"What?"
Lu Fei looked up at Wan Chunhui.
"Whatever you do, don't tell anyone about the sheepskin map! Many people are searching for it, and if they find out, it might bring you unnecessary trouble," Wan Chunhui said seriously.
Lu Fei was slightly taken aback and asked, "Who are these people?"
"They're very mysterious, and I don't know their backgrounds. To avoid trouble, we removed all related information about the map from the auction house's records."
"Where did the map come from?"
"It was consigned to us by an antique collector who got it from the black market. Not long after the map went missing, he died of illness, and we didn't have any more leads."
Lu Fei thought for a moment before asking, "Can I ask one more question? What place does the map depict?"
"Sorry, Little Shopkeeper Lu, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but we don't know either," Wan Chunhui said, spreading his hands. "We consulted some experts, but no one could identify the information on the map. The script on it has never appeared in historical records."
"However, one expert speculated that it might be a treasure map indicating the burial site of a special artifact."
"A special artifact?" Lu Fei's heart stirred; it seemed possible.
His family, the Evil Pawnshop, had made a living collecting such supernatural items for generations. It was unlikely that his parents and grandfather would have worked for something unrelated.
He expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Wan, and please thank your boss for me!"
At first, he had worried that the auction house's owner might change his mind. But not only did the owner give him the photo of the map, but he also shared quite a bit of information.
"You're welcome, Little Shopkeeper Lu. Our boss should be thanking you for solving a huge problem for him!"
Wan Chunhui smiled and offered them rest, but Lu Fei was eager to return, so he arranged for a car to take them back.
"Boss, I have informed him about the map as you instructed."
Standing by the window, Wan Chunhui spoke respectfully into the phone.
"Good. This Lu kid has a spirit that rivals his grandfather's. With time, he might even surpass him. Building a good relationship with him now will benefit us greatly. Make sure to maintain friendly ties, understood?"
"Understood."
Wan Chunhui put down the phone and quietly watched the car drive away.
Antique Street.
Lu Fei returned to the pawnshop, physically exhausted but too restless to sleep.
He repeatedly examined the map photo, scrutinizing every detail and searching online for clues about the ancient script.
Unfortunately, as Wan Chunhui said, the script seemed to have no record in history.
Lu Fei combed through various sources but found nothing related.
Frustrated, he shifted his focus to the illustrations.
He examined them from every angle.
The only certainty was that the place depicted had both mountains and water.
But which part of China didn't have mountains and water?
Sighing, Lu Fei rubbed his dry, aching eyes.
"Boss, don't worry. Take your time," Tiger said, bringing a glass of water.
Since his boss wasn't resting, Tiger felt it was inappropriate to sleep, staying up with red, tired eyes.
"Yeah, there's no rush. At least we have a clue now!"
Lu Fei's words seemed both a response to Tiger and self-consolation.
Before dawn, he urged Tiger to get some sleep and lay down with his phone, thoughts heavy.
His mind buzzed with questions, and he didn't know when he finally drifted off.
Half-asleep, he seemed to dream of his grandfather.
Grandpa sat at his bedside, gazing at him with a kind smile, saying, "Silly child, don't overthink it. Just run the Evil Pawnshop well..."
"Grandpa, where did you go? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I came to check on you and am relieved to see you're safe."
Grandpa's rough hand patted Lu Fei's head before he turned and walked slowly away.
"Grandpa, where are you going? Don't leave!"
His grandfather's figure grew distant, and Lu Fei, in a panic, sat up suddenly.
The room was empty; he was alone.
Early in the morning.
The door of the Evil Pawnshop was pounded loudly.
"Who is it? It's so early, can't you be quiet?"
Tiger, who had only slept for a couple of hours, grudgingly crawled out of bed, yawning as he went to open the door.
"Little Lu, help!"
As soon as the door opened, a chubby figure tumbled inside.
"Tiger, where's Little Lu?"
The visitor was Liu Fugui, his dark-circled eyes anxiously scanning Tiger.
"The boss is still sleeping. We just got back from work last night. Come back later and don't disturb him."
"This is life or death—I can't wait!"
Liu Fugui, sweating profusely, tried to rush into the courtyard but was so weak that he had to lean against the wall, gasping after just a few steps.
"Old Liu, don't tell me you ignored the boss's warning and met with that so-called lady friend again?"
Tiger noticed how pale Liu Fugui was—he looked as bloodless as a corpse.
"It's not that I wanted to... she kept calling, and when I didn't answer, she kept calling." Liu Fugui looked on the verge of tears. "I don't know why, but when I heard her voice, it was like claws scratching my heart."
"I don't know why I went... and I was almost scared to death..."
Liu Fugui swallowed nervously, terror filling his eyes.
"What happened? Did your lady friend take her makeup off?" Tiger teased.
"It's not makeup—she's..." Liu Fugui glared at Tiger, knowing he was being mocked. "I'm not talking to you. I need to see Little Lu."
"I can see you're not dying anytime soon. Just wait a bit longer."
"Tiger, you're heartless! I'll tell Little Lu later and have him dock your pay!"
Liu Fugui, enraged, tried to hit Tiger, but he couldn't catch him even when healthy, let alone now.
Their bickering stopped when they saw Lu Fei approaching from the courtyard.
"Boss, look at him! Alive and kicking; he'll be fine. Go back to sleep!" Tiger shouted.
"Little Lu, don't listen to him! If you come any later, he'll make me die of anger first!" Liu Fugui, panting and flushed, argued back.
"Old Liu, what happened to you?" Lu Fei's eyes widened. "You look like a dead man, with your yang fire so weak it's like you're on the brink of death!"
"Little Lu, I don't want to die! You have to save me!" Liu Fugui was almost in tears, clinging desperately to Lu Fei's arm.
"I gave you a talisman; how did it come to this?" Lu Fei told him to calm down and sit to explain.
Shivering, Liu Fugui said, "If it weren't for that talisman, I'd be dead by now! Xiao Mei... she's not human!"