No one noticed Ye Fan's strangeness, but Dongzi keenly felt the surrounding coldness gradually receding.
He was highly sensitive to his environment, a habit honed by years of survival.
He looked around, confused, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
At this moment, a middle-aged man emerged from the back hall.
The middle-aged man, dressed in black, had a stern expression, exuding an aura of natural authority.
"What is it?"
The man asked the ghost messengers below in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the Steward, these individuals were causing trouble in the Ghost Market and even assaulted ghost messengers. We request Your Lordship to punish them severely."
The leading ghost messenger said, respectfully cupping his fists.
"Oh?"
The steward frowned. "Such unbelievable events are occurring in the Ghost Market? This is outrageous."
Seated in the main seat, his expression grew increasingly grim.
His gaze, cold as water, fixed on Ye Fan.
"You dare to disregard the Ghost Market so? If you are not punished, what will become of our reputation? Do you have anything to say?"
Facing the steward's interrogation, Ye Fan showed no sign of panic; his expression was even calm.
"Do you not wish to investigate? Relying solely on his words might be inappropriate, don't you think?"
Ye Fan remained unperturbed, his tone remarkably calm. His gaze met the steward's, as if he were the master of the place.
Seeing Ye Fan's demeanor, the steward was momentarily stunned.
Who was this young man? How could he possess such a formidable presence?
He glanced at the leading ghost messenger and saw him shake his head subtly.
"Step forward and report."
The steward beckoned the ghost messenger, clearly annoyed.
What kind of trouble had this scoundrel brought him?
Having reached the position of steward in the Ghost Market, he was no fool and understood that some people were not to be trifled with.
Seeing the steward's expression, the leading ghost messenger cried out internally, "It's over!"
He knew the steward's character well; in the past, he would have simply passed judgment without hesitation, unlike now.
"Where did you find this person? What is his identity? Did you even find out?"
Lowering his voice, the steward's eyebrows seemed to burn with anger.
The ghost messenger trembled. He indeed hadn't inquired about Ye Fan's identity.
But he assumed Ye Fan couldn't be anyone of great importance, otherwise, why would he come to the Ghost Market without any entourage?
Helplessly, the ghost messenger whispered, "Steward, this young man probably has no special status. However, that fatty is a relative of Elder Chen. We cannot afford to offend him."
The steward immediately frowned.
"Elder Chen? If his relative came to the Ghost Market, why was no one informed? What kind of job are you doing?"
The steward glared at the ghost messenger, wishing he could slap him to death.
In the Ghost Market, elders were second only to the Ghost King and Mr. Cao, figures that the low-level individuals like them could never offend.
"Steward, we cannot afford to offend Elder Chen. Therefore, regardless of who is right or wrong, we can only deal with this young man. Otherwise, if Elder Chen blames us, we will bear the consequences."
A hint of coldness flashed in the ghost messenger's eyes.
Once he learned of Fatty Chen's identity, he had made his decision.
The steward frowned, deep in thought. This was indeed a difficult situation.
As the steward of the Ghost Market, his duty was to maintain fairness and justice within its confines. For years, these two words had been his guiding principles.
Yet today, because of Elder Chen, he was forced to abandon his long-held principles, a truly difficult task for him.
But as the ghost messenger had said, if he didn't comply and angered Elder Chen, the consequences might be beyond his ability to bear.
After pondering for a while, the steward finally sighed deeply.
"We'll do as you say, but try not to punish them too severely. Just enough to save face."
In the end, he couldn't bear to do otherwise.
The ghost messenger nodded, a smile finally appearing on his face.
He slowly walked back.
"The Steward has reached a verdict. Due to your disturbance in the Ghost Market, each of you will receive ten planks, your entry to the Ghost Market will be revoked for one year, and you must offer an apology to the other party."
The steward slowly closed his eyes. This was not his intention, but he was helpless.
All of this was observed by Ye Fan.
He had initially thought the steward was a scoundrel, in league with Fatty Chen and the others.
However, it now seemed he had been mistaken.
This steward seemed to have his hands tied.
Still, as the steward of the Ghost Market, he should uphold the principle of justice. Acting like this, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, he deserved the punishment.
As Ye Fan contemplated, Fatty Chen and Zhao Dong had already walked over.
Hearing the ghost messenger's words, Fatty Chen's face lit up with joy, and he said triumphantly, "The Steward has a keen eye. I am deeply grateful. However, since they must apologize, I have an idea. This entire matter was caused by a bronze pot belonging to that stall owner. If you want me to accept their apology, give me that bronze pot. Then, I will forgive them."
Fatty Chen was quite pleased with himself. This time, not only had he asserted his dominance in the Ghost Market, but he had also extorted a bronze pot. It was a win-win situation that truly excited him.
Hearing Fatty Chen's words, Dongzi erupted in fury, his anger burning fiercely. He raised his fist, about to attack Fatty Chen.
This scoundrel was shameless, utterly despicable.
But in an instant, he was restrained by the middle-aged man.
"Brother, thank you. I implicated you, so let me handle what happens next."
The middle-aged man's face showed apology, but his eyes also held suppressed anger.
He could only endure it, not wanting to further implicate Dongzi.
Hearing his words, Dongzi's brows furrowed. He understood the middle-aged man's meaning. Indeed, at this point, if he were to retaliate, Fatty Chen would likely extort even more.
His rage ultimately remained unvented, and Dongzi silently stepped aside.
Seeing this, Fatty Chen and Zhao Dong became even more smug.
The feeling of humiliating the other party while they were powerless against them truly excited them.
"Do you remember what I told you back then?"
Fatty Chen, having gained the upper hand, walked leisurely in front of the middle-aged man and asked with a cold smile.
"I told you then that what I desire, I always obtain. Now, hand over the item obediently."
The smug smile on his face was particularly detestable.
The middle-aged man gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly.
"Wait a moment."
Ye Fan suddenly snorted coldly, his sharp eyes fixed on the steward.
"Do you have something else to say? What is it? Are you dissatisfied with the Steward's judgment?"
Before the steward could reply, the ghost messenger shouted angrily.