Grand Banquet

In Yuezhou, at the Culture Palace Black Market, Jin Shunying had just delivered two Ghost Servant to Yin Siniang. In the parking lot, she sat in her car, quietly smoking.

To be honest, she really hated Yin Siniang. It was because she delivered goods for Yin Siniang that she encountered that madman called "Boss".

She originally didn't want to do business with Yin Siniang anymore, but she had a limited number of suppliers, so she let Yin Siniang continue her business.

Many Ghost Servant will be stuck in your hands, and you won't have enough money to buy the Harmonizing Agent, which will disrupt your plans to improve your cultivation.

There are no grudges that last overnight in the business world; business must go on.

And the boss disappeared, so the matter was considered closed.

The boss insisted on capturing such a powerful fighter, and he was never seen again after that night.

Why was this madman so crazy? He kept talking to me about dreams, and now look what happened, he's even lost his life.

Actually, he's not a bad person...

Jin Shunying sighed softly and was about to start the car when she suddenly heard Li Banfeng say, "I forgot to give you the reward for capturing the fighter last time. I just put it on the back seat of your car."

Jin Shunying was startled, only then noticing that there were two large suitcases on the back seat of the car.

The boss was sitting next to the suitcase.

"You, you still—" Jin Shunying couldn't find the right words for a moment.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "I'm still alive. I've come to see you today because I want to do some business."

"What kind of business?" Jin Shunying, a little nervous but also excited.

The boss was still alive and even sent her payment.

He took in the fighters?

No wonder the fighters have been quiet lately.

Li Banfeng asked, "Any news about the Ferry Gang lately?"

"Yes, there is a big banquet in Yanlou Village the day after tomorrow. It is said that they will be serving the grand finale dish."

What is a grand banquet?

"This grand banquet is like an auction, where magical treasures, Ghost Servant, and elixirs are up for auction, and the highest bidder wins."

"Why not sell it on the Black Market?"

"The things sold at the banquet are not ordinary items; they wouldn't fetch a high price on the Black Market. I heard that the Ferry Gang got their hands on a really good item this time; it's a deal worth hundreds of millions or even tens of millions."

Big deal.

Li Banfeng said, "I'm quite interested in this grand banquet. Do you have any connections to get in?"

"I have a way, but I won't go with you."

"Why?"

"You need to pay for tickets, and they're very expensive. I can't help you with anything, so going there would be a waste of your money."

"It's okay, I'll treat you to the tickets, let's go together."

"Oh, okay then—" Jin Shunying started the car and drove the boss to Yanlou Village.

She really didn't want to attend the banquet with her boss, not only because of the ticket price, but more importantly because the boss was too crazy and seemed to have some grudge against the Ferry Gang. If he caused trouble at the banquet, she would be implicated.

You can see a lot of good things at a grand banquet, which seems to be a good opportunity to broaden your horizons.

Jin Shunying glanced at her boss's expression again. He had asked her to attend the banquet, which sounded like an order, and he hadn't given her any choice.

Actually, Jin Shunying thought this was a good thing. If there was no choice, there would be no need to struggle with the decision, so she could just listen to the boss.

When they arrived at Yanlou Village, it was just dawn and the shops in the town were not yet open. Li Banfeng suggested that they find a hotel to sleep in, but Jin Shunying was reluctant to spend money. She laid down the back seat so that Li Banfeng could rest in the car.

After waiting for more than an hour, an Incense Shop opened. Jin Shunying told Li Banfeng, "The owner of this shop is called Chang Shigui. I heard from others that you can buy tickets to this grand banquet at his shop. He also has some items that will be served at the banquet."

"What is it?"

Jin Shunying shook her head and said, "I don't know about that."

Li Banfeng learned some basic etiquette from Jin Shunying and then stepped into the Incense Shop.

The shop owner, Chang Shigui, sat behind the counter and greeted them, "What would you like to buy?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'm hungry, so I'm buying a meal ticket from you."

Chang Shigui smiled and said, "Sir, this is Incense Shop. Are you here to buy food?"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "It's not about buying food, it's about buying tickets. We can talk about food tomorrow night."

