Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

"When I met you, my fate changed."

"That's because I'm too handsome."

"..."

Soon after Taihuang entered Ghost Tooth Island, the surrounding world changed instantly.

As night fell, the clouds and winds were strange and the waves were high and turbulent. Thunder rumbled and waves crashed across the sea like an electric net. A towering, demonic figure stood faintly in the waves.

The enormous golden ship resembled a fish caught in a large net, struggling incessantly in the wind and waves.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, there was a burst of maniacal laughter: "Hehehe, hahaha, come on! Come on!"

Huang Quan paused, his figure standing steadily on the deck.

Despite her slender frame, Cui Luohan showed no sign of panic as the boat rocked from side to side.

Shao Gancheng gripped the navigation instrument tightly and shouted, "This is a monster from Ghost Tooth Island! You all need to get back into the cabin!"

monster?

Huang Quan gazed intently at the towering waves, and a deep voice echoed from the mirage-like spectacle:

"My domain is vast and unparalleled, a world of unmatched demonic markets, a place of exquisite beauty and wonder. It is a lost paradise, a luxurious hell. Are you ready?"

"Don't try to be mysterious, drink!"

The Yellow Springs Hand Incantation summoned a fire dragon that rode the wind and waves, sweeping away the eerie atmosphere and revealing the tranquil sea once more.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Golden Taihuang passed through Ghost Fang Island and instantly entered the Demon Market Sea. In the distance, a hazy expanse of lights could already be seen.

Looking back at the sea, Huang Quan saw that the clouds had dispersed, the stars were shining brightly, and the sea was as calm as a smooth mirror.

“Xiao Cui, we didn’t seem to see any such strange phenomena when we came last time.”

"Hmm, there is no such monster."

Shao Gancheng wiped the cold sweat from his brow: "We've finally made it through. Bloodlip Wharf is just ahead. We'll dock here."

Cui Luohan looked at the hazy white light and frowned slightly: "It seems there are many dangers ahead."

"I only fear that this path is too mundane."

The ship has docked.

The lively sounds of vendors could be heard from the dock:

"Welcome, welcome! The Strange Vendor World is open to all trade. Exchange everything you have for your inner desires."

"Visitors from another realm, fresh faces, hehehehehe."

"Sir, if you're looking to do business, come to me. I have everything you need: men, women, young, and old, both normal and disabled. High quality and low price, I'll handle it all."

Shao Gancheng saw Huang Quan and Cui Luohan off the ship and reminded them again: "Although this is your second time here, the atmosphere seems a bit off this time, so don't be careless."

"Thank you for the reminder, young master."

After disembarking, Huang Quan and Cui Luohan steadily moved forward.

The Strange Market is indeed a peculiar place with various strange rules, such as not being able to question the other party's offer when buying or selling items here.

In addition, the time in the Demon Market is different from that in the Bitter Realm; there is only one hour in a day, and the flow of time is determined by demonic sounds.

Once outsiders enter the Demon Market, they must wait until the twelfth demonic melody sounds before they have a chance to catch a glimpse of the entire Demon Market.

The two crossed the dock and stopped to wait by a well.

Soon after, twelve demonic sounds rang out, followed by a strange light erupting from the towering Demon Breath Mountain in the distance, like a demonic aura, which permeated the entire Demon City.

The hour of Hai (9-11 PM) has arrived.

As the demonic aura entered their bodies, the scenery around them changed, revealing a bustling market with numerous shops and throngs of customers.

However, these customers were of various shapes and sizes; most resembled beasts, a few resembled humans, and some resembled neither beasts nor humans.

After observing for a while, Cui Luohan thought about the purpose of her trip and couldn't help but worry: "With so many shops, where are we going to find the Fengdu Death Hoop?"

"Let's ask someone first."

Huang Quan walked straight into a shop in front of him.

"Excuse me, shopkeeper, do you know where I can buy the Fengdu Death Band?"

"I don't know, I don't know! You all get out of here!"

The shopkeeper was terrified when he heard about the Fengdu Death Binding and kicked the two men out.

The same thing happened at the next shop. After asking at five or six shops, they got no clues.

Even more extreme, upon hearing the words "Fengdu Death Binding," some people would kneel down in terror, crying out, "May the Emperor protect us! May the Emperor protect us!"

Indeed, it was different from what we saw last time. Last time they came to buy fish fry, although the behavior of each shopkeeper was strange, it was still a normal transaction.

Why did they seem so terrified when they heard about the Death Binding of Fengdu?

Suddenly, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant squeezed through the crowd.

"Hehehe, because in the Demon Market, this thing is a symbol of sin and honor, and ordinary people would never dare to talk about it."

Huang Quan scoffed: "Isn't that just the mask used when the eight most wanted death row inmates were executed back then?"

