Chapter 1121: Floating Isle Ghost Market

Chapter 1110: Floating Isle Ghost Market

Lingguang shrugged and hopped onto a branch. Why couldn't the man distinguish a monkey? It wasn't Lingguang who had hit them.

He Lingchuan then stepped forward and kicked the man's leg. "Answer truthfully, or I'll chop you into pieces and throw you into the sea to feed the fish."

His expression was calm and his tone even, as if he were at a market telling a vendor, "Cut this piece of pork in half for me; I don't need more." But the captive heard the terrifying implication.

Normally, he would have uttered a few threats to save face, like "You're finished" or "My brothers won't let you off."

But for some reason, he suddenly felt that this man would do exactly as he said. So, his words were more honest than his thoughts, and he immediately softened.

"Y-you, you ask!"

"Name?"

The captive stammered and confessed everything.

It turned out his name was A-Hao. He had forgotten who his parents were since he was a child. He came from the interior of Bo Country and had joined a small gang at the docks two and a half years ago. He usually made a living by stealing and swindling, also collecting "head money."

"Head money" referred to protection fees, collected from shops, street vendors, and even those in the flesh trade.

Occasionally, he would also illegally sell chewing tobacco from other regions with his companion lying on the ground.

Dong Rui said scornfully, "Two years in, and you're still like this. You haven't made a name for yourself, have you?"

A-Hao gave a bitter laugh. "In the past two years, so many outsiders have fled to Bo Country, to the port. Everyone needs to make money. So, every profession is crowded."

Even the underworld has become a highly competitive scene.

Dong Rui spat. "People are still desperate to squeeze into this rotten place of yours?"

"Compared to the war-torn lands in the east, it's quite good here. Even women can find a living." Whether the food was spoiled or not, at least no one starved to death. A-Hao didn't think there was anything bad about this place.

"The refugees say they've seen cannibalism in the east. There was a man sleeping in a ruined temple who was suddenly pinned down, and they chopped off one of his arms. The attackers even politely told him, 'As long as you don't resist, we won't harm your life, only eat one of your arms.' And the man really didn't resist."

"Then what?" Dong Rui was a little curious. "They didn't actually keep their word, did they?"

"How could that be? When they chopped off his arm, the man passed out from the pain." A-Hao couldn't help but gesticulate. "Then they raised their knives and chopped off his head. Even though he was thin with little flesh, they could still make two pots of soup. Five hours later, only his bones were left; even his eyeballs were swallowed."

He Lingchuan suddenly asked him, "Who got the chewing tobacco? You, or your companion?"

A-Hao pursed his lips. "Me, of course. I can get good quality goods at low prices. This guy—"

He pointed to his unconscious companion on the ground. "I didn't want to bring him along, but he's been in the game longer than me, and the boss specifically assigned him."

He Lingchuan returned to the main topic:

"Are you familiar with the Floating Isle Ghost Market?"

As newcomers, it was best to find a local who knew the area and the ropes.

A-Hao nodded vigorously. "Familiar, very familiar! I go there often. Several places inside are under my control!"

Even places beyond official control would have someone in charge.

He Lingchuan looked up. It was nearly evening, and the sun was about to set.

"Accompany us to the ghost market."

"Huh?" Did A-Hao have the right to refuse? "Oh, okay, alright."

His companion was still lying in the alley, but his life was not in danger.

Dong Rui raised his chin, and the Ghost Ape leaped onto A-Hao's shoulder. A-Hao trembled with fear, terrified that it would bite his neck, but the Ghost Ape merely squatted down and yawned again.

"If you try to run, it will instantly rip your throat out," Dong Rui said, pointing to his demon puppet. "You can try to compare your speed with it."

"No, no, I wouldn't dare!" A-Hao said with a pained expression, resigned to accompanying these two ominous figures on their outing.

What terrible luck! Why did he have to encounter these two ominous figures while on patrol today?

He pointed to the tall man still lying unconscious on the ground. "He's, he's not dead, is he?"

"He won't wake up until tomorrow morning."

"Then, then please wait a moment, I'll be ready right away!"

There was a pile of broken baskets in the alley, and A-Hao deliberately used them to cover his companion. The light here was dim, so even if someone passed by, they might not notice a person hidden there.

He Lingchuan watched silently, without urging, as A-Hao surprisingly still had the presence of mind to do this.

Near Giant Deer Port was a solitary peninsula called Floating Isle, where a small town was located. It originally specialized in warehousing and freight, but later developed into the largest ghost market within a hundred-mile radius.

All kinds of transactions took place in the shops and warehouses along the streets.

Besides cheap goods, there were also items of unknown origin.

He Lingchuan walked around and found that the quality of goods here was generally inferior to that of the Platinum Ghost Market, with a large amount of shoddy items mixed in. Finding anything worthwhile relied entirely on one's discerning eye.

The divine bone necklace around his neck remained quiet, with nothing it wanted to "eat." He Lingchuan could sense its disdain.

This thing was becoming increasingly picky.

However, ghost markets in various places also had another invisible, valuable commodity circulating in the shadows:

Information.

"Can anyone post information at the Floating Isle Ghost Market?"

"Yes, anyone can," A-Hao replied. He led them towards a large jujube tree and pointed to a big notice board beneath it. "If you want to acquire anything, whether it's information or an item, just post it here. Others will contact you if they see it."

The notice board was covered with all sorts of colorful notes and cardboard pieces, looking very much like the ubiquitous, unsightly flyers He Lingchuan had encountered in another world.

Each note specified what was being sought and provided contact information.

"If someone wants to trade with them, they just tear off the note."

This kind of private transaction was indeed very discreet, but it was an obstacle for He Lingchuan. "What if I want to check previous records of requests?"

"Then you'll have to ask Mr. Lu for help. It's here every day and has an eidetic memory," A-Hao said. "But you'll need to prepare a gift to ask for Mr. Lu's assistance."

"Mr. Lu?"

"What kind of gift?"

"Small animals like mice or birds, or raw meat."

Upon hearing this, Dong Rui knew that "Mr. Lu" was not human. "I have something. Go ahead and invite it."

A-Hao immediately pursed his lips and made two cooing, murmuring sounds.

With a whoosh of flapping wings, a large bird flew from the tree behind them and landed above the notice board.

It was a large brownish eagle-owl with two tufts of pointed feathers standing up above its ears like antennae.

It opened its pair of yellow eyes and asked the three of them:

"What are you looking for?"

So it had been hidden in the large tree opposite the notice board all along, keeping watch.

"A few months ago, someone came here looking to buy Bright Lamp Grass; a month ago, someone else was looking for Du Yun Stone," He Lingchuan asked it. "Do you remember?"

"Bright Lamp Grass, Du Yun Stone?" The eagle-owl thought for a moment, its eyelids half-closed. "Neither of them are common items. Hmm, yes, I remember now!"