The Mysterious Person's Palm Print

He could clearly sense that the one-horned demon in front of him was very powerful.

The two rows of eerie soldiers remained silent, standing still in place.

The surrounding crimson color made them appear exceptionally sinister, but Xu Bai could feel gazes emanating from their eyes.

This gaze, in stark contrast to the sinister one, was filled with curiosity.

It was a very strange feeling. It was clearly eerie, yet it carried human emotions. The intensity of that curious gaze was even stronger than that of a person.

Although the one-horned demon in front of him was very powerful, Xu Bai did not sense any killing intent from it.

Having been in this circle for so long, he had some understanding of the concept of killing intent, and his intuition told him that a fight seemed unlikely.

As expected, the unicorn demon leading the group also looked at him with great curiosity. After a moment, it tentatively took two steps and asked, "Human?"

Xu Bai nodded and asked in return, "Demons and monsters?"

No one could have imagined that the meeting between the two parties would take such a form.

After the two finished asking each other questions, they fell into a long silence.

"Wang Fu, captain of the city guard of the 563rd city of the Demon-Strange Entity Market, welcomes you." Wang Fu suddenly cupped his hands and said, "You must have gone through a lot of hardships to get here. Why don't you come into the city and have a seat? The city lord has already prepared a banquet to entertain you."

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes, touched his chin, and pondered silently.

The other party's attitude was really too strange. It might be understandable to start a fight before even meeting, but now they were inviting him to the city as a guest, and this weirdo named Wang Fu was not even the city lord.

To go or not to go? That is a question worth considering.

Wang Fu seemed to sense Xu Bai's hesitation, so he waved his hand and put on a very generous demeanor, saying, "Please don't misunderstand, sir. It's common knowledge that the city lord is hospitable. Besides, if I really wanted to harm you, I would have already taken action."

Xu Bai looked up; the other person was right.

Now he's essentially walking into the enemy's lair. If the enemy really wanted to attack him, they would have already done so. There's no need to waste so much time here. If it were him, he would have already drawn his knife and stabbed him instead of talking here.

"Since the city lord is so hospitable, I shall accept your hospitality. Please lead the way!" Xu Bai said with a smile.

"Please!" Wang Fu stretched out his hand, pointed in a direction, and led the way.

Xu Bai walked behind, looking around as he went.

This place looks too much like a human dwelling, both the surrounding houses and the atmosphere; it really doesn't resemble a Demon-Strange Entity Market.

If these monsters were placed in the human world, or if they were given a different appearance, they would probably be a gathering of humans.

He didn't say a word the whole way.

Wang Fu didn't seem to have any intention of asking anything; he just silently led the way. Seeing this, Xu Bai didn't say anything either and followed behind.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a magnificent building appeared ahead. Compared to the surrounding houses, this building stood out like a crane among chickens, looking exceptionally luxurious. This style was definitely that of the City Lord's Mansion.

In front of the City Lord's Mansion stood two rows of guards, holding weapons in their hands, standing on both sides, appearing exceptionally solemn. If it weren't for the deathly silence, they would look no different from human soldiers.

"Please, the city lord is inside." Wang Fu opened the door and raised his hand again, gesturing for the door to open.

At this moment, Xu Bai did not go in, but stood at the door and looked inside. He could see the situation in the courtyard through the gate.

In the courtyard, there was a huge table laden with delicacies, fine wines, and delicious food.

Various guards and maids stood on both sides, and a well-to-do middle-aged man sat in front of the table.

The middle-aged man looked no different from a human, but he had several long whiskers on his face, making him look like a rat. Moreover, his hands were like animal claws, making him look particularly sinister.

If we disregard that, he seems like a chubby man who is always smiling.

Seemingly noticing Xu Bai's gaze, the middle-aged man looked over. His eyes held a kind expression, but a deathly stillness overshadowed any kindness.

"Oh my, honored guest! Please come in." The middle-aged man stood up, his large belly protruding, and walked to the door. He smiled kindly and said, "I am Huang Kui, the city lord of City 563. I greet you, honored guest. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Lin Yong. I greet City Lord Huang," Xu Bai said, cupping his hands in greeting.

