The young man standing before them was Su Mingxuan, the eldest son of the Su family.
"My dad sent you?" Su Mingxuan looked them up and down, his face full of suspicion. Clearly, he didn't recognize Liu Fugui, and as he scanned their outfits, his expression grew increasingly contemptuous.
"Even if my father invited you over to do some work, you shouldn't just barge into the shrine! Do you realize the consequences of causing a mishap?"
"It's a misunderstanding, Mr. Su," Liu Fugui replied with a smile, not at all offended. "Mr. Su's father said things weren't going well at home recently, so we came here to help. This is Lu Fei, the renowned owner of the Evil Pawnshop…"
"What nonsense!" Su Mingxuan interrupted impatiently. "I don't know you, and I don't know him. This is our family shrine—outsiders aren't permitted inside. Get out, now!"
"Alright, we'll talk outside," Liu Fugui said awkwardly, tugging Lu Fei along with him out of the room.
Lu Fei frowned. Are all the Su family members this arrogant?
"And don't just stand in the doorway…" Su Mingxuan muttered, growing annoyed. "Where's the housekeeper? Lao Zhang! Lao Zhang!"
The housekeeper rushed over in response. "Young Master, you're back."
"Tell me, did my dad really call for these two?" Su Mingxuan demanded.
"Yes, Young Master, these two are indeed guests of the Master. He's still on his way, but he instructed me to lead these gentlemen to the shrine for a blessing in the meantime. It's my fault for not informing you in advance," the housekeeper explained.
Hearing this confirmation, Su Mingxuan was even more puzzled. What on earth was his father thinking?
Just look at them—one was overweight and exuded a strong air of sleaze, clearly a charlatan. And the younger one looked like a nobody, probably just tagging along for a free meal. Even if things were dire, it couldn't be so bad that they had to resort to hiring people like this, right?
He frowned. "Did you see anything in there?"
Before Liu Fugui could respond, the housekeeper interjected, "Young Master, it's inappropriate to speak loudly in front of the shrine."
Casting a reverent glance toward the shrine, Su Mingxuan lowered his voice. "Fine. Lao Zhang, take them somewhere else for tea. My dad should be here soon. Don't let them wander around."
"Understood." The housekeeper nodded and then glanced at the middle-aged man standing beside Su Mingxuan. "And who is this?"
"This is Master Yang, a distinguished figure in the mystical arts, whom I specifically invited." Su Mingxuan's tone immediately became respectful.
The middle-aged man, dressed in traditional attire, wore a faint smile and radiated an air of calm, appearing every bit the composed master.
"Young Master, the Master has instructed that extra caution be taken in the shrine…" the housekeeper murmured.
"I know what I'm doing!" Su Mingxuan waved dismissively.
The housekeeper fell silent, then gestured to Lu Fei and Liu Fugui to follow him for tea.
Liu Fugui, eager to keep Lu Fei in a good mood, quickly led him away.
Meanwhile, Lu Fei let out a quiet scoff. Su Mingxuan's complexion was sallow, his eyes dull, his lips pale, and his temples sunken, with crow's feet starting to sprout from his eyes despite his young age—a clear sign of overindulgence. If he didn't curb his lifestyle soon, he might be unable to stand upright in the future.
Su Mingxuan, with a respectful smile, gestured for Master Yang to proceed.
"Master Yang, please."
"Mr. Su, since you've already invited others, it seems my services aren't needed," Master Yang remarked, taking a step back. "I'm quite busy, so I'll take my leave."
"Master Yang, please don't go!" Su Mingxuan exclaimed, hastily explaining, "I didn't know my father would suddenly call someone else over. Those two are clearly frauds—how could they compare to you?"
"It's just that so much has happened recently. My grandmother, uncle, and mother have all been diagnosed with terminal illnesses… The doctors say the situation is grave, and my father is panicking."
"Master Yang, please help us. We will reward you handsomely."
"Very well! Money is a minor matter, but it would be heartless of me not to assist. Allow me to take a look at this South Sea Buddha," Master Yang said, his expression righteous as he strode confidently into the shrine.
Su Mingxuan, overjoyed, quickly followed behind.
The door to the shrine slammed shut behind them, and the vast space instantly felt dark and cold.
A chill ran down Master Yang's spine, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.
After only a few steps, his pace slowed, as though his legs were mired in mud, with each step growing heavier. But he couldn't afford to show weakness in front of Su Mingxuan. Silently, he slipped on a string of red cinnabar beads around his wrist. The cinnabar emitted a faint warmth, easing his burden, and allowed him to approach the altar.
"This South Sea Buddha has some power!"
Sweat soaked his entire body, and before he could react, an icy, invisible force crushed down on his shoulders, forcing his head down.
Beneath the red cloth, it felt as though a pair of frigid eyes were staring down at him.
The red cinnabar beads began to turn moldy and black, one by one.
"Trouble! This one's not easy to handle!"
Realizing he'd encountered something formidable, Master Yang quickly drew a protective jade amulet from his pocket and hung it around his neck. The pressure on his back eased, and he managed to lift his head.
A wave of dizziness hit him.
The Buddha statue under the red cloth seemed to swell, growing taller and larger, as though it were expanding to fill the entire shrine, taking up his entire field of vision.
"Master Yang, how is it?" Su Mingxuan asked cautiously, noticing his pale face.
"It's just a mere foreign spirit! It's no match for me!" Master Yang boasted, even though his options to back out were dwindling. He forced down his dizziness and drew a sword crafted from copper coins.
Made from the Five Emperor Coins and soaked in black dog blood, the red tassels on the hilt were deadly against all evil entities.
"In the lands of China, there's no room for foreign evil to wreak havoc!"
Under Su Mingxuan's awestruck gaze, Master Yang swung the coin sword toward the Buddha statue.
Boom!
The red cloth fluttered.
A fierce gust of wind erupted, engulfing both of them instantly.
Moments later, the shrine was shrouded in a chilling silence.
In the front hall, Lu Fei and Liu Fugui were seated on a plush leather sofa, sipping tea brewed by the housekeeper, Lao Zhang.
Liu Fugui fidgeted restlessly, glancing first toward the side hall, then toward the main entrance.
"Lu, tell me the truth—can you handle that Buddha statue?" he whispered nervously.
"How could I know, given I haven't even seen it clearly?" Lu Fei recalled the glimpse of a tail he'd seen under the cloth and shook his head.
"That Master Yang, he's no charlatan—he's a real master of the mystical arts. If he subdues that Buddha statue first, we'll lose our chance to win over the Su family…" Liu Fugui fretted.
"What's there to worry about? Aren't you friends with Mr. Su?" Lu Fei countered.
He'd long wondered how Liu Fugui managed to know people of this stature.
Liu Fugui scratched his head. "I'll be honest, I do know Mr. Su, but it's not that deep. I sold his wife a couple of antique vases, that's all. I'm only here because of you—Mr. Su agreed to let me bring someone from Evil Pawnshop."
Lu Fei raised his eyebrows. "So he knows Evil Pawnshop? Did he know my grandfather?"