After Rabbit Face left, Fang Heng sat for a while longer, making sure no one else was selling chess pieces.
Only then did he rise, stretch lazily, and wrap up his stall for the day.
As he wandered through the market, he discovered that the voluptuous Northern Barbarian matriarch from earlier had vanished without a trace, clearly having been bought by someone.
He wondered which Cao thief had gotten lucky.
Suddenly, a disturbance broke out amid the crowd.
As though drawn by an invisible hand, everyone surged in one direction.
A stall was packed with people, layer upon layer, three deep inside and three deep outside.
There were more than twice as many people as those who had gathered around the Northern Barbarian matriarch earlier.
Every so often came sounds of astonishment, sharp intakes of breath, and scornful snickering.
"There sure are a lot of fools today," a shrill voice said.
"First, someone refused to give up and tried to buy Emperor Yuling's chess pieces."
"Now someone is using a wondrous item to trade for military treatises."
"Strange things happen every year, but this year has especially many."
Another mocking voice rang out from the crowd.
"Hehe! Those dog princes really are generous with their spending."
"Dog princes? How could you tell he works for one of them?"
"Didn't you see that he's asking for rare, solitary copies of military treatises?"
"If he isn't one of those dog princes' men, who else could he be?"
"I heard Shang Hongye came to the capital to choose a husband. Those dog princes have been sending her gifts every day."
"But as Prince Zhenbei's daughter, what treasure hasn't Shang Hongye seen before?"
"Other than military treatises she has never read, she sends every other treasure straight back."
"The Second Prince gave her Master Qian's Art of War, and Shang Hongye accepted it. He seized the initiative, so how could the other princes possibly let it go?"
"So that's what happened."
"How hateful!"
"The last time I explored a cave abode, I thought military treatises were useless and gave them away."
The man slapped his thigh fiercely, his face filled with regret.
Hearing the crowd's mocking banter, Fang Heng curled his lip.
He had never expected Shang Hongye's husband-selection affair to affect even the City of Life and Death.
As he approached the stall, he saw the wondrous item being offered in trade.
A purple token.
Wondrous Item: Heavenly Thunder Token
The seller had even thoughtfully included an introduction to the Heavenly Thunder Token.
A wondrous item refined by an elder of the Divine Firmament Sect, capable of storing nine thunder arts.
Moreover, that elder of the Divine Firmament Sect cultivated the Yimu Thunder Method.
The Heavenly Thunder Token retained traces of the Yimu Thunder Method's aura.
Those blessed with great fortune could comprehend the Yimu Thunder Method from the Heavenly Thunder Token.
After reading the token's description, Fang Heng stroked his chin.
The ability to store nine thunder arts was extremely practical.
Thunder arts were powerful, but their consumption was equally great.
If one stored thunder arts in the Heavenly Thunder Token beforehand, then unleashed them during a magical battle...
There was no doubt it could greatly increase one's strength.
As for comprehending the Yimu Thunder Method from the Heavenly Thunder Token, that was pure exaggeration.
Anyone with half a brain would not believe they could comprehend the Divine Firmament Sect's Wood-Thunder Divine Lightning merely from the lingering aura of the Yimu Thunder Method in the token.
If it were truly that easy to comprehend, the Divine Firmament Sect's Yimu Thunder Method would have spread across the whole world long ago.
Setting aside the matter of comprehending the Yimu Thunder Method...
Fang Heng still greatly coveted the Heavenly Thunder Token.
As for trading military treatises—rare, solitary copies that Shang Hongye had never read...
The corners of Fang Heng's mouth lifted slightly.
Six Secret Teachings and Three Strategies, Art of War by Sun Tzu, Taibai Yinjing, Jixiao Xinshu...
There were simply too many famous ancient Chinese military treatises.
Although Fang Heng did not have any rare solitary copies of military treatises on hand...
He could write one on the spot.
After considering it briefly...
Fang Heng took out a jade slip, sent his divine sense inside, and began composing a military treatise.
