The tedious processing of talisman credentials and multiple rounds of questioning by the judges finally came to an end. Judge Cui Jue informed them that the Ten Yama Kings needed time to discuss their follow-up strategy against the End Times Cult and how to arrange their "Temporary Yang Official Pass" squad. They were to wait in Fengdu City for further notice. They could move about freely during that time, but they had to remember the laws of the underworld.
Their taut nerves finally had a chance to relax. After discussing it, the group decided to visit the most famous place in Fengdu City—the Ghost Market.
The Ghost Market did not refer to any single fixed marketplace. Rather, it was a general term for areas within Fengdu City where ghost merchants gathered with official tacit approval to conduct all manner of legal or gray-area transactions. The largest Ghost Market was located in a relatively open plaza in the eastern part of the city, along with the winding alleys around it. Unlike the solemn core area, this place was filled with all kinds of Netherworld beings. It was noisy and full of vitality, though that "vitality" possessed the distinct qualities of the underworld.
The moment they stepped into the Ghost Market, strange sights and sounds rushed toward them.
Countless lanterns floated through the air, glowing with green, blue, or white ghostly light and casting the entire area in bizarre, shifting hues. Stalls stood everywhere. Some vendors simply spread a sheet of black cloth on the ground, while others had erected simple sheds from unknown beast bones or dark yinwood. Cries of hawking, bargaining, and discussions over appraising goods never ceased. Yet those voices were either shrill, hoarse, or hollowly echoing, weaving together into a unique Netherworld symphony.
The air was filled with