Yu Jinhong, once second to none in Qiantang, was no longer in his past glory, nor did he possess any arrogant demeanor.
He was honest and humble, with a face full of ingratiating smiles, holding a teapot and serving tea to the guests.
Seated before him were no less than five Ghost Kings!
These Ghost Kings were enormous in stature, each as formidable as Yu Jinhong's elder brother, Yu Jinbo. They were clad in silk and satin, looking like high-ranking officials from ancient times.
It was clear that the status and power of these five Ghost Kings were beyond anything Yu Jinbo could compare to.
Yu Jinhong, having had his soul injured by Yan Shouyi, now possessed only a remnant soul, devoid of the strength of a Ghost King. His size had also diminished accordingly, resembling that of a normal ghost.
He grinned as he poured tea for the five Ghost Kings, personally presenting it to them, and said with utmost respect:
"Please, have some tea."
The five Ghost Kings, however, did not immediately accept the gesture. They merely glanced at the tea before them and said indifferently:
"We never expected the Yu family of Qiantang to meet such an end. Even we had heard of your elder brother's reputation in those days."
Upon hearing of his elder brother, Yu Jinhong's face was filled with grief and indignation.
He gritted his teeth and said, "It's all the fault of that Lu Ban descendant, Yan Shouyi. The local sects in Qiantang were once scattered like sand. After that brat arrived, he not only united them but also constantly plotted against our Ghost King lineage, instigating us to fight amongst ourselves."
In truth, the five Ghost Kings before him were not interested in how Yu Jinbo was utterly annihilated, nor did they care about the so-called Yan Shouyi.
Their reason for inquiring about the situation was merely due to the tea Yu Jinhong was pouring.
In the world of Ghost Kings, the hierarchy of strength was clearly defined. When Yu Jinbo was still alive and the Yu family was prosperous, a few Ghost Kings had shown them some respect. But now that the tree had fallen and the猢狲 scattered, the Yu family was no longer what it once was. The five Ghost Kings were even somewhat reluctant to deal with Yu Jinhong.
Yu Jinhong naturally understood this logic, but he bore a deep-seated hatred and an unavenged blood feud.
Knowing that Yan Shouyi and his companions were coming to Chang'an, he could only seek help from the five Ghost Kings before him, hoping to bring Yan Shouyi to justice in Chang'an and avenge his profound grudge.
Yu Jinhong went out to summon help. Before long, over a dozen gracefully beautiful female ghosts arrived. The clothes they wore were remarkably simple, revealing just enough where it mattered, with only the most crucial areas modestly covered, exposing pale yet still delicate skin. Even the few Ghost Kings present could not help but feel a stir of desire.
After all, it was the ghost market held once every few years, and the female ghosts of Fenglai Tower had prepared for a long time, and had been longing for a long time.
"Serve the five honored Ghost Kings well!" Yu Jinhong commanded.
"Yes, sir~"
The female ghosts all agreed and then provocatively swayed their slender waists as they approached.
The five Ghost Kings, with a woman on each arm, drank a few sips of wine and were somewhat pleased.
After mending their relations, Yu Jinhong finally got down to business:
"Esteemed sirs, my enemy Yan Shouyi will soon arrive in Chang'an. He might even be in the ghost market right now. If I discover his whereabouts, could I implore the five of you to act and avenge me?"
The five Ghost Kings were not fools, nor were their minds clouded by desire. They restrained their unrestrained smiles and said:
"That brat could destroy your Yu family, which means he is no minor figure. If we act rashly, we might have to pay a price."
With that, the five Ghost Kings deliberately avoided continuing the topic and happily resumed drinking wine with the female ghosts.
"Five old relics!"
Yu Jinhong cursed them inwardly, but outwardly he still said:
"I understand your intentions. Although the Yu family has been destroyed, the Yu family's wealth still exists. I have no other desires besides revenge. If the five of you are willing to lend me a hand, the Yu family's accumulated wealth for many years shall be divided amongst you!"
This time, Yu Jinhong was truly making a significant offer. The wealth accumulated by a Ghost King lineage was unimaginably vast.
Even these five Ghost Kings put down their wine cups and appeared thoughtful.
They were weighing the pros and cons of this transaction.
But they soon reached a conclusion.
The Ghost King lineage was vast and wealthy beyond imagination. If these five Ghost Kings were to divide the Yu family's fortune, it would elevate their own families to a higher level.
As for killing Yan Shouyi...
With five Ghost Kings acting in concert, would they be afraid of not being able to kill a mere descendant of Lu Ban?
Therefore, the Ghost Kings nodded their heads and agreed to the deal.
Yu Jinhong was ecstatic. The thought of bringing Yan Shouyi to his death brought him immense relief.
"Big brother, wait for me. I will avenge you soon!"
One of the Ghost Kings asked:
"We agree to act, but where is Yan Shouyi now?"
Yu Jinhong immediately replied, "I suspect he has already arrived in Chang'an and may very well appear in the ghost market tonight. As long as he shows himself before me, even if he turns to ashes, I will recognize him!"
"That is good!" the Ghost King said. "Once you discover this person, simply notify us, and we will act immediately to avenge you!"
"Good!"
As Yu Jinhong finished speaking, a commotion suddenly arose from downstairs at Fenglai Tower.
At this crucial moment, Yu Jinhong could not allow anyone to disturb the pleasant mood of the five Ghost Kings, so he got up to close the window.
As he closed the window, he instinctively looked down.
He saw two men being chased and beaten by the madam of Fenglai Tower, followed by a group of thugs.
Another group of people stepped forward, protecting the two men as they retreated, seemingly attempting to reason with the madam.
Yu Jinhong watched for a while, then shook his head in surprise, "I thought I saw Yan Shouyi and his group. Damn it!"
With that, he closed the window.
This was Yu Jinhong's supposed "even if he turns to ashes, I will recognize him"...
Downstairs at Fenglai Tower, the madam of Fenglai Tower was chasing Long Feicheng and Weng Qianxiang, cursing:
"No money and yet you come to drink and enjoy yourselves. When you came in, you said you wanted ten, then you said that after finishing, if you don't pay, it's not considered prostitution. I've been working in a brothel for hundreds of years, and I've never seen such shameless people as you!"
Long Feicheng retorted, "You, you, you, you be careful! I'm known as 'Ghost's Bane'..."
"Ghost your mother!"
"My elder brother is very brave, he's a descendant of Lu Ban!"
"Brave your mother!"
"Don't keep saying 'your mother,' it's uncivilized..."
"Your grandpa!"
The madam kicked Long Feicheng in the backside and ordered the thugs behind her:
"Beat them! Beat them to death!"
The thugs asked, "What if we kill them?"
"If you kill them, drag out their souls and beat them again, until their souls are scattered!"
Just as the thugs surrounded Long Feicheng and Weng Qianxiang with clubs, Yan Shouyi and his companions finally arrived, blocking them and saying:
"Let's talk about it, don't resort to violence! Don't use violence!"