"Thirty-Six Stratagems"
The First Set: Stratagems for Victory
Stratagems for situations of absolute superiority. The methods by which a ruler commands ministers, and a great state commands a small state. The soaring dragon has regrets.
The Stratagems for Victory included: the first stratagem, Deceive Heaven to Cross the Sea; the second stratagem, Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao; the third stratagem, Kill with a Borrowed Knife; the fourth stratagem, Wait at Ease for the Weary Foe; the fifth stratagem, Loot a Burning House; and the sixth stratagem, Make a Sound in the East, Strike in the West.
The First Stratagem: Deceive Heaven to Cross the Sea
It took Fang Heng only the time needed to drink a cup of tea to finish writing the "Thirty-Six Stratagems."
Beneath Liu Qi's ox-head mask, his expression was uncontrollably anxious.
He was a guest advisor to the Crown Prince. Having only recently entered the Crown Prince's service, his foundation was shallow, and he desperately wanted to render great merit.
When he learned that the Crown Prince wished to purchase rare, solitary copies of military treatises, he had made a military pledge.
He had originally thought that the City of Life and Death, where fish and dragons mingled together, would surely have such treatises for sale.
But...
Things did not seem nearly as easy as he had anticipated.
Could this really end in failure?
Liu Qi refused to accept it!
If he failed to handle this assignment properly, he would find it even harder to move a single step in the Eastern Palace.
Just as he was frowning in worry...
A man wearing a Black Impermanence mask walked over.
"Could the military treatise 'Thirty-Six Stratagems' be exchanged for the Heavenly Thunder Token?"
"Thirty-Six Stratagems?"
He had never heard of it!
Liu Qi was delighted.
To help the Crown Prince purchase rare, solitary copies of military treatises, he had read quite a few military texts these past days.
He could not claim mastery, but he knew every military treatise available on the market like the back of his hand.
"Let me see it!"
Fang Heng took out the jade slip. It was sealed, and he only let Liu Qi view the first three stratagems.
With a sweep of his divine sense, two beams of brilliance suddenly burst from Liu Qi's formerly dim eyes.
They were like two bright lamps abruptly lighting up the darkness of night.
"Deal!"
"I'll take this military treatise!"
Although Liu Qi tried to appear calm, the excitement in his voice was impossible to conceal.
Fang Heng's smile was harder to suppress than an AK.
That person from earlier had been right.
Princes really did spend lavishly.
Fang Heng was even considering whether he should peddle military treatises to the other princes as well.
He had quite a few military treatises in his head.
After the transaction was completed...
One hostile gaze after another fell upon Fang Heng.
However, the City of Life and Death's guards reacted swiftly and immediately rushed over to maintain order.
The people who had been itching to make a move moments ago wilted like eggplants struck by frost the instant they saw the guards.
Fang Heng watched this coldly, secretly thinking to himself.
The City of Life and Death's lord truly knew how to govern.
He had managed to keep the chaotic City of Life and Death in perfect order.
After completing the trade, Fang Heng continued strolling through the market to see whether there were any bargains to pick up.
Boom!
A sound like the tolling of great bells suddenly came from afar.
It was deafening, as though heaven and earth were collapsing.
In truth, the sky really had split open.
A massive pitch-black rift tore open in the sky above Yellow Springs Road.
Immediately afterward, a group of people flew out from the rift.
"The ghost catchers from Evil Dog Ridge are out."
Ghost catchers were a unique profession in the City of Life and Death.
They made their living catching ghosts and possessed formidable strength.
Some traveled alone, while others formed groups of two or three.
Evil Dog Ridge, Golden Rooster Mountain, and Wild Ghost Village were the three great secret realms along Yellow Springs Road.
The yin souls and ghostly creatures in these three secret realms were of far higher quality than the ghosts on Yellow Springs Road that had died only recently.
Thus, they had become the targets of ghost catchers.
The ghost catchers emerging from Evil Dog Ridge arrived at the City of Life and Death in groups of two and three.
When they reached an open area of the market, they began hawking their wares.
"First-realm ghosts, ten for one soul pearl, minimum purchase one hundred."
"Second-realm ghosts, three soul pearls each."
