Stranger Danger

Chapter 347: This Is A Setup, I Say!

Translator's Note for advanced readers: Hong Jianglong's position has been corrected from Chief of Bureau to Pacification Commissioner. Author thought it was appropriate to mention it on chapter 400 even though he appeared as soon as chapter 258 is something I couldn't have anticipated or remembered, not to mention that Pacification Commissioner (which is a rank below Chief of Bureau like Luo Shui's Peacemakers, but obviously Hong Jianglong's way better) wasn't even a thing until chapter 400, so. Sorry and fixed!

“You can do that?” Ye Qing exclaimed in amazement. I thought my Pacification Bureau buddies are already pretty impressive, but this little guy didn’t even need to bend his knees! Impressive, impressive! Is it too late for me to start worshiping the Taozu?

“What are you doing, Joyless? It’s your turn!” Chu Nianjiu urged when he saw Ye Qing blanking out for no reason.

“Right. Coming.”

Eh, screw it. It’d be nice if I don’t have to bend my knees, but it’s not like I care about such things.

And so Ye Qing walked up to the statue and knelt on the floor. He was going to emulate Lin Yuhuai and kowtow ceremonially so to speak, but he had just lowered his head when the sound of something breaking entered his ears. He looked up just in time to see the two statues shattering into smithereens[1].

“What the...?”

Everyone was shocked, of course. They couldn’t stop glancing back and forth between Ye Qing and the ruined statues.

“Why are you looking at me? It’s not my fault!” Ye Qing rubbed his nose and protested weakly. “They could have broken down after years of disrepair, right?”

“Tell me you actually believe that.” Chu Nianjiu rolled his eyes.

“I do! I believe it even if none of you do!” Ye Qing declared seriously. His sense told him that the two yin guards possessing the statues were gone as well.

“What do I do now? Do I still kowtow to the statues even though they’re gone?” Ye Qing asked.

He looked at Chu Nianjiu, but Chu Nianjiu was calmly sipping his wine. He looked at Lin Yuhuai next, but Lin Yuhuai was looking at Qi Xuanyun with a warm look. When he looked at Qi Xuanyun third, the young Taoist flushed red and turned to Mank Ee for help. When he finally looked at Mank Ee, he could only find utter shock and confusion on the thief’s face. He could practically hear his thoughts: Don’t look at me! I’ve never encountered such a thing in my life! Who the fuck are you people?

In the end, it was Chu Nianjiu who spoke up. “Ahem... since the statues are gone, you can probably skip the kowtowing part. Toss the wooden tablet into the brazier and check if it’ll work. If not, then let’s get the hell out of here before someone else shows up.”

You’re right.” Ye Qing hurriedly got to his feet and did as he was told. The second the wooden tablet entered the bronze brazier, a pillar of glassy fire at least ten meters tall shot into the air and turned the tablet into ash in an instant. Before Ye Qing could make sense of this, an emerald green token flew into his hands.

Crack crack crack!

Suddenly, spider webs started appearing across the bronze brazier’s surface. Then, it shattered into a million pieces like porcelain. Strangely, the pieces burned into ash before they could hit the ground.

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Ye Qing gulped audibly and protested, “It really wasn’t me!”

How the fuck did something that’s made of metal shatter like glass and burn like paper anyway?

“What are you waiting for? Let’s get out of here!” Chu Nianjiu grabbed Qi Xuanyuan’s wrist and broke into a run.

“Y-Yeah! Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best!” Ye Qing grabbed Mankey’s shoulder and flew toward the exit as well.

......

Whoosh whoosh!

Just a few breaths after the group of five left, a gust of yin wind blew within the yin temple. An imposing voice resounded throughout the cavern, “Who is the bastard who destroyed my statues and even Fengdu’s Life Death Brazier? Who?!”

“We do not know,” An eerie voice answered.

“Useless.” The imposing voice uttered, “Who are the ones who summoned the Yin Gods and asked for a Yin Token earlier? What is their name and birth date?”

“We do not know. Judge Cui is the only one who has that information!” The eerie voice answered again.

“Hmph! Truly useless!” The imposing voice sounded greatly displeased. “I shall visit Judge Cui right away. I must find the killers and strip them of their lifespan to appease my fury!”

Whoosh whoosh!

The yin wind howled, and the temple returned to normal. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

......

“What do we do, what do we do?”

After they returned home, Mank Ee couldn’t stop walking circles around the courtyard like an old bull turning the millstone. “I can’t believe we offended the Yin Gods! We’re so dead!”

Ye Qing felt dizzy just looking at him. “Slow down, you fool! We’re the ones who’re cursed, not you! I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

“It’s not us, it’s you!” Chu Nianjiu corrected him. “You’re the one who destroyed the statues and the brazier, not us. Leave us out of it.”

What a good brother you are!

“Hahaha... we’re brothers, aren’t we? Surely you’re not going to leave me to my fate?” Ye Qing argued, “Plus, you saw what happened. I didn’t do shit, and the statues and the brazier suddenly exploded on their own! I’m the victim here, okay?!”

He was seriously annoyed. Not only didn’t he do anything, he was prepared to pay his respects as per custom. But trouble still found its way to him because fuck him, apparently! This is a setup, I say!

“You can tell that to the yin guards and Yin Gods when they find you.” Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine looking like he couldn’t wait to enjoy the show when it happened.

“Let them come! I’m literally innocent!” Ye Qing declared.

It was at this moment Qi Xuanyun spoke up. “It should be fine. It’s a mighty coincidence, but it really didn’t look like Brother Ye had anything to do with it.”

