Chapter Fifteen: The Night Market's Downfall!

One hour ago...

Many people resting at the night market noticed that tonight there seemed to be far more painted skins crawling in the darkness than usual. As the night market’s lights dimmed, many could see those green eyes densely scattered in the dark like summer fireflies, which was rather unsettling.

Yet, despite the unease, no one fled. After all, everyone knew that as long as the Life-Protection Lantern was lit, no painted skin would dare attack. This was the rule here. It was precisely because of this rule that the living could survive here and even have a chance to earn more.

But Zhang Rui did not believe it...

“Lord Zhang, are you sure you want to leave this Painted Market?” Chen Xiao looked at Zhang Rui, who was heading in the opposite direction, his face conflicted.

He wasn’t very clear on the rules of the Painted Market, but so many people choosing this path surely had their reasons. Just looking at the countless ghostly eyes outside was enough to frighten anyone. To voluntarily walk out there?

“If we don’t leave before the lights go out, we’ll all die here,” Zhang Rui said coldly. “Mr. Chen, do you doubt me?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you… it’s just…”

Zhang Rui sighed softly and whispered, “Let me ask you, sir, what is the primary force in this world within the painting?”

Chen Xiao was taken aback, hesitating before he replied, “Naturally… it’s the painting spirits…”

“Then it seems you understand this as well,” Zhang Rui smiled. “A world dominated by painting spirits—how could there be a rule that benefits the living unilaterally?”

Everyone was stunned, then realization dawned: “So the Life-Protection Lantern’s power to protect isn’t real?”

“It is real,” Zhang Rui sighed. “If it were fake, why would so many painted skins hold back? The lantern’s protective power is genuine, but it’s not infallible…” He opened a jade box.

The jade box was Zhang Rui’s creation; jade nourished yin energy. He had designed it to concentrate ghostly blood. Though it consumed much of his ghost ink, Murong Yunzi’s considerable earnings ensured ample supplies.

He dipped his finger and placed a drop of ghostly blood onto the Life-Protection Lantern. Instantly, the lantern’s flame turned green, and the comforting warmth vanished, replaced by a chilling cold.

“This is…” everyone shuddered.

“The reason evil spirits avoid the lantern is that it requires the essence blood of painting spirits to nullify its effect. The stronger the flame, the more essence blood is needed—sometimes sacrificing several painting spirits to extinguish one lantern. Painting spirits normally prey on humans for their essence blood, akin to food, but they wouldn’t trade their lives for it. That’s why the lantern gives a false sense of protection…”

“Such a thing exists?” Chen Xiao was horrified.

“Right here…” Zhang Rui looked at the dense green eyes outside the market entrance, feeling a wave of nausea.

“Lord, what now?”

“Wait for the market to close…” Zhang Rui whispered. “If we go out now, those painting spirits will target us first. But once the market closes, if we find the right moment to extinguish our lanterns, those still burning will become the most glaring targets—there might be a chance to escape.”

Chen Xiao glanced back at those still inside the market, guessing that not a single one knew this truth. Otherwise, they wouldn’t remain so calm amid the swarm of painted skins.

This young magistrate was indeed formidable—he hadn’t bet wrong!

“Originally, such a thing shouldn’t happen in the Painted Market…” Zhang Rui whispered. “The people here have survived so long because the painted skins never broke the rules—no large-scale slaughter. But tonight is different. I suspect this is connected to the Crown Prince incident.”

---

Chen Xiao frowned at Zhang Rui’s words. “I also suspected that the forces behind this must be linked to the Painted Market; otherwise, why use such things to target Master Tian? But I never imagined their power was so great that they could even command painted skins!”

Zhang Rui glanced around quietly. “Could it be that the ‘behind-the-scenes’ forces you speak of are these painting spirits themselves?”

“What?” Chen Xiao was shocked. He had considered many possibilities, but never this one.

“Let’s first find a way to survive this wave,” Zhang Rui said as he observed the outside. He already had a rough guess.

The presence of so many living people meant many factions outside knew the Painted Market’s secrets and had entered through various channels to seek personal gain.

This scale wasn’t formed overnight. But many failed to realize that once the painted world was linked, outsiders could enter, and the ghosts inside could escape!

If contact between painting spirits and humans grew too frequent, those that could imitate humans would surely infiltrate the mortal realm. The longer the market stayed open, the more serious the infiltration. The formation of sizable factions was not impossible. If the forces behind the Crown Prince’s assassination were connected to the painting spirits…

Two possibilities struck Zhang Rui.

