Chapter 551: Grand Banquet

In Yuezhou, at the Cultural Palace black market, Jin Jin Shunying had just delivered two ghost servants to Yin Yin Siniang and was sitting in her car, quietly smoking.

To be honest, she hated Yin Yin Siniang—because delivering goods to her, she'd met that madman called "Boss."

She had originally sworn never to do business with Yin Yin Siniang again, but her suppliers were limited; cutting off this line meant

many ghost servants would pile up in her hands, leaving her short on funds for harmonizing agents, and her cultivation advancement plan would be thrown into chaos.

In the martial world, no grudges last overnight—business must go on.

Besides, that Boss had vanished; the matter was over.

That madman insisted on capturing such a powerful fighter; since that night, no one had seen him again.

Why was this lunatic so insane? He even talked to me about dreams—now look, he's dead.

Actually, he wasn't a bad guy—

Jin Jin Shunying sighed softly, about to start the car, when suddenly Li Li Banfeng said: "I forgot to pay you the reward for capturing the fighter last time—I just left it on your back seat."

Jin Jin Shunying was startled, then noticed two large suitcases had appeared on her back seat.

Beside the suitcases sat the Boss.

"You—you're still—" Jin Jin Shunying couldn't find the right words.

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "I'm still alive. I'm here today to make a deal with you."

"What deal?" Jin Jin Shunying felt both nervous and excited.

The Boss was still alive—and had even brought her the reward.

Had he captured the fighter?

No wonder the fighters had gone quiet lately.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Have you heard any news about the Ferry Gang?"

"Yes. Tomorrow night, in Yanlou Village, there's going to be a grand banquet—they're said to be serving the finale dish."

"What's a grand banquet?"

"It's like an auction—magic treasures, ghost servants, and elixirs are sold, highest bidder wins."

"Why not sell them at the black market?"

"The items sold at a grand banquet aren't ordinary. They wouldn't fetch high prices at the black market. I heard the Ferry Gang acquired something truly valuable—this could be a deal worth millions."

A million-dollar deal.

Li Li Banfeng said: "I'm very interested in this grand banquet. Do you have a way to get in?"

"I do have access, but I won't go with you."

"Why not?"

"You need a ticket, and they're expensive. I can't help you much anyway—going would just be wasting money."

"No problem—I'll pay for the ticket. Come with me."

"In that case… alright—" Jin Jin Shunying started the car and drove the Boss to Yanlou Village.

She truly didn't want to attend the banquet with the Boss—not just because of the ticket cost, but because this Boss was too insane and seemed to have some history with the Ferry Gang; if he caused trouble at the banquet, she'd be dragged into it.

But such events offered glimpses of rare treasures and seemed like a good chance to broaden her knowledge.

Jin Jin Shunying glanced again at the Boss's expression—he'd told her to attend the banquet, and it sounded like an order, not a request.

Actually, Jin Jin Shunying found this preferable—no choice meant no dilemma; she'd follow the Boss's instructions.

When they reached Yanlou Village, dawn had just broken; the town's shops hadn't opened yet. Li Li Banfeng suggested finding a hotel to sleep, but Jin Jin Shunying didn't want to spend money, so she laid the back seat flat and let Li Li Banfeng rest in the car.

After waiting over an hour, a incense-and-candle shop opened. Jin Jin Shunying told Li Li Banfeng: "The shopkeeper here is Chang Chang Shigui. Others say you can buy tickets for this grand banquet at his place—he's also bringing an item to sell at the banquet."

"What item?"

Jin Jin Shunying shook her head: "I don't know."

Li Li Banfeng quickly learned a few basic rules from Jin Jin Shunying and stepped into the incense-and-candle shop.

Chang Chang Shigui sat behind the counter and greeted: "What would you like?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "I'm hungry. I came to buy a meal ticket from you."

