After the product catalog update, more than a dozen new items were added. I didn't bother to look closely—I just wanted to leave Xinhu High School as quickly as possible.
As for what to redeem, I would need to carefully study my options later.
Supporting each other, Xiaofeng and I left the school. It wasn't until we had walked quite a distance that we flagged down a taxi. Our clothes reeked of a foul odor, and coupled with Xiaofeng's blood-red bridal gown, the driver was so spooked that I had to explain we were shooting a movie to calm him down.
"Xiaofeng, how did you find me last night?"
"As soon as you left, I caught a taxi and followed you. The driver seemed to know you—a middle-aged balding uncle who seemed particularly interested when I mentioned paranormal livestreams."
"A balding uncle? No way it's that much of a coincidence."
"He even said people like you in the entertainment industry should behave yourself, or you might be sneaking off to meet someone for a rendezvous."
"Uh..."
Looking at Xiaofeng clinging tightly to my arm, I didn't know what to say. She undoubtedly carried a massive secret, but I couldn't figure out how to ask about it. Forget it. This is fine as it is.
Back on Ting Tang Road at Happy Pinnacle, Xiaofeng and I were stunned the moment we stepped out of the taxi.
"Who the hell had the nerve to trash my shop?!"
Xiaofeng hadn't locked the shutter door when she left last night, and now the inner glass door was shattered. Merchandise lay scattered across the floor, crushed into pieces.
I had planned to take a shower and sleep comfortably, but now my home base had been wrecked.
"Damn it!" I rolled up my sleeves and stormed into the shop, just in time to see Blind Liu leaning on his carrying pole. He was holding some sort of gadget, fiddling with the switches as he curiously explored its various vibrations.
"What's this thing for? There's not even a user manual!"
"You blind bastard! I treated you as a friend, and you trashed my shop! This is everything I've saved up over the years!" Grabbing Liu by the collar, I was about to teach him a lesson when he flicked his pole and, with swift movements, easily pinned me to the ground.
"Why would I wreck your shop? You're a dying sick man—why would I want to mess with that bad luck?"
"If it wasn't you, then who? I yelled for you in your alley for half an hour last night, but you didn't show. Now you suddenly appear here? A weasel paying a New Year visit to a chicken—it's not a good thing!"
"I had my hands full, so I went out of town to look for my senior brother."
"Did you find him?"
"No."
"You bastard! How dare you act so calm about it then? Let me go! I want a duel!"
Liu was about to say something when his gaze fell on Xiaofeng, who had walked in wearing her bridal gown. His face instantly changed as he raised his pole defensively, stepping in front of me.
"What malevolent ghost dares to reveal itself in broad daylight?!"
"Reveal your ass! She's the waitress I hired—let go of me!" Finally breaking free of his hold, I explained Xiaofeng's origins to Liu. After listening, he frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long time.
"So, if you didn't trash the shop, then who did?"
Liu rubbed his fingers together, and just as I thought he was about to perform some divination trick, the old con artist pointed to the surveillance camera outside. "Go check for yourself."
Pulling up the footage, I saw a group of people arriving at my shop around 2 or 3 a.m. They stepped out of a van with sticks in hand and smashed everything without a word.
Though the license plate was covered, they hadn't bothered to hide their faces. One thug with a scorpion tattoo on his chest even flipped off the camera after the vandalism.
"So brazen!"
I had offended a lot of people lately, but I couldn't immediately identify them.
While Xiaofeng busied herself cleaning up the shop, she glanced at the footage, looking worried. "Should we call the police?"
"Call the police?" Even if they were arrested, they'd only be locked up for a week or two. Such a mild punishment wouldn't satisfy my anger.
"I'll handle this myself. I don't care who's backing them—if they dare mess with my shop, I'll make them pay."
The bold fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who have nothing to lose. Given my current situation, I was basically in the latter category.
After tidying up the mess, it was already noon. Xiaofeng and I cleaned ourselves up, changed into normal clothes, and invited Liu to eat with us.
After three rounds of drinks, Liu remained silent. Only when Xiaofeng passed out drunk did he dip his finger in water and write on the table: "Have you two shared a bed?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "Old Liu, do I look like someone who can't resist temptation? She's homeless, so I've taken her in temporarily. We're just pure friends."
"She was born under the Red Phoenix Star, but she's haunted by a vengeful ghost. Two lives in one body—she's a living monster! You mustn't get involved. Send her away, the farther the better!" Liu's fingers moved swiftly, forming each character with precision.
