Sister Song Cui, Cultivating the Ghost Market

At the market.

Song Chengan bought some rouge, fine cloth, and books.

In the past, when Song Chengan went to the An residence to visit his sister, he never brought anything—he only thought about scamming some money from her to have fun at the gambling house.

Last time he went, he didn't bring anything either.

Because back then, he was truly broke.

But now that he had money, the first thing he thought of was buying his sister some gifts.

That cat demon wasn't following Song Chengan.

It had taken his words from yesterday to heart and came over early today.

But Song Chengan worried that bringing it along might cause trouble, so he told it to wait for him at the city gate.

The An residence's back courtyard.

Song Chengan mimicked a few magpie calls.

Not long after.

The back courtyard's small door creaked open.

"Chengan, what's wrong?" Song Cui looked at her younger brother and asked.

"Sis, I bought some cloth and some books, for you and Mingxu."

Song Chengan said with a smile.

Song Cui was stunned for a long time.

Then her eyes turned a little red.

Those things weren't anything priceless, but it was the first time her brother had ever given her anything.

"My Chengan has grown up!"

She wanted to pat his head, but somehow, Song Chengan was already taller than her.

"Chengan, come inside, I'll have them make you something to eat."

She said.

"No need, sis."

Song Chengan shook his head. "If brother-in-law sees, he'll get upset again."

"I'll come see you another time."

"It's about to rain, I'd better go."

"Let me get you an umbrella."

Song Cui said, as a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

"No need, sis. I'll come see you again in a while. I don't go to the gambling house anymore."

Song Chengan said, then waved and ran off into the rain.

He wasn't exactly presentable now, and he worried that if Steward An saw him, it would make things hard for his sister.

So after handing over the things, he hurried away.

Song Cui stood there for a moment, dazed.

Then a relieved expression spread across her face.

"My Chengan is a good kid after all."

She turned and went back into the courtyard.

But the moment she closed the door, Song Cui's face went pale with fright.

There stood Steward An in the courtyard, expressionless.

"So that's why there were magpies calling in the back courtyard in this weather."

"Turns out it was your jinx of a brother again."

"Using the household's things to subsidize your brother again?"

Hearing this, Song Cui quickly explained, "No, no, master, this was Chengan..."

"Enough."

An Ruifeng couldn't be bothered to listen to a concubine's excuses. "I've told you many times, don't associate with that man."

"My An family is a respectable household. Associating with someone like that tarnishes our reputation."

"For this month, you're not to leave the house."

"Your monthly allowance from the household is also halved." He said impatiently.

Recently, a batch of tea leaves from the estate had been stolen by those bandits from Boulder Mountain, and they wanted silver to ransom them back. Already irritated, seeing his concubine using household goods to subsidize her gambling-addict brother only made his mood worse.

"Yes."

Song Cui lowered her head.

"Take these things back to the storeroom."

Song Cui offered no further explanation, silently returning to her own courtyard.

"Third Madam, the First Madam is here!"

Song Cui rose to her feet.

A woman in her fifties entered.

First Madam of the An Family, Madam Liu.

Originally a maidservant to An Ruifeng, she had been elevated to the position of principal wife after his first wife passed away.

The First Madam cast a cold glance at Song Cui: "I heard you've been taking household goods to subsidize your younger brother again?"

Song Cui replied, "First Madam, I have not."

"All these years, I've only used my own monthly allowance."

The First Madam shook her head: "Your monthly allowance is still the An family's money."

She looked at the books on the table: "Buying books too? With your brother reading these, I fear he'll disgrace the teachings of the sages."

"You are a woman, after all. Though he is your younger brother, he is still a man."

"If you two keep carrying on like this, outsiders will see and ruin your reputation."

"Don't do this again from now on."

"Let that degenerate gambler fend for himself."

"Consider this your final warning."

"This month, stay in your room and don't go out. I'll have someone bring you your meals."

With that, the First Madam left.

Song Cui said nothing.

She just sat there in silence.

After a moment, the tears she could no longer hold back began to fall.

An Mingxu, now about twelve or thirteen, had been playing in the courtyard with the maidservant. He walked in and saw his mother crying.

He just stared blankly.

Song Cui felt even more aggrieved.

She hugged her son.

"If only you weren't born simple-minded..."

"Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone go play."

Song Chengan said.

As his words fell, the crowd of monsters let out a cheer, some heading for the door, others leaping out the window.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

All that remained were the black bear outside the door, First Boss Bai, the taciturn Second Boss Huang, the black cat, a yellow weasel, and a grey squirrel.

"Well, I'll be off too." The yellow weasel mimicked a human bow.

Then it vanished in a puff of yellow smoke.

The grey squirrel clasped its paws, jumped out the door, and with a single bound, burrowed into the earth and disappeared.

"I'll go patrol the mountain." Second Boss Huang left.

"Then This Old Bear will go catch some prey. Tonight, Scholar Song, let's have a drink, and you can keep telling me that story about the Great Sage."

The black bear lumbered off, shaking the ground with every step.

"Senior Bai."

"Your cultivation level has improved a bit." First Boss Bai looked at Song Chengan: "Looks like you've been in a fight with someone?"

Song Chengan didn't hide it: "A demonic creature was harming living beings, so I fought it."

First Boss Bai nodded: "Monsters are born bloodthirsty. It's a nature that can't be changed."

Song Chengan didn't respond. He felt it was inappropriate to discuss this topic with First Boss Bai.

After all, the other party was a monster himself.

"Senior Bai."

"Junior has come to ask—does Lingqiu have a market for cultivators?"

"A market for cultivators?"

Song Chengan nodded: "I've come into some silver lately and want to buy pills to aid my cultivation."

"But there doesn't seem to be any place in Lingqiu City that sells pills."

"Still, I figure even cultivators need to trade, so I guessed there must be a small circle for cultivators here in Lingqiu City."

"I wanted to ask Senior Bai how to enter that circle and buy what I need."

First Boss Bai said: "You're talking about the Ghost Market, right?"

"Ghost Market?"

"The Ghost Market was originally started by mortals. They trade things of dubious origin there."

"Later, cultivators borrowed the model, since some of the things they have really shouldn't be seen by mortals."

"How do I enter this Ghost Market?" Song Chengan asked.

"You need a Ghost Token."

"Ghost Token?"

"That's right."

"I'll give you an address. Go to this place in Lingqiu City proper, pay eight taels of silver and eight Copper Coins, and you'll get a Ghost Token."

"The token will tell you how to enter the Ghost Market."

"But how much valuable stuff do you have right now?"

"I have over a hundred taels of silver and one Demon Core from a Dao Seed Realm demon beast."

"Silver—the Ghost Market doesn't take mortal silver." Boss Bai laughed upon hearing this.

"The Demon Core should be worth something."

"They prefer Talisman Coins."

"Talisman Coins?"

"A special kind of Dharma artifact. It can be used to restore True Qi in the body, slay demons, ward off evil, and protect a home."

First Boss Bai placed a coin on the table.

Song Chengan picked it up and looked.

On the coin, the right side was engraved with "Slay Demon," the left with "Thunder Command," and the center bore a Daoist talisman seal.

The back was carved with the Eight Trigrams.

"The spiritual energy within can be absorbed to restore True Qi, but once used, it loses its power and becomes an ordinary object."