Chang Chang Shigui blinked: "Sir, this is an incense-and-candle shop—why are you coming here to buy food?"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not food—I'm buying a ticket. The meal can wait until tomorrow night."

After briefly explaining his purpose, Chang Chang Shigui invited Li Li Banfeng into the back room and poured him tea: "Boss, may I ask your name?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "You're right—I'm called Boss."

Unwilling to reveal his identity, Chang Chang Shigui didn't press further, only warned: "Tomorrow's meal ticket will be expensive."

"How expensive? Tell me the price."

"One ticket costs one yuan—but the return gift is generous, roughly eight-tenths the value."

He meant a grand banquet ticket cost ten thousand yuan, but the banquet's return gift was worth about eight thousand.

This high threshold prevented random people from coming just to gawk and waste time.

Li Li Banfeng immediately pulled out twenty thousand yuan and bought two tickets.

The Boss leaned forward, pulled two wooden plaques from under the counter, and handed them to Li Li Banfeng: "Boss, please keep them."

Li Li Banfeng examined the plaques—pale yellow with natural wood grain, one side inscribed with two characters: "Grand Banquet," the other with the date and location of the event.

The craftsmanship was plain, seemingly easy to counterfeit—but as he touched them, Li Li Banfeng sensed a faint spiritual essence.

He couldn't judge the quantity or quality of the spiritual essence, but that made forgery impossible.

Li Li Banfeng took the tickets and asked: "Can you tell me what valuable items will be auctioned tomorrow night?"

Chang Chang Shigui said: "I won't speak of others' treasures, but my own item is the finale dish of tomorrow's banquet."

Most people didn't understand the term "finale dish"—Li Li Banfeng had learned it from opera houses in Puluo Province.

The finale dish was the last item auctioned—the final offering of the banquet.

Was the last item always the most valuable?

Not necessarily—the most valuable was the second-to-last item, called the "highlight dish."

The finale dish was inferior in quality and known as the "farewell dish"—once sold, the banquet ended.

Though his treasure was placed last, Chang Chang Shigui still felt proud—it was his first time sending his own treasure to a grand banquet.

"Boss Chang, what treasure are you bringing?"

"My treasure is a pair of pants!"

Li Li Banfeng paused, then asked: "The finale dish of the banquet… is pants?"

Chang Chang Shigui nodded solemnly.

Li Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then asked: "Will anyone actually want to buy this?"

"That depends on whose pants they are." Since Li Li Banfeng had bought tickets—and two at that—Chang Chang Shigui, moved by sincerity, decided to show him the item.

He washed his hands, lit incense, prayed for over ten minutes, then retrieved a small rosewood box from a safe in a hidden chamber behind the shop.

After unlocking it twice and dismissing his ghost servant, Chang Chang Shigui opened the box.

Inside, lined with gold-threaded yellow silk, lay a neatly folded pair of blue-and-white striped boxers.

Li Li Banfeng still didn't understand: "Whose pants are these?"

Chang Chang Shigui lowered his voice: "You know the Great God visits Yanlou Village once a month, right?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "I've heard."

"Last month, when he came, he left this treasure behind."

Li Li Banfeng considered the logic: "Why would he leave pants behind?"

Chang Chang Shigui's eyes gleamed with reverence: "Out of the villagers' utmost sincerity! Every time the Great God comes, the whole village welcomes him with open arms—any household that can afford food never fails to offer him incense.

Whether prayers are answered or not, we don't care what outsiders do—but our villagers never complain. Even if they mutter privately, no one ever lets it be heard.

We truly revere the Great God, so naturally, he bestows blessings upon us."

Li Li Banfeng said: "So he left you a pair of pants?"

From Li Li Banfeng's tone, Chang Chang Shigui sensed mockery—he grew displeased.

Chang Chang Shigui recalled his ghost servant, closed the box lid, bowed respectfully, and relocked it in the safe.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "What use do these pants have?"

