Chapter Five, the Ghost Market Night Feast seeks the Ghost Talisman, the City God references the sealing of the Phoenix Elixir

This Luan Dan is extremely precious, yet its use is fraught with difficulty. According to Old Liu's words, it requires a ghost talisman to be effective, much like a medicinal guide that stabilizes the heart pulse. Without it, how could this child withstand the clash and surge of yin and yang energies?

Subsequently, Liu Piyun instructed Bayue to go fetch the child, while he himself lit incense in front of the eight offices: the Yin-Yang Office, the Speedy Reporting Office, the Inspection Office, the Office of Rewarding Good, the Office of Punishing Evil, the Wealth God Office, the Longevity Office, and the Office of Merits and Faults. After making his offerings in order, when he finally inserted the incense before the City God, the cauldron inside began to bubble and jump, and the lid was rattling as if some living creature were inside.

"Not good!" The temple priest shouted: "This underworld is to eliminate filth and expel evil. That child's soul seems unable to withstand it—come, you seal the Yongquan and Huiyin acupoints, I will guard the Niwan, and we will force this child's soul back; otherwise, I fear he will vanish completely and be lost forever!"

As soon as these words were spoken, that person immediately put down the chopsticks

Thank you, thank you..." The two people expressed their gratitude, but the man stood up and clasped his fists, saying: "Alright, this matter has been taken care of for you. It is getting late, and my master has called for me to prepare to return. — You two must remember, this child must not stray onto the wrong path; otherwise, the consequences for both of you will be inescapable!

At this moment, the temple priest emerged holding a large bundle of gold ingots and spirit money, and he threw them all into the treasure-holding cauldron. A roaring flame immediately surged up, accompanied by green smoke. He chanted incantations as he tossed in sheets of spirit money, and the flames danced in accordance with his recitations, growing more intense and faster.

The body convulsed, but the soul was not idle; it also twitched rhythmically. In the end, it was in perfect opposition to the body's rhythm, fitting together seamlessly as if it had been trained.

In a moment, this soulless body actually began to convulse

In times of chaos, humans are more malevolent than ghosts, and thus this ghost market has become increasingly prosperous

Bang

The light in the room vanished, and the two were still not accustomed to it. After waiting for a moment and examining carefully, they could not help but be greatly alarmed

Old Liu Head, Old Liu Head

Even the wine jug filled with rice wine on the table was left untouched by anyone

Upon hearing about the ghostly talisman, the smile on his face immediately vanished. He pressed for details about the child's condition, which was not enough; he insisted on seeing it with his own eyes. Then, he took out his iron ruler to measure the length of the child's three flames.

Black smoke coalesced and rolled in mid-air, revealing a grotesque human head that remained silent, merely grinning at Liu Piyun. Once the two figures were discerned, a grayish-white talisman floated down from the smoke and landed on the table, which was precisely the ghost talisman that was needed

Alright, let's begin

Before the words had left his mouth, the clay Buddha statue seemed to move slightly in the dim light

When the infant was brought in, he was already fast asleep. Wang Bayue placed the child in front of the altar, and one by one, he took the remnants of incense from the Eight Officials, adding mugwort ash, willow root shavings, cat feces, and other items, which he handed to Liu Biyun. He then gently affixed the talisman to the infant's forehead.

As soon as they acted, the two of them allowed the golden light and the child's fate to intertwine, while they hurriedly and slowly pushed the child's soul back in place—strangely, at the very moment the child's soul returned, everything suddenly quieted down

The Ghost Market has existed for thousands of years, serving as the only place where the realms of yin and yang can connect for trade. It is also a location designated by the underworld for spirits to use burial goods for transactions. Although dealings here involve ghosts, the profits can be dozens or even hundreds of times greater than those from other businesses. Consequently, there are many who turn to this path for survival—provided that one has a pure yin birth chart, a karmic destiny lower than that of ordinary people, and a barely perceptible weakness in the three fires, along with a stroke of fortune, one can enter the Ghost Market. Although dealings here involve ghosts, the profits can be dozens or even hundreds of times greater than those from other businesses. Consequently, there are many who turn to this path for survival—provided that one has a pure yin birth chart, a karmic destiny lower than that of ordinary people, and a barely perceptible weakness in the three fires, along with a stroke of fortune, one can enter the Ghost Market.

Seeing that he had been silent for a long time, Wang Bayue speculated that the ghost talisman was likely not going to work. Just as he was discussing with Liu Piyun about what to do next, unexpectedly, that person suddenly walked to the back, took out a dustpan, and placed it on the table, turning to them and saying: "Wait a moment, I will notify them to bring the ghost talisman up."

Lao Miao's Zhu Liu Pi Yun and Wang Ba Yue were already seated in Lu Pang Zi's tavern, with a bowl of red eggs, a plate of dried tofu, half a handful of peanuts, along with a large bowl of fried chili oil residue and a plate of game on the table—yet neither of them had touched their chopsticks, as if they were still waiting for someone.