Reading his warning, I didn't give it much thought. "You're drunk, aren't you?"
If it weren't for Xiaofeng last night, I'd already be dead. Even if it meant trading my life for hers, I couldn't abandon her now.
"Karmic entanglement and endless consequences—you'll only sink deeper. In the end, there are only two paths for you." Liu stood up, writing his final words with liquor: "Either marry her or kill her."
"You're really drunk. I won't marry her, and I certainly won't kill her." I grabbed some food and spoke with certainty.
Liu hesitated, but seeing my determination, he sighed deeply. "Fine. It's all predestined. There's nothing human effort can change."
With his blindfold covering his eyes, Liu seemed to stare at me for several seconds. "You're already on your last legs. Resentment has seeped into your bones. I don't know where you went last night, but the aura of death around you has multiplied. If this continues, you won't last much longer, even without her harming you."
"I know, but there are places I have to go." After spending the night playing games with vengeful spirits and searching for corpses in the sealed room of Tianchen's celestial curse, it was no wonder the aura of death clung to me. "Old Liu, do you know how to dispel this kind of aura?"
"Dispelling it requires rare treasures, the kind you can't buy even with money. What you should be worrying about is something else." He glanced at Xiaofeng. "Heavy yin energy will attract more malicious entities, making your situation increasingly dangerous."
"I've already got a pile of troubles—what's one more?"
"You're awfully carefree." Liu was speechless at my attitude. "Frequenting the riverbank, you're bound to get your feet wet. Be cautious. You'd better keep some roosters or black dogs in your shop for early warnings. When danger comes, they might buy you some time."
"Keeping roosters in the shop doesn't seem practical…"
"I'm trying to help you. If you're dead, what does practicality matter?" With that, Liu finished his drink, grabbed his carrying pole, and left.
I paid the bill and carried the drunk Xiaofeng back to the shop. Looking at her delicate face, her peach-blushed cheeks, and lightly parted red lips, I found myself unable to sleep.
After tucking her in, I locked the door and headed to the largest pet market in Jiang City.
Liu was right—some animals could indeed sense spirits and ward off evil. Getting one to guard the shop would be useful and reassuring.
It was my first time at a pet market, and I didn't expect business to be so bustling.
"Green iguanas and chameleons—buy two, get one free, only 1,999!"
"Feeling lonely without a companion? Tired of having no one to understand you? Get a monk parrot! It's not just a pet; it's a therapist for your soul!"
"The intelligent red rose tarantula—the queen of spiders. Aren't you tempted?"
Looking at the shop signs and the cages hanging outside, I felt too embarrassed to tell anyone, "Boss, I want two roosters—white feathers with red combs."
After wandering down most of the street, I finally spotted a store selling dogs. However, the ones inside were all cute breeds that appealed to girls.
I shook my head and was about to leave when the enthusiastic shopkeeper called out to me. "Hey, buddy, you don't seem too impressed with my dogs."
"They're too delicate. I want something more intimidating." Of course, I didn't dare say I needed the dog to ward off evil.
"Ah, I get it. The customer is always right. Come on in—the fiercer ones are in the back. I keep them hidden to avoid scaring off passersby."
The shopkeeper pulled back a heavy curtain and led me to the backyard.
The dogs here did look more ferocious, but for some reason, they all cowered at the back of their cages the moment I approached, trembling as if terrified.
"This isn't right. These pups are usually very aggressive. Why aren't they even barking today?" The shopkeeper seemed puzzled.
I could only sigh, guessing that my heavy yin energy and the celestial curse on me were scaring them.
Noticing I was about to leave, the shopkeeper gritted his teeth and called out, "Wait! I've got some other dogs—top-tier ones. But whether you buy or not, promise me you won't tell anyone about them. I don't want trouble."
"Oh? You've got something even fiercer?"
"Of course." The shopkeeper pulled out a key and unlocked the door to a room at the very back.
The moment the door opened, the smell of raw meat wafted out.
"Be careful. Don't get too close to the cages. These are large fighting dogs and a few mastiffs being boarded for their owners. They're fed raw meat and are quite wild."
Standing by the door, the shopkeeper gestured for me to look for myself.
I nodded and took one step in. Instantly, the sound of chains clattering echoed from the cages, like cold water splashed into boiling oil.