"Third-realm ghosts, twenty soul pearls each."
Fang Heng compared the ghost catchers' prices with those in the market earlier.
Previously, second-realm ghosts had cost ten soul pearls each in the market.
The moment the ghost catchers appeared, the price of ghosts plummeted accordingly.
It was even more thrilling than buying stocks.
Soon, people gathered around to purchase ghosts.
A faint medicinal-herb scent wafted from these buyers.
Fang Heng was very familiar with that scent.
It was the distinctive smell of alchemists.
Ghost catchers caught ghosts, alchemists refined soul pearls—it had all become an industrial chain.
After the ordinary ghosts had mostly been dealt with, the cries of sale changed accordingly.
"Third-realm spirit ghost, peerlessly beautiful. Those who know, know."
"Third-realm spirit ghost, proficient in fire-controlling arts."
"Fourth-realm spirit ghost, proficient in escape arts."
"Fourth-realm spirit ghost, talented in alchemy."
The spirit ghosts being sold now all possessed additional talents.
Either they were beautiful and suitable for dual cultivation...
Or they possessed some special expertise that set them apart from ordinary ghosts.
At this point, the people purchasing ghosts were no longer the alchemists from before.
They gave off chilly, sinister auras that made others uncomfortable.
"Damn it, I'm really jealous of those people skilled in Ghost Control Techniques," someone muttered, his voice full of envy.
"Jealous? You can cultivate Ghost Control Techniques too. No one's stopping you!" another person said, his tone laced with mockery and disdain.
"Hehe! I'm not stupid! If I cultivated Ghost Control Techniques, I could only live with my tail tucked between my legs in the world of the living."
"Besides, when have those evil cultivators who practice Ghost Control Techniques ever come to a good end?"
"Controlling ghosts feels good for a while, but don't they all end up suffering backlash from the ghosts they raised?"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man kept shaking his head.
The onlookers were no strangers to these cultivators with their chilling auras.
Every last one of them was proficient in Ghost Control Techniques.
Ghost Control Techniques were one of the demonic path's methods.
The demonic path had once flourished for a time in ancient days.
But in its competition with the Daoist School, it fell behind and gradually declined.
Afterward, the Ancient Eerie Temple emerged into the world.
From then on, demonic cultivators split into two factions.
One faction directly placed their faith in the Outer Realm Evil Gods and converted to the Path of God Worship.
The other clung to the demonic path, seeking to reform its inheritance, but in the end, they still declined completely.
Nowadays, cultivators who still practiced the demonic path were no more than a scattered handful.
If not for a place as mixed and chaotic as the City of Life and Death,
one might not even find a single evil cultivator within an entire county.
Fang Heng watched the evil cultivator purchasing ghosts, deep in thought.
Demonic evil cultivators had to use their own blood essence to feed their ghosts.
Though they gained capable helpers, they also risked suffering backlash at any moment.
The rewards were great, but so were the risks.
Only...
Fang Heng glanced at the Soul Reaper Envoy fate.
Soul Reaper Envoy (Red): An underworld emissary who apprehends ghosts and commands yin souls. Damage against yin souls, ghosts, and similar entities is doubled.
"Perhaps..."
"My guess might not be impossible after all!"
Fang Heng thought to himself.
He then stepped forward and spent a hundred soul pearls to buy that third-realm ghost skilled in controlling fire.
The price was five times that of an ordinary third-realm ghost.
But Fang Heng felt it was worth trying.
After completing the transaction, Fang Heng took the Ghost Control Bag to an inn and rented a private room.
With a sweep of his divine sense, Fang Heng saw the ghost inside the Ghost Control Bag.
Then, he began testing the guess in his heart.
The Soul Reaper Envoy fate blazed with dazzling red light.
An underworld emissary who apprehended ghosts and commanded yin souls.
Previously, Fang Heng had believed that the Soul Reaper Envoy merely possessed a special advantage against yin souls and ghosts.
Now, he felt that he had underestimated the Soul Reaper Envoy fate.
The Soul Reaper Envoy had other uses as well.
Command ghosts!
By decree!
Before you continue