12
Crescent Village was over seventy li from the county town, which was quite a distance. For an average person walking, it would take more than three hours. Some people, with lighter steps and faster paces, could do it in at least two and a half hours.
The ghost market opened at midnight and closed at the early morning hour. Leaving at this time, she would definitely make it. Back in the day, He Da used to leave home around this same time.
If she used her movement techniques, He Tian could reach the county town within an hour, or even faster. But that would consume a lot of energy, and she felt it was nice to walk at this leisurely pace.
It saved energy and allowed her to appreciate the night scenery of this beautiful world before the apocalypse. It had been a few days since she arrived, and she hadn’t yet had a chance to properly enjoy the night views.
The bright moon hung quietly in the sky, illuminating the road as if it were daytime.
Crescent Village was nestled at the foot of Heiku Mountain, adjacent to the lush, sprawling mountains. The air was crisp and pure, full of vitality. Even doing nothing but breathing in the air was refreshing and uplifting.
As soon as they left the village, Dahuang grew too excited to stay in He Tian’s arms. He insisted on getting down and didn’t want to be carried. He Tian, happy to have less to carry, set him on the ground.
Whether it was because he was full, well-rested, or simply enjoyed wandering at night, Dahuang was incredibly excited. One moment he’d run ahead, playing with some grass, the next he’d dash back to rub against He Tian’s leg, and then he’d pounce on his own shadow as if hunting…
The night was deep, and all was silent. Birds, beasts, fish, and insects had returned to their nests to sleep, making the mountain path even more serene. Only a slender figure, accompanied by a “big cat,” strolled leisurely along.
Although she didn’t waste energy on movement techniques and took her time enjoying the scenery, He Tian’s pace was still much faster than an average person’s. She arrived at the county town before midnight.
Finding the secret passage into the city from her memory, she entered and was immediately captivated by the city’s ancient charm.
It was indeed very different—not only from the apocalypse but also from the era Yao Yao had lived in. This was a period even earlier than Yao Yao’s time, what people back then called “ancient times.”
Quiet and simple, imbued with antiquity.
Perhaps because it was late at night, at first glance, it didn’t seem bustling at all. Some buildings even looked quite rundown.
Even so, compared to the high-tech cities of the apocalypse, it radiated vitality, a strong sense of everyday life, and hope.
This was a good era.
He Tian patted the head of Dahuang, who had tired himself out from playing and was now sleeping in her arms, then turned and walked toward Miaozi Alley in the southern part of the city—the ghost market was about to open, and whether setting up a stall or opening a shop, location was very important.
Unlike the quietness she encountered when first entering the city, Miaozi Alley was very lively.
The ghost market wasn’t a fixed-area market; the entire alley was the market. However, the priority of each spot varied. The closer to the entrance of the alley, the busier it was, and the bustle diminished as one went deeper.
Of course, some people deliberately sought quiet and sold their goods at the very end.
At the entrance, there were masks for sale. If you didn’t want your identity known, you could spend three wen to buy a mask, or you could bring your own mask or veiled hat.
He Tian didn’t want to spend money and didn’t feel she needed to hide anything, so she entered the ghost market openly.
She hadn’t arrived particularly early; the spots near the entrance were already taken. There were stalls selling medicinal herbs, spices, and even foreign girls and male slaves… a dazzling array of goods that left He Tian, who had never seen such a scene or so many items, utterly fascinated.
Holding Dahuang, she walked very slowly, enthusiastically examining each stall she passed.
She lingered particularly long in front of the stalls selling foreign girls and male slaves.
For some reason, she felt those foreign girls and male slaves were a bit odd. It was already late autumn, and the nights were very cold—even she felt a chill. Yet these foreign girls and male slaves were dressed very scantily. Under the lights, their skin was clearly visible. The foreign girls had skin as white as snow and very alluring figures; they were indeed extremely beautiful to look at. No wonder so many people had gathered in front of this stall.
He Tian stared at the foreign girls in their thin gauze with an almost appreciative gaze. Oh, and they were also barefoot, with small bells on their ankles that made a crisp, pleasant sound with every movement.
How interesting.
She had no interest in the male slaves. They looked quite strong, and indeed, they were robust by ordinary standards. But in her eyes, they were pathetically weak—all of them together couldn’t withstand a single punch from her.
Soon, He Tian noticed something else amiss. The people watching, as well as those passing by this stall, looked at these foreign girls and male slaves with a very strange expression.
He Tian didn’t quite understand.