“See?! The truth shall prevail!” Ye Qing put an arm on the young Taoist’s shoulders gratefully.

“So, are you still planning to enter the Yin Market, Joyless?” Lin Yuhuai asked.

“Of course I am! I still need to find the Duckweed Flower!” Ye Qing replied. He had told them about Nanke’s request.

“My lord! You can’t be serious?!” Mank Ee was this close from bursting into tears. There is no way this is going to end well!

“It will be fine,” Ye Qing assured him.

Maybe for you, but not for me! I was there too, you bastard!

Mank Ee stuttered, “B-But...”

“Enough. If you’re so afraid, you don’t have to come with us. Just tell us how to enter the Yin Market and what to look out for when we’re inside. Don’t worry, we’ll still pay you your due.”

“Really?! Thank you, my lords! You’re all good people!” Mank Ee immediately regained his energy when he heard this.

“So, what do we do next?”

Mank Ee answered, “Now that you have your Yin Tokens, it’s time to get your coffins.”

“Excuse you?” Everyone was surprised to hear this. We’re not dead yet, buddy!

Mank Ee explained, “Humans sleep in houses, and ghosts sleep in coffins. That is why you must lie down in a coffin to enter the Yin Market. When the sun has set, lie down in the coffins and close the lid. Stay inside until you hear a cock’s crow. Only then can you see the Yin Market.”

“Remember that violence is prohibited inside the Yin Market. You may say whatever you want, but you must never use your fist. Also, do not provoke the yin guards or officials. The consequences are severe to say the least.”

“You don’t need to do anything to leave the Yin Market. When daylight comes, you’ll automatically return to the yang world.”

......

The sun was just beginning to set, but Auspicious Phoenix Market darkened so fast it was like a giant was pulling a blanket across the sky. The yin wind howled in every street and alley, and the bright lights and bustling noises slowly died down like a mirage. Eventually, there was only dead silence, and the entire village was enveloped in oppressive darkness.

“Cockadoodle!”

Suddenly, a strong, loud cockcrow resounded throughout the village. Like the drumbeats of the heavens or a sword that cut through the darkness, the darkness in the sky gradually faded to reveal a bright moon in the sky. Something wasn’t right, however. The moon was dark green in color instead of white.

After the darkness had faded, noises and people began appearing in the streets once more. The dead silent village had returned to life.

At a certain courtyard, four coffins were lined up in a row. They combined with the greenish moonlight to paint a dark, eerie picture.

Creak...

Suddenly, one of the coffins gave off a creaking noise. Then, the coffin lid was pushed away, and a person sat up from the coffin.

“Yawn...” The person raised both hands and stretched. “It’s surprisingly comfortable.”

He was none other than Ye Qing.

“Wakey wakey, people!” Ye Qing called out to his companions. A second later, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun pushed away their coffin lids and sat up as well.

“I fell asleep just now. What about you guys?” Chu Nianjiu asked.

Everyone nodded. “We’re the same.”

“That’s strange.” Chu Nianjiu frowned.

He had been fully awake when he lay down in the coffin. He was planning to observe how the two worlds merge and how the Yin Market manifested itself in Auspicious Phoenix Market.

The next thing he knew, he had awakened to a cock’s crow. He never even knew when he had fallen asleep.

“Are we inside the Yin Market yet, Brother Ye?” Qi Xuanyun asked.

“I think so.” Ye Qing pointed at their surroundings. “Look.”

Their surroundings looked dilapidated and lifeless. The walls were tattered, the house behind them looked like it hadn’t been maintained for ages, and the big, lush willow tree in the courtyard had withered completely. Besides that, the entire residence smelled of death and decay.

This was Mank Ee’s sister-in-law’s house. It was clean, lively, and well-maintained. But now, it looked dilapidated and rundown. Moreover, Peng Chuan, Peng Lin, Mank Ee and more were nowhere to be found. This could only mean one thing: They had entered the Yin Market.

Ye Qing guessed, “Ghosts do not live in a house that exists in the yang world even if it is reflected in the yin world. That’s probably why it looks like this.”

“Anyway, let’s go.”

Ye Qing jumped out of the coffin and put on a mask he kept in his shirt. The mask was a paper mask in the yang, but here in the yin world, it was real. The reason they brought a mask was to keep their identity hidden, of course.

Ye Qing took the lead, and his companions followed closely behind him. A lot of people were walking out of the residences on both sides of the street. Clearly, they were people who came to visit the Yin Market as well. But unlike them, they looked like the emperor himself attending a parade. Some people wore expensive clothes. Some were riding unbelievably handsome horses that few in the real world could rival, and some were attended to by many slaves and beautiful women.

The contrast was such that they looked like beggars.

“Heavens, I’m starting to regret not getting myself some excellent service.” Chu Nianjiu clicked his tongue.

“We’re here to visit the Yin Market, not entertain the residents of Fengdu like monkeys.” Ye Qing snuffed out that desire as easily as he would snuff out a candle.

They didn’t go far before they ran into a traffic jam of sorts. They were closing in on an imposing city, its walls so tall that one literally couldn’t see the top even if they bent their necks the whole way. A checkpoint had been set up at the entrance, and two yin guards wearing black robes were inspecting the visitors’ Yin Tokens.

“You dare show us a fake token? The audacity!”

The group was waiting for their turn to enter the checkpoint when suddenly, they heard a loud, harsh rebuke.

1. Annon Sutra pissed off that Ye Qing is considering worshiping another deity when it’s right there lol. Also, is this suggesting that Annon Sutra is from Fengdu? ?

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