Unintended Immortality

May 17th was a bright sunny day.

It was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. With the sun at its peak, the world’s yang energy reached its zenith while the spirits and ghosts grew weaker. Even the most powerful of ghosts dared not venture out during the day.

From early in the morning, the sun shone down directly on the earth, making it feel scorchingly hot even when covered with cloth. It was truly a typical summer day.

The Daoist expressed gratitude to the family from whom they borrowed lodging, while Heroine Wu took out a small handful of copper coins. She offered a few flattering words before the host accepted them.

The little girl beside her, seeing this, felt she too had borrowed a place to stay and didn’t want to be treated differently. Thus, she took out a small handful of copper coins from her own pocket, trying to offer them to the host. The host, being kind-hearted, couldn’t accept the coins again after already taking Heroine Wu’s money. The little girl, imitating Heroine Wu, began to speak in her gentle, soft voice, saying a string of identical flattering words.

The host still refused to accept her coins, leaving the little girl confused. She stared blankly at the host, unable to figure out what was wrong.

It wasn’t until the Daoist spoke up that the host finally accepted the coins. The little girl was instantly filled with joy.

After leaving the village, as they walked along the road, she remained cheerful. She blew on her newly picked horse dung jiaojiao and playfully jumped beside the Daoist, stepping on his shadow.

The ground was still a bit muddy.

Heroine Wu leaned over her small horse, her upper body resting down. She looked rather lethargic, yet her voice was clear and steady as she spoke to the Daoist, “Speaking of the established rules, the only rule of the ghost market is not to inquire about others' identities or backgrounds.

“If you’re a seller, it doesn’t matter who the buyer is; if you’re a buyer, you shouldn’t care about the seller either—only the goods and the price matter. That’s why many people come here to trade things that shouldn’t see the light of day. There are too many things in Changjing that are best kept hidden—both visible and invisible, tangible and intangible. The city can longer do without the ghost market.”

“Sounds quite similar to a black market.”

“Indeed.”

“Are there any other unwritten rules?”

“Too many.”

The Daoist glanced at the little girl beside him, who was following his shadow and insisted on stepping on it, and quietly said, “Please tell us more, heroine.”

She said, “For example, once a deal is made, there are no returns or exchanges. If you buy a fake, tough luck—you can’t return it. If you receive counterfeit money, it also can’t be refunded. Whether you overpay or get a good deal depends on your own skills. Also, the place is chaotic, so be cautious—don’t flaunt your wealth, especially when entering or leaving the Ghost Market.”

“Don’t let others perceive you as weak; if you are truly weak, it’s better to be a bit more cautious and not let others realize. If you’re capable, then you can be more relaxed,” Heroine Wu explained. “Actually, it’s not complicated; it’s something everyone understands without needing to say it. These rules apply everywhere.”

“Do you come here often?”

“I’ve been here quite a few times, usually to earn some pocket money or sometimes to gather some information.”

“Is that so?” This was a more primitive market.

Suddenly, the Daoist halted in his tracks.

The little girl had been staring at the ground and had just taken a big step forward, aiming to step on the shadow that was supposed to be moving ahead. However, the shadow had stopped moving and she found herself stepping into empty space, momentarily startled. 𝘙âNÒ𝐁ÊŚ

She turned and looked at the Daoist with confusion. Seeing the Daoist smile at her, she took another step.

Though it wasn’t the hottest time of the year, the sun’s intensity was overwhelming. By afternoon, the ground had dried up. The footprints pressed into the yellow earth had hardened, frozen in the shape they had taken when the ground was still moist. Sometimes stepping on them would crush the hardened surface, creating a cracking sound as the dry earth shattered and scattered.

Continuing along the official road, they eventually reached the small path that the heroine had pointed out earlier by the afternoon.

In the distance, some villages were faintly visible.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered others heading in the same direction—some dressed like farmers, while others could be easily identified as not being local villagers.

As they passed through the village, many villagers stood by the roadside, asking passersby if they needed a place to stay.

“Every time the ghost market opens, many people come here. Great Yan values commerce, and many sharp-minded villagers have started to engage in business,” Heroine Wu explained. “But don’t pay them any mind; we still have a bit of distance to cover, and there are more villages ahead. We arrived early, so we can find a place closer to the market. Those who arrive late will have to stay further out.”

“I see.”

“Are you planning to stay inside the ghost market or outside?”

“Is there accommodation inside?”

“There are two inns carved out of the stone walls on both sides.”

“What’s the difference between staying outside and inside?”

“If you stay outside, once you finish shopping, you’ll have to come back out, and being outside might pose some dangers,” Heroine Wu said.

She added, “Those who can open an inn beneath the earth’s crevices are all quite capable. The rates are expensive, but staying there guarantees your safety. It’s ideal for those who aren't particularly skilled themselves, yet have shown wealth or purchased valuable items. Spending the night and coming out during the day is always safer than venturing out at night.”

“I’d prefer to stay outside.”

It seems that this place was not the kind of night market where a group of people gathered, completed their transactions, and then dispersed. Instead, it was a much more permanent and organized setup.

He felt grateful to this heroine. If it weren’t for her, Song You wouldn’t have learned any of this. Otherwise, he would miss out a lot on this trip.

As they chatted while walking, they gradually passed two villages.

“Heroine! Daoist Elder!” A child’s voice suddenly called out from ahead.

The Daoist and the woman turned their heads to look.

