BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 14 Compromise

The moment he saw the frosty face, Sun Desheng began regretting his actions.

This time he might have been overconfident.

Whoever this was, he was probably someone even Yang Xiao dared not provoke. If the other party truly decided to fight, relying on a little Taoist like Che Qianzi might not be enough.

Just as Sun Desheng was debating whether to soften his tone, the young Taoist beside him spoke first.

“Playing with fire? Then why don’t you just burn to death already?

Stop hiding behind tricks and pretending to be mysterious. I’ve seen plenty of things like you.

If you’ve got guts, show yourself.

If I don’t squeeze the crap out of you, then both I—and this Sun Desheng here—can take your surname!”

Could you at least discuss it with me first?!

Sun Desheng instinctively reached out to cover Che Qianzi’s mouth.

To his surprise, the young Taoist moved even faster than expected. He slapped Sun’s hand away and spat directly at the frosty face.

“No guts, huh?

Hiding your face in your pants and using frost to scare people?

You think I don’t know how to deal with this?”

As he spoke, Che Qianzi turned around and grabbed a bottle of liquor from a nearby crate.

To make their cover look convincing, Sun Desheng had borrowed this enforcement vehicle from the local Commerce Bureau. The van still contained counterfeit liquor confiscated the previous afternoon.

Che Qianzi had noticed it as soon as he boarded.

Originally, he’d planned to smash a bottle over Sun Desheng’s head.

Unexpectedly, they now happened to be on the same side.

The Taoist took a mouthful of liquor and flicked open a lighter.

Then he sprayed the alcohol through the flame.

A blazing fireball shot forward and struck the frosty face, instantly melting it away.

Just as Che Qianzi thought he had successfully driven off the evil spirit, Sun Desheng suddenly screamed:

“Now we’re really playing with fire!

Get out of the van! Run!”

He was already the first one jumping out.

Only then did Che Qianzi realize what had happened.

The fireball had shattered against the window, scattering countless smaller flames throughout the cabin.

The van was filled with flammable materials.

The moment the sparks landed, everything ignited.

With no fire extinguisher in sight and the blaze spreading rapidly, Che Qianzi had no choice but to leap out as well.

Moments later, the entire van was engulfed in flames.

Seeing Che Qianzi still standing there in a daze, Sun Desheng grabbed him and dragged him away.

They had barely reached the Ghost Market entrance when the burning van exploded.

A massive fireball erupted, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as daylight.

After catching his breath, Sun Desheng summoned Camel.

Looking at the shaken hunchback, he pointed at the charred shell of the van.

“Not to brag, but things are getting bigger and bigger now.

If this drags on and reaches that person’s ears, even your master won’t be able to clean up the mess.

There’s only one hour until sunrise.

You don’t have much time left.”

Camel knew Sun Desheng was right.

Panic flashed across his face.

He shot a vicious glare at Che Qianzi—the source of all this trouble—before turning around and hurrying back into the Ghost Market.

Che Qianzi had already forgotten he’d just burned down a vehicle.

Seeing Camel glare at him immediately reignited his temper.

“Old bastard, what are you staring at?

Jealous because someone else got slapped and you didn’t?”

“Little brother, if I didn’t already know your background, I’d think you were descended from that Emperor.”

For once, Sun Desheng smiled bitterly.

“Do me a favor and say a little less.

Not to brag, but I’ll pay for the van.”

Then he pulled Che Qianzi aside and asked:

“By the way, who taught you that fire-spitting exorcism trick?”

“Taught me?”

Che Qianzi looked at him strangely.

“I figured it out myself.

Ever since I was little, I followed the old man around making a living by dealing with demons and ghosts.

One time, in a rural bathhouse, I ran into a face like that one.

That’s when I came up with the idea.

One mouthful of fire and every ghost disappears.

Just now I got carried away and forgot I was inside a vehicle…”

“Burned is burned.

It’s not my van anyway.”

Sun Desheng chuckled.

Then he looked up at the pitch-black sky.

“Making some noise is good.

Puts pressure on Camel’s backers.

Less than an hour until dawn.

Let’s see whether they’re willing to compromise.”

As they spoke, Camel appeared once more at the entrance to the Ghost Market.

The officers initially stopped him from leaving, but he had clearly become desperate.

Ignoring everything else, he shouted toward Sun Desheng and Che Qianzi:

“You can come in now!

Director Sun, come inside.

We’ll talk there!”

Sun Desheng nodded.

Together with Che Qianzi, he entered the Ghost Market.

By now everyone knew the two men were important figures.

The vendors glared at them fiercely, but nobody dared approach.

Camel was obviously a key figure within the Ghost Market.

None of the vendors dared follow him.

Meanwhile, Sun Desheng didn’t want to provoke the hidden mastermind any further, so he didn’t call for assistance from the Bureau.

Only he and Che Qianzi followed Camel deeper into the market.

Most of the vendors had gathered around the eastern and western exits.

The center of the Ghost Market was nearly deserted, making it feel even more eerie and ghostly.

Camel eventually led them into a crude wooden shed.

Inside were various cleaning tools.

An elderly man in his sixties or seventies lived there, earning a living by cleaning the market every day.

Earlier, when Che Qianzi had been eating wontons, he’d briefly seen this old man.

But now, looking closer, they discovered something startling.

The old man’s entire body was covered in frost.

When he raised his head to look at them, both men immediately realized—this was the same frosty face that had appeared on the van window.

Sun Desheng smiled faintly.

“On the way to Jiuhe, I imagined countless scenarios for meeting you.

But I never expected the mastermind behind the Ghost Market to be the old janitor who sweeps the place every day.

Makes sense, though.

Anyone who knew a little about the Ghost Market would immediately suspect someone pretending to be a vendor.

This role is much better.”

“I am not like Director Sun.

I don’t need to be famous.”

The old man replied coldly.

Then he took a red cloth-wrapped object from a box behind him.

Holding it out, he said:

“This is the Bliss Diagram of the Underworld.

Cultivate according to it, and your lifespan can be extended for years.”

Sun Desheng laughed.

“You know who I am.

Then you probably know my father-in-law too.

If I want a longer life, I can simply ask him.

No need to travel all the way to Jiuhe for it.

Let’s stop beating around the bush.

I won’t ask who you are.

Just give me what I came for—the Guangyuan Underworld Mirror.”

The old man’s expression changed instantly at the mention of the Guangyuan Underworld Mirror.

Though he quickly regained his composure, the reaction had already been noticed.

He shook his head.

“I don’t know who gave you this information.

But Director Sun, you’ve come for nothing.

What is this Guangyuan Underworld Mirror?

I’ve never even heard of it.”

Sun Desheng sighed.

Then he checked his watch and smiled.

“Half an hour until sunrise.

That’s fine.

I’m not in a hurry.

If I can’t buy it today, I’ll come back tomorrow.

What about you?

After everything that’s happened tonight, the King of Hell is probably already investigating your operations.

Will you even get a chance to wait until tomorrow?”

He smiled again and tapped the face of his watch.

“About thirty minutes left.

Your time is running out.”

At that moment, the crowing of a rooster echoed from somewhere inside the Ghost Market.

The instant he heard it, beads of sweat appeared across the old man’s forehead.

After a long hesitation, he turned to Camel and said:

“Wait outside.

Come back later.”

Once the hunchback had left, the old man looked at Sun Desheng and finally spoke:

“The Guangyuan Underworld Mirror is a supreme treasure of the Underworld.

What are you willing to offer in exchange?”