It seemed that Wang Bayue was a bit anxious, occasionally peering outside. However, he did not glance at the shop that Luo Erni was taking care of on his behalf; instead, he kept staring at the position of the treasure tripod. After a short while, the treasure tripod suddenly made a series of crisp sounds, and his old face immediately relaxed.

This is what is referred to as the resolution of yin and yang; regardless of how good or bad, everything is erased and returned to chaos. If there were blessings from heaven or similar natural fortunes, they could lead to ruin, yet when transformed into a ghostly calamity, they become a remedy for healing and saving lives.

If there was even a trace of residual heat in the air, it was instantly swept away, and the entire tavern became chillingly cold, akin to an ice cave

Upon seeing this, Liu Biyun quickly fetched a bronze cauldron and poured the rainwater into it. When he lifted the lid, a thick, dense white mist surged out from within the cauldron, slithering like a snake straight into the child's nostrils

Three days from now will be the day the ghost market opens

As night fell, the child had already fallen into a deep sleep after drinking a bowl of thick rice soup. Everyone emerged from their shops, as if the entire ghost market had suddenly come to life.

In August, beads of sweat gradually emerged on his forehead as he turned his head and shouted, "Old Liu, what should we do about this?"

The child's convulsions grew increasingly severe, and the radiance intensified correspondingly, intertwining endlessly. The child's soul gradually faded away in this process

Upon turning around, one sees the temple keeper Liu Biyun deeply bowing towards the City God, with something in front of him that has just finished burning, "Please, City God, help us and save this child from calamity!"

The lead pellet reappeared as if by magic

The person, indifferent, merely nodded in response, reached out to grab a pair of chopsticks, and picked up a piece of game meat to bring to his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he noticed that the piece of meat visibly shrank in size and its color dimmed significantly. He smacked his lips a few times and praised, "Not bad, still such a good flavor... This Fat Lu fellow really has great skills!"

Oh! What a grand occasion it is today, you two have actually prepared such a lavish spread of food and drink. A figure suddenly appears across from them: "You usually don't treat me this well... Given your demeanor, it seems you have something you want me to do, right?"

"Stop it!" Wang Bayue hurriedly bowed and said, "Is it alright if I say something wrong? Is it alright if a dog's mouth cannot spit out ivory? — Liu Laodao, help me, please help me!" After bowing a couple of times and seeing that Old Liu had no intention of taking anything out, Fu Youxin suddenly shouted, "Fat Lu, https://mhetushu.com.com, hurry up, prepare a couple of small dishes and a few jars of wine, get them ready for our Uncle Liu — once it's done, we'll go over and eat!"

If it were not for this elixir, this child would be plagued by misfortune throughout his life. Not to mention the many who wish to kill him, whether he can even be raised is still uncertain—this shows that Old Liu's casual remark of 'I'll help you' is, in fact, of immense value. Even so, August still harbored deep doubts and muttered to himself:

The Ghost Talisman, also known as the Soul Snatching Talisman, is a document used to capture the soul of a person on the verge of death. The underworld authorities ascertain the individual's birth date and time, and then inscribe it using a judge's pen on a specific talisman. Before the person's name appears on the register of life and death, one must rely on non-specific ghost messengers to obtain a particular person's soul snatching talisman

Turn around and leave

Everyone held a broom and carefully swept the bluestone slabs from their shops to the Huabao Gourd Cauldron. After the brooms passed, a shallow groove appeared on the bluestone. They pinched handfuls of powder from their cloth bags and sprinkled it into the groove, then poured in fragrant oil.

You actually agreed!

Suddenly, the flames in the cauldron erupted violently

Suddenly, a faint greenish glow appeared on the child's face, and a subtle shadow gradually emerged from him, rising higher and higher. There was no need for anyone to guide it; the shadow detached itself from him and lay down beside him.

Next, naturally, we need to unload everything from the donkey cart, and then prepare for the evening market—if one wishes to find the ghost talisman, one must locate the ghost. What place could gather more souls than the ghost market?

As soon as the ghost appeared, the air beside the table rippled incessantly like water waves. Under the dim light of the oil lamp, several indistinct shadows quickly took on human forms. Accompanied by a smile, it greeted him and immediately vanished after tossing down a solid gold nugget.

Just as he called out twice, the temple keeper, Old Liu, who was resting with his eyes closed, interrupted him: "Don't panic, don't panic! Everything is under my control, let's discuss it calmly, shall we..."

The ghostly talisman gradually merged into his body, like something on the surface of a swamp, silently and without a trace.

That was! '' The temple celebrated Liu Piyun, who coughed twice and earnestly advised: `` Why not try this red egg again? The taste is not bad at all. ''

***

He glanced sideways at the temple keeper and then at Wang Bayue, suddenly bursting into laughter: "No wonder the master said before I left today, 'There is no good wine in a book of pictures, and no good feast in a banquet.' So that's what it means—alright, alright, let's get to the point, no need to keep things hidden; otherwise, this meal will have no flavor for me."