Chang Chang Shigui said: "From what I know, these pants were worn by the Great God for over a decade—how much divine energy must have soaked into them? You judge for yourself."

"I won't judge that." Li Li Banfeng turned and left the incense shop, beginning to doubt the authenticity of the tickets in his hand.

This Chang Boss had turned an unknown pair of pants into a treasure—given his judgment, Li Li Banfeng suspected the tickets he sold might be fake.

"They're real," the glove whispered. "Master, those pants are genuine—they're a treasure. I just sniffed them carefully; they're heavy with yin energy and faintly infused with incense qi—they must be a personal item of a high-level cultivator."

Li Li Banfeng was surprised: "You sniffed them that carefully?"

The glove whispered: "Objects long worn by high-level cultivators carry spiritual essence. These pants have strong essence—a third- or fifth-layer demon cultivator could use them to subdue a seventh- or eighth-layer ghost servant. Isn't that a treasure?"

A real treasure?

Li Li Banfeng glanced back at the incense shop and saw a man in white robes and black pants enter.

They were far apart, but Li Li Banfeng caught a glimpse of the man's back—and it looked familiar.

He took two steps toward the shop entrance, then suddenly felt a surge of danger.

Don't go?

Who is this man? What does he want?

The man in white robes and black pants reached the counter. Chang Chang Shigui asked: "What would you like?"

The man said: "I want to buy a treasure."

"A treasure?" Chang Chang Shigui frowned. "I don't understand what you mean."

The man said, "Tomorrow night, there's a grand banquet in town. I heard you have a treasure to sell."

Chang Chang Shigui fell silent for a moment, then said, "That's true. If you're serious about buying it, let's discuss it at the banquet tomorrow."

"Don't wait until tomorrow's banquet—I want it today."

"That won't do," Chang Chang Shigui waved his hand. "I've already made arrangements with the banquet organizers. The contract's been signed."

"I'll pay the penalty. Name your price."

"That breaks the rules. Even if I pay the penalty, my reputation will still be ruined," Chang Chang Shigui refused again. "Besides, once the item goes to the banquet, the highest bidder wins—I can't even predict what price it'll fetch."

"If you want it now, I can't even estimate its value."

The man pulled out a check: "Based on market value, this treasure's worth at most three million. I'll offer seven million—pay you outright, no haggling. You won't lose a cent, you'll even double your money. What do you say?"

Chang Chang Shigui shook his head. "Friend, your sincerity is clear, but I can't sell it to you. I've run this shop for over twenty years—this is the first time my family has something good enough for a grand banquet."

The man frowned. "So what if it goes to the banquet?"

Chang Chang Shigui smiled. "Everyone lives their own life. To you, this might not matter much. But to me—"

"This is a lifelong dream. Friend, if you want something else, pick anything from my shop. But if you truly want that treasure, I'll be waiting for you at the banquet."

The deal fell through. The man left the shop with a grim face.

A dice cup chuckled softly in his pocket: "Your pants are going to auction. I wonder how you'll face your own reflection."

The man gritted his teeth. "If all else fails, just take the pants back by force!"

The dice cup laughed louder. "Go ahead—try stealing them! A local god fighting ordinary folks over a pair of pants? That story would make it into the annals!"

The man grew angrier as he walked, then suddenly turned and headed toward Li Qi.

Li Qi felt a surge of malice approaching. When the man drew near, he asked, "Did you hear all of that?"

Li Qi nodded. "I heard. Are those pants yours?"

The man froze. How did Li Qi know the pants belonged to him? Had he received word? Had this already spread?

Li Qi hadn't received any information—he'd simply guessed.

The man before him was someone he recognized: Song Song Qianhun, the local god of Tiemenbao.

As a local god, his insistence on buying a single pair of pants was highly unusual. Just earlier, the glove had mentioned these were intimate garments worn close to the body. Li Li Banfeng naturally deduced these pants belonged to Song Song Qianhun.

