On the lotus platform, the Buddha Mother sits cross-legged.
Draped in light gauze, one hand holds a flower while the other cradles a heap of gold ingots in her arms.
This clearly signifies wealth.
The entire statue, although carved from green stone, is remarkably lifelike, as if it could come to life.
Her figure is graceful, and her beauty is enchanting.
With a smile at the corners of her mouth, her pair of eyes glisten as if they could shed tears, gazing affectionately at the crowd.
Her captivating charm is intoxicating.
"The Buddha Mother is truly beautiful..."
Lu Fei finds himself a bit dazed, his mind momentarily blank.
"See? There's nothing wrong with the Buddha Mother statue," Master Yang's voice rings out. "She has kind brows and gentle eyes, magnificent and elegant."
"Yes, so beautiful."
"So beautiful..."
The others echo in a daze.
Especially Liu Fugui, who nearly drools.
"Wait!" Lu Fei's heart skips a beat.
How could the statue be so seductive?
Amidst the fragrant haze, Lu Fei feels his mind growing hazy, irresistibly drawn to the Buddha Mother.
Her eyes seem capable of ensnaring souls.
"There's a problem!" Lu Fei grits his teeth and bites down on his tongue.
The metallic taste fills his mouth, and the sharp pain jolts him awake, causing the scene before him to shift abruptly.
What beauty could the Buddha Mother possibly possess now?
A sharp face, slanted eyes, and fangs peeking from the corners of her mouth.
Eerie and ugly, she is clearly a demon!
"Mesmerizing spell!"
This trick isn't new; many evil entities possess the ability to confuse the mind.
But the Buddha Mother's mesmerizing spell is particularly powerful, able to ensnare so many people at once.
Lu Fei bites his tongue because the blood, known as "True Sun Splash," is the essence of life and can repel evil.
His eyes are no longer deceived, and his mind clears.
"That phony Master Yang has not subdued the Buddha Mother; it's all an act!" He snorts coldly, preparing to wake everyone up.
But at that moment, the stone eyes of the evil being suddenly turn, becoming a bizarre green.
"This person has insulted the Buddha Mother, showing her disrespect; he deserves to die a thousand deaths!" Master Yang yells suddenly, lunging at Lu Fei first.
"Kill him!"
Su Mingxuan follows suit, gritting his teeth as if filled with immense hatred.
Next, Liu Fugui and the housekeeper, Old Zhang, join in.
These few surround Lu Fei, their expressions frenzied, eyes white as if shrouded in gauze.
Only Su Liguo stands aside, clutching his head, struggling painfully.
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
They wave their fists at Lu Fei.
"Impudence!"
Lu Fei does not retreat; he roars and raises his hand to deliver a sharp slap to Master Yang.
The force of the slap freezes Master Yang in place, leaving a swollen handprint on his face.
Next, Lu Fei slaps Su Mingxuan across the face.
Su Mingxuan, feeling weak and empty, spins like a top under Lu Fei's blows.
Smack! Smack!
The crisp sound of slaps echoes throughout the Buddha hall.
Lu Fei continues to slap the two several times until his hands start to ache, then spits out a mouthful of tongue blood toward the Buddha Mother statue.
In an instant, everyone awakens, their eyes clear again, looking around in confusion.
"Ouch, my face, it hurts!"
"Who hit me?"
Su Mingxuan and Master Yang clutch their swollen faces, recalling the earlier scene, and Su Mingxuan instantly erupts with rage.
"How dare you hit me! You must be out of your mind..."
"Su Gongzi, you misunderstood; I was saving you," Lu Fei replies calmly.
"Nonsense!" Su Mingxuan shouts, "Old Zhang, call the bodyguards, have them kill him..."
Lu Fei interrupts, "You all need to take a good look at what the Buddha Mother really looks like!"
Everyone pauses, turning to look at the Buddha Mother statue again, their expressions changing drastically.
"Why does it look like this?"
"Where's that beautiful Buddha from before?"
Lu Fei states, "This is the true face of the Buddha Mother! You all were just mesmerized!"
"How could this be?" Su Mingxuan is stunned, unable to believe his eyes.
Liu Fugui is the first to react, shouting, "So the Buddha Mother was never subdued! Master Yang, you've been fooling Su Dong!"
Su Liguo's face darkens, like a lion about to roar.
Master Yang suddenly turns pale, trembling as he says, "I would never dare to deceive Su Dong! I really subdued the Buddha Mother earlier; she admitted defeat... Young Master Su can testify..."
Previously, he had thrust the copper coin sword forward when he suddenly felt a cold wind hit his face.
His vision blurred, and he felt something tighten around his neck. Terrified, he desperately waved the copper coin sword.
Suddenly, that force released its grip.
He woke up from his stupor, the words of the Buddha Mother admitting defeat echoing in his ears.
Even if given a thousand boldness, he wouldn't dare deceive the Su family; he truly believed he had subdued the Buddha Mother.
"Young Master Su, please say something," he pleads, looking to Su Mingxuan for help.
Su Mingxuan is equally confused.
Lu Fei says, "You were blinded by the evil being and didn't even realize it! Do you understand? You almost harmed the entire Su family. As long as the Su family continues to offer to it, it can keep draining the vital energy from people's organs!"
"Once all five organs are gathered, there will be no one to save the Su family!"
"Wh-what?" Master Yang is horrified, his body swaying unsteadily.
Su Liguo immediately asks, "Little Lu, what does this vital energy mean?"
"Su Dong, your family members' illnesses are all related to the organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs—and just one kidney is missing to complete the five organs, right?" Lu Fei replies calmly.
Su Liguo nods vigorously.
"Throughout history, there have been many instances of spirits pretending to be deities to deceive people. Some do it to gain offerings to aid their cultivation, while others do it to absorb human essence."
"Every seven days, these spirits can drain a person's vital energy from their organs. Once the five organs are gathered, they can transform into a human. At that time, they could take on the appearance of the Su family members, occupying their place, and the entire Su family would become their nourishment."
After Lu Fei finishes speaking, the entire Buddha hall falls silent.
Such a small evil statue could actually devour an entire family!
Liu Fugui, though not a member of the Su family, feels a chill run down his spine, unable to stop the goosebumps rising on his skin.
He rubs his arms and moves closer to Lu Fei.
The Buddha Mother statue on the offering table appears increasingly menacing in the eyes of the crowd, as if it could eat people.
Su Liguo takes a deep breath to steady his emotions, saying, "Little Lu, what kind of spirit is this? How should we deal with it?"
"I'm sorry, Su Dong, I don't know. This is all I can ascertain for now." Lu Fei then asks, "How many days has it been since the last person fell ill?"
The Su family father and son exchange glances, their faces grim.
"Seven days; today is the seventh day!" Su Liguo's voice is hoarse.
Lu Fei gasps, "What? Today is the last day? That's troublesome! If we can't think of a solution..."
He realizes that the entire Su family is in imminent danger!
Cold sweat beads on Su Liguo's forehead as he grits his teeth, saying, "If we don't make any business deals today, can we delay for some time?"
"It's worth a try."
Su Liguo immediately takes out his phone and forcefully gives everyone in the company a three-day holiday. Anyone who dares to make any deals during these three days will be kicked out of Jiangcheng.
"Little Lu, can you resolve this evil being within three days?"
Lu Fei replies seriously, "Su Dong, you know the rules of our Evil Pawnshop, right? If you want me to deal with the evil being, it must be given to me."