At a few moments, Mars flew out from the cauldron and landed in the ravines on the ground, where flames immediately ignited. However, this fire burned only for a brief moment, instantly transforming into tiny blue flames the size of a pea

Old Liu had a lazy expression on his face and said with a sidelong glance: "Ah! You really are the most detestable person. Not only do you fail to express gratitude for a precious gift, but you also have the audacity to complain... cough! So today, I suppose I can consider myself a benefactor. " He curled his lips and stuffed the item into his pocket: "It's rare to show sympathy for someone, and yet I get bitten by a dog right away..."

In August, one hand pressed against the child's body while the other formed a Vajra hand seal, hovering above the spirit, reciting the "Soul Stabilization Incantation." However, despite the chanting, there was no improvement; instead, the child's convulsions intensified, and the originally pale face began to show patches of a deathly gray color.

The two did not delay and hurried towards the City God Temple. On the way, they encountered familiar ghosts who greeted them, but they had no time to respond. Upon entering the temple, Liu Piyun took out a three-legged serpent-holding Qian Kun Mountain River Cauldron, lifted the lid, and placed the phoenix elixir inside.

As he spoke, a chilling wind that pierced to the bone whistled into the treasure tripod, and a voice in the wind laughed and said

In the haze, one could only see that the newcomer was dressed in plain clothes, with a badge hanging from his waist inscribed with the words "Second Hall." He had a pitch-black chain draped over his shoulder and held an iron ruler in his hand. Once he settled down, his figure swayed and suddenly became clear, as if one had been looking at a person through glass and had now removed the glass shards.

As the words were spoken, the body gradually faded away; by the time the last word was uttered, it had transformed into a faint wisp of white smoke, disappearing with a soft hiss.

Liu Piyun chuckled twice and said: "Since that's the case, I won't delay any longer. I do have something I need your help with—could you get me a ghost talisman?"

Immediately, the figures in the mist all gathered at the treasure tripod, and then rushed towards the various shops along the blue flames on the ground

Suddenly, a faint golden light appeared on the statue of the Buddha, illuminating the altar and completely enveloping the infant within it

The temple keeper, Old Liu, took out a lead pellet that was indeed not an ordinary item. The exterior was made of cinnabar and mercury, while inside it was sealed with a talisman. It is said to be an ancient relic of the Celestial Master Ge Xuan—this talisman is refined into a mysterious elixir. Once the rootless water dissolves, the Yang pen of literature and martial arts can be used to mark the Ren meridian, while the Yin pen can delineate the Du meridian, thereby sealing all blessings, divine gifts, misfortunes, and calamities of the human body. Even malevolent spirits can be sealed away, never to be seen again. Once the rootless water dissolves, the Yang pen of literature and martial arts can be used to mark the Ren meridian, while the Yin pen can delineate the Du meridian, thereby sealing all blessings, divine gifts, misfortunes, and calamities of the human body. Even malevolent spirits can be sealed away, never to be seen again

When I raised my head to prepare to express my gratitude, the black smoke had already dissipated

He leaned down and whispered a few words to the ice block, then listened for a moment, nodded, and said a little more

The greatest taboo in the ghost market is inquiring about the length and breadth of others. In August, there was a persistent suspicion that Old Liu belonged to a different lineage of Yin-Yang masters. However, this lead-sealed Luan Dan clearly belonged to the Daoist sect of the Zhengge faction. Given the gravity of the matter, he had no choice but to ask. Yet, as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had made a mistake

Swish swish

Liu Piyun and the other person waited quietly until the dustpan suddenly clattered and spilled clean water all over the ground. When they looked up, they saw that the person had already returned to the table: "I have already said that once they find the birth date, I will write it up and send it over."

Uh, Old Liu, this thing of yours better be real, otherwise... I understand the meaning, I don't believe it!

He scooped a ladle of clear water from the water tank and poured it into the dustpan, the clear water rippling gently without a single drop leaking from the holes of the dustpan. Once the dustpan was filled with clear water, he waved his hand above the surface, and the water parted slowly into two, revealing an ice block shrouded in mist beneath.

The child's fate has already been completely sealed, yet the child's three fires are also nowhere to be found. From this point onward, the child's destiny has detached from the ledger of life and death

Moments later, the alchemical gourd cauldron emitted several blue sparks, and a plume of black smoke rose from it, swirling in the air a few times before flying straight to the tavern of Lu Panzai

Although he wore a smile on his face, with his mouth, eyes, and eyebrows all expressing joy, there was an inexplicable chill about him that made it impossible for others to share in his laughter

A thick, damp, and chilly mist seemed to arise from nowhere, enveloping the entire City God Temple. Countless shadows swayed and flickered within, their outlines barely discernible. The temple priest tossed the remaining paper money into the cauldron, then took out a thick incense stick about the length of an arm, lit it, and inserted it into the cauldron, coughing twice

The complexion is becoming increasingly worse