The Horrors of the Ghost Market

Her small face was utterly pale, devoid of any color. She no longer even had the strength to bicker with Xiyue.

Xiyue, for her part, offered no deliberate taunts or harsh words. Instead, a peculiar unease settled in her heart. She drew Su Xiaoxiao into an embrace and whispered, “I regret it. Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought you out here.”

Yet, further words were useless. The demonic fetus in Su Xiaoxiao’s belly grew larger day by day, and the meager spiritual energy within her was utterly insufficient to sustain its growth.

Having consumed half of Xiyue’s bloodline, it grew increasingly unruly with each passing day. Even before birth, it behaved like a miniature demon lord.

Even Xiyue had noticed that this demonic entity tormented Su Xiaoxiao daily.

Yet, this foolish fish, Su Xiaoxiao, remained oblivious, cherishing the demonic entity as if it were a precious treasure.

An aching back, sore legs, and muscle cramps had become commonplace for her. Every day, a dull, dragging pain persisted in her lower abdomen. Only if Xiyue pressed her palm against Su Xiaoxiao’s belly and channeled spiritual energy into her after she fell asleep, would the little demon behave itself the following day.

If one were to ask Xiyue why she waited until Su Xiaoxiao was asleep, the reason was simple.

Ever since Xiyue had condensed a spell in her palm, intending to forcibly eliminate the demonic fetus in Su Xiaoxiao’s womb, the little fish had been terrified. When awake, Su Xiaoxiao would absolutely not allow Xiyue to touch her belly.

While she couldn’t directly defy Xiyue—even if Xiyue forcibly pulled her close—Su Xiaoxiao would appear tense, only daring to let her touch gently, and would seize any opportunity or gap to pull away.

Naturally, Xiyue was displeased. However, Su Xiaoxiao was incredibly delicate; she had been so even before her pregnancy. Now, likely influenced by the demonic fetus, she had become even more prone to tears.

If not for her concern about Su Xiaoxiao’s poor health—knowing that crying too much would lead to vomiting blood and coughing—Xiyue would never have resorted to such clandestine actions.

Yet, whether it was due to leaving the Demonic Realm or the arduous journey, Su Xiaoxiao reacted severely. She couldn’t eat, causing the little weight she had managed to gain to vanish without a trace.

Her face was so pale that Xiyue thought she looked even whiter than the ghosts of the Ghost Realm.

****

The purpose of this alliance with the Ghost Realm was to make it known throughout all Nine Provinces.

Xiyue, still unsatisfied with their intermittent stops, arrived in the Ghost Realm. There, the Ghost King personally accompanied them, leading them into the bustling heart of the Ghost Market.

The Ghost Market, however, was not solely inhabited by ghosts.

From its shadowy, unseen side, it was considered the most uniquely lively and chaotic place in all Nine Provinces.

Every day after opening, it was inevitably a hubbub of voices and activity.

The rules of the Ghost Market dictated that anyone could enter, be they from the Immortal, Demonic, or Ghost clans, or even other spirit races, and mortals were welcome too.

The Ghost Market offered everything imaginable. Within the Nine Provinces, one could find magical artifacts, spiritual herbs, immortal medicines, even inner cores, cultivation bases, slaves, and beastly humanoids. As long as one was willing to pay the price and had patience, anything could be found.

Regardless of racial grievances, fighting and dueling were forbidden within the Ghost Market. If a conflict arose, it had to be settled on the central arena, drawing out all onlookers from the market to witness the spectacle.

Su Xiaoxiao, a little mermaid with limited worldly experience, had only left the South Sea once to travel to Shanghua Heaven, where she joined her clan members in celebrating Elder Yunjie’s birthday.

While in the South Sea, she had seen nothing but merfolk and fish; she had never encountered humans, let alone ghosts.

Su Xiaoxiao had initially been curious, especially since the storybooks she read often mentioned the secret rumors of the Ghost Market. Her curiosity had been boundless.

However, upon arriving at the Ghost Market, she was so terrified that cold sweat drenched her back.

‘She hadn’t expected… she hadn’t expected it to be like this…’

The houses were made of red wood, the lanterns glowed red. Too many illicit businesses thrived here, and the streets teemed with various “things” hurrying about, yet an unusual silence pervaded.

The light was extremely dim, and combined with the eerie red, it felt less like a bustling market and more like an exceptionally chilling place.

