He just broke up with his girlfriend and is already living with the devilish rich girl.

Luo Yao pinched Bai Ziheng's ear and dragged him away from the group of ghost messengers who were still incessantly complaining about inflation.

"Don't waste your breath on these people, just get out of here. Every single one of the people in the Ghost Market who tries to lure people into playing mahjong is a cheater. If you play with them, you'll lose everything, even your underwear."

Bai Ziheng was pulled by the ear and stopped in front of an antique shop.

He kicked the door open and went inside, the copper bell on the door making a weak tinkling sound.

This store isn't big, but it was packed full.

A fat boss was sitting behind the counter.

His round face had two small eyes that turned into slits when he smiled.

"What kind of anomaly is this?" He leaned close to Luo Yao's ear and asked in a low voice.

"A dragon." Luo Yao answered casually.

"An ancient dragon that has lived for over two thousand years."

"...More than two thousand years have passed, and it still hasn't transformed into a dragon?"

"He ate too much on the way to the water and got too full, so he failed to transform into a dragon."

Bai Ziheng was speechless.

Although what I've seen these past few days has been so mind-blowing.

But if you're telling me this thing isn't a wild boar spirit but a dragon, that's just too bizarre.

The boss had no idea what was going through Bai Ziheng's mind, but he recognized Luo Yao.

His chubby face immediately contorted into a fawning smile as he rubbed his hands together, stood up from the chair, and smacked his stomach against the counter.

"Oh! Isn't this the Venerable One? What brings you to my humble little shop today?"

"A rare guest indeed! Come, come, please have a seat. You there, go and bring out that sandalwood armchair from the inner room for His Excellency to sit on!"

He called out to someone behind him, as if there was a waiter, but Bai Ziheng didn't see anyone respond.

"Don't bother."

Luo Yao didn't even bother to sit down, instead raising her chin at Bai Ziheng.

Bai Ziheng placed the Taotie sculpture he was carrying on the counter with a muffled thud, causing the counter to shake.

The boss glanced down at the sculpture and let out a guilty cough.

"Ahem, Your Excellency, what's wrong...?"

"Return the goods," Luo Yao said succinctly.

"You're such a glutton; the thief hasn't even arrived yet, and you've already destroyed your own home."

The boss patted his belly and let out a series of hearty laughs, trying to use his generosity to cover up his guilty conscience.

"Oh dear, Your Excellency, you know our shop's rules: once goods are sold, they cannot be returned or exchanged."

"I made it clear to you when you bought it that this Taotie is an experimental product, and experimental products are bound to have some flaws—"

"This isn't just a minor flaw; it looks like something a demolition office would have done," Luo Yao sneered.

The shop owner wiped the sweat from his forehead and gestured with his hands in the air, trying to appease the obviously unhappy customer in front of him.

"Venerable One, Venerable One, please don't be anxious."

"Our product is all about being high quality and affordable."

"Since it's cheap, it's definitely not from a pure-blooded Taotie offspring. You know what you're doing; a tiny piece of a pure-blooded Taotie's fingernail would be enough to buy my entire shop plus my old life."

"To get this kind of performance at this price is practically a fire sale!"

Bai Ziheng, listening from the side, felt increasingly uneasy.

He couldn't help but interject, "So what exactly did you mix into it?"

The boss's eyes visibly darted away.

"Just... just a tiny bit added, for reference only... melodramatic stuff."

Bai Ziheng and Luo Yao were both stunned.

"What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this? Aren't dogs supposed to be excellent at guarding the house?"

Bai Ziheng pressed for an answer.

The boss became even more guilty, twisting his hands in front of his chest and speaking softer and softer.

"Well... I'm thinking that nowadays all industries are emphasizing the combination of Chinese and Western approaches, learning from the barbarians' superior techniques to control them. We puppet makers also need to keep up with the times."

"Just recently, a little vampire brought a foreign dog to Youdu. That dog was incredibly energetic, running wild all over the city and biting anyone it caught."

"Later, I was caught by the city defense team's ghost guards. When they were drawing blood for testing, I just casually... really just casually, and got back that tiny little sample."

"What was that dog's name again...?"

"A husky?" Bai Ziheng asked.

"Oh! Yes! That's the name! You're quite the discerning customer!"

Bai Ziheng's lips began to twitch.

No wonder.

This thing was like a bulldozer in the supermarket, tearing everything in its path.

If a husky had the power of a glutton, would there be anything in the world it wouldn't dare to destroy?

Luo Yao was clearly too lazy to waste any more words with the boss.

She pointed a finger at the Taotie sculpture on the counter, her tone calm yet resolute.

"I'm returning it anyway."

The boss's smile finally crumbled, and a sly glint flashed in his small eyes.

"Alas, Your Excellency, even you cannot break the rules."

He spoke slowly.

"The rules of the Ghost Market in Youdu have been in place for so many years: no returns or exchanges after goods are sold. If I break these rules, where will I put my face?"

"Who will trust my business after this? It's not just about money; it's about the reputation of doing business. Don't you think so?"

Luo Yao simply smiled slightly and turned to look at Bai Ziheng.

"Hey bro, tear that talisman down."

Bai Ziheng reached out to take the talisman from the sculpture's belly.

The boss hurriedly covered the talisman with both hands, sweating profusely as he shouted to Luo Yao.

"Hey! Hey! Have mercy! Venerable One, please don't release that thing here! My shop is full of old items, they can't withstand any damage!"

"So, are you going to cancel or not?"

The boss's face scrunched up, and he reluctantly agreed, looking utterly dejected.

"Refund, refund... I'll refund, okay?... Can I... can I just get a half refund?"

"Hey bro, tear it!"

"I'll refund! I'll refund everything, okay?!"

...

...

As Bai Ziheng left the store, the question in his mind resurfaced.

When she entered, the boss called Luo Yao "Venerable One," and the ghost guards at the city gate also called her "Venerable One."

"They were calling you Venerable One just now? What Venerable One?" He thought for a moment and then added.

"The Divine Dragon Venerable?"

Luo Yao chuckled and waved her hand.

"This person's identity outside is something they created themselves."

"You can say you're a phone screen protector installer, or you can say you're an IT visual interaction engineer."

"You can say you're a taxi driver, or you can say you're a ground space displacement guide."

"It's just a name, don't overthink it."

Bai Ziheng felt that she was fooling him, but he couldn't find any flaws, so he could only look at her suspiciously and not ask any further questions.

The two walked back along the way they came. Just as they turned out of the alley, a ghost messenger walked quickly towards them.

"Your Excellency, my master says that the matter you asked her to investigate has yielded some results. Since you have come to Youdu today, please come with me."

Luo Yao raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised, yet also as if it were expected.

"Qingyao is quite efficient. Alright, lead the way."

The ghost messenger turned and led the way, and Luo Yao gestured for Bai Ziheng to follow.

As she walked, she turned her head to explain to Bai Ziheng.

"Qingyao, the woman you dragged out to smoke opium that night, she's the master behind this Youdu Ghost Market."

"Perfect, I'll show you around." Luo Yao winked at him, a sly smile playing on her lips.