The Anarchic Consort (Book 1)

891-895

"We'd definitely get him. But, before that, let's go to the ghost market. Since it's a mission assigned by Young Master Tang, things shouldn't be this simple." Helian Wei Wei said while she mounted her BMW Tomahawk. As she fastened her helmet with her long and slender fingers, she gazed at the woman and asked, "You lost your son at the school gate, right?"

The woman wiped away her tears. "That's what the school teacher said."

"Understood. You should return home for now. I will update you when we make any progress." After she cleared all her doubts, Helian Wei Wei tightened her grip around the handles. She started the engine of her charismatic BMW Tomahawk and swooshed out of the alley, heading for the ghost market.

The ghost market made its earliest appearance in the old Beijing City, in the form of an antique trading market that operated from dusk till dawn. Goods sold there were usually forbidden items such as the heirloom of a fallen noble family, artifacts stolen by the eunuchs from the palace and funerary objects brought by the tomb raiders.

Sellers often set up their own stalls in the open air of the barren plains where interested buyers would negotiate with the sellers obscurely under their sleeves. Words were rarely spoken, so the entire market was hushed. The dim environment of the market was another reason behind the ghost market's name.

Following the establishment of modern China, the country underwent a cultural revolution. Consequently, there was an increasing number of antiques being found amongst common folks. This subsequently encouraged the blossoming of ghost markets. The Pan Garden of Beijing and the Badang Lane in Tianjin were two of the very well-known examples.

However, the opening hours of the ghost market had changed from midnight to Saturday dawn. Sellers would begin to prepare their stalls right after the sunrise.

That was how these antique markets were formed. There were merely a handful of youngsters who knew of such a place that existed in Beijing.

Only old city dwellers in Beijing knew about this.

Out of them all, however, Helian Wei Wei was probably the only one who would go to an antique market on a Tomahawk.

Everyone else presented themselves as though they were experts. They were either waving their hand fan or toying with the walnuts in their hands.

It was already late afternoon and the sun was soon going to set. Besides, it was Monday. Therefore, there were only a few idling people in the Pan Garden. Otherwise, the crowd would all be gaping at Helian Wei Wei.

Being in the ghost market, one would definitely have to follow its rules.

A piece of joss money was to be used as door money.

Soon, a shabby and ordinary wooden door in the old alley swung open. A teenage boy exited the room with a tortoise in his hand. Upon seeing Helian Wei Wei, he arched his eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"When the King of Hell summons a man in the middle of the night, the man shall not be left until dawn." Helian Wei Wei stepped in as she uttered the password. "I'm here for investigation."

The teenage boy heard the password and saw the joss paper in her hand. Then, he held his tortoise forward, allowing the tortoise to bite on the joss paper.

Each profession had its own regulations. The cooperation was only official after the tortoise accepted the joss money.

It had been very long since the teenage boy last heard the password. Initially, he thought that his master was fooling around with him, and it was inevitable for him to eye Helian Wei Wei warily.