I was just solving crimes, how could I become an immortal?

Chapter 12 Night visit to the ghost market
  "The bright moon shines on the shadows, and the late frost accompanies the chirping of insects. The deeper the night is and the quieter the people are, the clearer the Buddha's message becomes."

It was another night of overtime work investigating the case.

Fortunately, the office arranged a carriage for this trip. Although the road was a bit bumpy, I was able to rest on the soft couch with my eyes closed for a while.

It's a pity that everyone in the Tsing Yi Department seems to have a hobby.

This was the case with Zhu Xian before, and it is also the case with his bald head.

Monk Sanyang was sitting cross-legged in the carriage, and no one paid any attention to him, but he could talk about Buddhism alone, as if he wanted to convert Cao An, and he couldn't live in peace at all.

There was no other way, so Cao An only found some topics to chat with this person.

"Master Sanyang, our mission this time is to find the owner of the Fire Flag? Will there be danger?" Cao An asked with some worry.

Yesterday I went to investigate the theft of official seals. Even if a demon did appear in the end, there would still be experts from various agencies to suppress it.

But this time the mission was an internal matter within the Tsing Yi Department, and even the leader of one of the Five Flags was missing.

Could it be that he was plotted by his enemies? Otherwise, would a dignified flag leader suddenly disappear? This mission may be quite dangerous.

"No need to worry."

Monk Sanyang still crossed his legs and closed his eyes, with a kind and profound Buddhist expression on his face. He replied calmly: "Tinder has just disappeared. This is not the first time. There will be no danger."

"Really? Your Excellency knows the reason?"

"Of course, monks don't lie. If the monk's prediction is correct, Tinder should be...lost."

"get lost?"

Are you kidding me? The people in the Tsing Yi Department must have some flaws in their brains.

As the Kyoto of the Daxing Dynasty, Shangjiang City was quite big, but if you went to the ghost market, you wouldn't get lost for three days without receiving a reply.

Either the flag leader is crazy or the monk is crazy. Cao An is more inclined to the latter. The monk is lying.

after all……

"The leader of the Fire Flag is leading the team to handle the case. He doesn't know the road. His subordinates must know the road. Is the whole team lost?"

Faced with Cao An's doubts, Monk Sanyang finally opened his eyes, with a hint of amusement in his eyes: "What if I told you that the Fire Flag only has one owner, Tinder?"

"one person?"

"Yes, she is the only one."

"It's too weird for this person to become a flag, isn't it?"

"The reason is rather complicated, but after all, she is the daughter of Lord Zheng, so it doesn't hurt to give some exceptions."

Tinder is female!
  Or a woman who gets lost? Could it be a cute girl? Cao An instantly became interested.

"Did she often get lost before?"

"There have been several times. And according to ordinary people's eyes, Tinder's appearance is very beautiful. A lost female benefactor can easily cause trouble."

"No wonder, Master Tisi asked us to come here all night to search. Is he worried that the owner of the Tinder Flag is in danger?"

"No, we are worried that she will go on a killing spree after being provoked."

"..."

Shangjiang City is divided into more than 100 squares based on streets and lanes, and there are many markets where people can live and work in peace and contentment.

But if we really ask about the specific number of markets, the answers circulated among the people are different.

Cao An has seen the map of Shangjiang City, which shows a total of 108 squares, and now Monk Sanyang is taking him to the 109th square.

The carriage traveled all the way to Yinrifang in the west of the city. It seemed to be a post and warehouse during the day, but at night it was empty and silent.

The coachman stopped in front of the workshop, skillfully took out the harness from the toolbox, covered the horse's eyes with a piece of white cloth, and hung a bell on the shaft of the coach.

Taking advantage of the pause, Cao An slightly opened the curtain and looked outside. He saw that around the carriage, a blue mist had spread, and the air was freezing.

The groom who hung up the bell immediately put away his whip, lit up an old cigarette, leaned on the car and stopped driving.

After a while, the bell rang without any movement, making a crisp sound of 'ding bell~~', leading the horses forward slowly like a guide.

