Chapter 34: Deep in the Mire of the Black Market

“If you judge someone’s true situation simply by what they wear, isn’t that terribly short-sighted?” I replied to her with a smile.

Seeing that the two across the table were clearly defeated, He Yanran also smiled and said, “It’s better to keep a low profile, so as not to invite envy!”

“Haha, true enough…” Xu Min replied with a bitter smile.

But Yu Hang still seemed eager to say something to compete with me, so I cut straight to the point: “Mr. Yu, your car is secondhand, isn’t it? I have a friend in the used car business, and he’s taught me how to spot one.”

“You—what nonsense are you spouting? My car isn’t secondhand, it’s just been a while since I bought it, and it’s had a few scrapes!” Yu Hang hurriedly explained to me.

“Is that so? Then I must have been mistaken? That surprises me, I’m usually quite accurate—my friends say I have a knack for it. Perhaps you should have it checked by a professional one day? It’s nothing, really, I just worry you might get scammed,” I replied, feigning concern.

He became agitated at once, insisting, “No need for that, I’m not selling it—what’s the point? At worst, I’ll just swap it for another soon enough.”

“True, I can see Mr. Yu’s family is well-off. Just don’t buy secondhand next time. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but the market is tricky—I wouldn’t want you to be cheated!”

“Haha, yes…” he said through clenched teeth.

“Come, everyone, let’s eat. The hotel you recommended has quite good food!” He Yanran said, unable to hide her delight.

Since my boasting had clearly left them at a loss, they seemed ready to have me foot the bill for the meal. Although I’d never dined here before, given the class of the place, the bill would certainly run to a thousand or two. I wasn’t about to pay for dinner, even with the money my parents left me; I wasn’t poor, but I had no wish to treat people like them.

After we had eaten our fill, Yu Hang announced he needed to visit the restroom.

I knew he was planning to slip away, so I got up to follow and said, “Let’s go together, I need to go too.”

Seeing me follow, Yu Hang was visibly irritated. If I weren’t so tall, he might have tried something, but he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

When we reached the restroom, he went in and I stayed outside, merely washing my hands and waiting.

He hadn’t really come to use the restroom, so he emerged quickly, surprised to find I hadn’t entered but had just come to wash my hands.

With me there, he had no way to dodge, so we washed our hands and returned together to the dining room.

Xu Min’s expression worsened when she saw us return together, realizing her boyfriend hadn’t slipped away.

This time, He Yanran stood and said, “We actually have something to attend to shortly, so we must leave first. But thank you for dinner—it was delightful!”

“No need to be so formal, we’re old classmates. It’s only right to treat you after so long apart,” Xu Min replied with a forced smile.

“Thanks! Next time you come to Nanjiang, dinner’s on me!” With that, I took He Yanran’s hand and left the private room.

Soon after, I heard Xu Min’s frustrated cries inside; He Yanran and I exchanged a glance and left the Westsource Hotel with a smile.

Back at our own hotel, I glanced at the time—it was nearly eight. I thought I’d visit the patrol bureau and then look for the Ghost King.

“Yanran, sis…”

“Don’t call me ‘sis’ anymore, please! I don’t like it,” she interrupted, displeased.

I thought for a moment—it was true, given how things had developed, ‘sis’ was no longer appropriate. I nodded, “Alright, He Yanran, I’m heading out shortly. Stay safe in the hotel, and I’ll call you when I get back.”

“Mm, I know. But I’d prefer you call me Yanran, like before,” she said shyly, her head lowered.

I picked up my backpack, nodded, and said, “Alright, Yanran it is from now on. I’m off—call me if you need anything.”

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“Mm, you take care too!”

I nodded, took a taxi from the hotel, and headed to the patrol bureau, where I found Lin Chuan, busy with work.

“Xiao Bei, you’re here at just the right time. We found a female corpse on Qianyuan Road today—can you check if it’s related to Yang Minghui?” Lin Chuan put aside his work to address me.

I sighed, feeling I’d only just finished dinner and wasn’t eager to face a corpse. “What’s the cause of death?”

“It’s rather gruesome, but still quite fresh,” Lin Chuan responded calmly.

I wasn’t nearly as calm and shook my head, “I’ll pass. I just ate.”

Seeing my refusal, Lin Chuan laughed, “You can’t go on like this. You’ll have to get used to it. These days, with all the deaths from the black market, it’s unavoidable for both of us.”

