1.

The two-day period was fleeting, and it was fast coming.

Lin Xiao took the copper coin handed to him by Shen Guhong and looked back and forth for a long time, but he didn't see the reason, so he asked confusedly: "Give me this copper coin, what does this mean?"

"This is the rule of Moon Song City, if you want to enter the ghost city, you must have a certificate. Shen Guhong explained.

Ye Xin said in disbelief: "So this so-called certificate is...... A copper coin?"

Han Jiu said: "Miss Ye doesn't know, these are not the ordinary copper coins used in the market for trading, but the 'mouth money' that the dead hold when they are buried. ”

Lin Xiaozheng put the copper coin in his ear and flicked it to listen to the sound it made, and when he heard this, he was so frightened that he almost threw it out; Ye Xin also pursed his lips, and his face changed slightly. For a while, the two of them froze directly in place, and they both felt that the copper coin in their hands was full of gloomy atmosphere.

Hankou money, also known as "Hankou" or "Hanhan", refers to putting a copper coin in the mouth of the deceased when he is buried, which is a folk custom that has been handed down since ancient times. The ancient ancestors believed that there was a river called "three ways" in Lechuan, and there were boats on the river, so there must be boats specially responsible for ferrying. The undead need to cross the river to enter the Netherworld, and of course the river crossing should be like the human world, and they need to pay the boat, otherwise they are likely to be reprimanded by the boat and unable to cross the three rivers, and even more will come back to trouble their descendants. Therefore, the living should prepare a copper coin for the deceased to be buried with money, and the money contained in the mouth of the deceased is the fare paid to the ferryman on the river.

"Although the ghost market is not a market opened by a real 'ghost', the reason why it is called this way is because such a business is in the yin word - it is not visible. Shen Guhong continued to explain: "This kind of realm where there is no light is, of course, to distinguish it from the realm where there is enough yang energy, so the ghost market opens at dusk and closes at dawn. ”

"After entering the ghost market, you can no longer think of yourself as a human, but should be counted as a wisp of ownerless wandering spirits. Therefore, if you want to enter the ghost market, you have to use the contents of the dead person as a ticket for admission. ”

Lin Xiao nodded suddenly in understanding: "It turns out that the ghost market in Song City is still so particular this month, it is really teachable." ”

"So where is the entrance to the ghost market?" Ye Xin asked.

Shen Guhong replied: "All the dark alleys in the entire Moon Song City are the entrances to the ghost market. ”

Ye Xin was slightly surprised: "Why are there so many entrances?

Han Jiu said: "There are more than one ghost market in the world, some ghost markets are opened in the dark alleys of the city, some ghost markets are opened in the suburbs or caves in the mountains, and some are opened in the kind of abandoned tombs. And the ghost market in Moon Song City is different from other places, its location is the other side of the city, but it is separated by an enchantment. ”

"What do you mean—the relationship between the city of Moon Song City and the ghost market is similar to that of a mirror, and the ghost city itself is hidden in a huge enchantment?" Lin Xiao asked with wide eyes.

"Not bad. Han Jiu continued, "The ghost market is actually a realm that is the opposite of the real world, just like you said - reality and the ghost market are separated by an enchantment, like two sides of a mirror. Everything in reality is reversed in the ghost market, and the simplest example is that the moon you see in reality is the first quarter moon, so ......"

Ye Xin reacted quickly and said, "...... Then the moon seen in the ghost market is the last quarter moon. ”

Han Jiu snapped his fingers: "Completely correct." ”

"Alright, it's getting dark, let's go. Shen Guhong said, "There is an hour after the time to enter the ghost market, and now almost half an hour has passed, we have to hurry up." ”

The streets are crowded with people, all of whom are going out to go to the ghost market, there are people from all regions, and there are not a few, with different costumes and accents. Visitors from all over the world have gathered together in such a rare way, and it seems that the "gluttonous feast" that comes once in ten years is really charming.

Most of the people on the street are in groups of three or five, armed with swords and swords, all with solemn expressions, and they are talking in a low voice when they communicate, for fear of being overheard by others, and the content of the conversation is nothing more than speculation about the lot or what treasure they plan to find after entering. As for why he lowered his voice so nervously to speak, he was naturally afraid that his plan would be heard, lest others take the lead.

Shen Guhong led the three of them through the crowd and walked into a dark alley on the side of the street. There are relatively few people in it, and it should be a group of people who have just finished walking. The four of them walked along the path to the end of the alley.

