Chapter Forty-Five: The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons

The campfire finally succumbed to the encroaching yin energy. After a few fitful flickers, it died out, unwilling to the end. Darkness swallowed the dilapidated temple. Yun Hua’s cloud fox nimbly leaped onto her shoulder, its eyes glowing like night pearls in the gloom as it stared vigilantly toward the entrance. Yun Hua touched the protective copper coin hanging from the red string around her neck, gripped her golden talisman sword, and stepped out of the temple, a mixture of nervousness and excitement fluttering in her chest.

Beyond the ruins, faint lights could be seen in the distance. Though the wilderness was desolate, countless lanterns—some bright, some dim—emerged from all directions. They wound along the mountain paths like a river, converging and flowing northward as if attending a grand market. Yun Hua gasped. Her master had once told her of such things: the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, heading to the Ghost Market.

A ghost or two, no matter how powerful, posed no threat to her with her Taoist arts and artifacts. But the Night Parade was another matter entirely. Even an elephant could be brought down by a swarm of ants, and a place with a Ghost Market would surely be guarded by formidable ghost generals or even a ghost king. Unless she could summon her master immediately, Yun Hua dared not provoke them.

Decisively, she retreated into the temple and pulled out two concealment talismans. She pressed one to her chest and the other to the fox’s belly. Holding the fox, she lit a lantern with cold ghostly fire, drawing the surrounding yin energy to shroud her body. She then shed her Taoist robes and crown, donning a white gown and letting her hair hang loose to mimic a female ghost. She prepared to infiltrate the parade and explore the market. It was a rare opportunity to broaden her horizons and satisfy her curiosity. Moreover, her master had mentioned that the Ghost Market was unlike any mortal bazaar; it was a place to find genuine treasures. Even if she couldn’t find rare herbs or materials, she might find something special for her junior sister, Yun Lingzi, as a token of gratitude for her recent help.

Holding the fox in one hand and the ghost-fire lantern in the other, Yun Hua drifted above the ground, mimicking the spectral gait of the others as she followed the procession north. The path was filled with biting, bone-chilling yin winds. The sheer density of gathered ghosts was immense; a mortal caught in such a current would fall deathly ill or perish instantly, even without the ghosts’ malice. Under the pale, sickly moonlight, Yun Hua traveled for about ten miles until the path opened into a brightly lit expanse. Before her lay a bustling scene of houses and shops, crowded with shifting shadows and the chaotic hum of a market. It looked exactly like a mortal bazaar, yet it lacked the warmth of the living, replaced by the pervasive, suffocating chill of the dead.

Yun Hua slipped into the market with ease. The ghosts were unconcerned, as mortals rarely dared to enter, and any stray spirits looking to stir up trouble would be quickly quelled by the ghost soldiers and generals maintaining order. She wandered through the stalls, searching for anything useful for herself, her master, or her sister. As she began her treasure hunt, the Green-Faced Ghost King, who sat atop a tower at the edge of the market, suddenly twitched his nose. He descended from his chair, looking around the balcony in confusion. Finding nothing amiss, he whispered to himself, "Strange. How could there be the scent of a living person in the Ghost Market?"

"Impossible. Even the dead avoid the Night Parade, let alone enter this market. You must be craving human flesh again, Green-Face! I advise you to behave. If you draw the attention of the Underworld authorities or a high-ranking Buddhist or Taoist master, you will regret it. If things go wrong, it will be difficult to answer to the Ghost Mother," remarked a beautiful, red-clad female ghost with a long, blood-red tongue. She tapped her table, casting an annoyed look at the pacing, sniffing king.

"There is truly the scent of a living person. Faint, but undeniable," the Green-Faced Ghost King insisted. Having consumed many humans, he was sensitive to their aura. Seeing his certainty, the red-clad ghost turned serious. "Then send the soldiers to patrol and investigate. We shall keep watch from this high platform. Let us see what bold expert dares to infiltrate our market."

The market remained lively, and the oblivious Yun Hua continued her stroll. Most wares were items from the underworld or paper offerings burned for the dead—paper carriages, horses, and robes. She shook her head; these were not what she sought. There were also burial artifacts unearthed by stray spirits, which fetched high prices in the mortal world but held no interest for her. Only a few ghosts carried rare medicinal herbs or minerals, and those were the treasures she sought. After searching for a long time with no luck, she felt a wave of disappointment. Just as she prepared to leave, a patrol of ghost soldiers approached. Fearing her human scent would be exposed, she turned away, feigning indifference, and held her breath. Only after the patrol passed did she turn back. She did not realize that while the talisman crafted by her master, Chen, was enough to hide her from the soldiers, her movement had caught the eyes of the two ghost kings hundreds of meters away.

"There really is a human! A young girl, and so bold to intrude on the Ghost Market!" the woman in red noted.

"I am a mighty Ghost King; how could my nose deceive me? This little thing is tender and succulent—perfect for a snack with my wine," Green-Face said, preparing to move. The red-clad ghost grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks. "Intrusion by the living is a grave taboo, but if you eat her, consider the consequences! She has Taoist arts and a talisman of such exquisite craft—do you really think she has no master? If you eat her, how will you answer to her sect?"

Green-Face hesitated, his expression shifting between greed and fear. A girl who dared to enter the Ghost Market at such a young age, armed with Taoist arts and protective talismans, clearly had powerful backing. While she was an easy catch, he feared the wrath of her sect or a formal complaint to the Underworld authorities—even the Ghost Mother might not protect him then. Yet, the temptation of fresh flesh was difficult to discard. For a moment, he remained indecisive.