At the crossroad ahead was a weathered telephone booth, and a suspicious figure stepped out of it. He blocked the way and shone a flashlight at his own face, “It’s me. Me.”
The light hit his face from the bottom of his chin, making his complexion deathly pale and his features eerie-looking. Paired with his ghostly purple hair, he looked like something out of a horror movie.
“Holy mother of god!” Fat Jun screamed and hid behind Gao Yang.
“Haha, lizardman! What fine timing!” Wang Zikai looked excited and eager, and three sharp bone claws shot out of the back of his right hand. “I’ll cut off its head to make a soccer ball!”
Gao Yang quickly grabbed Wang Zikai. “Don’t. He’s one of ours.”
“Huh?” Wang Zikai was disappointed.
Officer Huang also recognized the man at first glance and quickly holstered his gun. “Why are you sneaking around, Zhang Wei?”
“I didn’t expect you to remember my name, Brother Yellow Ox!”
Flattered, Zhang Wei jogged up to them. “I’m keeping watch. This place is pretty remote, but there’s no telling if a monster will stumble upon it.”
After a cackle, he continued, “Last time, two wanderers came here at midnight for some fun time in the wild. They were a kinky bunch! If I hadn’t kicked them out in time, they would’ve died.”
“Hm.” Zhang Wei then looked behind Officer Huang. “Didn’t Sir War Tiger come? Well, it makes sense. A bigshot like him must be terribly busy. Why would he come to our little market? He should be going to the yearly auction held by the Qilin Guild. That’s where the real treasures are!”
Zhang Wei talked like a machine gun. He was so enthusiastic that he rendered everyone speechless.
“Would you take a breath, bro?” Wang Zikai frowned, irritated. “My head is gonna explode!”
“Right, right.”
Gao Yang snickered silently. Ha, serve you right for all the torture you put my brain through on a daily basis.
Zhang Wei was as polite as he could to the five guests, almost to the point of being servile. “This way. The haunted house is right ahead. I’ll lead the way.”
Soon, they saw a fake mountain quite grand in scale. The entrance at the bottom of it was made to resemble a temple for the King of Hell with two bright red lanterns and two roughly made plastic figurines; one was of Ox-Head, and the other Horse-Face[1].
Outside the door stood a young man in his twenties. His youthful face was arranged into an expression of seriousness. He must be a guard appointed by the Hundred Rivers Union.
Zhang Wei sauntered over. “These are my friends from the Twelve Zodiac Signs. Here to take a look around.”
At the mention of the Twelve Zodiac Signs, the guard’s expression immediately relaxed, and his gesture became much more respectful. “This way, distinguished guests.”
The five of them walked into the haunted house. Not long after, the young guard at the door nudged at Zhang Wei’s elbow. “Look at you, Zhang Wei! You know someone from the Twelve Zodiac Signs?”
Zhang Wei boasted, “Ha, this is nothing. You know the ninth-ranking awakener, War Tiger, don’t you? I had a meal with him a few days ago. We’re tight.”
“That’s awesome, Brother Wei!”
“Shhh, I don’t wanna stand out. Understand?”
Gao Yang was at the tail end of the group and heard their conversation fully. Lips tugged into a smile, he shook his head without saying anything.
It was dim inside the haunted house. Small light bulbs lined the walls and flickered, casting the interior in an eerie red.
The five of them walked along a narrow corridor. At the end stood a young woman in office wear and a little boy dressed like the typical obedient child.
Gao Yang took a closer look and realized they were both familiar faces.
Chen Ying and Little Tian. They had met these two at the Cattle Farm Station.
“Dark Horse, Yellow Ox, and Green Snake,” Chen Ying called them by their code names. Then she turned to Fat Jun and Wang Zikai. “And these are?”
“Friends of ours,” Gao Yang explained. “Here to walk around with us.”
“Welcome.” Chen Ying said with a polite smile before looking down at Little Tian. “Do a routine checkup.”
“Yeah.” Little Tian closed his eyes and activated Sensory.
