Chapter 14

Xue Ming and the other girls were escorted forward and made to kneel in the center of the two rows of seats. Above them, women danced gracefully, while on either side, men drank and laughed, the music and merriment filling the air. The extravagance and liveliness rivaled that of any worldly banquet, perhaps even surpassing it, but it sent chills down Xue Ming’s spine. She tried to suppress her fear, keeping her head low to blend in with the crowd.

From the conversations she overheard, Xue Ming deduced the identities of the two ghosts on the high seats. The one with a crow on his shoulder was clearly the Hundred Crow Ghost King, while Yu He was the Jade Face Ghost King. The two were drinking and gathering for a small feast, and to add to the entertainment, the Hundred Crow Ghost King had ordered the capture of beautiful women. Xue Ming didn’t know much else, but she knew Yu He was indeed a notorious womanizer. The Hundred Crow Ghost King’s actions were perfectly tailored to Yu He’s tastes. If that was the case, there was still a way out for Xue Ming; she just needed to seduce Yu He; she’s quite skilled at this.

“Brother, that little golden fairy betrayed you. Why keep thinking about her? There are plenty of beautiful women. If you don’t like them, I’ll have more brought in. Today, enjoy yourself here.” The Hundred Crow Ghost King clapped his hands and said menacingly, “Raise your heads! Your souls will be scattered if you don’t catch the Jade Face Lord’s eye.”

Having their souls scattered was the greatest threat to ghosts. These ghosts were all human once, so even in death, many of their behaviors retain human traits, such as order, hierarchy, and human vices. Just as Xue Ming was thinking this, the girl kneeling in front of her suddenly stood up and ran, crying out, “No! Let me go back. I accidentally entered this place and didn’t mean to disturb anyone. Let me out!” The girl, neatly dressed, ran frantically through the crowd, her shout drawing everyone’s attention.

Xue Ming saw the girl’s face turn red and tears stream down, looking very much alive, and immediately felt something was wrong. Sure enough, the Hundred Crow Ghost King’s playful voice came next, “Oh? How did a living person get in here?” He raised his hand and pointed, causing the girl to freeze next to Xue Ming. Realizing what was happening, the girl’s pleading eyes fell on Xue Ming, tears rolling down as she cried out, “Save me—”

Before Xue Ming could react, there was a muffled “bang,” and the girl’s body exploded right in front of her!

Instinctively, Xue Ming closed her eyes and turned away, trying to dodge, but the hot blood splattered all over her, staining her white clothes with bright red. Then the girl’s head flew to Hundred Crow Ghost King, who swallowed it in one gulp, chewing it with a loud crunching sound. He praised, “A living person’s head is still more delicious, much more delicious than an animal’s.”

The scene was scarier than any horror movie, leaving Xue Ming in shock. She trembled as she tried to wipe the blood off her face with her sleeve, but it only smeared it further. In her mind, she cursed endlessly, wondering if there were no Taoist priests or immortals in this world to stop these evil ghosts from wreaking havoc.

The music continued, and the laughter and chatter around her seemed indifferent to the gruesome scene. While Xue Ming was terrified, the other ghosts seemed unfazed. After eating the girl’s head, the Hundred Crow Ghost King seemed to be in a better mood. He laughed and said, “I’ve heard that the Jade Face Lord loves graceful dancers. The little golden fairy once danced and captivated the world. Those who can dance, step forward. If your dance pleases, you won’t be killed.”

Immediately, several female ghosts floated out, bowed gracefully to the seated figures, and began to dance, showcasing their beautiful forms. A fragrance spread through the air and the men on either side began to clap and praise, turning the scene into a beauty contest.

Seeing the number of kneeling female ghosts dwindling, Xue Ming felt uneasy. It seemed that women of this era could all dance quite well, but she had no talent for it. Back in middle school, when short videos were becoming popular, Xue Ming, desperate for money, had the idea to join a group called Pai Pai Lang. She learned for a week, memorizing the lyrics, but her dancing was so bad that the leader gave her 200 yuan and told her to focus on her studies. Recalling this embarrassing past, Xue Ming sighed inwardly and stole a glance at Yu He.

Yu He remained indifferent, his expression calm, letting the Hundred Crow Ghost King perform his solo act without responding. He looked like a beautifully crafted porcelain figure. Xue Ming hoped to catch his eye and signal for help, but his gaze never wandered in her direction, as if he didn’t recognize her.

Xue Ming felt a surge of panic. She believed the ghosts hadn’t realized she was alive, likely due to the item around her neck. If discovered, she would have no chance of survival. Seducing Yu He seemed like a viable option, given his known weakness for beauty. However, with so many beautiful female ghosts around, Xue Ming’s fate would be uncertain if Yu He chose someone else.

