Tiger, unsatisfied after one punch, raised his fists again.
*Bang, bang, thud, thud.*
The ghost breeder was surprisingly fragile, collapsing after just three or four punches.
Though skilled in sorcery, years spent with spirits had weakened his body to the point where he was even frailer than most people. Without the protection of ghostly beings, he was completely vulnerable.
Tiger stepped on the man's back and shouted, "You dare steal from the Evil Pawnshop? You're asking for it!"
"Evil Pawnshop? You're from the Evil Pawnshop?" The blood-covered man looked up at Lu Fei, his face a mixture of disbelief and rage. "Everyone says the Evil Pawnshop is above such things, but you're just helping people commit evil for money!"
"Still lying through your teeth?" Tiger applied more pressure with his foot. "You're the one who accepted money to raise ghosts and harm others, and now you're defaming the Evil Pawnshop's name?"
The pain in his back was excruciating, but the man gritted his teeth, his expression contorted as he shouted, "I didn't take any money! I did it to kill that wretched woman! She... she drove Xiao Qin to her death. I want revenge for Xiao Qin!"
"Xiao Qin?" Lu Fei's brow furrowed.
Last night, Lu Lu had mentioned a friend named Xiao Qin.
"Wasn't Xiao Qin the one who committed suicide by jumping off a building?" Tiger asked, puzzled.
"If it wasn't for her, Xiao Qin wouldn't have jumped! She hired online trolls to flood Xiao Qin's livestream, calling her fake, criticizing her motivational persona, saying she was ugly! She even convinced Xiao Qin to get plastic surgery!"
The man's voice was hoarse from shouting.
"The shady clinic she went to was recommended by her! The surgery failed, and in utter despair, Xiao Qin jumped."
"Do you call that anything but murder? Just because she didn't push Xiao Qin with her own hands, does that mean she's innocent?"
"I wanted her dead, to avenge Xiao Qin!"
This contradicted Lu Lu's version of events entirely.
Tiger was stunned, partly doubting and partly shocked.
"Are you making this up? Don't think that telling this story will make us let you off the hook!"
"Why would I lie? I want that vile woman dead!" The man's face twisted, eyes full of an anger so fierce it couldn't be faked.
Lu Fei looked at him thoughtfully. "What was Xiao Qin to you?"
"She was my fiancée. We were supposed to get married by the end of the year. That wretched woman drove Xiao Qin to her death while I was working out of town. I failed to protect her. I'm not fit to be called a husband..."
Tears of regret streamed down his face.
"But you didn't just want her dead; you wanted to possess her body."
"Yes! Killing her isn't enough. Xiao Qin would still be gone unless she could live again in that woman's body," he said with a deranged smile.
"Their birthdates matched perfectly!"
"Xiao Qin saw her as a best friend. They even celebrated birthdays together!"
"Xiao Qin's only mistake was being too kind, too trusting."
"She killed Xiao Qin, so Xiao Qin should take her body to live. Isn't that fate?"
Tiger, seeing the man's conviction, looked to Lu Fei for guidance, unsure what to believe.
"Boss, is he telling the truth?"
"It's true," Lu Fei confirmed.
Whether it was the use of expensive darkwood or the desperate retrieval of it, it all pointed to the ghost being incredibly important to him.
Tiger was dumbfounded.
So this was the real story.
It wasn't Ice who plotted against Lu Lu but Lu Lu herself, driving someone to death and facing retribution.
She was reaping what she sowed.
In a way, her current state—disfigured and tormented—was exactly what she deserved.
"You're no better than that woman! Helping her—what kind of place is the Evil Pawnshop?" The man's hate-filled eyes fixed on Lu Fei, venting all his resentment.
Lu Fei wasn't angry; he even felt a tinge of sympathy for the man consumed by vengeance.
"Lu Lu was vile, but your methods were also wicked. The Evil Pawnshop isn't choosing sides; we just take on jobs. All I want is this darkwood. Your feud has nothing to do with us."
Lu Fei gestured to Tiger, who let go of the man.
"It has nothing to do with you? Ridiculous! You went after Xiao Qin—you're helping that witch! Give Xiao Qin back to me!"
The man lunged at Lu Fei, only for Tiger to kick him to the floor, leaving him struggling to get up.
At that moment, the darkwood urn in Lu Fei's hands started to shake violently. A shadow emerged from it, risking exposure to the sunlight as it desperately reached for the man.
"Xiao Qin, no..."
The ghostly figure flung herself in front of him, arms outstretched.
"Please, don't hurt him!"
"Xiao Qin, don't beg these people!" The man frantically removed his jacket to shield her from the sunlight.
"I'm so tired, Shan. I don't want revenge anymore... Staying here will only burden you. I think it's time for me to go." The ghost shook her head.
"No, you can't leave! Xiao Qin, you can't go," the man's voice cracked with desperation.
Humans and ghosts have their own paths. Keeping a spirit in the world defies nature and leads to bad outcomes. As a ghost breeder, he knew this all too well.
He just refused to accept it.
"I'm truly exhausted, Shan. Staying in this world only brings you more pain. Forget me, and live your life."
The ghost floated into the last rays of the setting sun, turning to smile at him one last time.
"No—"
The man waved his arms wildly, commanding the ghost crows to shield her from the sunlight.
But the crows dissolved into ashes alongside her spirit.
"No..."
The man collapsed to his knees, clutching at the swirling ashes.
"Xiao Qin..."
He wept uncontrollably.
Lu Fei and Tiger were left in silence, their emotions complicated.
What had started as a mission for justice had led them to a broken man.
Hatred is a double-edged sword; there are no true victors.
With a sigh, Lu Fei opened the darkwood urn, pouring out the ashes and hair, leaving them for the man.
"Don't think this means I'll spare that witch! I'll never forgive her! Never!" The man's shout was full of rage.
Without a word, Lu Fei and Tiger took the darkwood and left.
Back at the pawnshop.
Lu Lu received Lu Fei's message and rushed over in excitement.
"Manager Lu, is it really over?"
"Yes." Lu Fei placed the darkwood urn on the counter. "The spirit inside is gone. You can check your eyes—your pupils are normal again."
Lu Lu took out a small mirror, confirming her eyes were back to normal, and burst into tears of joy.
"Thank goodness! I knew you could do it, Manager Lu!"
But Lu Fei and Tiger's expressions were cold, their demeanor distant.
After a moment of celebration, Lu Lu sensed the odd atmosphere.
"What's wrong, Manager Lu?"
"Miss Lu Lu, while retrieving the urn, we encountered someone whose name contains the character 'Shan.' Do you know him?" Lu Fei asked.
Lu Lu's eyes flickered, momentarily startled. "I don't."