The red cloth shoes were handmade, with fine and dense stitching, small and delicate, with a mandarin duck embroidered on the shoe surface.
Due to their age, the originally bright red shoe surface had turned dark red.
They exuded a gloomy and eerie aura.
Lu Fei recognized at a glance that these were items worn by the dead.
"They only gave us one!" The couple looked distressed. "Shopkeeper Lu, what's wrong with the shoe? Is it also not valuable? They charged us hundreds of dollars for it!"
"Shoes worn by the dead contain yin energy and can勉强算是be considered evil objects," Lu Fei said.
"Evil objects?!"
The couple's eyes widened in disbelief, then filled with joy.
"Can these shoes be used to exchange for a divine skin?"
"No!" Lu Fei shook his head, "Shoes need to be in pairs to have value. You only have one shoe, so it's useless to me."
"We need to find a matching pair?" The man exclaimed eagerly, "Okay! We'll go and find the other shoe. We can even give you a few hundred more! With a pair of shoes, can we exchange for the divine skin?"
"If the value matches that of the divine skin, of course," Lu Fei replied seriously, "But I advise you to be psychologically prepared. Although these red cloth shoes were worn by the dead, they may not have any special value."
Shoes need to be in pairs. Lu Fei also needs to see a complete pair to determine their value.
"As long as there is a possibility, we will try! Master Lu, please be kind! Please, keep the divine skin for us. We will go back to our hometown right away!"
The man bowed and pleaded.
"Why do you want the magical skin so much?" Lu Fei looked at them, "This is an evil object, and evil objects have their own taboos for use; they are not all-powerful."
"Our child was burned in a fire, his face disfigured. He's only in his teens, and people make fun of him every day, calling him a monster. He has nearly taken his own life several times."
The man and his wife exchanged glances, sighing deeply, their weathered faces full of bitterness.
"We have to work to earn money, so we can only let his grandfather watch over him every day."
"It's all because we are uneducated and incapable, unable to make enough money... Moreover, the doctor said that his condition is too severe, even if he undergoes skin grafting, the results won't be ideal."
"Those taboos, compared to our child's whole life, are nothing. We can't just watch our child's life be ruined too."
As they spoke, both of them shed tears of sorrow.
What a heart-wrenching parental love.
Lu Fei nodded: "Alright, I can give you some time. One month, would that be enough?"
"Thank you! Thank you! You are such a good person. We had almost been misled by others' bad words about you! We really deserve it..."
The couple was overwhelmed with gratitude, bowing repeatedly.
"Alright, alright, it's all over now. Go and find the other shoe," Lu Fei hurriedly waved his hand.
"Okay, okay, we'll go back today."
Wiping their tears, the couple rushed outside in a hurry, nearly bumping into someone again.
"Sorry, little girl, did we bump into you?"
"No, it's fine, Auntie. Did you come out of Sinisterium Pawnshop to pawn something?"
"We came to buy a treasure... Manager Lu is such a good person! A really good person! Don't listen to what others say, just go in with peace of mind!"
The couple earnestly praised him for a few moments before hurrying off.
Duan Lingyue, her grandfather, and another old man looked at each other in surprise.
"Sinisterium Pawnshop has such a good reputation. I'm getting more and more curious about this young manager," the old man stroked his white beard and smiled.
"Since that's the case, Old He, please go ahead." Duan Tiankui made a gesture of invitation.
"Grandpa He, please come in." Duan Lingyue obediently opened the door.
"Little Lingyue is the most well-behaved."
The old man laughed heartily as he stepped into the pawnshop.
"Hello, may I ask how can I assist you?" Lu Fei stood up from behind the counter, giving the distinguished-looking elder a slight look-over.
He was slim and spirited, with exceptionally bright eyes.
"Big Brother Lu Fei!"
Before the old man could reply, Duan Lingyue and Duan Tiankui followed in.
"This is my grandfather's good friend, Grandpa Heyun Song!" Duan Lingyue took the initiative to introduce, "You helped Grandpa He gather herbs, and he was so happy that he wanted to come and see you in person!"
"So it's Elder He!"
