Just then, a voice rang out. "What a lively scene, Brother You! You've put on quite the birthday banquet!"
Six male cultivators strode in. The speaker was the long-faced man at their center.
"Wah! Lord Huang, save me! Lord Huang, please save me!"
Hong Shihu scrambled toward the long-faced man like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline, then dropped to his knees before him.
"What kind of show is this? Brother You, things have gotten a little too lively, haven't they?"
The Broken Eyebrow Youth beside the long-faced man burst out laughing.
A smile spread across You Hai's face too. He hurried to greet them and called out, "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you. These are my close friends, the Six Smoke Guests of the West Sea, and well-known retainers of the Northern Jin Royal Mansion."
A man's name was like a tree's shadow. The Six Smoke Guests of the West Sea had been famous for ages, their name ringing like thunder.
Everyone present had heard of them. At You Hai's introduction, they all called out their greetings.
The six didn't return the salutations. The long-faced man hoisted Hong Shihu up by the collar. "Old Hong, weren't you busy angling for the position of vice sect master of the Thousand Illusions Sect? How'd you end up in this sorry state?"
As he spoke, he gave You Hai a perfunctory fist salute. "Brother You, Old Hong's a decent fellow. That pair of beautiful maids he gave me last time suited my taste perfectly. So I'm swallowing my pride and asking you to give him the vice sect master position. What do you say?"
You Hai smiled. "That's easy enough to arrange. But someone's making things difficult for Brother Hong right now, and there's not much I can do."
As he