Twin female zombies come to the door: My lord, please have mercy!

The blazing sun hung above the upturned eaves of Taiping Old Street, baking the bluestone pavement until it was slightly hot.

Outside the shop, the arrogant roar of the red Ferrari's engine had not yet completely subsided.

Qin Shao was dressed in designer clothes and had his hair slicked back.

Holding a bouquet of ninety-nine red roses that covered half her body in both hands, she wore a fawning smile.

Lin Ye stood behind the glass counter, his face instantly darkening.

This kid narrowly escaped death at the old house on Linjiang Road last time, and today he actually dares to come to the funeral parlor to curry favor, and the object of his currying favor is actually Leng Yue!

"Master Lin, is your wife upstairs?"

Qin Shao was completely oblivious to the coldness in Lin Ye's eyes, and continued to peek around.

"I haven't been able to sleep at night these past few days since I got back. Every time I close my eyes, all I can think about is that earth-shattering slap from my sister-in-law."

"If it weren't for my sister-in-law's intervention, I, Qin, would have long since become that water ghost's meal. This bouquet of flowers is a top-quality Louis XIV, air-freighted from Bulgaria. Only such flowers are worthy of my sister-in-law's unparalleled elegance..."

Before Qin Shao could finish speaking...

A faint light flickered wildly on Lin Ye's retina, and the system's mechanical voice, which seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, rang crisply in his mind.

"Ding! Your Excellency, please exercise self-restraint. System notification: A wealthy young master from Jiangzhou has been detected attempting to curry favor with your personal female zombie. The territory of the head of the household is inviolable. Please make a decision within three minutes to defend your sovereignty!"

Three options appeared on the screen:

[Option A: Thunderous Wrath—Grabbing the lightning-struck peach wood sword at hand, shouting "One must not covet a friend's wife!", he sent the ignorant rich kid flying, flower and all.]

[Reward: Martial Arts Physique +5. Consequence: You will lose an excellent ATM and will most likely face detention by the Jiangzhou police.]

[Option B: Use the situation to your advantage – let Leng Yue unleash a sliver of her fierce power to completely extinguish his unrealistic lustful desires and, in turn, uncover his true purpose for this trip.]

[Reward: 200 Official Points, and interception of a hidden plot clue.]

[Option C: On the verge of being cuckolded—Generously accept the roses, give them to Leng Yue on his behalf, and praise his discerning eye.]

[Reward: Obtain the title "Green-Headed Turtle". Consequence: Feeling deeply humiliated, Leng Yue goes berserk on the spot, unleashing Red Lotus Karmic Fire that burns you and Qin Shao to ashes.]

Lin Ye glanced at the three options, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

I choose B.

Once Lin Ye had made up his mind, he didn't get angry. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down leisurely.

He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked at Qin Shao with a playful gaze:

"Sending flowers to express gratitude? Young Master Qin's thoughtfulness is truly commendable. My lady, someone has come specifically to see you; won't you come out to greet them?"

The voice just fell.

The curtain leading to the backyard deep inside the shop moved automatically without any wind.

A chilling, bone-piercing cold swept out from behind the curtain without warning.

The funeral parlor, which was unbearably hot just a moment ago, suddenly felt like it had fallen into an ice cave.

A fine layer of white frost quickly condensed on the glass door, and a cool fragrance of red spider lilies filled the air.

Leng Yue slowly stepped out.

She was wearing a dark black high-necked, fitted cheongsam today.

The cheongsam had a very high slit, and as she walked, her long, fair legs, as white as the finest mutton fat jade, were faintly visible.

Her long, silvery-white hair was tied back with a dark, ebony hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her delicate collarbone.

Her stunningly beautiful face was devoid of any extraneous expression, her deep red eyes coldly fixed on Qin Shao standing at the door.

"Are you going to send me flowers?"

Leng Yue's lips parted slightly, her voice clear and cold like shattered ice striking jade.

The moment Qin Shao met those red eyes, he felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

All the praise he had prepared was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single syllable.

His legs trembled violently and uncontrollably, and his teeth chattered.

"I...I..."

Qin Shao's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his expensive silk shirt.

Leng Yue slightly raised her right hand, which was adorned with a black jade thumb ring, and gently pointed at the bouquet of vibrant red roses from afar.

"Click, click..."

A freezing sound rang out.

The ninety-nine exquisite roses, airlifted from Bulgaria, were completely covered by a layer of deep blue ice from petals to stems in just two seconds.

"Bang!"

Qin Shao's hands trembled, and the rose fell onto the bluestone ground, instantly shattering into ice shards.

"Mortal plants and trees, tainted by worldly impurities, dare to offend my eyes?"

The cold moon looked down at him condescendingly, with a faint golden-red flame flickering in its eyes.

"If you're tired of living, I don't mind sending you to the underworld."

"thump!"

Qin Shao's knees buckled, and he knelt directly on the ice shards scattered on the ground.