As for the name, he learned it on the spot and borrowed Lin Yong's name.

These days, you never know what kind of insidious tricks might be used to do something through a name.

Therefore, it's best not to reveal your name. Although it's difficult to use any strange tricks based on just a name, it's always better to be cautious, since there are always people more capable than you.

"So it's Mister Lin, please come in." City Lord Huang gestured and led Xu Bai into the courtyard, where he sat Xu Bai in the main seat at the table.

At this moment, Xu Bai got closer and saw the things on the table. At first, he thought they were delicacies, but when he got closer, he found that they were all made of clay.

Xu Bai: "..."

Good heavens, he was used to seeing many shabby ways of hospitality, but he never expected one to be this shabby, even using soil to make the surface shape.

When City Lord Huang saw Xu Bai's expression, his claws like those of a wild beast, he stroked the long beard beside his lips and said with shame, "These are all the etiquettes I followed when I was alive, but there's nothing for the living to eat in this Demon-Strange Entity Market, so we just put on a show. At least we have to go through the motions."

Xu Bai said, "City Lord Huang is very kind."

It really is just a formality. After all, in this situation, you can't exactly let him pick up his chopsticks, can you? The proper etiquette at the dinner table is to talk while eating, but now that we're not doing that, it's a bit awkward. Talking about things while eating can ease some of the awkwardness, but this time the awkwardness is only getting worse.

The two fell silent. Although the demons around them curiously looked at Xu Bai, they only glanced at him before obediently looking away.

Neither City Lord Huang nor Xu Bai spoke. Xu Bai remained composed, and besides, he didn't know what to say yet. His mind was filled with too many mysteries; he needed to sort out one point before asking.

Seemingly sensing the tense atmosphere, City Lord Huang finally broke the silence by speaking.

"Mister Lin, we invited you here because we know Mister Lin are able to resist rejection, so we are very curious and want to see what's going on with Mister Lin," said City Lord Huang.

Counteracting rejection?

Xu Bai stroked his chin, deep in thought.

The so-called rejection, upon closer examination, is quite clear; it was nothing more than those things that initially devoured his soul.

Now, just thinking about what happened earlier, Xu Bai felt his scalp tingle. In that situation, he was completely powerless to fight back. And that was only because he possessed a technique that allowed him to use his divine soul. If he didn't, it would probably have been even faster.

Fortunately, his cheat code worked its magic, allowing him to escape danger and get away with it.

But now this strange creature City Lord Huang wants to know what happened.

Is City Lord Huang strong?

Very strong.

At least in Xu Bai's view, he couldn't see the other party's true strength, and not being able to see the other party's true strength proved that he was unfathomable.

Xu Bai thought for a moment and then asked, "What do you think?"

Since the intention was to check on his condition, the question of how to do so naturally arose, and Xu Bai made no attempt to hide his intentions, asking directly.

To everyone's surprise, after asking the question, City Lord Huang decisively shook his head.

"The moment you stepped through the door, I could see clearly—no, to be precise, I saw a fog, something I couldn't fathom."

There was a hint of fear in his words, as if he had seen something he shouldn't have seen and his eyes could hardly bear it.

"A fog?" Xu Bai asked. "What is a fog?"

This answer was sometimes incoherent; Xu Bai seemed to understand it, yet also seemed not to fully comprehend it.

"It's something you can see but can't touch. If you want to see it closely, you have to go into the fog, but once you go into the fog, it's impossible to come out alive." City Lord Huang explained, but not in much detail, as if afraid that saying too much would bring trouble, so he only gave a general explanation.

This confusing answer only deepened Xu Bai's confusion.

"Alas..." City Lord Huang said, "Mister Lin, to be honest, even I haven't seen through it, so I can only describe it roughly. No matter how much you ask, I can't tell you everything, because I don't know either. Why don't we talk about something else?"

Xu Bai asked, "What would the city lord like to discuss?"

