Candle Cult Remnants, the Divine Artifact "Benevolence's Lament," Commandery Princess Anyang, Seizing Fortune with a Sword!

The Jade City boasts countless magnificent buildings, with towering structures adorned with red lanterns and vibrant colors. Yet, the Ghost Market is desolate and gloomy, with several enormous meteorites deeply embedded in the ground. These meteorites are hundreds of feet tall, incredibly ancient, and covered with strange and unusual trees and plants.

There were rows of black pavilions, built against the meteorite, their shapes bizarre and varied. Li Xian rode his horse over, glancing around cautiously. The Ghost Market was a place teeming with all sorts of people, a chaotic and murky place. There were countless vicious thieves and strange travelers.

Outside the Ghost Market, a plaque was erected, hung high on a vine, bearing the words "Ghost Market". On either side of the plaque hung skull chains, the skulls gleaming faintly white, and when the wind blew, the skulls made a clear "ding-a-ling" sound.

It was Double Wafting Immortal Tone.

The "Double Wafting Immortal Tone" of the Second Martial Realm is a unique sound produced when bones undergo a transformation and collide. This skull pendant is made from the skulls of martial artists at the Second Realm.

The intention was to project an image of something extraordinary, that this was no ordinary place; anyone considering entering the Ghost Market should think twice. Li Xian thought to himself, "These strings of skulls are probably a warning to the newcomers. But it also shows that the waters here run deep; I should definitely be careful."

After leaving the Ghost Market on horseback and settling Binds the Wind in, I donned Black Robe and discreetly made my way there. Passing by the plaque, I saw countless stalls on both sides, mostly selling herbs, antiques, and various other miscellaneous items. This area was only the outer perimeter of the Ghost Market.

Yet there are already many people with peculiar appearances. The world is vast, and there are many strange phenomena. There are martial artists who, after shedding their Clay Embryo and awakening their strange phenomena, grow a third hand, known as the "Three-Hand Aspect." There are those with thick bodies and flesh as hard as iron, known as the "Iron-Fat Aspect." There are those with two heads on their necks, one large and one small, both with mouths, faces, eyes, ears, and noses, always bickering with each other, known as the "Twin Aspect."

Although Li Xian often dealt with vicious thieves, he had never seen so many strange people before. He thought to himself, "If these strange phenomena can be matched with suitable martial arts and combined with their own characteristics, they can unleash considerable power. Otherwise, they will only be a hindrance."

Curious observation.

Suddenly, a commotion arose not far away. A tall, strong man wielding a chain hammer was seen arguing with a shorter man, which escalated into a fight. Onlookers gathered at a distance, cheering and encouraging the two, fearing that they might turn from enemies to friends.

This fight was quite remarkable. The tall, strong man wielded the chain hammer with incredible skill and power. With a light flick, he carved a deep pit in the ground; with a powerful slam, the ground trembled. His chain hammer swung through the air with tremendous force. When several strikes missed, he swung the chain again, imbuing it with the essence of martial arts, his body surrounded by a whirlwind. The short man, though ugly, possessed a unique ability: he was born with Soft-Bone Aspect and had learned the "Myriad Transformations Art," making his bones both flexible and capable of countless transformations.

Specializing in countering powerful martial arts, the tall, strong man must have some connections and background. Li Xian could vaguely discern the shadow of a martial arts sect from the Guanlong Circuit. However, after fighting for a while, despite his imposing presence, he was sweating profusely, probably because he had never encountered such an opponent before. Several powerful martial arts moves had clearly hit the short man, which should have immediately broken his bones and tendons, smashed him into mincemeat, and killed him instantly. But seeing that it was completely useless, and being ridiculed and mocked by the short man, he was already starting to panic and was at a loss.

However, his martial arts style was limited, relying solely on brute force. As he grew impatient, his chain hammer developed an opening. Seeing the short man laughing loudly, his body as soft as mud yet incredibly fast, he seized the opening and climbed up the chain to the tall, strong man's neck.