Two children appeared, one girl and one boy, one tall and one short. The sister looked about seven or eight years old, while the brother appeared to be around five or six. Their faces were both dark and flushed as they stood to the side, staring at them.

“Heroine, Daoist Elder! Do you need a place to stay? Our family's rates are cheap, and we provide breakfast. No matter how late you come back at night, someone will be awake to open the door. There are lanterns available to borrow, but you’d have to pay extra for the candles.”

Heroine Wu stopped to ask them, “What kind of inn do you have?”

“A thatched inn.”

“How much for a night?”

“One room is sixty wen.”

“Nonsense, the standard rate before sunset here is fifty wen.”

“Then it’ll be fifty wen…”

The older girl’s voice became a bit softer as she discreetly glanced at the woman.

“Do you have two rooms?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go take a look!” Heroine Wu said in a rough voice, waving her hand.

The girl and boy immediately smiled, their eyes squinting with delight, and they waved their arms as they ran ahead to lead the way.

The woman led her horse in that direction. Meanwhile, The Daoist followed behind, observing the two children as they walked.

Though they were very young and thin, their voices were childish, yet their speech was clear and logical. At such a young age, they had already started taking responsibility. This was a true reflection of the lives of ordinary children in these times.

In comparison, they were already quite fortunate being born here. The location was good, right next to the earth's crevices and the ghost market, which attracts countless people from all walks of life every month for nine days. They open for business at midnight, and some of the people here need a place to sleep for a while before heading back the next morning after exploring the market, creating business opportunities.

This business opportunity had already surpassed that of nearly all farmers in the country.

Though the two children were young and already out to attract customers, they seemed healthy, showing no signs of malnutrition. In this regard, they were better off than many children from ordinary families.

The hardships of the common people reflected the struggles of the times.

The Daoist gently patted the girl's head beside him.

Thatched inns were typically simple, consisting of straw huts, some single rooms, and others large dormitories. This one was decent, with all single rooms.

The Daoist woman looked around.

There really wasn’t much to criticize; there was only a bed inside, and it didn’t seem particularly dirty or messy, nor did it have any unpleasant odors. Thus, she decided to stay.

“Keep an eye on my horse.”

“That'll cost extra…” The little girl glanced at her slyly. “Twenty wen.”

“Hey, you little rascal!”

“If you don’t pay, I won’t be responsible if it gets lost.”

“Is feeding the horse included?”

“Feeding hay to the horse costs thirty wen…”

“What kind of hay?”

“The grass I cut from the mountain myself.”

“Don’t you have any adults at home?”

“My mother is still sleeping; she needs to guard the door and the horse at night.”

“Alright!” Heroine Wu agreed and said, “Take good care of my horse and make sure it's well-fed. Don’t let it get lost! This is my beloved steed; if it goes missing, my blade won’t spare you!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of your horse…”

Heroine Wu handed the reins to her.

Receiving an extra sum of money, the little girl happily led the horse away, her height not even reaching the horse's back.

It was interesting to note that after leaving Yizhou, Song You had not seen a horse shorter than Heroine Wu's. It seemed that once he left the southwest, no one rode the short southwest horses anymore.

“Let’s wait until it gets dark.”

“Okay.”

The two returned to their respective rooms.

The Daoist wandered around the door, observing the village and the various people coming and going. He returned to his room and sat for a while, contemplating the spiritual resonance of the summer solstice, until the yang energy in the world gradually weakened. When he opened his eyes, he found it was already dusk.

Outside, the heroine was talking to the siblings running the thatched inn. She shared her unusual experiences in the jianghu, some of which were tales the Daoist had told her; she was quite the talkative one.

The sky gradually darkened.

After having dinner, they set off directly.

The ghost market was underground, with no high mountains nearby; one wouldn’t see the fissure unless they got close.

However, the ground had long been trampled into a wide path.

As they approached, they could see the gaping scar on the earth—a long, deep fissure, resembling a narrow cliff only a few zhang wide. At this hour, the sky was already dark. Below was pitch black, with only occasional flickering lights visible, presumably lit by some unknown person. The fissure was deep, about ten zhang down; thus, even when bending down to look, one could only see a few small red dots.

Following the fissure, there were paths leading down.

Yet some of these “paths” were merely platforms one could step on, accessible only to those with exceptional skills. Others were small, slanted routes carved out, leading downward.

The number of people on the path continued to increase as Heroine Wu found a relatively nearby spot to descend. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As the Daoist walked down, he glanced around, using the faint light to observe the different layers of soil and rock.

Slowly, they reached the very bottom. At this point, it was almost completely dark, and they could only see by the light of their lanterns.

When they first arrived, they were at the ordinary bottom of the fissure, where the ground was littered with rubble, debris, and even dung, as well as bones of both humans and animals. The smell was quite unpleasant, and the walls on either side were ordinary stone.

However, they saw lights ahead after walking a short distance, and the stone walls had been carved into various spaces. The more refined ones resembled houses, while the less refined looked like caves, some even having built-up floors.

It was far more bustling and formal than Song You had imagined.

Most of the carved shops had their lights lit, and every street vendor without exception had an oil lamp placed in front of their stall. The stalls were not very densely packed, with frequent gaps in between, suggesting that it wasn’t yet the peak time for business.

The many lights converged, illuminating the stone walls and caves on both sides, casting light on faces covered with cloth or masked. The numerous gazes crossed paths, creating a unique atmosphere.

It resembled the demon and ghost market in the mountains of Pingzhou from years ago, yet it was also quite different.