In ancient times, there was a strange insect called “Shen” that breathed out shen qi, creating “mirages.”

What Jian Chou saw before her eyes was exactly like the ancient legends.

The only difference was that the “mirages” in legends were all illusory, while this “Mountain-Sea Market” appearing before her eyes truly existed.

The moment these connected buildings and tall structures appeared, the entire sky gradually brightened.

At this moment, half of Jian Chou’s vision was the dim, unlit sky, and half was the magnificent Mountain-Sea Market—a scene so fantastical and unpredictable that it was hard to believe.

The silent City of Wrongful Death also became bustling in an instant.

Countless tightly closed doors opened one after another, and ghost clans of various forms emerged from their houses.

Some had two black ox horns, others wore pure black or pure white robes, some had human faces but bird beaks, not to mention those with scales covering their gills who looked wrong no matter how you looked at them…

Of course, the majority were ordinary-looking people like Jian Chou.

This was, after all, the City of Wrongful Death. Even with the ten great ghost clans stationed here, they wouldn’t outnumber the continuously increasing “wrongful death ghosts.”

Jian Chou’s attention immediately shifted from the Mountain-Sea Market suspended above, concealing her subtle observations as she looked around.

They were now very close to the city center, and this kind of liveliness with crowds suddenly filling the streets was something she had never experienced.

It was like returning to the human world and opening the door to see a bustling marketplace.

The oddly shaped buildings all had people moving about inside, and quite a few had come directly onto the streets. Most people were already accustomed to the Mountain-Sea Market overhead, while others, clearly seeing it for the first time, were very excited.

“The Mountain-Sea Market is out—are you going?”

“Ha, what’s the point of going without money? Even drinking costs an arm and a leg!”

“What about you, Old Zhao?”

“My disciples just paid respects with quite a few things. Want to go take a look?”

“Haha, let’s go!”

Were they going to the Mountain-Sea Market?

Hearing these voices, Jian Chou turned to look at them.

They were several acquaintances walking out from beside Zhang Tang’s residence.

One had completely white hair and beard, hunched over but with a ruddy complexion and strong voice—he was the one who mentioned disciples paying respects. The other was a fat man with a wine-flushed nose who always seemed to be drunk—he was the one calling friends together.

With so many people now standing on the street, how could they notice Jian Chou and the two little ghosts?

Even if they saw them, they wouldn’t care, walking past boldly.

Little Head Ghost quickly nudged Jian Chou, lowering his voice nervously: “It’s dawn, we have to go. Great Lord Jian Chou, hurry and follow them! They know how to get up there!”

The Mountain-Sea Market was floating in the sky, and without following others, Jian Chou indeed didn’t know how to get up there.

But…

“What about you two?”

“It’s fine. From now on, we’ll work under Old Zhang. When there are new ghosts in the City of Wrongful Death, we’ll escort them here. Take this talisman—we can find you with it next time we come.”

Little Head Ghost cleverly pulled out a dim yellow talisman paper from his sleeve, with dark red symbols on it. It was old and looked worn and tattered.

But Little Head Ghost handled it very gently, treasuring it greatly, afraid of breaking it.

—There was no choice—who told him to be poor?

Jian Chou reached out to take the talisman paper, already guessing its purpose from Little Head Ghost’s words, and nodded.

Seeing her accept it, Little Head Ghost immediately beamed: “Then we’ll go first. Big Head, Big Head?”

He kicked Big Head Ghost hard, who finally opened his eyes groggily: “Who, who kicked me?”

“Pig brain, stop sleeping, time to go! Hurry up, or we’ll get scolded again at the Reception Department!”

Little Head Ghost was furious.

Big Head Ghost hadn’t reacted yet, just waved at Jian Chou, but when he turned and saw the Mountain-Sea Market, his eyes immediately widened: “Little Head, Little Head, look, look! It’s the Mountain-Sea Market!”

Little Head Ghost rolled his eyes.

He had seen it earlier.

Little ghosts like them who didn’t live in the City of Wrongful Death could only enter at night when escorting new ghosts. No matter how impressive the Mountain-Sea Market was, they could only look—they had no chance to enter.

So rather than being envious, it was better to just leave.

Little Head Ghost ignored Big Head Ghost’s protests and dragged him toward the city gate.

Big Head Ghost was quite reluctant, looking back and supporting his large head, asking uncomprehendingly: “Why did you give her the talisman? Wasn’t that your treasure?”

