The wind had stopped, yet the old wind chime continued to ring out, producing a clear, almost eerie melody.
"That's strange. How come I never noticed this wind chime before? And why is it ringing when there's no wind?" Tiger stared at the wind chime, puzzled.
He shrugged it off and continued closing the door.
"Tiger, wait!" Lu Fei called out, stopping him. "We can't close up yet. A customer has arrived."
"A customer? Where?" Tiger's eyes widened as he looked outside.
The dimly lit street was empty, quiet and desolate.
"Tonight, we serve the dead."
Lu Fei retrieved a white candle from a cabinet, lit it, and placed it on the counter.
"Tiger, turn off the lights."
"Okay." Tiger complied, though he was confused.
The electric light went out.
The old pawnshop was immediately cloaked in shadows.
In the dim candlelight, Lu Fei's face was half-hidden, eyes fixed on the doorway. He spoke softly, "This is the Evil Pawnshop. If you have something to pawn, please come in."
As soon as his words fell, a gust of cold wind swept into the shop.
The wind chime fell silent, and the candle flame turned a ghostly green.
Tiger's mouth dropped open in shock. He wanted to say something, but Lu Fei gestured for silence.
Quickly, Tiger covered his mouth, glancing nervously around but seeing nothing.
Lu Fei, however, stared at the space in front of the counter as if a customer stood there.
"What would you like to pawn?"
The serious look on Lu Fei's face as he spoke to thin air sent chills down Tiger's spine.
Standing before the counter was the shadow of a headless woman, her body covered in blood.
Without a head, she couldn't speak.
Steeling himself, Lu Fei took out a sheet of yellow paper and slid it forward.
Drip, drip.
Drops of blood fell onto the paper, forming a crooked, bloody character.
"Knife."
Lu Fei's heart leapt.
This woman must have been beheaded. Was she trying to pawn the weapon that killed her?
The headless woman knelt before Lu Fei, as if silently pleading.
"Where is the knife?"
Drip, drip.
More blood dripped down, forming three more characters.
Duo Bao Xuan.
Seeing these characters, Tiger's heart pounded.
Duo Bao Xuan—that was his former employer's shop!
Who, or rather what, had just entered?
Lu Fei was equally shocked.
It seemed that the tragic incident at Duo Bao Xuan was more than it appeared, involving something sinister.
The headless woman bowed to Lu Fei, prostrating herself.
"Very well, I accept."
After a moment's hesitation, Lu Fei agreed.
The headless woman's shadow seemed to brighten with relief. She bowed three times to Lu Fei, then vanished in a final gust of wind.
The candlelight returned to its usual warm glow.
The bloody characters on the yellow paper were stark and unsettling, deeply affecting Tiger.
But without a signal from Lu Fei, he dared not speak.
"Tiger, you can turn the lights back on now," Lu Fei said, breaking the silence.
Tiger quickly switched the lights on.
The warm light filled the shop, and Tiger swallowed hard before asking, "Boss, what was that?"
"A special customer," Lu Fei answered quietly.
"On certain nights, when the wind chime rings, it means a special customer has arrived."
The Evil Pawnshop didn't just serve the living; it also dealt with the dead.
"The one who came just now must have been the mistress of Duo Bao Xuan. She wanted to pawn a knife."
"A knife? What kind of knife?"
Tiger had an inkling but still found it hard to believe.
"The knife that killed her," Lu Fei said, taking a deep breath.
This was his first time conducting a night transaction with a ghost. To claim he wasn't at all affected would be a lie.
A perfectly normal family had been destroyed, leaving the lady of the house with unresolved grievances.
The knife that had killed them had to be extraordinary.
Tiger stood stunned. "Wasn't she killed by Boss Liang with a kitchen knife? That knife was taken by the police as evidence."
"It can't be that simple. If Boss Liang really killed his wife and child, then, having faced justice, she shouldn't still harbor such deep resentment," Lu Fei said thoughtfully.
"My guess is that while the kitchen knife was the murder weapon, it wasn't the true culprit. The knife she mentioned must be a cursed object, which could have influenced Boss Liang, driving him to kill his family in a state of confusion."
"I remember now! Before the incident, he had brought back an artifact wrapped in black cloth that looked like a knife!" Tiger exclaimed. "Does that mean he's innocent?"
"We can't draw conclusions until we see the cursed knife," Lu Fei said, glancing at the thick darkness outside.
"Tomorrow, we'll go to Duo Bao Xuan."
"Understood."
Tiger nodded firmly, his expression complex.
That night, Lu Fei struggled to fall asleep.
His mind kept returning to the tragedy at Duo Bao Xuan.
The next morning, he rose early to find Tiger already up, dark circles under his eyes betraying a sleepless night.
It was understandable—after all, this was about his former employer's family.
"Let's go, Tiger."
Lu Fei patted his shoulder.
They left the pawnshop, grabbing a quick breakfast before heading to Duo Bao Xuan.
Though it had only been half a month since the incident, the shop looked as if it had been abandoned for years, its aura bleak and decaying.
Rumors had spread that Duo Bao Xuan was haunted, and now it was clear they weren't baseless.
The spirits of those who died unjustly often lingered at the site of their death.
Tiger still had the keys to Duo Bao Xuan.
His hands trembled as he unlocked the door—not out of fear, but something else.
Creak—
The door swung open, releasing a blast of cold air mixed with the musty scent of decay.
Tiger stepped forward but was stopped by Lu Fei.
"Wait, let the death and yin energy disperse first."
Tiger paused, peering inside.
The shop was dark, with dust covering the floors and shelves. The artifacts on the shelves were undisturbed.
Likely due to the ghostly rumors, no one had dared to steal anything.
Once the cold air had thinned, they stepped inside.
Buildings left uninhabited always felt colder than others.
"Search everywhere, look for anything that resembles a knife, especially an old one." Lu Fei handed Tiger a pair of gloves, instructing him not to touch anything directly.
They carefully combed through the shop.
Among the findings were a few cheap daggers, none of which showed traces of yin energy or were cursed.
"It must be in the living quarters."
Lu Fei wasn't surprised. Boss Liang had kept that knife so hidden, it was unlikely to be displayed openly. Searching here was just to be thorough.
The living quarters were where the tragedy had occurred.
The sight of the neatly arranged heads of the family and their dog still haunted Tiger.
"Let's start with Boss Liang's bedroom."
The bloodstains on the floor had dried black, and weeds grew in the corners of the courtyard.
Guided by Tiger, Lu Fei pushed open the bedroom door.