Lin Xiao and Ye Xin couldn't help but widen their eyes in surprise - the end of the alley was not a wall, nor was it a partition, it was an endless darkness, making people unable to see the end of the darkness, as if the world behind this darkness was the legendary eighteen layers of hell.

A man stood in front of the darkness, wrapped in a wide black cloak, revealing only a pair of gloomy pupils. The long hem of the cloak dragged to the ground, giving the impression that the person was floating in the air.

"Ten miles of Yin and Yang Realm. The man stretched out a hand towards Lin Xiao and his party and said coldly.

Shen Guhong smiled slightly, handed over the coin in his hand, and then responded: "There is a line between life and death." Lin Xiao and the three of them also handed over the copper coin in their hands to the strange black-robed man.

The black-robed man took the four mouthfuls in his hand, gently flipped them, held them up, and then leaned in front of him. Lin Xiao saw that his chest was slightly undulating, and he knew that he was only smelling the smell of those copper coins, as if he was feeling the breath of a dead man attached to them. After a while, the black-robed man put away the money, nodded and motioned for everyone to pass, then took out four ghost masks from under his wide cloak, handed them to the four of them, and said in a dark voice, "Go in." ”

Shen Guhong and Han Jiu pushed Lin Xiao and Ye Xin, who had not yet reacted, behind them, pushing them into the endless darkness, and then walked in themselves.

When they entered the darkness, Lin Xiao and the others felt that their eyes were dark, and their bodies seemed to be suspended in the air, and they were fluttering and had no sense of strength. Immediately, I felt that I was stepping on the ground again. When the darkness faded from the eyes, what I saw was the scene of Moon Song City, but the people were not in the dark alley just now, but at the gate of the city.

"Put the mask on. Someone said from behind, but it was Shen Guhong's voice. Lin Xiao and Ye Xin reacted at this time, and hurriedly put the ghost mask in their hands on their faces.

Shen Guhong and Han Jiu also put on their masks and walked to their side at this time. "The ghost market is distinguished from reality, and there is no distinction between external identities here, so when you enter the ghost market, you must wear this ghost mask to show that you are a part of the ghost realm. ”

Lin Xiaohu said suspiciously: "Here...... Is that the darkness we just passed through in the alley the entrance to the ghost market?!"

"Exactly. Han Jiu said with a smile, "Hasn't Lin Shaoxia discovered it yet? ”

When Lin Xiao and Ye Xin heard this, they immediately raised their eyes and looked around. The first thing I saw was a shop called "Relics of God", and on the plaque at the entrance of the store, the words "Relics of Heaven" were written from left to right, which was the opposite of the way of writing from right to left in reality. If you look at the plaques with names engraved on them in other shops, the same is true.

It seems that this place is undoubtedly the rumored Moon Song Ghost Market.

2.

The opening of the ghost market is also called "the opening of the ghost door", and the people who enter the ghost market wander in the ghost market, and there is also a name called "little ghost out of the street". And like today, on the big day of the "gluttonous feast", the moon song ghost market is even more crowded with people, and this rare scene is called "Hundred Ghosts Night Walking"!

The street scene in the ghost market is far more lively than that of Moon Song City, with stalls shouting loudly, bargainers hiding their hands in their sleeves and gesturing, elders chattering to juniors about the rules here, and competing opponents shouting and scolding...... The faces of all living beings are vividly displayed in this shady place.

On the side of the street, there are two people who are bargaining and competing, and they are trying their best to "learn all their lives", greeting each other's ancestors in the most vulgar language, and even Ye Xin, who is a disciple of the Demon Sect and is used to hearing dirty words on weekdays, can't help frowning. Lin Xiao looked at their blushing faces and thick necks, and suddenly remembered the conflict in the wine shop in Moon Song City, and compared with the scene in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

"I remember, isn't it the law of 'the law of the jungle' pursued by Moon Song City? logically speaking, there shouldn't be a big deal to do it here, why do those two people just keep scolding, but no one dares to do it?" Lin Xiao touched Shen Guhong and asked.

Shen Guhong shook his head: "You're talking about Moon Song City, this is a ghost city, and the laws of the two are different." ”

Lin Xiao was slightly surprised: "What's the difference?"