He was short, sitting on the tall, strong man's shoulder, only slightly larger than the man's head. In this contest of height, the shorter man had already won by a large margin. The shorter man used both hands to gouge out the tall, strong man's eyes, his palms stained with blood, the two round eyeballs lying still. The shorter man cursed, "Hahaha, you stinking idiot, filthy eyes, you dare to look me in the eye? I'll take them out for you, hahaha, you should thank your grandpa."

The tall, strong man swung his chain hammer wildly, crying out in pain, but he was completely helpless. The shorter man, even more excited, refused to give up, tearing his face with his hands, smashing his nose, ripping off his ears, and pulling out all his teeth...

Finally, with a sudden tug, he ripped off the tall, muscular man's tongue. Then, with a powerful twist of his legs, he clamped the man's neck and snapped it in two. The shorter man laughed triumphantly and kicked the tall, muscular man's corpse.

This short man was named "Mo Zhengtian" or "Mo Aizi" (meaning "Shorty Mo"). It was a self-chosen name. He was extremely short, only reaching a person's knee. When he passed by someone, others would often look down at him and see the top of his head. And this was precisely what he hated most.

He would then attack and kill passersby without any reason. Over time, people in the Ghost Market knew his name, and when they passed by him, they would wisely close their eyes. This "Mo Zhengtian" tactic prevented them from attacking.

The tall, strong man had been to the Ghost Market several times but had never encountered "Shorty Mo." Now that he had, he had never seen such a short man before, so he stared at him a few more times. This greatly angered Shorty Mo, leading to the scene just now.

The Ghost Market was chaotic and unruly, and the laws of Jade City rarely applied to it. Shorty Mo felt quite pleased with himself as he saw others turning their gazes away and walking away in the distance. He had frequented the Ghost Market for many years, and sometimes he would deliberately walk towards unfamiliar faces to draw attention to himself.

Suddenly he saw another face, so he swaggered over and bumped into the man's legs. He then looked up and cursed, "Who is it? Are you blind? Don't you know who I am? How dare you block my way?"

The moment the man opened his eyes to look at him, he became furious. Li Xian had only glanced at him, but because he had important business to attend to and did not want to meddle, he turned and left. However, he had not gone far when the Shorty Mo, who had just been acting so fiercely, actually bumped into him.

Li Xian thought to himself, "I'm new here, and my business is urgent, so I should be patient." He cupped his hands and said, "I didn't know you were going this way. Please go first." The Shorty Mo laughed angrily, "Fine, you dare look at me?" Li Xian saw that the surrounding passersby were all looking at him with schadenfreude, and he immediately knew that this was no ordinary person. He asked calmly, "So what if I look at you?"

Shorty Mo roared, "I hate it when people look down on me like that! You're asking for death!" He unleashed his martial arts, leaping into the air and grabbing at Mo's face with both hands. If this move landed, it could tear his face off. Li Xian wore a mask, but it was made of ordinary material and was obviously very difficult to defend against. Just as a tragedy was about to repeat itself, the extremely vicious Shorty Mo suddenly cried out, "Ouch!" Li Xian had already struck first the instant Mo made his move, grabbing his cheek.

The short man, Shorty Mo, was caught in the air by Li Xian, who laughed, "You've got some skill." His bones were so soft that he could be twisted at will. Although his face was being held down, his whole body was like soft mud, slipping through Li Xian's hands.

He wanted to climb up Li Xian's arm and straddle his neck. But Li Xian wouldn't allow it. He donned Pure-Gang Steaming Garment and channeled his Heartfire, causing his entire body to ignite with a layer of flames.

Shorty Mo was immediately burned, cursing, "Damn it, damn it! This bastard is covered in flames, while I, a mere fist and foot fighter, only burned myself when I tried to fight him." He then tried to escape. Li Xian calmly said, "Too late!" He unleashed a Jade Luo Palm strike, swift and powerful, striking Shorty Mo in the chest. This Shorty Mo possessed an unusual appearance and had learned strange martial arts, the two complementing each other. His fierce martial arts and weapons could not harm him in the slightest. He was also unafraid of palm techniques, fist techniques, and leg techniques... like a street ruffian, impervious to both soft and hard tactics, and completely unyielding to reason.