Since the other party had already said this much, Xu Bai didn't intend to continue the conversation. Hearing that the other party wanted to talk about something else piqued his curiosity. Of course, he hadn't come here for just this small matter; he had to ask some questions.

"There are still some things I don't understand. Perhaps City Lord Huang could tell me? After you tell me, we can talk about other things," Xu Bai said.

City Lord Huang nodded and said, "Please tell me."

Seeing that City Lord Huang was so straightforward, Xu Bai asked, "Why are you conscious?"

The room fell silent after he said that. He really wanted to ask this question. The city lord Huang Kui in front of him was the leader here and must know a lot. Whether Huang Kui would tell him or not depended on whether Huang Kui was willing to.

A quiet atmosphere gradually spread, and the surroundings were deathly silent.

City Lord Huang suddenly raised his hand and waved it at the surrounding air.

Upon seeing this, the demons guarding the area immediately bowed and left without lingering for a moment. After a while, the area returned to tranquility, leaving only Xu Bai and City Lord Huang.

Xu Bai narrowed his eyes, waiting for City Lord Huang to continue.

Since they've summoned all their subordinates away, they obviously don't want these demons to hear. Now, the main event is about to begin.

As expected, after all the demons and monsters had left, City Lord Huang sighed, his tone filled with desolation.

"Sigh, I knew you would ask these questions." City Lord Huang sighed. "Actually, I don't know the reason either, but I do know one thing: only the strange creatures in the Human-Strange Entity Market or the Demon-Strange Entity Market have the consciousness they had in their previous life. There are no others."

Xu Bai frowned upon hearing this.

Only these two places have strange beings with consciousness. Is there any secret behind this?

He kept analyzing the two sentences in his mind, and after a moment, a clue echoed in his mind.

When a person enters the Ghost Market, their soul will be devoured. What happens when the soul is devoured? It's very simple: they will become an idiot and act on instinct.

Xu Bai had just experienced it, so he felt it deeply.

What if we reverse this situation?

If a supernatural being were to enter a place inhabited by humans, it would have all its consciousness devoured, becoming a soulless entity.

So, does that mean all the strange beings in the human world are idiots, devoid of consciousness, acting solely on instinct? City Lord Huang seemed to see through Xu Bai's thoughts and added, "To be precise, they are not completely unconscious, but rather they only know how to kill on instinct, killing everything they see. This is a pattern we observed after someone mistakenly entered our territory before."

As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of chicken made from yellow clay, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times with a bland expression, and showed a look of disgust on his face.

"Sigh... I wish I could still taste the deliciousness of food when I was alive. Now, even eating has become a luxury for us."

His words carried a hint of dejection, as if he had lost the most precious thing in his life, and his heart was filled with sorrow and despair.

"Mister Lin, I haven't tasted food in so long, I've forgotten what it tastes like. Could you describe it to me?"

Xu Bai shook his head and said, "If I describe it to you, you will only feel more and more uncomfortable. It's better to keep it in your heart and keep it as a memento."

Looking closely, this City Lord Huang seems quite pitiful. To be precise, all the demons in the entire Demon-Strange Entity Market are quite pitiful, since they can't even do something as basic as eating.

"Sigh..." City Lord Huang sighed again, put down his chopsticks, and changed his tone, saying, "We don't know the specific reason, but it seems to be some kind of unseen force that prevents us from breaking through this barrier. In other words, as long as we go to the human world, we will become machines that only know how to kill, and the people of the human world will be the same when they come here."

A bitter smile appeared on his face again. He had thought this was a chance to break through and see if he could find the final answer by observing something unusual from Xu Bai.

But he knew he was overthinking it. Although the person in front of him was very young, his background was terrifying.

He knew what the fog represented, because something that even he couldn't see through must be something truly terrifying.

"Then let's talk about something else." City Lord Huang quickly composed himself; after all, he had lived for so long that his emotions had long since become numb. "Mister Lin, do you know who is in power now? Is it still the Great Victory Kingdom?"

