“Ah—!” Shen Wushi cried out in pain, lifting her head in disarray. When she clearly saw the black-clad woman wearing a wolf-tooth mask before her, a chill instantly shot up her spine.
She struggled to rise from the ground, her gaze cautious, her voice trembling involuntarily: “May I ask… how have I offended you?”
In the Ghost Market, martial artists and noble families were mostly distinct. Even imperial descendants were reluctant to provoke these desperadoes lightly. The person before her had an imposing aura, clearly not someone to be trifled with.
“This is the Ghost Market, how dare…” A guard stepped forward to intervene but was abruptly pulled back by his companion.
Everyone’s gaze unconsciously turned to Meng Po standing quietly nearby—this Ghost Market overseer not only didn’t intervene to maintain order but instead watched the scene with keen interest.
Shen Wushi soon realized the abnormality, scrutinizing the black-clad woman before her with uncertainty.
Under the eerie glow of the green lantern, the wolf-tooth mask seemed to come alive, baring its fangs at her. Shen Wushi’s heart skipped a beat, and she hastily averted her gaze.
“I simply don’t like the look of you.” Shen Qingwu stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes gleaming with cold light.
In truth, she was secretly delighted.
Teaching this hypocritical Second Madam a lesson using her martial arts identity was indeed satisfying. Unbound by cumbersome etiquette or the need to maintain decorum, this taste of swift vengeance made her heart surge with excitement.
“You…” Shen Wushi clenched her fists, suppressing her anger as she turned to leave.
“Halt!” The stall owner who had been arguing with her earlier blocked her path in one swift step, “Shatter my jade cup and think you can just walk away? Pay up! Originally one thousand taels, but since the Green Lantern is lit tonight, I’ll charge you eight hundred!”
Facing the stall owner, Shen Wushi immediately regained her composure: “A broken cup for one thousand taels? You clearly said one hundred taels earlier!”
“Times have changed.” The scar-faced stall owner planted his hands on his hips, spittle nearly spraying onto her face, “This jade cup can turn cold water into ice, keep hot water warm, make plain water taste like tea, and even glow under moonlight. Tell me, isn’t it worth the price?”
“Preposterous!” Shen Wushi trembled with rage, “There’s no such miraculous object in this world!”
“Heh, now that I say it exists, it exists.” The stall owner grabbed her wrist, “If you can’t produce the silver today, you’ll leave behind a hand!”
Such were the rules of the Ghost Market.
“Let go of me!” Shen Wushi channeled her Neili to break free, turning to flee.
A red figure drifted before her like a ghost.
“Meng… Lady Meng Po…” Shen Wushi’s legs went weak, nearly collapsing to her knees.
The surrounding crowd bowed in unison: “Meng Po!”
“Daring to renege on a debt right under my nose?” A sinister voice slithered into her ears like a venomous snake.
Shen Wushi forced herself to appear calm: “He extorted me first! Please judge fairly, Lady Meng Po!” At this point, she had no choice but to brazenly seek Meng Po’s arbitration.
As the Ghost Market overseer, surely Meng Po wouldn’t permit such fraudulent activities in the market, right? Otherwise, what would happen to the Ghost Market’s reputation?
Meng Po’s gaze passed over her, briefly meeting Shen Qingwu’s. Seeing the slight nod from the other party, her red lips curved as she kicked Shen Wushi in the shoulder—
“Bang!”
Shen Wushi flew back like a broken kite, landing at Shen Qingwu’s feet.
“It seems you don’t understand the rules of the Ghost Market.” Meng Po’s voice was languid yet icy, “Will you leave the money, or your hand?”
“Cough…” Shen Wushi endured the sharp pain as she straightened her disheveled hair, “I am the Second Madam of Yongyi Marquis Manor!”
Hearing her invoking her father’s name to throw weight around again, Shen Qingwu’s eyes grew even colder with a sharp glint.
Just then, Shen Wushi’s eyes lit up as if she had spotted a savior. “Fourth Prince!” she cried out, stumbling unsteadily from the heavy blow as she rushed toward the man descending the stone steps. “The Ghost Market is nothing but a den of fraud! I beg Your Highness to uphold justice for this humble woman.”
The Fourth Prince frowned imperceptibly—how had Lady Shen entered the Ghost Market? Even he needed his imperial uncle to guide him here.
After a moment’s thought, he still struck a pose. “With this prince here, who would dare deceive Lady Shen?”
Shen Wushi smugly took her place beside the Fourth Prince, only then noticing the two figures behind him. She hurriedly bowed. “Greetings to Your Highness Prince He, Seventh Princess.”
It was then that the Fourth Prince noticed Meng Po and Wu Xiang, his heart tightening.
Why had he encountered these two demonic women again?
Hearing “Prince He,” Shen Qingwu couldn’t help but glance over. So this was the Prince He whose notoriety for absurdity had reached even her in Medicine King Valley.
Drunkenly setting fire to the imperial gardens, forcibly confiscating hundreds of acres of fertile land to plant lotuses, making guards dress as performers to sing for his amusement… Her master had recounted all these ridiculous stories as jokes.
As she was lost in thought, a shadow fell over her from above.
Shen Qingwu looked up sharply, meeting a pair of roguish eyes.
She was inwardly startled. When had Prince He approached so closely? She hadn’t detected him at all!
“Your Highness Prince He, this person attacked me without reason just now! You must be careful!” Shen Wushi “helpfully” warned.
The Fourth Prince rubbed his hands excitedly. “Little Seven, do you think Imperial Uncle is going to avenge me?” He considered himself among the princes who had relatively good relations with Prince He.
The Seventh Princess shot him a disdainful look. “Dream on.”
Hearing that the Fourth Prince had grievances with this girl wearing the wolf-tooth mask, Shen Wushi secretly rejoiced.
Under the expectant gazes of the Fourth Prince and Shen Wushi, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. “Your Excellency Wuxiang, this prince enjoys befriending heroes of the martial world. Might you honor me with your company?”
“Cough… cough cough…” The Fourth Prince choked on his own saliva. Not only was his imperial uncle not helping him, but he actually wanted to befriend this demonic woman?
Shen Wushi’s jaw dropped slightly.
Apart from his elusive movement technique earlier, Prince He hadn’t given her any sense of pressure at all.
Shen Qingwu laughed brightly. “I also enjoy making friends, but I don’t like friends who use their power to pressure me.” This was a common flaw among royal descendants.
Prince He laughed too. “This prince is most casual by nature.” Then he turned to look at Shen Wushi. “But it seems you still have matters to attend to.”