“I thought you were dead asleep, didn’t expect you heard some of it?” Little Head Ghost feigned surprise, then smiled proudly in the next moment. “What do you understand? A treasure, no matter how precious, can’t be more precious than this big fat sheep—ah no, Great Lord Jian Chou! She’s our money tree. I’m afraid she’ll run away!”

“…”

Big Head Ghost’s head turned several times, and finally, when leaving the city gate, he gave Little Head Ghost a thumbs up: Clever!

Back outside Zhang Tang’s residence.

Jian Chou looked at the old talisman lying in her palm, understanding clear in her eyes, a smile playing at her lips.

With Little Head Ghost’s level of cunning, how could she not know what he was thinking?

But this little scheme was harmless.

Jian Chou put the talisman away and smoothed her somewhat wrinkled clothes before looking up to find the two men who had left together earlier.

The hunched old man and the wine-nosed fat man had already walked to directly below that ethereal image.

She saw both men simultaneously untie jade tokens from their waists and throw them toward the Mountain-Sea Market mirage—

The jade tokens emitted blue light like pillars shooting upward.

The misty, ethereal fog surrounding the Mountain-Sea Market actually intertwined with these light pillars rising from below.

In just three to five breaths, two long bridges of intertwined mist and blue light appeared before the two men.

At the same time, in all directions, countless other residents of the City of Wrongful Death were also preparing to enter the Mountain-Sea Market.

Countless jade tokens flew out, countless blue light pillars shot up.

The massive Mountain-Sea Market floating above was like a terrifying monster, with suspended long bridges like its countless tentacles, attracting everyone’s entry.

Jian Chou watched from afar, already full of admiration.

A huge floating city above the Extreme Realm, cyclically stopping above the seventy-two cities of the underworld, appearing at dawn and traveling at night?

Just like a great ship.

If she hadn’t guessed wrong, there should be merchants on the “ship,” and that was her target.

Since Zhang Tang dared to suggest it, this Mountain-Sea Market must be useful to her.

With her mind settled, Jian Chou also walked toward the Mountain-Sea Market along with many other residents of the City of Wrongful Death.

When she reached the area below, she took out the registry jade token she had obtained from the registry office that night. This must be the same transit jade token those two men had used—presumably having this would allow entry.

Sure enough, when she threw her jade token toward the Mountain-Sea Market, the same scene appeared.

Jian Chou stepped onto the appearing long bridge, passed through layers of mist, and walked inward.

At the end of the gray misty bridge, Jian Chou’s jade token hung suspended in the air.

Jian Chou reached out to retrieve her jade token, but turning her head, she saw someone from the ox-head clan on a nearby bridge walk directly past their jade token, and the bridge didn’t disappear either.

After thinking briefly, Jian Chou understood immediately.

This jade token was the main device for forming the bridge. Once the jade token was retrieved, the bridge would cease to exist. They would probably need to retrieve the jade token when leaving via the bridge.

So Jian Chou withdrew her hand and passed by the jade token.

One step forward.

The Mountain-Sea Market was reached.

People entering the market came from all directions—some descended from rooftops, some emerged from walls, others appeared from the ground…

Because the bridges were built in different positions, people appeared in different locations.

Jian Chou’s feet had already landed on the stone-paved ground floating with mist. Looking back, she saw a large bright red character “味” (Taste) like ghostly script occupying her entire view.

Jian Chou was slightly startled and stepped back two paces before seeing clearly that it was a large banner.

She was now standing in front of a four or five-story tall building. Moving her gaze, she saw the plaque above the main entrance of the building.

“Zhiwei Tower” (Know Taste Tower).

At the entrance, several little ghosts dressed as servers were greeting today’s new customers with smiling faces.

Many well-dressed people walked past Jian Chou, laughing as they entered.

“Finally able to taste Zhiwei Tower’s Know Taste Wine again—not easy, not easy!”

It was the wine-nosed man Jian Chou had seen earlier.

Truly a drunkard.

Jian Chou sneered inwardly. She wanted to go in and explore, but she wasn’t some naive girl—with her purse so light, how could she move her feet?

So she turned and quickly walked along the long street.

Just like the cultivation world shops lining the West Sea coast of the Nineteen Continents, this Mountain-Sea Market was no exception.

Selling pills, selling magical artifacts, selling stones, even selling robes…

Everything was available.

“In the Mountain-Sea Market, there’s only what you can’t think of, nothing you can’t buy!”

“They say mirage, mirage, we call this place the Mountain-Sea Market, but the big shots all call these floating things ‘Shen Cities’—between real and illusory, no one can tell the difference.”

