This dark mist was invisible to most people, appearing as a faint, hazy fog.
Staff members moved in and out of the auction house, with some of them unknowingly affected by the black mist.
This was an evil Yin energy, which, when a person is contaminated, would cause their fortune to decline, making them prone to misfortune or illness.
Lu Fei couldn't help but wonder, "Is there something unclean in the auction house?"
"This young lady is really nice, beautiful and kind-hearted, unlike some receptionists in other places who look down on you if you're not dressed well."
Even after the receptionist had walked away, Hu Zi was still gazing at her back.
"The employees here have seen big scenes; they don't judge people by their appearance. The items traded at the auction house are all valuable, so naturally, the people who come here are either rich or influential, and many wealthy people are quite low-key."
Lu Fei stood up and looked in the direction where the dark aura was spreading.
But there was a door there with a sign that read, 'Staff Only, No Trespassing for Customers.'
"With such a strong negative energy, haven't the people at the auction house noticed anything?" Lu Fei was a little puzzled, but since it wasn't his business, he returned to the rest area.
They waited for about half an hour.
The receptionist led a middle-aged man in a suit to them.
"Hello, I am Wan Chunhui, the manager of this auction house. May I ask what items you are interested in consulting about?"
The middle-aged man extended his hand warmly.
He had a smile on his face, but it was clearly perfunctory.
Lu Fei stood up and extended his hand to shake his, saying, "Mr. Wan, hello. I would like to inquire about an ancient map."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the middle-aged man's hand pause for a moment.
A look of surprise flashed across Wan Chunhui's face.
He discreetly glanced at Lu Fei and maintained his smile, saying, "What map are you asking about, sir?"
"A parchment map that appeared in your auction house three years ago," Lu Fei said, looking at him.
"I'm sorry, there might be a mistake. Our auction house has never had a parchment map," Wan Chunhui replied with a smile, waving his hand. "If you two are interested, I can arrange for someone to show you some other items in our collection."
Saying this, he arranged for the receptionist to take them to the exhibition hall and then turned to leave.
Lu Fei caught up with him and said, "Mr. Wan, three years ago, my grandfather came to Tianlong Auction House. I believe he also inquired about this map."
Wan Chunhui was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Your grandfather is?"
"Lu Qingxuan."
Wan Chunhui halted, a subtle and hard-to-read expression appearing in his eyes.
"Are you from Sinisterium Pawnshop?"
"That's right! My name is Lu Fei, and I am the current manager of Sinisterium Pawnshop."
Wan Chunhui's attitude changed subtly. He glanced at Lu Fei and made a gesture of invitation.
"So it's Manager Xiao Lu. Pardon my rudeness, please come to my office and we'll talk."
Office.
The receptionist poured tea and then left, closing the door behind her.
"Manager Xiao Lu, since you are a descendant of Old Master Lu, I won't beat around the bush. To be frank, Tianlong Auction House really doesn't have the sheepskin map." Wan Chunhui said, spreading his hands.
"I know. The map disappeared three years ago. I'm not here to buy the map; I just want to ask about some matters." Lu Fei said sincerely.
"Oh?" Wan Chunhui raised an eyebrow.
"I want to know what is recorded on the map."
"I'm sorry, this involves the secret of the map. I'm just the manager of this auction house and I have no authority to disclose it," Wan Chunhui said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
"Mr. Wan, name your price or set your terms," Lu Fei said straightforwardly.
He couldn't let go of this opportunity to find his grandfather.
Wan Chunhui hesitated for a while and said, "I need to consult with my boss, please wait a moment."
With that, he walked to the window and made a phone call in a low voice.
Though one couldn't hear what he was saying, his tone and expression were very respectful.
After a while, he came back and said with a smile, "Young Master Lu, my boss says he can tell you the information recorded on the map. But there's one condition."
"Please tell me," Lu Fei said immediately.
"Our auction house has recently encountered some troubles. If Manager Lu can resolve them, the boss will tell you the information on the map."
"What kind of troubles?"
"Apart from helping clients consign their collections for auction, our Tianlong Auction House also acquires valuable treasures for auction. Recently, we received a very special ancient painting. Ever since that painting was placed in the auction house, problems have been occurring frequently."
Wan Chunhui showed a hint of distress.
As the manager of the auction house, he bears the greatest responsibility when something goes wrong.
"Mr. Wan means that the painting is an evil object?" Lu Fei guessed that this matter might be related to the black aura he had seen earlier.
"We're not sure what it is exactly. Sinisterium Pawnshop is the expert in this field, so we ask Manager Lu to help us take a look."
"Sure, there's no better time than now. Let's do it right away." Lu Fei agreed readily.
"The painting is currently stored separately, please follow me."
Wan Chunhui made a gesture of invitation and treated Lu Fei with great courtesy and respect, leading the two of them out of the office, through several corridors, and into a warehouse.
He turned on the light and walked to the transparent glass cabinet.
"It's this painting."
Inside the rectangular cabinet, there was an ancient scroll laid horizontally.
A thick black aura emanated from the scroll, spreading out in all directions.
"Such a strong evil aura!"
Lu Fei's eyebrows twitched.
"Young Master Lu, before we open this painting, I must remind you not to look at it too much," Wan Chunhui said solemnly.
"I understand." Lu Fei nodded, his curiosity about the painting growing even stronger.
Wan Chunhui opened the glass cabinet and carefully and swiftly unrolled the ancient scroll.
More black aura wafted out.
"Huzi, don't look too much." Lu Fei felt that the painting was extraordinary, so he reminded Huzi and mobilized his inner magic power, moving closer to it.
However, the more he said this, the more curious Huzi became, unable to resist sneaking a peek.
The content of the painting was very strange. It was not a landscape or a portrait of ladies, but a procession for sending off a bride.
The group was playing musical instruments, carrying a flower sedan forward, where a tall courtyard faintly appeared.
"The boss obtained this painting by chance. There is no signature, and the author and the dynasty are unknown, but from the paper craftsmanship, it is at least hundreds of years old."
Wan Chunhui kept a certain distance from the ancient painting cabinet, seeming rather wary, and did not make eye contact with the scroll while speaking.
"He instructed me to find an expert to authenticate it. Since Master Li, whom we often collaborate with, happened to be out of town, I put the painting in storage first."
"But before Master Li returned, something strange happened in the warehouse."
"What kind of strange thing?" Lu Fei narrowed his eyes, examining the painting.
The black and white ink painting depicted various figures, all vivid in their postures, but their expressions were odd, each one emotionless.
It was clearly moving, yet it gave people the feeling of a mannequin.
As the bridal sedan swayed, a corner of the curtain lifted, revealing the bride sitting inside.
The bride raised the veil with both hands, exposing half of her face, as if looking outward.
Lu Fei wanted to see more clearly, but suddenly felt discomfort in his eyes.
Following that, he heard Hu Zǐ cry out in pain, covering his eyes and stepping back.
"My eyes!"