The man led Xiao Man into a small tavern.
The tavern was at the very end of a deep alley, inconspicuous, but already filled with people. They were all burly, fierce-looking men. Xiao Man, amidst this group, appeared particularly delicate and lovely.
"Two cups of Floating Life Brew."
The innkeeper looked up, and the cup in his hand slipped. The man caught it, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. "Hmm, this place's Floating Life Brew is still the most authentic."
As he spoke, he downed the Floating Life Brew in his hand in one gulp. "Give this little brother a cup too."
The innkeeper immediately scooped a cup of Floating Life Brew and pushed it in front of Xiao Man. "Please, enjoy."
Xiao Man picked up the Floating Life Brew, sniffed it, and then frowned, looking at the man. "Brother, is this Floating Life Brew?"
"What is floating life? It's just a dream." The man ordered another cup and drank it all in one go. "Try it, the taste is excellent."
Xiao Man took a small sip, his brow furrowed so deeply it could have crushed flies. "You call this excellent? It's disgusting."
"Kid, looking at your tender skin and delicate appearance, you probably haven't even weaned yet. This place isn't suitable for babies who haven't weaned. Hurry home to your mother and drink milk!" The man reached out his hand towards Xiao Man. The man narrowed his eyes, about to make a move, but before the man could touch Xiao Man, he was sent flying. Xiao Man, meanwhile, still held his cup, taking sips of Floating Life Brew, completely unfazed.
"What kind of technique is this?"
"It's not a technique."
"Then what kind of treasure is it?"
"It's not a treasure either?"
The man smacked his lips, curiously reaching out towards Xiao Man. He first poked Xiao Man with a finger. Seeing that he wasn't sent flying, he couldn't help but swallow. He then extended a hand and tentatively patted Xiao Man's shoulder. Still not sent flying, he was completely relieved. He then put his arm around Xiao Man's shoulder.
"Brother, what kind of magic is this? Teach me too?"
"If only I knew what was going on." Xiao Man took another sip of Floating Life Brew, sticking out his tongue. He pushed the cup onto the table. "It's not good. Not as good as the wine I brew."
"You can brew wine?"
"A little." Xiao Man looked at the man who had just gotten up from the ground. The man's face was filled with anger. The men with him also stood up, and they all attacked Xiao Man in unison. The man sat aside, not moving. Xiao Man, with his arms crossed, watched them with amusement, wanting to figure out the secret within himself.
The fate of the men attacking Xiao Man was the same as Cang Feng's. Before they could touch Xiao Man, they were repelled by an invisible force. The man sitting next to Xiao Man's eyes flashed with an unusual light.
"Monster!" The men got up, screamed, and rushed out. "There's a monster!"
"Insolent! So insolent!" Xiao Man reprimanded. "Since when do monsters insult others by calling them monsters?"
The man, who had been drinking, spat out his wine upon hearing this. "How is she a monster?"
"The people here told me. There are no humans in the Ghost Realm, only demons and monsters."
The man was stunned and couldn't find a retort. After all, the inhabitants of the Ghost Realm were not normal people. They were either demons, half-demons, or extremely wicked criminals, truly deserving of being called demons and monsters.
"Going by that logic, they weren't wrong."
"Who is causing trouble here?" At that moment, a pair of patrolling ghost guards entered, accompanied by the person who had run out earlier. The leading ghost guard was stunned when he saw Xiao Man. "You escaped from prison?"
Xiao Man shook his head. "No, I walked out with honor."
The ghost guard's gaze then fell upon the man beside Xiao Man. Just as he was about to bow, he saw the man quietly wave him off. He immediately stood at attention. "You are a prisoner. Return to the dungeon with me immediately."
"I am not a prisoner!" Xiao Man corrected. "Did your General Cang let me out?"
"Where is the evidence?"
Xiao Man took out a token and showed it to the leading ghost guard. The ghost guard took it and put it in his waist pouch, leaving Xiao Man dumbfounded. "You're outright robbing me?"
"General Cang would gladly have you dismembered. How could he have given you his token and let you out?" The man was sharp. "You must have stolen it when he wasn't paying attention. Since it's stolen, I naturally have to take it back. Are you returning to the dungeon yourself, or should I have someone carry you back?" Su Dan Novel Network
Xiao Man stood up and extended his hands towards the other. The ghost guard quickly retreated, adopting a defensive posture. "What do you want to do? Resisting ghost guard enforcement will result in a doubled sentence!"
Xiao Man stretched out his hands in front of the ghost guard. "Aren't you going to escort me back to the dungeon?"
Seeing that she wasn't going to attack, the ghost guard breathed a sigh of relief. He figured there was no point in detaining Xiao Man. She had only been in prison for a short time, and she was already out!
"Let's go."
The man also followed behind, lazily trailing along.
The leading ghost guard glanced at the man but said nothing. He had them sandwiched between the guards and proceeded towards the dungeon.
The guards at the dungeon saw Xiao Man going out and being brought back, looking as if they had seen it all before. After Xiao Man obediently entered the dungeon, the leading ghost guard said solemnly, "If you dare to escape again, your sentence will be doubled."
"Hey, what crime did I commit to be locked up here?" Xiao Man grabbed the leading ghost guard's collar and asked.
"Assaulting a ghost general, assaulting law enforcement ghost guards. What crime do you think you committed?"
"You all ganged up on me, and then suffered divine retribution. How did it become my crime?" Xiao Man asked with amusement. "Are all the people in your Ghost King City this unreasonable?"
"In Ghost King City, we are reason!"
"Your Ghost King must be a muddled fool, a bastard!" Xiao Man cursed. The ghost guard glanced at Xiao Man meaningfully, as if looking at a dead person. "To allow such scoundrels like you to cause trouble outside. If it were me..."
"If it were you, what would you do?" the man in the adjacent cell asked.
"If it were me, I would have you all whipped one hundred times and hung up for public display. As law enforcement ghost guards, you twist black and white, break the law you are meant to uphold. How can you command respect? You can't always solve things with fists, can you? No matter how strong your fists are, can they withstand numbers?"
"This is Ghost King City."
"I know."
"No one can defy the King."
"Am I not defying him now?"
"Therefore, you are in jail. Kid, reflect on yourself properly." The ghost guard patted Xiao Man's hand away and turned to leave. Xiao Man stared at the ghost guard until he disappeared, a smile playing on his lips. He turned around, and in his hand was something new, which he tossed up and down playfully.
The man immediately laughed and gave a thumbs-up. "Little brother, your hand skills are impressive. Teach me, if you don't mind."
"I can teach you, but you have to tell me about the matters of Ghost King City. Deal?"
"Deal!"