Song Song Qianhun pulled out the dice cup. "No need for pretense—these pants are mine. Let's gamble right here. If I win, you keep this quiet. If you win—"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head rapidly. "Senior, no need to gamble. I won't tell anyone. I just want to ask you one thing: how did these pants end up in Yanlou Village?"

A gust of autumn wind swept through, bringing a chill.

Song Song Qianhun was the great god of Yanlou Village. His mood was far from good.

Li Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow. "Forget it. I won't ask."

Li Li Banfeng walked away.

Song Song Qianhun stood where he was, a wave of anger rising inside him.

"Those pants can't go to the banquet. I must stop this at all costs," Song Song Qianhun muttered.

The dice cup said, "Stop fixating on your pants. Don't forget your real mission."

Li Li Banfeng gave a ticket to Jin Jin Shunying and returned alone to the Dark Star Bureau.

Shen Shen Jingye came to Li Li Banfeng's office on his own. He knew the ceasefire document from Neizhou had arrived. In front of Li Qi, he dropped his pretense and expressed his gratitude outright, even inviting Li Qi to dinner that night.

Li Qi had no time for small talk. "Little Shen, I've got urgent business. Let's talk another day."

After seeing Shen Shen Jingye off, Li Li Banfeng called Tang Yuan: "Do you have any files on Yanlou Village?"

Tang Yuan was exceptional at gathering information. Less than an hour later, she delivered the files to Li Li Banfeng.

"Li Ju, Yanlou Village is also called Ling Market. Due to its unique geography, it strongly attracts spirits—it's one of the largest gathering points for spirit mediums. Every year, countless spirit mediums come to Yanlou Village to hunt and trade with dead souls."

Li Qi flipped through the files and asked, "Do these spirit mediums have legal status?"

Tang Yuan shook her head. "Most of them don't. Their transactions are illegal."

"But according to these files, the Bureau hasn't conducted many operations against Yanlou Village."

Tang Yuan adjusted her glasses and lowered her voice. "Li Ju, I can't explain this clearly."

Li Qi understood her implication: "Like the Cultural Palace situation—it's tacitly permitted by the Bureau?"

Tang Yuan replied diplomatically: "Autonomous dark energy aggregates—what you call resentment spirits—are highly dangerous but difficult to capture. Some methods can be usefully leveraged."

In plain terms: evil spirits are hard to catch, so if others do the catching for them, hunting ghost servants becomes an effective way to control resentment spirit numbers—and the Bureau generally doesn't interfere.

This information was vital to Li Li Banfeng. If the Dark Star Bureau strictly controlled Yanlou Village, tomorrow's operation would face heavy resistance. But if the Bureau remained permissive, he could eliminate many unpredictable variables.

He spent the entire day reviewing files, gaining detailed knowledge of Yanlou Village's layout, key figures, and the banquet's procedures.

At eleven p. m. the next night, Li Li Banfeng and Jin Jin Shunying arrived at Yanlou Village, reaching a dance hall at the village entrance.

In the 1980s and 90s, dance halls were wildly popular. Now, they were nearly extinct in Yuezhou City—but Yanlou Village still had one.

No one came here to dance normally. This dance hall's function was nearly identical to the Cultural Palace.

Li Li Banfeng arrived at the entrance, showed his ticket. The ticket checker placed the wooden token on a tray. The tray bore a pattern of a bud about to bloom. When the token touched it, the flower opened—proof the ticket was genuine.

The ticket-checking process was slow. Only after entering the dance floor did Li Li Banfeng realize fewer than thirty people had come for the banquet.

Most of the booths were empty. Li Li Banfeng chose a seat near the back, center. In the dim light, shadows from surrounding booths concealed him completely, making him nearly invisible.

Jin Jin Shunying sat in a more visible front-row seat. Her task: to bid.

