Entertainment Street

Alex pinched his nose from the now overpowering scent of flowers in their relentless assault of his smelling sense flowing from the gate in front of Ming City's Entertainment street.

In front of them, the street resembled a haunted house theme park with the thick translucent greenish mists covering the ground and the ghostly singing echoing from within.

Shadows were roaming all over, and Alex could hear the female voices calling out and the laughter of men's voices.

The intoxicating notes of sweet jasmine, peaches and lush frangipani mixed with the lighter citrus scent of orange blossoms or the light damask roses swept the area, reminding him of the old superstitions he had heard from some former Chinese classmates during a camp.

Superstition stated ghosts had a penchant for using floral fragrances, even in the mortal realm. The two common scents associated with the other world were jasmine and frangipani.

"If you hear your name called with the smell of jasmine or frangipani at night, run and don't look back or a curse will befall you," the voices of his classmates from Alex's memory spoke in his mind.

The superstitious Chinese attributed the smell of jasmine and frangipani at night to the presence of ghosts.

Alex would retch at the nauseating scent if he could. The fumes caused his mind to swim in the tumultuous sea of nausea and swirling dizziness.

"Rather happening place," Arahabaki commented as Kanghui peered at Alex with concern.

A reddish thread appeared out of nowhere, flying towards a swaying Alex.

"Not good." Alex heard Kanghui's mutter while her hand yanked his unsteady body out of the way.

Arahabaki asked, "Shouldn't he be immune, like us?"

"Apparently not. His soul is still weak, tied to the mortal world until we can sever those ties at the Courts of Hell," she replied as she pulled Alex out of the way from another red thread. "The stronger ghosts can sense he is worth the trouble to feed on for soul stones."

She whipped out her dagger and its snake-like hilt with its red stone glowed.

"Let him defend himself," Arahabaki stood back.

She shook her head and. "Not at this stage. Look at him. He barely can defend himself."

Arahabaki threw a cursory look at Alex, who walked like a drunk in a daze and pursed his lips before saying, "You babysit him too much."

A few more red threads flew out towards them, zigzagging past Arahabaki, who grabbed Alex from Kanghui and threw him towards the incoming threads before she reacted.

"ARA!" Kanghui yelled while Arahabaki chuckled with a smug look, ignoring her outburst.

"Watch."

Alex flew towards the threads, which quickly entangled themselves around him, only to burst into flames, dropping him to the ground.

Kanghui grabbed Arahabaki by his collar.

"This isn't Takamagahara," she snarled as loud shrieks rang from deep within the streets and Arahabaki rolled his eyes.

"You have nurtured no human who went through the final evolution until him. Like some mother with her first-born child," he replied. "I did. And like I said before, he is immune to ghosts."

She released him. "True."

While adjusting his collar, Arahabaki pointed to a staggering Alex. "why is he walking like a drunk?"

"All entertainment quarters of our ghost cities are controlled by foxes, snakes, or flowers. Flower beings control Ming City's entertainment quarter."

"No wonder he mentioned flower scents… sounds like this boy has a big bullseye on his back." Arahabaki rubbed his chin with a smile as his eyes narrowed at the prospect of fights.

"Let's go," Kanghui said impatiently, while taking Alex by the arm and dragging him down the streets.

Arahabaki glanced at their surroundings as they strolled on.

The surrounding buildings were a mix of ancient Chinese structures with intricately carved wooden balconies, colonial shop-houses and their large windows with girls fanning themselves, as well as modern cement structures with dark windows.

Touts and pimps, stationed at every entry, cajoled the passing ghosts of all genders and of all manner. The better looking female ghosts, reeled in willing clients, enthralled by their saccharine words.

A wave of the sheer silk handkerchief, blowing of a kiss or the sultry wink was enough for the gorgeous ones to hook their arms around an entranced client.

The workers' fashion sense was based on their era - from vivid hanfu of different dynasties, the embroidered cheongsam to modern tight-fitting clothes revealing their bosom. Or maybe two sizes too tight, Arahabaki snickered.

Amongst them, he spotted fox and snake beings which donned on any era's clothing.

Some wore neatly coiffed buns with gold hair pieces or flowers dangling around, while a few stood out with dyed hair or crass permed hair. Make up ranged from Tang dynasty's style of having a plum blossom on the forehead with dots for eyebrows to modern slick natural.

One or the two female ghosts had horrible make up skills. One piled on too much pink blusher, like a clown in the circus.