"Sister-in-law, spare me! Master Lin, save me!"

Qin Shao was so frightened that his face turned pale. He scrambled to the glass counter and clung tightly to the table leg.

"I, Qin, swear to God, I have absolutely no ulterior motives! I'm here today because I have a very important matter I need Master Lin's help with. This flower... this flower is just a stepping stone!"

Lin Ye put down his teacup, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Even if a wealthy young master from Jiangzhou is blinded by lust, he wouldn't go so far as to openly grovel in someone else's shop.

This kid's true intentions are far more complex than they appear.

"Alright, Leng Yue, stop your magic. You've scared Young Master Qin half to death. Who's going to pay the bill for us now?"

Lin Ye waved his hand.

Leng Yue snorted coldly, and the chilling aura around her that was enough to freeze one's soul instantly dissipated.

She walked over to Lin Ye, pulled out a chair and sat down, her gaze still cold, like a guardian deity.

"Get up and talk, the ground is cold."

Lin Ye pointed to the round stool opposite him.

Qin Shao felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He shakily got up and sat on the round stool, only daring to sit with half of his buttocks touching the ground.

He reached into his robes and carefully pulled out an invitation card that was entirely black with dark gold patterns inlaid on the edges, then respectfully handed it to the counter with both hands.

"Master Lin, please take a look at this."

Lin Ye lowered his gaze and stared at the black invitation card.

The invitation was made of a strange material; it was cold to the touch and had a faint smell of aged preservatives.

The cover has no text printed on it, only a red spider lily embroidered with silver thread.

"The Yin-Yang Ghost Market, a dark web auction?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Lin Ye's eyes as he explained the origin of the invitation.

In the notes left by my grandfather, there were a few words that mentioned such secret gatherings.

Since the resurgence of spiritual energy tides, the authorities have established an Abnormal Phenomena Management Bureau to control and manage them.

In order to avoid official scrutiny, these underground auctions were spontaneously organized by various unorthodox practitioners, tomb raiders, and even families practicing unorthodox magic.

The items circulating at the auction are all rare treasures that cannot be seen in the light of day.

Newly unearthed funerary objects, malevolent magical artifacts imbued with blood and resentment, and even unorthodox remedies from the underworld that can prolong life.

Qin Shao saw that Lin Ye recognized the item at a glance, and the look of awe on his face deepened.

"Master Lin has a discerning eye. I bought this invitation from a tomb raider at a high price."

Qin Shao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a bitter face.

"Ever since that incident at the old house, I've had a psychological problem. I always feel like there's something dirty watching me all the time."

"I figured that just hiring bodyguards wouldn't be enough; I needed to get a real protective artifact to carry with me."

He swallowed hard and continued, "This Yin-Yang auction will be held tonight on the 'Bright Moon' cruise ship on the Jiangzhou River."

"I heard that among the final items in the auction is a Buddhist treasure that can exorcise all ghosts and suppress evil spirits. With my mortal eyes, I would be completely clueless if I went there. If I accidentally buy something extremely ominous, I might not even know how I died."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ye understood the other party's intentions.

"You want me to be your appraiser and, on the side, your bodyguard?"

"Exactly!"

Young Master Qin nodded repeatedly, patting his chest to assure him.

"Master Lin, if you're willing to accompany me this way, tonight at the auction, whatever you fancy up to fifty million, I, Qin, will buy it all! And afterwards, I'll give you an additional five million as a favor!"

His heroic spirit soared to the clouds.

A credit line of 50 million, plus 5 million in cash.

Such generous terms, in the entire Jiangzhou metaphysics community, would be enough to make countless self-proclaimed high-minded sect leaders fight tooth and nail for them.

Lin Ye's heart stirred slightly.

While the lightning-struck peach wood sword in his hand was convenient, it lacked a high-level magical artifact that could truly command respect.

Although Leng Yue's defensive robe was of the Xuan rank, it was made of very little fabric and could only be worn close to the skin.

Froststar is at a critical stage in its evolution into a high-level Corpse King, and thus requires a large number of rare and precious materials.

This underground auction, which brings together extraordinary individuals from all over Jiangnan Province, is absolutely not to be missed.

"Ding! Daily task completed. Official Points +200, Current Points: 2650. Hidden plot clue 'Netherworld Auction' activated. Please proceed to the venue and investigate the whereabouts of the remnants of the Yinshan Sect!"

The system notification sounded at just the right time, which reassured Lin Ye.

"I'll take this job."

Lin Ye calmly put the black invitation into his pocket.

"Very good!"

Young Master Qin was so excited he almost jumped up.

"Master, the cruise ship will set sail from the abandoned dock in the south of the city at 8 PM tonight. I will send a car to pick you up at 7 PM!"

After settling the details, Qin Shao dared not linger at the funeral parlor, fearing that Leng Yue might glance at him again. He thanked her profusely and left the parlor, then drove off in his Ferrari.