Floating Islet Ghost Market

Lingguang shrugged and hopped up onto a tree branch. *Can't tell the difference between monkeys? It wasn't even me who hit you.* Only then did He Lingchuan step forward and kick the man's leg. "Answer honestly, or I'll chop you into pieces and toss you into the sea to feed the fish." His expression was bland, his tone casual, like someone at a wet market telling a butcher, *Cut me half of that pork, don't give me any extra.* Yet the captive heard pure terror in it. Normally, he would have blustered to save face, spitting threats like *You're dead meat! My brothers won't let you off!* But somehow, he had a gut feeling that this man would do exactly what he said. So his mouth proved more honest than his pride, and he caved immediately. "A-Ask! Just ask!" "Name?" Trembling, the captive spilled everything. He was known as A-Hao. He had forgotten who his parents were since he was a boy. Hailing from the inland of Bo Kingdom, he had drifted into a petty gang at the docks two and a half years ago, making a living by thieving, swindling, and hustling, while also collecting "head money" on the side. "Head money" was protection money, collected from shops, street peddlers, and women working the flesh trade. Occasionally, he and the companion lying on the ground also smuggled chewing tobacco brought in from outside regions. Dong Rui scoffed in disdain. "You've been in the game for two years and you're still like this? You haven't made any name for yourself at all." A-Hao smiled wryly. "These past two years, refugees pouring into Bo Kingdom and into the port have been swarming like ants. Everyone's desperate to make coin. So every line of work is overcrowded." Even the hoodlum trade was suffering from cutthroat competition. Dong Rui spat. "People are fighting to squeeze into a dump like this?" "Compared to the war-torn lands in the east, it's pretty damn good. Even women can find a bite to eat here." Sour or not, at least they didn't starve; A-Hao didn't think this place was bad at all. "The refugees say they've seen cannibalism in the east. One man was sleeping in a dilapidated temple when people pinned him down out of nowhere and hacked off an arm. They even politely told him, 'As long as you don't fight back, we won't take your life—we just want one arm.' And the guy actually didn't fight back." "And then?" Dong Rui was a little intrigued. "Don't tell me they actually kept their word?" "How could they? The moment they hacked off his arm, the man passed out from the pain." A-Hao couldn't help gesturing with his hands. "Then the blade came down again, and they chopped his head right off. Even if someone's scrawny with little meat, that's still two pots of stew. Five shichen later, only bones were left of him—they even swallowed his eyeballs." He Lingchuan suddenly asked, "Who procured the chewing tobacco? You, or your partner?" A-Hao curled his lip. "Me, of course. I can get good stuff at low prices. That fellow—" He pointed at his unconscious companion on the ground. "I didn't even want to bring him along, but he's been in the gang longer than me, and the boss assigned him to me." He Lingchuan steered back to the main topic: "Are you familiar with the Floating Islet Ghost Market?" As newcomers, their best move was to find a local who knew the ropes. A-Hao nodded like a pestle pounding rice. "Familiar, very familiar! I go there all the time. Several of the places inside are under my watch!" Where official authority didn't reach, someone else always held sway. He Lingchuan looked up. It was late afternoon; the sun was about to dip below the horizon. "Take us on a stroll through the ghost market." "Huh?" Did A-Hao have any right to refuse? "Oh, s-sure, absolutely." His partner was still lying in the alley, though his life wasn't in danger. Dong Rui tilted his chin, and the ghost ape leaped onto A-Hao's shoulder. The latter was scared out of his wits, terrified it might sink its fangs into his neck, but the ghost ape merely crouched down and yawned. "If you try to run, it will rip your throat out in an instant," Dong Rui said, pointing at his demon puppet. "Feel free to test your speed against it." "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!" A-Hao's face crumpled in misery. He had no choice but to accompany these two walking disasters on their stroll. What rotten luck to run into two omens of doom while on street patrol today! He pointed at the tall man still lying unconscious on the ground. "He... he isn't dead, is he?" "He won't wake before tomorrow morning." "Th-then please wait a moment, both of you. I'll be right ready!" There was a pile of broken wicker baskets in the alley. A-Hao deliberately took some and covered his companion with them. The light was dim here; even if someone passed by, they might not notice a body hidden underneath. He actually still had the presence of mind to do this. He Lingchuan watched from the side in silence, making no move to rush him. Beside Julu Port sat an isolated peninsula called Floating Islet. Atop it was a small town originally used for warehousing and freight, which later grew into the largest ghost market within a hundred-li radius. All manner of transactions took place in the streetfront shops and warehouses. Aside from cheap wares, there were only goods of dubious origin. He Lingchuan took a lap around and noticed the quality of the goods here was generally inferior to that of the Platinum Ghost Market. Plenty of shoddy items were mixed in; finding anything worthwhile relied entirely on having a sharp eye. The divine bone necklace against his neck remained quiet, having no interest in eating a single thing here. He Lingchuan could feel its disdain. This thing was growing pickier by the day. However, ghost markets everywhere traded in another invisible, precious commodity beneath the table: Information. "Can anyone post requests for intel in the Floating Islet Ghost Market?" "Of course." If there were too many rules, could it still be called a ghost market? A-Hao led the two toward a large jujube tree and pointed to a massive bulletin board beneath it. "Whatever you want to buy, whether it's intel or physical goods, you just paste a notice here. Whoever sees it and has what you need will contact you." The bulletin board was plastered with all sorts of colorful slips and paperboards, strikingly resembling the nuisance flyers He Lingchuan used to see in another world. Each slip clearly stated what was sought and provided contact information. "When someone wants to make a deal, they tear down the slip." Such direct, private transactions were indeed discreet, but for He Lingchuan, it posed an obstacle. "What if I want to check past purchase requests from some time ago?" "Then you'll have to turn to Mr. Lu. He stays here every day and has a photographic memory," A-Hao said. "But you have to prepare a meeting gift before asking for Mr. Lu's help." Mr. Lu? "What kind of gift?" "Small critters like mice or birds, or raw meat." Hearing this, Dong Rui immediately knew "Mr. Lu" wasn't human. "I've got that. Summon him." A-Hao pursed his lips at once and let out two cooing whistles. With a flap of wings, a large bird flew over from the tall tree behind them and landed atop the bulletin board. It was a brown-and-tawny eagle owl, with two tufts of pointed feathers standing above its ears like antennae. Opening a pair of yellow eyes, it asked the three of them, "What are you looking for?" So it had been hiding in the tree across from the bulletin board all along. Wasn't that keeping watch at all times? "A few months ago, someone came here seeking Bright Lantern Grass; a month ago, someone sought Duyun stone," He Lingchuan asked. "Do you remember?" "Bright Lantern Grass, Duyun stone?" The eagle owl pondered, its eyelids half-drooping. "Neither is common. Yes, right, I remember!"