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

It was approaching evening.

Fatty Wang, carrying two steaming boxes of roast goose and roast meat, hummed a little tune as he walked into the funeral parlor.

"Yezi, dinner's ready! I queued for half an hour to buy this roast goose today; it's absolutely authentic!"

The fat man placed the food box on the octagonal table and eagerly broke off a roast goose leg and stuffed it into his mouth.

Lin Ye walked out from behind the counter, pulled out a chair and sat down, casually tossing the black invitation card onto the table.

"Fatty, I'll show you the world tonight."

The fat man, with his sharp eyes, picked up the cold invitation and glanced at it, immediately shivering:

"Holy crap, what is this thing? It feels as cold as a metal bed in a morgue. Yoko, what big job are you going to pull off this time?"

Lin Ye briefly explained Qin Shao's purpose for coming.

Upon hearing that someone had secured a spending quota of 50 million, the fat man dropped the goose leg he was holding onto the table.

"Fifty...fifty million?!"

The fat man's beady eyes widened, and he almost drooled.

"Yezi, you've really hooked up with a rich guy now! Count me in on this deal. I may not know anything about feng shui, but I'm good at carrying your bags and haggling!"

Lin Ye nodded. Tonight's auction was a mixed bag, and bringing along Fatty, a rough but meticulous fellow, would save them a lot of trouble.

Moreover, the fat man's menacing boning knife is more than enough for self-defense in a critical moment.

"My lord, I will accompany you tonight."

Leng Yue had changed her clothes at some point and slowly walked down from the second floor.

Lin Ye and the fat man looked up at the same time, and their breath caught in their throats the moment their eyes met Leng Yue's.

Leng Yue was wearing a deep black backless evening gown.

The dress was perfectly tailored, and the fabric clung to her stunning curves like ripples on water.

From the front, the high collar design is dignified and elegant, making the slender swan neck appear even more noble.

However, the back of the dress features a deep V-neck cutout, exposing large swathes of snow-white, delicate back skin to the air.

That deep and captivating spinal groove extends downwards all the way to the waist.

"Well... if my sister-in-law goes to the auction tonight dressed like that, I doubt the auction house owners will even be interested in looking at the items."

The fat man swallowed hard and quickly looked away, not daring to look at him for even a second.

It took Lin Ye several seconds to calm his agitated emotions.

He stood up, walked to Leng Yue's side, and casually put his arm around her slender waist.

"Your attire is indeed stunning, but tonight's occasion is a mixed bag, and there's bound to be some clueless individuals."

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone revealing a hint of possessiveness.

Leng Yue slightly turned her head.

She did not resist Lin Ye's touch; instead, she leaned half of her body weight on his strong arm.

"Rest assured, my lord, I have used a secret method to conceal the corpse's aura. As long as I do not use my original power, others will only see me as an ordinary master of internal martial arts."

She slightly curled her red lips, lowered her voice, and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"If there are any fools who dare to offend you, sir... I will teach them a lesson they won't forget, and show them what it means to be reduced to ashes."

"Cough cough."

Lin Ye coughed lightly twice to conceal the burning desire in his eyes.

He turned to look at the curtain leading to the backyard: "Where's Froststar?"

"That girl drank a bowl of the Yin Shen Mu Shen soup I brewed and is now fast asleep in that big iron box. She is in a critical period of fusing with the Yin Hui's inner core, so it is not advisable for her to go out tonight," Leng Yue replied.

Lin Ye nodded, leaving the little girl at the funeral parlor. With the Yin Gathering Array protecting her, there was no chance of anything going wrong.

……

7:30 p.m.

A stretched Lincoln was discreetly parked at the intersection of Taiping Old Street.

Lin Ye changed into a bespoke black suit that Qin Shao had sent to him.

The well-tailored suit accentuated his tall and handsome figure.

He was born with striking features, and with the added masculine aura of his pure Yang Dao body, he exuded a calm, reserved, and imposing presence.

Leng Yue took his arm, like a truly aloof and elegant noblewoman.

Fatty Wang changed into a tight-fitting suit, looking just like a bodyguard of a nouveau riche who had just arrived in the city.

The three got into the car and headed straight for the abandoned dock in the south of the city.

The city of Jiangzhou is ablaze with neon lights at night.

However, the river surface south of the city was shrouded in a thick layer of water vapor.

The Lincoln was parked in a weed-covered spot by the river.

Not far ahead, a huge three-story luxury cruise ship was quietly moored on the river.

The cruise ship had no bright lights on; only a ring of paper lanterns emitting a ghastly green glow hung around the deck, swaying in the river breeze and exuding an eerie atmosphere.

This is tonight's venue: Bright Moon.

Young Master Qin had been waiting at the boarding gate for quite some time.

Seeing Lin Ye and Leng Yue get out of the car, he quickly went to greet them.

"Master Lin, Madam, please come with me."

Four burly men dressed in black stood in front of the gangplank at the boarding gate.

Lin Ye glanced at them and immediately realized that these four people were no ordinary bodyguards.