“But anyone who has a building or shop here is definitely a big shot in the underworld, absolutely not to be provoked. So don’t get any lucky ideas about stealing, robbing, or cheating—I’m afraid you won’t even be able to remain a ghost!”

A scholar in blue robes, holding a folding fan, floating above the ground, was eloquently and endlessly showing off his knowledge to the new ghosts around him.

The Mountain-Sea Market was a floating city like a ship, drifting throughout the underworld, naturally not appearing every day.

The little ghosts who came late had always only heard its name without seeing its form. Seeing it today with someone to guide them, they all became curious.

A new ghost sighed: “I’d like to buy many things, but I gave all my money to the judge… I still have a few items on me, but… Fourth Master, looking left and right, why don’t I see any pawn shops?”

The scholar glanced at him sideways: “This is a place for doing business. There are no pawn shops, but every shop is a pawn shop. Those selling magical artifacts definitely buy magical artifacts, those selling pills definitely buy pills. If the quality is good enough, why worry about no one wanting them? But the nature is no different from pawn shops.”

At this moment, Jian Chou happened to walk past them and couldn’t help but glance at the scholar upon hearing this.

Though his blue robe was simple, his hair was bound with a jade hairpin, and a small pouch hung at his waist, looking bulging—probably containing quite a few “good things.”

His skin was fair, his phoenix eyes quite charming, but his features revealed some unconscious superiority.

This feeling…

Like a wastrel young master.

When Jian Chou saw the scholar, the scholar also noticed Jian Chou.

In that instant, he was slightly dazed, his folding fan lifting as if about to point at Jian Chou.

However, Jian Chou at this moment already felt she had been impolite. She nodded apologetically with some embarrassment, then followed the crowd around a corner and disappeared.

The scholar stood in place, gazing in the direction Jian Chou had left. Even after she was gone, he still hadn’t withdrawn his gaze.

In fact, after some recollection, the scholar slowly opened his mouth wide.

“No… it can’t be…”

“Fourth Master?”

“Fourth Master?”

The little ghosts following him didn’t understand what had happened and all asked questions.

Fourth Master was their title for the scholar.

The isolated human islands were only so large, and if death times weren’t too far apart, one could still encounter some acquaintances.

These little ghosts all knew the scholar.

Chen Tingyan, the fourth son of Grand Tutor Chen of Great Xia, called “Fourth Master Chen.”

Originally a dissolute young man who had roamed the capital and seen countless beauties, he unexpectedly died one day when coming out of his home, struck on the head by his own family’s Chen Mansion plaque that had inexplicably fallen—

Dead.

He died in such a ridiculous way.

Upon reaching the underworld, Chen Tingyan learned that his death had been wrongful.

Fortunately, his father Grand Tutor Chen was a white-haired man sending off his black-haired son, and having embezzled plenty of people’s wealth in his lifetime, Chen Tingyan received quite a few things burned for him from above after his death.

The old man was generous, so Chen Tingyan’s life below was comfortable.

Today he had originally planned to take these little ghosts out to broaden their horizons, but he hadn’t expected that while walking, he would actually see a familiar face!

That woman who had just passed by…

The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed!

Chen Tingyan racked his brains for a long time and finally remembered!

He suddenly gripped his folding fan and slapped his thigh: “My goodness, isn’t that the one from the Xie Marquis Mansion!”

“What Xie Marquis Mansion?”

“Who is she?”

“She looked quite pretty…”

The little ghosts were confused, feeling that Chen Tingyan’s reaction was too exaggerated, not at all like the “Fourth Master Chen” who was known for “remaining unchanged even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.”

But how could they know?

Chen Tingyan was the son of the Grand Tutor, quite a figure in the capital’s circle of pleasure-seekers, and due to his decent talent, he had some interaction with the third young master of the Xie Marquis Mansion, Xie Wuming.

One day, Young Master Xie San invited them to have tea at the mansion.

The tea was White Bud Rare Orchid, a newly arrived exotic variety, quite precious. It needed to be poured out after steeping for just three breaths.

At that time, Xie Wuming had just poured boiling water into the cup, with the other men sitting nearby chatting. Before Xie Wuming could pour out the tea, a maid outside announced that Miss Jian Chou had arrived.

Xie Wuming’s tea-pouring hand paused, and he actually put down the tea cup. Without asking anyone in, he just had them wait outside while he went out himself.

Everyone was puzzled: Who was Miss Jian Chou? Why did Third Young Master Xie even stop brewing tea to go out?

Chen Tingyan, who had seen countless beauties, immediately became suspicious and stretched his neck to secretly look outside.