After a few words explaining his purpose, Chang Shigui invited Li Banfeng the inner room and poured him a cup of tea. "Sir, what is your name?"

Li Banfeng said, "You're right, I'll call you boss."

The other party was unwilling to reveal their identity, and Chang Shigui did not press for details, only reminding them, "Tomorrow's meal ticket is precious."

"Name your price first. How expensive is it?"

"A ticket costs one dollar, but the return gift is also quite generous, amounting to about 80% of the ticket price."

He meant that a ticket to the grand banquet cost 10,000 yuan, but there were return gifts at the banquet, worth about 8,000 yuan.

Setting such a high threshold is to prevent unauthorized people from coming over just to join the fun without actually buying anything.

Li Banfeng immediately took out 20,000 yuan and bought two tickets.

The shopkeeper bent down, took out two wooden plaques from the counter, and handed them to Li Banfeng: "Boss, please keep them safe."

Li Banfeng looked at the wooden sign. It was a pale yellow with veins, the natural color of the wood. One side had two characters written on it, "Grand Banquet," and the other side had the date and location of the banquet.

The sign was simply made, and it seemed that it wouldn't be too difficult to imitate, but in the process of exploring it, Li Banfeng sensed a bit of spirituality.

Li Banfeng couldn't say for sure how much spirituality it possessed or what its quality was, which made it difficult to imitate.

After collecting the tickets, Li Banfeng asked, "Could you tell me what good stuff is on offer tomorrow night?"

Chang Shigui said, "I dare not speak for other people's good things, but this treasure of mine will be the highlight of tomorrow's grand banquet."

Most people don't understand the concept of a "big axis" (a type of dramatic performance), and Li Banfeng learned it from the theaters in Pro State.

The grand finale is the last dish served at the banquet, which is also the last item to be auctioned tomorrow.

This last item must be the most valuable, right?

No, the most valuable item is the second to last one, this dish, which is called the final dish.

The main dish is of lower quality than the final dish. At a grand banquet, this dish is also called the farewell dish. Once this dish is sold out, the banquet is considered over.

Although his treasure was placed in such a low position, Chang Tugui was still proud of himself, as this was the first time he had presented his treasure to a grand banquet.

"Boss Chang, what kind of treasure would you like to buy?"

"My precious possession is a pair of pants!"

Li Banfeng paused for a moment, then asked, "The last dish of the banquet is trousers?"

Chang Shigui nodded solemnly.

After pondering for a moment, Li Banfeng asked again, "Would anyone be willing to eat this?"

"That depends on whose pants they are." Since Li Banfeng had bought two tickets, Chang Shigui decided to show them to Li Banfeng out of sincerity.

He first washed his hands, then lit incense and prayed for about ten minutes. He then took out a small sandalwood box from the safe in the back room.

After unlocking the two locks and letting the Ghost Servant out, Chang Shigui finally opened the box.

The inside of the box was lined with gold thread and yellow fabric. A pair of blue and white striped boxer shorts, neatly folded, was placed inside the box.

Li Banfeng still didn't understand. "Whose pants are these?"

Chang Shigui lowered his voice and said, "You know that the Great God comes to Yanlou Village once a month, right?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I've heard of it."

"When he came last month, he left this treasure in the village."

After considering the logic, Li Banfeng asked, "Why did he leave his trousers in the village?"

Chang Shigui's eyes shone brightly, filled with reverence. "For the utmost sincerity of the entire village! Every time the deity comes, the whole village welcomes him with great enthusiasm. As long as a family has enough to eat, they will never be short of incense offerings for the deity."

Wishes are made every month, whether they come true or not is another matter. We can't control what outsiders do, but the villagers don't complain. Even if they mutter a few words in private, they never let anyone hear them.

We deeply respect God, and God will naturally bestow blessings upon us.

Li Banfeng said, "So he only left you a pair of pants?"

Chang Shigui sensed a hint of contempt in Li Banfeng's tone, and he was displeased.

Chang Shigui summoned the Ghost Servant back, closed the wooden box door, bowed respectfully, and locked it back into the safe.

