77: justice

That wisp of black Qi was like ink entering water, silently merging into the shadows of the Ghost Market as if it had never appeared.

However, an invisible oppression had already shrouded the skies above this bustling land.

The next morning, at the most prominent position in the center of the Ghost Market, a three-zhang-high wooden platform actually rose from the ground overnight.

The platform was simple, yet it radiated treasure-like light, reflected by the Power Of Will crystals of countless believers; they called it the "Atonement Tower."

A Lame Old Man stood atop the high platform, his voice hoarse yet carrying a strange Gu-like allure: "Sins of the past life, repaid in this life! With sincerity, a Talisman is born; believe in me, and you can be spared the suffering of Karmic Obstruction and Reincarnation!"

He didn't have the slightest aura of a Talisman master, nor even a trace of True Qi flowing through him, yet the crowd below was like a frenzy, tossing the Power Of Will crystals they had painstakingly condensed onto the high platform.

Those crystals, some as small as rice grains and others as large as fists, each contained the purest hopes and sweat of the vendors; at this moment, they were piled up like a mountain, shining brilliantly.

"My Lord, this man is deceiving the masses with evil words and amassing the people's will. According to the law, he should be shut down!" Cui Wujiu of the Hall of Law Enforcement had an ashen face, and the Law Enforcement Seal at his waist already shimmered with a grim, cold light.

He was ordered to maintain stability in the Ghost Market and would never allow such chaos.

Just as he was about to step forward, he was instantly surrounded by hundreds of believers, making the area impassable.

A brawny man selling pancakes, his eyes bloodshot, roared, "The Old Immortal is here to save us from suffering! We gave him the crystals of our own free will. What right do you have to say that not believing is wrong?!"

"That's right! We did it voluntarily!"

"The Hall of Law Enforcement controls heaven and earth, but can it control what we believe in?!"

The waves of sound were overwhelming, and Cui Wujiu was actually forced into a standstill by this "momentum" gathered from Mortals.

He discovered with shock that legal principles were so pale and powerless in the face of fanatical faith.

Not far away, Zhang Xuanyi was leaning against his "Carefree Teahouse," leisurely munching on a freshly grilled skewer, watching with great interest.

Su Qingzhu was so angry she stomped her feet, rushing in front of him to demand, "That old man clearly has a problem. As the master of the Ghost Market, are you really going to do nothing at all?"

Zhang Xuanyi blew on the heat from the skewer and slowly shook his head. "If I intervene today and shut down his platform by force, they will just build another tower in their hearts tomorrow. At that time, will the rules of this Ghost Market be decided by me, Zhang Xuanyi, or by the scale in their own hearts? How would that be any different from the high-and-mighty Tianshi Mansion?"

Su Qingzhu was momentarily speechless and could only watch helplessly as the Power Of Will crystals on the Atonement Tower piled higher and higher.

This continued for three days.

On the evening of the third day, a sudden change occurred.

Throughout the Ghost Market, a series of crisp cracking sounds suddenly rang out.

Those Power Of Will crystals offered to the Lame Old Man all shattered at the same moment!

Within each broken crystal, desperate and painful faces emerged—they were the very vendors who had been swindled of their life-saving money by the "Atonement Tower."

A mother selling mung bean soup knelt on the ground, wailing heart-wrenchingly, "My money... I worked so hard selling mung bean soup and finally saved up three crystals, thinking to clear the resentment for my wrongfully deceased husband so he could be reincarnated sooner... I gave it all to that god-cursed swindler!"

Her crying was like a fuse, instantly igniting the fury of the entire Ghost Market.

The cheated people woke up as if from a dream, their regret and anger intertwining as they surrounded the Atonement Tower so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

Cui Wujiu's eyes were blood-red, and with a roar, the Law Enforcement Seal at his waist transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky: "Evil-doer! Bewitching hearts and swindling the people's wealth, this official shall execute you on the spot today!"

Just as the seal was about to strike down, a hand lightly pressed against his wrist.

It was Zhang Xuanyi.

"What's the rush?" Zhang Xuanyi still had that lazy appearance as he stopped him. "He didn't use a single Talisman, nor did he say a single lie. From beginning to end, he only asked one question—'Do you believe?' Believing was their choice."

Cui Wujiu said angrily, "Do you mean to just let it go like this?"

"Of course not." Zhang Xuanyi walked to his tea stall, took out a brand-new notice, posted it in the most prominent place, and said loudly: "From today onwards, my Carefree Teahouse will set up a 'regret lamp.' Anyone who has made a Power Of Will transaction within the Ghost Market can come here with their transaction receipt within three days. Burn your regret in public, and get a full refund!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked.

