Chapter 165 – The Carefree Martial Lodge, Grand Demonic Abode, Yan Mu’s Letter, and the Emperor’s Broken Promise - Part 3

The next day.

A letter titled

Ghost Street Market Merchandise Catalog

from Pang Yuanhua was placed on Li Yuan’s desk.

Tiny Ant Sugar Figurine

Price:

4 cash

Effect:

When you stare at a target and completely lick the sugar figurine, the target will transform into a sugar figurine. Chewing does not speed up the process.

Tiny Rabbit Sugar Figurine

Price:

3 cash

Effect:

Same as above.

Tiny Elephant Sugar Figurine

Price:

2 cash

Effect:

Same as above.

Gray Rouge Compact

Price:

4 cash

Effect:

A simple makeup kit that lets you assume another person’s appearance, provided you haven’t washed your face with shadow blood containing ancestral seal power, the disguise will remain undetected. This transformation cannot alter gender, height, or body shape. It only modifies your looks. The box is consumed upon use.

White Rouge Compact

Price:

1 candareen

Effect: Same as above, but also allows you to change your height and body shape.

Yellow Rouge Compact

Price:

3 candareens

Effect:

Unknown.

Black Rouge Compact

Price:

1 mace

Effect:

Unknown.

Red Rouge Compact

Price:

Unknown

Effect:

Unknown.

Blue Rouge Compact

Price:

Unknown;

Effect:

Unknown.

Copper Pendant

Price:

2 candareens

Effect:

When worn, the person engraved on the pendant will automatically assume the wearer’s appearance and help ward off curses and various attacks.

Copper Hairpin

Price:

2 candareens

Effect:

By braiding a small figurine from a target’s hair and silently meditating on their name and features, then stabbing the figurine with the hairpin, you can inflict a dreadful attack on them.

Copper Ring

Price:

2 candareens

Effect:

Unknown.

Li Yuan studied the items in silence, a chill crawling up his spine. He knew that the items Pang Yuanhua compiled was the standard fare hawked by vendors at the entrance of the ancient street. Their functions were also easy to figure out, since plenty of outsiders were continually testing them.

"I used to wonder why the tiny sugar figurine cost more. It turns out that the smaller the sugar figurine, the easier it was to finish licking—and the faster it can cast a curse on its target. That explains the higher price.

"Rouge compacts are far superior to any human-skin mask. If someone uses a rouge compact to sneak into my side, I might not even notice.

"Then there’s the pendant and the hairpin—one serves as a shield against curses, while the other acts as a sword to inflict them.

"All these items are sold at the entrance of the ghost street market; they’re essentially mass-produced wares. Yet even these ordinary goods can be terrifying. I can’t imagine what might be sold in those hidden shops, or what that little girl’s flower or the beasts from the Exotic Beast Garden might do.

"Undying husks... they’re truly formidable. Even if these items have little inherent power, they can bridge cultivation realms and kill outright, and they’re nearly impossible to defend against. The most crucial point is that the combined power these undying husks display is not a true measure of their strength. Thankfully, I can see their equipment; otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to deal with them.”

Li Yuan’s gaze hardened as he looked over the items, further solidifying his resolve never to casually get mixed up with the undying husk circles. Instead, he planned to earn ghost money and stock up on more

equipment

.

He quickly counted the money on him—one 3-candareen note, two 1-candareen notes, two 3-cash notes, and one 1-cash note—totaling 5 candareens and 4 cash. After a moment’s thought, he handed 4 candareens and 4 cash in ghost money to Pang Yuanhua, saying, “Buy two Copper Pendants, one for you and one for me, and also a gray rouge compact.”

Pang Yuanhua took the money and replied, “Understood.”

Li Yuan then inquired, “By the way, is robbery the only way to earn ghost money?”

Pang Yuanhua pondered briefly before answering, “It’s mainly about robbing and selling. You rob those clueless outsiders, and you sell goods to ghosts, just like the rouge compacts you asked me to sell last time.”

Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, Li Yuan mused, “I’ve been thinking; the rouge compacts must serve as a medium to enter a ghost domain, or perhaps they function as a curse from a ghost. So, could the reason that undying husks can be found roaming these ghost domains be that they’re looking for these items so they can resell them to the ghost vendors?”

Pang Yuanhua nodded, saying, “I consulted Miss Long. She said that in relatively young ghost domains, like the carpenter’s workshop or the mass grave, don’t really spawn ghost items. But in more complex ghost domains, you can find plenty of them. So the elusive nature of undying husks is probably due to them chasing after these ghost items.”

