Who left their last words here?

Chapter 67 The Moon Goddess's Tears! A Magic Wand from the "Zhu Luo Ji"? (Two chapters combined)

The Ghost Market truly lives up to its name; it's a place that sends chills down your spine.

Hidden in the folds of this bizarre modern city, it is a deformed secret place composed of forgotten extraordinary remnants and things that people crave.

Here, people's hearts are like ghosts, and it's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. Yet, hidden within are opportunities and taboos, waiting for those destined to find them.

but……

Bai Zhou discovered a huge rock that was half-embedded in the ground at the entrance.

Colorful LED strips were attached to it, and the intermittent flashes formed crooked characters, as if welcoming people's arrival.

Traditional Culture Square at No. 66 Moon Lane

Bai Zhou blinked, then fell silent for a moment.

Wasn't it supposed to be a ghost market?

Traditional culture...

In a sense, that doesn't seem to be wrong.

"clatter……"

Bai Zhou cautiously took a step.

The bluestone path underfoot was uneven and covered with moss. The street wound its way forward and seemed to stretch on forever.

Smelling the damp, earthy scent, Bai Zhou pulled down his hood, donned the "black cloak" he had just made, and carefully stepped into the misty alley.

An unidentified fog blanketed the street, making it dimly lit and damp and cold.

The flickering oil lamps or candles on the Eight Immortals table, the glowing moss on the ground, and even the shiny minerals carried by people all become rare sources of light in the ghost market.

It was quiet everywhere, and clear conversations were rarely heard.

A group of people wearing dark cloaks whispered among themselves at various stalls, their indistinct whispers only audible when passing by.

He passed by a series of "mysterious people" selling goods, and a dazzling array of "magical items" came into view.

"Want to try?"

A man in a black robe and cloak is making a secret deal with someone.

"What is this?" the mysterious customer standing opposite him asked in a low voice.

"Thirst-quenching pills!"

The mysterious merchant said mysteriously:
"The effect is that if you take one pill every week, you won't need to drink water anymore."

"It can save a lot of time; taking these pills can save 53 minutes each week!"

"But what can you do with 53 minutes saved?"

"Perhaps you're only 53 minutes behind your opponent in terms of training time? Didn't someone say that his advantage over others lies in using the time it takes to drink coffee to train?"

“You’re right… but I’ve spent almost half an hour just haggling with you.”

"..."

Take a few steps forward, and you'll find new stalls.

The stench of decay hit him, and the unpleasant smell made Bai Zhou cover his mouth and nose and roll his eyes.

I glanced at it as I passed by and saw that the old octagonal table was covered with plates of bloody things, like offerings.

Lizard liver, bat spleen, dead fish eyes...

Each plate has a label with a clearly marked price; bargaining is not accepted, but discounts are available for bulk orders.

Some of them looked like they were pickled, while others weren't. The mixed flavors created a biological weapon that possessed real and effective lethality, attacking everyone who passed by equally.

Looking at the stall owner sitting calmly and composed behind the table, Bai Zhou couldn't help but feel a little admiration.

Making money is not easy.

Indeed, those who can make a lot of money must have the composure of a general who can sit calmly amidst a mountain of excrement without changing his expression...

Bai Zhou had some doubts in his heart.

Just then, the owner behind the octagonal table inadvertently looked up, revealing his face beneath the hood...

— It was a "pig nose mask" that covered everything up completely.

Bai Zhou: "..."

It turned out to be the case.

...However, don't be fooled by how disgusting these strange-looking internal organs are.

These are all commonly used materials in mysticism, and their sales are quite considerable.

Several nearby stalls were selling similar items: bundles of feathers, mountains of herbs, and strings of teeth from unidentified creatures...

Wholesale sales.

A mixture of strange smells lingered on me even after I had walked quite a distance.

At this time-

The white boat arrived at the second area of ​​the Ghost Market.

The items sold here are no longer so primitive and simple; they are more like magical objects, but they are priced higher and are more likely to be counterfeit.

For example, to the left of the white boat, there is a mysterious merchant in a black cloak selling a bunch of small glass bottles.

The gaseous substance inside the glass bottle surged and changed colors continuously, like a flowing rainbow.

—They are collected “dreams”.

Those who take it will have a good dream and sometimes see the people they want to see.

The silent, black-cloaked merchant reached out and brushed his hand across the shimmering, iridescent glass bottles, showing their magic to passing customers.

Their names on the label are—

"Longing".

But Bai Zhou also heard passersby refer to them as "a dream of wealth and glory".

Bai Zhou had no interest in "longing" because he had no one he desperately wanted to see.

