"Heh, Yvonne May, the magical artifacts you've collected must be the mountain-guarding treasures from five of the Nine Daoist Gates, right?"
John Chou spoke, and Yvonne May nodded, beginning to explain. There were five artifacts in total.
The Celestial Wrath Elephant, the Taiyi Mirror, the Golden Cloud Banner, the Seven-Star Absolute, and the Primordial Ruyi—all five were mountain-guarding treasures of five Daoist Gates. Back then, when Yvonne May went to trouble the Nine Daoist Gates, she defeated them and claimed these artifacts, then left them at the bottom of the Soul Guest Inn ever since.
Originally, Yvonne May intended to destroy these artifacts, but after leaving them for so long, she simply forgot about them. Previously, the Dao Sect sent people to try and reclaim them, but Yvonne May ignored their requests.
"This time, it seems they’re determined to get them back."
John Chou said quietly.
"If it comes to it, we can just kill them all. Problem solved."
Redmond’s tone was relaxed, but John Chou shot him an annoyed look.
"Redmond, if you kill them all, what about Rufina Howard, the one lying at your place?"
John Chou was talking about Rufina Howard. I sighed and looked at Redmond.
Just then, Redmond had an idea, and he smiled at Yvonne May.
"Hey, Yvonne May, we’re old friends, aren’t we?"
Yvonne May snorted coldly, clearly uninterested in Redmond. At that moment, we could all see what Redmond was thinking—he had no real connection with the Nine Dao Gate Elders, and even if he tried to negotiate, he had no bargaining chips. The only thing that could make the Nine Elders help revive Rufina Howard was the artifacts in Yvonne May’s possession.
"Come on, Yvonne May, don’t be so cold. We’ve been through hell together, haven’t we?"
"If you want them, beg me."
Suddenly, Yvonne May gave a wicked smile. The other six Ghost Sovereigns stared at her in disbelief. I remembered Redmond once said he loved it when people begged him for help.
Redmond’s face darkened, but I could tell he had deep feelings for Rufina Howard. After a long pause, Redmond stepped up to Yvonne May, ready to bow his head.
"Lift your head, Redmond."
Yvonne May raised a hand, stopping Redmond from bowing.
"A true leader must know when to bend and when to stand tall. Redmond, all these years, you’ve brought endless trouble to Wuming and little Zifeng, making your subordinates run circles for you. Stop ordering others around—some things you need to do yourself. You..."
"Lady Yuna Ji, our boss isn't..."
Vivian Maple hurried over, about to defend Redmane, but Redmane simply raised his hand and burst out laughing.
"A few magical artifacts are nothing to me. Still, I understand why you and Vivian Maple follow him—because he has the strength you all can rely on. So, Redmane, be a little more honest with your own people."
I stared at Yuna Ji in astonishment. To hear her say all this—so direct, so unguarded—was completely unexpected.
"Sorry, Redmane. I didn't mean to lecture you."
"Alright, alright, let's not get all tense! Why make the mood so heavy? Yuna, you have five magical artifacts, right?"
Empress Yuna Ji asked, then let out a bright, teasing laugh.
"Empress Yuna Ji, what kind of scheme are you plotting now?"
"I'm not nearly as crafty as you, Noah Grimm. You've wanted those magical artifacts for ages, haven't you? But you never ask, because you know Redmane will figure it out eventually. As soon as he does and Yuna Ji agrees, you'll have your opening—two birds, one stone, isn't it?"
Noah Grimm gave a wicked grin.
"Empress Yuna Ji, I'm not nearly that calculating."
But we all stared at Noah Grimm, while Empress Yuna Ji laughed, and even Yuna Ji herself couldn't help but smile.
"There are five magical artifacts. I took them from those old Taoist priests after they died, years ago. Let's use them as bargaining chips for our negotiations."
"That's about right. Let's break the ghost array, Mr. Brown. Otherwise, those folks are just gawking at us like we're animals in a zoo."
Noah Grimm spoke, and Mr. Brown nodded. All around us, the glowing, ghostly green fists slowly retreated back into the ground.
By now, the Nine Dao Gate Elders who had been watching outside had dispersed. The aroma of food wafted over, and dishes began to appear one after another on the table before us.
Just then, I saw Elder Gray Crane carrying the big clay pot from earlier, walking over with Master Claude Long. Both wore broad smiles.
"Everyone, apologies for the late hospitality. At this hour, we elders need to meditate. So, the wine stays here for you all."
Elder Gray Crane set down the wine and opened the lid. I licked my lips, finally able to drink. After Elder Gray Crane left, Master Claude Long, looking harmless and honest but actually quite shrewd, waddled over to the food table, his belly leading the way.
"Let me treat you all to my specialty—marinated bamboo shoots."