Chapter 2697 The Mad City Lord's Love-Hate Relationship 19

Jin Chen's questioning silenced the square.

Fu Lingjing rebuked him sternly, "Jin Chen! How dare you question the Imperial Advisor!"

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone playful, "Your eagerness makes me suspect that you're in cahoots with her."

Fu Lingjing: "..."

Zhao Tian quickly tugged at Fu Lingjing's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Fu, don't be so quick to speak! Everything... can be discussed later after we enter the Ghost City."

A calculating glint flashed in his eyes. He clearly thought that Jin Chen and the other three had survived by luck, while they were well-prepared this time, and Fu Lingjing even claimed to have been guided by an immortal, so they would definitely be able to overpower their opponents.

The Imperial Advisor gave Jin Chen a deep look, a dark glint flashing in his eyes, and released a slight pressure. "As the one who oversees the capital, I have my own duties to protect His Majesty and the peace of the people."

"There are some things that are not for you to know right now."

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow and looked back despite the oppressive aura, no longer asking questions, but already had some guesses in his heart.

That night.

The array's light shone again.

It was still night, still that deathly quiet street, with the hollow sound of a night watchman's gong echoing in the distance.

Fu Lingjing and the other three quickly applied ghost powder and cautiously surveyed their surroundings.

Chu Jiushan leaned closer to Jin Chen and whispered, "Senior brother, shall we go back to that inn from last time? I wonder if the waiter still recognizes us."

Liu Shuoyue silently calculated for a moment, then whispered, "Five days outside, four months inside the ghost city... I'm afraid they won't remember. That's fine."

Jin Chen looked in the direction of the city lord's mansion, "Let's find another inn."

Zang Huai'an nodded, "That's fine, it'll also cover up the truth."

Fu Lingjing was displeased upon hearing this.

He was planning to head straight to the Royal Merchant Inn to seek out an opportunity.

"Since the layout of the ghost town is the same as that of the capital, we should naturally return to the inn. If you're too timid, we won't travel with you!"

"Are you sick?" the immortal suddenly interrupted. "You think you can just follow Jin Chen wherever he wants? You'd be a fool to even run into the city lord. Do you even want any more opportunities?!"

Fu Lingjing felt resentful, but thinking of all the benefits the immortal had given him, he could only swallow his anger and endure it. After a while, he said to Zhao Tian and the other two who were about to head in another direction, "Wait! It's safer to act together. Follow...follow them."

[The protagonist is so strange.] Ling Gun Gun peeked into Jin Chen's consciousness. [He's like he has a split personality, changing his mind every now and then.]

In the end, the eight of them checked into a relatively remote-looking inn in the east of the city.

There are significantly more ghosts coming and going here than near the Royal Merchant Inn, and the atmosphere is more chaotic and disorderly.

"It's so lively here tonight." Chu Jiushan followed behind Jin Chen, looking at the strange and bizarre ghosts coming and going on the street, and couldn't help but mutter, "Do ghosts... also have night markets?"

Zang Huai'an listened to the conversation of the ghosts beside him for a while, his expression turning somewhat strange. He walked back and looked at Jin Chen with a complicated expression.

Jin Chen noticed his unusual behavior and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Zang Huai paused for a moment, then gestured with a strange expression, “It is said that… the City Lord’s Mansion is going to publicly select new servants to serve him personally.”

"The requirement is five handsome male ghosts."

Jinchen: "..."

Ghost town market.

Various bizarre and vengeful ghosts, each with a different death appearance, roam the streets and trade, no longer needing to maintain a normal appearance, freely revealing their terrifying true forms.

It has a huge head, connected to its neck by a few fleshy tendons, which sways as it walks as if it might fall off at any moment.

Some were missing limbs, with maggots wriggling at the broken ends.

Even worse, some people drop parts like fingers and eyeballs as they walk, then carelessly pick them up and stuff them back in.

Jin Chen disguised himself, sporting an ordinary face that would be easily blended into a crowd of ghosts, and mingled among the bustling horde of spirits.

Seeing his appearance, Fu Lingjing couldn't help but mock, "What shady things did you do in Ghost City? Why did you disguise yourself for no reason?"

He simply couldn't understand why Jin Chen's actions always exuded a sinister aura.

Jin Chen didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, "I'm afraid of stealing your thunder."

Fu Lingjing: "..."

This person is really... sick!

He glared angrily at Jin Chen, then whispered to the Zhao brothers beside him, "Be smart, everyone. The reward for this trip is generous, but it's only for four people. This man is our biggest threat, so keep a close eye on his every move!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Chen, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and pulled back Hei Yi, who was walking forward with his head down and almost stepped on something.

Blackwing was caught off guard and pulled back. He looked down in the direction of Jin Chen's well-defined fingers and almost stepped on a round, dusty, and slightly trembling eyeball.

Although Blackwing was a descendant of Maoshan and had seen many demons and monsters, this was the first time he had ever stepped directly on a lively eyeball. His stomach churned, and he hurriedly took two steps back.

The eyeball rolled away, and then a thin, bony hand with a bluish-black complexion reached out from the side, picked up the eyeball, and skillfully pressed it back into its empty eye socket.

It was a slender ghost, like a bamboo pole. It pressed its eyeballs, rolled them around a couple of times, and then timidly looked at Jin Chen and Hei Yi.

Upon seeing this, Fu Lingjing immediately frowned and reprimanded Hei Yi, "Why are you so clumsy? Be careful at the foot of Ghost City, don't step on things you shouldn't and cause trouble!"

Jin Chen took a half step forward, his gaze falling on the slender ghost. "Watch your eyes, don't let them roll around again."

The thin, elongated ghost trembled under his gaze, quickly bowing and pleading, its voice shrill, "Thank you for reminding me, sir, thank you, thank you..."

After saying that, he turned around unsteadily and squeezed into the group of ghosts.

But after taking only a few steps, the eyeball that had just been repaired fell off again with a thud and rolled to the feet of an ordinary wandering spirit that didn't seem to have much intelligence.

The wandering spirit picked up the eyeball in a daze. Before it could react, the slender ghost suddenly turned its head, grinned with a strange smile that took up half of its face, and opened its mouth wider than its head. In an instant, it sucked the unfortunate wandering spirit and the eyeball into its mouth.

It chewed contentedly a few times, wiped its mouth, and continued to waddle away.

Black Wing's pupils dilated in shock, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. Only then did he realize how dangerous it had been just now. If Jin Chen hadn't pulled him up, he would probably have been the one swallowed up!

He quickly turned to Jin Chen, his dark face showing lingering fear and gratitude, and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your help, Brother Jin!"

Seeing this, Fu Lingjing's expression turned even uglier, and he shouted, "Black Wing! You..."

Black Wing, however, looked at Fu Lingjing with a stern face.

He was straightforward and knew who was good to him. "Brother Fu, it was indeed Brother Jin who saved me just now."

Chu Jiushan's eyes darted around, and he immediately grinned and leaned in, hooking his arm around Hei Yi's shoulder like a buddy: "Brother Hei Yi! I knew it, my senior brother is the best!"

"Follow my senior brother, and I guarantee you'll be safe in this ghost town. Let me tell you, my senior brother is incredibly powerful. Last time..."

Chu Jiushan began to boast, and suddenly a commotion broke out in the center of the market.