As they approached the entrance, Zhao Lun noticed the dim lighting, and an uncomfortable atmosphere washed over him.
This unpleasant odor reminded him of the cold, fishy scent he had detected from Piro earlier.
Piro was waiting at the door, and as he saw the car pull up, he hurried over with a sycophantic demeanor, eager to lead them inside.
"Ah! Sir, you finally made it! I thought you wouldn't come!"
At that moment, his behavior was exceedingly warm, devoid of the earlier bitterness he had shown in Chinatown.
Seeing Zhao Lun's flashy vehicle made Piro's eyes gleam; he almost drooled in delight. The car was stunning, decades ahead of others, and he had never seen such a vehicle on the market before. The emblem indicated it was a custom-made car, and it was clear to Piro that the young man before him was wealthy, perhaps a significant tycoon.
He loved dealing with rich individuals like this; if he played his cards right, he could potentially earn a hefty sum.
Zhao Lun wasn't surprised by Piro's reaction; he had seen many people like him over the years.
"Why does your place smell so strongly? It's reminiscent of snake skin. Do you have snakes at home?"
The overpowering stench made Zhao Lun suspect that Piro must have a lot of snakes; otherwise, such a potent odor wouldn't linger.
"No! Sir! There's only me at home; no one else, and certainly no snakes! Not even a cockroach!"
"But the strange smell you mentioned was noticeable at first, though I can't smell it anymore."
As he followed Piro into his home, Zhao Lun summoned a faint protective barrier around himself to shield against the foul odor.
No cockroaches in sight, yet he couldn't smell anything? Zhao Lun scrutinized Piro, noting that he seemed utterly indifferent to the stench.
Zhao Lun opened a small window, and the overwhelming odor nearly made him choke.
"This smell is no ordinary foul! No wonder you can't smell it; your sense of smell must be dulled!"
The deeper they went, the stronger the smell became. If someone lived here for too long without moving out, they would inevitably become desensitized to it.
This numbness served as a form of self-protection for the body. Without it, it was hard to believe he wouldn't be overcome by the stench.
"Indeed, my sense of smell has gone numb; I don't even know if the smell washes off when I bathe."
"Recently, many of the neighbors have moved away; they probably couldn't tolerate the smell either."
His yard was well-lit, but a layer of "clouds" obscured the light, making the entire yard appear dark.
The few potted plants remaining had withered and were nearly dead.
"That tree looks sick too."
As Zhao Lun glanced at the remaining potted plants in the yard, Piro explained.
Upon entering Piro's house, Zhao Lun was taken aback by what he saw—statues of various deities: the God of Wealth, the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, and others.
Quite an assortment! It seemed like a desperate attempt to seek salvation! Seeing these, Zhao Lun quickly grasped the situation and couldn't help but chuckle.
Even with a general understanding, Zhao Lun still inquired about these items' origins. "What are these?"
There were numerous items, including a cross and a silver cup containing what appeared to be "holy water." Zhao Lun noticed that the "holy water" had already changed color, and the silver cup's discoloration indicated the terrible conditions of the environment. Piro's ability to survive in such a place showed he had a remarkable vitality, almost like a cockroach that refused to die.
"The cross! May the Lord bless me, but it seems He hasn't been able to help me!"
"I came to Chinatown, heard that the Jade Emperor, the Three Pure Ones, the Buddha, the God of Wealth, and Guan Yu could bless me, so I spent some money to invite them… oh, no! I should say I requested their presence!"
"My situation seems to have remained unchanged…"
He looked regretfully at the various "sacred objects" in front of him, then casually picked up some incense from the side, lit it, and knelt down, sincerely praying to the "true gods."
Zhao Lun was dumbfounded. "Hey! Didn't you say they don't work? And yet you still pray to them?!"
After lighting the incense, Piro realized he might have acted disrespectfully, quickly apologizing to Zhao Lun. "I'm sorry, sir! I've been praying for days, and I've grown used to it. Seeing the incense burner makes me want to pray."
Zhao Lun could only shake his head at that.
Seeing Piro's expression, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I feel like the Three Pure Ones, the Buddha, the Jade Emperor, and Guan Yu are quite effective."
"It seems so, but let's get down to business quickly. If I stay here any longer, I might suffocate from this stench!"
Zhao Lun urged him to move on.
"Please follow me!"
Zhao Lun pushed him along; honestly, very few people who came to see him could maintain their composure and speak calmly like Zhao Lun. Most either couldn't endure the smell and left or shouted at him in frustration. But Zhao Lun only expressed mild curiosity without being rude.
Piro felt a surge of goodwill toward Zhao Lun. He was even more curious about the young man, who could withstand such an unbearable odor for so long.
Leading Zhao Lun to a study, Piro opened the door, and a cloud of dust billowed out.
"Cough, cough…"
Piro coughed from the dust, while Zhao Lun remained unaffected, having sealed off the toxic air outside.
"Sorry, I haven't cleaned in a long time."
With an awkward smile, Piro entered the room, and Zhao Lun followed.
Indeed, it hadn't been cleaned in ages. Dust covered everything, and the windows were thick with grime, blocking out the light and making the entire study dim.
Dust settled over everything, and even the slightest movement stirred up clouds of particles.
Zhao Lun frowned, wondering how such an environment could protect any antiques.
Piro guided him past a cluttered desk to a bookcase, suddenly pulling it open. "It's in here!"
The bookcase swung open, revealing a narrow underground passage, just wide enough for three people to walk side by side.
"Follow me!"
Zhao Lun, confident in his abilities, wasn't worried about Piro's intentions and followed him inside.
The lighting was already poor, and the underground area was even darker. Piro grabbed a torch from nearby and lit it. "The electrical system is down; we'll have to rely on torches for light."
Zhao Lun nodded, not particularly concerned. The darkness didn't faze him; in his eyes, it felt no different from daylight. However, having a torch would help alleviate some strain on his eyes.
The two descended the stairs, heading underground, stopping at a heavy iron door secured with chains. Piro produced a key from his belt and deftly unlocked it, then pushed the door open without hesitation.
The iron door creaked as it swung open.
Whoosh!—
A gust of chilling wind rushed out, blowing toward the two of them.
Protected by his barrier, Zhao Lun remained steady, but Piro staggered slightly in the wind, almost losing his balance. The torch in his hand extinguished in the draft.
Zhao Lun observed as the "wind" brushed against Piro, enveloping him in a soft golden light that shielded him from the worst of it.
"Damn it! Every time I come here, I encounter this strange wind!"
Piro cursed, quickly retrieving a lighter to reignite the torch. After the draft passed, he successfully lit it again.
---
**To be continued...**