In the old district, on an inconspicuous street, Lu Fei met up with Jing Jian, who had changed into clean clothes. His arm was bandaged, but his complexion was much better than the day before.
"Lu Fei, this way," Jing Jian said, leading him down a familiar path to an old shop.
The place looked like a carpenter's workshop, with shelves filled with lifelike wooden carvings.
"Master Mo! Master Mo!" Jing Jian called out loudly when he didn't see anyone around.
"Jing family boy, why are you yelling so loudly? My ears aren't deaf yet," a wiry old man with graying hair and an apron slowly emerged, frowning and glaring at Jing Jian.
"Master Mo, my peachwood sword broke. Can you fix it?" Jing Jian placed the broken sword on the counter, clearly distressed.
"I just made you that peachwood sword less than three months ago! You're way too careless," the old man scolded angrily.
"I didn't mean to, Master Mo. I'm broke and can't afford a new one. Please, think of something," Jing Jian begged with a thick-skinned grin.
"No money means no fancy repairs," the old man huffed.
"As long as it's usable, I'm not picky," Jing Jian laughed. "Oh, right, Master Mo, this is Shopkeeper Lu from the Evil Pawnshop. He has—"
"Wait, did you say *who*?"
The old man seemed startled and interrupted Jing Jian, turning to scrutinize Lu Fei.
After a moment, he squinted and said, "Shopkeeper of the Evil Pawnshop? Are you by any chance a descendant of Lu Qingxuan?"
"I'm Lu Fei, grandson of Lu Qingxuan," Lu Fei replied politely, cupping his hands. "Do you know my grandfather?"
"Not really. Your grandfather didn't get close to anyone," the old man said dismissively, though his guarded expression remained. "So, what brings you here?"
Before Lu Fei could answer, Jing Jian blurted out, "He has a piece of lightning-struck jujube wood. Pretty impressive stuff. Master Mo, can you craft something out of it?"
"Lightning-struck jujube wood?" The old man paused, his tension easing. "Phew, you scared me for a moment. I thought you came to collect something. I knew it—Evil Pawnshop always honors its agreements. The rental period isn't up yet, so why would you show up?"
"Rental period?" Lu Fei was momentarily confused.
He knew that outsiders could either buy or rent items from the Evil Pawnshop, with payments made in cash or barter. However, not many items were ever rented out.
After a brief recollection, Lu Fei realized what was going on.
"So you're the renowned Artifact Master, Mo Yun?" Lu Fei said.
Ten years ago, his grandfather had rented out a Luban Ruler to this master in exchange for Mo Yun crafting a Sima Scale for him. Since the rental still had two years remaining, Lu Fei hadn't given it much thought before now.
"That's right, that's me," the old man said with a proud laugh, straightening his posture. He gave Jing Jian a sharp rap on the head and barked, "Did you hear that, Jing family boy? I'm Master Mo, not some bicycle repairman!"
"Oh, got it, Master Mo!" Jing Jian replied cluelessly.
"You—!" Master Mo's mustache twitched with anger. "If your family didn't bring me gifts every year, I'd snap you in half like that peachwood sword!"
"Master Mo, let's take a look at my lightning wood, shall we?" Lu Fei interjected with a smile, pulling out his lightning-struck jujube wood.
As someone who had crafted artifacts for his grandfather, Master Mo was a trustworthy choice.
Ignoring Jing Jian, Master Mo's eyes lit up as he examined the piece of wood.
"Good stuff!"
He turned it over in his hands, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"This core is flawless—pure essence through and through. Where did you come across such a gem?"
Lu Fei didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Does this wood suit crafting?"
"This wood core is already perfect essence. Any carving would be a waste. I wouldn't recommend altering its shape," Master Mo said, squinting at the wood.
"Oh, you've already refined it into a life-bound artifact? Impressive, young man!"
"But the wood's full potential hasn't been tapped. You could consider incorporating other enchanted items to enhance its power."
"What do you mean by 'enchanted items'?" Lu Fei asked curiously.
"Think of them as objects that boost an artifact's strength—like parts of a monster imbued with power, stones rich in spiritual energy, or even other artifacts. The possibilities are endless," Master Mo explained.
"Whether it works depends on whether your life-bound artifact can absorb them."
Lu Fei nodded thoughtfully. "Understood. Thank you, Master Mo."
"You're a promising talent! The Evil Pawnshop hasn't been reopened for long, and you're already coming across treasures like this," Master Mo said, reluctantly handing back the wood. "If you ever find more like this, call me."
For artifact makers, top-quality materials were like top-grade ingredients to a chef: they required minimal processing to shine.
"I'll keep that in mind," Lu Fei said with a smile as he put the wood away. "There's one more thing I'd like your help with."
"Go on," Master Mo said, gesturing.
Lu Fei took out some paper and a pen, drawing three runes he remembered from the black umbrella.
"Do you recognize these runes, Master Mo?"
Master Mo put on his reading glasses, studying the symbols closely. His expression shifted.
"I don't recognize them, but they resemble *Yin Runes*."
"What are Yin Runes?" Lu Fei asked immediately.
"As the name implies, they're runes from the underworld—nothing you'd find in the mortal realm," Master Mo replied, looking at him intently. "Where did you come across these runes?"
No wonder Lu Fei hadn't seen them before—they didn't belong to this world.
"I spotted them on an evil item. I was just curious," Lu Fei said casually, not wanting to reveal too much. "Do you know anyone who understands Yin Runes?"
"Very few! Only those who regularly deal with the underworld would know. I used to know one, but sadly, he's been dead for years," Master Mo said, shaking his head and removing his glasses.
"Dead?" Lu Fei felt a pang of disappointment. "Who was he? Did he have any descendants?"
"Just an eccentric, crazy old sorcerer. No descendants. They say his frequent dealings with the underworld led to his death," Master Mo said dismissively. "You're young and have your whole life ahead of you. Stay away from such underworld things, even if the Evil Pawnshop specializes in them."
With that, he turned his attention to Jing Jian's broken peachwood sword.
Before Lu Fei could ask further, his phone rang.
"Shopkeeper Lu, we've found the dog seller," Jiang Hao's serious voice said.
"That fast? Where?" Lu Fei asked, startled.
"Shopkeeper Lu, you need to prepare yourself. This person..."