Ghost Market Inquires About Medicine, Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds

The Ghost Market doesn't sell ghosts; it sells the ghosts in people's hearts.

There is no sunlight here, only the perpetual smell of coal smoke and cheap perfume. The narrow alleys are crammed with businesses that shun the light: fences, smugglers, and sellers of illicit substances.

A line of constables in dark uniforms cut into the rotten flesh of the market like a sharp blade.

The leader was not the renowned Wang Meng, but a pale young scholar who coughed intermittently. He walked slowly, his steps unsteady as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet, Wang Meng behind him acted like a bodyguard, always half a step behind, hand on his saber hilt, his gaze vigilant.

"Who is that? Why is Tiger Wang acting like a spineless coward?"

"Shh! That's the new guy... I heard he's a bit strange."

The stall vendors on either side whispered, their eyes filled with curiosity and malice.

Ji Ye looked straight ahead.

In his [Martial Dao Heavenly Eye], this wasn't just an alley, but a vast, intricate web of information.

The old woman selling used clothes on the left had a poisoned pair of scissors hidden in her sleeve, her muscles tensed, ready to spring; the old man squatting on the ground smoking a pipe on the right had a long, steady breath, clearly a practitioner, but with an injury to his lung meridian. With every puff of smoke, his lungs spasmed slightly.

All secrets were laid bare.

The procession stopped in front of a pharmacy called "Jishi Hall."

This was the Black Tiger Gang's biggest money sink in the Ghost Market. Though called a pharmacy, it was actually a den of drugs and a fence for stolen goods.

"Seal it."

Ji Ye stood at the entrance, his voice soft, yet carrying an undeniable chill.

Two constables with sealing tape stepped forward.

"I'd like to see who dares!"

A roar like thunder exploded.

A man built like an iron pagoda strode out of the pharmacy. He was bare-chested, his muscles bulging, a tiger tattoo on his shaved head, and he carried two thick-bladed Ghost Head Sabers.

This was Iron Pagoda, a Red Stick of the Black Tiger Gang, whom Ji Ye had crippled with a shoulder charge in his previous life.

In this life, he was alive and well, his Blood Essence robust, at the peak of his condition.

"Tiger Wang, have you lost your mind?" Iron Pagoda slammed a Ghost Head Saber onto the ground, making the bluestone slabs hum. "You dare seal my Black Tiger Gang's shop? Believe it or not, I'll dismember your crippled leg and stew it for soup!"

Wang Meng's face darkened, his Wild Goose Feather Saber about to be drawn.

A pale hand rested on his saber hilt.

"Don't get agitated."

Ji Ye coughed a couple of times and pulled out a clean white handkerchief from his robes, covering his mouth.

He stepped forward and stood before Iron Pagoda.

The difference in their physiques was immense. Iron Pagoda was nearly two meters tall, like a wall; Ji Ye was thin and frail, as if Iron Pagoda could blow him away with a single breath.

"You want to seal the shop?" Iron Pagoda looked down at Ji Ye, his eyes full of mockery. "Where did you get off to, you pretentious scholar? Haven't you weaned yet?"

"The medicine in this shop is problematic."

Ji Ye put away his handkerchief and pointed to a brocade box on the counter, placed in the most conspicuous spot. "I heard that's the newly arrived 'Crimson Blood Ginseng'? That's 'beast medicine' the Barbarians use to feed their wolves. If a human eats it, their Blood Essence will become chaotic, leading to death. For the safety of the people, the yamen must confiscate it."

"Nonsense!"

Iron Pagoda was furious. This Crimson Blood Ginseng was a treasure the gang leader had acquired from the Western Regions at great expense, and now it was being called beast medicine?

"I think you're here to cause trouble!"

Iron Pagoda saw no point in talking further. His palm, like a giant fan, grabbed directly for Ji Ye's neck. "Kneel down for me!"

The grab was powerful and heavy.