Of course, she had no intention of buying anything. Seeing that everyone passing by acted this way and no one found it strange, she thought that perhaps this was just how the pre-apocalyptic world was, and she found it odd only because she had never seen it before.
Having seen enough, she continued walking further in. As she walked, she noticed some people who had arrived early to secure spots were now offering to sell their pitches by knocking on the wooden boards in front of them. One spot cost a hundred wen. He Tian glanced at them and thought to herself, when she had time, she should also come and reserve a spot to earn some transfer fees.
Miaozi Alley was very, very long. Apart from the spots near the entrance being highly sought after, the further in you went, the more spaced out it became, and there was no shortage of spots at all. After looking over all the stalls, she found a spot at the very end.
She carefully laid out the wolf pelts and whole wolves, then took out the skeleton and arranged it. Finally, leaning against her backpack, she sat on the ground and waited for buyers.
As time passed, the number of sellers and buyers increased. Most people wore masks, and some were disguised from head to toe, hiding not only their faces but even their figures.
There were countless rare and exotic goods from all over the world in the ghost market. He Tian’s items weren’t particularly special, and after sitting for a long while, no one came forward to inquire. She wasn’t in a hurry, though. Although this was her first time setting up a stall, she deeply understood the essence of it—it’s all about fate.
This was an insight Yao Yao had gained from setting up stalls many times, and He Tian wholeheartedly agreed with it.
Besides, for He Tian, everything in the ghost market—both the sellers and the buyers was novel. Even if she didn’t sell anything here, she wouldn’t feel she had come in vain.
“What kind of bones are these?”
A man in a black tight-fitting outfit and a mask stopped in front of He Tian, pointing at the skeleton on the ground.
He Tian, who had been curiously observing the passersby, brightened at the sight of the newcomer. “Tiger bones.”
The man seemed somewhat interested. He crouched down and used the sheath of his sword to nudge the skeleton. “I only want the tiger teeth. How much?”
He Tian: “…” She had no idea either.
The man waited for a while but got no response. He glanced at her impatiently.
He Tian: “One tael of silver.”
She calculated the price of wolf pelts and quoted a figure she thought was reasonable.
The man: “I’ll take it.”
He Tian pried them off with her bare hands.
Lin Yunfeng had arrived in Fengshui County today. It was getting late, so he decided not to continue his journey and found an inn to stay overnight. When he heard people at the inn talking about the ghost market, curiosity got the better of him, and he came to browse. Initially, he hadn’t planned to buy anything. But when he saw these tiger teeth, he thought they weren’t bad and asked about the price. They were quite cheap.
Just as he was about to warn the young girl selling them not to damage the teeth while prying them off, he saw the girl, who didn’t look very big, simply reach out and snap them off with her bare hands.
Huh? Were they this easy to break off?
Shocked, he began to doubt the authenticity of the tiger bones—they must be fake! Real ones couldn’t be this easy to remove!
The girl, who looked younger and slimmer than him, had actually broken them off in one go.
He didn’t take them.
He Tian held them out for a while, but when he didn’t reach for them, she thought he might find them dirty. She grabbed a handful of dry grass from her backpack, wrapped them loosely, and handed them to him. “One tael of silver.”
The man was about to question her.
Dahuang, who had woken up at some point, poked his head out from He Tian’s arms. He looked around with a tiger-like curiosity and let out a soft grunt, he was hungry.
Hearing the sound, the man looked up and became instantly excited. He pointed at Dahuang in He Tian’s arms. “I want this too!”
Perfect as a gift for his little nephew!
He Tian pushed Dahuang’s head back down. “This one’s not for sale.”
The man no longer doubted the authenticity of the tiger bones, but he was also a bit annoyed. Did she think he couldn’t afford it?
“I can pay a high price. I’ll buy all your goods.”
He Tian’s tone remained calm. “Not for sale at any price.”
“Hey!” He thought she was looking down on him and said with an air of wealth, “I’ll give you twenty taels.”
Seeing the tattered linen clothes this little girl wore, twenty taels was a huge fortune.
And for these items, offering her twenty taels meant she was getting a great deal!
He Tian: “Not for sale at any price.”
The man grew irritated. “Thirty taels!”
He Tian: “Not for sale at any price.”
“Fifty taels!”
“Not for sale at any price.”
The man was thoroughly angered. He reached out to grab Dahuang from He Tian’s arms, determined to buy it today. But before his hand, only halfway extended, could even touch Dahuang, a bloodcurdling scream erupted:
“Ah——”
**
Wild Boar Cub: The team must not fall apart!