Chapter 25: The Land Deed

"Ruyan!" the madam called up to the second floor, then turned back with a smile. "Sir, you're forcing me to bring out the star of our establishment. If even she fails to please you, then I can accept my loss without complaint."

"The star?"

"I'm coming..."

From above, a voice as sultry as velvet drifted down, and then a woman draped in gauzy silk descended the stairs.

Fang Mu looked closely—ah, no wonder she was the star attraction.

The woman in gauze had a pure, innocent face, evoking a sense of untouchable delicacy. Born into this world of pleasure, her presence offered a stark contrast that only intensified a man's most indescribable desires.

Each step she took was steeped in allure, seduction seemingly woven into her very bones, enough to make anyone lose themselves to her charms.

Fang Mu’s gaze traveled from her feet upward, finally resting at her center.

Impressive.

Beside him, Iron-Calculator Immortal showed a trace of intoxication on his face, before suddenly shaking himself awake. He glanced at Fang Mu, silently thinking, Goodness, I guess I can’t help you get your revenge now.

This girl named Ruyan—just watching her, he himself was unwittingly sinking into the snare of her gentleness.

Can you withstand it?

Ruyan was approaching Fang Mu first; after tending to him, she’d move on to Iron-Calculator. The latter was already calculating in his heart, trying to figure out how to resist the allure of her embrace.

Ten ways... a hundred... a thousand!

In the blink of an eye, thousands of methods flashed through his mind, but all failed.

Iron-Calculator sighed in regret. "Brother, at least you won’t be lonely on the road to the afterlife. We’ll go together."

Fang Mu: "???"

What nonsense is this fortune-teller spouting now? Is he cursing me, or himself?

"Sir, Ruyan is our number one girl, worth four copper coins. I’m sure you have them," the madam said with a sly grin. "An hour of spring night is worth more than gold. Ruyan, help the gentleman into a room."

"Of course, Mama," Ruyan replied with a bewitching smile, stepping forward to gently take Fang Mu’s arm, her smile enough to drive men mad with longing.

The madam turned to Iron-Calculator, covering her mouth with a laugh. "Sir, your turn is coming soon. You simply must try our Ruyan’s charms."

Iron-Calculator’s hair stood on end; he felt as if he’d plunged into an ice-cold abyss.

Truly, the difference between running a shop and a street stall is real skill.

It’s over, my life is forfeit!

Iron-Calculator lamented inwardly—when suddenly, a voice rang out.

"Mere commonplace powder and rouge!"

The madam whipped around, lines of cracks appearing on her face as she hissed, "What did you say?"

Fang Mu shook off Ruyan’s arm, sneering, "Too large... not interested."

The madam froze, then suddenly clutched her head and let out a terrible shriek, rolling on the ground in agony.

Ruyan, true to her name, dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke and vanished.

Iron-Calculator was stunned. Was this man even human?

Such a beauty, and he remained unmoved—how could anyone possess such will?

Wait, what did he just say? He was too anxious to catch it.

"Why, why!" the madam wailed as she rolled about. The pain was real, but she couldn’t understand where exactly she’d failed.

"I prefer them flat," Fang Mu stated.

At those words, the room fell silent.

"Flat?"

"Flat?"

The two voices—one of surprise, one of despair—came from Iron-Calculator and the madam respectively.

With a boom, the madam’s form grew more and more transparent. As she was about to vanish, a tremor echoed in Fang Mu’s mind.

He reached out and touched her.

[You have touched the Seductive Ghost, and acquired the Art of Disguise. You can now alter your appearance at will.]

Iron-Calculator was dumbfounded. Weren’t you a devotee of the flat? Why would you still lay hands on the madam, even as she faded, with her lingering allure?

Fang Mu, oblivious to Iron-Calculator’s thoughts, watched as the madam faded into nothingness.

With a snap, a chill wind swept through; the lamps went out, and the once-opulent brothel was suddenly reduced to a ruin.

From the sky drifted a sheet of paper, landing before Fang Mu.

"It’s a deed—the deed to a shop in Ghost Market!" Iron-Calculator looked on enviously.

"A deed?"

"That’s right. Ghost Market isn’t just for ghosts; humans can open shops here too, but only with the owner’s permission," Iron-Calculator explained. "Take it—once you do, you’ll become the owner of this shop."

Fang Mu stroked his chin, not picking up the deed. "What’s the use?"

"It connects the Ghost Market to the living world—you can trade between them!" Iron-Calculator’s envy grew. "The ghosts crave things from outside; this is every cultivator’s dream. Many have risked their lives for it. After all, blood-stained copper coins from the Ghost Market are hard currency for cultivators."

"Oh?" Fang Mu frowned. "What do the blood-stained copper coins do?"

"They can enhance a cultivator’s supernatural abilities! Just focus your mind on one, and you’ll see."

Fang Mu took out a blood-stained copper coin and tried, but nothing happened.

He realized then that he had no supernatural powers, apart from his corpse-touching technique.

"Weren’t you here to destroy the Ghost Market?" Fang Mu asked.

From Iron-Calculator’s tone, it seemed he was more interested in the benefits than anything else.

Iron-Calculator looked surprised. "The Ghost Market can’t be destroyed. As long as there is trading in this world, the Ghost Market will always exist. Besides, its owner hasn’t harmed the living."

"Hmm?"

"Most of the merchants brought in here by the Ghost Market’s agents are guilty of heinous crimes. We don’t know the exact reason, but the owner has never killed indiscriminately."

He shrugged. "And this street is only a tiny part of the Ghost Market."

Fang Mu gazed thoughtfully at the deed in his hand. The blood-stained coins might be useless to him, but they were hard currency for cultivators. In that case, taking over a shop wasn’t a bad deal.

With that in mind, he unfolded the deed and was instantly covered in cold sweat.

The contents were simple: Fang Mu was now the owner of the shop. In the bottom right corner was a blank space, an arrow pointing to it, and five words—Drip blood here.

Simple, perhaps excessively so.

Fang Mu eyed his finger, hesitating.

Iron-Calculator watched in confusion. "What’s wrong?"

Being able to own a shop in the Ghost Market was a great thing—why hesitate?

"I’m afraid of pain," Fang Mu replied naturally.

Iron-Calculator nearly spat blood. Afraid of pain? If the deed could be transferred, I’d gladly take the pain for you!

With a sigh, Fang Mu steeled himself, using a ghostly dagger to slice his finger.

Blood dripped onto the deed and vanished in a flash of light.

A shadowy figure appeared before him, its form shifting and exuding a sense of oppression and mystery. The form lingered but a moment before vanishing, and then Fang Mu noticed the shop had returned to normal.

"If the living own a shop, none may enter without leave; for trading, this token is the key."

A faint voice spoke, and a token appeared in Fang Mu’s hand, then melted into a ghostly tattoo on his arm.

"So this is the tool for trading?" Fang Mu asked, looking at the tattoo on his arm.

Beside him, Iron-Calculator was nearly exploding with envy.