And since Drunken Dream is also a stronghold of Dark Moon Pavilion, it's hard for Su Yan not to connect the two.

But where should we even begin to investigate...?

"Where in Chang'an can I find the incense that prevents pregnancy..." Su Yan pressed for an answer.

Wang Ruofu pondered for a moment, "This contraceptive incense is hard to find in ordinary markets. It is mostly circulated in the ghost market. There is a lame old witch from the southern border in the ghost market. If you can find her, you may find some clues."

Su Yan was initially struggling with the situation, but Wang Ruofu unexpectedly pointed her in the right direction, and she was filled with gratitude. "Thank you very much, Lord Sizhi. I will definitely treat you to a meal once I solve the case."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruofu smiled and waved his hand, "No need, I'll be leaving Chang'an for Suizhou in a few days, let's have dinner next time!"

"Alright... If Wang Sizhi returns to Chang'an from Suizhou, be sure to write to me."

Wang Ruofu smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, the trip to Suizhou won't take too long, at most three to five months, at most seven or eight months. I will definitely eat the meal you treat me to."

At this moment, Shen Yao and Xie Yu also arrived at Wang Sizhi's courtyard, but they did not go up to disturb the two's conversation, and waited quietly for Su Yan.

Wang Ruofu found this scene somewhat amusing; it was the first time since she returned to Chang'an that she had seen two people who were like oil and water standing together.

"What's going on with those two? They look like they're waiting for you..." Wang Ruofu asked Su Yan beside him.

Su Yan sighed helplessly, "Alas...it's a long story."

…………

After learning about the origins of the Fragrance of Avoiding Children from Wang Ruofu, the three of them unanimously agreed to explore the Ghost Market at night.

At first, Shen Yao didn't want Su Yan to enter the Ghost Market, but later, under Su Yan's strong resistance, Shen Yao had no choice but to agree.

It was midnight, and dark clouds obscured the bright moon, plunging the world into complete darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

The three stood on the dark river, holding lanterns and gazing at a faint light source in the distance.

That was the ferry to the Ghost Market, which departed at midnight and never returned.

The cold wind howled across the river. Although it was past early spring, the chilly wind at night made me shiver and my hands and feet were freezing.

Su Yan subconsciously hugged her arms and rubbed them up and down, trying to warm her body.

Just as Su Yan was feeling so cold that her eyes were glazed over, a sudden warmth came from her shoulder and enveloped her whole body.

Su Yan turned around and saw that Shen Yao had taken out a fox fur cloak from somewhere and draped it over her shoulders.

"Lord Shen, what's going on?" Su Yan looked at Shen Yao blankly, her face full of confusion and doubt.

Shen Yao's face remained stern. "It's cold at night, don't catch a cold..."

After saying that, Shen Yao acted as if nothing had happened and quietly walked a few steps away from Su Yan, so that the distance between the two would not seem too close.

Su Yan was completely baffled by Shen Yao's actions and couldn't figure out what he was up to, but putting on the fox fur coat did ward off the biting cold wind.

Su Yan did not refuse Shen Yao's kindness, and stepped forward to say softly, "Thank you..."

Shen Yao didn't say anything, but a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips, without him even realizing it.

However, Xie Yu saw this scene and rolled his eyes in disgust. If it weren't for the princess's case, he wouldn't have come to such a awful place to annoy himself.

Soon, the boat on the river sailed towards Su Yan's direction and docked on the riverbank.

It was a very large commercial ship. Anyone who wanted to board the ferry to the Ghost Market had to pay a toll of five hundred taels of silver.

A figure wearing a white smiling mask with a red flower-like pattern on his forehead, dressed in red, stood on the deck, gazing at the three people on the river table. A sinister laugh emanated from his mouth.

"Hehehe... At midnight, the gates of hell open wide. Whether you're human or ghost, you must first pay five hundred taels as a toll. Otherwise, you'll be left behind..."

When Su Yan saw the smiling man standing on the deck, she felt a cold sweat break out all over her body. Especially with the endless darkness contrasted with the smiling man, it truly resembled the underworld.

She grew up in Chang'an and this was the first time she had ever seen an opening like the Ghost Market.

Five hundred taels of silver. Although Su Yan was so poor that her purse was emptier than her face, she had two wealthy and powerful men with her by her side.

Xie Yu casually pulled out a 1,500 tael silver note and tossed it into the hand of the smiling man on the boat.

After receiving the silver notes, the smiling man tossed the three masks to Xie Yu and said in a ghostly voice, "Three guests, please come inside."

After he finished speaking, a chair was slowly lowered onto the deck.

Xie Yu handed out masks to Shen Yao and Su Yan one by one, whispering, "In the Ghost Market, whether you are human or ghost, you must not reveal your identity. You must wear your mask properly."

Su Yan nodded, "Don't worry, Dean Xie! I know the rules of the Ghost Market."

Although Su Yan had never been to the Ghost Market, she knew a lot about it. Her master, Lu Yuanxiu, had handled many cases related to the Ghost Market, but unfortunately, they all ended without resolution.

After the three boarded the boat, there were already quite a few people on board, who all seemed to be heading to the Ghost Market.

Everyone wore a mask. Although Su Yan didn't know their identities, judging from their clothes and appearance, many of them were either江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people from the martial arts world) or foreign tribes.

The three entered the cabin, and Su Yan and the others chose a seat by the window. The only sound they could hear was the rushing water, and the cabin was unusually quiet.

Before long, the boat docked on a deserted island, much smaller than the White Horse Temple, but small as it was, it had everything it needed.

Su Yan disembarked and curiously observed the layout of the ghost market.

The Ghost Market, true to its name, is a place where red lanterns hang on both sides of the road, swaying in the wind, creating an extremely eerie and terrifying scene in the darkness.

The further they went, the more open their view became, with things that Su Yan had never seen before displayed on both sides of the road.

Whether it's rare antiques, musical instruments, calligraphy and paintings, or exotic birds and animals, the sale of slaves is commonplace in the ghost market.

Su Yan was dazzled by the sights, but she didn't forget the important reason she came here.

Su Yan inquired about the lame old witch from the vendors in the ghost market. After asking around for a long time, she finally received a reliable message: there was a wooden house to the south, which was the lame old witch's territory.

Upon hearing the news, Su Yan was filled with excitement and wanted to run and tell Shen Yao and Xie Yu behind her.

Suddenly, a figure wearing a blue mask walked across the stone steps in the distance.

Su Yan stopped walking and stared intently at the direction the man in the blue mask had gone. She felt that the figure was incredibly familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

Just as Su Yan was wondering, the man in the blue mask seemed to have noticed something as well, turned around, and his gaze met Su Yan's.

Although Su Yan couldn't see the person's face clearly, she would never forget that look in their eyes, even if it meant her death.

What she loved most about her master when she was a child was his pair of beautiful eyes, sharp as an eagle's, which gave her a great sense of security.