However, the "Jade Luo Palm" technique is subtle and subtle, like an undercurrent, and does not follow the path of force and violence. This palm technique can disregard Shorty Mo's strange martial arts and severely injure him.

Shorty Mo was struck by a palm strike and immediately coughed up blood, collapsing to the ground in terror. Now, escape was hopeless. Lying on the ground, seeing Li Xian slowly approaching, he instinctively moved backward, trying to distance himself as much as possible. He cupped his hands and chuckled obsequiously, "Great hero, spare my life! Great hero, spare my life! It was I who was blind, blind! Look at me however you like!"

Li Xian stepped on him, covered his body with the Pure Astral Swallow Garment, Intent Infusion his Heartfire into him. Instantly, Shorty Mo was engulfed in flames, struggling fiercely, crying and screaming in agony.

The Pure Adamant Garment slowly tightened, covering Shorty Mo tightly. Even though he wanted to use the Soft-Bone Aspect and the Myriad Transformations Art to make his body flexible and change shape in order to escape, he was already covered tightly by the Pure Gang Cloth. It was seamless, with no gaps to squeeze through. Even if his body could change shape in countless ways, it would be in vain, and he would have no chance to escape.

Shorty Mo screamed and howled in agony, his skin charred black from the fire. Li Xian suddenly thought, "This kind of vicious villain deserves to die, but he might be useful." He weakened the flames, but his Pure Astral Swallow Garment still enveloped him, and said, "Your name is Shorty Mo, right?"

Shorty Mo was on the verge of death, his clothes and hair completely burned away, barely recognizable as a human. He said, "Yes, yes... sir... spare my life... spare my life... I won't dare to do it again." Li Xian said, "You are very familiar with the Ghost Market?" Shorty Mo said, "Yes, yes, sir, spare my life, I will be obedient and at your beck and call, serving you faithfully."

Li Xian said, "I need to borrow a face to disguise myself. I've heard there's a face-borrowing master on the second floor of the Ghost Market. Please take me there quickly."

Shorty Mo hurriedly said, "I know the way, hero... I'll... I'll take you there." Li Xian took out the "Wishful Treasure Sword," which was as thin as a needle. He flicked his finger and launched it into Shorty Mo's body, just a hair's breadth away from his heart.

Li Xian only needed to turn the ring, Wishful Treasure Sword would enlarge, piercing the heart meridian and damaging the five internal organs, instantly killing Shorty Mo. In this way, with Shorty Mo's life in his hands, he would release Shorty Mo and order him to lead the way.

Shorty Mo was covered in burns and in excruciating pain. He was hot-tempered and had long lived on the outskirts of the Ghost Market, where he had committed numerous evil deeds. Now he was finally going to suffer. There were many onlookers, but most of those who came and went from the Ghost Market were not to be trifled with. They mostly watched coldly or made sarcastic remarks.

Shorty Mo originally intended to play tricks and find an opportunity to escape. Li Xian slightly turned the Wishful Jade Thumb Ring, Shorty Mo immediately felt a sharp pain in his heart. Having suffered a few losses, he dared not be presumptuous and obediently led Li Xian into the inner perimeter of the Ghost Market.

This place was once struck by a meteorite, the largest of which stands like a towering mountain. The true entrance to the Ghost Market is a narrow, damp, and gloomy blue stone staircase that extends downwards, silent and cold.

After walking downhill for about half an incense stick's time, the road became wider. A few green lights flickered on and off. We had entered the real Ghost Market.

Li Xian was pressed for time and had a clear objective. Knowing that the "Face-Borrowing Master" Tang Meng'e was on the second floor of the Ghost Market, he ordered Shorty Mo to go there directly. He was unaware of the details of the Ghost Market. The Ghost Market was like a sinkhole, with a meteorite at the top. The residents of the Ghost Market were like the damp snakes, insects, and rats under the stone.

Only a few tiny cracks in the rocks allowed a few faint rays of light to filter through. Li Xian had exceptional eyesight and keenly observed his surroundings, remaining constantly on guard. The Ghost Market was full of strange occurrences, and after walking for half an hour, few people noticed him.

