C10 Filth

Even though we assured her that we meant no harm, the girl's ghost still retreated two steps, her expression one of sheer terror.

The girl's ghost reacted this way not because Wang Dali and I had done anything to her, but because of the black juice smeared on our eyelids and lips, a remnant of the green ghost. This transformation of a ghost into black juice was a secret art, the principles of which were quite complex and beyond my full understanding. Essentially, it involved converting an ethereal ghost into a tangible liquid, though its essence remained unchanged. The green ghost I had captured looked rather malevolent, so I felt no remorse in subduing it.

After applying the green ghost's black juice, our auras matched its own. To the girl's ghost, we must have appeared as if we were also glowing green. Just as humans perceive hooligans, white ghosts view green ghosts with a similar disdain, if not greater fear. It's no wonder she was so frightened.

"Don't be scared, little sister. We truly mean no harm! Even though we appear green, it's beyond our control and due to special circumstances...

I understand you're scared of green ghosts, but some green ghosts can emit white light as a deception. Don't judge us by our green glow; look into our eyes. Eyes don't lie!"

The girl observed us for a moment, her skepticism evident as she asked, "You don't look like bad people, but this green glow... you didn't happen to buy something from that market over there, did you?"

At the mention of purchasing something, she shuddered from head to toe, and the white light surrounding her body noticeably faded. Clearly, the idea of selling items at the Ghost Market was a horrifying thought for her.

Wang Dali and I exchanged a knowing glance, realizing the market was likely the source of our problem.

"Yes, we're newcomers and not quite familiar with the local customs. We saw the market and picked up a few trinkets, never imagining it would lead to this..." I explained, deliberately being vague.

Based on the girl's ghost's account, our 'greening' might indeed be linked to the market, so I was determined to coax the secrets of the Ghost Market out of her.

After we made our purchase, the girl glanced around cautiously before pulling us far away to a secluded corner. There, she whispered urgently, "You need to leave quickly—this isn't a place for good spirits like you! You've bought so little, so there's only a faint green glow about you. If you leave now, you might still have a chance at reincarnation..."

Her words took me by surprise. Reincarnation is a mercy granted by the Netherworld to beings of the Ghost Tao. Even green spirits, tainted by some misdeeds, could cleanse their aura over several decades and re-enter the cycle of life. Yet, could this mere Ghost Market within the pine forest strip away the right to reincarnate?

Wang Dali and I were taken aback, staring intently at the girl as if trying to unearth the secrets buried within her. Despite her repeated pleas for us to leave, we stood our ground. Eventually, she let out a sigh and revealed, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Look at the ghosts in the market—they're all green, except for me, I'm white. But before they came here, they were all white too. Now, they've turned green, and some have even started peddling their wares..."

As she spoke, her demeanor was somber, seemingly grieving for these spirits. Inside, I felt a jolt of alarm.

The color of a ghost reflects the weight of their karma. White ghosts bear little to no karma, while green ghosts carry a heavier burden that could hinder their reincarnation. Other colors fall outside the realm of ordinary spirits.

Karma, in essence, is the accumulation of misdeeds committed in life and after death. The heavens keep an account, and those burdened with karma are more susceptible to resentment and malevolence, potentially becoming fierce spirits.

The divine will cuts like a knife; karma doesn't manifest without cause. There must be evil deeds committed for retribution to follow. But they had only visited the ghost market!

"Could it be that the items sold here are..."

I bit back my rising fury and probed the girl for answers, certain she understood my implication.

Her spectral eyes brimmed with tears, though no drops fell due to her ghostly nature. She simply nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, that's right. The items sold here come from the depths... You're aware of that," she admitted.

Zhou once explained to me that ghosts, once human, have their own vulgar terms. Just as people have derogatory names for ghosts, the spirits have their own scornful labels for us. In their lexicon, 'the bottom' refers to the underworld, and 'the bottom below' to the eighteenth level of hell.

For ghosts, descending to the eighteenth level of hell is akin to dying all over again.

"Wang Xu, what on earth are you talking about? This is just a bustling market, isn't it? I can't make heads or tails of it!" Wang Dali, ever impatient, began to needle the girl.

I was about to caution Wang Dali to hold his tongue—saying too much can lead to trouble—but the ghost girl blinked at him, sighed, and pointed to a vendor selling paper effigies and inflatable dolls at the ghost market.

"Look, that's my dad. He didn't sell things here before... My dad was kind and gentle to everyone. Tragically, when I was thirteen, he was driving me somewhere and we got into an accident at an intersection. We died together...

"But we're benevolent spirits. The King of Hell allowed us thirty years of bliss in Fengdu City before we could reincarnate. Aside from the tedium, it's not so bad...

"To alleviate my boredom, Dad found out about this ghost market and brought me here. But after buying just one thing... he became like a man possessed, buying nonstop. He gave everything away, and eventually, he ended up staying here to sell inflatable dolls!" By the end, the girl was weeping silently. I was at a loss for how to console her since ghosts typically can't shed tears. A young girl wailing in the woods might lead an onlooker to think I had wronged her in some way.

As the girl cried, Wang Dali kept pestering me for an explanation, to the point of exasperation. I finally broke down and explained it to him.

Ghosts are unable to reincarnate because they are bound by negative karma. Only through gradual redemption can they resolve it. However, some old ghosts in the Eighteen Layers of Hell bear such heavy negative karma that they could die a hundred times and still not be redeemed. Thus, they devised a method to transfer their negative karma onto their treasures, trading these tainted items with other ghosts to lessen their own punishments in hell.

This type of trade is known as 'dirtying.' As the term suggests, it involves transferring one's own filth onto another. The ghosts in the ghost market aren't malevolent; they've simply been stained by the tainted goods here, marked with an imposed aura of green light.

Ghosts are unable to reincarnate because they are entangled by their karma. Redemption is a slow process that can dissolve these ties. However, in the eighteen levels of hell, many old ghosts have accumulated so much karma that it's beyond redemption. They've devised a method to alleviate their punishment: they transfer their karma onto precious objects and, through trading these items, pass their burdens onto other spirits. This type of transaction is known as contamination, which, as the name suggests, involves smearing one's own filth onto someone else. The spirits in this ghost market aren't inherently evil; they've simply been tainted by the residue on the merchandise, inadvertently covered in a luminescent green by others.

After I finished explaining, Wang Dali was covered in goosebumps, incessantly rubbing his arms as he exclaimed, "This is too repulsive, utterly vile! To think such deceit could be hidden inside an inflatable doll. After using it, I turned completely green. It's just revolting..." It was clear that Wang Dali felt a deep sense of empathy for these ghosts. He rubbed his face so vigorously it turned red, inadvertently wiping away the dark liquid I had applied to his forehead, eyelids, and lips to open his Yin Eye and Yin Gate, and to disguise him as a ghost…