The five Ghost Kings had all lived for several hundred years. The passage of centuries had long since dulled many of their desires. Wealth and power were firmly in their grasp; they should have been content with nothing more.
Yet, they still had weaknesses: their irremovable kin!
Someone as ruthless as Shi Jing could even personally kill his great-great-great-great-grandson. Due to the vast distance in bloodline, he no longer felt familial affection for his descendants.
Conversely, relationships spanning four to five generations were the most intimate, and the ones Shi Jing cared about most.
The same was true for these five Ghost Kings in Chang'an. In their daily lives, they acted on impulse, little different from wild beasts. After all, the essence of humanity was also animalistic.
Only when it concerned their closest relatives did a sliver of humanity surface.
Now, upon hearing the devastating news that all their closest relatives had been killed, and not just killed but utterly annihilated, how could they not be enraged? How could they possibly remain rational?!
Especially with Yu Jinhong and Tao Hua Ying fanning the flames with their orchestrated pronouncements, they became even more frenzied.
Yu Jinhong feigned remorse, saying, "This is all my fault! If I hadn't involved Your Excellencies, Yan Shouyi wouldn't have been so ruthless!"
Tao Hua Ying restrained Yu Jinhong, shaking her head and saying, "Blame that damned Yan Shouyi. There are so many wicked people in the world; why must he target us Ghost Kings? First, he killed the Ghost King of Rongcheng, then the Ghost King of Qiantang, and now he has come for us in Chang'an!"
These words, falling upon the ears of the five Ghost Kings, convinced them further that Yan Shouyi was responsible.
After all, Yan Shouyi possessed so many "Ghost King destinies"; it was hardly an exaggeration to say he specialized in killing Ghost Kings.
They suppressed their grief, went downstairs to inspect the "crime scenes" themselves, and then returned to the private room, each looking utterly dejected.
Seeing their sorrowful state, Yu Jinhong felt no remorse. Instead, he gloated inwardly:
"I begged and pleaded before, and you all played coy. Now look, I had to go to extremes! If the five Ghost Kings were to fight Yan Shouyi, Yu Jinhong would prefer to see them both suffer heavy losses."
Tao Hua Ying, however, continued to comfort the five Ghost Kings, a hint of sympathy on her face.
The sympathy was genuine, not feigned. She truly sympathized with the five Ghost Kings, who were so unlucky as to be used by Yu Jinhong.
Of course, Yu Jinhong was also unaware that he was being used by Yan Shouyi.
Ultimately, the young master was truly formidable! Tao Hua Ying mused inwardly.
Fortunately, she hadn't chosen to oppose the young master, or her fate would likely have been even more tragic than these five Ghost Kings.
When the five Ghost Kings had somewhat regained their composure, Tao Hua Ying glanced at Yu Jinhong.
Yu Jinhong quickly stepped forward and shouted the rallying cry, "Your Excellencies, Shi Jing is likely coming for us soon. We should..."
"That scoundrel Shi Jing, this king has long disliked him!"
"As a Ghost King, he doesn't stand with us against a common enemy but aids that Lu Ban descendant!"
"Before he comes looking for us, let's march to his manor and slaughter his entire family!"
Among the Ghost Kings, many were impulsive, eager to immediately attack Shi Jing's home.
However, some maintained their rationality.
"Shi Jing shouldn't be so rash. I think we should talk to him before taking action. Perhaps there's a conspiracy involved."
"I also think things are not that simple. Shi Jing is powerful, but he should know he's no match for the five of us."
"I'll dispatch someone to Shi Jing's place to test the waters first."
Hearing these rational pronouncements, Yu Jinhong suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Even before Tao Hua Ying could speak, he began to explain:
"Shi Jing alone is certainly not enough, but he has Yan Shouyi, and the experts from the Xuan Shan Sect. We can't be so sure!"
"Perhaps he's no longer satisfied with being confined to the Ghost Market and wants to extend his reach into Chang'an!"
"He has killed your kin, yet you hesitate. This is a loss of initiative!"
Despite Yu Jinhong's earnest instigation, the Ghost Kings were not fools. After calming down, they all felt it was best to seek out Shi Jing to demand an explanation.
Seeing that he could not stop them, Yu Jinhong's heart pounded with panic. He quickly signaled Tao Hua Ying for help with his eyes.
Tao Hua Ying was also somewhat at a loss. She rarely handled such delicate negotiations, especially since Yu Jinhong had been the one to escalate the situation so rapidly.
It had to be said that Yu Jinhong, having participated in king-level matches, still had some ability to handle these bronze and silver players before him.
Just as the two of them were feeling uneasy, Yan Shouyi, still in his disguise, suddenly barged in.
Upon seeing Yan Shouyi, Tao Hua Ying's face drained of color. She was terrified that Yu Jinhong might recognize Yan Shouyi, which would make things impossible to explain.
However, Yan Shouyi, bold and skilled, was completely unfazed. He disguised himself as a servant of the Feng Lai Lou and rushed in, shouting before he could even steady himself:
"Terrible news! This humble servant just received the latest intelligence: that scoundrel Shi Jing has gathered the other four Ghost Kings of Chang'an and is preparing to attack our Feng Lai Lou!"
Chang'an had a total of eleven Ghost Kings. Currently, Feng Lai Lou had six, and Shi Jing had summoned four.
Now, they had all gathered!
This news was true, but when a Feng Lai Lou servant brought the message, Yan Shouyi, upon hearing it outside, decided to personally make an appearance to boost his presence.
And to test Yu Jinhong.
Indeed, Yu Jinhong did not recognize Yan Shouyi and gnashed his teeth in anger, cursing, "Yan Shouyi is truly ruthless! Back in Qiantang, he ensnared us in the same way!"
With the same modus operandi, the same objective, and the presence of Yu Jinhong, a "victim," the suspicions of the five Ghost Kings vanished instantly!
This was undoubtedly Yan Shouyi's doing, aimed at eliminating them, the Ghost Kings, to reorder Chang'an's structure and create fertile ground for their secular sects to grow!
"Shi Jing, Yan Shouyi, you are both so merciless; do not blame us then!!"
The five Ghost Kings clenched their fists, their hearts burning with murderous intent, a desire for a fight to the death clashing within them.
Seeing that they had believed the tale, Tao Hua Ying couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, she shot Yan Shouyi a reproachful glance.
"Young master, you certainly know how to play. I almost couldn't hold it together just now!"
Yan Shouyi remained fully in character, standing silently with his head lowered.
At this point, one of the Ghost Kings asked Yu Jinhong, "Yu Jinhong, are you certain you can recognize that Yan Shouyi? When we are engaged in battle with Shi Jing, if you see Yan Shouyi, be sure to inform us. We will kill Yan Shouyi first, then Shi Jing!"
Yu Jinhong nodded vehemently with all his might, answering with resolute certainty:
"Rest assured, whether he's far away or right beside us, even if that brat turns to dust, I will recognize him with a single glance!!"