Either some human power secretly colluded with ghosts to overthrow the Great Jin, or the painting spirits themselves had grander ambitions—to supplant humans.

Suddenly, countless eerie wails echoed, startling everyone. Chen Xiao quickly looked at Zhang Rui. “Lord, the market is about to close!”

He saw the flames inside the market extinguishing one by one, clearly at their limit. Outside, the gathering painting spirits were already eager. This young magistrate was right—they were about to strike tonight!

“Light the lanterns!” Zhang Rui ordered hastily.

The guards hesitated. Wasn’t the Life-Protection Lantern useless?

“Quickly!” Chen Xiao barked.

The guards hurriedly used their essence blood to ignite their lanterns. Zhang Rui immediately added ghostly blood from the jade box, turning several lanterns green as before. Then he touched each person’s forehead with some ghostly blood and said, “When they rush in, hold your breath and don’t move!”

The guards hesitated, but Chen Xiao nodded after a moment. “I trust Lord Zhang!”

He closed his eyes and held his breath. Seeing this, the guards took a deep breath and followed suit.

With eyes shut, within mere breaths, they felt countless chilling presences approaching. The coldness enveloped them like falling into icy river water in winter, as if they might be swallowed whole in the next moment.

Though eyes closed, they sensed all the painted skins watching. They barely had any chance to resist. Even if they fought immediately, it would be futile. It was better to trust this magistrate and gamble once again.

“Go!!”

How long passed, they didn’t know. At Zhang Rui’s shout, they all opened their eyes and saw he had nearly vanished into the night. Cursing under their breath, they hurried after him.

They hadn’t even escaped the market when the howls of the painted skins and the screams of the living behind them filled the air, filling them with dread.

Had they hesitated even a moment longer and not trusted this man, their fate would have been the same as those being devoured behind.

---

“Lord Zhang seems very familiar with this Painted Market!”

Chen Xiao appeared weak, like a frail scholar, but when running, he was as swift as a leopard, catching up to Zhang Rui in the blink of an eye.

“Well… it’s my first time here, but I have some special intelligence,” Zhang Rui admitted honestly.

Chen Xiao nodded and asked, “So using that ghostly blood to light the lantern means you won’t be attacked?”

“Not exactly…” Zhang Rui shook his head. “The ghostly blood in the lantern immerses you in yin energy, a sign of sincerity when the living meet the painting spirits. But it doesn’t mean the spirits can’t detect you at all. We weren’t attacked earlier because those painting spirits hadn’t been instructed to deal with beings like us, so they hesitated. Plus, the market was filled with their actual targets, allowing us to slip through.”

“Instructions?” Chen Xiao’s sharp mind caught the key word immediately.

Zhang Rui thought silently: this sickly scholar’s mind works fast.

“This massive attack by painting spirits is obviously organized. The ones controlling them must be higher entities. From what I know, when painting spirits are commanded on a large scale, they become puppets—consciousness is not fully their own but follows orders rigidly. Under such control, their discipline might even surpass our elite troops, but they lose flexibility.”

“Really?” Chen Xiao looked down at the night market filled with screams, his expression complex.

“All the elite forces cultivated by the great families lost just like that?”

Zhang Rui also looked down, his face cold. He cared little for those so-called family elites in the Painted Market.

They had long known the rules but did nothing when the Painted Market enveloped Fuchun County, allowing unsuspecting civilians to be slaughtered. Now that it was their turn, no one came to help—it was only natural!

“The so-called essence blood exchange is essentially a conspiracy,” Zhang Rui said calmly. “Why would an evil spirit offer such a benefit to humans? Those blinded by greed never consider that this might have been bait all along—designed to lure humans into a trap.”

Chen Xiao’s hair stood on end. Now he realized that all who thought they benefited from the Painted Market were actually being farmed like pigs, waiting for the perfect harvest.

“So that’s it!!”

Before Chen Xiao could speak, a dark voice came from not far behind. Everyone’s guard instantly rose as they drew weapons towards the source.

Chen Xiao’s face turned grim upon hearing the voice.

He knew it all too well, and every day and night, he wished he could tear the owner’s throat out.

“Your Highness seems to be in trouble?” Zhang Rui smiled calmly and bowed.

Murong had already warned him of Qin Fang’s approach, so he wasn’t surprised.

“The trouble is quite serious!” The Third Prince, panting and laughing while carried on Qin Fang’s back, said, “I’m afraid I must trouble Lord Zhang to help me this time!”