Li Yuan said, “If you can see spiritual threads, you can track ghost servants. So if you see a ghost servant outside, it’s likely to be carrying a ghost item.”

“Are we going to go after ghost servants?” Pang Yuanhua asked. She didn’t seem the slightest afraid. After all, her fate was basically tied to this man.

Li Yuan simply shook his head.

Then Pang Yuanhua added, “It was wise that you didn’t come to Clock Mansion.”

Raising his head with interest, Li Yuan asked, “Why is that?”

Pang Yuanhua explained, “Every force moves with a purpose. I had been worried about the carpenter ghost and hadn’t paid much attention to Clock Mansion. But now, I’m noticing clues. It appears Clock Mansion has changed hands several times.”

“Really?” Li Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Her words confirmed what he had long suspected. Clock Mansion was nothing more than a pig farm. People kept the place in order only because the pigs weren’t yet fat; once they were, they’d be slaughtered in one fell swoop. And as for why there’d be no shortage of pigs afterward, the answer was simple. Li Yuan could turn an ordinary bandit chief into an undying husk, so why couldn’t the master or elders of Clock Mansion do the same?

“Keep your wealth hidden and act with caution,” Li Yuan said solemnly.

“Don’t worry, senior,” Pang Yuanhua replied.

Soon after, she turned her wheelchair and departed. As she reached the door, she smoothly rolled over the step. She spun around again and faced Li Yuan.

Pang Yuanhua smiled and said, “The wheelchair Nian Nian made for me...I absolutely love it. Shall I show it to you?”

Li Yuan returned her smile with a nod, clearly interested in the craftsmanship of his goddaughter.

Click!

Pang Yuanhua pressed a hidden switch. In an instant, her wheelchair transformed like a Transformer. Six steel arms emerged from its rear—two brandishing blades, two holding shields, and two wielding a bow and arrow—forming a menacing guard around her. Six dull, gray metal tubes also appeared on either side, clearly functioning as launchers ready to shoot out a rain of arrows.

Astonishingly, the number 209~210 floated above the contraption.

“Did she rig up a puppet for you?”

“Yeah. I managed to get hold of a seventh rank demonic beast’s heart. Not too shabby, huh?” Pang Yuanhua beamed with childlike pride as she admired the wheelchair, clearly treating the 21-year-old youth before her as if he were some old grandpa.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Time passed.

Thanks to Li Yuan’s careful sealing of every potential risk—and his calm, low-key, and cautious approach—no major incidents occurred across the several counties.

During this period, a few sixth rank forces from the Central Plains had even planned to come here to stake their claim, but upon learning what the situation was like, they immediately changed course.

With three ghost domains, General Mammoth, Mister Wood, and the Blood Blade Patriarch who had established the Martial Lodge, no one in their right mind would dare mess with such perilous territory.

This rare peace allowed Li Yuan to finally savor life.

After Yan Mu’s first letter, a long while later a second letter arrived.

This time, Yan Mu had already learned that Li Yuan had married his aunt and even had a child. The letter offered congratulations but mentioned that new troubles in the Jade Capital might prevent him from returning.

Meanwhile, the network centered around the Ginger Tavern had slowly expanded, stretching beyond five counties. Then, just before the deep winter snows sealed off the mountains, one channel brought major news from the Central Plains.

The emperor had a change of heart!

The great powers had helped him drive out the Red Lotus Prince, yet now he refused to open the Great Zhou Treasury for other factions to choose treasures from, opting instead for different rewards. But how could the other forces possibly agree?

“This emperor is truly foolish,” Xue Ning couldn’t help but exclaim.

Li Yuan replied gravely, “But what exactly is it that the emperor relies on?”

Just then, a small head peeked through the door. Sheng'er, leaning on her walking stick, knocked with a cheerful

knock, knock, knock

and called out, “Second Mama, Papa, time to eat!”

Exchanging smiles, Li Yuan and Xue Ning decided to end the conversation for now.

Li Yuan scooped Sheng'er into his arms and, crossing the corridor, walked off into the distance.

No matter how fierce the battles in the Central Plains became, the flames of war had not yet reached this place.

In the dining hall, gentle wisps of cooking smoke mingled with the biting winter winds, just like the hearths of countless households in Gemhill County.

And in deep winter, what could be more heartwarming than a family gathered together for a meal?