Shi Jing was drinking tea with the Yin Messengers who had come to claim a person. Before them were several antiques, gifts from Shi Jing to the messengers.
"Are there any problems this time in taking the person from you?" asked a Yin Messenger whose face was obscured by black mist.
In reality, the Yin Messengers were not as strong as Shi Jing, a Ghost King, but due to their status, Shi Jing had to show them respect.
Shi Jing waved his hand dismissively, "The Ghost Market shelters so many lonely souls, a mere three hundred is not worth mentioning."
"Haha, good! As expected of Lord Shi Jing!" the Yin Messenger nodded with satisfaction, pleased with Shi Jing's cooperativeness.
Just then, a subordinate ghost of Shi Jing walked in with a grim expression and whispered a few words into Shi Jing's ear.
Shi Jing's expression changed slightly.
"What is it?" the Yin Messenger asked.
"It's a minor matter. Please wait here for a moment, esteemed Yin Messenger, I'll be right back."
After speaking, Shi Jing rose and left. Upon exiting the room, he beckoned to his subordinate.
Before long, two stunning female ghosts, clad in light attire, entered the room. The Yin Messenger, left waiting and feeling displeased, had his discontent vanish the moment he saw the two women.
...
Shi Jing followed his subordinate and soon arrived at Tao Hua Ying's residence.
In the Ghost Market, houses were also categorized by class. Naturally, ghosts with greater strength and status resided in the center of the Ghost Market, while Tao Hua Ying lived on the outermost periphery. Her house was dilapidated, offering little shelter from the wind. Fortunately, ghosts were already dead and did not need to worry about protection from the elements.
Tao Hua Ying, holding a hairpin, stood guard outside with murderous intent. Behind her was her timid daughter, Yin Yin, and before her were over a dozen evil spirits.
Seeing Tao Hua Ying, Shi Jing couldn't help but be taken aback.
He had to admit that even as a Ghost King, the master of the Ghost Market, possessing women rivaling a harem, Tao Hua Ying's beauty was still the most striking he had ever seen in the Ghost Market.
However, the Tao Hua Ying of the moment, beneath her beauty, harbored a potent killing intent that, while imperceptible to others, was clearly sensed by Shi Jing.
"What is going on?" Shi Jing asked coldly.
A subordinate ghost replied, "My lord, this woman has already killed over a dozen of our brethren. Her daughter was chosen to be handed over to the Yin Messenger, but she refuses to cooperate."
Shi Jing was even more surprised to hear this. This woman had managed to kill over a dozen of his subordinates?
Interesting.
Shi Jing slowly walked towards Tao Hua Ying. Tao Hua Ying also sensed the powerful aura emanating from Shi Jing, but she did not retreat. Instead, she gripped the doorframe, forcing herself to guard the entrance.
Before Shi Jing could speak, Tao Hua Ying let out a sharp cry and lunged at him with her hairpin!
But Shi Jing simply raised his hand slightly, knocking the hairpin from her grasp.
Her weapon disarmed, Tao Hua Ying threw caution to the wind and charged at Shi Jing, "You will not touch my daughter!!!"
Shi Jing suddenly moved, grabbing Tao Hua Ying by the neck and subduing her.
Then, he reached out, tilting her chin, and looked her over before praising, "You are truly a femme fatale."
Tao Hua Ying, disregarding her appearance, spat a breath of foul air at Shi Jing, "Let me go!"
Shi Jing ignored her and looked at the girl, Yin Yin, inside the house. He asked, "Is this your daughter?"
"Don't touch her!" Tao Hua Ying suddenly became anxious, pleading, "Leave her and hand me over to the Yin Messenger!"
Shi Jing nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Neither of you need to go. I will handle the matter with the Yin Messenger using other ghosts. From now on, you will live in my manor."
With that, Shi Jing released Tao Hua Ying.
Tao Hua Ying stared blankly at Shi Jing, unsure of his background.
But her first instinct was to embrace her daughter tightly, fearing separation.
Yin Yin also looked at Shi Jing and quietly said to Tao Hua Ying, "Mom, that person… he looks like Dad."
...
In reality.
Tao Hua Ying, who had been squatting on the ground, stopped screaming and instead wore a happy expression.
This left everyone present bewildered.
Long Fei Cheng said, "What's going on with Grandma Tao? Could she be dreaming of me?"
"Pah, have some shame!" Zhao Yi Yao retorted. "If you really wanted to do something with Tao Hua Ying, I doubt she'd refuse, and you wouldn't need to brag behind her back."
Tao Hua Ying was a seductive ghost, and she didn't refuse older men pursuing younger women; it was Long Fei Cheng who rejected them.
Yan Shou Yi frowned and said, "Hua Ying seems to be lost in memories."
"Is Lu Xin making Tao Hua Ying recall memories?" Luo Ning asked, puzzled. "And happy memories at that? What's the use of that?"
Yan Shou Yi explained, "The ghost control techniques of the Lu Mountain Sect are divided into several types. Besides directly erasing the soul and consciousness with immense power to forcibly control ghosts, there are two other methods."
"First, to resonate with a ghost's inner obsession by revisiting it, creating a spiritual connection, and making the ghost willingly serve you. The price is that you must help the ghost fulfill some of its obsessions."
"Second, to make the ghost recall its inner pain, tormenting it repeatedly until the ghost collapses, loses its sanity, and becomes a puppet."
Yan Nan Fei analyzed:
"Tao Hua Ying is a Ghost King with considerable strength. Even Lu Xin couldn't forcibly erase her consciousness, so only the latter two methods are viable. If what you're saying is correct, Lu Xin is trying to empathize with Tao Hua Ying?"
Ling Xiao Xiao clasped her arms, snorting, "I didn't expect Lu Xin to use such gentle means. This is somewhat different from what I imagined."
Lu Xin, who was sitting opposite Tao Hua Ying, curved her lips into a cold smile.
Tao Hua Ying before her was currently immersed in happiness, but soon, the pain would arrive.
...
Tao Hua Ying, with Yin Yin, moved into Shi Jing's manor.
Upon arriving at Shi Jing's manor, Tao Hua Ying learned of Shi Jing's identity – he was the master of the Ghost Market, the sole Ghost King.
Because of Yin Yin's words, coupled with Shi Jing saving the mother and daughter, Tao Hua Ying developed a slight liking for Shi Jing.
She thought that if Shi Jing was a good person, she might as well settle down with Yin Yin in Shi Jing's manor. Even being a concubine would be worth it.
After all, she was tired of living on the run; her sole concern now was Yin Yin's safety.
The days that followed proved that Shi Jing was indeed a man of good character.
Firstly, Shi Jing was handsome and graceful, appearing as a scholarly young gentleman.
Secondly, unlike the innkeeper, he didn't try to possess Tao Hua Ying. Instead, he would visit the mother and daughter with gifts, occasionally compose poems to praise Tao Hua Ying, and in his spare time, he would play with Yin Yin, acting like a father.
Yin Yin was also very fond of Shi Jing, sometimes quietly asking Tao Hua Ying at night if she could call Uncle Shi Jing "Daddy."
Tao Hua Ying's heart, frozen for a hundred years, began to thaw, little by little.
Finally—she completely let down her guard, fell in love, and married Shi Jing, transforming from a lonely, destitute female ghost into Lady Shi, the Ghost King's consort!
Not only that, but Shi Jing also gifted her the inn she had previously stayed at. Tao Hua Ying renamed the inn "Feng Lai Lou," and she became the second-in-command of the Ghost Market and the楼主 of Feng Lai Lou, Tao Hua Ying!