"Personal maid?"
Upon hearing the term at first, Tao Hua Ying instinctively frowned, feeling displeased.
She was, after all, the formidable Ghost King. Although she had been confined to the Ghost Market all these years, she was still the proprietor of the Phoenix Pavilion. Within the entire Ghost Market, no one dared to disrespect her except Shi Jing.
Yet, now she was to become a mere maid.
Lin Zi Tong noticed Tao Hua Ying's displeasure and reminded her softly, "A maid and a ghost slave are fundamentally different. Ponder on it."
Tao Hua Ying was stunned and suddenly looked up at Lin Zi Tong in surprise.
It was only then she realized that Lin Zi Tong was not just a pretty face but also very intelligent, even surpassing her, an old woman who had lived for hundreds of years.
Ghost slaves had to fight, even to the point of taking a knife for their master when necessary.
But a maid only needed to take care of their food and daily living.
In terms of relationship, a ghost slave was merely a slave, whereas a maid, at least, had a shred of human feeling.
Understanding this distinction, Tao Hua Ying immediately knelt on the ground and said gratefully, "Thank you, Young Master. Hua Ying will certainly take good care of Miss from now on!"
Actually, since Tao Hua Ying called Yan Shou Yi "Young Master," she should have called Lin Zi Tong "Young Madam." However, the clever Tao Hua Ying did not want to differentiate between Yan Shou Yi and Lin Zi Tong in terms of status. Hence, she called Lin Zi Tong "Miss."
"Hmm, get up."
Lin Zi Tong's gaze towards Tao Hua Ying softened considerably, though there was still some distance, as the two had not yet had a chance to interact much.
"Miss, Young Master, I can tell you more information about Shi Jing anytime," Tao Hua Ying offered proactively.
This obvious attempt to curry favor did not annoy Yan Shou Yi, who was indeed in need of more information about Shi Jing.
However, Yan Shou Yi greeted her first, "I have two friends who will be arriving at the Phoenix Pavilion shortly. Find a way to get them in then, and don't provoke Shi Jing anymore."
"Does Young Master plan to take action against Shi Jing?" Tao Hua Ying asked.
Yan Shou Yi shook his head. "It's better to avoid trouble. Once I rendezvous with my friends, we'll find a way to leave the Ghost Market."
Tao Hua Ying understood. In truth, she no longer had a compelling reason to kill Shi Jing.
Previously, it was because she was confined to the Ghost Market and did not want to be overshadowed by Shi Jing, which led her to want to refine the 'Yuan Yang Sha' to deal with him.
Now that she was following Yan Shou Yi and Lin Zi Tong, she would not die if she left the Ghost Market, so there was no need to continue opposing Shi Jing.
...
Having received the message, Long Fei Cheng and Wei Chang Qing began to approach the Phoenix Pavilion.
Due to the temporary closure of the Ghost Market's entrances and exits, the crowd had descended into chaos. Even with Shi Jing's subordinate fiends suppressing the situation, conflicts were erupting everywhere.
Taking advantage of the messy scene, the two made their way to the Phoenix Pavilion via a side path.
However, as they passed through a small alley, Wei Chang Qing suddenly stopped.
Long Fei Cheng, who was following closely behind with his head bent, had no time to brake and ended up in a rather awkward embrace.
"Ouch, Uncle Two, what's up!" Long Fei Cheng asked, confused.
Wei Chang Qing stared ahead. After two seconds, he shook his head and pushed Long Fei Cheng's head forward, urging him to move.
Only then did Long Fei Cheng notice another group of people at the end of the alley.
This group was dressed very strangely, but it was clear they were not Shi Jing's subordinates.
Still, the Ghost Market was a melting pot of all sorts, and people dressed like them were everywhere, so it wasn't particularly unusual.
The only thing that caught Long Fei Cheng's attention was a small man in their group carrying a large turtle shell on his back.
The turtle shell was about the same size as the small man's height, and Long Fei Cheng wondered if the guy found carrying it tiresome.
The group was very silent. They brushed past Long Fei Cheng and Wei Chang Qing without a word.
At this moment, Long Fei Cheng suddenly stopped the small man and asked with a smile,
"Buddy, are you selling that turtle shell?"
Wei Chang Qing stiffened.
The small man was also taken aback. Recovering his senses, he glared at Long Fei Cheng and retorted, "Beat it, not selling!"
"If you're not selling, then don't sell it. Why curse people?" Long Fei Cheng grumbled. "I just thought your turtle shell looked nice."
Wei Chang Qing could no longer stand it and pulled Long Fei Cheng away.
After they left, the small man's expression gradually turned grim.
"Isn't that Wei Chang Qing, the Kang Jin Dragon? Although his appearance has changed, his aura hasn't."
"It really is him. I heard that after Wei Chang Qing's operation in Longhu Mountain failed, he surrendered directly."
"Hmph, a useless traitor! His title of Kang Jin Dragon is undeserved. He's not even as good as me, Ji Shui Bao!"
The people in the group chattered amongst themselves, clearly looking down on the former second-ranked amongst the Twenty-Eight Mansions, a powerful man who was also deeply trusted by Li Gen Miao, a descendant of Lu Ban.
"Quiet, everyone!"
The small man, Zhen Zhi Dao, raised his hand, and everyone fell silent. They only heard him say slowly,
"If Wei Chang Qing is here, then isn't Yan Shou Yi, who disrupted the boss's plan back then, also here?"
"That's right. In terms of seniority, Yan Shou Yi should call Wei Chang Qing Uncle Two. Could that kid just now..."
"I vaguely heard him call Wei Chang Qing Uncle Two. That kid must be Yan Shou Yi!"
Everyone was shocked, and simultaneously, killing intent flashed in their eyes.
Zhen Zhi Dao continued, "We are responsible for failing to obtain the true Yang Ling Tiger Tally. However, if we can conveniently eliminate Yan Shou Yi and kill Wei Chang Qing, the traitor..."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and their killing intent grew even more pronounced.
"Let's go! Follow them! Find an opportunity to take them down!"
Zhen Zhi Dao gave the order without hesitation. The group members used their individual skills and began to stealthily track Wei Chang Qing and Long Fei Cheng.
However, behind them, another person was lurking, hunched over and concealing his aura.
This person walked without a sound, his breathing almost inaudible. He was the descendant of Dao Zhi, Ji Fu Sui!
Having had the Yang Ling Tiger Tally stolen, Ji Fu Sui was furious, fearing Shi Jing's retribution.
So, he used his own methods and finally found Zhen Zhi Dao's group.
It was just that Ji Fu Sui did not know that Zhen Zhi Dao's enemy and his own enemy were the same person.
The three groups, one after another, finally arrived at the Phoenix Pavilion.
Zhen Zhi Dao watched Wei Chang Qing and Long Fei Cheng enter the Phoenix Pavilion and sneered from the shadows,
"At a time like this, they still have the leisure to visit a brothel. But it's good this way. Later, I'll let you die amidst the pomegranate skirts, to become romantic ghosts!"
"Brothers, let's go, enter the Phoenix Pavilion!"
Several of them infiltrated the Phoenix Pavilion from the backyard.
Ji Fu Sui watched Zhen Zhi Dao's group infiltrate the Phoenix Pavilion and sneered from the shadows,
"At a time like this, they still have the leisure to visit a brothel. But it's good this way. Later, I'll let you die amidst the pomegranate skirts, to become romantic ghosts!"
"I'll report back to Lord Shi Jing now, and then we'll raze the entire Phoenix Pavilion to the ground!!"