Yu He watched the dancing ghosts with a disinterested gaze, his eyes scanning the scene without much enthusiasm. He didn’t give the Hundred Crow Ghost King any face, looking down after a few glances and popping a grape into his mouth.

Seeing this, the Hundred Crow Ghost King seemed displeased with Yu He’s lack of interest. He turned his anger towards the female ghosts, coldly ordering, “Useless creatures, take them all away!”

As soon as he spoke, a swarm of armored male ghosts floated up, grabbing the female ghosts and dragging them away. The hall was filled with their pitiful wails.

Xue Ming had a plan: survive until the rooster crowed, when Chun Ye and Qiu Sheng would call her back. As a male ghost approached to grab her, she got up and ran, weaving through the crowd and crossing half the hall to reach Yu He’s table.

The Hundred Crow Ghost King noticed and exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Another living person! Tonight’s Rakshasa Ghost Market is lively, capturing two living people in a row.”

Xue Ming’s scalp tingled at his words. She threw herself in front of Yu He’s table, and the female ghost peeling grapes made room for her. Xue Ming moved the cushion closer to Yu He, leaning half her body towards him and whispering, “Lord Yu He, you must save me. I have a treasure.”

She was anxious, fearing Yu He might not recognize her, but he showed no sign of avoidance. Instead, he calmly asked, “What treasure?”

Xue Ming was delighted and whispered in his ear, “A Gathering Yang Talisman. It can gather yang energy. If you save me, I’ll give it to you.”

Yu He asked, “Did you come here to find it?”

Xue Ming quickly nodded, not caring about her dignity, and said flatteringly, “I came to offer it to you.” She picked up a grape from the plate and offered it to Yu He.

Yu He turned his head to avoid her hand, refusing the grape. Xue Ming’s heart sank, wondering what his avoidance meant, but then she heard him say, “I can save you, but I don’t want that thing.”

Xue Ming was stunned and said, “Then what do you want?”

As he was talking, Hundred Crow Ghost King, who was sitting next to him, seemed not to hear the conversation between the two and interrupted, “Brother Jade Face, if you don’t like this person, you can give her to me. I like her.” He stared at Xue Ming’s head while talking, almost drooling, as if as long as Yu He nodded, he would rush over and bite off Xue Ming’s head with his bloody mouth.

When Xue Ming thought of her head being chewed by a ghost in his mouth, she was scared to death and whispered, “Lord Yu He, as long as you save me, we can discuss anything.”

Yu He finally turned to look at her. Under the bright lights of the hall, Xue Ming’s white clothes were stained with blood, and she exuded a strong scent of blood. Her face, smeared with blood, added a touch of vivid color to her pale skin. Unlike the ghosts in the hall, Xue Ming had the rosy complexion of a living person, and when she was scared or embarrassed, her ears and cheeks would flush with a beautiful red hue. Especially striking were her deep, dark eyes, which looked particularly beautiful when she was pleading, covered with a layer of moisture.

Yu He raised his hand and grabbed Xue Ming’s wrist, lifting the grape she was holding to his mouth. He bit into it and leaned down, bringing the bitten grape to Xue Ming’s lips. The movement was slow, and Xue Ming didn’t react in time. She only felt a cool sensation on her lips as the round grape touched them and instinctively opened her mouth.

There was a very light, crisp sound as Yu He bit through the grapes, and the sweet and sour juice rolled into his mouth along with his tongue tip. The grape flesh was soft and tender, and wherever Yu He licked, from the teeth to the palate, it was all stained with the taste of grapes. Xue Ming tilted her head back, forced to endure the sucking between her lips and teeth, and kept swallowing the sweet and sour juice. Thinking of so many pairs of eyes watching her from below, her ears quickly became engorged with blood, becoming red and hot.

Yu He didn’t kiss for long. When he pulled away, he bit off the grape skin and spat it into the plate before him.

The Hundred Crow Ghost King laughed and teased, “It seems the Jade Face Lord still likes humans.”

Yu He finally responded, “Living people have warmth.”

“And they’re delicious,” the Hundred Crow Ghost King added, then waved his hand and ordered, “Take her away and clean her up.”

Xue Ming pressed her lips together, discreetly wiping away the saliva that had dripped from the corner of her mouth. Seeing Yu He didn’t stop her, she got up and followed the two maidservants out of the hall. Once outside, the night wind hit her, and she realized she was drenched in sweat. Her chest and back felt cold. Thinking about the scene in the hall, she felt relief and fear. Despite the seemingly joyful atmosphere with music and dancing, she had been on the brink of death, her life hanging by a thread.

