Chang'an Ghost Market

Of course, no matter how terrifying Lin Yu's true nature was, on the surface, he was still a human.

To the three members of the Chat Group, he was merely a Big Brother with a long life and vast knowledge...

The following morning, Tang Gui World.

The morning drum had only just ceased, and Zhuque Avenue, paved with bluestone, steamed with the autumn dew from the night before.

As early as the fifth watch, the imperial road had already been swept and sprinkled, its surface glimmering with water. If one looked closely, one could even find a few scraps of Persian Gold Leaf dropped by Hu merchants in the cracks between the bluestones.

Locust leaves spiraled down onto the Brightlight Armor of the Jinwu Guard patrolling the streets.

As they walked, the clatter of their armor plates startled a flock of gray pigeons from the wall of Daozheng Ward.

At Xinju Inn on Zhuque Avenue, a young scholar in a blue robe stood by the window, admiring the morning scene outside.

To be honest, setting aside the undercurrents swirling through the Imperial Court, this era was indeed one of the rare golden ages in Huaxia's history.

For Su Haoming, who had memorized Three Hundred Tang Poems since childhood, being able to step into the poems and experience the splendor of Great Tang firsthand was also a blessing.

"Come to think of it, Li Bai should already be ten this year, right?"

Just as Su Haoming was thinking this, a set of footsteps suddenly sounded outside the guest room.

Su Haoming's expression tightened. He hurried away from the window, returned to the table, and put on a show of holding up the book before him.

"Knock, knock—"

"Come in."

The door opened, and an inn attendant entered carrying white porridge and pickled vegetables. Smiling, he said, "Scholar Su, you're already studying so early. You'll surely pass the provincial examination with top marks next year!"

"...I'll gladly take your blessing!"

Su Haoming replied with a smile, then looked at him in confusion. "Liu Er, why are you bringing it today? Where's Uncle Qian?"

As Liu Er set the tray on the table, he replied with a smile, "You mean the old servant staying next door to you? He went to the Government Office with the County Lieutenant last night and still hasn't returned."

"He went to the Government Office?"

Su Haoming froze slightly, then frowned.

There had been two people accompanying him on this trip to Chang'an: his Cousin Su Wuming, and Su Qian, who had raised both cousins and was a servant in name but a foster father in truth.

Before arriving in Chang'an, Su Wuming had not minded having his younger cousin live with him.

But after arriving in Chang'an, Su Wuming had suddenly changed his mind. He would rather spend extra money to have his younger cousin stay at an inn, while leaving Uncle Qian by his side to tend to his daily needs.

Su Haoming had not known the reason before and had only found his cousin's attitude rather strange.

It was not until Lin Yu joined the group yesterday that he learned the previous Chang'an County Lieutenant, Wu Daqi, had died in his own residence.

After moving into that residence, Su Wuming had found many suspicious clues. Concerned for his younger cousin's safety, he had not dared let him move in.

"If Uncle Qian's help is needed, the case must have progressed, and they're conducting another autopsy."

Su Haoming pondered inwardly.

Just then, Liu Er suddenly slapped his forehead and lowered his voice. "Oh, right, speaking of the County Lieutenant—several Constables from Chang'an County came to the inn earlier. While serving nearby, I vaguely overheard some news. It seemed to concern the County Lieutenant and the Ghost Market..."

"The Ghost Market?"

Su Haoming paused, then frowned slightly.

Chang'an City had been designed by Yuwen Kai of the former Sui dynasty, who incorporated the city's six elevated ridges and applied the imagery of the six lines of the Qian hexagram.

The position of Nine at the Second lay in the palace city where the Son of Heaven resided; Nine at the Third was the imperial city where ministers worked and kept watch; while at the most honored position of Nine at the Fifth, Xuandu Temple and Xingshan Temple had been built to anchor it.

Yet no one had expected that during the Late Sui, the lowland near Xuandu Temple would sink ever deeper, eventually transforming completely into a complex underground world during a violent tremor.

Deep underground and riddled with Secret Tunnels, it was an extremely suitable place to hide.