Their breathing was deep and even, their temples bulged, and they had a faint earthy smell emanating from them, clearly indicating that they were tomb raiders who worked in the fields year-round.

Young Master Qin handed over the black invitation.

The burly man at the head of the group took the invitation, checked it, and then, instead of letting them pass immediately, he looked Lin Ye up and down, suddenly speaking in a cryptic, underworld slang term:

"A heavenly gate opens in the northwest corner; may I ask which family is raiding the tomb? Which temple do they worship at, and how many inches of incense do they burn?"

This is a roundabout.

Qin Shao was an amateur and froze on the spot, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

If you can't answer this question, even if you have an invitation, you'll be treated like a lamb and thrown off the ship.

Fatty Wang was completely bewildered, his hand already on the boning knife at his waist.

Lin Ye's expression remained unchanged as he pulled Qin Shao behind him.

He put his hands in his suit pockets, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on the burly man, his voice not loud, but every word resounding:

"I neither worship gods nor immortals, but act as a mediator in half a funeral, holding the scales of yin and yang in my hands, and treading the road to the underworld with my feet."

"I ate the 'opening meal' and ordered the 'guiding incense'."

Upon hearing this, the four burly men's expressions changed simultaneously.

A hint of awe flashed in the eyes of the leading burly man, who immediately clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply.

"So you're the gentleman who eats the food of the underworld! I was blind earlier, please come in!"

Lin Ye nodded slightly, and with Leng Yue by his side, he slowly stepped onto the cruise ship deck under the respectful gaze of the four burly men.

The interior of the cruise ship was exceptionally luxurious.

A huge crystal chandelier cast a soft glow, and a thick Persian carpet was laid out at one's feet.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of lingerie and the rustling of hair, with several people gathered in twos and threes.

Among these people were wealthy businessmen in suits, elderly men in Tang suits, and even a few hermits in Taoist robes.

Lin Yegang led everyone into the venue.

A voice filled with sarcasm and disdain suddenly rang out from the corner of the hall.

"Oh, isn't this the eldest son of the Qin family? I heard you were recently haunted by an evil spirit at the old house on Linjiang Road, and almost had your life force drained by a female ghost..."

"What, instead of staying in the hospital today, you've come here to join the fun?"

Accompanied by the sound, a young man dressed in a white bespoke suit, holding a folding fan, swaggered over with several attendants.

When Qin Shao saw who it was, his face immediately darkened.

"Gu Changfeng, stop with your sarcastic remarks," Qin Shao hissed through gritted teeth.

This young man in the white suit is named Gu Changfeng, the second young master of the Gu family in Jiangzhou.

The Gu family and the Qin family have always been bitter rivals in the business world.

Gu Changfeng, relying on his family background, is arrogant and domineering in his daily life.

It is said that the Gu family is backed by a powerful and influential Taoist family.

Gu Changfeng walked closer, completely ignoring Qin Shao's anger.

His gaze swept over Lin Ye and Fatty Wang, finally settling on Leng Yue.

In that instant, Gu Changfeng's eyes flashed with undisguised amazement and greed.

But he quickly averted his gaze, turned to look at Qin Shao, snapped his folding fan shut, and pointed at Lin Ye, mocking:

"Young Master Qin, even if you're going to hire someone to appraise something, you should at least invite an elder from a reputable sect. Bringing along a callow youth and a frail woman to this Yin-Yang Ghost Market? Do you think this is an amusement park?"

He looked down at Lin Ye, his tone contemptuous:

"Kid, this place is dangerous. If you know what's good for you, take Young Master Qin's money and get lost. Otherwise, if some sinister item appears at the auction later, don't be so scared you'll wet your pants!"

Faced with this blatant provocation, Fatty Wang was so angry that he was about to roll up his sleeves.

Lin Ye reached out and stopped him.

"Fatty, why are you arguing with this dog? If it bites you, are you going to bite back?"

Lin Ye patted non-existent dust off his sleeves, not even glancing at Gu Changfeng again, and turned to Qin Shao, saying:

"Let's go to our private room. The real show is just beginning."

Being publicly called a dog, Gu Changfeng's face instantly turned ashen.

He was about to lash out when he saw Leng Yue turn around and give him a cold glance with her deep red eyes.

With just one glance, Gu Changfeng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and the blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly.

His open mouth froze in mid-air, unable to utter a single word, and he could only watch helplessly as Lin Ye and his group walked towards the VIP room on the second floor.

"Second Young Master, what's wrong?"

Seeing this, his attendant quickly helped him up.

Gu Changfeng gasped for breath, staring intently at the second floor, his eyes flashing with resentment.

"Go, inform Elder Sun that there's definitely something fishy about that kid. At tonight's auction, whatever he sets his sights on, bid him exorbitantly! I'll make him lose face!"

The cruise ship's horn emitted a long, deep blast.

The Mingyue slowly sailed away from the dock and headed into the thick fog deep in the middle of the river.