Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Five – Doubts Within the Heart

The shock of that incident was unimaginable—it had involved as many as twenty fully armed mercenaries and seven or eight grave robbers. News of it spread instantly to every unit in the military.

Li Kun and I stared at the woman before us, faces frozen in disbelief. We had never imagined the woman standing in front of us was actually a member of the women’s special forces.

Tian Tian saw our reactions and immediately understood that her identity had been uncovered. She smiled, and only then did I notice the two small canines that peeked out when she grinned. No wonder her smile could leave Li Kun so utterly spellbound.

Gao Feng, seeing Li Kun and me standing there dazed, said, “Aren’t you both soldiers, too? Well, so is Tian Tian.”

Tian Tian replied, “Actually, I could tell the moment I saw them—they must have served in the military.”

I nodded; she was absolutely right. There’s a certain aura that clings to soldiers. Even though I’d been discharged for years, I kept up the rigorous exercise of my service days. Li Kun, even more so—at home, his old man drilled him every single day. That tough, unyielding presence was impossible to conceal.

Gao Feng led Tian Tian over to my side and asked, “Liu Jie, where are we headed now?”

I pondered for a moment before answering, “You probably haven’t heard of the Ghost Market. Tonight, we’re going there to take a look.”

Li Kun, curious, asked, “Ghost Market? That’s a first for me. What’s so special about it?”

I just smiled. “Let me keep you in suspense a little longer. Soon enough, you’ll see what treasures the Ghost Market holds.”

All three nodded, and the four of us began walking toward the Ghost Market.

As we walked, Tian Tian turned to me and asked, “Where did you two serve?”

Li Kun and I exchanged glances, then shook our heads in unison. I said, “Sorry, Miss Tian Tian, that’s something we can’t tell you.”

Hearing this, Tian Tian paused for a moment, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. She thought to herself, “Could it be that these two served in some special unit? There’s a chilling aura about them, the kind that can only be forged in the blood and fire of war. They must have quite the backgrounds.”

With that, Tian Tian didn’t press further. To avoid the awkward silence, Li Kun moved to her side and struck up a conversation. Laughter soon rippled between them. Seeing this, Gao Feng sidled over to me, pinched my arm, and whispered, “Liu Jie, I think Li Kun and Tian Tian make a good pair.”

I turned and saw Li Kun and Tian Tian chatting away happily. Smiling, I replied, “I agree.”

Gao Feng grinned. “I’m just giving them a chance—after that, it’s up to fate.”

I nodded, then said to Li Kun and Gao Feng, “Just ahead is the most famous Ghost Market in our area.”

Tian Tian and Li Kun both wore puzzled expressions. It was clear Tian Tian wasn’t a local; she must have come specifically to see Gao Feng.

Li Kun walked up to me and asked, “Old Liu, why is this place called the Ghost Market?”

I smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Still keeping us in suspense,” he grumbled.

The Ghost Market was well hidden. It was located right at the head of a big bridge. Following the riverbank straight ahead for about four hundred meters, we reached a narrow, pitch-black path on the left.

This path was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It was shrouded in darkness, with no light at all, so you could only make out the faintest outlines of the way forward. The path stretched for about forty meters.

We walked in single file: I led the way, Gao Feng behind me, then Tian Tian, and finally Li Kun.

As we moved through the narrow passage, Tian Tian grew visibly nervous. The cramped space pressed in on us, and she whispered to Gao Feng, “Xiaofeng, nothing unclean is lurking here, is there?”

Gao Feng was uneasy himself. “This is only my second time here. The first time, I came with my family to get a protective talisman.”

Tian Tian’s curiosity was piqued. “They sell talismans here?”

Gao Feng nodded. “Yes, and not just talismans. There are many things I can’t even name, and the people inside dress very strangely.”

From the back, Li Kun asked, “Strangely dressed?”

Gao Feng nodded again.

At the front, I spoke in a low, serious tone, “No one speak from now on. No matter whom or what you see, keep silent. Don’t stop—just follow in my footsteps.”

The three behind me swallowed nervously. Gao Feng stayed so close he nearly clung to my shirt.

Seeing him like that, I asked curiously, “Didn’t you say you’d been here before? Why are you so scared?”

He whispered, “The first time, I walked through with my eyes closed the whole way. I never dared to look.”

I gently patted the hand gripping my shirt. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

He nodded, and I said, “Alright, stay close and make no sound.”

My expression now grew solemn. Tonight, I had come to the Ghost Market with a particular question in mind—a question about the fox spirit of Mount Lei, the great white civet. I had long wondered about what it had told me: that I would find something in the tomb, something that would one day save my life. Was it true?

I raised a hand and touched my chest, feeling the golden bell nestled quietly in my inner pocket—the very bell I had retrieved from the tomb, clutched in the withered hand of a Taoist corpse.

Just then, the path ahead suddenly widened, revealing two roads, each over two meters across. I’d never taken the one on the left and had no idea where it led.

No one dared wander the Ghost Market at random—no one could predict what might happen or whom you might encounter.

I signaled for silence and pointed to the road on the right. The others understood, and we continued, following my lead.

As soon as we set foot on the new path, a cold wind swept over us. I paid it no mind; every time I came here, this chill greeted me—summer or winter, the strange wind never failed.

We moved slowly forward, and after about ten meters, a thick wall and a heavy iron door appeared ahead. Oddly, the iron door was off to the left, beside a small house.

There’s a saying: “The living knock three times, the dead knock four.” In the Ghost Market, there’s a rule unknown to outsiders: once you enter, leave behind any notion of being among the living.

I stepped up to the iron door and knocked four times. After a moment, the door creaked open.