Li Banfeng asked, "What's the purpose of these pants?"

Chang Shigui said, "As far as I know, these pants have been worn by the great god for more than ten years. With more than ten years of divine power, how much immortal energy must they have absorbed? You can judge for yourself."

"I won't bother with this." Li Banfeng turned and left the Incense Shop, having some doubts about the authenticity of the tickets in his hand.

This Mr. Chang treasured a pair of pants of dubious origin. Judging from his discerning eye, Li Banfeng always felt that the tickets he sold might not be genuine.

"It's true," the glove said in a low voice. "Master, those pants are real, they are indeed a treasure. I smelled them carefully just now, and they have a strong yin energy, mixed with a little Incense Aura. They should be a personal item of some high-ranking cultivator."

Li Banfeng was surprised. "You're smelling it so intently?"

The glove whispered, "Some old objects belonging to high-level cultivators possess spirituality. This pair of trousers is no exception. A demonic cultivator at the third or fifth level could use these trousers to subdue Ghost Servant at the seventh or eighth level. Don't you think this is a treasure?"

Is it really a treasure?

Li Banfeng glanced back at the Incense Shop and saw a man in White Clothes and black pants enter the shop.

The two were quite far apart, but Li Banfeng could vaguely see a figure from behind and felt that the person looked somewhat familiar.

He thought he should take another look at the shop entrance, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly felt a sense of danger approaching.

Can't go?

Who exactly is this person? What does he want to do?

The man in the White Clothes and black trousers approached the counter, Chang Shigui asked, "What would you like to order?"

The man said, "I want to buy a treasure."

"Baby?" Chang Shigui frowned slightly. "I don't understand what you mean."

The man said, "There's a big banquet in town tomorrow night, and I heard you have a treasure to sell."

Chang Shigui paused for a moment and then said, "That is indeed the case. If you are interested in buying it, we can look at it at the banquet tomorrow."

"Don't wait until tomorrow's banquet, I want it today."

"That won't do," Chang Shigui waved his hand and said, "I've already discussed it with the banquet organizers, and the contract has been drawn up."

"I'll pay the penalty for breach of contract. Just name your price."

"This is against the rules. Even if I pay the penalty for breach of contract, it will still damage my reputation in the end," Chang Shigui still disagreed. "Besides, the goods are delivered to a grand banquet, and the highest bidder wins. I can't say for sure what price they'll fetch."

"Now that you're asking, I can't give you a price."

The man pulled out a check. "Based on market prices, this item is worth at most three million. I'll offer seven million to buy it directly. Not only will you not lose out, but you'll at least double your money. What do you say?"

Chang Shigui shook his head and said, "My friend, your sincerity is enough, but I can't sell it to you. I've been running this shop for over twenty years, and this is the first time. My family has something of value that can be served at a grand banquet."

The man frowned and said, "What difference does it make whether we attend the grand banquet or not?"

Chang Shigui laughed and said, "Everyone has their own way of living. This might not mean much to you, but to me..."

This is something I'll cherish for a lifetime, my friend. If you want to buy something else, feel free to choose whatever you like. But if you really set your sights on that treasure, I'll say it again: I'll be waiting for you at the banquet.

The deal fell through, and the man walked out of the shop with a sullen face.

He chuckled twice, holding a dice cup in his arms. "Your pants are going to be auctioned off. I wonder where you'll put your old face now."

The man gritted his teeth and said, "If all else fails, we'll just snatch the pants back!"

The dice cup laughed even louder, "Go ahead and rob us! This Local Earth God is fighting with people from Outer State over a pair of pants! If word gets out, it'll be recorded in history!"

The man grew angrier as he walked, and then suddenly turned around and headed towards Li Qi.

Li Qi felt a surge of malice wash over him. As he approached, the man asked, "Did you hear everything?"

Li Qi nodded. "I heard you. These pants are yours?"

The man was startled. How did Li Qi know whose pants these were? What message had he received? Had word already gotten out?

Li Qi didn't receive any news; it was all just a guess.

He recognized the man in front of him; he was Song Qianhun, the Local Earth God of Iron Gate Fort.

