Bear Demon Seeks Words, Enters Ghost Market

Song Chengan bid farewell to First Boss Bai and walked out of the house.

"Let me check my illusionary body."

His consciousness entered the Void Heaven Realm.

He saw that the illusionary body, which had been cultivating the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi, had stopped moving.

It sat cross-legged, face full of wrinkles.

Its head drooped low, as if it had lived out its lifespan and died.

"Does this mean this illusionary body spent its whole life cultivating the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi and then died of old age?"

Song Chengan was curious.

"I wonder how much my cultivation will improve after absorbing this."

With a thought from Song Chengan, the illusionary body transformed into a Dao Fruit light orb that he absorbed.

Countless insights surged into him.

But Song Chengan's realm remained at the early Dao Seed Realm.

"So it seems the Void Heaven Realm Illusionary Body can only comprehend martial arts, not directly boost cultivation."

"Planting the Dao Seed is about enlightenment, but to step into the mid Dao Seed Realm, or even the late or peak stages, I have to cultivate on my own."

"Now I can circulate qi through thirty cycles. According to what I've heard, thirty-six cycles marks the mid Dao Seed Realm. That doesn't seem far off."

"It doesn't seem that hard either."

"Scholar Song, let's go drink!"

Just then, Song Chengan heard the Black Bear Spirit's voice.

He opened his eyes.

There stood the black bear, one arm holding a wine jar, the other carrying a deer.

Over the fire, the roasting deer sizzled, grease bubbling.

Song Chengan sat across from the Black Bear Spirit, tearing into meat and gulping wine.

"Where did you get this wine?"

Song Chengan asked curiously.

Had he bought it at the market?

But as far as he knew, none of these monsters except First Boss Bai could take human form.

"It's brewed by a bunch of monkeys over at Boulder Mountain to the west. This Old Bear saw they didn't like drinking it, so I took it."

Song Chengan paused.

You stole it, didn't you?

What do you mean, "didn't like drinking it"?

"Anyway, Scholar Song, can you teach me how to write?"

"I can understand some of the stuff you talk about, but most of it goes over my head."

"Reading and writing?"

Song Chengan was taken aback.

He had always been directly parroting the wisdom of sages from his past life.

Yes, he felt that what he could comprehend was just showing off.

He had never considered that they might be illiterate.

"Didn't you all nod along?"

"You can't read?"

"You mean those guys?" The black bear looked puzzled.

"Those guys love nothing more than playing in the mountains, not studying any kind of learning."

"They were all just putting on airs!"

"The First Boss used to teach us to read, but later he thought we were too dumb to bother and stopped."

Song Chengan was speechless.

"Can you teach me to read? This Old Bear can understand, but I can't write it."

"Oh, sure."

Song Chengan thought for a moment and nodded.

This old bear might be a bit thick in the head, but...

But he was a decent person.

He treated him to grilled meat and even bought him drinks.

"I'll teach you a few characters today."

"Practice them when you have nothing else to do."

He said, then wrote a few characters on the ground beside him: "This is 'Bear'—it refers to you!"

"These two are 'Mount Luo'!"

"And these two are 'Righteous Path'!"

"Five characters. Practice them for now. Next time I come, I'll teach you more."

"If you learn well, you can be the one to teach everyone else how to read."

Song Chengan said.

The Black Bear Spirit's eyes lit up at that: "Really?"

Judging by his expression, he seemed quite eager to become a teacher.

When Song Chengan left, the bear was still crouched there on the ground, staring at those five characters!

Song Chengan shook his head.

With Old Bear's temperament, he probably wouldn't be able to sit still for long.

He figured that by the next visit, the bear wouldn't bring up learning characters again.

But was his own teaching even appropriate?

Shouldn't he teach reading first, then knowledge?

Forget it.

They were just a bunch of monsters anyway.

He and First Boss Bai were only using each other—why bother putting in real effort?

Besides, with his own meager Cultivation Level in scholarship, was he even fit to be a teacher?

On Osmanthus Street in the west of Lingqiu City, there was a pawnshop with no name.

It had almost no business.

Yet it had been open for many years.

Song Chengan stepped into the shop.

A small window, with a black cloth hanging down, hid the person behind it from view.

"What would you like to pawn, sir?"

Song Chengan said nothing. He simply pulled out eight taels of silver and eight Copper Coins, just as First Boss Bai had instructed.

After a moment.

A black token was handed out from the pawnshop.

"Welcome to the Ghost Market."

A hoarse voice sounded.

Song Chengan took the token.

It was slightly heavy in his hand, as if made of some kind of metal.

On the front was carved the character for "ghost."

On the back was a special symbol, seemingly the emblem of some faction.

"Is this the mark of the force behind the Ghost Market?"

Song Chengan wondered silently.

According to First Boss Bai.

The Ghost Market existed everywhere.

Whether in a county, a prefecture, or a provincial city.

As long as you had a Ghost Token, you could enter the Ghost Market no matter where you were.

Song Chengan infused his True Qi into the Ghost Token.

Instantly, a line of text appeared.

It was the method for entering the Ghost Market.

"Luo Family Archway, after midnight, turn left three times, turn right three times?"

"The Ghost Market opens on the tenth of every month."

"Which means tonight."

"First, I need to get out of the city."

Song Chengan knew the Luo Family Archway.

It was west of the city, in Luo Family Village.

That night, Song Chengan arrived at Luo Family Village on time.

He saw the archway.

It had been bestowed by the Imperial Court for a Chaste Martyr.

Right in front of that family's residence.

But now, a rusty, heavy lock hung on the family's door.

Song Chengan walked toward the archway.

He stopped.

A figure was hanging from the archway, swaying in the wind.

A ghost?

He'd asked around about Luo Family Village today—hadn't heard of any ghost causing trouble lately.

Never mind that.

Song Chengan circulated the True Qi within him.

Instantly, a faint Purple Protective Qi appeared around his body.

He let his aura radiate without restraint.

The ghost immediately stopped playing dead, stopped swaying in the wind, jumped down from the archway, and bolted.

Song Chengan shook his head.

Just a Wandering Ghost, here to scare people.

He looked at the archway, then took out a Bamboo Hat, put it on, and started spinning.

Three spins to the left!

Then three spins to the right!

After that, he stepped into the archway.

Something miraculous happened—the moment Song Chengan stepped in, he vanished without a trace.

On Song Chengan's end, when he opened his eyes, he had already arrived at a strange marketplace.

People were coming and going here, but there was no noise at all.

The few who were haggling kept their voices low.

Song Chengan drew in a sharp breath.

A hideous Pig Demon with a pig's head walked past him.

There was also a woman with a snake's tail, a man with bull horns, a Daoist Priest carrying a sword on his back, and a monk holding an iron staff.

Most people wore Bamboo Hats or masks.

Of course, some wore nothing at all.

"High-grade Dharma Sword? Three thousand Talisman Coins?"

"Storage Magic Tool? Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine Talisman Coins?"

"High-grade Foundation Establishment Method? Five thousand Talisman Coins?"

Song Chengan felt like committing robbery.