"Great Victory Kingdom?" Xu Bai was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "Great Chu. Before Great Chu, there was a Great Wind. As for whether Great Victory existed before the Great Wind, I don't know."

Goodness.

Xu Bai discovered a blind spot: how many years ago did this City Lord Huang die, yet he still exists in the Demon-Strange Entity Market?

And most importantly, just how strong is this person? After all, he's lived for so long.

City Lord Huang was also stunned. It took him a while to react before he sighed, "So much time has passed already? Time really flies, and dynasties change. Let's not talk about that. Mister Lin, how long do you want to stay here? I'll find someone to be your guide."

"To be honest, I don't know how to get back. Does City Lord Huang know?" Xu Bai said.

Putting everything else aside, he was inexplicably sucked in, and he really didn't know how to get back.

After all, this place was too strange, and Xu Bai didn't want to stay here any longer, so it was better to leave as soon as possible. Just now, from what the City Lord Huang said, he felt that the other party seemed to know a way to leave.

"Don't you want to enjoy yourself a little longer?" City Lord Huang said. "I thought Mister Lin wanted to see a different world. Since you're leaving, I'll have someone send you off."

We conducted numerous experiments, sending some demons and monsters to the human world, but the results remained the same, so we stopped sending them a long time ago.

However, since Mister Lin has just left, we can also go through this passage, Wang Fu!

As soon as City Lord Huang finished speaking, Wang Fu walked in from outside and respectfully said, "Your subordinate is here."

"Mister Lin is leaving. Take him to that passage." City Lord Huang seemed to sense that Xu Bai was about to leave, so he appeared somewhat uninterested.

Wang Fu was slightly taken aback, then said, "But that place has been abandoned for a long time and it will take some time to repair."

"This..." City Lord Huang seemed troubled.

Xu Bai smiled and said, "No problem, I can wait. How many days will it take?"

"About three days," Wang Fu replied.

"Then hurry up and get it done. Don't keep Mister Lin waiting too long," City Lord Huang instructed.

Wang Fu quickly agreed and then left.

After Wang Fu left, City Lord Huang appeared somewhat apologetic.

"Mister Lin, this is indeed something I didn't expect. Why don't you stay at my City Lord's Mansion for a few days? You can leave after three days."

"Then I'll have to trouble City Lord Huang." Xu Bai wasn't in a hurry and said, "By the way, I've heard that humans and demons aren't very harmonious, but I've noticed that City Lord Huang is very friendly to me. Why is that?"

City Lord Huang said self-deprecatingly, "When we are alive, we fight for everything and grab everything. Only after death do we realize that everything is empty. We can't even satisfy our most basic desires now, so how can we think about those past conflicts? Everything has vanished with death."

Without saying anything more, City Lord Huang led the way, taking Xu Bai to a room and opening the door.

The room was decorated very elegantly; if it weren't for the red light throughout, it would have looked like a refined place.

"Mister Lin, are you satisfied?" City Lord Huang asked.

Xu Bai nodded and said, "Very satisfied."

"Then let's rest first. Mister Lin must be very tired from the journey, so I won't disturb you any longer," said City Lord Huang, and then left, closing the door behind him.

Xu Bai watched the departing figure of City Lord Huang until the door closed. Only then did he find a seat, place his hand on the table, and gently tap it.

To be honest, he was a little uneasy about today's conversation, mainly because of the different positions they were in now.

As the saying goes, listen to only half of what you hear; don't believe it all, but don't completely disbelieve it either.

The other party said that in a few days they would take him to that so-called mysterious place, where he could return to the human world.

But whether it's true or false, no one can say for sure.

Based on today's conversation, I didn't notice anything different. In short, let's stay here for a few days and see if we can find any clues.

As for the strange loss of consciousness that we discussed today, Xu Bai still needs to think about it more. He'll ask for more information when he returns to the human world.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai looked at the blood-red surroundings and fell into deeper thought.

In the Demon-Strange Entity Market, there is no distinction between day and night. Xu Bai only roughly estimated the time; it should already be the next day.

He didn't sleep or do anything else during this time.