When Xie Wuming went out, he walked around the door and stood under the corridor, while that woman stood two steps in front of him, quite close, holding a scroll of Buddhist scriptures with both hands and presenting it to him.

Her voice was light, untainted by any worldly air.

She said she had just finished copying it, and having business today, she couldn’t present the Buddhist scriptures to the old lady herself, so she could only entrust them to Third Young Master Xie.

The two spoke under the corridor for at most a few sentences.

When Xie Wuming returned, Chen Tingyan’s soul still hadn’t returned.

It wasn’t until a cup of tea entered his mouth that he slowly pressed his chest, his mouth dry and tongue parched, and couldn’t help but begin probing indirectly, wanting to know the identity of that “Miss Jian Chou.”

Who would have thought that Third Young Master Xie, who usually treated people impeccably, looked at him silently and said nothing, lightly steering the conversation away.

Chen Tingyan wasn’t a fool—how could he not sense his displeasure?

But his heart carried a strange feeling.

He had seen many beauties, but just now he had only seen a vague silhouette, not the complete picture, and Chen Tingyan felt uncomfortable wherever he thought about it.

When he returned home, he had someone inquire and learned she was a respectable maiden who worked for the Xie Marquis Mansion, currently copying Buddhist scriptures for the Marquis’s wife—someone with a pure and intelligent heart, though her background was somewhat tragic.

On the surface, there was nothing wrong.

But Chen Tingyan always felt Third Young Master Xie had some feelings for this person.

Later, he half-jokingly asked Xie Wuming for “Miss Jian Chou”—she was just a maid-like person, surely it wouldn’t wrong her? But unexpectedly, every time he brought it up, Third Young Master Xie would coolly deflect him.

Later still…

Chen Tingyan died.

But he never imagined…

How long had it been, and he was seeing Jian Chou in this City of Wrongful Death!

His feet suspended, his entire person seeming weightless.

Chen Tingyan had now mixed into the Day-Wandering Clan among the ten great ghost clans, and would participate in the cauldron competition before long—quite a person of some standing.

He didn’t hear the little ghosts’ chatter, only gnawed on his fan for a long time, finally unable to resist the itch in his heart.

After coughing seriously, Chen Tingyan looked left and right, then waved for the little ghosts to leave.

“Go wander around by yourselves. Your Fourth Master has business—don’t follow me.”

The little ghosts looked at each other, but before they could answer, Chen Tingyan had already floated gracefully toward the direction where Jian Chou had disappeared.

At this moment, Jian Chou was standing before a very unique shop.

The building was three stories tall, with no greeting ghosts outside, no banners or plaques, only a large character “品” (Appraise) carved into the ground.

Standing outside and looking in, Jian Chou saw the abundant things on the treasure shelves.

There were swords and blades, hooks and forks, things that looked like medicinal materials, and even small bottles and jars, presumably pills.

It was the most complete shop she had seen along the way.

Earlier, while passing by, she had heard the scholar’s words and now knew where she could exchange for jade stones.

Currently, Jian Chou had no handy magical artifacts on her, and the only thing she could produce was the “Human Emperor Sword,” but she feared it would attract too much attention.

If she wanted to cultivate her soul and spirit realm, she probably also needed some Extreme Realm cultivation methods.

So although she didn’t know what background this shop had, undoubtedly, it best suited Jian Chou’s current needs—

If she could exchange for jade stones and then buy some things she needed, being able to accomplish everything at once would naturally be best.

After hesitating only briefly, Jian Chou stepped forward and walked inside.

The tall building was large, with all the door panels wide open. The threshold was low but carved in the shape of a bone dragon.

The moment Jian Chou stepped over the threshold, a light blue radiance spread from beneath her feet like silk.

On the first floor of the shop, the manager was as short as a ginseng doll, using a feather duster to sweep here and there. In his boredom, he couldn’t help but yawn.

The instant that light blue radiance spread, he immediately lamented: “So early, and there’s business again…”

Jian Chou was still marveling at the blue light when she heard this voice and couldn’t help but look up.

She saw that diagonally opposite, beneath the tall treasure shelves, very close to the ground, a round head had actually poked out from one of the compartments.

Upon seeing Jian Chou, his mung bean-sized eyes immediately flashed with disdain.

Just a Soul Pearl realm cultivator?

How dare she come to “Appraise”?

Really…

Wait, that’s not right.

The blue light showed Soul Pearl realm, but why couldn’t he see this girl’s soul pearl?

The manager was dumbfounded, staring at Jian Chou carefully for a long time, finally completely widening his eyes and opening his mouth: “My, my Yama King, is there such a small soul pearl?!”