Chapter 153 Astonishing Words

It was just a pity that this ghost city was even more rife with sin than the mortal world. Among humans, at least no one would openly seize things by force. But here in the ghost city, no one would speak of morality with him. If he did not seek protection, he would constantly be in danger of being swallowed up by others.

Left with no choice, he had surrendered at least half of the profits from the Makeup Pavilion just to secure Gu Hanguang’s protection.

...

"Brother Yi, that Luo Kui has returned."

After leaving the Makeup Pavilion and arranging the subsequent steps of his plan, Yi An brought Shen Yuqin straight to Luo Kui’s lair.

Shen Yuqin kept watch for him outside. As soon as she caught sight of Luo Kui returning, she immediately sent a signal to Yi An.

"That Gu Hanguang is indeed unreliable. I just didn't expect the fellow to return so swiftly," Yi An muttered inwardly.

Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and had not pinned all his hopes on Gu Hanguang; instead, he had made thorough preparations before coming here.

He only needed to stall Luo Kui for a little while, and his setup here would be complete.

...

"Boss Luo... please stay your steps."

Just as Luo Kui was about to step out of his carriage, a loud shout suddenly came from behind him.

Luo Kui startled, turned around, and saw a stranger slowly walking toward him.

The man was rugged in appearance, his expression carrying a faint, elusive air of majesty. In terms of sheer presence alone, Luo Kui felt himself falling quite short.

He was certain he had never met this man before, as they were complete strangers. If he had ever laid eyes on someone so distinctive, it would have been impossible for him to have no recollection of it.

"May I ask who your Excellency is?" Luo Kui politely inquired.

The man before him possessed an extraordinary bearing; such a person was worth befriending rather than crossing. He made his decision in an instant.

...

Yan Chixia cast a glance at him and replied, "My surname is Yan. I serve under Lord Bai, and I have come to find you upon his direct orders."

That’s right, Yan Chixia was the backup plan arranged by Yi An. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, after leaving the Makeup Pavilion, Yi An had first stationed Yan Chixia here.

If things went smoothly on Gu Hanguang's end, there naturally would have been no need for Yan Chixia to make an appearance.

Conversely, Yan Chixia would have to stick to the pre-arranged script to stall Luo Kui first.

"So it is Lord Yan! I have failed to welcome you from afar, please forgive me. Won't you please come into my humble abode for a chat so we may discuss things leisurely?" Upon hearing this, Luo Kui immediately showed deep respect. Although the man before him was merely a subordinate official, his weight was not something ordinary people could compare to.

As for the Lord Bai mentioned by Yan Chixia, he was none other than the commander-in-chief who protected Luo Kui. Though this matter was rather secretive, it wasn't hard to guess. Across the entire ghost city, there were very few commanders, and even fewer who would deal with Luo Kui.

Moreover, there was an even more crucial basis for judgment: by tracking the destination of Luo Kui's monthly financial contributions, the identity was practically confirmed without a doubt.

Regardless of how he arrived at it, his guess had been right, hadn't it?

"That won't be necessary. The matter entrusted by Lord Bai is urgent and cannot be delayed any further. Should we bungle something so important, neither you nor I could bear the consequences. On the other hand, if we handle this well, Lord Bai's regard for you will naturally rise to the next level," Yan Chixia said, shaking his head with a solemn expression.

If someone else were invoked, Luo Kui might just pay lip service while defying orders in private, but invoking Commander Bai—someone Luo Kui was desperate to suck up to—made him believe that Luo Kui would stop at nothing to carry out the order.

This was a golden opportunity to earn favor, and Luo Kui would undoubtedly grasp it tightly with both hands.

Sure enough, Luo Kui nodded deeply, conviction written all over his face. "Lord Yan speaks with great reason. I shall certainly give this my all. Please assure Lord Bai of that."

"Good. I trust that Boss Luo will successfully complete this mission. However, this matter is of great consequence and must remain strictly between the two of us. It must never reach the ears of a third party," Yan Chixia said.

Luo Kui immediately caught the drift and hurriedly gestured for his surrounding guards to back away a few meters. Ensuring they were far enough not to overhear their conversation, he finally assumed a listening posture, waiting quietly for what came next.

"Whatever I say next, you must ensure it remains locked deep within your heart. Should word leak out and Lord Bai holds us to account, not just you, but even I will not escape punishment. I won't say too much more; I trust you can see the pros and cons of this clearly," Yan Chixia emphasized repeatedly. Though these words seemed rather pointless and everything he said was completely fabricated, it remained an undeniable truth: the more serious he acted, the more deeply Luo Kui would believe him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Yan. I have committed all of this to memory." Far from feeling any dissatisfaction, Luo Kui's expression instead carried a hint of eager anticipation. He had always relied on offering tributes to get by; when had he ever been valued by Commander Commander Bai? Today's affair was precise proof that he had finally secured a place in Commander Bai's heart.

This was a fine beginning. Given time, he might even have a chance to step into the core of power within the ghost city.

...

"The task Lord Bai has entrusted to you is to secretly investigate Lord Bai's wife. Should there be any abnormalities, you must not let them slip. From now on, I will be your sole contact. Whatever irregularities you observe, you may compile them, and I will help record them to be presented together to Lord Bai." Yan Chixia spoke to Luo Kui with an expression of utmost seriousness, pronouncing every single word with care.

Luo Kui looked at Yan Chixia in slight astonishment, his expression turning somewhat sluggish.

"This... Lord Yan, are you joking with me... This joke is not funny at all."

And why did he keep feeling like this whole scenario sounded strangely familiar?

"Who is joking with you? I can tell you clearly, this is what Lord Bai personally instructed. If you still don't believe it, feel free to ask Lord Bai yourself." A trace of displeasure crept onto Yan Chixia's face.

"Please forgive my outburst, Lord Yan. I was being rash just now. It's not that I distrust Lord Yan, but rather that this matter is simply too hard to believe..."