I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 296 Demons and Ghosts of Chang'an Arrive Singing (+4)

The waiter was taken aback.

"Oh, what a coincidence, sir. I have indeed met him before."

Wu Daozi and Li Bai, who were seated at the same table, put down their wine cups, while Sanshui held some snacks in his hand. All three of them looked over.

The waiter laughed and said:

“Sometimes, we shop assistants inevitably have to stay up all night in the shop, so we have to sleep in the back. This happens five, six, seven or eight times a year, so of course we’ve seen what it’s like at night.”

"However, I heard that we must keep the doors and windows tightly closed at night."

At this point, the guy explained.

"It's not just to prevent theft."

“Places like the East Market and West Market are packed with people during the day, but become too deserted at night.”

"The difference in popularity is too great; I've heard it's easy to attract unclean things."

"But I've never seen it either."

"By night, everyone had their doors tightly shut and had gone to sleep long ago."

"These are just rumors. They may not be true, but everyone just feels a sense of awe towards them!"

Jiang She expressed his gratitude.

"Boom-"

"Boom——"

The sound of a large drum could be heard in the distance.

This is the closing drum, which is struck three hundred times, intermittently at long intervals. Its main purpose is to urge pedestrians to disperse. Shopkeepers then begin packing up their shops and settling their accounts.

Upon hearing the drumbeat, the waiter gave them a troubled look.

Jiang She drank the wine in one gulp.

"Where is the restroom?"

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pointed them to a place. Li Bai and Wu Daozi took the opportunity to go to the outhouse.

As the drumbeats began.

The remaining diners in the tavern quickly finished their meals, settling their bills in a few bites.

The shop assistants efficiently cleared away the cups, plates, and bowls, then wiped the tables with a special cloth and washed them.

Everyone got to work.

Outside, the shop owner was also trying to persuade them:

"Sir, it's getting dark. Please hurry back after you've finished your purchase!"

The man hurriedly paid, grabbed the money, and left.

The stalls and shelves outside the shops were quickly taken down, the banners and signs hanging outside were removed, and the valuable porcelain plates and silver dishes were carefully wrapped and stored away by the shopkeepers.

The sky was gradually getting dark.

Clouds rose in the sky. Crowds and lights poured out of the East Market in large numbers, their faces showing a lingering sense of enjoyment.

The drumbeats gradually thinned out.

The shopkeepers started laying down door panels, and the sound of the wooden boards clattering together filled the air.

The staff were sweeping outside the store and cleaning up the trash.

The entire East Market fell silent after the earlier commotion.

City officials sounded gongs and made a show of it as they walked around, making sure all the shops were closed and the streets were empty. The officials then personally locked and sealed the eight main gates of the East Market and made a record of the event.

The door will only reopen when the morning bell rings the next day.

The three hundred drumbeats have been completed.

It had gotten completely dark.

The moon hangs high in the sky, half of it incomplete.

A cold wind blew across the streets that were bustling with activity not long ago.

The streets were deserted, moonlight shone through the eaves, and only the occasional low growl of livestock could be heard.

Jiang She stood in the moonlight, watching the cat's shadow.

Wu Daozi emerged from the alley.

He breathed a long sigh of relief as the city officials left.

This was the first time in his decades-long life that he had "broken the midnight bell," and Wu Daozi was a little nervous.

After a while, he realized that he was still holding onto someone else, so he let go of Li Bai's sleeve and apologized in a low voice.

Li Bai waved his hand.

"nothing."

Wu Daozi raised his head, his heart pounding, and looked around.

strangeness.

Nothing can be seen.

My heart gradually calmed down; I couldn't tell if it was disappointment or relief.

Wu Daozi quickly looked up at Jiang She, bowed, and said in a somewhat nervous tone:

"Young Master Jiang, now that it's night, where are the demons and ghosts?"

Jiang She smiled.

“Right in front of Wu Sheng.”

He glanced into the distance, amidst the surprised looks of the others.

He lowered his brows and waved his sleeve.

—And then a completely different scene suddenly appeared before them.

The building was brightly lit and filled with jewels. A high platform rose from the ground, and suddenly a scene of extravagance and prosperity appeared before one's eyes.

All living beings pass through.

Various figures moved about on the road, and some people wore Nuo masks on their heads as if it were New Year's Day.

Those Nuo masks are not local deities like the City God, but rather imitations of various spirits and monsters.

Some masks were made of foxes, some of mice, some even had horns on their heads, and there were even masks of Kunlun slaves mixed in.

Everywhere you look, there are shouts of vendors and laughter.

Wu Daozi was so surprised he couldn't close his mouth.

"This……"

He suddenly couldn't speak.

Even Li Bai, who had initially remained calm, could no longer maintain his composure.

His gaze was fixed on the "people" before him, his entire being completely absorbed.

Some of the "people" walking on the road are human, while others have parts that appear to be spirits or monsters.

Not far away, the stall owner selling candles could see a long, thin donkey tail.