The long street seemed endless, lined with all manner of vendors.

Su Xiaoxiao personally witnessed a gaunt flower spirit being beheaded. Next to the vendor, a sign was scrawled with large, crooked characters: “Flower Blood Sweet Soup.”

It was, horrifyingly, sweet soup brewed from the flesh and blood of flower spirits, sold to passersby.

There were also vendors carrying and selling candied hawthorne skewers, much like those Su Xiaoxiao had read about in human storybooks. Only, their hawking cry was “Human Flesh Skewers.”

Monks and Daoists in cloaks displayed piles of spiritual herbs and immortal grasses.

Others, with swords on their backs and bamboo hats, dragged the corpses of hunted spirits.

Beyond the street vendors, the red buildings lining both sides housed every conceivable establishment: brothels, gambling dens, pawn shops, pharmacies…

While it seemed to offer everything, Su Xiaoxiao had only traversed a short distance before she understood the sheer purgatory that lay within.

In the Ghost Market, there was no need for concealment; all revealed their true forms: green-faced, fanged creatures, beings with bleeding eyes, and headless monsters.

To be honest, when Su Xiaoxiao first arrived in the Demonic Realm, she had been thoroughly frightened by the grotesque demonic soldiers. But…

But perhaps she had simply grown accustomed to them, or even found them somewhat pleasing to the eye. Su Xiaoxiao now found the demonic race far more agreeable than the “things” she encountered in this Ghost Market.

She sat in a palanquin large enough for over ten people, its sides draped with red gauze curtains. Xiyue and the Ghost King rode ahead on creatures that resembled horses, yet were not quite.

Su Xiaoxiao sat alone in the swaying palanquin, carried by masked figures. Coupled with the sights she had witnessed along the way, her stomach churned violently, the urge to vomit growing stronger, and her body suddenly turned cold.

Su Xiaoxiao felt a deep unease, a profound terror.

Bound by blood, the little fish-cub in her belly seemed to awaken from its slumber, roused by Su Xiaoxiao’s distress. The lively fish-cub began to tumble and roll within her womb.

Cold sweat beaded on Su Xiaoxiao’s palms, and her face was utterly devoid of color. A sensation like a raging fire burned in her chest, the searing heat intensifying with each moment.

“Xi, Xiyue…”

This was the Ghost Realm, and Su Xiaoxiao could bear it no longer. Instinctively, she disregarded the fact that they were still in the Ghost Market, watched by countless ghosts and spirits, and weakly called out Xiyue’s name.

Her voice was soft, yet Xiyue heard it. Turning her head, she couldn’t discern Su Xiaoxiao’s expression through the red gauze curtain, but she stopped nonetheless. After exchanging a few words with the Ghost King beside her, she flew into the palanquin where Su Xiaoxiao sat.

“What’s wrong?”

No sooner had Xiyue uttered the question than she was met with Su Xiaoxiao’s painfully pale face.

Xiyue, however, didn’t immediately realize that the little fish was simply terrified.

Cold sweat poured from Su Xiaoxiao as she stammered, “I… I’m not feeling well. I’d like to rest for a bit…”

The Ghost Market was bustling, filled with all manner of demons, ghosts, and monsters from across the Nine Provinces. They peered from the sides, attempting to glimpse through the red gauze curtains to see what beauty sat within.

Xiyue herself was a renowned beauty, so why did these demons, ghosts, and monsters not gaze at her? They knew that the great beauty could gouge out their eyeballs in a single second. Who would dare to look?

Unfortunately, they couldn’t see, but given that Xiyue had rushed over at the call of a beauty, they surmised she must be of unparalleled national charm.

Xiyue’s brow furrowed slightly. Without a moment’s hesitation, she drew back the front red gauze curtain and addressed the Ghost King, “Is there a place nearby where we can stop and rest?”

The Ghost King paused, slightly startled by her words, then found them rather amusing.

Just moments before, as Xiyue rode alongside her, the Ghost King had inquired about the little mermaid following behind. She had teased, “Have you truly grown fond of her?”

The Ghost King had then added, “It’s good to have an heir, and a companion. The countless years ahead won’t be so lonely.”

Xiyue had responded with utter disdain, “If it weren’t to use her as a pawn to sow discord between the Merfolk and Immortal clans, what purpose would I have in keeping her?”