"The ghost market is to operate interests that violate normal laws, and in order to avoid being punished by heaven, the original founders need to add another law to the ghost market to balance each other. Shen Guhong explained, "Therefore, in the ghost market, you can't fight without permission." It is guarded by guards, and if discovered, the perpetrator will be expelled by the guards and will never be allowed to enter the ghost market again. ”

"Then what if the perpetrator himself is powerful and dares to do something to the guards?" Ye Xin asked curiously.

Han Jiu shook his head beside her and sneered, "Don't think about it, in this ghost city, no one can beat the guards!"

Lin Xiao and Ye Xin were even more surprised: "Why?"

At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from the side. Everyone turned their heads to look at the place in unison, only to see a strong man with five big and three thick fists smashing a person's stall, reaching out and grabbing the stall owner's collar and picking him up, and said in a vicious tone: "Damn! Lao Tzu just wants your things, what's wrong? If you have the ability, follow the rules of your Moon Song City, let's fight first!"

Han Jiu raised his eyebrows in the direction of the strong man: "Don't you want to know why, look at it, we'll see it soon." This person is probably the first time to come to the ghost market, and he thought that this place and Moon Song City were the same rules, so he would wait to be beaten later!"

The main body of the stall was thin and weak, and was lifted high by the strong man by the collar, his feet off the ground, and the whole person swayed in mid-air, and he could be smashed by the other party at any time, and his bones and tendons would be broken. But he didn't show any fear, but sneered slightly: "Brother Tai, I can advise you to put me down quickly." Otherwise, I can't tell who it will be when I cry my father and call my mother later!"

The strong man was furious: "You look cold, but your tone is not small. In that case, let's take a look at who will cry dad and call mom!"

"Hey, that! Put people down!"

A sharp and unpleasant voice suddenly sounded, and there was a sudden commotion in the crowd, which automatically lined up on both sides and revealed a path from the middle. I saw two people wrapped in black clothes and black robes walk out, the figures of these two people are also extremely weird, one is a dwarf who is less than four feet, and the other is long, the combination of one tall and one short makes people's eyes straight.

The dwarf said sharply: "The rules of the Moon Song Ghost City prohibit fighting without permission, thinking that you are here for the first time, I will spare you once, quickly put people down, and leave by yourself." If not, you will be abolished and expelled from the Moon Song Ghost City!"

The strong man didn't know what was at stake, so he spat on the dwarf and laughed: "Just because you are a dead dwarf, and you still want to meddle in your Lao Tzu's affairs, it's just looking for a fight!" After saying that, he put down the stall owner, raised his foot and kicked at the dwarf. The other man was extremely short, and he had already kicked the dwarf face door with a slight lift of his foot.

The dwarf was spat and verbally insulted, but he didn't see any anger, just shook his head slightly and sneered: "Stubborn fool!" Seeing that the strong man's kick had been kicked in front of him, the next moment, everyone present only heard a crisp "click", and the dwarf had reached out to block the kick, and broke the opponent's ankle bone with a fast hand.

The strong man screamed in pain and fell to the ground, but the dwarf was extremely ruthless, smashing all the bones of his limbs with one palm. The strong man was already rolling his eyes in pain, and he fainted directly. The tall man next to the dwarf stepped forward, grabbed the unconscious perpetrator and lifted him above his head, snapped a sigh, and threw it with a wave of his hand. The strong man flew out like a kite with a broken string, and suddenly disappeared into a flash of darkness that appeared out of thin air, just like the darkness at the entrance, and then disappeared without a trace—but he was thrown directly out of the barrier of the ghost city!

Everyone present sighed, and Lin Xiao and Ye Xin were also shocked by the skills of the two guards, and stood in place for a long time.

"Is that dwarf really so powerful?!" Lin Xiao asked in disbelief.

Shen Guhong smiled slightly: "Actually, there is a reason why the guards can be invincible in this ghost city - you should still be able to feel the existence of the true qi in your body now, but you have luck, see how the result is." ”

Lin Xiao carried up the Ziyang True Qi as he said, but found that his internal strength could not be lifted at all, and he couldn't help but be shocked: "My True Qi has been sealed!"

Ye Xin also frowned and said, "Mine too." ”

"Actually, we all are. Shen Guhong continued: "The layout of this ghost market and the formation of a 'sealing array' are mutually dependent, and everyone who enters here will be sealed with true qi, even the spiritual power of magic weapons is no exception, so it becomes no different from ordinary martial artists." ”

"Is that just the guards invincible?"