“I’ll get there, just give me some time,” I sighed.

He patted my shoulder, reassuring me, “You’ve been exhausted lately—once things settle, I’ll treat you well.”

“No rush. But I really want to know: Who’s behind the black market? Why can’t you touch them?”

“I don’t know. They’re like people atop a pyramid, while we ants at the bottom can’t even see them.”

“Exactly. We’re insignificant, but there aren’t many who can stand so high—eventually, we’ll find them,” I said.

At that moment, a faint voice sounded nearby, “The real fear is if the one standing there isn’t even human.”

I quickly turned around and spotted a female ghost in a green dress, her body covered in blood, standing in a corner.

I glanced at Lin Chuan, then walked over to the ghost. “What did you mean by that?”

“You’re an agent of the living, aren’t you? I advise you not to dig too deep into the black market. The ones at the top aren’t just people—there are ghosts as well,” she said, head lowered.

I didn’t quite understand. “Do you know who the ghost is?”

“I don’t. I’ve never seen him. But all seasoned merchants in the black market know—there’s a ghost boss at the top.”

A ghost boss? Who could it be? Dong Wutian? If it’s him, then the black market is a lost cause, and with him there, a host of ghosts must be guarding it.

I sighed and asked the ghost, “What’s your name? Why are you here?”

“I am the soul of the female corpse from Qianyuan Road. I heard from wandering ghosts that the agent was at the patrol bureau, so I came,” she replied.

“So you came looking for me? Raise your head, let me confirm your appearance,” I said.

She replied, “I’m afraid I’ll frighten you, agent.”

“It’s fine, I—” I started to say I wasn’t afraid, but when she suddenly lifted her head, I jumped in fright. No wonder Lin Chuan said the death was gruesome—she was more terrifying than any movie ghost.

“How did you die?” I glanced at her nearly severed neck and the skewers piercing her face, then quickly looked away.

“I don’t know who killed me—I was blind in life,” her answer left me feeling hopeless.

If even her soul doesn’t know who killed her, finding the culprit will be nearly impossible. With my methods failing, Lin Chuan’s team would have to figure it out themselves.

“Why don’t you head to the underworld and get the ghost doctor to stitch up your wounds? Your head is about to fall off,” I suggested.

“It’s alright. Once the corpse is sewn up, I’ll recover,” she replied calmly.

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Suddenly, I noticed she had died so horribly yet bore no strong resentment, so I asked, “You died like this—don’t you want revenge?”

“I do, but I want rebirth more. So you needn’t worry about me—I only came to see my family, and I’ll head to the underworld soon.”

I nodded, but felt she knew more about the black market—otherwise, how would she know about the ghost boss?

I asked directly, “You’re quite familiar with the black market, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I couldn’t see, only overheard bits about it,” she replied.

But I sensed there was more, and wanted to press further, but she vanished without a word—clearly reluctant to tell me.

Soon Tan Xiao appeared and said, “Zhang Xiaobei, the female corpse’s soul on Qianyuan Road has gone to the underworld. The task is finished.”

I nodded, and went to Lin Chuan’s office to ask, “Did you find out the name of the female corpse today?”

“Zhou Ya. Why?” Lin Chuan asked.

“The knife in the neck?”

He nodded, “Did you see her?”

“No, I met her soul. She refused to say who harmed her, and she seemed involved in the black market.”

“Another black market case—they’re getting too bold lately!” Lin Chuan said angrily.

“If her soul won’t speak, there’s not much I can do. I still have things to attend to, so I’ll head out.”

“Alright, but tomorrow night we need to prepare early,” Lin Chuan said.

“Mm,” I replied and left.

Outside, I asked Xiao Yuan and Xiao Fang if there was a Ghost King Temple nearby, and had them help me search.

After they disappeared, I sat by the flowerbed at the roadside, feeling trapped in a quagmire called the black market, unable to move forward.

“What are you thinking about?” Tan Xiao suddenly appeared and sat beside me.

“Reflecting on life,” I replied with a bitter smile.

“Feeling overwhelmed? It’s only been a few days and so much has happened,” she seemed to see right through me.

I didn’t answer, but I suppose that was agreement.

“Zhang Xiaobei, all of this is meant to be. You’ve done your best; there’s no need to be anxious.”

“Tan Xiao, who are you really? Do you know there’s a ghost boss among the black market leaders?”

“There is, but I don’t know who he is, and I’ve never seen him,” she answered directly.

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