Since the arena match that day,
news about the Southern Palace spread rapidly throughout the Underworld.
"Did you hear? The King of Hell from the Southern Palace is so powerful! None of our Underworld's ghost officers could last ten rounds against him!"
"But I heard Jiang Wuchang fought him for quite a few rounds?"
On the roads of the Underworld, in the streets and alleys of the ghost market.
Almost everyone was discussing this matter.
"The Southern Palace doesn't primarily cultivate sealing techniques, yet their sealing skills are also very impressive. They just 'swish swish swish' and broke through our sealing formations."
"That amazing? How exactly did they break it?"
"Just 'swish swish swish'... with a 'swoosh,' it was broken."
"Right, right! I saw it too, with a 'shua' sound, and those ghost officers were all defeated!"
Besides these hushed discussions,
in the teahouse—
the storyteller was also recounting the arena match that day.
*Slap!*
With a clap of the brown wooden clapper, the tea-drinking customers were all invigorated.
The storyteller then said:
"It is said that the King of Hell from the Southern Palace that day was truly magnificent..."
"He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the audience. Not a single ghost dared to meet his gaze!"
"The first one to step onto the stage was our Eastern Palace's Captain Hei Wuchang..."
The storyteller, dressed in a blue robe,
narrated with such vivid detail, as if he had been present at the scene.
Qi Yaoyao, returning from patrol, was stunned.
"Wow—there was such an exciting arena match!"
"What a missed opportunity!!!"
Emerging from the teahouse, Qi Yaoyao held her black cat.
She looked at it, then, unwillingly, rubbed her face against it.
Ahhh...
That was the King of Hell's arena match, and it was said that Senior Jiang also participated.
How could she have missed it!
What a shame!
"Youyou... why did I go on an errand that day!"
"Will I not be so busy after I'm officially transferred?"
Just as Qi Yaoyao was lamenting,
from the stalls nearby, shouts suddenly erupted.
"Are you still troubled by not having seen the Southern Palace arena match?"
"Are you still unwilling because you didn't see the matches of the various ghost officers?"
"Shu Mo Zhai and Hua Tian Xia's latest works are out!"
Huh?
Qi Yaoyao and Mao Youyou both turned their heads to look.
They saw several small stalls parked by the roadside.
On each stall, numerous novels and comics were displayed.
On the covers, keywords were extremely eye-catching.
[Arena Match] [Southern Palace Competition]...
Driven by curiosity, Qi Yaoyao brought Mao Youyou to the nearest stall.
The vendor smiled and said, "Miss, what would you like to see? Novels or comics?"
Qi Yaoyao picked up a novel in front of her and flipped through it. "Are these really about that day's arena match?"
The vendor patted his chest and guaranteed, "Of course! My little sister's husband's friend saw it with his own eyes!"
"How could I lie to you?"
As the vendor spoke, Qi Yaoyao also read the content of the novel in her hand.
Each chapter had a title.
[Southern Palace Ghost Officers Arrive!]
[Eastern and Western Palace Arena Match Exchange!]
[King of Hell of the Southern Palace Personally Guards the Arena, Who Can Compete?]
It seemed to genuinely record the arena match of that day.
Qi Yaoyao put down the novel in her hand and then picked up a comic book nearby.
Captain Hei Wuchang enters the arena,
The genius sealer of the sealing team is defeated in minutes,
Jiang Wuchang actually lowered his cultivation level to compete?
'Senior Jiang?!'
Qi Yaoyao's eyes lit up.
She stopped the comic book at the page where Jiang Wuchang leaped onto the stage.
Perhaps it was the comic artist's clever touch, but this page was in full color.
Jiang Wuchang, clad in his Bai Wuchang attire, his robes fluttering, ascended the arena.
He stood in confrontation with the King of Hell of the Southern Palace.
The aura of both was incredibly powerful.
Outside the arena,
in the sky and on the ground.
The gazes of countless spectating ghost officers were all drawn towards it.
They stared intently in the direction of the arena.
...