The Ghost Market was vast and chaotic, teeming with sects, alleys, gangs, and all sorts of other things. Fortunately Shorty Mo was leading the way; otherwise, with its numerous detours and complex paths, it would have taken Li Xian an extremely long time to find his way alone.

After ascending a downward staircase, you reach the second level of the Ghost Market. Shorty Mo led the way truthfully, arriving at the place where the Mask Borrower, Tang Meng'e, resided. There stood a red pavilion there.

It is about three zhang tall and has three floors. The building has a very strange structure and leans slightly to the west. There is a plaque on the top, but it is very damaged and hangs precariously, with the left side hanging down.

The plaque read "Borrowing Face". Li Xian ordered Shorty Mo to wait outside the door, secretly leaving a strand of hair to keep watch. If Shorty Mo made any unusual move, he would immediately take his life.

He then knocked gently on the door. A short while later, a pale-faced man with a slender figure and broad shoulders opened the door. He glanced at Li Xian and asked, "What is it?"

Li Xian thought to himself, "This mask-borrower is both male and female, his appearance is already different from ordinary people, and his temperament is probably hard to fathom. If I were to be straightforward and directly state my purpose, I probably wouldn't even be able to get in the door. I would have to use words to trick him, get him into the house, and then slowly extract clues from him. I said calmly, 'I want to borrow your mask.'"

Tang Meng'e saw that Li Xian was dressed in Black Robe and wore a mask. In the past, those who sought him out to change their appearance were always dressed like this, so she did not suspect anything and said, "Come in."

The building was dimly lit, but its spaciousness was still discernible. In the center stood a bronze stove, with charcoal burning slowly, making the room quite warm. Although it was summer, the Ghost Market was cold all year round, so the stove needed to be kept burning constantly.

Li Xian looked around and saw many wooden beds, with white gauze curtains hanging on them, and some of the beds had people lying in them.

Her identity was obscured, only a faint silhouette reflected on the gauze curtain. Tang Meng'e's gait was slender and strange, as she walked, saying, "Although I work in the Ghost Market, making a living in the shady world, I have my own rules. Even high-ranking officials of the Great Wu, whether they are Silver Face, Golden Face, Silver Body, Golden Body, must arrive first. Please have a seat. I'll attend to you after I've finished serving this guest."

Tang Meng'e went behind a screen and was fetching noodles for a woman.

He learned the "Heavenly Demon Strange-Aspect Art," a rare martial art. This business of "borrowing faces" relied on the uniqueness of this martial art. The process consisted of three steps: obtaining the face, giving the face.

"Taking noodles" means that Tang Meng'e borrows noodles from others. Regardless of whether they are beautiful, ugly, fat, or thin, she takes a whole noodle from their face and temporarily preserves it by soaking it in a special medicinal bath or using exotic plants.

After the noodles are removed, the person who needs to borrow them must come here within one day.

After paying the money and settling all the matters, Tang Meng'e then "granted the mask," giving the mask to someone else to change her appearance, which could be maintained flawlessly for ten days.

If the borrower returns the face within ten days, Tang Meng'e can sew it back to its original owner. However, if more than ten days have passed, the face will gradually rot, wither, and lose its effectiveness.

Behind the screen lay a middle-aged woman, unconscious from the incense. Tang Meng'e, holding a "Skinning Knife," gently peeled off her face. Li Xian asked, "How long will it take?" Tang Meng'e replied, "I've been in the Ghost Market for a long time, and I've encountered all sorts of strange customers from all over the world. They all have to wait patiently. If you feel impatient, you can leave and find someone else."

Li Xian said, "To tell you the truth, I didn't come here just to ask you a favor. I have a few questions to ask you."

Tang Meng'e put down the Skinning Knife, turned to look at Li Xian, and said, "This is rare. Could it be that some official has come to investigate me?" His voice was high-pitched, neither male nor female, and carried a mocking tone.

Li Xian presented the Tiger-Python Token, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Li Xian, the Gold-Seeking Guard."

Tang Meng'e said, "Gold-Seeking Guard... Interesting. If I remember correctly, Gold-Seeking Guard is the group that guards the city gate in the west of the city, right? How come they've come all this way to my Ghost Market, and even found me, Tang Meng'e?"