Now that she was safe, Xue Ming remained silent, following the maidservants into another palace, where they arrived at a hot spring. Six more maidservants came in, quickly stripping her clothes, tossing her into the spring, scrubbing her arms, and washing her. Xue Ming, who occasionally visited public baths and paid a few yuan for a thorough scrub, didn’t find it too hard to adapt to others washing her.

Moreover, the hot spring water eased her tense nerves and tired body, making her feel somewhat relaxed.

The maidservants couldn’t stay idle and started chatting. “I heard Yan Chixia has come to our ghost realm. Is it true?”

Xue Ming’s ears perked up, and she immediately became alert. Who had such accurate information? She hadn’t told anyone her name since entering the Rakshasa Ghost Market, so how did this rumor spread?

“It’s true. The news came from Bai Xiaosheng. They say Yan Chixia is injured. That’s why he hasn’t shown up yet.”

Xue Ming instinctively covered the claw marks on her left shoulder, suddenly feeling a sense of respect for “Bai Xiaosheng.” She hadn’t expected that even her injury would be known. These ghosts were indeed quite capable. She turned to the maidservants and asked, “Sisters, who is this Yan Chixia you mentioned?”

The maidservants were not reserved and replied, “We’ve never seen him ourselves, but we’ve heard stories about him. It’s said that he has killed many demons and ghosts. Recently, it’s rumored that he was responsible for the death of the Ghost Emperor.”

“That powerful?!” Xue Ming was shocked. She didn’t feel she had such abilities. She had barely escaped from the ghosts in the temple. Could it be that her current inability to use her powers and treasures was related to past events?

She pondered deeply. If the original owner of this body hadn’t died, she wouldn’t have been able to transmigrate and take her place. Perhaps Yan Chixia’s abilities had vanished with the original owner’s death. Now, only Xue Ming remained, without any of Yan Chixia’s demon-slaying skills.

Lost in thought, Xue Ming drifted off for a while. When she returned to her senses, the maidservants shifted their conversation to the Jade Face Ghost King. From their discussion, she learned that the more powerful a ghost was, the less likely they were to reveal their true face or name. The four great ghost kings were all known by nicknames. The Jade Face Ghost King was named for his handsome appearance and his love for beauty, with his romantic exploits well-known throughout the ghost realm.

Xue Ming also discovered the little golden fairy that the Hundred Crow Ghost King had mentioned earlier. She was once the Ghost Emperor’s favorite concubine but later defected to the Jade Face Ghost King. However, betrayal became a habit for her. After spending time with the Jade Face Ghost King, she cheated on him and fled. Today’s banquet was organized by the Hundred Crow Ghost King to console the Jade Face Ghost King, capturing many beautiful female ghosts for him. Xue Ming arrived at an unfortunate time and got caught up in the chaos. If she had come on a different day, she would have taken what she needed and left without being captured.

Xue Ming was thoroughly cleaned from head to toe; even her toes were scrubbed multiple times, almost peeling off a layer of skin. The maid helped her out of the water and sprinkled several layers of unknown fragrant powder on her, which smelled very pleasant. Then they dressed her in a light, thin dress, and she wore her first dudou since arriving in this world. Finally, they tied a red string with a small bell around her right ankle. Xue Ming twisted her ankle to look at it and asked, “What’s this for?”

The maid covered her mouth, smiling suggestively, “The Jade Face Ghost King likes it. All his favorite concubines wear bells on their feet. It’s said to sound nice in bed.”

Xue Ming blushed deeply, feeling she shouldn’t have asked. She had no idea how much time had passed during the cleaning. The maid then led her into the chamber, and everyone else left, leaving her alone.

Xue Ming was alone in the chamber for a long time, initially feeling anxious and then bored. Eventually, she grew very sleepy and fell asleep on the bed. She was suddenly awakened by a cold sensation on her foot, as if someone was holding and playing with it. She sat up in a panic and turned to see Yu He, who had somehow entered without her noticing. He was sitting by the bed, holding her foot, which was tied with a red string and bell.

Yu He’s hand was pale and bloodless, contrasting with Xue Ming’s fair skin, which had a rosy hue. Her tender foot looked tiny in his palm, and he gently kneaded her round, cute toes.

Xue Ming had been asleep for a while, so her foot was warm, making the coldness of Yu He’s hand even more noticeable. She instinctively tried to pull her leg back, but Yu He held on tightly, not letting her withdraw.

At the same time, Xue Ming heard three loud rooster crows from the eastern sky. She felt a surge of joy, thinking she could finally escape.

Unexpectedly, Yu He pulled her foot, yanking her towards him. Her bent leg ended up against his waist. It was as if he had guessed her thoughts. He leaned down slightly, his beautiful eyes staring at her, and softly asked, “Do you think you can leave? What do you think the red string in your foot is for?”