People always yearn for a reunion with what they can't have because of what they've lost, but Shirashu never had anything to begin with.

Even in my dreams, I can't see my parents' faces because I've never seen them, so I have no reason to grieve.

He only wants to buy the Moon Water to heal his injuries; his goal is very clear and firm.

"Two rusty keys, of unknown origin, imbued with spirit. Why not buy them and give them a try? Perhaps a treasure awaits the destined one."

"A rose that blooms in the desert can be used to make potions or set up rituals."

“An artifact from over two thousand years ago, an absolutely authentic antique, possibly a saddle used by the First Emperor!”

"..."

Each mysterious merchant whispered secrets to their customer, as if conducting an important, confidential transaction.

But in reality, Bai Zhou had never seen even a single hanging message at any of these stalls...

This shows that none of these items were the special and extraordinary antiquities they claimed to possess.

—They're all new, but they're all fake!

Besides "inanimate objects," there are also places that sell "living objects."

"An owl, an owl that can hear human speech, an extraordinary being cannot be without his own owl."

"You're talking about the extraordinary individuals of the Western Federation, but I'm a loyal and steadfast citizen of the Eastern Federation. Don't try to sell me that kind of thing."

"Then you must want a pigeon. I have some here, Silverwing Carrier Pigeons..."

"Come on, everyone uses mobile phones for communication now, we don't need pigeons or owls anymore. Huami phones, understand?"

"..."

Throughout the entire process, Bai Zhou did not approach any of the stalls, maintaining a sufficiently cautious and safe distance from each stall owner.

He simply observed silently from afar.

Undoubtedly, this move was quite wise.

Because Bai Zhou saw it very quickly.
Someone received the "antique" from the mysterious merchant, but "carelessly" failed to catch it properly, and the "antique" shattered on the ground.

not only that.

He also saw someone inexplicably fall while passing by the stall, smashing all the "antiques" on the stall to pieces.

Then Bai Zhou witnessed the stall owner quietly picking up the mixing line from the ground while the man was in a panic.

Now, regardless of whether those "antiques" are actually "antiques," they can only be considered antiques, and compensation must be paid according to the marked price.

Hopefully they can afford to pay the compensation...

It was obvious that both of them were inexperienced newcomers who paid their dues as soon as they arrived at the ghost market.

This also taught Bai Zhou a lesson:
Human hearts are like demons; one must be cautious in everything one does.

Don't try to find bargains and take advantage of sellers; you need to be careful not to fall into their traps.

—The Ghost Market truly lives up to its name!

The unscrupulous merchants in this godforsaken place are more troublesome than little devils and more common than cockroaches!

Fortunately, Bai Zhou was always low-key and cautious. He simply observed and looked around under the cover of his cloak, and never did anything unnecessary.

After wandering around the ghost market for a while, he finally found his target in an inconspicuous corner.

A small leather suitcase lay open on the ground, its interior densely packed with various transparent glass jars.

The stall owner also put up a sign next to it:
"Moonlight Water".

This is it. Bai Zhou approached and asked in a low voice:
"Do you have any water from the moon in February?"

"There are some!"

The merchant, cloaked in black, answered without hesitation, his aged voice surprisingly warm:

"Do you want this year's or previous years'? I have stock from every year, it's just a matter of price..."

"This year," Bai Zhou interrupted him abruptly.

Why this year?

Because the water in February this year was relatively "cleanest", it didn't taste so disgusting.

For Bai Zhou, they all have the same effect.

"February moon water, sealed and never opened, purity guaranteed, sincere offer... one bottle contains three dust particles!"

How many bottles would you like?

Beneath the black cloak, the man extended three withered fingers and handed over a sealed, transparent glass jar with his other hand.

Just as the crow had said, Moonwater was cheaper than White Boat had imagined.

A full bottle of Moon Water only requires three "dust" cubes.

A single "ash" is equal to a thousand "dust".

No wonder those two specks of ash were all the crow had left.

There was a misunderstanding.

Ashes, this high-level currency, are more durable than White Boat had imagined...

Under the merchant's watchful eye, Bai Zhou reached into his robes.

He deliberately didn't use the ash given to him by the crow, but instead took out an ash he had brought from the depths of the Void Realm.

"This is……"

The old vendor paused for a moment, staring wide-eyed as he tried to make out the details.

Then, he straightened his hunched back and stood up abruptly, looking left and right to block Bai Zhou's view, so that Bai Zhou could quickly put the ashes away.

"Please take it back quickly, please take it back."

"I run a small business here, and I just opened today. I really can't make change for such a large sum of money as yours."

The old vendor's voice was very low and mysterious.

