A Life of Attributes Starting as a Nobleman in the Republic of China Era

After leaving the Zhabei shantytown, Chen Che first went to the French Concession Police Station to report the case.

The same Chinese police officer in uniform was still sitting behind the duty desk. Chen Che left a few words: "Midnight, Ghost Market, bestowed by Heaven, all shall be enjoyed by the people."

A month has passed since Yu Ban was given 10,000 foreign guns.

For some reason, the "ghost market" reminded Chen Che of Yu Ban's mystery.

There's no harm in meeting once; there might even be opportunities for collaboration.

......

At the beginning of midnight, Chen Che appeared at the south gate of the City God Temple.

A man wearing a black veil led him to the vicinity of the confluence of the South Canal and the Ziya River. This area was close to the British and French concessions, and the streets, which were relatively orderly during the day, took on a different appearance at night.

A huge abandoned warehouse left over from an early fire became the natural stage for the "ghost market".

There were no fixed stalls, no bright lights, only shadowy figures.

A few scattered lights, like flickering will-o'-the-wisps, barely illuminated a small area, making the surrounding darkness seem even more unfathomable.

Goods were piled up next to the rubble, placed on broken wooden crates, or even laid directly on the ground.

In the dim light, one could see porcelain with a faint glow, furs of dull color... but most of the objects were covered tightly with oilcloth or straw mats, each with a different shape and an air of mystery.

All sorts of people gathered here: Chinese brokers with hunched necks and gleaming eyes, foreign firm compradors with protruding bellies and haughty manners, burly men with leg wraps and fierce faces, and even Indians or Annamese with heavy headscarves and sunken eyes.

The transactions took place in the shadows, with the voices kept extremely low. The delivery of money or goods was swift and discreet, and once completed, the transactions quickly dispersed, disappearing into the darkness as if they had never existed.

Chen Che disguised himself as a fur merchant from outside the Great Wall, wearing a bulky robe and a felt hat that covered most of his face, and crept into the edge of the warehouse.

Instead of rushing to ask for prices, they strolled around the perimeter of the market like two genuinely apprehensive newcomers to the market.

In the "ghost market," there are large middlemen with fixed, hidden locations and relatively reliable reputations, who are known as having "seats."

They usually don't show themselves directly, but only make contact through trusted "street runners" or "brokers".

After turning around for a while, Chen Che noticed a corner.

There were some old machine parts piled up there, and a middle-aged man squatting next to him smoking a pipe. Through the swirling smoke, it was clear that he was the same middle-aged man from Qianminglou.

Chen Che's heart stirred.

The man paused slightly in his smoking, his cloudy eyes glancing at them from behind the smoke. He didn't speak, but pointed with his pipe towards a half-collapsed brick kiln deeper in the freight yard.

Chen Che calmed down a bit, suppressed his excitement, and got up to walk casually toward the brick kiln.

The brick kiln area was even more desolate, with huge, dark kiln bodies standing like the gaping maw of a monster.

The kiln walls bear the dark marks of years of smoke and fire. There are even fewer people here, and almost no light at all, with only the scattered halos of light from the distant ghost market barely outlining the shapes of objects.

Following the old man's directions, they arrived at a half-collapsed entrance on the side of the brick kiln.

It was pitch black inside, and you couldn't see anything. Only a stronger, musty-smelling cold wind blew out from the depths.

"Old man, I saw you at Qianming Tower at noon," Li Huining called out into the darkness.

A few breaths of silence fell in the darkness, broken only by the howling wind, like a sob.

Then, an aged voice rang out: "Come in."

In the darkness, Chen Che stepped into the brick kiln.

The ground was covered with broken bricks and rubble, which rustled underfoot. Li Yu followed behind, his hand already on the short knife at his waist.

The cave dwelling was very deep. After walking about twenty or thirty steps, the view suddenly opened up before us.

This is a kiln chamber that has collapsed halfway. The brick arch on the top has a large hole, through which the night sky and a few scattered stars can be seen. Moonlight leaks down from the hole and shines on a dilapidated eight-immortal table in the center of the kiln chamber.

Grandpa Zhong sat behind the table, still wearing that faded dark blue long gown, his hair as white as snow in the moonlight.

On the table were two thin booklets and an unlit oil lamp.

"Sit down," the old man gestured.

Chen Che sat down on the broken wooden box in front of the table.

Grandpa Zhong looked at Chen Che.

"You young man, you're quite composed," he said. "During the day in the shop, I told you to meet me at the ghost market at midnight tonight, and you didn't even ask my name. Aren't you afraid of coming and finding nothing there?"

"Since the old gentleman made the appointment, he naturally has a way to let me find him." Chen Che took off his felt hat, revealing his true face. "Besides, if the old gentleman doesn't want to see me, it's pointless to come here empty-handed."

"My surname is Zhong." Old Master Zhong nodded, his gaze falling on Chen Che's face, scrutinizing him for a moment. "Take it out."

Chen Che took out the divination token and placed it on the table.

Moonlight streamed through a hole in the kiln roof, illuminating the bone-white token.

Grandpa Zhong took out a miniature magnifying glass, focused his gaze on the divination tablet, and examined it for a long time.

He reached out, his withered fingers tracing the patterns on the token with a light touch, as if he were touching some fragile treasure.

"Come and see."

Chen Che moved closer.

Following the direction the old man was pointing, he saw a crack.

It is thinner than a hair and almost invisible to the naked eye. It can only be barely seen under the moonlight with the light shining from the side.

"This is not an ordinary divination slip." Old Master Zhong's voice became very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. "This is... altered."

He took out a very thin copper knife from his pocket, carefully inserted it into the gap, and gently pried it open.

With a soft "snap," a small crack appeared at the edge of the token.

A faint, pungent aroma of bitter almonds wafted out.

Chen Che frowned.

"The smell of cyanide, a Western neurotoxin," said Grandpa Zhong.

He continued to pry open the token.

The bone-white token was actually a hollow container, with an outer shell about half an inch thick, containing a small inner layer. This inner layer was filled with a dark brown paste, from which the bitter almond smell emanated.

The inner wall of the interlayer is engraved with dense patterns.

"The foundation of the Yaoling is a strange object that the previous dynasty found in the Western Regions," the old man said slowly. "That thing looks like a fleshy Ganoderma lucidum, and is called Tai Sui in folk terms, but it is different from ordinary Tai Sui. When it is alive, it will wriggle, breathe, and even react to a person's heartbeat."

"The alchemists of the previous dynasty discovered that this substance, after being dried and ground, has a peculiar effect," Grandpa Zhong continued. "Implanting it into a person's spine can allow them to maintain their mobility even after a serious injury, without feeling pain or fatigue, until they truly collapse after killing the enemy."

"Zombies," Chen Che said.

The old man nodded: "That's what people call it. The people of Yao call it 'refining.' From childhood, they are soaked in a special medicinal solution and nurtured with a secret method. When they reach adulthood, that thing is implanted into their spine, leaving them in a half-dead, half-alive state. When alive, they are no different from ordinary people, but as long as the medicinal properties in the Yao token are activated, they can enter that state."

He looked at the pried-open divination token on the table.