The merchant smiled slyly: "Not all masks are the same."

Cui Luohan sensed the hidden meaning in his words and hurriedly asked, "Does Your Excellency know about this item? Please enlighten me. If you possess this item, we are willing to trade."

"If you can take me with you when you leave, so I can see the outside world, I'll be willing to help with this deal."

Huang Quan readily agreed: "Okay."

The merchant was overjoyed: "Keep going until you reach the edge of the Dead Children Market, and look for the Punishment Shop. There you will find what you are looking for."

"Thank you. You may wait for us at the pier."

"Wish ya'll good luck."

The merchants turned back towards Bloodlip Wharf, while Huang Quan and the other man went straight ahead to the edge of the market.

Sure enough, I came across a shop with a signboard that read "Punish the Real Injury Shop".

"Punish the Truth Shop? What a strange name. Is it a shop that punishes the heartbreak of honest people?"

Cui Luohan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "That makes a lot of sense."

Huang Quan pushed open the door and entered. On the shelves in front of him were rows of damaged goods, ugly, dilapidated, missing, broken, none of them intact.

Apart from that, there is only one tree inside the store.

Why is no one looking after the shop?

"go out!"

The tree suddenly turned around, and Huang Quan looked closely. He saw that there was an old woman's face hanging on the tree.

"Huh? A tree spirit!"

The face hanging on the tree turned around again and became an old man with a beard.

"Insolent outsider!"

Cui Luohan bowed and said, "Excuse me, I would like to ask if your shop has any items, namely the eight deadly hoops of Fengdu that were recently salvaged."

The old man earnestly corrected her: "It's 'damaged shop,' not 'expensive shop,' and 'damaged item,' not 'commodity.' Our shop does indeed have this item, but you are not natives of the Demon Market, so how would you know about this Fengdu Death Bandage?"

"A thirst for novelty is a collector's nature. The rarer the treasure, the more collectors are interested in it. I believe you, the shop owner, understand this as well."

The old tree man shook his head: "What you said is not the truth, but the Demon Market only talks about buying and selling, not motives. What price are you willing to pay?"

"Silver, gold, and jewelry—we have plenty. Shopkeeper, name your price."

Upon hearing this, the old tree man flew into a rage: "Gold and silver jewelry? Are you insulting me?"

Instantly, leaves shot out, heading straight for Huang Quan and the other two.

Huang Quan swept all the leaves off his sleeves and said, "Shopkeeper, please don't be angry."

Seeing Huang Quan easily deflect the attack, the old tree man was taken aback. People from outside the demon realm had their power suppressed by 70% after absorbing the aura of Demon Breath Mountain in the Demon Market.

Why does this person possess such profound internal strength?

The old tree spirit turned into an old woman, her face shifting back to her own, and said in a shrill voice, "Outer realm dweller, do you wish to challenge the rules of the demon market?"

"We dare not, we have come from afar, and we hope that you two will grant our request."

"Hmph, our shop practices barter. What treasures do you have to offer in exchange?"

Huang Quan touched his body and found that he really had nothing on him.

Cui Luohan shook her head; she didn't have any either.

The old woman rolled her eyes and made a suggestion: "If you fetch me a valuable item, I will grant your request."

"What?"

"The Four Sick Boat Qin of Diyou Tower. This qin originally belonged to the former courtesan of Diyou Tower. Don't worry, the courtesan is dead, and the qin has broken strings and lost its sound. It is a truly damaged piece."

"Four diseases? Boat zither?"

In terms of art, Huang Quan is certainly better than Wu Jun, but compared to the Lady, he is far inferior.

Having immersed herself in the art of the zither for many years, Cui Luohan immediately explained: "The story of the Four Diseases comes from Buddhist practice, which means to create disease, to let disease run its course, to stop disease, and to eliminate disease."

“Madam is truly learned; let us proceed at this moment.”

Diyoulou, the most famous restaurant in the Strange Merchants Market, is located in the heart of the Dead Children's Market.

There is a Qiqiao Bridge nearby, also known as the Daughter Bridge, which is the best place for couples in the Demon City to date and pledge their love.

The two had come in a hurry last time and hadn't set foot in Diyoulou, but this time they could finally enjoy the eight cups of mellow wine and the green silk wine.

After walking for a short while, you will see a grand restaurant.

The building has three stories, with glazed green tiles and copper bells on the eaves that sway in the wind.

A large crowd gathered, creating a lively atmosphere, with the sound of zither music filling the air outside the beaded curtain.

Seeing that the two were exquisitely dressed and had an extraordinary presence, the waiter warmly greeted them and led the distinguished guests into a luxurious private room.

"Please have a seat, sir. Tea will be served shortly."