It flicks its tail behind it every now and then.

Sanshui exclaimed "Wow!"

"Are these the demons and ghosts of Chang'an?"

Jiang She was also observing.

"This is the first time I've ever seen this either." "Let's go take a look."

Wu Daozi nodded repeatedly, and he couldn't help but take steps forward, getting closer and closer, and he could hear the conversations of the passersby.

"An outsider is coming!"

"These people look so strange, why don't they even have tails?"

"Born to look like a normal person..."

"And there's a cat with a tail... It's tiny, still a baby."

After listening for a while, Wu Daozi suddenly realized that despite the bright lights, many pedestrians on the road had no shadows.

Seeing that he had been staring for a long time, someone turned around and asked with a smile.

"What is this young man looking at?"

The sound, in its subtle, penetrating manner, entered my ears.

Wu Daozi's heart tightened, and he quickly waved his hand, apologizing in a low voice:
"It's nothing, it's nothing. I was the one who offended you, I'm so sorry..."

Walking through this "ghost market," they were treated like guests, and Wu Daozi had never been so polite to them before.

He was both surprised and terrified.

She couldn't help but follow Jiang Langjun even closer, step by step, afraid of being left behind.

Jiang She, with the cat in tow, had already reached the vendors.

He looked at the lamps with great interest.

There are oil lamps and candles at the stall.

The oil lamp was made of pottery, and two oil buckets were placed next to it. The candle was also quite rough, with a yellowish color, and simply wrapped in oil paper.

Wu Daozi followed him over, and he was about to take out his money bag to help pay the bill.

"Young Master Jiang wants to buy this?"

A burst of laughter reached his ears, and the stall owner glanced at Wu Daozi and chuckled.

"Sir, you have no money."

The Kaiyuan Tongbao coins in the money bag jingled and clanged.

Wu Daozi was puzzled. He took out some loose silver and asked:
"How much does a candle cost? I'll buy the bronzeware along with it."

Behind the stall owner, a long, thin tail flicked.

He smiled and repeated the same thing.

"Sir, you have no money."

Wu Daozi was furious; he had never been treated this way before. Just as he was about to ask why, a thought suddenly occurred to him:
The copper coins and loose silver in his purse might not be the same type of money as the money the merchant wanted to collect.

Beside him.

Jiang She thought for a moment and then took out a wine pouch from his sleeve.

"I have a drop of liquor, may I buy it?"

The stall owner burst into laughter.

"Am I a stingy drinker? Besides, you're so stingy, only giving me a single drop of wine. How ridiculous!"

"No."

"Absolutely not!"

The stall owner said, "If I sell you these incense sticks today, wouldn't I be making a loss? I've been a merchant for many years, and I've never done business like this before."

Laughter erupted from behind him.

People of all kinds, all sorts of beings, looked over with curiosity. Their voices were tinged with mockery and curiosity.

Jiang She opened the wine sac and pulled out the lid.

His tone remained calm and composed, light and detached.

"Is this acceptable?"

A refreshing and sweet aroma wafted onto the stall owner's face. He twitched his nose, greedily inhaling the fragrance.

In a split second, Jiang She shoved the lid back in.

I felt a little lost and disappointed.

The stall owner's expression changed drastically.

"Of course!"

He rubbed his hands together, his expression suddenly changed, and his tone became much more respectful as he cautiously said:
"I have many incense sticks and candles here. My lord, please take a look. If none of them catch your eye, just a drop of each..."

Not far away, several spirits began to mock them.

"Trickster!"

"What a swindler!"

"These are things that can't be sold anyway, how dare you!"

The stall owner, feeling embarrassed by their words, straightened up, looked up at Jiang She, and bowed.

Somewhat eagerly, he inquired:

"Should I sell all these candles to my lord?"

"Just one drop... just one drop will do!"

In the eyes of everyone.

Jiang She looked at the various sizes of oil lamps and candles on the stall, as well as two half-full buckets of lamp oil.

He nodded.

"can."

He tapped the wine flask and offered the other person a drop of wine.

The stall owner was overjoyed.

Jiang She picked up a candle and handed it to the others, each holding one. He then stuffed the rest into his sleeve.

Blow gently.

Laughter rose from the nest, like green flames.

I can hold the bright lamps and candles.

Wu Daozi saw the lights come on, and he heard curious voices and laughter all around him. For some reason, looking at the flickering flames, he suddenly felt much calmer.

This smell is strange...

Before he could think further, and before he could ask any more questions, he was left to ponder the matter.

A noisy sound came from afar.

"Let's avoid it—"

"Excuse me—"

Protecting the candlelight in front of them, the group moved aside.

Wu Daozi and Li Bai looked over and saw that the "pedestrians" on the road were making way for them. After waiting for a while, they finally saw the person who had come.

In the cold wind, there was a group of tall people carrying torches and musical instruments, each wearing a Nuo mask.

The lights were bright, and the brocade was piled high.

Demons and ghosts arrive, singing as they go.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)