Gongs and drums thundered to the heavens, and banners fluttered.
Two descendants of ghost gods left through the grand residence's back gate, entered the alley, and shouted at the top of their lungs:
"Lord Flower-Scatter of Grand Residence No. 95 needs all ghosts and monsters to collect materials for him."
"Anyone who refuses to help collect them will suffer his lordship's wrath."
They shouted and hollered, but the creatures in the alley paid them no heed, ignoring them outright.
The two descendants of ghost gods exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and pulled out whips. They lashed a monster gnawing on white bones. "You cur! These bones are only to be used for extracting white-bone essence. Who said you could eat them?"
The monster looked bewildered and aggrieved. "But if I don't eat bones, I'll starve to death."
Crack!
A whip lashed him. "You would merely starve to death, but you absolutely must not delay Lord Flower-Scatter's collection of materials."
"Besides, you'll die sooner or later. Why quibble over dying a few years earlier or later?"
The monster scratched his ears and cheeks, feeling that this made sense.
Only...
Crunch!
He swallowed the bone in one gulp, stretched his neck hard, and rolled his eyes as he forced it down. "You're right."
"But I think living one more day is better if I can!"
"As for Lord Flower-Scatter? I don't know him!"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The two descendants of ghost gods whipped him furiously, only stopping once they had beaten him into vomiting up the bone. "You cur! You scrape a living in the alley outside Lord Flower-Scatter's home, yet you don't know him?"
"You're courting death!"
Squelch!
They slaughtered the monster in full view of everyone, then slapped their Hundred-Treasure Pouches, releasing a wisp of black smoke that dismantled