Bai Zhou could tell that the old merchant's attitude had changed.

It seems that "ashes" are a symbol of identity.

Bai Zhou seemed to be deep in thought.

The ability to casually produce ashes does not only imply the ability to produce "a thousand ashes," but may also signify a special status or position.

For example, a mysterious and powerful high-level extraordinary being?
This vendor clearly had a similar misunderstanding of himself.

Of course, what the vendors think is actually not important...

The important thing is that Bai Zhou needs to buy Moon Water to take back.

If he can't make change, it will be Bai Zhou who will be embarrassed.

This was something that neither Bai Zhou nor Ya had anticipated.

Perhaps it's because, for Ya, she hasn't cared about cheap things like "moon water" for a long time.

She may be completely unaware of the financial resources that an ordinary small vendor should have.

Thinking this through, Bai Zhou remained calm and gave a reply in a light tone, tinged with a hint of impatience.

“I don’t have any smaller sums of money, so…”

"Yes, of course... it's my problem if I can't find the money."

The old vendor rubbed his hands together, realizing that Bai Zhou was somewhat angry, and he became a little apprehensive.

But even after rummaging through the money box, he still couldn't scrape together three hundred "dust".

It doesn't matter if the business deal falls through.

But if you offend a great extraordinary person, who knows if they will hold a grudge?

He plans to do business here in the future.

Or, why not just give the moon water to the other person?

But who knows how many bottles they need...

"Ah, I've got it!"

Suddenly, his eyes lit up:
"You want moon water, right... In fact, I know that an auction is about to be held deep in the Ghost Market, and the minimum investment is five hundred dust."

"I heard that one of the highlight items at tonight's auction is the potion 'Tears of the Moon Goddess'!"

Tears of the Moon Goddess?

Bai Zhou pondered the word in his mind, but showed little reaction on the surface, only giving a faint "oh" to signal the vendor to continue.

This enigmatic reaction perfectly matched the merchant's guess about his status as a high-level extraordinary being:

"As you know, the effects of Moon Water are all there, and 'Tears of the Moon Goddess' will have them all, and all of them will be dozens of times stronger!"

"You are welcome to go there and take a look, and buy whatever you like."

"Even if you just need to exchange some currency with them, you can come back to me!"

"I will definitely prepare moon water for you, as much as you need!"

"...That's fine."

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Zhou slowly collected the ashes:
“Leave the moon water behind.”

"I will come back to find you."

……

Heading deeper into the ghost market, Bai Zhou prepared to attend the "auction" mentioned by the vendors.

This kind of thing sounds incredibly expensive.

The problem is that Bai Zhou is currently in a situation where he has money but can't spend it.

Moon Goddess's Tears? Sounds worth a try.

Moreover, there will not be only one "Tears of the Moon Goddess" at an auction.

Just as he was thinking this, Bai Zhou's gaze fell on another vendor by the roadside.

Two customers were also gathered around the vendor.

Originally, Bai Zhou was about to cross over.

But after taking another look through the crowd, he stopped.

A familiar face.

A figure draped in a black cloak sat on a roadside stone, looking mysterious.

But Bai Zhou recognized her at a glance; she was the masked witch he had just parted ways with.

...So, she really didn't come to the "ghost market".

—Is it the seller?

Standing at a distance, Bai Zhou surveyed the stall in front of her.

A simple black cloth was laid on the ground, very plain and unadorned, with only one item placed on it.

"Is this for sale?"

"Why are you leaving it there if you're not going to sell it?"

Whenever someone asks, the mysterious merchant, disguised as a witch, impatiently raises his hand and points to a handwritten wooden sign standing to the side.

The sign clearly stated in red letters:

"A generous reward will be given for repairing the magic runes!"

—And what was placed on the black cloth was something that looked like a broken spear.

It looks like a broken spear, but it's actually more like a magic wand, with a unique design and intricate magic runes engraved on it.

It's just that some parts are blurry, rotten, or have broken patterns.

It looks like a very old object, I wonder where it was dug up from.

"This is……"

Suddenly.

Bai Zhou's heart skipped a beat.

He only glanced at the "magic wand" briefly before noticing its overall design and the magical patterns on it...

All of these things felt incredibly familiar to Bai Zhou!

It's more than just familiarity.
The pile of standard-issue scraps from the depths of the Void Realm in his hands included the prototype of that mechanical spear...

Don't they all look like this?

It's practically the same group of people manufacturing the same type of standard equipment in the same batch!
in other words--

The Jewel Witch offers a hefty reward for finding and repairing this magic wand...

It seems to be related to the "Zhu Luo Ji" that Bai Zhou is familiar with?
(End of this chapter)