According to Li Li Banfeng's plan, if they spotted Shui Shui Yongquan, Jin Jin Shunying must bid for him. All expenses would be covered by Li Li Banfeng.

After rescuing Shui Shui Yongquan, they'd consider dealing with the Ferry Gang. But based on current information, Li Li Banfeng didn't know how many people the Ferry Gang had sent—or even their true purpose.

Shui Shui Yongquan had erased all his memories using the Cleansing Mind Technique. Though he retained high cultivation, as a ghost servant, how much value did he still hold?

Did the Ferry Gang sell him purely for money?

Could they be using Shui Shui Yongquan as bait?

Li Li Banfeng had to guard against all these possibilities.

After waiting about ten minutes, the banquet began. Though called a grand feast, the spread was lavish: each table held over a dozen dishes, plus a variety of wines.

Guests weren't here to eat, but the host had to maintain appearances—it was part of the return gift.

Several women moved among the guests, handing each one a blend.

Each blend cost over seven thousand—this was the true value of the return gift.

Jin Jin Shunying held the blend, unsure whether to accept it. Her ticket had been given by Li Li Banfeng; logically, the gift belonged to him.

She stole a glance at Li Li Banfeng. He sat in shadow, his outline nearly invisible unless you looked closely. The women distributing the blends had completely ignored him.

Jin Jin Shunying dared not look again. Her boss had warned her: once the banquet started, never speak to him. Don't ruin his plans.

A woman in her early thirties stepped into the center of the dance floor. She was the hall's owner and the banquet's hostess, named Chi Chi Huiyi.

She greeted the guests, then announced: "Twelve appetizers—please enjoy."

The appetizers were low-value auction items: elixirs, weapons, spiritual objects. The weapons and spiritual items were typical of demonic cultivators. Jin Jin Shunying felt tempted—but as prices rose in waves, she quickly calmed.

Though she had savings and had just received money from her boss, she had clear plans for every yuan. Items with obvious overpricing were never on her list.

Although she had some savings and her boss had just given her a sum of money, Jin Jin Shunying had a clear plan for every penny, and overpriced items were generally not on her radar.

There were three main courses.

The first was a puppet.

Chi Chi Huiyi said, "The vendor, please introduce your item."

This meant the seller should describe the item himself.

An old man, over seventy, stepped into the center. He said nothing, only reached into the puppet's back and began controlling it.

No grand movements—he slowly demonstrated each joint.

Li Li Banfeng didn't understand craftsmanship, but he'd seen many fine examples in Puzhou.

This puppet's craftsmanship was exceptional: joint flexibility, body resilience, and every hidden mechanism inside were exquisitely made.

After the demonstration, Chi Chi Huiyi said, "Vendor's opening bid: one hundred and fifty. Gentlemen, please bid."

"One hundred and fifty" meant one million five hundred thousand.

This banquet primarily targeted Wu Xiu. This puppet, as a main course, seemed oddly mismatched.

But insiders knew: this puppet was extremely useful to Wu Xiu. Some spirits couldn't directly fight; attaching to a puppet boosted combat power. In terms of material and craftsmanship, one million five hundred thousand wasn't expensive.

But insiders knew this puppet was extremely useful for cultivation; some souls were unsuitable for direct combat, and possessing a puppet allowed them to achieve greater combat power—this puppet's material and craftsmanship made one hundred fifty thousand not expensive at all.

"Two million."

"Two million three hundred thousand!"

Bids rose steadily. The final price: three million one hundred thousand.

The old man left the floor to settle payment with the buyer.

Chi Chi Huiyi announced: "Second main course—vendor, please introduce your item."

Seeing the second main course, Li Li Banfeng sat motionless, his heart trembling.

He saw Shui Shui Yongquan.

Shui Shui Yongquan wore a short tunic and a single pair of pants, bound with iron chains, expression blank, led by a man to the center of the dance floor.

All guests stared at Shui Shui Yongquan, murmuring.

