Chapter 60: The Weak Are Prey to the Strong

The girl’s grip was fierce; as soon as she seized Lu Xin’s wrist, he was lifted entirely off the ground. Whirling winds howled around them, buffeting from below with surges of buoyancy, as though they were soaring atop a mountain peak.

Once outside the shop, Lu Xin finally saw the newcomer’s attire clearly—a pink dress, a cloth pouch adorned with an embroidered rabbit hanging at her waist, and an exceedingly slender figure. Though her face and mask were hidden, Lu Xin recognized her instantly: the girl who had, only moments before, spent two hundred taels of silver on a single candied hawthorn.

“Where’s your candied hawthorn? Did you eat it all?”

“Oh heavens, even with disaster looming, you’re worried about that immortal fruit? If I’d known, I’d have saved one for you!”

Her voice was ethereal, like a droplet falling from a flower petal in mist-shrouded mountain woods. Lu Xin found himself entranced, unable to speak.

The man in black was still hot on their trail, and the explosion had finally drawn the attention of those on the street. More and more onmyoji turned their gaze toward them, but every face was hidden behind a mask, betraying no emotion.

“Hey, did you buy something good? With so many chasing after you, it could turn deadly.”

The girl dragged Lu Xin through winding streets, darting seemingly aimlessly, yet always finding cover behind stalls and rock caves, eluding their pursuers’ eyes. What’s more, she chose the busiest streets, weaving through the crowds so deftly that even the black-clad man hesitated to act.

She clearly knew the layout of the Ghost Market inside and out. Glancing back, Lu Xin saw that most of their pursuers had fallen behind; only the man in black, riding atop a bamboo flute, remained about twenty meters overhead, refusing to give up.

“Since it’s a market, surely there’s someone in charge? Is there no one to prevent robbery and murder?”

“Oh, little brother, you really don’t understand Yunmeng Marsh. There’s an unwritten rule in the Ghost Market—never flaunt your wealth. If you’re being chased, it’s because someone saw the treasure you carry. Don’t be fooled by their respectable business fronts; their hearts are full of darkness. If your cultivation were higher, you wouldn’t be bullied so openly. But you’re only at the first stage of the Observation Realm—if people learn you have a treasure, their first thought is to snatch it.”

“What about the master of the Ghost Market? If there are no rules, won’t the market collapse?”

“Him? Let me tell you, who would risk offending a master of the Micro Realm for the sake of a mere onmyoji at the first stage of the Observation Realm? Giving everyone a mask is already the highest degree of safety the Ghost Market can provide.”

With that, the girl zipped into a timber shop. In her haste, her mask struck a wooden post by the entrance and shattered into two.

Lu Xin finally saw her face—large eyes, a high nose, skin glowing with rosy youth, so tender it seemed to press water from it. Her unadorned face, brows furrowed from the broken mask, mouth slightly turned—she was unspeakably cute.

Over the years, traveling between Shanyin County and Hangzhou for the tea trade, Lu Xin had seen many beautiful girls. The south was famed for its beauties—like Tian Yu’er, whose bright eyes and pearly teeth, whose lotus-like charm, could inspire anyone’s admiration.

But this girl’s beauty was of another kind. Not the ethereal grace of Tian Yu’er, but playful and adorable, innocent yet worldly-wise. Lu Xin was stunned, staring at her, unable to look away.

“What’s wrong? Your face is as red as a monkey’s.”

“N-no, nothing.”

Seeing her puzzled look, Lu Xin quickly lowered his head, cheeks burning, wishing to vanish into the earth. Just then, the shopkeeper came over—a man in his sixties, garbed in the wide robes and sashes of the Wei and Jin dynasties, bearing a gentlemanly air. He seemed to recognize the girl, bending to speak, but she covered his mouth with her hand.

“Grandpa Jin, save your words for later. Someone’s chasing me; please find us a place to hide first.”

---

“What? Who dares chase after you? All right, all right, get into the cabinet—quick, into the cabinet!”

The old man sold only wooden wares. There was a dusty, gold-lacquered cabinet in a corner, its age uncertain. After squeezing inside, the two found the space so cramped they pressed back to back, still crowded. The girl’s long hair spilled over Lu Xin’s shoulder, a fragrance unique to young girls filling the air, intoxicatingly sweet. He had never been so close to a girl before; his heart raced, his face flushed red.

“Ow! Your back is so hard—it hurts!”

“S-sorry, I’ll… I’ll get out right away.”

Alarmed that he had hurt her, Lu Xin fumbled to open the cabinet, but as soon as he cracked it open, the black-clad man appeared at the shop’s entrance, forcing him to slam it shut. The girl sensed the pursuer’s presence too, covering Lu Xin’s mouth and nose to signal silence.