As a Local Earth God, his insistence on buying a pair of pants was quite unusual. Just now, the gloves mentioned that these were personal items for slimming the body, so Li Banfeng naturally connected the dots and concluded that these pants belonged to Song Qianhun.

Song Qianhun took out a dice cup and said, "Let's not beat around the bush, these pants are mine. Let's gamble here. If I win, you're not allowed to tell anyone. If you win—"

Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "Senior, there's no need to gamble. I definitely won't tell anyone about this. I just want to ask you one thing: how did these pants end up in Yanlou Village?"

A gust of autumn wind blew by, bringing a chill to the air.

Song Qianhun is the great god of Yanlou Village, and the great god is not in a good mood.

Li Banfeng shrugged. "Forget it, I won't ask about it anymore."

Li Banfeng has passed away.

Song Qianhun stood there, feeling a surge of anger.

"We can't let these pants end up at the banquet. We have to stop this no matter what," Song Qianhun murmured.

The dice cup said, "Don't keep thinking about your pants, don't forget about the important matter."

Li Banfeng gave a ticket to Jin Shunying and returned to the Dark Star Bureau alone.

Shen Jingye took the initiative to come to Li Banfeng's office. He knew that the documents for the ceasefire in Inner State had arrived. In front of Li Qi, he did not stand on ceremony and directly expressed his gratitude. He also invited Li Qi to dinner that evening.

Li Qi didn't have time to argue with him. "Little Shen, I have something urgent to attend to. Let's talk another day."

After seeing Shen Jingye off, Li Banfeng called Tangyuan over, "Do you have any information about Yanlou Village?"

Tangyuan was truly adept at gathering information; she delivered the materials to Li Banfeng in less than an hour.

"Director Li, Yanlou Village is also known as the Spirit Market. Due to its special geographical location, it has a great attraction for the dead and is one of the largest gathering places for psychics. Every year, a large number of psychics go to Yanlou Village to participate in the hunting and trading of the dead."

Li Qi flipped through the documents and asked, "Do these psychics all have legal status?"

Tangyuan shook her head and said, "Most of them don't have legal status, and the kinds of transactions they're doing are illegal."

"Judging from the information, it seems that the bureau has not carried out many operations in Yanlou Village."

Tangyuan adjusted her glasses and lowered her voice, saying, "Director Li, I can't explain this."

Li Qi understood Tangyuan's meaning. "Just like the situation at the Culture Palace, this matter is actually tacitly approved by the bureau?"

Tangyuan replied tactfully, "The Autonomous Consciousness Dark Energy Aggregate, which is what you often call vengeful spirits, is highly dangerous, but difficult to capture. There are some methods that can be used appropriately."

The translation is that evil spirits are hard to catch, so someone else catches them for them. Hunting Ghost Servant is an effective way to control the number of vengeful spirits, so they generally don't stop it.

This information is very important to Li Banfeng. If the Dark Star Bureau has strict control and intervention over Yanlou Village, tomorrow night's operation will face a lot of resistance. As long as the Dark Star Bureau remains acquiescing, Li Banfeng can eliminate many unexpected factors.

He spent the whole day reviewing the case files, focusing on the overall layout of Yanlou Village, key figures, and the details of the "grand banquet" process.

They have gained a detailed understanding of everything.

At 11 p. m. the next night, Li Banfeng and Jin Shunying arrived at Yanlou Village and went to a dance hall at the entrance of the village.

In the 1980s and 90s, dance halls were all the rage, but now it is hard to find such places in Yuezhou. However, there is still one dance hall in Yanlou Village.

No one usually comes here to dance; this dance hall is basically the same as the Culture Palace.

Li Banfeng arrived at the entrance of the dance hall and showed his ticket. The ticket inspector placed a wooden plaque on a tray with a picture of a budding flower on it. After touching the plaque for a moment, the flower bloomed, proving that the ticket was genuine.

The ticket checking process was a bit slow. Once inside the dance hall, we discovered that there were only about thirty people actually attending the banquet.

Most of the booths in the dance hall were empty. Li Banfeng chose a seat in the middle towards the back. In the dim light, this seat was covered by the surrounding shadows and was easily overlooked by the people around him.

