In the Yin residence of Zhou Yuhu in Qiantang Xiaoshan.
Zhou Rong rushed over, arrived at the ancestral hall of the Yin residence, took out three sticks of incense, lit them, bowed respectfully three times to the spirit tablets in the ancestral hall, and then said:
"Ancestor, appear and reveal yourself, I have important matters to report!"
The white smoke from the three incense sticks quickly formed a human face, exactly the likeness of Zhou Yuhu.
Zhou Yuhu did not truly appear, but merely used the incense offerings from Zhou Rong to communicate with him.
The face asked, "What has caused such alarm?"
Zhou Rong quickly knelt and said, "Ancestor, today our Zhou family disciples have been forcibly abducted by a mysterious person, and a total of twelve people are missing!"
"Abducted? Are you sure?" Zhou Yuhu's face darkened. Like Zhou Rong, he found it incredible.
In Qiantang, was there still someone who dared to lay hands on their Zhou family?!
Zhou Yuhu asked for more details, which were roughly the same as the questions Zhou Rong had asked the butler.
Upon learning that the other party was only one person and had even defeated a disciple of the Laoshan sect, Zhou Yuhu was even more shocked.
Although that Laoshan sect disciple was a defector, he possessed true skill. Ordinary people were no match for him. Yet, this person could defeat him with ease and abduct someone in broad daylight.
Zhou Yuhu thought seriously and found no force in Qiantang that dared to be so arrogant!
"Could it be Shen Shuzhen?"
Zhou Yuhu immediately dismissed this thought: "Shen Shuzhen is just a spineless coward. Even if you gave her ten more guts, she wouldn't dare to do this. But who could it be?"
"Could it be that Maoshan disciple who killed the Yu family's junior?!"
"Damn it, has Maoshan really set its sights on us?!"
The more Zhou Yuhu thought about it, the more uneasy and even fearful he became.
If Maoshan were to make a move, let alone Zhou Yuhu, even the combined forces of the five great Ghost Kings of Qiantang might not be able to stop them.
But Zhou Yuhu then considered that if Maoshan were acting, they would have gone directly for him, Zhou Yuhu, and had no need to capture the juniors of the Zhou family!
Zhou Rong said anxiously, "Ancestor, this matter is of grave importance. I fear the other party intends to eradicate our Zhou family! Forgive me, Ancestor, it is my incompetence. I fear you must personally handle this matter!"
Zhou Yuhu calmed down, pondered for a moment, and said:
"The other party is only abducting them, which means they will inevitably intend to negotiate with me. Do not rush. Have all Zhou family disciples outside return home and hide. Do not go out these few days. You also keep a close watch for any news. Once the other party appears, inform me immediately!"
Zhou Rong was quite intelligent and quickly understood Zhou Yuhu's intention: "Yes, Ancestor!"
Thus, Zhou Rong immediately began to notify all Zhou family disciples to return to the Zhou residence to gather.
Those Zhou family disciples did not know what was happening, but they dared not disobey Zhou Rong's instructions. Even those on business trips in other provinces rushed back in a panic.
They thought that if everyone stayed together, the other party would have no opportunity.
However, the reality was not so.
The next morning, Zhou Rong rushed to Zhou Yuhu's Yin residence again. After summoning Zhou Yuhu, he said with a deathly pale face:
"Ancestor, last night three disobedient juniors, not knowing their place, secretly sneaked out of the house to enjoy themselves, and without exception, all of them were abducted."
"Scoundrels!"
This time, Zhou Yuhu's true form appeared. His massive body sat on a high armchair, so enraged that he swept all the offerings and spirit tablets on the table to the floor!
Zhou Yuhu roared, "Zhou Rong, Zhou Rong, I told you long ago to properly discipline those ignorant juniors who don't know their place, but you have indulged them time and again, and now you have reaped the bitter fruit!"
Zhou Rong prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to make a sound, but inwardly felt indignant.
Clearly, the arrogant and unruly nature of the Zhou family disciples was all learned from you, Ancestor!
Throughout the entire Zhou family, only Zhou Rong was the one who got things done. Otherwise, he would not have become the current patriarch of the Zhou family.
Despite his internal complaints, Zhou Rong dared not say anything wrong about Zhou Yuhu. He could only keep admitting his mistakes and asking Zhou Yuhu what to do next.
Zhou Yuhu was already seething with rage, but he was, after all, a monster who had lived for hundreds of years.
After calming down, Zhou Yuhu dispatched several of his trusted subordinates, several powerful fierce ghosts, and said to Zhou Rong:
"We cannot let the other party continue to shoot from the dark. You take them, and send out another family junior to deliberately lure the other party into action. I want to see who this opponent is and how capable they are!"
These fierce ghosts were all meticulously cultivated by Zhou Yuhu, and after a hundred years, they might even become Ghost Kings, possessing boundless potential.
Therefore, sending these fierce ghosts to test the opponent, Zhou Yuhu felt it was more than enough.
However, by the third day, when Zhou Rong came to report again, Zhou Yuhu was completely bewildered.
"Say that again?! All the fierce ghosts I sent out were captured by the other party?!"
Zhou Rong's body was almost "sticking" to the ground. He trembled with fear from the enraged Zhou Yuhu and quickly replied, "Ancestor, it is absolutely true. I was at the scene. That fellow suddenly appeared, easily dealt with the fierce ghosts you sent, and then abducted the junior in front of us... Now we have a total of sixteen juniors missing!"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!"
Zhou Yuhu was so angry he tore at his hair. He had thought these fierce ghosts would at least reveal some of the opponent's background, but he didn't expect them to be so formidable that a few fierce ghosts were not enough for them to kill!
Now Zhou Yuhu began to panic.
He stood up and shouted, "Guards! Prepare the sedan chair, I must pay a visit to the Yu family ancestral residence!"
With the situation escalating to this point, Zhou Yuhu had no other recourse. He had to visit the Yu family to see if other Ghost King families had encountered similar situations.
At that moment, a small ghost ran into the ancestral hall and said to Zhou Yuhu, "Ancestor, the head of the Yao family is requesting an audience outside!"
"The head of the Yao family? Yao Fu?" Zhou Rong asked doubtfully, "What is he here for?"
Zhou Yuhu beckoned, "Let him in."
A moment later, a middle-aged man in a suit entered the ancestral hall and knelt before Zhou Yuhu, alongside Zhou Rong.
"Yao Fu of the Yao family, pays respects to Old Ancestor Zhou!"
Zhou Yuhu said, "Yao Fu, our Zhou family has had little interaction with your Yao family. What brings you here today?"
Yao Fu said with a grim face, "I am entrusted by our Yao family's Old Ancestor to come and see you, Old Ancestor Zhou. Recently, our Yao family has encountered some trouble, and we heard that the Zhou family is experiencing the same situation, so I have come to discuss it."
Zhou Yuhu was surprised, "Were your Yao family juniors also abducted?!"
Yao Fu nodded, "As of today, a total of nine juniors are missing!"
Zhou Yuhu stood up and couldn't help but pace back and forth.
It seemed the current target was not just their Zhou family.
But why was the Yao family also targeted?
Or had other Ghost King families experienced the same situation?!
Damn it, who was responsible for this!!
Zhou Yuhu was extremely agitated. Three full days had passed since the incident, yet he didn't even know who the perpetrators were.
Moreover, this was his territory, this was Qiantang!
To have something beyond his control happen on his own turf, Zhou Yuhu felt incredibly stifled!