"Of course not. The guards were wearing a waist card with runes engraved on it to restrain the sealing formation. With those rune waist cards, the guards can use their true qi spiritual power to cast runes or martial arts, and the person who is sealed is naturally not an opponent. ”

Lin Xiao frowned and said, "There is such a mystery in this. If the spiritual power of the Dharma Weapon will also be sealed, does that mean ......?" he said, looking down at the red dust in his hand.

Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded in the sea of spiritual consciousness: "What do you see, this girl is still alive, how can an immortal product that has cultivated a spirit body be so easily trapped by a small sealing formation!"

Lin Xiao silently rolled his eyes, and used his divine sense to send a message to Hongchen - this only required him to meditate on this sentence in his mind, and he didn't need to use any spells: "It's best not to be trapped, in case something happens later, I still have to count on you!"

Hongchen sneered: "The dignified Purple Sun Divine Sect's eldest disciple, are you still afraid of losing to others in martial arts?!To be serious, let me remind you, your Qiankun bag is not as capable as me, and the 'and Ti Fu' has no effect in this place, you have to beware of Dian Ye Xin, don't let her take the opportunity to snatch the remnant picture - although I have been with her for a while, I feel that this girl's heart is not bad, but don't forget, you two belong to two opposing camps after all!"

Lin Xiao was stunned when he heard this, and turned his head to look at Ye Xin beside him, only to see that she was still looking around at the street scene in the ghost market, and there was a rare trace of fireworks on her dusty cold appearance.

Ye Xin turned his head: "Why are you looking at me?" There was that rare gentleness in his tone.

Lin Xiao's heart couldn't help but tremble slightly: "No...... It's nothing. ”

3.

In the square of the ghost city center, there is a building that resembles an altar, and it is here that the "gluttonous feast" is held.

On top of the altar, there is a large table with a stove of sandalwood, and on the table is an ancient box containing the items of this auction. The two governors, called "bull heads" and "horse faces" in the ghost market, sat on either side of the altar with their faces painted with their faces, and the presiding "judge" stood in the center of the altar and could "open the feast" as soon as the hour came.

The audience was bustling with people from all over the world, including businessmen who came to search for treasures, knights who came to find secrets, and cultivators who came to collect immortal products. At this time, everyone's eyes and topics were focused on the ancient box containing the auction items, as well as the five people sitting behind the altar.

The five men were three men and two women, two of whom were twin brothers, who looked like they had been carved out of a mold, all with beards, dressed in black, with a long knife at each side, and even the piercing gaze was the same. There is also a man who is a boy in a brocade dress, with a face like a crown of jade, handsome, dressed in white like a fairy, and gently shaking a folding fan decorated with ink plums in his hand, and his beautiful face attracted many women in the audience to become.

The three men were surrounded by two stunning beauties, one of whom was dressed in red, with a smile on his face, and from time to time he said a few words to a few people around him, and then "giggled" and laughed. And the woman in the aqua blue dress next to her was just the opposite, as tranquil as still water, even if she was occasionally teased by the woman in red, she pursed her lips and smiled, and other times she was just an elegant posture, like a fairy out of the dust.

Many people in the audience looked at the five people and discussed excitedly:

"I didn't expect the 'Four Pulses' to really send someone!"

"It seems that the rumors are true, there must be something good at this event. ”

"Not really. The last time the four of them sent someone to attend the meeting was because of the Soul Destroying Banner's current life—it was all about the Year of the Monkey and the Moon. ”

"But the first two times they came were all the heads of the family or the prestigious elders in the four veins, these people on the stage...... They all look so young. ”

"Your Excellency is not right in what you say, as the saying goes: 'A man cannot be a man, and the sea cannot be measured.'" Although these people seem to be young, they are all young masters of the four veins. ”

"I see, I hope that my brother will give me a lesson or two. ”

"The two twin brothers on the edge are the twin sons of the Baili family, the two brothers Baili Nancheng and Baili Beiye. The handsome boy sitting next to them was the son of the Shangguan family, known as the 'white jade flawless' Shangguan Weiran. ”

"The two on the left hand are the pearls of the Nangong family and the Murong family. The one in red is the eldest lady of the Nangong family - Nangong Qianqian, and the one next to her is even more famous, it is the daughter of the Murong family, the talented girl who was famous in the Central Plains at the age of ten with "Yi Shui Fu" - Murong Youqing. ”

Lin Xiao and his entourage stood behind the group of people and listened to them talk about the origins of the five young men and women on the stage. "The vine canals are full of gold and jade, and the moon enters the Yishui reflecting the pond. Unexpectedly, the "Yishui Fu", which was once famous in the Central Plains and was also written by Yan Suqing, the dean of Jinling Ink Dye Academy, entitled "Golden Words and Jade Sentences", was actually written by this Miss Murong. Lin Xiao looked at Murong Youqing on the stage with a calm expression, and couldn't help but sigh.