"This place looks like an ordinary city during the day, but at night a dark passage opens directly to the ghost market. This is the only way in and out." Sanyang sat in the carriage and explained to Cao An. The city is divided into yin and yang, which Cao An had never imagined.

"How did such a weird place come to be?"

"It is rumored that this place is connected to the Nine Netherworld Ghost Realm, and some people say it is the Sumeru Demon Mirror. But according to Master Shuzheng, this place should be the ruins of the former Kyoto, which sank into the ground for some reason."

Upon hearing this, Cao An suddenly woke up and looked up at the sky. The full moon hanging in the sky had long since disappeared.

The lack of moonlight may not be due to dark clouds covering the sky, but it may also be because the carriage has entered the ground. The strange aura emitted by the surrounding fog made Cao An feel quite uneasy.

As if sensing Cao An's worry, Sanyang comforted him with a peaceful expression: "There is not much danger here, so you can relax."

While talking, Monk Sanyang also took out a felt hat and put it on his head to disguise himself.

This time he was looking for Tinder. Before the situation became clear, it was better to keep a low profile. His conspicuous bald head was not suitable for wandering around the ghost market.

Just seeing how skillfully this person disguised himself, Cao An was a little confused.

"Master Sanyang, do you come here often?"

"Of course, although there are people from all walks of life here, the prices of the illegal goods sold are relatively low. If you have nothing to do, you can come here often and you will gain a lot."

"..."

I like to visit the kilns for "pork stuffing" and the ghost market for "free-range chickens." The nightlife in Tsing Yi Department is really colorful!
  While talking, the coachman finished smoking an old cigarette, the ringing of the bell suddenly stopped, and the carriage stopped in front of a bustling market.

Looking up at the sky, the moonlight has been shrouded in black mist, only illuminated by the dim lanterns on the roadside, making it eerie and gloomy.

On the door sign in front of the square, [Yinri Square] has been changed to [Yinyue Square], and the vendors operating in the market also reveal an unusual atmosphere.

After scanning the first stall, Cao An saw half a face shaped like a bird's beak from under the stall owner's hood.

This is a monster! Cao An was shocked and quickly looked at the goods on the stall.

A large knife, a set of clothes, a secret book, two bottles of elixirs, and three obviously opened letters.

Cao An:......

Did you write murder and cheating directly on your face?

Is this place such a mess when you strip others clean and set up a street stall to sell them in packages without any pretense?
  "Yinyuefang is not chaotic, but it is very chaotic outside the imperial capital. Demons are rampant, evil ways are in chaos, and there are countless people who kill people and steal goods. And these black goods can be circulated in the ghost market, and the buyers never ask where they come from."

"Then no one is keeping order here?"

"Of course, this is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial City Department. But as long as you don't cause trouble, even if it's a demon, they won't make things difficult for you."

"Imperial City Department? Aren't they responsible for supervising all officials? Are they also responsible for the order of the city?"

"I don't know. It's rumored that there is a shocking secret hidden in the ghost market. Even the royal family has to pay attention to it, so it arranged for the Imperial City Department to manage it."

Monk Sanyang said a few simple words and quickly shut up, obviously not wanting to get involved in the royal secrets.

Of course, Cao An would not hesitate. He glanced at the high-priced black goods around him. With his wealth, he would only get pink eye if he looked at them any longer. He might as well concentrate on performing the task and call it a day and go home early.

"Master Sanyang, are you really sure that Master Huorong got lost in Yinyuefang?"

Cao An completely disagreed with Monk Sanyang's conjecture.

Indeed, this place is dark and strange, with many vendors. No matter whether it is day or night, the sun cannot be seen. Even the only external passage can only be opened at night.

There are even a large number of private houses for people to live in for a long time, and the scale is no smaller than a village or town.

But even so, a living person wouldn't be lost here for three days.

Cao An estimated that the man might have been attacked by gangsters, or at least seriously injured and fled. He was hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries, waiting for an opportunity to leave.

If you want to wander all the way to search, it is undoubtedly to find a needle in a haystack, absolutely impossible...

"Found it, the tinder is right there."

"???"

Found it so easily?

(End of this chapter)