When he opened the door, he found a person standing outside, or more accurately, a monster.

—Wang Fu.

Wang Fu, still sporting that single horn, stood pacing outside the door, clearly waiting for Xu Bai, but too embarrassed to come inside.

When Xu Bai opened the door, he looked at him, seemingly hesitant, though it was unclear why.

"Brother Wang, you're waiting outside so early in the morning. It seems you have something important to tell me. Why don't you come in and we can talk?" Xu Bai made way for him and returned to the house.

Wang Fu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, lifted his foot, walked into the room, and sat down next to Xu Bai.

Xu Bai subconsciously wanted to pour himself a cup of tea, only to realize that there was no tea in this Demon-Strange Entity Market. There was nothing to eat or drink here either, after all, they were demons who couldn't even satisfy their appetites.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai lowered his raised hand, stared intently at Wang Fu, and slowly said, "Speak if you have something to say."

Wang Fu took a deep breath and suddenly said, "Mister Lin, I would like to ask you for a favor."

As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Bai.

This etiquette is still in use even in the present-day Great Chu Kingdom, and it is a very solemn etiquette. From this, it can be seen that what Wang Fu just said is very important.

Xu Bai turned slightly to the side, refusing the bow, and said, "Brother Wang, just tell me what you need. If I can help you, I will. Of course, I need something in return."

As the saying goes, business is about reciprocity and it's all about the transaction. They haven't known each other for very long, and their relationship isn't very deep, so ultimately, they still need to exchange gifts.

Wang Fu initially thought the first half of the sentence was perfectly normal, but when he heard the second half, he froze on the spot, unable to react.

Need something? What do you need? He was a little confused.

"To be honest, I'm a businessman, so if I'm going to help, there has to be a reward," Xu Bai said with a smile.

These words were spoken with great righteousness, without any beating around the bush or timidity. In his view, the transaction was perfectly aboveboard, and there was no need to hide it or feel embarrassed about it.

Wang Fu remained frozen in place, only then realizing what Xu Bai meant. He couldn't help but give a bitter smile, "Mister Lin, I'm already dead and have nothing of value. How could I possibly give you anything?"

"That's a real shame." Xu Bai sighed. "There's probably nothing I can do to help with this."

Wang Fu gritted his teeth and said, "Mister Lin, as long as you help me with this, although I have nothing to give you, I can have my descendants give you something."

Descendants?

How did this get involved with descendants? Xu Bai stroked his chin and asked, "Tell me what kind of help you need first, and I'll see if I can help."

Wang Fu nodded and said, "It's like this, I've been dead for a long time, but I don't know if my clan still exists, so I'd like Mister Lin to go to the Half-Moon Sea when he has time to look for the Tuna Clan."

"Tuna Clan?" Xu Bai looked at Wang Fu's head with surprise, and then he realized what the horn was.

Good heavens, isn't that a tuna's mouth? How did it end up on its head?

Wang Fu, of course, had no idea what Xu Bai was thinking. He was still muttering to himself, "That's right. Just say my name when the time comes. The main thing is to pass on a message for me: if they really can't hold on any longer, they can find a place together and die."

Xu Bai frowned.

He understood what Wang Fu was thinking. If a demon dies and transforms into a monster, and then gathers in a crowd, it might be able to enter the Demon-Strange Entity Market.

Wang Fu wanted his clansmen to be able to enter the Demon-Strange Entity Market and maintain their consciousness.

"Is that all? Just mentioning your name is enough?" Xu Bai asked.

Wang Fu nodded and said, "I am an extremely secretive figure in the clan. Only clan members, especially the direct descendants, know my name. Before I died, my clan members were going through a very difficult time, which is why I asked Mister Lin to deliver a message."

Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "Okay, I agree."

Wang Fu was prepared to say more, but Xu Bai agreed immediately, leaving him speechless.

"Are there any others?" Xu Bai asked again.

Wang Fu stiffly shook his head, indicating that there was nothing else.

Xu Bai did agree, but whether he actually did it was another matter entirely.