Two seconds later, he opened his black eyes wide and stared up at Wang Zikai, who was standing behind Gao Yang.
Wang Zikai met the boy’s gaze and said impatiently, “What? Haven’t you seen a handsome guy before?”
Little Tian quickly lowered his head and hid behind Chen Ying.
Chen Ying’s expression tightened. “Can he be...”
Gao Yang caught on. Little Tian’s Sensory allowed him to differentiate between humans and monsters, which was why he was in charge of making routine checkups. The night market of the Hundred Rivers Union was open to only awakeners.
“My friend,” Gao Yang cut her off. “He doesn’t belong to any organization at the moment.”
Chen Ying gave Wang Zikai a good look. “White Rabbit told me to expect...special guests tonight. Still, I didn’t expect you to bring him here.”
Taking her words at face value, Wang Zikai said proudly, “Wow, I’ve been keeping a low profile, yet my reputation precedes me.”
Chen Ying gave him an awkward smile. “Please go ahead.”
Once the five of them left, Chen Ying lowered her head to speak into the microphone at her collar. “Guests from the Twelve Zodiac Signs brought a wanderer. Blonde hair and black clothes. Always have an eye on him and make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Gao Yang and the others walked into the haunted house. The canopies, plastic dividers, and scary props were all torn down and piled up into a colorful mountain of trash in the corner, making space for a makeshift marketplace of hundreds of square meters. On the ceiling above were a few energy-saving lights and ceiling fans. And small trucks and street stalls could be seen everywhere. Sellers and buyers crammed into the limited space. There were about seventy to eighty of them in total.
“Let’s split up and walk around,” suggested Officer Huang.
Gao Yang added, “Alright. We’ll meet up in half an hour.”
Without a word, Qing Ling made a beeline for one of the street vendors.
“Come with me, Wang Zikai.” Gao Yang didn’t feel safe letting him walk around on his own.
“And Fat Jun, you’re with me,” Officer Huang said. He wanted Fat Jun close because Fat Jun’s arm was still a risk factor.
With Wang Zikai in tow, Gao Yang went around the night market and got to know it somewhat. Put simply, it was a flea market for awakeners with a variety of products—all came with ridiculous names making random pop culture references.
Captivating Incense, Nio Pill, Right Hand of God, Devil Fruit, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Zanpakuto, Summoning Scroll, Shadow Clone... The names were meant to catch eyes, making the products out to be some incredible treasures or divine items.
Underneath all that extraneous packaging, however, the products were nothing but commonplace medicines, items, and equipment imbued with energy. Most were useless to Gao Yang, and the ones that would be of use, the Twelve Zodiac Signs already had some in storage, and he could always apply for them when going on a mission.
Nevertheless, there were some good deals. Among the limited wares of a particular shop, a fingerless tactical glove caught Gao Yang’s attention. The vendor was nowhere to be seen.
The black glove was sewn with a thin, refined piece of Black Gold on the back of the hand. There was a pattern of fire on it.
Gao Yang touched the thin Black Gold plate and felt his hair stand on end. The amplifying glove resonated with the energy of his Fire.
“Shop owner?” Gao Yang called out, but no one showed up.
Perhaps they were on a toilet break, or there was something else keeping them away.
No matter. Gao Yang eagerly grabbed the glove and tried it on.
With a thought, he concentrated his energy to his five fingers with ease, and the flow of energy when he activated his Talent became much smoother.
Gao Yang nodded to himself. Before Fire reached level 4, the glove would be a useful amplifier for his power.
He glanced down at the price tag: Fire Tactical Glove, 12 jinwu.
Gao Yang sucked in a breath.
It was as expensive as it was useful.
Gao Yang slowly put the glove back down. He couldn’t help but think of Wu Dahai. He wondered if it was too late for him to get close to the man.
“Gao Yang.”
He turned to see Qing Ling standing behind him.
She extended her left hand to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Money.”