Seeing that Qi Yaoyao had stopped moving, the vendor thought she wasn't interested in this series.
He took out another stack of books from under the stall.
"Miss, if you don't want to see the official matches, I also have fanfiction novels and fanfiction comics. They are also themed around the arena match."
Qi Yaoyao snapped back to attention and shook her head.
She smiled, "I'll take this one!"
She opened her wallet to pay, then suddenly thought of something and paused her action.
"Right, has this been updated? Isn't it still being serialized?"
The vendor smiled and said, "No, no. Both volumes are here. It's finished."
"So quickly?"
Qi Yaoyao said with some doubt, "The arena match hasn't been around for that long, has it?"
The vendor stared at the冥币 in her hand and explained:
"You wouldn't know, but the ghosts at Shu Mo Zhai and Hua Tian Xia are both top-notch in terms of speed and quality."
"Ghosts are waiting there every day to urge them to update. They definitely won't disappoint everyone!"
Shu Mo Zhai is a place dedicated to supervising authors writing books.
And Hua Tian Xia is a place renowned alongside Shu Mo Zhai.
However, the ones being urged to update there are comic artists.
"Is that so..."
Qi Yaoyao paid the vendor and left happily with the comic book.
As she walked, she couldn't help but flip through the comic book in her hand.
Her face was filled with novelty.
This was a duel between masters, something she couldn't usually see even if she wanted to!
"Meow~"
Mao Youyou jumped back onto Qi Yaoyao's shoulder.
Reminding her not to read comics while walking.
However, the latter was completely engrossed, and as she walked, her pace gradually slowed.
Later, she simply squatted down in an open space by the roadside.
Her eyes shining, she flipped through the comic book.
She looked determined not to move until she finished reading.
Mao Youyou looked left and right.
There were quite a few ghosts around, just like Qi Yaoyao, squatting by the roadside reading novels or comics.
It made this place look like a gathering spot for readers.
"Meow~"
Mao Youyou let out a meow and stopped bothering.
Lazily, she lay on Qi Yaoyao's shoulder, her eyes half-closed, watching the ghosts coming and going on the street.
There were all sorts of ghosts in this ghost market.
Some telling jokes by the roadside, some practicing hanging themselves under eaves, some bouncing along as they walked, and also...
those squatting in corners taking notes.
Bai Shuangshuang was squatting opposite Qi Yaoyao, separated by a street.
She observed the passing ghosts, observing the customs of the ghost market,
while holding a notebook, writing and drawing.
Her notebook contained many things.
There was a plan to debunk myths, a plan to open a shop, a handmade business—ghosts would also like various kinds of clothing, and a cat cafe...
After observing for a while, Bai Shuangshuang found that there were still many stray animals wandering in the Underworld.
If she opened a related shop, she wondered if it would work...
"What kind of job should I do... I can't just sit here and eat my savings..."
Bai Shuangshuang twirled her pen in her hand.
Trying to find her value in this place where ghosts came and went.
...
...
Behind the immense popularity of novels and comics related to the arena match,
Shu Mo Zhai, Hua Tian Xia—
Authors slumped in their seats.
In one day, they had to rush out an entire work with all their might...
They really couldn't take it anymore.
Beside these authors, supervisors, burly men who urged them to update, smiled and said:
"Rest well, you'll get extra chicken legs later!"
As they spoke, the burly men put away the arms that the authors had 'used up' and discarded from their tables.
This is the good thing about the Underworld.
If your writing hand is废了 (ruined), you can get a new one.
'Extra chicken legs?'
Upon hearing these three words.
The authors slumped in their seats brightened up.
Their faces, which had lost all will to live, also showed a hint of anticipation.
Yes,
although they had a busy day,
at least their works were successfully released, and at the best time of popularity!
They were sure to make a fortune!
Upon thinking of piles and piles of冥币, the authors suddenly felt that everything was worth it.
After getting the money, they could go for a big meal, go traveling.
They could even go for the legendary "Da Bao Jian" (a type of massage/spa service)...
"Hehehe..."
...