On the first day the "regret lamp" was hung, more than thirty people came with their receipts, tossing their "regret" into the lamp in front of everyone.

As soon as the fire burned, the Power Of Will crystals taken by the Lame Old Man returned to their hands intact.

In less than half a day, there was no one left in front of the old man's stall; he was left standing alone on the high platform, like an abandoned statue.

Suddenly, he let out a beast-like roar and violently tore open his shirt, revealing a chest and back covered in hideous old scars.

Those scars—whip marks, brandings, knife wounds—were layered and shocking to behold!

"I am not a swindler!" His eyes wept blood as he pointed at Cui Wujiu and shouted at the top of his lungs, "My son! My only son! He died at the hands of your Hall of Law Enforcement! They said it was an accidental killing and tried to settle it by paying me a few crystals! I refuse to accept it! I don't believe in heavenly principles, I don't believe in the king's law; I only want to use the world's purest 'faith' to seek justice for my son!"

The noisy crowd instantly fell dead silent.

Sympathy, doubt, confusion—all sorts of emotions intertwined on people's faces.

Cui Wujiu was also stunned. Just as he was about to explain, Zhang Xuanyi had already slowly walked up the high platform.

He didn't exert any pressure, simply handing the old man a blank piece of yellow paper and a Vermilion Brush.

"You want justice? Fine," Zhang Xuanyi said indifferently. "Draw a Talisman yourself. Draw it out, and if the Heavens recognize it, then this justice is yours."

The old man's entire body trembled violently. He stared fixedly at the yellow paper as if seeing his only hope.

He grabbed the brush and, using all his strength, mixed with blood and tears, drew a twisted character for "Grievance" on the paper.

However, the yellow paper remained dim, without any luster.

Zhang Xuanyi calmly took the scrap of paper and casually stuck it onto the wall of the water-boiling stove at the nearby tea stall. His voice spread throughout the Ghost Market: "What you believe in has never been the Dao, but your hate. Hate cannot burn a Talisman to the Heavens; it can only burn out bone-eating resentment."

As his voice fell, he flicked his finger, and the yellow paper with the word "Grievance" drifted into the stove fire.

"Boom—!"

The stove fire soared into the sky, and the flames did not disperse; instead, they condensed in mid-air into a flowing scroll of light and shadow.

In the image, a young law enforcement officer, while pursuing a criminal, accidentally fired a Talisman that hit a passing youth... That youth was precisely the old man's son.

The scene shifted to the interior of the Hall of Law Enforcement, where the young officer crippled his own cultivation to pay for the crime with his life, and the presiding official was none other than Cui Wujiu.

The truth was much clearer and crueler than the old man had imagined.

"It's not that you were unwilling to find the truth," Zhang Xuanyi's voice was as light as a sigh. "You just wanted to find a place to vent your unquenchable hatred. But Xiaoyao is not about escaping; it's about facing it directly."

"Wah—" The old man could no longer hold himself up and collapsed to his knees, letting out a heart-wrenching wail.

Along with his crying, the mountain of Power Of Will crystals on the high platform began to shatter on their own.

But this time, no desperate faces appeared; instead, they turned into dots of clear light, drifting away like fireflies and merging into the night of the Ghost Market.

That night, at the Carefree Teahouse.

Su Qingzhu couldn't help but ask, "Did you know about his son's matter long ago?"

Zhang Xuanyi nodded and added a piece of charcoal to the stove. "Three days ago, he came to my place for a bowl of tea. I added some Mung Bean Powder to the tea that can clear the heart and brighten the eyes, letting him see that memory for himself. Unfortunately, he refused to believe it then."

He looked up toward the long queue of people still waiting under the "regret lamp" in the distance, holding various transaction receipts, their faces showing expressions of either regret or relief.

"Xiaoyao is not something I give," Zhang Xuanyi said softly. "It is something they, step by step, crawl out of the 'wrong' for themselves."

The night wind blew, and the lamplight flickered.

In an unnoticed corner, the old turtle guarding the Ghost Market's ley lines twitched its nose slightly, and a nearly invisible strand of golden Dragon Qi silently entwined itself around the wick of the "regret lamp."

And the Old Yellow Dog napping under the tea stall—its shadow cast on the wall, under the reflection of the firelight, actually began to slowly twist, eventually transforming into a crystal-clear character.