1. They are in charge of taking the dead to the underworld in Chinese mythologies. ?
At the crossroad ahead was a weathered telephone booth, and a suspicious figure stepped out of it. He blocked the way and shone a flashlight at his own face, “It’s me. Me.”
The light hit his face from the bottom of his chin, making his complexion deathly pale and his features eerie-looking. Paired with his ghostly purple hair, he looked like something out of a horror movie.
“Holy mother of god!” Fat Jun screamed and hid behind Gao Yang.
“Haha, lizardman! What fine timing!” Wang Zikai looked excited and eager, and three sharp bone claws shot out of the back of his right hand. “I’ll cut off its head to make a soccer ball!”
Gao Yang quickly grabbed Wang Zikai. “Don’t. He’s one of ours.”
“Huh?” Wang Zikai was disappointed.
Officer Huang also recognized the man at first glance and quickly holstered his gun. “Why are you sneaking around, Zhang Wei?”
“I didn’t expect you to remember my name, Brother Yellow Ox!”
Flattered, Zhang Wei jogged up to them. “I’m keeping watch. This place is pretty remote, but there’s no telling if a monster will stumble upon it.”
After a cackle, he continued, “Last time, two wanderers came here at midnight for some fun time in the wild. They were a kinky bunch! If I hadn’t kicked them out in time, they would’ve died.”
“Hm.” Zhang Wei then looked behind Officer Huang. “Didn’t Sir War Tiger come? Well, it makes sense. A bigshot like him must be terribly busy. Why would he come to our little market? He should be going to the yearly auction held by the Qilin Guild. That’s where the real treasures are!”
Zhang Wei talked like a machine gun. He was so enthusiastic that he rendered everyone speechless.
“Would you take a breath, bro?” Wang Zikai frowned, irritated. “My head is gonna explode!”
“Right, right.”
Gao Yang snickered silently. Ha, serve you right for all the torture you put my brain through on a daily basis.
Zhang Wei was as polite as he could to the five guests, almost to the point of being servile. “This way. The haunted house is right ahead. I’ll lead the way.”
Soon, they saw a fake mountain quite grand in scale. The entrance at the bottom of it was made to resemble a temple for the King of Hell with two bright red lanterns and two roughly made plastic figurines; one was of Ox-Head, and the other Horse-Face[1].
Outside the door stood a young man in his twenties. His youthful face was arranged into an expression of seriousness. He must be a guard appointed by the Hundred Rivers Union.
Zhang Wei sauntered over. “These are my friends from the Twelve Zodiac Signs. Here to take a look around.”
At the mention of the Twelve Zodiac Signs, the guard’s expression immediately relaxed, and his gesture became much more respectful. “This way, distinguished guests.”
The five of them walked into the haunted house. Not long after, the young guard at the door nudged at Zhang Wei’s elbow. “Look at you, Zhang Wei! You know someone from the Twelve Zodiac Signs?”
Zhang Wei boasted, “Ha, this is nothing. You know the ninth-ranking awakener, War Tiger, don’t you? I had a meal with him a few days ago. We’re tight.”
“That’s awesome, Brother Wei!”
“Shhh, I don’t wanna stand out. Understand?”
Gao Yang was at the tail end of the group and heard their conversation fully. Lips tugged into a smile, he shook his head without saying anything.
It was dim inside the haunted house. Small light bulbs lined the walls and flickered, casting the interior in an eerie red.
The five of them walked along a narrow corridor. At the end stood a young woman in office wear and a little boy dressed like the typical obedient child.
Gao Yang took a closer look and realized they were both familiar faces.
Chen Ying and Little Tian. They had met these two at the Cattle Farm Station.
“Dark Horse, Yellow Ox, and Green Snake,” Chen Ying called them by their code names. Then she turned to Fat Jun and Wang Zikai. “And these are?”
“Friends of ours,” Gao Yang explained. “Here to walk around with us.”
“Welcome.” Chen Ying said with a polite smile before looking down at Little Tian. “Do a routine checkup.”
“Yeah.” Little Tian closed his eyes and activated Sensory.