No one would go to the Half-Moon Sea to find the demon race based on a verbal promise.

Unless that person has a serious mental illness?

If you manage to fool them, but those so-called clansmen don't buy it, you'll have to find a way to fight your way out.

This is a very bad deal.

As for why I agreed, I can go and see when I'm strong enough.

"But I can't guarantee I'll go right away," Xu Bai added.

Wang Fu smiled bitterly and said, "It doesn't matter. If they were already gone before you arrived, it can only be said that they were unlucky. I'm already dead, and I've let go of the past. This last obsession of mine isn't very deep."

"Okay, since you're free, let's have a chat," Xu Bai said with a smile.

Compared to City Lord Huang, whom even Xu Bai couldn't see through, Wang Fu appeared much simpler, and Xu Bai certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

Wang Fu asked, "What would you like to talk about, Mister Lin?"

Since the other party had agreed to his request, he naturally wouldn't hold back.

Xu Bai hesitated for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then asked, "Yesterday I heard that this place is some kind of 'Five Hundred and Over' Demon-Strange Entity Market, which proves that there are at least five hundred or so?"

Wang Fu nodded and said, "That's right. Actually, there are over a thousand in total. After all, countless demons have died since our time. Even if there's only a small chance of them becoming demons and entering this place, there are still quite a few."

"What is the strength of City Lord Huang? He must be very strong to have lived for so long, right?" Xu Bai continued to ask.

Wang Fu realized that they were trying to find out about their strength.

But he knew that even if he inquired, it wouldn't matter. They couldn't get out anyway, and anyone else who came in would immediately become an idiot.

"First Rank." Wang Fu said directly, "Mister Lin, you may not understand. Whatever strength you had before you died, that's the strength you have when you enter. It won't change over time. We can't cultivate, but we can live for a very long time and we almost never die unless there is an external force involved."

It won't change?

First rank? Xu Bai pondered, "So, the other city lords are also first rank?"

"No," Wang Fu said, "The other city lords may be stronger or weaker. After all, the strength of each Demon-Strange Entity Market is different. Only the strongest can become the city lord."

Furthermore, each Demon-Strange Entity Market prohibits outsiders from robbing its territory. Anyone attempting to rob it will be attacked by the entire population. Therefore, the city lord can only be selected from among the local people to prevent chaos.

Xu Bai hummed in agreement.

Regardless of whether what the other party said was true or false, or whether they were trying to fool him, he marked it first and kept the words firmly in mind.

These things can all be verified later, and perhaps we can exchange information with the emperor at that time.

"Any other questions?" Wang Fu asked.

Xu Bai nodded.

Of course, he still had questions, and now was a good opportunity to ask Lin Fu, who seemed relatively simple, some useful questions.

"Everyone who comes in will become an idiot. Are there no exceptions?" Xu Bai continued.

This is also something he wants to know.

Wang Fu shook his head and said, "There are no exceptions, only you are an exception. Since the birth of the Demon-Strange Entity Market, no other Demon-Strange Entity Market has had any special circumstances."

At this point, Wang Fu seemed to have thought of something and forcefully tapped the single horn on the top of his head.

"There was one exception, which wasn't exactly an exception. That time, a person without a soul entered. As soon as he entered, he started killing indiscriminately. Many city lords couldn't stop him. In the end, it was the top ten city lords who joined forces to repel him."

The final battle was also fought in this very place. Before he left, he left an enormous palm print on the ground, which still hasn't disappeared to this day. It's truly terrifying; that person's physical strength was simply unbelievable. No matter what attack landed on him, he would recover instantly.

He seemed to be searching for something with a spirit, because I saw him repeatedly mutter the word "spirit" to himself.

As he spoke, a look of fear appeared on Wang Fu's face, clearly indicating that he was thinking about the scene from that day, which had filled him with dread.

That day was truly a day of bloodshed, and the person in white was like a tireless machine.

Xu Bai, who had been sitting calmly, suddenly stood up upon hearing this. "You mean... he left a palm print, right here in this Demon-Strange Entity Market?"