Li Xian said, "This matter is complicated. The Gold-Seeking Guard are not only responsible for guarding the city gates, but also for protecting the safety of Jade City. Recently, we have been investigating a major case concerning the safety of Jade City, and we thought that you might be able to find some clues here. I hope this sudden visit is not offensive. I hope you will tell me the truth." Tang Meng'e said indifferently, "Heh heh, how is it any different from the official's watchdogs? It's just a different way of saying it. You don't need to ask anymore, I don't know anything. I, Tang Meng'e, change people's faces, and I never ask why or what the purpose of changing faces is. Since you are not..." "Since you've come to borrow these masks, then please leave." Li Xian remained unperturbed and calmly said, "Were these masks of yours peeled off from living people?" He glanced at a bronze cauldron, which was filled with pale red vines covered in tiny red fuzz. Tang Meng'e hung the masks she had taken from the vines on them, and the tiny red fuzz seeped into the skins, making it appear at first glance as if human masks were growing from the vines. These vines were nourished with fresh blood and exotic soil, which kept the masks fresh. Every morning and evening, Tang Meng'e would water the masks with a decoction of herbs, just like watering flowers.

Tang Meng'e said, "If you're looking for a pretext to arrest me and take me back for questioning, I advise you to give up. The Ghost Market Ghost Market its own rules, and it's not up to you watchdogs to manage it."

Li Xian laughed, "Misunderstanding, I was just curious." Tang Meng'e, seeing that Li Xian remained calm despite her repeated provocations and insults, and considering that these matters were not secrets, explained, "This red vine is called the ' Blood Puppet Vine.' This strange plant can tightly bind a person to death, then use their body to attract other vines of the same kind. However, this vine possesses the characteristic of maintaining the vitality of the flesh. Therefore, I keep it in the cauldron as a shelf for storing masks. While it has some use, it's not significant. These masks are indeed peeled from living people, but most of them are obtained willingly by the living."

Tang Meng'e said, "Do you know how much silver it costs to maintain a single, fresh face skin every day? These faces skins are very delicate; if you're not careful, they become unusable—they might get infested with insects, crack, bleed, or break. Killing someone to get the skin is simple, but it's a one-time transaction. Using a face skin only once is extremely wasteful. It would be better to let ordinary people voluntarily lend me their own faces skins. After the customer has used it, I can sew it back on and give them some compensation. It's a win-win situation. Only through repeated use like this can it last."

Li Xian asked, "So, you're a good person, sir?" Tang Meng'e sneered, "A good person? Not at all. It's just that there's no need to kill anyone. In the end, I'm just a middleman." Li Xian asked, "So, those who voluntarily lend their faces, do they just go back naked like that?"

Tang Meng'e said, "Alright, I've already made an exception and said too much to someone like you. Leave on your own, don't make me chase you away." Li Xian said, "If the Tiger-Python Token can't get you to reveal the situation, then what about this token?" With that, he took out a black token from his Fish-Belly Treasure Pouch and tossed it to Tang Meng'e. Tang Meng'e caught the token, and was taken aback, saying, "Are you from the Candle Cult?"

Tang Meng'e stopped what she was doing, walked up to Li Xian, and examined him closely. She murmured, "It's Candle Decree issued by the Flower Cage Sect. Although its rank and status are low, it's still a remnant of my Candle Cult. Hahaha, now that the situation is getting chaotic, even a little lecher from the Flower Cage Sect can become a member of the Jade City Gold-Seeking Guard. I can only exchange with remnants of the Candle Cult Sect twice a month. It seems that my Candle Cult will be rekindled again! Hahaha."

Li Xian thought to himself, "Shi said is correct. Although they are both Candle Decree, they are completely different depending on who gives them to them. If this Candle Decree been given to me by Venerable Chu, Tang Meng'e's expression would definitely be different, at least showing more respect. But it doesn't matter. I only need to focus on improving my cultivation and martial arts. What do I care about other people's opinions? It's just that this Candle Decree has such a miraculous effect, which is truly an unexpected delight."