Jin Shunying sat in a relatively conspicuous position in the front row; her task was to provide quotes.

According to Li Banfeng's plan, if Jin Shunying sees the Shui Yongquan at the banquet, she must take a picture of it, and Li Banfeng will pay for the related expenses.

After rescuing Shui Yongquan, they can then consider dealing with the Ferry Gang. Based on the information they currently have, Li Banfeng doesn't know how many people the Ferry Gang has brought, and he can't even be sure of the Ferry Gang's true purpose.

Shui Yongquan has used the technique of Mind Cleansing Thought Washing to wash away all his memories. Although he still retains a high level of cultivation, how much value does he still have as Ghost Servant?

Did the Ferry Gang really sell him for money?

Is it possible to use Shui Yongquan as fishing bait?

Li Banfeng had to be wary of these things.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the banquet began. It was called a grand banquet, and the dishes were truly impressive. Each table was served more than a dozen dishes, and various kinds of drinks were also served on the side.

People come here not to eat, but the host must put on a good show; this is part of the return gift.

Several women walked among the seats, handing each guest a bottle of Harmonizing Agent.

This Harmonizing Agent costs around seven thousand yuan, and that's the main part of the return gift.

Jin Shunying held the Harmonizing Agent, unsure whether to accept it or not. Her ticket was given to her by Li Banfeng, so logically, the return gift should also belong to Li Banfeng.

She stole a glance at Li Banfeng, only to see Li Banfeng sitting in the shadows. Without careful observation, one could not discern Li Banfeng's outline. The women distributing the Harmonizing Agent also completely ignored Li Banfeng.

Jin Shunying dared not look anymore. The boss had instructed her not to speak to him after the banquet began, lest she ruin the boss's plans.

A woman in her early thirties walked to the center of the dance floor. She was the hostess of the dance hall and also the host of the grand banquet.

Her name was Chi Huiyi. She first greeted the guests and then announced, "Twelve appetizers are served. Please enjoy them, everyone."

The appetizers refer to the auction items that are not too valuable, including pills, weapons, and Spiritual Object. Among them, the weapons and Spiritual Object are commonly used by demonic cultivators. Jin Shunying was tempted, but as the prices rose wave after wave, Jin Shunying quickly calmed down.

Although she had some savings and her boss had just given her a sum of money, Jin Shunying had a clear plan for where to spend every penny. Goods with obvious premiums were generally not within her consideration.

After the appetizers, it's time for the main course.

There are three main dishes.

The first dish was a puppet.

Chi Huiyi said, "The restaurant owner is in charge of cooking."

This means that the seller should introduce the product themselves.

An elderly man in his seventies came to the center of the dance floor. He didn't say anything, but simply put his hand into the back of the puppet and began to manipulate it.

Without making any major movements, the old craftsman slowly demonstrated each joint of the puppet.

Li Banfeng may not understand the Work Method, but he has seen many excellent crafts in Pro State.

The craftsmanship of this puppet is superb. The flexibility of its joints, the strength of its body, and every hidden mechanism within its body are all exquisitely made.

After the demonstration, Chi Huiyi said, "The shopkeeper asked for 150 yuan. Please consider this offer."

One hundred and fifty thousand means one million five hundred thousand.

This grand banquet is mainly for Xiu, so it seems a bit inappropriate to use this puppet as the main dish.

But those in the know understand that this puppet is extremely useful for cultivators. Some souls are not suitable for direct combat, but by possessing the puppet, they can unleash even greater combat power. Regardless of its materials or Work Method, this puppet is not expensive at 1.5 million.

"One hundred and seventy."

"Two hundred."

"Two hundred and thirty!"

The guests kept making bids, and the deal was finally struck at 3.1 million.

The old man left the dance floor and went to exchange money and goods with the guests.

Chi Huiyi called out, "The second main dish, the restaurant will be in charge of cooking."

Upon seeing the second main dish, Li Banfeng remained seated, but his heart skipped a beat.

He saw Shui Yongquan.

Shui Yongquan, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and trousers, with chains binding him, walked blankly to the center of the dance floor, led by a man.

