The young man was indeed the eldest son of the Su family, Su Mingxuan.
"My father sent you here?"
Su Mingxuan's face was full of suspicion; he clearly did not recognize Liu Fugui. After sizing up the appearance and attire of Liu Fugui and Lu Fei, he showed a strong look of disdain.
"Even if my father called you to do some work, you should not have intruded into the Buddha hall! If something goes wrong, can you take responsibility for it?"
"Young Master Su, there has been a misunderstanding. Chairman Su said that things have not been peaceful at home recently, and we are here to help solve the problems." Liu Fugui was not angry but explained with a smile, "This is Lu Fei, Manager Lu, a renowned figure from the Sinisterium Pawnshop..."
"What a mess!" Su Mingxuan interrupted impatiently, "I don't know you, and I don't know him. This is my family's Buddha hall; outsiders are not allowed to enter. Get out now!"
"Alright, let's talk outside." Liu Fugui said with a forced smile, pulling Lu Fei out the door.
Lu Fei frowned, are all the Su family members so condescending?
"Don't just stand at the doorway either... Where's the butler? Old Zhang, Old Zhang!" Su Mingxuan shouted in dissatisfaction.
The butler hurried over.
"Young Master, you're back."
"Tell me, did my father call them here?"
"These two are indeed guests of the master. The master is still on his way and instructed me to take these two to the Buddha hall for prayers first. I didn't expect Young Master to return at this moment and run into them. It is my negligence for not informing the Young Master beforehand."
Upon receiving the confirmation from the butler, Su Mingxuan was even more astonished.
What exactly is Father thinking?
These two people don't look reliable at all. The fat one exudes the air of a vulgar opportunist, clearly a con man. The younger one is just a poor nobody, probably tagging along with the fat guy for a free meal.
Even if there's an urgent matter at home, it shouldn't be so desperate as to resort to such unscrupulous means!
He frowned: "What did you see?"
Before Liu Fugui could respond, the butler quickly reminded him: "Eldest Young Master, please do not make a commotion in front of the Buddha Hall."
Su Mingxuan looked reverently at the Buddha Hall and lowered his voice, instructing: "In that case, Old Zhang, take them outside for some tea. My father should be back soon, don't let them wander around here aimlessly!"
"Yes." The butler bowed in agreement and then glanced at the middle-aged man beside Su Mingxuan, asking: "And this gentleman?"
"Master Yang is a highly respected figure from the Xuanmen. I specifically invited him here." Su Mingxuan's tone immediately became respectful.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a Tang suit, with a faint smile on his face, looking like an aloof and composed master.
"Eldest Young Master, the Master has instructed that we must be extra cautious when entering the Buddha Hall..." the butler said in a low voice.
"I know my limits!"
Su Mingxuan waved his hand impatiently.
The butler had no choice but to close his mouth and invite Lu Fei and Liu Fugui to have some tea elsewhere.
Liu Fugui, afraid that Lu Fei would be unhappy, quickly pulled him away.
Lu Fei snorted coldly in his heart.
Su Mingxuan's face was sallow, his eyes lifeless, and his lips colorless. His temples were sunken, and despite his young age, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were deeply etched, giving him the appearance of someone who indulges excessively in pleasure.
It seemed he spent every night carousing. If he didn't start to restrain himself, he might not even be able to stand up in the future.
Turning around with a smile on his face, Su Mingxuan respectfully made a gesture to Master Yang, inviting him in.
"Master Yang, please,"
"Young Master Su, since your family has already invited others, I suppose there is no need for me, Yang, anymore." Master Yang, however, did not move. Instead, he turned around and said, "I am very busy, so I will take my leave now."
"Master Yang, please don't go!" Su Mingxuan hurriedly explained, "I had no idea my father would suddenly call someone over. Those two are obviously frauds; how can they compare to Master Yang?"
"It's just that so many things have happened in my family recently. My grandmother, uncle, and mother have all been diagnosed with terminal illnesses... The doctor said the situation is critical, which is why my father lost his composure."
"Master Yang, please save us. We will gratefully repay you later."
"Forget it! Money is of little importance. I, Yang, could never turn a blind eye to someone in dire need. Let me confront this Southern Seas Buddha Mother."
Master Yang, with a look of righteousness, stepped into the Buddhist hall.
Su Mingxuan was overjoyed and quickly followed behind him.
The door of the Buddhist hall slammed shut by itself, and the spacious room instantly became dark and chilly.
Master Yang felt a chill in his heart and had an ominous premonition.
After taking just a few steps, he slowed down, feeling as if his legs were mired in mud, making each step extremely difficult.
But he couldn't show this to Su Mingxuan. He discreetly took out a cinnabar prayer bead bracelet and put it on his wrist. The cinnabar beads warmed slightly, reducing the resistance and helping him reach the altar.
"This Southern Seas Buddha Mother has some skills!"
Drenched in cold sweat, before he could even react, he felt his body being forced down, his shoulders brutally suppressed by an icy, invisible force.
It pressed him so hard that he couldn't lift his head.
Under the red cloth, it felt as if a pair of cold eyes were staring down at him from above.
The vermilion beads on the rosary had turned moldy and black.
"Oh no! This is tough to handle!"
Master Yang, knowing he was up against a formidable opponent, quickly took out a protective jade amulet and hung it around his neck. As the pressure on his back lessened, he suddenly lifted his head.
A wave of dizziness hit him.
The statue of the Buddha Mother, covered by the red cloth on the altar, had grown larger, its size increasing inch by inch until it almost filled the entire hall, dominating his entire field of vision.
"Master Yang, how is it?"
Seeing his pale face, Su Mingxuan asked cautiously.
"A mere Southern Ocean evil spirit, it can't possibly defeat me!"
Having boasted already, to retreat now would mean losing the backing of the Su family. He forced down his dizziness and drew out a bronze coin sword.
This sword was made from Wudi coins, with the red tassel at the hilt soaked in black dog's blood, making it the nemesis of all evil spirits and ghosts!
"Within the territory of Huaxia, how can we allow foreign evils to wreak havoc?"
Under Su Mingxuan's gaze filled with awe, Master Yang brandished the bronze coin sword and stabbed it towards the Buddha Mother statue.
Boom!
Red cloth fluttered.
A fierce gust of yin wind swept over, instantly enveloping the two of them.
Moments later.
The Buddhist hall was left in complete silence.
The foyer.
Lu Fei and Liu Fugui were sitting on a leather sofa, drinking the tea prepared by Butler Zhang.
Liu Fugui's bottom seemed to be pricked by needles, constantly twisting and turning. He kept looking towards the side hall and then toward the main entrance.
"Young Manager Lu, be honest with me. Do you have a good chance of taking that Buddha Mother statue?"
"I haven't even seen what it looks like. How can I be sure?" Lu Fei shook his head, recalling the fleeting glimpse of a tail under the red cloth.
"I've heard of that Master Yang. He's not some江湖骗子, he's a genuine master of the mystic arts. If he gets the Buddha Mother first, we'll lose our chance to get in with the Su family..." Liu Fugui said anxiously.
"What are you afraid of? Aren't you friends with Chairman Su?" Lu Fei asked in return.
He had been wondering how Liu Fugui had managed to know someone of such wealth.
Liu Fugui scratched his head and said, "Let me be honest with you. I do know Chairman Su, but only because I sold two antique vases to his wife twice. We're not that close. This time, it was thanks to you. Chairman Su agreed to let me bring someone when he heard that I knew people from the Sinisterium Pawnshop."
Lu Fei was surprised. "He knows about the Sinisterium Pawnshop? Does he know my grandfather?"