual energy.”

The warm breath on his ear made Shen Wang's ear heat up. Feeling awkward, he rubbed it and followed the advice, using his spiritual energy to sense the items on the ground.

Doing so, he finally ‘saw’ what the stall owner was selling.

A few spiritual herbs, some boxes, and a small booklet… Shen Wang reached out for one of the spiritual herbs, only to have his hand sharply slapped away by the stall owner.

The stall owner grabbed Shen Wang’s hand.

Shen Wang: “???”

The stall owner covered their hands with a cloth and stuffed three fingers into Shen Wang’s palm.

Shen Wang: “???”

Seeing no response from Shen Wang and sensing the stall owner’s disdain even behind the mask, the owner begrudgingly withdrew one finger and made a gesture.

Shen Wang finally realized it was the bargaining protocol of the Ghost Market.

Since speaking was not allowed, they had to ‘fight’ with their fingers.

Shen Wang perked up, engaging in a finger battle with the stall owner.

The two stubbornly battled it out until their fingers were nearly cramped, and finally, the stall owner grudgingly shook Shen Wang’s hand vigorously up and down.

A lightbulb went off for Shen Wang – the deal was struck. He eagerly gestured to ask if he could pay by card.

The stall owner rolled their eyes at him multiple times.

Embarrassed, Shen Wang withdrew his hand, fumbling through his belongings, and eventually handed over two talismans to the stall owner.

After a few seconds of hesitation, the stall owner agreed to the deal.

Holding the hard-won spiritual herbs, Shen Wang was intrigued: It was his first time at such a Ghost Market, truly an eye-opening experience.

After wandering around the Ghost Market for a long time, he managed to gather most of the spiritual herbs needed for Liang Ruyue, except for the last one, which he couldn’t find and had to give up on.

During these transactions, Shen Wang traded talismans for several small interesting trinkets, making it a fruitful endeavor.

As he was about to leave, Shen Wang's spiritual power swept the area and noticed a piece of wood placed in a corner. His gaze sharpened, and he paused in his steps.

The stall owner sat cross-legged in front of his stall, completely relaxed. Seeing Shen Wang squatting in front of his stall, he nonchalantly extended his hand, indicating a price.

Shen Wang took a deep breath: "This is so expensive, it's like robbery."

He didn't bring many talismans with him, and he had already used most of them in exchange for other items. Without any cash on hand, he could only gaze longingly at the piece of wood.

"Top-grade thousand-year thunderstruck wood, and peach wood at that! Missing this chance, who knows if there'll be another shop like this."

Unwilling to give up, Shen Wang was about to continue bargaining when Gu Dongting, who hadn’t bought anything so far, handed something to the stall owner.

The stall owner took the item, fiddled with it inside his sleeve, then suddenly shivered and handed the thunderstruck wood to Gu Dongting.

Gu Dongting accepted it and handed it directly to Shen Wang.

Shen Wang was taken aback, about to speak, but in the utter silence, he opened his mouth and said nothing.

In the end, Shen Wang, still disgruntled, managed to get two extra stones from the stall owner as a bonus before leaving with Gu Dongting.

As soon as they left, the stall owner quickly packed up his stall, extinguished the lantern, and disappeared into the darkness.

The other stall owners watched his departing figure, pondering: "What good item did that kid get to make him leave in such a hurry…"

As soon as they stepped out of the oppressive atmosphere of the ancient tomb, Shen Wang couldn’t contain himself: "What did you give him?"

Gu Dongting, having already removed his mask, said nonchalantly, "Just a pill."

A pill! Not only the stall owner but even Shen Wang couldn’t help but his pupils to shrink: "Then you’ve made a huge loss!"

In a world where gathering spiritual plants is extremely difficult, making pills is even harder. Gu Dongting just casually gave away one... Shen Wang’s heart ached at the thought.

"Didn't you want the thunderstruck wood?" Gu Dongting asked calmly.

Shen Wang was at a loss for words: "I wanted it, so you used a pill to get it for me?"

Gu Dongting gave him a look as if to say 'what's wrong with that?'

Shen Wang: "..."

Although thousand-year thunderstruck wood is rare, it's not exactly an uncommon material. To exchange it for a pill... Shen Wang fiddled with his newly acquired item, feeling conflicted.

Gu Dongting looked around and suddenly said, "Now we have a problem."

Shen Wang composed himself and looked up: "What problem?"

Gu Dongting pointed in a direction: "Your bike... it's gone."

Shen Wang was shocked and looked where Gu Dongting was pointing. Indeed, the spot where he had parked his bike was empty, his carefully chosen yellow bike nowhere to be seen.

Shen Wang couldn't help but exclaim: "Who took my yellow bike!"

Now, in this remote place, without his yellow bike, how were they going to get back?

In the end, they both safely made it home.

Sitting in a car summoned by his phone, Shen Wang sincerely expressed his gratitude: "Thank God for modern society and technology, or else we would have had to walk all the way back today."

That yellow bike is so unreliable, never using it again! Shen Wang reaffirmed this thought and decided to apply for a refund of the deposit when he got back.

Hearing Shen Wang's words, the driver laughed heartily: "I say, young man, what brought you guys to this place? There's no village ahead, no shop behind, not much to see here either…"

"It is said that this place used to be an ancient tomb of a princess. Ever since tomb raiders desecrated the grave, it's been haunted every day. It's really creepy, and we locals never come here..."

Listening to the driver, Shen Wang and Gu Dongting exchanged glances, simultaneously breaking into a smile without prior agreement.

Various elusive cultivators come to the ghost market to trade goods; encountering them would surely make ordinary people think they've seen ghosts.

On the road, when discussing the missing herb needed by Liang Ruyue, Gu Dongting thought for a moment and told Shen Wang, "I have it."

Thus, under Shen Wang's complex expression, the driver first stopped outside the Gu residence. After Gu Dongting handed over the spiritual herb to Shen Wang, they then headed towards the Liang residence where Shen Wang lived.

The talkative driver tried to restrain himself but couldn't help asking, "Hey, young man, the place your friend lives in, it's either rich or noble. Don’t you guys have cars for going out? At least, you should have a personal driver."

The fact that they resorted to using a ride-hailing service seemed utterly illogical.

Shen Wang: "..."

Being an ordinary person, he never considered that for someone like Gu Dongting, having a car and a personal driver was nothing out of the ordinary.

Recalling Gu Dongting's aggrieved look sitting in the back seat of the taxi, Shen Wang's expression grew even more complicated: "He's more down-to-earth, just fooling around with me."

When they got off at the Liang residence, it was the driver who now wore a complicated expression.

Watching Shen Wang's departing figure, the driver muttered to himself, "Rich people sure know how to play extravagantly."

The other young man was obviously not ordinary by his demeanor; but this one, looking so average and dressed so simply, turned out to live in a luxury villa too.

The driver felt he had really broadened his horizons today, witnessing the diverse lifestyles of the wealthy.

Back in his room, Shen Wang absentmindedly checked his trophies, counting them one by one, until he noticed an extra stone in his hand. He looked bewildered for a moment before recalling that it seemed to be a throw-in from when he bought the thousand-year thunderstruck wood.

Just as he was about to set the stone aside, Shen Wang's pupils suddenly contracted.

This thing... it looks so much like a Sumeru Stone, used as a raw material for making spatial artifacts.