Chapter 1284: Returning to the Demon Market

The vengeful spirits and ghosts hid as the Lantern passed, but Chen Changsheng could still feel their eyes on him. Faintly, he heard voices.

"It's been a long time since a living person walked in here..."

"Who is that?"

"Never seen him before."

"Probably an Immortal Master from somewhere."

"Heh, this will be fun."

"Looks like we're getting a newcomer."

Listening to these mutters, Chen Changsheng tilted his Lantern, shining it toward the voices.

"Agh!"

The spirit hastily dodged away, not daring to linger in the light.

"You really don't know what's good for you, cultivator, shining that Lantern at me. Who knows how long I'll have to recover after being exposed to that light."

"How does This Chen not know what's good for him?" Chen Changsheng asked.

"Ghost brothers," Chen Changsheng continued, "speaking so loudly right in front of This Chen—were you afraid I wouldn't hear you?"

The spirits in the fog fell silent.

A spirit scoffed from the fog. "Hmph, you think this is a place you can come and go as you please? You'll just end up like us, reduced to vengeful spirits who can only survive the daylight by hiding in this thick fog."

"I see." Chen Changsheng smiled. "So you all came to make trouble for the Demon Market, but got taught a lesson instead. Now you're trapped here, unable to reincarnate. Is that right?"

When another voice rang out, Chen Changsheng looked over and saw a new soul appear before him.

"Where are you from, fellow cultivator?"

This soul was vastly different. His spirit was solid and entirely unafraid of the Lantern in Chen Changsheng's hand.

"Just a wandering cultivator," Chen Changsheng said. "I have no sect or master."

"Then I advise you to turn back," the man said. "This Demon Market is no place for ordinary men. The demons inside have profound Cultivation Bases. One wrong step and you'll fall into their trap. You should leave immediately, before they realize you are here."

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask where you studied?"

The man sighed softly. "I am Dong Chengyuan, a disciple of Perfected Lu Shan of Tianji Mountain. I was arrogant when I first arrived. As a result, I ended up trapped here, bringing shame to my sect."

Chen Changsheng paused. That name sounded remarkably familiar.

"Lu Shan..."

He thought for a moment, and then it clicked.

Vaguely remembering the man, Chen Changsheng asked, "Did your master once study under Mister Zhong Zhengyuan?"

Dong Chengyuan froze. "You know my master, fellow Daoist?"

"This Chen had a few encounters with him in his early years."

Dong Chengyuan grew excited. "Senior, if that is the case, could you pass a message for me? Let my master know where I am so he can come save me."

"I'll ask the people inside about it later," Chen Changsheng replied.

Dong Chengyuan was stunned. "Senior, you really cannot go inside!"

"Why not?"

"They..."

Dong Chengyuan's voice cut off abruptly. He looked back and hurriedly urged, "Leave quickly, fellow Daoist! They've spotted you. If you don't run now, it'll be too late! There's a Great Demon presiding inside!"

Chen Changsheng looked up. With a wave of his hand, he swept Dong Chengyuan aside.

The thick fog ahead parted, opening a clear path.

Dozens of demons holding Lanterns were walking straight toward him.

The demon leading them had an amiable face with two distinct spots on his nose. His fox-like features gave off an inscrutable air.

"Who is bold enough to forge a Fire Lantern and trespass into my Demon Market?!"

A demon soldier following behind shouted fiercely.

But when Hu Yin looked at the intruder, he was slightly taken aback.

"Mister Chen?"

"You—" the demon soldier started to yell again, but he froze upon hearing Hu Yin's words and quickly snapped his mouth shut.

Chen Changsheng cupped his hands. "It's been many years. I trust everything has been well?"

Hu Yin nodded repeatedly, a bright smile on his face. "Everything is well, everything is well! Please don't take offense, Mister Chen. I thought it was another cultivator coming to stir up trouble. I never imagined it would be you. Truly, a flood washing away the Dragon King Temple—a misunderstanding between allies!"

Watching this scene unfold, Dong Chengyuan stood frozen in place.

The same insidious, cunning fox who had trapped him was now treating the man before him with utmost reverence.

Seeing this, fury erupted in Dong Chengyuan's heart. He spat, "And to think I actually called you senior! Pah! You collude with the Demon Race?!"

"Who is that?" Hu Yin frowned at the outburst.

Chen Changsheng simply reached out and tapped Dong Chengyuan on the head.

Dong Chengyuan felt a sudden wave of dizziness. His soul jolted, and he instantly passed out.

Right before he lost consciousness, he heard Chen Changsheng say a single sentence: "Fellow Daoist Dong, you still need more Cultivation."

Hu Yin asked, "Mister Chen, this man..."

"Reckoning by generation, he should be considered This Chen's junior," Chen Changsheng said.

Hu Yin was startled. He hurriedly said, "I had no idea we offended you, sir! Since that is the case, I will have someone release him at once."

Chen Changsheng waved his hand. "There's no need. He brought this entirely upon himself. His temperament is unsettled, and he still hasn't grasped the principles of good and evil. Let him stay here for a while. Once he truly realizes his mistake, you can let him out."

Hu Yin paused, then breathed a sigh of relief.

He was terrified of offending this Mister.

With immense respect, he invited Chen Changsheng into the market.

Hidden in the fog, the countless vengeful spirits watched this scene unfold, not daring to make a sound.

The ghosts who had mocked him earlier were now panicking uncontrollably.

Only now did they realize exactly what kind of figure they had been gossiping about.

When they had trespassed into the Demon Market, they were reduced to prisoner ghosts, forced to guard this forest for the market. Yet this man was someone even the fox demon treated with absolute reverence.

"Just what is his background?!"

"To think I offended someone like him!"

"We won't be..."

The many spirits were terrified. They were already barely eking out an existence, thinking that becoming ghosts was miserable enough. If another Tribulation fell upon them, their souls would truly scatter and extinguish forever.

The Demon Market had developed rapidly. Both the streets and the buildings looked entirely different from back then.

During the Shunzhi era, as the Mortal World continually advanced, so too did the Demon Market. Back then, some traveling merchants had made contact with the market, opening trade between it and the Mortal World. Thanks to this, the market's development soared—until the emergence of Hongyuan Tianxia brought it to a standstill once more.

"Mister Chen, this is the academy. The young demons who haven't yet been enlightened study here."

"This is the Demon Market proper, similar to the trading districts in the Mortal World. It is primarily for buying and selling goods."

"This is..."

Hu Yin introduced everything one by one.

Listening to him and seeing the demons living in peace and contentment, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but sigh in admiration. 'This is what peace should be. It is just like the realm of mortals.'

"Clack, clack, clack..."

As they spoke, a sharp sound interrupted them.

Chen Changsheng looked over and saw a woman standing at the entrance of the Demon Bureau, brandishing large pincers and scolding a group of demon bailiffs.

"Stand up straight, all of you! If anyone so much as twitches, my pincers won't show any mercy!"

Looking at her, Chen Changsheng felt she looked remarkably familiar.

Suddenly, it came to him.

"Ah, it's that green crab."