For an ordinary person, being caught like this would instantly break their neck.

Wang Meng was alarmed, but it was too late to intervene.

However, in Ji Ye's eyes, this grab... was full of openings.

Iron Pagoda's center of gravity was too far forward. His muscles engaged in a sequence from his waist to his shoulders and then to his hands, but at the moment of exertion, his right ankle slightly everted to support his body.

Moreover, although his wrist was strong, his [Shenmen Acupoint] was completely unguarded.

Ji Ye didn't dodge.

He simply raised his hand slightly, a calligraphy brush he had casually picked up from the counter appearing in his hand.

Just as the giant hand was about to touch his neck.

Ji Ye lightly tapped with the brush in his hand.

Tap.

The brush tip precisely landed on Iron Pagoda's [Shenmen Acupoint] on the inner side of his wrist.

There was no brute force, just a penetrating energy.

Iron Pagoda felt as if his wrist had been electrocuted. Half of his arm instantly went numb and weak. His hand froze in mid-air, unable to complete the grab.

Immediately after, Ji Ye took half a step forward.

With a seemingly casual step, he landed precisely on Iron Pagoda's outward-turned ankle.

"Fall."

Ji Ye softly uttered the word.

He gently leaned his shoulder into Iron Pagoda's chest.

Four ounces deflects a thousand pounds.

Iron Pagoda's forward momentum, combined with the trip and the lean, instantly threw him off balance. His massive two-hundred-plus-pound frame collapsed forward like a crumbling mountain.

"BANG--!!!"

A deafening sound.

Iron Pagoda crashed heavily to the ground, face-first, shattering the pharmacy's threshold.

The entire area fell silent.

The surrounding stall owners, constables, and even Wang Meng stared in stunned disbelief.

What just happened?

That sickly scholar merely pointed his brush, then leaned in, and the Iron Pagoda, who could uproot willow trees, was... down?

"Fighting and killing is beneath a scholar."

Ji Ye took a step back, dusting off non-existent dust from his sleeves.

If you like this book, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.

"The yamen doesn't require kowtows. Get up and speak."

Iron Pagoda, dazed and bleeding from the nose, struggled to get up. He found his arm still numb and unresponsive.

"Witchcraft... you know witchcraft!" Iron Pagoda roared in terror.

"It's medical skill," Ji Ye said calmly. "Your liver fire is too strong, causing your Blood Essence to surge, leading to instability in your lower body. I'm just helping you vent that fire."

With that, he ignored Iron Pagoda on the ground and walked directly to the counter, reaching for the brocade box.

"Hold it right there."

A chilling voice came from the back room.

The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man in a black silk robe emerged. He wore a string of prayer beads around his neck and twirled two iron balls in his hand, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's.

The leader of the Black Tiger Gang, Zhao Hei Hu.

A master at the peak of Skin Grinding.

He looked at Ji Ye, his gaze devoid of contempt, only deep apprehension.

That move just now – outsiders saw the spectacle, but insiders understood the skill. The scholar's understanding of the human body was terrifying.

"Esteemed... sir." Zhao Hei Hu said with a fake smile, "My Crimson Blood Ginseng is legitimate, with all the proper documentation. Are you just going to seal it up on a whim? Aren't you disrespecting my Black Tiger Gang?"

As his words fell, dozens of Black Tiger Gang members armed with weapons instantly swarmed out, surrounding the pharmacy completely.

The atmosphere became tense.

Wang Meng drew his saber and stood before Ji Ye. "Zhao Hei Hu, are you trying to rebel?"

"Rebel? I wouldn't dare. But self-preservation is necessary." Zhao Hei Hu snorted coldly, his Blood Essence surging, accompanied by faint tiger roars.

Ji Ye patted Wang Meng's shoulder, signaling him to step back.

He turned around and met Zhao Hei Hu's eyes directly.

"Respect?"

Ji Ye smiled, picked up the brush, and drew a circle in the air.