“Fellow Daoist, you seem in quite a hurry, flying in. Looking to buy something? We have eight-hundred-year old peach wood, thousand-year sandalwood, and three-thousand-year locust roots—all prime materials for crafting magical instruments. Please, take your time to look.”

“Hmph. Old man, I’ve no patience for you. A man and a woman just ran into your shop—where are they?”

“You jest, fellow Daoist. Only I, an old man, am here—no couple to be found. If you’re not here for wood, please leave.”

Grandpa Jin saw the visitor’s sour demeanor and responded in kind, dropping into his rocking chair and refusing to look at him. The man in black fell silent, scanning every corner of the shop before finally snorting and leaving in a huff.

A few minutes later, Grandpa Jin opened the cabinet, letting them out.

“Thank you so much, Grandpa Jin! I just knew that guy wouldn’t dare make trouble here.”

“Hahaha… Our Xin’er always knows how to flatter. Enough teasing—he’s a master of the Micro Realm, he wouldn’t care about my little cultivation. What he fears is the master of the Ghost Market!”

“Hehe, take care, Grandpa Jin. I’m off!”

As they left the shop, the black-clad man was gone, as were all other pursuers. Grateful, Lu Xin wanted to buy the girl a gift, but she refused flatly.

“My father says never accept things from others, especially from men.”

“I, I…”

“Oh, what’s ‘I, I’? Hahaha… Just teasing you, little brother. How old are you anyway? You look so silly.”

Without her mask, the girl seemed unconcerned, patting Lu Xin’s shoulder and spinning with delight. Lu Xin could only rub his head helplessly.

“T-ten, eleven… No, sixteen.”

“Really? Same age as me! What’s your name?”

“Lu Xin. And you?”

---

Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp.

Suddenly, a bird’s call issued from the pouch at the girl’s waist. Peering down, she saw a colorful little bird crawling out bit by bit. Her expression changed, and she exclaimed, “Oh no, father found out!” Before her words finished, she’d vanished from sight.

Lu Xin stared in the direction she disappeared, lingering for a long time. He shook his head with a wry smile and began retracing his steps. The hour was nearly up; he had to reach the place he’d agreed upon with Li Chunfeng to leave the Ghost Market.

Perhaps as dawn approached, the number of passersby dwindled, leaving the wide street oddly empty. Lu Xin walked with a furrowed brow—the fewer people, the greater the chance he’d be recognized. The memory of the black-clad man flying overhead made him deeply uneasy.

“From what I’ve seen, the master of the Ghost Market seems to protect only shopkeepers and stall owners. If I’m right, every shop must pay a fee. Visitors like me, who haven’t paid for protection—even if robbed or killed—are left to fend for themselves. If this is how onmyoji treat each other, they’re more despicable than bandits!”

Clutching the smooth jade pendant in his hand, Lu Xin sneered. This journey through the Ghost Market had given him a new perspective on the world of onmyoji. But thinking it over, survival of the fittest was always the law of the land. Those with greater power naturally cared little for the fate of an ant.

“Fellow Daoist, you seem in quite a hurry—where are you headed?”

Just as he was about to reach the appointed street, two figures blocked his path. A series of cold voices followed. Raising his eyes, he recognized their clothing—they were faces seen earlier in the tavern.

“Boy, an artifact like Celestial Jade isn’t something a newcomer to the Observation Realm can protect. Hand it over, and you’ll be safe.”

“What Celestial Jade? I have no idea!”

Lu Xin retorted angrily, backing away, but barely had he taken a few steps when three powerful presences appeared behind him. At the same moment, the black-clad man descended from above, landing coldly at his side.

In an instant, Lu Xin was locked by six streams of magical force, his body crushed as if under a mountain, unable to move a single finger.

“Had you known, you wouldn’t have acted so rashly. Now, forget a thousand taels of silver—you may not even keep your life!”

The black-clad man’s voice was icy, circling Lu Xin, his murderous intent undisguised. The others stood still, sneering, their plan for dividing the spoils clearly long decided. This scene drew dozens of curious eyes from the street.

“Bandits might dare to rob, but as onmyoji, you commit such crimes in broad daylight—aren’t you afraid of being scorned by the world?”

“Hmph, little ant, what do you know of the world? I’d hoped not to kill you, but now you’re courting death!”

The black-clad man’s voice suddenly twisted with malice; as he spoke, his bamboo flute transformed into a streak of azure light, hurtling toward the youth. Yet in the next instant, he was sent flying backwards, crashing violently into a street stall.