And a few ghosts were deceptively female looking. Those were ghosts of pretty young men sold into a life of sexual slavery when they were alive. All were calling out for customers to sap their spiritual energy, the currency of the pleasure quarters.

Baits for the feedlots, Arahabaki thought.

Male ghosts entered like lambs led to the slaughter as he watched a ghost staggering out of a nearby brothel with sunken cheeks.

He surveyed the area. Clientele were streaming in and out of the buildings at a steady pace. Despite their satisfied looks, those walking out looked worn down with a dull aura - an indicator of someone sucked their energy out, leaving enough for them to still exist.

Young and old human appearances of the calling workers told Arahabaki tale of the age they died at, some mere children at the time of their death.

Most died young from the harsh lives, prone to sexually transmitted diseases and physical abuse. The entire street was a menagerie of misery, with a thick facade of enjoyment.

His eyes glowed red as he looked at those with a face veil. Yup, ugly as fuck. Disfigured, with no nose, missing teeth or a face full of ulcers. Who the heck would pick these out?

"WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT?" a veiled female ghost yelled at him.

Arahabaki's eyes emitted a brighter reddish glow, and she stepped away timidly after realising she was no match for him.

"Don't give me trouble," Kanghui called out from in front as Arahabaki caught up.

"How many entertainment quarters exist in your ghost cities?" Arahabaki inquired.

"One in each of them. All shady like the ones in the human world."

"Feeding frenzy zone, eh?" Arahabaki commented. The idea was brilliant, let the ghosts cannibalise each other to control the population.

"This entertainment quarter of Ming City is the largest of all and generates the most soul stones out of all ghost cities."

"I don't suppose that all the workers inside…" he trailed off.

"Most are ghosts of the former wretched entertainment workers who died. But the ones running them are our kind."

"Dead prostitutes," Arahabaki called it as he saw fit. Why bother about niceties?

"Not all were prostitutes. In the brothels of ancient days past, some workers did not sell their bodies but their musical skills," Kanghui mentioned as she led Alex down the street.

Arahabaki peered into the open doors of the larger ancient looking brothels. A luxurious interior awaited their prospective clients to absorb their energy - pleasure and pain hand in hand.

Inside, clients were sitting on lacquered stools beside the pretty female ghosts around the rosewood tables with their mother-of-pearl designs chatting away. The passing servant girls refilled their cups with spirit wine for them while their hands roamed on the female ghostly bodies.

Sheer silk curtains drawn apart revealing a central dais with a performer playing the guzheng, which reminded Arahabaki of the Japanese koto, and a grand stair way at the end.

He spotted a male ghost dressed in scholarly hanfu engaging in a lively conversion with another in a biker outfit and shook his head.

Xitian is nuts, Arahabaki told himself. Rave clubs are always better in Yomi-no-kuni, he repeated to himself.

"Pretty boy here qualifies for this district," he mentioned as he studied Alex's facial features.

"Crush on him, much? You have been calling him pretty boy," Kanghui teased Arahabaki as they strolled along.

"Nah, I like you better," he said. "Say, can I also get soul stones here?"

"Later, just no time for that," she responded.

Another shadow flashed behind Alex in front of Arahabaki. Fast, but not that fast. Before it fled, Arahabaki bent down and reached out to seize the shadowy tail-like end.

One yank and the shadow slammed to the ground. The body of a small white fox appeared, yelping away.

"Tamamo's mini-me," Arahabaki guffawed and then his expression changed to a deadly serious look at the squirming fox swinging from its held tail. "Can smell the rotten fox stench from a mile away."

"Ara…"

"This fox took something," Arahabaki pulled up the fox for Kanghui to have a better look.

"Let me GO, YOU JERK!" the fox screamed.

"Juvenile. Out with it," Arahabaki shook it by the tail.

"MAKE ME, YOU ASSHOLE. MY BROTHER ERWEI WILL BE HERE!"

"Great, one more Tamamo mini-me," Arahabaki's eyes gleamed, unfazed by his threat.

"Spit it out," Kanghui open her palm and the fox tried to bite her.

Kanghui moved her hand towards the hilt of the dagger as the little fox caught sight of it and begun trembling, recognising who she was. Opening its mouth, a small wisp of energy strand flowed out from the fox and snaked its way into a now zombie-like Alex.

Arahabaki dropped the fox, face down on the ground. The small fox swung around to lash at him, only to flee at the sight of Arahabaki's glowing chains around his wrist.

"Definitely a relative of Tamamo," Arahabaki chuckled as he watched the fur ball sprint away.