Song Chengan bid First Boss Bai farewell and walked out of the room.
"Let me take a look at my Phantom Body."
His consciousness entered the Void Heaven Realm.
He saw that the Phantom Body used to cultivate the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi had already stopped moving.
It sat cross-legged, its face covered in wrinkles.
Its head hung low, as though its lifespan had run out and it had died of old age.
"Does this mean this Phantom Body cultivated the Heavenly Radiance Dao Qi for an entire lifetime before dying of old age?"
Song Chengan was somewhat curious.
"I wonder how much my cultivation will improve after absorbing it this time."
With a thought from Song Chengan—
That Phantom Body transformed into a glowing Dao Fruit orb and was absorbed by him.
Countless realizations surged into him.
Yet Song Chengan's realm remained at the early Dao Seed Realm.
"It seems the Void Heaven Realm Illusionary Body can only comprehend martial arts; it cannot directly raise my cultivation."
"Planting a Dao Seed is enlightenment, but to step into the middle stage of the Dao Seed Realm—or even the late stage and peak—I can only cultivate on my own."
"I can now circulate Qi through thirty cycles. According to the saying, thirty-six cycles of Qi marks the middle Dao Seed Realm. That doesn't seem far away."
"Seems it isn't that difficult."
"Scholar Song, let's drink!"
At that moment, Song Chengan heard the Black Bear Spirit's voice.
He opened his eyes.
The black bear stood there, a wine jar tucked under one arm and a deer hanging from the other hand.
The little deer crackled atop the fire, grease sizzling from its roasting flesh.
Song Chengan sat across from the Black Bear Spirit, taking huge bites of meat and deep gulps of wine.
"Where did you get this wine?"
Song Chengan asked curiously.
Could he have bought it at the market?
But as far as Song Chengan knew, aside from First Boss Bai, these monsters had no ability to transform into human form.
"A bunch of monkeys on Boulder Mountain to the west brewed it. This Old Bear saw they didn't like drinking it, so I brought it back."
Song Chengan fell silent for a moment.
You stole it, didn't you?
What did he mean, they didn't like drinking it?
"Never mind that. But Scholar Song, can you teach me how to write?"
"I can understand some of the learning you talk about, This Old Bear can, but more of it goes right over my head."
"Recognize characters?"
Song Chengan froze.
He had always directly shown off the teachings of the sages from his previous life.
Yes, he considered whatever little he could comprehend to be mere showing off.
He had never considered that they might not know how to read.
"Weren't you all nodding along again and again?"
"You can't read?"
"You mean those guys?" Black Bear asked in confusion.
"What those guys love most is playing in the mountains, not studying any learning."
"They were all putting on an act!"
"The Boss used to teach us characters, but later he thought we were too stupid, couldn't stand it anymore, and stopped teaching."
Song Chengan was speechless.
"Can you teach This Old Bear to recognize characters? I can understand them, but I can't write them."
"Oh, sure."
After thinking it over, Song Chengan nodded.
This Old Bear might be missing a screw.
But he was a decent fellow.
He treated Song Chengan to roasted meat and wine.
"I'll teach you a few characters today."
"When you have nothing to do, practice them."
As he spoke, he wrote several characters on the ground beside them. "This is 'bear.' It refers to you!"
"These two characters are 'Mount Luo'!"
"These two are 'righteous path'!"
"Five characters. Practice these first. When I see you next time, I'll teach you others."
"If you learn well, you can teach everyone else to read in the future."
Song Chengan said.
The Black Bear Spirit's eyes lit up. "Really?"
From the look of it, he seemed very eager to become a teacher.
Even when Song Chengan left, he was still squatting there, staring at those five characters.
Song Chengan shook his head.
With This Old Bear's temperament, he probably could not sit still.
By the next time he came, the bear likely would not mention learning characters again.
Still, was this really the right way to teach?
Shouldn't he teach them to read first, then teach them learning?
Forget it.
They were only a bunch of monsters.
First Boss Bai and he were merely taking what they needed from each other. Why should he devote himself heart and soul?
Besides, with his meager Cultivation Level in learning, was he worthy of being anyone's teacher?
On Osmanthus Street in the western part of Lingqiu City stood a nameless pawnshop.
It had almost no business.
Yet it had been open for many years.
Song Chengan stepped inside.
A black cloth hung over a small window, obscuring whoever sat behind it.
"What does the customer wish to pawn?"
Song Chengan said nothing. He merely took out eight taels of silver and eight copper coins, as First Boss Bai had instructed.
Before long—
A black token was passed out from the pawnshop.
"Welcome to the Ghost Market."
A hoarse voice came from within.
Song Chengan accepted the token.
It felt slightly heavy in his hand, as if it were made of some kind of metal.
The front bore the character for ghost.
The back bore a strange symbol, apparently the emblem of some force.
"Could it be the symbol of the force behind the Ghost Market?"
Song Chengan thought to himself.
According to First Boss Bai—
The Ghost Market existed everywhere.
Whether in counties, commanderies, or provincial capitals.
So long as one possessed a Ghost Token, one could enter the Ghost Market from anywhere.
Song Chengan poured true Qi into the Ghost Token.
Words immediately surfaced upon it.
They described how to enter the Ghost Market.
"Luo Family Archway. After midnight, turn left three times, then right three times?"
"The Ghost Market opens on the tenth of every month."
"That means tonight."
"I need to leave the city first."
Song Chengan knew of the Luo Family Archway.
It stood at Luo Family Village, west of the city.
That night—
Song Chengan arrived at Luo Family Village right on time.
He saw the archway.
The Imperial Court had bestowed it upon a Chaste Martyr.
It stood directly before that family's residence.
But now, a rusty lock hung on the family's gate.
Song Chengan walked toward the archway.
He stopped.
A human figure hung from the archway.
It swayed back and forth with the wind.
A ghost?
He had asked around about Luo Family Village today. He had not heard of any recent ghost harming people here.
He would ignore it for now.
Song Chengan circulated the true Qi within his body.
A faint layer of Purple Protective Qi immediately appeared around him.
He released his aura without the slightest restraint.
The ghost instantly stopped hanging itself and stopped swaying in the wind. It leaped down from the archway and fled at full speed.
Song Chengan shook his head.
Even a Wandering Ghost dared come here to frighten people.
He looked at the archway, then took out a conical hat and placed it on his head before beginning to turn.
Three turns to the left!
Then three turns to the right!
Afterward, he stepped into the archway.
Something miraculous happened. The instant Song Chengan stepped through, he vanished completely.
On Song Chengan's side—
When he opened his eyes, he had already arrived in an unfamiliar marketplace.
People streamed back and forth here.
Yet there was not the slightest clamor.
Even the few people bargaining kept their voices low.
Song Chengan sucked in a breath.
A savage Pig Demon with a pig's head passed by him.
There were also women with snake tails.
People with ox horns.
Daoists with swords on their backs.
Monks wielding Buddhist staffs.
Most wore conical 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 and ninety-nine Talisman Coins?" "High-grade Foundation Establishment Method, five thousand Talisman Coins?"
Song Chengan wanted to rob them.
Before you continue