"That's the Demon-Slayer? He's this old?"

"Look at his bony frame—can he even fight?"

"He doesn't even seem lively. Is he sick?"

"This thing isn't cheap. Don't be fooled by the flashy name. If it's a sick donkey, will it pull a mill or plow a field? What good is it?"

Listening to the chatter, Li Li Banfeng's eyebrows twitched.

Hearing the others' chatter, Li Li Banfeng's eyebrows twitched.

Water surging from a spring, earth deity, a regional lord!

And now, like livestock, we're being appraised like this.

The shopkeeper, clad in a straw rain cape and wearing a massive conical hat, addressed the crowd: "This is a wounded demon corpse. No need for me to elaborate."

He said only those words, masking his voice considerably, but Ear Ring still recognized the timbre.

"Master, it's him."

Chu Chu Zikai.

Li Li Banfeng gently pinched his fingers, remaining utterly expressionless.

Chi Chi Huiyi said: "The shopkeeper bids one thousand. I ask for your generous bids!"

The ballroom fell silent.

Many of today's guests had come specifically for the wounded demon corpse.

But cultivation base is invisible, and Chu Chu Zikai's introduction was far too brief—no one could say whether the wounded demon corpse was genuine or fake, or what quality it held.

Before anyone else spoke, Jin Jin Shunying broke the silence: "One thousand one!"

Add a million more. If no one outbids, the deal is done.

"One thousand three!" A man behind her raised the bid; Jin Jin Shunying's heart tightened.

Who is this man?

She wanted to see the boss's reaction, but dared not turn around. Remembering the boss's instructions, she had to buy this wounded demon corpse at all costs.

"One thousand three hundred fifty!" Jin Jin Shunying added another fifty.

The guests murmured—this increase was too small.

"One thousand eight!" The man behind her raised again.

"One thousand eight hundred fifty!" Jin Jin Shunying's voice trembled. Though she wasn't spending her own money, this amount clearly exceeded her limits.

"Two thousand!" The man raised again.

Who is this man?

Li Li Banfeng was also curious.

Jin Jin Shunying raised by fifty; the man raised by two or three hundred each time.

Li Li Banfeng turned to glance at the man, who wore a black trench coat with its collar raised high and a hiking cap pulled low over his brow.

Covering his face with the brim—Li Li Banfeng was an expert. He activated Jin Qing's microscopic perception and, through the shadows, caught faint contours.

This man used disguise art, but Li Li Banfeng still discerned details—it looked like Song Song Qianhun.

He's here for his pants. That didn't surprise Li Li Banfeng.

But why pay such a high price for Water Surging Spring?

He's a demon cultivator—could he just want another ghost servant?

"Three thousand two!" The man raised again. This time, Ear Ring identified the voice.

"Master, it's that elder."

Li Li Banfeng slipped silently beside the man and whispered: "Elder Song, you really want this wounded demon corpse so badly?"

Seeing Li Qi had recognized him, Song Song Qianhun no longer concealed himself: "This is my friend. I won't let him be treated like this!"

With that, Song Song Qianhun raised the bid to three thousand five.

The price surpassed expectations; Chu Chu Zikai smiled triumphantly.

Behind him, at the bar in the dance floor, stood an elderly foreigner with golden hair and blue eyes.

This elder had come with Chu Chu Zikai and quietly observed every guest's reaction.

If the deal went smoothly and the money was made, that would be fine.

If it didn't, he was prepared for any contingency—Duchuan Gang would not suffer a loss.

Song Song Qianhun kept raising. Li Li Banfeng said: "Since this is Elder's friend, I ask you for a favor."

Song Song Qianhun replied: "What is it?"

"Let's work together to rescue our friend and reclaim the pants."

PS: The foreigner beside Chu Chu Zikai once saved him. See Chapter 537.

Thank you to Patron Zhai Xiu Jie Xian Qi Tian for your tremendous support!