Ye Xin glanced at Lin Xiao and suddenly snorted coldly.

The "little ghosts" on the stage walked back and forth around the altar and began to beat the gong, signaling that the "gluttonous feast" would begin immediately, and the voices of the audience discussion gradually quieted down, and finally fell silent. The "judge" wore a mask with blue fangs, picked up the antique box, walked to the front of the stage to face everyone, and said in a long voice: "It's time to eat!"

"Good!" The audience applauded and cheered.

The judge raised a hand to signal the audience to silence, and when the applause and cheers had fallen, he continued: "Today's thing is a long-lost secret method in the Demon Realm's Eternal Night Realm. It stands to reason that this object will not be able to appear in the world, but now that it is on display today, this feast will be auctioned in a different way. After the joint discussion of many elders in the four veins, it was finally decided that the 'knife edge licking blood' system would be used to determine the ownership of this secret method. ”

As soon as the words "licking blood from the knife edge" came out, the audience was in an uproar.

In fact, the so-called "knife edge licking blood" is to decide the ownership of the auction item by fighting in the ring. From the opening of the table, until dawn, when the ghost market ends, the last person standing on the stage is the ultimate owner of the auction.

Such a system, while it sounds simple, is more brutal than a way to gamble for money. Everyone here was sealed by the sealing circle in the ghost city, and if they wanted to distinguish themselves from the superior by fighting in the ring, they were left with the only way to fight in close combat, and this was precisely the most likely way to cause casualties.

Of course, you can admit defeat in the process of the competition, but it is really embarrassing to admit defeat in front of everyone, so many people will choose to fight desperately, plus the sword has no eyes, since the establishment of the "gluttonous feast", many people have fallen under the rule of "licking blood from the knife edge".

Fighting on stage is a one-on-one duel, and the one standing on the court at the end is the winner. According to this logic, the earlier the person goes, the more unfavorable the situation. This often results in a situation where no one plays at the beginning and then a swarm of people at dawn, and there have been cases where no one plays until the last minute. However, the ghost market is even more extreme, if more than two people are in the ring together, it is all considered a violation, and if there is more than one person left on the stage when the hour comes, then the collection will be withdrawn.

From these, it can be seen that the rule of "licking blood from the knife edge" often creates a situation of "unable to die well".

The judge didn't care what the audience thought, and after announcing the rules, he opened the ancient box in his hand and said loudly: "Now - announce the 'dishes' of this feast!"

For a moment, everyone held their breath and focused their eyes on the box in the judge's hand. He opened the box, took out a scroll from it, and slowly opened it, and drew a picture on it, which showed a wisp of demonic demonic energy coiling on a towering mountain, as if it was about to swallow the mountain.

The craftsmanship of this painting is extremely exquisite, but there is no indication that it has anything to do with the lost practice of the Demon Sect. Suddenly, the audience exploded, pointing at the painting, and there was a lot of discussion:

"What kind of thing is this? It's actually worth fighting for with the rule of 'licking blood from the knife edge'?!"

"What about the lost secret method, what does it mean to take a picture and fool people!"

Lin Xiao didn't understand what this painting had to do with the lost secret method of the Demon Realm, but he obviously felt that the moment this painting appeared, Ye Xin beside him suddenly stiffened, and then grabbed his hand hard, grasping it very tightly, pinching him painfully.

Lin Xiao grinned and pulled his hand out of Ye Xin's grasp, gasping in pain, and asked, "What's wrong with you? Is there anything wrong with that painting?" Ye Xin had rarely been so abnormal, and he vaguely knew in his heart that it should be the cause of that painting.

Ye Xin turned her head, and Lin Xiao saw the shock and incredulity in her eyes.

"That's one of the 'Three Volumes of Eternal Night' in the legend of the Demon Realm," Ye Xin said slowly, "The name is 'Demon High One Zhang'!"

【To be continued】