Downtown Dachang City.
The Cockroach Club's manor was especially lavish and bustling.
Hu Liena, Yu Tianheng, Yan, and Zhang Wei, who swaggered along at the front, strode into the manor's lobby.
The moment they entered, two hostesses wearing red cheongsams with high slits approached them.
"Welcome."
Their voices were sweet and clear, but their smiles were stiff.
The corners of their mouths curved upward at exactly the same angle, as though they were two corpses.
Looking at the two hostesses, Hu Liena felt an inexplicable chill and quietly raised her guard.
Just then, Yan Li emerged from a corridor to the side.
"You're here."
Yan Li spoke expressionlessly, showing no other outward reaction.
His eyes, however, swept discreetly over Hu Liena and her two companions, giving them a subtle signal.
Hu Liena caught the look immediately and thought to herself.
He must be another helper arranged by the Forum, right? He seems fairly reliable.
Zhang Wei, who was walking at the front, failed to notice Yan Li's signal entirely.
With both hands in his pockets, he shouted brazenly, "Lead the way! Your Brother Wei is going upstairs to inspect this dump of yours!"
Yan Li frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Zhang Wei for a second.
Who was this kid?
There hadn't seemed to be anyone like him in the information Liu Xiaoyu provided.
But rather than jeopardize Boss Lin's plan to take down the Cockroach Club, Yan Li asked no questions and turned toward the elevator.
"Follow me."
They arrived on the fifth floor.
They pushed open the double mahogany doors to find the room hazy with smoke and heavy with the smell of alcohol.
Zhang Han sat on a leather sofa, watching them.
Yan Li stepped forward, gestured toward Hu Liena and the others behind him, and spoke evenly.
"These people are quite capable and would like to join the club. I hope you'll do me this favor."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a young man approached.
Pale-faced and holding a glass of red wine, he walked over with a broad smile.
Ye Jun's eyes roamed brazenly over Hu Liena's alluring figure, a flash of undisguised greed in his gaze.
"Ye Jun. A member of the club."
Ye Jun stopped in front of Hu Liena and introduced himself in what he considered a gentlemanly manner.
Hu Liena wasn't embarrassed in the slightest.
As the Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, she had long since grown accustomed to such looks.
Instead, she gave him a seductive smile and graciously extended her fair hand.
"Hu Liena."
Yet Ye Jun smiled and shook his head without reaching out to take it.
Hu Liena paused, puzzled.
Wasn't shaking hands a courtesy unique to this world?
Had she done something wrong?
Yan Li approached at just the right moment, casually placing himself between them. "You can't shake his hand," he said gravely.
"His Ghost Hand carries a curse. Touch it, and your body will turn into a puddle of sludge within three days."
Hu Liena's heart lurched, and cold sweat instantly broke out across her back.
That had almost gotten her!
Were even ordinary handshakes dangerous with this world's Ghost Handlers?
Ye Jun shrugged and deliberately leaned closer.
He nearly pressed himself against Hu Liena, taking a deep breath as though inhaling her fragrance.
"I couldn't bear to hurt such a stunning beauty."
Standing behind her, Yan furrowed his brows at the sight.
Dark red flames flickered faintly at his fingertips, but for the sake of the assassination plan, he forced himself to hold back.
Yu Tianheng and Yan were left standing to the side, ignored by everyone.
Zhang Wei, however, wasn't having it.
Without asking, he pulled out a chair and plopped down.
He propped both legs on the coffee table in front of him, smearing dirt from his leather shoes onto one corner.
"What's going on?" Zhang Wei shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Your Brother Wei has graced you with his presence, and nobody's even bringing him a drink?"
Ye Jun's expression darkened. He turned toward Zhang Wei, his gaze as cold as a blade. "Looking for trouble?"
As his words fell, the atmosphere shifted.
The other club members in the lounge rose in unison, glaring hostilely at Zhang Wei.
One burly bald man abruptly smashed his bottle of red wine against the floor.
Glass shards flew everywhere, and wine spilled across the floor.
Zhang Wei froze for a moment, then said, "Wait, what's your problem? Isn't this a place for drinking? Is having a drink a crime now?"
Ye Jun sneered at the reckless young fool.
He strode toward Zhang Wei, slowly extending that hand, ready to teach the arrogant brat a lesson.
But he had only taken one step.
Ye Jun's foot landed squarely on a shard of glass slick with wine.
He instantly lost his balance and crashed heavily to the floor.
The scattered shards pierced his body without resistance. Blood mixed with red wine and quickly spread across the floor, leaving him a pitiful sight.
Grimacing in pain, Ye Jun fixed his eyes on Zhang Wei and roared through clenched teeth.
"You dared use paranormal power on me!"
Zhang Wei waved his hands frantically and sprang from his chair, his face a picture of innocence.
"Hey, hey, hey! You slipped because you weren't watching where you were going! That's got nothing to do with me! Don't go making accusations! Everyone here saw it!"
Furious, Ye Jun planted both hands on the floor and was about to get up and lash out.
Pink light flashed in Hu Liena's eyes as she activated Bewitchment.
She hurried over and caught Ye Jun by the arm, her voice so sweet and soft it seemed to melt him to his bones.
"Don't be angry, Ye Jun."
"He's just an immature high school kid with a screw loose. Don't stoop to his level."
"Come on, I'll help you to the restroom so you can clean your wounds. We wouldn't want them getting infected."
Looking into Hu Liena's soul-stealing eyes, Ye Jun felt most of his anger inexplicably dissipate.
Under the subtle influence of her Bewitchment Soul Skill, he found her more enchanting with every passing moment. Even his wounds seemed to hurt much less.
He shot Zhang Wei a vicious glare. "Fuck, just wait until I get back. I'll let you off for now!"
Supporting Ye Jun, Hu Liena turned toward the restroom.
As she passed Yan and Yu Tianheng, she gave them an almost imperceptible look.
The two neglected men understood immediately and followed without a sound.
Back in the lounge, the tension lingered.
Yan Li hurried to smooth things over, plastering a smile on his face.
"It was all a misunderstanding. Don't get angry, everyone."
"He's just a hotheaded kid who doesn't know how to talk. I'll apologize to you all on his behalf."
By now, Yan Li had cursed Zhang Wei eight hundred times in his head. Acting this arrogantly on someone else's turf-was this really someone from the Forum?
Surely he wasn't actually here to stir up trouble?!
Still, Ye Jun's fall had made Yan Li frown. He had indeed sensed a faint fluctuation of paranormal power.
Meanwhile, Zhang Han glanced at Yan Li.
About a month ago, Yan Li's ghost resurgence seemed to have been suppressed.
He had done quite a lot for the Cockroach Club and become a high-ranking member.
Naturally, Zhang Han had to show him some respect.
Zhang Han waved a hand. "They're all guests. We might all be friends someday. There's no need to sour things over something so trivial."
The other members snorted coldly before sitting back down on the sofa.
The instant they sat down, the sturdy leather sofa suddenly snapped in the middle and collapsed.
Caught completely off guard, they tumbled into a heap, their positions utterly ridiculous.
"Fuck! These lousy furnishings need replacing!" someone cursed.
Sitting in his chair, Zhang Wei curled his lip and muttered disdainfully, "Serves you right."
Just then, the phone in Zhang Han's pocket rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, his expression shifting slightly, then stood to excuse himself. "I need to take this call. Carry on without me."
Looking at the chaotic scene, Yan Li sighed helplessly.
What the hell was all this?
Still, as he glanced toward the restroom, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.