"Gang Leader Zhao, you got this Crimson Blood Ginseng from the 'White Wolf Tribe,' didn't you?"

Zhao Hei Hu's expression shifted slightly.

"This ginseng is indeed potent," Ji Ye lowered his voice, his tone becoming deep and ominous. "But if I'm not mistaken, this ginseng was cultivated with the blood of the dead. And... the dead who had the 'Corpse Plague'."

"Nonsense!" Zhao Hei Hu shouted sternly.

"Whether it's nonsense, Gang Leader Zhao knows in his heart."

Ji Ye stepped forward, leaning close to Zhao Hei Hu's ear, speaking in a voice only they could hear:

"Have you been feeling a dull ache in your 'Tanzhong Acupoint' every midnight recently? And when you practice, your Blood Essence gets stuck at the 'Tiantu Acupoint'?"

Zhao Hei Hu's body trembled, and the iron balls in his hand nearly fell to the ground.

This was precisely the bottleneck he had been facing! It was also why he was so eager to use the Crimson Blood Ginseng to break through! How did this scholar know?

"Those are signs of Corpse Poison entering your body."

Ji Ye's voice was like a devil's whisper. "If you consume this Crimson Blood Ginseng, within three days, your entire body will rot, turning into a pool of blood. By then, let alone breaking through to the Bone Forging Realm, even an immortal couldn't save you."

This was a lie.

It was the truth, after all.

The Crimson Blood Ginseng wasn't poisonous, but it was true that Zhao Hei Hu's cultivation had gone awry.

Through his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, Ji Ye saw the blockages in his meridians. Combining this with information from his past life, he concocted a perfect lie.

In this world of martial arts, such threats of "qi deviation" were more effective than swords.

Cold sweat beaded on Zhao Hei Hu's forehead.

He believed it.

Because Ji Ye had been too accurate.

"Then... what do you suggest, sir?" Zhao Hei Hu's imposing aura instantly deflated, his address even changing.

"This ginseng is a menace."

Ji Ye sighed, putting on a compassionate expression. "But my yamen has a special method to burn away the corpse poison with intense heat. However, the process is extremely costly..."

"I'll pay!"

Zhao Hei Hu quickly said, "As long as the poison can be removed, money is no object!"

"No, I won't take your money for this ginseng."

Ji Ye picked up the brocade box, weighing it in his hand. "But I must take this poisonous item back to the yamen for 'disposal.' Furthermore, to prevent any residual of this batch from flowing into the populace, I will seal this shop for three days to thoroughly disinfect it."

"This..." Zhao Hei Hu felt a pang of pain, but thinking of his own life, he gritted his teeth. "Fine! As you say, sir!"

He even turned around and roared at his subordinates, "What are you all standing around for? Help the official paste the seals!"

What could have been a bloody conflict turned into a "model" of police-civilian cooperation.

Ji Ye took the brocade box and walked towards the exit.

As he passed Iron Pagoda, who was still groaning on the ground, he stopped and kindly reminded him:

"Oh, right, your wrist is dislocated. Remember to find a good doctor to set it. Don't force it yourself, or it could be permanently damaged."

After saying that, he, along with Wang Meng, swaggered out of the Ghost Market under everyone's watchful eyes.

Only when they were far away did Wang Meng let out a long sigh, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

"Sir... was that ginseng really poisonous?" Wang Meng couldn't help but ask.

Ji Ye opened the brocade box and looked at the blood-red ginseng within, a smile playing on his lips.

"It's good ginseng. It's not poisonous."

"Then you..."

"But he has poison in his heart."

Ji Ye closed the lid, his gaze deep.

"As long as one has a guilty conscience, even an immortal can scare them."

"Let's go, back to the yamen to brew medicine. With this, my body can finally move a little."

In the wind and snow, Ji Ye's figure remained slender.

But in Wang Meng's eyes, that figure had become unfathomably profound.