Two seconds later, he opened his black eyes wide and stared up at Wang Zikai, who was standing behind Gao Yang.
Wang Zikai met the boy’s gaze and said impatiently, “What? Haven’t you seen a handsome guy before?”
Little Tian quickly lowered his head and hid behind Chen Ying.
Chen Ying’s expression tightened. “Can he be...”
Gao Yang caught on. Little Tian’s Sensory allowed him to differentiate between humans and monsters, which was why he was in charge of making routine checkups. The night market of the Hundred Rivers Union was open to only awakeners.
“My friend,” Gao Yang cut her off. “He doesn’t belong to any organization at the moment.”
Chen Ying gave Wang Zikai a good look. “White Rabbit told me to expect...special guests tonight. Still, I didn’t expect you to bring him here.”
Taking her words at face value, Wang Zikai said proudly, “Wow, I’ve been keeping a low profile, yet my reputation precedes me.”
Chen Ying gave him an awkward smile. “Please go ahead.”
Once the five of them left, Chen Ying lowered her head to speak into the microphone at her collar. “Guests from the Twelve Zodiac Signs brought a wanderer. Blonde hair and black clothes. Always have an eye on him and make sure nothing goes wrong.”
Gao Yang and the others walked into the haunted house. The canopies, plastic dividers, and scary props were all torn down and piled up into a colorful mountain of trash in the corner, making space for a makeshift marketplace of hundreds of square meters. On the ceiling above were a few energy-saving lights and ceiling fans. And small trucks and street stalls could be seen everywhere. Sellers and buyers crammed into the limited space. There were about seventy to eighty of them in total.
“Let’s split up and walk around,” suggested Officer Huang.
Gao Yang added, “Alright. We’ll meet up in half an hour.”
Without a word, Qing Ling made a beeline for one of the street vendors.
“Come with me, Wang Zikai.” Gao Yang didn’t feel safe letting him walk around on his own.
“And Fat Jun, you’re with me,” Officer Huang said. He wanted Fat Jun close because Fat Jun’s arm was still a risk factor.
With Wang Zikai in tow, Gao Yang went around the night market and got to know it somewhat. Put simply, it was a flea market for awakeners with a variety of products—all came with ridiculous names making random pop culture references.
Captivating Incense, Nio Pill, Right Hand of God, Devil Fruit, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Zanpakuto, Summoning Scroll, Shadow Clone... The names were meant to catch eyes, making the products out to be some incredible treasures or divine items.
Underneath all that extraneous packaging, however, the products were nothing but commonplace medicines, items, and equipment imbued with energy. Most were useless to Gao Yang, and the ones that would be of use, the Twelve Zodiac Signs already had some in storage, and he could always apply for them when going on a mission.
Nevertheless, there were some good deals. Among the limited wares of a particular shop, a fingerless tactical glove caught Gao Yang’s attention. The vendor was nowhere to be seen.
The black glove was sewn with a thin, refined piece of Black Gold on the back of the hand. There was a pattern of fire on it.
Gao Yang touched the thin Black Gold plate and felt his hair stand on end. The amplifying glove resonated with the energy of his Fire.
“Shop owner?” Gao Yang called out, but no one showed up.
Perhaps they were on a toilet break, or there was something else keeping them away.
No matter. Gao Yang eagerly grabbed the glove and tried it on.
With a thought, he concentrated his energy to his five fingers with ease, and the flow of energy when he activated his Talent became much smoother.
Gao Yang nodded to himself. Before Fire reached level 4, the glove would be a useful amplifier for his power.
He glanced down at the price tag: Fire Tactical Glove, 12 jinwu.
Gao Yang sucked in a breath.
It was as expensive as it was useful.
Gao Yang slowly put the glove back down. He couldn’t help but think of Wu Dahai. He wondered if it was too late for him to get close to the man.
“Gao Yang.”
He turned to see Qing Ling standing behind him.
She extended her left hand to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Money.”
1. They are in charge of taking the dead to the underworld in Chinese mythologies. ?
