Otherwise, we'll be in big trouble.

Baking soda is quite effective.

He went to the Western Emperor Ghost Market as invited, knowing that his actions were inappropriate, but still risked going.

Compared to the danger, Zuo Ling was more concerned about quickly obtaining energy crystals.

The Ding family is arrogant and conceited. They never expected that she would be reborn and return, and that they would not be tracking or investigating her. She is much safer now.

The reason why he gained so much from Lao Dai was twofold: firstly, because Lao Dai had accumulated a wealth of knowledge over many years; and secondly, because the alternate world had not yet arrived, there were few people who had awakened supernatural abilities, and members of reclusive families had not yet entered the world.

Taking advantage of the time gap to quickly acquire energy crystals is the right way to go; it will be difficult to have such an opportunity again in the future.

The ghost market was just a ten-minute walk away.

The Ghost Market was located in a secluded alley in Xihuang. When Zuo Ling arrived, she immediately slapped the back of her head, realizing she had forgotten to buy a mask.

I've heard that you have to wear a mask when visiting the ghost market.

As it turns out, the worry was unnecessary.

There wasn't a single light in the alley; it was pitch black, relying entirely on the dim light from the sides.

It wasn't completely dark; you could occasionally see the dim light from a flashlight and the red glow of a burning cigarette.

Zuo Ling sighed. She lacked experience and hadn't even prepared a flashlight. It was pitch black, so how could she see anything?

Now that we're here, we can't just turn around and leave.

After standing there for about ten minutes, my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and I mustered my courage to go into the alleyway.

As I walked, I cursed myself for being so stupid; I hadn't brought pepper spray, pepper spray, fruit knife... anything!

As soon as I entered the alley, a dim yellow light shone on the first stall I passed. It was the stall owner's flashlight, with a gauze covering the head of the flashlight, making the goods on the stall appear hazy.

Zuo Ling glanced at it and saw a few wooden carvings and miscellaneous items, including a small incense burner, knives, bronzes, and only two pieces of jade.

Zuo Ling picked it up and looked at it. No, it wasn't there. She put it down, said nothing, and walked straight ahead.

The stall owner turned off the flashlight and didn't say anything.

The second stall lit up with a flashlight; this stall had a lot of jade and bracelets.

Zuo Ling examined it closely, not even missing the bracelet.

Ordinary people may not recognize energy crystals and may even make them into bracelets.

No, keep walking forward, turn off the flashlight, and the stall owner doesn't say anything either.

After visiting three shops, Zuo Ling understood that when visiting the ghost market, whether you're a customer or a vendor, try not to talk if possible.

The flickering of a flashlight serves both as a way of greeting customers and as an indication of whether a deal has been struck.

Zuo Ling really liked this shopping environment; it was simple and straightforward: if you wanted it, you could negotiate the price; if not, you could just leave.

When Zuo Ling visited the sixth shop, she made a purchase: a pendant and two bracelets, all made from a single energy crystal.

The color is yellowish-brown, slightly dark, and has some flaws.

The pendant is carved with a plump Maitreya Buddha, always smiling, which is quite festive. The bracelet is silver-plated and the workmanship is quite exquisite.

"How much?"

Zuo Ling lowered her voice, as if exchanging secret signals.

The stall owner glanced at her. Not many young girls would wander into the ghost market in the middle of the night. Experienced traders wouldn't ask questions; they'd just negotiate by hand.

Although it's strange, it's not unusual. It's a ghost market, after all, where all sorts of weirdos and monsters can come.

"Twelve thousand."

The stall owner is selling not only the materials, but also the craftsmanship.

Both the pendants and bracelets need to be polished, which makes them look much better than the raw materials.

The craftsmanship was useless to Zuo Ling; all she wanted was the material.

Although Zuo Ling didn't understand antiques and jade, she had some common sense. Wrapping a bracelet in silver was a technique to cover up flaws in the jade. If the jade was really good, no one would go to such lengths. Wrapping it in silver would actually reduce the value of the bracelet.

For merchants, the craftsmanship has already cost money, so how could they not add a markup?

Zuo Ling realized that it would be difficult to negotiate the price. She was used to being frugal and didn't want to be taken advantage of. She pondered how much she should ask for.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "5,000."

The stall owner shook his head, took back the pendant bracelet, turned off the flashlight, and ignored Zuo Ling.

Turning off the flashlight means seeing the guest out.

In the stall owner's eyes, Zuo Ling was just overcharging; he, Lao Bai, who frequented the ghost market, never overcharged.