Shi Jing, unable to find Yan Shouyi, was furious.
He had blockaded all exits of Ghost Market and sent evil spirits to search house by house. Except for Fenglai Lou, he had scoured everywhere, yet there was no sign of Yan Shouyi.
If Yan Shouyi was indeed in Fenglai Lou, Shi Jing currently had no justifiable reason to enter, which made him even more irate.
Just as he was seething with frustration, Ji Fuxiu arrived.
Shi Jing felt immense displeasure towards Ji Fuxiu, and the thought of him agitated Shi Jing.
However, given the circumstances, a meeting was unavoidable.
When his subordinate brought Ji Fuxiu over, Shi Jing waved his hand dismissively and said coldly, "Spit it out, quickly."
Ji Fuxiu, appearing extremely humble and fearful, immediately knelt and said,
"Lord Shi, I've found traces of the group that stole the Yangling Tiger Tally!"
"What?!"
Shi Jing's attention was immediately captured, and he asked, "Where are they?"
"Fenglai Lou!" Ji Fuxiu declared with a hint of pride.
Although he bore responsibility for the stolen Yangling Tiger Tally and Shi Jing would blame him, he had now found the culprits, thus redeeming himself.
"Fenglai Lou... it truly is Fenglai Lou!"
Shi Jing muttered to himself. He had suspected Fenglai Lou all along but had refrained from searching due to the respect owed to the five Ghost Kings. Now, with confirmation, he had his justification.
"Did you see it with your own eyes?"
"Absolutely true, they used the back door, as if to ensure no one saw them!" Ji Fuxiu asserted confidently.
However, neither Shi Jing nor Ji Fuxiu realized they were referring to entirely different groups.
Shi Jing was referring to Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong, while Ji Fuxiu had seen Zhen Zhi Dao and his companions.
Both groups had stolen the Yangling Tiger Tally, and Yan Shouyi had even played along, telling Ji Fuxiu that he and Zhen Zhi Dao were one group, thus tricking Ji Fuxiu into passing on incorrect information to Shi Jing.
Shi Jing hadn't expected such a misunderstanding. He angrily slammed the table and said,
"That slut Tao Hua Ying! Allowing her to remain in Ghost Market was the greatest charity I could offer, yet she aids outsiders!"
Ji Fuxiu, hoping to lessen his own culpability by facilitating the recovery of the Yangling Tiger Tally, naturally added fuel to the fire:
"Tao Hua Ying has always shown you disrespect. Why not take this opportunity to just get rid of her..."
Shi Jing let out a cold snort, "Tao Hua Ying is a Ghost King, after all. She's not that easy to kill."
"I was merely offering a suggestion, my lord," Ji Fuxiu said, shrinking his neck.
The disputes between Ghost Kings were not something Ji Fuxiu could involve himself in.
Shi Jing understood clearly that eliminating Tao Hua Ying would likely cause him trouble as well. The current state of affairs was the best possible, but if the day came when he had to openly oppose Tao Hua Ying, Shi Jing would not fear her.
However, Shi Jing never imagined that day would arrive so soon!
"Ancestor! Ancestor!!!"
Someone stumbled in from outside, tripping over the threshold and rolling to Shi Jing's feet.
Shi Jing frowned. His descendants were usually very well-behaved and rarely acted so flustered.
Such panic must mean a major event had occurred.
A sense of foreboding washed over him as he hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
The young subordinate, trembling and terrified, yet remarkably articulate, quickly explained everything in one breath – Shi Jing's own son had been killed by Tao Hua Ying in Fenglai Lou!
Boom!!
Even Shi Jing, a ghost of a hundred years, could not help but stagger at the news.
Ji Fuxiu nearby tried to help him, but Shi Jing pushed him away.
Shi Jing was no weakling and did not require Ji Fuxiu's assistance!
"Say that again!"
The matter had been clearly stated, and the subordinate understood that his ancestor wasn't truly asking for a repetition.
So, the subordinate knelt on the ground, head bowed, trembling and afraid to speak.
The hall was eerily silent. Ji Fuxiu, the only living person present, felt his own heartbeat was a little too loud.
"My son..."
Shi Jing covered his head, his grief undisguised.
His path to becoming a Ghost King had been fraught with difficulties. Once he dominated Ghost Market, Shi Jing brought his descendants to enjoy family life.
Regardless of how Shi Jing conducted himself with outsiders, he deeply cherished his descendants.
Even during his fiercest disputes with Tao Hua Ying, Shi Jing had not stopped his son from seeking pleasure in Fenglai Lou.
He never imagined that Tao Hua Ying would mercilessly kill his own son without any warning.
This was a declaration of war!!
No... no, it wasn't without warning.
Shi Jing suddenly recalled the five Ghost Kings.
The Ghost Kings of Chang'an usually kept to themselves, with only two or three maintaining amicable relations. It was rare for all five Ghost Kings to gather.
Could it be that Tao Hua Ying had bribed those Ghost Kings and planned to wreak havoc in Ghost Market tonight, seizing everything he possessed?
This possibility could not be ruled out!
Shi Jing composed himself, pacing back and forth, constantly reminding himself not to act impulsively.
Ghost Market was, after all, Shi Jing's territory. He had a vast empire here. Even if Tao Hua Ying and the five Ghost Kings joined forces, they might not be able to stop him if he wished to escape.
The subordinate nervously asked, "Patriarch, this hatred runs deep as a sea of blood. Are we truly going to do nothing?"
Shi Jing sighed, maintaining his last shred of rationality, and said to the subordinate,
"Take two people with you and go to Fenglai Lou to ask Tao Hua Ying what she intends to do."
A rash attack on Fenglai Lou might lead to worse outcomes, so Shi Jing decided to probe her intentions before making a final decision.
The subordinate gasped, clearly surprised that such a significant task had fallen to him.
Upon further reflection, the subordinate trembled with fear.
Tao Hua Ying had just killed the Patriarch's own son. If I go now, wouldn't I be walking into my own death?
But staying and disobeying the Patriarch's command would only lead to a swifter demise.
Thus, the subordinate, with a heart filled with despair, retreated with his head bowed, contemplating how to arrange his final affairs.
The wind howls, the Yi River runs cold; a brave warrior departs, never to return!
As he retreated, the subordinate shed tears of sorrow, thinking that while the living had a chance for reincarnation after death, ghosts truly had nothing left.