Supernatural Brokers Rampaging in the Human World - Chapter 172 - Variety Show

Variety shows are a famous route to stardom, and many celebrities, even those without supernatural abilities, are eager to join. Anyone with a bit of sense knows this show is bound to be a hit.

The show consists of four supernatural ability users, four celebrity partners, and two clue guests. The supernatural ability users handle the supernatural aspects, while the celebrities gather preliminary evidence. The two guests are usually professional Taoist priests, tasked with evaluating their performance.

In the first season, the four supernatural ability users will compete, leaving one as a permanent fixture, while the remaining three spots become challenge seats, open to public contestants.

The first case is titled “Tears of the Camellia,” a poetic name hinting at a poignant and melancholic storyline, undoubtedly drawing significant attention.

Although Su Yang isn’t keen on participating herself, she has some interest in the show, especially since Yuan Ying is a guest on it.

Five years have passed, and Yuan Ying has earned the title of Best Actor, gradually transitioning from a fresh-faced idol to a powerhouse actor. His popularity has grown exponentially compared to five years ago. He is now the representative of the new generation of talented actors, recognized internationally.

Thus, Yuan Ying’s involvement in the show brings a massive influx of viewers. Many people, even if unaware of the show’s premise, will tune in just for Yuan Ying.

Among the other three guests, Su Yang recognizes one-Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia has been clinging to Yuan Ying for five years, attempting to create buzz but never succeeding. Perhaps she understands what Yuan Ying’s status signifies, so she never considered giving up, hoping to establish herself as a devoted admirer.

And indeed, many online have gradually bought into her persona-after all, clinging to someone for a year or two might be seen as publicity, but five years of persistence might just be true love, right?

Little do they know, Zhou Jia actually has a team dedicated to managing these affairs. With a few announcements and mentions of Yuan Ying’s name, a swarm of fervent fans will come to criticize, while some uninformed bystanders express sympathy.

Initially, it was just a publicity stunt, but seeing the online trend, Zhou Jia’s team naturally shifted their strategy-from clinging to genuine admiration, unwavering even after five years.

It’s undeniably a clever move. People might disdain someone who clings, but they won’t dislike a persona of deep affection, even if the sincerity is questionable.

To Yuan Ying, Zhou Jia is like a stubborn adhesive, impossible to remove or evade, causing endless discomfort. Eventually, he simply pretended she didn’t exist.

This time, Yuan Ying accepted the invitation to join the supernatural variety show, and Zhou Jia promptly found connections to insert herself into it-she’s been dreaming for five years that she would marry Yuan Ying. And this all stems from a favor Yuan Ying did for her as a fellow newcomer in the entertainment industry over five years ago.

To this day, Yuan Ying doesn’t even remember what he did to cause such a misunderstanding.

Su Yang, who maintains a cordial relationship with the Yuan brothers, learned all this gossip through casual chats. When Yuan Ying discovered Zhou Jia would be on the same show, he vented his frustration in the group chat for an entire evening, successfully catching Chen Zhao’s attention.

To Chen Zhao, anyone who steals his wife’s attention, even if it’s her brother, is no good!

Su Yang found this ridiculous, utterly speechless at this childish man.

The first episode, “Tears of the Camellia,” revolves around a camellia that “weeps.” The person seeking help, “Xiao Li” (a pseudonym), claims that the petals of her camellia constantly exude a red liquid. She initially ignored it, but as the situation persisted daily, she grew fearful.

She set up surveillance near the camellia but found nothing, only seeing the liquid appear at night, seemingly from an invisible person standing there, with tears slowly dripping down.

After taking the “tears” for testing, Xiao Li discovered the substance was a mixture of tears and blood. Blood tears typically occur when people are extremely sad and cry for extended periods, causing the tear ducts to swell and rupture, leading to blood mixing with tears.

Upon seeing the test results, Xiao Li was terrified, worried something was wrong at home. She sought help from a Taoist priest but couldn’t resolve the issue.

The camellia is a rare “Eighteen Scholars” her boyfriend has nurtured for ten years, a precious gift for their wedding, so she never considered discarding it.

Having tried all possible solutions, the blood tears continued to appear on the camellia, leaving Xiao Li helpless. In this situation, the variety show approached her.

The first episode received excellent feedback, and Yuan Ying’s luck was good, following the permanent guest. Of course, the show had a script, so this outcome wasn’t surprising.

To enhance the show’s effect, the latest equipment capable of clearly capturing ghostly presences was used. Su Yang found it intriguing and bought a set through Chen Zhao, intending to do something fun with it-like filming a promotional video for Du City’s Ghost Market.

When Tushan Le learned of Su Yang’s plan, he was amused and exasperated, “How do you come up with these ideas?”

Su Yang scoffed lightly, “What, just because I haven’t regained my strength, you, a fox, are unwilling to help me?”

Tushan Le chuckled helplessly, sighing softly, “Ma’am, you jest. How could I defy your wishes? Even if you wanted to overturn the Ghost Market, I wouldn’t utter a word.”

“The Ghost Market exists in a spatial rift, beyond the Heavenly Path’s reach, making it an excellent place for transactions. After all these years, who knows, the Heavenly Path might have attached itself to something… perhaps an artifact or even a person.

If it’s an artifact, it must be a supreme treasure; if it’s a person, they’re likely exceptional. Opening the Ghost Market might just offer another path.”

Mentioning the Human Realm left Tushan Le speechless. They all knew what Su Yang had done back then, losing the Human Realm and indirectly destroying Chen Zhao, the Immortal Emperor’s century-long preparations. It was indeed something that needed to be reclaimed.

“I understand,” Tushan Le replied. No wonder the Master and Chen Zhao are so close; they’re truly a match made in heaven.

If you overlook the eerie and cold atmosphere of the Ghost Market, the scenery is quite impressive, preserving the ancient architectural style from centuries ago, remarkably well-maintained.

The bustling streets, small stalls, and shops all retain their ancient appearance, and to match the setting, people on the streets wear traditional robes, especially those running stalls, all dressed in ancient attire.

Du City’s Ghost Market is one of the largest in the country, making it quite a spectacle for filming a promotional video. Ghosts in the market don’t have any notion of portrait rights; in their world, strength is everything.

Huanshan Pavilion appeared in the background from afar, and when the promotional video was released, many sharp-eyed viewers might recognize it as the location from the photos Chen Zhao had previously posted.

Su Yang shared her idea with Chen Zhao, and as a devoted husband, he naturally had no objections, even sending a team of professionals to assist.

The staff, who had never dealt with ghosts before, expressed their distress, especially if they encountered one with poor personal hygiene, resulting in a face full of blood-that would be even worse.

In less than half a month, all the materials needed for the promotional video were prepared, and Tushan Le also reorganized the Ghost Market, specifically designating a black market-like trading area.

After receiving the promotional video, Su Yang watched it-a five-minute short film, seemingly crafted with world-class special effects, fantastical as if traversing time.

Thus, Su Yang’s Langlang account, which seemed to have done nothing but flaunt their love, finally had a post that wasn’t about romance. A video accompanied by a line of cryptic text-“Welcome to Huanshan Ghost Market.”