CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 66: GHOST MARKET AT DUSK

Chen Xu sat in the carriage, watching as Cui Jingxian used ten taels of silver to resolve the driver’s anger.

The driver honestly turned his anger into joy, after all, the amount given was truly excessive.

Then, Cui Jingxian raised the scroll in his hand and explained the new rules of the poetry contest to all the scholars arriving from afar in the carriage.

Finally, he said to everyone, "Everyone shall offer their best to invite someone to compose a poem, that’s one rule.

However, I have another reward here.

If any poem can match with this ancient painting in my hand, and make the painting emit green smoke, I am willing to offer three hundred taels of patterned silver and three sticks of Taiqing Awakening Incense."

As soon as he finished speaking, the place fell silent immediately.

The three hundred taels of silver aside, the Taiqing Awakening Incense was indeed a Spiritual Object that money couldn’t easily buy.

Cui Jingxian, merely a branch of the Cui family, could casually take out three sticks of Taiqing Awakening Incense just as a reward for a roadside poetry contest, which was truly astonishing.

Finally, someone in the long pavilion couldn’t help but say, "Brother Jingxian, you should have said earlier that the reward included Taiqing Awakening Incense. Forget one poem, I can make ten for you on the spot. Why bother looking for someone by the roadside?"

But someone retorted him, "You? You can compose a hundred poems, but can even one make the painting emit green smoke?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

On the official road, the scholars from Jichuan County and Qingyan County couldn’t help but get off the carriage.

Chen Xu also got off the carriage, observing the scene quietly without showing any expression.

Over in Qingyan County, a young scholar whose clothes were washed to the point of being somewhat faded couldn’t help but ask softly, "What is it for a painting to emit green smoke? And what is Taiqing Awakening Incense?"

This person’s name was Chang Song.

But no one beside him replied; some even slightly lowered their heads to conceal the embarrassment on their faces.

It turned out that on the side of Qingyan County, not one person could answer Chang Song’s question.

Scholars meticulously selected from small towns, traveling for days, didn’t even have a chance to enter the Prefecture City’s gates, seemingly barred from another world by some inexplicable thing.

Fortunately, Wang Mochuan spoke up, "Superior literary works in the world have always resonated with spiritual essence; upon the paper, they produce smoke-like illusion.

Green smoke is elementary, purple smoke is superior, and if there is golden light soaring to the sky, captivating heaven and earth, then it is of the utmost superior, a remarkable work."

As for Taiqing Awakening Incense, before Wang Mochuan could explain, laughter erupted from the long pavilion.

"If you don’t even know about smoke illusion on paper, why join the chaos of a poetry contest?"

"Better head to the Prefecture City, find a private school, and study hardcore for twenty days. Maybe you can learn something, fortunately passing as a Scholar, and then return to the countryside to be a lord.

Poetry contest, best not join!"

"Hahaha..."

There was another burst of laughter, causing Chang Song’s face to flush with embarrassment and anger.

Just when everyone thought he would cover his face and retreat in humiliation, this young man suddenly shouted, "Am I the one wanting to participate in the poetry contest?

Is it not you who are blocking people on the street, making fun of passers-by?

I don’t know what’s called smoke illusion on paper, but do you? Do you know the hardships of the common folk?

Can you distinguish the grains and millet? You read, apart from making fun of people, what else can you do?"

Chang Song turned out to have a short temper, his tone growing increasingly agitated, "I don’t know about smoke illusion on paper, I can’t compose poems or prose that could make smoke rise from the paper.

But can you?

If not, how dare you laugh at me? It’s just the pot calling the kettle black!"

In the long pavilion, the person playing the zither paused with a clanging sound.

Total silence fell as laughter stopped, and everyone turned their gaze to Chang Song.

Chang Song’s overly heated mind calmed a bit, yet he gathered his courage to continue loudly, "Though I lack talent, beside me are first-rate talents known as great scholars throughout Yunjiang."

"You... just open your mysterious painting and let the world see if your painting is worthy of my brothers’ poems!"

These words put the group from Jichuan County in a tight spot, making Chen Xu frown slightly.

But at this moment, all eyes gathered on Cui Jingxian.

As he indeed followed through, lifting his hand to gently unfurl the scroll in his hand.

The contents of the painting unfurled instantly under the twilight sky, suddenly a gentle breeze blew through.

A tinkling laughter like silver bells was heard: "Xi..."

Where did the laughter come from?

Upon hearing the sound, a buzzing filled their minds, and looking closely, they saw a pale moon in the painting.

Under the moon was a graceful woman with a hat covering her head, a shawl draped over her shoulders, her sleeves fluttering.

Suddenly, she lifted her head, the light gauze on either side of her hat flicked, revealing half of her face, her lotus-like countenance, fragrant as orchids in tears, extraordinarily beautiful.

Why only half?

It turned out, this woman had only half a lotus-like face, the other half of her face was all bones, a hollow skull.

Caught off guard, facing such a face, a cry of surprise erupted from the crowd.

Then another light tinkling laughter sounded, and suddenly, Cui Jingxian’s complexion changed drastically, exclaiming, "What is this? No, let’s go..."

He shook his hand to throw away the painting in his hand, turned to leave.

However, after the painting left his hand, it grew with the wind, transforming into a wisp of light gauze leaping into the sky.

The light gauze descended in mid-air, and in an instant, the world in everyone’s eyes changed.

The Twilight Ancient Plain turned into a wasteland under the moon, the ten-mile long pavilion became a faintly glowing green stone road.

Faint paper lanterns rose into the sky on either side, and somehow stalls filled both sides of the street.

Faint shadows appeared behind the stalls, and under the light of the paper lanterns, the items on the stalls were revealed.

"Ah!" a middle-aged scholar screamed miserably, "Eyes... help!"

He turned to flee, but the eyeballs on the stall suddenly leapt up, numerous bloodied little arms grew, clung to the middle-aged scholar’s neck, wailing.

Bang!

The middle-aged scholar fell back, face purpling, clearly close to death.

From behind the stall came a coarse, sinister voice, "Why are you in such a hurry, sir? Since you have come to the Ghost Market, you must buy something.

If you want to leave without buying anything, is it that you look down on the items on our stall?"

Who, who looks down upon their stall’s items?

No, not correct!

Who can look up to them? Who dares to look up to them?

The dazed people now realized what happened, and panic ensued.

What aristocratic family members, wealthy scions, and talented literati...

At this moment, all were like scattered sand in a dish, ants in a pot, pitifully absurd.

Some stood rigidly, legs trembling;

Some turned to flee, only to crash to the ground;

Some screamed in panic, sobbing, yet their mouths were covered by pale hands emerged from nowhere...

Of course, there were a few who remained somewhat calm.

"I have righteousness, evil spirits retreat!" Cui Jingxian shouted, exhaling green breath, stepping towards one end of the green stone street.

He strode forward, ghostly shadows parted on either side.

He seemed about to break through the shadows at the end of the street, but once his foot stepped forward, suddenly he found himself back at the beginning of the street.

He couldn’t get out; he absolutely couldn’t get out.

Suddenly, a sigh was heard.

It echoed in everyone’s hearts like the morning bell and evening drum.

It was none other than Wu Zhengze, Master Wu, the Scholar guide from Jichuan County.

He pinched the Wenxin Seal, solemnly reminding everyone, "Do not vainly struggle anymore; this is the Ghost Spirit Void Realm, though an entity within a painting, not born therein.

It is the result of the Nine Netherworld coinciding with Spiritual Objects, nurtured over time.

Unless a Great Scholar or a high cultivator arrives, forcibly breaking through might be possible!"