It turns out that... ever since Li Xian Initiation, he had been observing without stopping. He noticed that the candle flame was somewhat similar to the patterns on the Candle Decree, and thus vaguely guessed that the candle flame was special and might originate from the Candle Cult.

After some conversation, he gradually realized that Tang Meng'e's behavior and mannerisms were quite similar to those of the Candle Cult, and he began to have a plan. So he took the initiative to show his "Candle Decree." Tang Meng'e returned the Candle Decree, retreated behind the screen, and continued scraping her face, saying, "Since you are a remnant of the Candle Cult Sect, please ask me whatever questions you have. If it's not too difficult, I won't hesitate to tell you."

Li Xian said, "According to what you said, senior, there were other members of the Candle Cult Sect who were looking for you before me?"

Tang Meng'e said, "Yes, but we communicate by letter." Li Xian casually asked, "May I ask who it is? Perhaps I recognize her." Tang Meng'e said, "That person's name is Hao Qingshe. We're both from the Candle Cult. I advise you to stay away from her as much as possible." Li Xian said, "It's her?"

Tang Meng'e asked in surprise, "You actually know her?" Li Xian replied, "I suppose so. But let's not talk about her. I came here to ask if you, senior, have ever seen this woman." He then took out a portrait of "Song Ya".

Tang Meng'e glanced at her and said with a strange look, "I've seen her before, she's right here." Li Xian was overjoyed. Tang Meng'e went to a bedside, lifted the white gauze curtain, and saw Song Ya's true form. Her face had been peeled off, and she was lying unconscious on the bed.

Li Xian asked, "Did this woman also lend her face willingly?" Tang Meng'e shook her head and said, "Not really. She was already unconscious when she arrived, and she gave her face to another woman."

Li Xian thought to himself, "Just as I thought." He then asked, "Do you know what that woman truly looked like?"

Tang Meng'e said, "I never reveal the true appearance of visitors." Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "Senior Tang, I wonder if you can awaken this woman. I need to take her away." Tang Meng'e naturally agreed, took some white clay, and smeared it on Song Ya's face, covering the skin and flesh. Then she used incense to fumigate her nose. Before long, Song Ya woke up.

She was stunned, completely bewildered. After resting for a moment, her thoughts gradually cleared, and she realized that her face was gone. She was terrified, trembling all over. Li Xian comforted her, telling her that her face was only temporarily lost and that she could find it later.

Tang Meng'e spoke up for Song Ya and quickly calmed her down. Seeing that Song Ya had stabilized, Song Ya Li Xian inquired about her experiences.

Upon asking this question, she learned of a shocking piece of news. She had been suddenly captured that day and was unconscious, but in her dazed state, she overheard people discussing something. Someone wanted to harm Wu Gan.

Because Wu Gan alone Fortune, and sits in Jade City, he is like a pillar that stabilizes the world. His lifespan is coming to an end, and this is the most crucial time to pass on Qi Fortune. If he were to pass it on to all his disciples, this Fortune would still be used by Jade City.

Therefore, it is necessary to use magic to stop it.

However, it cannot be simply prevented. Those who harm those Fortune will inevitably suffer a backlash from that Fortune. Wu Gan alone controls half Fortune, how powerful he is! If he suffers such Fortune, he will certainly not survive.

Even if a death squad is dispatched to kill Wu Gan and then commit suicide on the spot, "Fortune" will still follow the clues and find the person who gave the order. Under heaven, Fortune is the hardest thing to fool.

This backlash from bad Fortune often strikes at the root cause and is extremely difficult to avoid.

However, there is a divine artifact in this world called the "Benevolence's Lament Sword," Divine Artifact Ranking. Legend has it that this sword can seize Fortune and is extremely powerful. It has always been hidden in the Great Wu Treasury.

If this power is used now and Wu Gan's Fortune can be seized, the "Literary Wall" of Jade City will show signs of collapse. This is what Commandery Princess Anyang is planning. In this way, Commandery Princess Anyang will personally wield her sword and kill Wu Gan. Who the fake Song Ya is will naturally be revealed.

It was Commandery Princess Anyang!