Moreover, since the founding of Great Tang, the nighttime curfew had been strict. To evade it, undocumented vagrants and merchants conducting business at night gradually began gathering there.

Over time, the place developed into a bustling night market, commonly known as the Ghost Market.

Because the Ghost Market was so well suited for hiding, many vicious criminals wanted by the Imperial Court, as well as murderers and bandits, concealed themselves there.

If it were anywhere else, the Imperial Court would only need to deploy an army to easily round up all these criminals. But the Ghost Market lay in the lowland near Xuandu Temple, a location of extraordinary geographical significance.

Whoever dared deploy an army to charge in at such a location would be the first to incur the displeasure of the one seated on the dragon throne.

Thus, the Ghost Market gradually became a lawless zone within Chang'an City, one that even the Chang'an County yamen and the Jinwu Guard avoided.

A place beyond anyone's control like this would naturally breed countless schemes and plots.

If Su Haoming remembered correctly, Big Boss Lin Yu had clearly said that the mastermind behind the Chang'an Black Tea Case was inextricably linked to the Ghost Market...

"Has Cousin already traced it to the Ghost Market?"

After giving it some thought, Su Haoming took several Kaiyuan Tongbao from his sleeve and rewarded Liu Er.

Liu Er was overjoyed. After thanking him repeatedly, he happily left the guest room.

Once the door closed, Su Haoming immediately opened the Chat Group in his mind:

[Su Haoming: @Lin Yu, Big Boss, are you there?]

[Lin Yu: What is it?]

Su Haoming told Lin Yu everything he knew, then asked impatiently, "Big Boss, hurry and think—how far has the plot progressed?"

[Lin Yu: Based on the information you gave me, it should be when Su Wuming first visited the Ghost Market.]

[Su Haoming: Please elaborate!]

[Lin Yu: Didn't I mention this before? The Chang'an Black Tea Case was merely the collective name given when the case was finally closed. What your cousin took over after assuming office were actually the Missing Bride Case and the strange drowning case of Former Chang'an County Lieutenant Wu Daqi.]

[Lin Yu: There's nothing much to say about Wu Daqi's case. He simply drank Chang'an black tea. It was called immortal tea, but in truth, it was highly hallucinogenic and addictive. Wu Daqi drank it, hallucinated, and ended up drowning.]

[Lin Yu: As for the Missing Bride Case, that involved the true secrets behind Chang'an black tea.]

[Lin Yu: Your cousin must have traced Yin Shirou of the Ghost Market while investigating this case. But since the previous county lieutenant had died after returning from the Ghost Market, the constables in the county office were all frightened. They made excuses one after another and didn't dare accompany him to investigate the Ghost Market—the matter the inn worker overheard in the inn may have been this.]

[Su Haoming: So he took Uncle Qian, and the two of them went to the Ghost Market together?]

[Lin Yu: According to the original story, Su Wuming had intended to go alone, but your Uncle Qian refused to allow it and insisted on following him.]

[Su Haoming: That's what I thought...]

[Su Haoming: Even the Chang'an County constables were afraid. Doesn't that make the Ghost Market extremely dangerous?]

[Lin Yu: For your cousin, it was only a close call without real danger. But if I remember correctly, one of the Jinwu Guard who went to the Ghost Market died.]

Seeing this, Su Haoming's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Why are the Jinwu Guard involved too?"

[Lin Yu: Your cousin wasn't the only one investigating the Chang'an Black Tea Case. There was also the other male lead of Tang Gui—Lu Lingfeng, who came from the Fan Yang Lu Clan and was currently a General of the Guards in the Jinwu Guard.]

[Lin Yu: When your cousin first investigated the Ghost Market, Lu Lingfeng also disguised himself and led three Jinwu Guard members into the Ghost Market.]

[Su Haoming: I see!]

[Su Haoming: Big Boss, I have another concern. I wasn't in the original plot, after all. In a world where I exist, could my presence cause some kind of butterfly effect—like the person who dies changing from a Jinwu Guard member to my cousin?]

[Lin Yu: That... probably won't happen, right?]