I became a civil servant in the underworld and became an internet sensation in both the mortal and s

Chapter 10 Stumbling into the Ghost Market
The five large red characters and the black background of the monument looked very eerie in such a lonely, deserted, and gloomy place.

Xu Qingling soon discovered that there was a transparent barrier at the monument, which seemed to separate two spaces.

Xu Qingling had no intention of crossing the barrier to look at the other side; she wasn't curious.

So she turned around and wanted to leave, going back the way she came.

"Oh, so this is where it is. I'd better hurry in." A hurried male voice came from behind, accompanied by rapid footsteps. "Excuse me, hey, move aside."

One person was running very fast, almost charging straight at them, and when they saw Xu Qingling, they didn't have time to brake.

And so, in the next second, Xu Qingling and he were directly slammed into the other side of the barrier.

Xu Qingling felt a sudden bright light before her eyes, and a commotion arose around her. Before she could turn her head, the person who bumped into her hurriedly apologized.

"I'm sorry, miss, I didn't mean to bump into you." Sikong Yan hurriedly bowed to Xu Qingling and apologized, even taking two steps back to increase the distance between them.

He apologized outwardly, but inside he was almost crying.

Oh no, oh no, he bumped into a female ghost again! Will she be angry and try to kill him, or will she try to extort a large sum of ghost money from him?

But his magic is mediocre; he definitely can't defeat this female ghost!
Will she tear him to pieces?

No, he has to go back to save his mother.

It would be fine if he lost money, but he doesn't have much money, and he's afraid it won't be enough to buy what he wants.

Sikong Yan, Sikong Yan, how come you really are just like those people say, always more trouble than you're worth?

I didn't come here to find the old ginseng or to gather information, so why am I being so hasty again?

After muttering to himself with deep regret, Sikong Yan quietly looked up and when he saw Xu Qingling's face again, a look of amazement flashed in his eyes. Is this female ghost really that beautiful?
He looked like he was only in his early twenties. It's such a pity he died so young.

"It's alright," Xu Qingling said calmly, her tone devoid of much emotion.

She hadn't originally planned to come in, but now that she'd been forced in, perhaps it was destined.

Xu Qingling always does things as they come, and she didn't care about such things at this moment.

Sikong Yan, who had expected a war between humans and ghosts or another attempt to extort money from her, was surprised to find that the female ghost was so easy to talk to.

Although she looks aloof, she's easy to talk to, unlike the female ghost he accidentally bumped into last time.

He accidentally knocked the female ghost's head off. The female ghost held her head and chased him for a long time, insisting that he put her head back on.

But this female ghost didn't really want him to put his head back on her.

In the end, Sikong Yan had to spend a large sum of ghost money to get the female ghost to leave.

Xu Qingling's gaze fell on him, her cold eyes scrutinizing him.

At seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a tall, slender build, Xu Qingling knew at a glance that he was human, not a ghost. However, something seemed to be covering up his human aura.

Xu Qingling's gaze fell on the jade pendant the boy wore around his neck, as if she were deep in thought.

However, he seems to know about this place?
"Do you know where this is?" Xu Qingling asked.

"Ah, Miss, you didn't know?" Sikong Yan was stunned for a moment, as if he understood something, and said, "I know, Miss, you just died not long ago, and this is your first time in this ghost market, right?"

Xu Qingling tilted her head. Did this person think she was a ghost?

Also, is this a ghost market?

“Miss, how about we stroll around this ghost market together? I’ve been here before, I can be your guide and tell you all about it,” Sikong Yan invited enthusiastically. After all, he also had information to glean from the ghosts, and this pretty female ghost seemed quite approachable; perhaps he could ask her for information later.

Xu Qingling thought for a moment and nodded.

So the two turned around and stepped into the ghost market together.

Xu Qingling looked around and saw a completely different scene.

Unlike the solitude and loneliness on the other side of the barrier.

Here, it's bustling like a market, filled with countless stalls, each with a red lantern hanging above it.

The red lanterns emitted a faint, eerie light.

All around, hawkers' cries filled the air. Xu Qingling's gaze fell on the ground. Because of the seals on the ground, Xu Qingling sensed them and discovered that they were all ghosts.

Some wear masks, while others do not, revealing their true faces. Many of them look quite "dirty" and retain the appearance they had when they died.

With Sikong Yan's explanation, Xu Qingling finally understood that what she had just seen was truly the boundary between Yin and Yang. As the name suggests, at the boundary, one side is the Yang world, and the other side is the Yin world.

Meanwhile, in the underworld, a ghost market has formed, where ghosts can set up stalls and do business.

Ghosts from the underworld can only come to this ghost market; they cannot cross over to the mortal realm at the border.

Of course, the ghost market only appears four times a year, and the timing is not fixed. Right now, it happens only once, and each time it lasts for eight hours.

"Can humans come?" Xu Qingling asked calmly, her gaze falling on Sikong Yan.

Sikong Yan's heart skipped a beat. Could this female ghost sister have seen through his human disguise?

No, it shouldn't be.
He chuckled twice, then said in a low voice, "Humans can come in too, as long as they are well disguised. Just remember not to let the ghosts see through you. If you happen to encounter those bad ghosts, they might swallow you up and take your place so you can go back to live in the mortal world."

Therefore, it is still very dangerous for humans to come to the Ghost Market.

If you're not careful, the person who comes back might not be the same person anymore.

As the two walked, they passed a stall that looked like a noodle shop.
Several tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the tabletops were wiped clean.

The owner was a middle-aged man, and there was a large pot in front of him. The thick soup in the pot was boiling and emitting a rich aroma.

Very fragrant.

Xu Qingling stopped in front of the noodle shop and looked around.

The middle-aged ghost, recognizing the customer, busied himself enthusiastically, shouting, "Old Li's old-fashioned soup noodles, a 300-year-old recipe, still tastes just like when we were alive! Miss, would you like a bowl? It's only 25 ghost coins a bowl. We accept cash and ghost coins as well as credit card payments."

Xu Qingling has little resistance to delicious food.

Just ...

She turned her head and asked Sikong Yan in a low voice, "Is this... edible?"

Sikong Yan hesitated for a moment, then said, "You can do it."

Xu Qingling understood: ghosts, or rather, people from the underworld, could do it, but humans could not.

She is the director of the Leave Office in Fengdu, and can be considered a person from the underworld, so she should be able to try it, right?

“Young lady, of course my noodle soup is edible. It’s absolutely clean and won’t upset your stomach. I, Old Li, have been running this stall in the Ghost Market for over two hundred years. I’m an honest business owner, and I can guarantee it with my reputation.” Although Xu Qingling spoke in a low voice, the Ghost Boss still heard her and hurriedly replied.

(End of this chapter)