All the guests present looked at the Shui Yongquan together, and their discussions continued.

"This is the Wounded Demon Fiend? It's gotten so old?"

"Look at that skinny physique, can he even fight?"

"You don't seem to have much energy. Are you sick?"

"This thing isn't cheap. Don't be fooled by its impressive name. What if it's a sick donkey? Can it pull a millstone or plow a field? What use would it be if you bought it?"

Hearing the crowd's discussion, Li Banfeng's eyebrows twitched.

Shui Yongquan, Local Earth God, a regional lord!

Now they're being judged like livestock.

The shopkeeper, dressed in a straw raincoat and wearing a huge bamboo hat, addressed the crowd, saying, "This is a Wounded Demon Fiend; I don't need to say more."

He only said that one sentence, and his voice was heavily disguised, but the earring still picked up the timbre.

"Sir, it's him."

Chu Zikai.

Li Banfeng gently clenched his fingers, remaining expressionless.

Chi Huiyi said, "The shopkeeper is asking for one thousand; please consider this offer!"

The ballroom fell silent.

Many of the guests present today came specifically for the Wounded Demon Fiend.

Since the cultivation level is invisible and Chu Zikai's introduction is too brief, no one can say for sure whether this Wounded Demon Fiend is real or fake, or what its quality is.

Before anyone spoke, Jin Shunying spoke first, "One thousand one!"

Add another million, and if no one tries to take it, the deal will be done.

"Thirteen thousand!" A man behind her raised the price, and Jin Shunying's heart tightened.

Who is this person?

She wanted to see what the boss's attitude was, but she didn't dare to turn back easily. Thinking of the boss's instructions, she had to buy this Wounded Demon Fiend no matter what.

"One thousand three hundred and fifty!" Jin Shunying added another fifty.

The guests discussed it for a while, saying that the amplitude was a bit small.

"Eighteen thousand!" The man behind him raised the price again.

"One thousand, eight hundred and fifty!" Jin Shunying's voice trembled slightly. Although it wasn't her money that was being spent, the amount was clearly beyond her means.

"Two thousand!" the man then raised the price.

Who exactly is this person?

Li Banfeng also somewhat curious.

Jin Shunying then added fifty more, and for men, it was two or three hundred more.

Li Banfeng glanced back at the man, who was wearing a black trench coat with the collar turned up high and a hiking hat with the brim pulled low.

Using the brim of his hat to cover his face, Li Banfeng was an expert. But when he turned on Li Banfeng Golden Eyes Autumn Hairs, he could see some outlines through the shadows.

This person used a disguise technique, but Li Banfeng could still see some details; it seemed to be Song Qianhun.

He came here probably for his pants, which didn't surprise Li Banfeng.

But why would he spend so much money to buy Shui Yongquan?

He's a demonic cultivator, is he just doing this to add a Ghost Servant?

"Three thousand two!" The man raised the price again, and this time the earrings could distinguish the voice.

"Sir, it's that senior."

Li Banfeng quietly approached the man and asked in a low voice, "Senior Song, do you really want this Wounded Demon Fiend Body that much?"

Seeing that Li Qi recognized her, Song Qianhun no longer tried to hide it. "This is my friend, I can't let him be treated like this!"

After saying that, Song Qianhun raised the price to three thousand five.

The price exceeded expectations, and Chu Zikai smiled smugly.

Behind him, at the bar in the dance floor, stood an elderly man with blond hair and blue eyes.

The old man came with Chu Zikai, and he quietly observed the reactions of each guest.

If the transaction goes smoothly and you make money, that's naturally a good thing.

He was prepared to deal with any difficulties that might arise, and in short, the Ferry Gang would not suffer any losses.

Song Qianhun was still raising the price when Li Banfeng said, "Since he is a friend of yours, senior, please do me a favor."

Song Qianhun asked, "What do you mean?"

"Let's work together to rescue our friend and get the pants back."

PS: The foreigner who was with Chu Zikai once saved him; see Chapter 537 for details.

Thank you so much to Alliance Leader Zhai Xian Qi Tian for your great support!