Lu Fei walked out from behind the counter, smiling and bowing his hand to Elder He.
"Please, everyone, have a seat! Hu Zi, make some tea."
"Yes."
Hu Zi made some special tea from Sinisterium Pawnshop.
"Brother Lu Fei, these are my favorite snacks! I promised to treat you when you came back safely!" Duan Lingyue handed a bag of small snacks to Lu Fei.
"Alright, I won't be polite with little Lingyue." Lu Fei accepted them with a smile.
"Hehe!" Duan Lingyue smiled sweetly, her eyes curved like crescent moons. She happily sat beside her grandfather and looked around the pawnshop.
"I've heard from Old Duan that the successor of Sinisterium Pawnshop is young and capable. Today, I see that it's well-deserved." Elder He gave Lu Fei a quick look and smiled politely.
"It's too kind of you, both seniors, to say so." Lu Fei smiled modestly, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.
"Little Manager Lu did me a great favor, so I couldn't come empty-handed! Please accept this small token of my appreciation." Elder He placed a box of high-quality ginseng on the table.
"Old Master He, it was just a small effort on my part, this is too valuable!" Lu Fei was surprised and quickly declined politely.
"Manager Lu, no need to be so formal! If you don't accept it, how can I ask you for a favor?"
"Whatever it is, Old Master He, just say it."
Lu Fei no longer refused, but he didn't immediately take the ginseng, placing the box on the table.
"To be honest, when I rashly entered the Great Yin Mountains, it cost my apprentice an arm." Old Master He sighed softly, "I have been feeling guilty ever since and have always wanted to make amends."
"I've searched through medical books, but still found myself at a loss."
"Making flesh and bone regenerate is like a fairy tale."
"But in the end, I accidentally heard of a sort of evil object that can make broken bones regenerate. I don't know if it's true or not!"
"Grandfather He, are you referring to Dragon Breath Boneset?" Lu Fei said with a smile.
"Exactly!" Old Master He showed a pleased expression, "It seems I came to the right place after all! Manager Lu, do you know where I can find this boneset wood?"
"Dragon's Breath Elderwood is actually a rare, evil object that resembles wood. Like the coffin fungus, its growth conditions are extremely harsh." Lu Fei explained slowly.
"In fact, this evil object cannot truly regenerate broken bones; it merely replaces human bones with wood. Superficially, it appears no different from a normal limb and can perform some simple movements. But the activities are greatly restricted, and it cannot come into contact with water or fire."
"Has Senior Duan ever considered a prosthetic limb?"
"The current prosthetic technology is far from sufficient!" Old Master He shook his head.
"For this evil object to regrow an arm, appearing normal on the surface and capable of movement, is already miraculous! Avoiding water and fire is not difficult at all."
His eyes showed a glimmer of hope.
"Young Master Lu seems very familiar with this evil object. Do you know how to obtain it?"
Chapter 255: The Dragon's Resting Place
Lu Fei continued, "Elder members of my family mentioned that Dragon's Breath Elderwood usually grows in places where dragons have fallen, nourished by the last breath of the fallen dragon."
"No wonder it's called Dragon's Breath Wood." Old Master He nodded, thinking for a moment, "Are there any places near Jiang City where dragons have fallen?"
"There is a place called Balong Mountain outside the city. Decades ago, there were rumors of a dragon descending," Duan Tiankui began to speak.
Duan Lingyue couldn't help but ask curiously, "Grandpa, what does it mean for a dragon to descend?"
"A descending dragon refers to a divine dragon in the heavens and on earth that, due to various reasons, falls to a certain place in the mortal world. These dragons can no longer return to the heavens and eventually transform into huge mountains and lakes in the human world."
"Wow, then aren't these mountains and lakes filled with spiritual energy!" Duan Lingyue opened her eyes wide, "Grandpa, is the dragon vein formed this way?"
"Not entirely." Facing his granddaughter, Duan Tiankui showed no sign of impatience.
"A dragon vein is the top feng shui treasure land in the world, gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Its mountainous form resembles a dragon, which is why it is called a dragon vein."
"Places where dragons have descended can form dragon veins, but not all dragon veins are created by descending dragons."
"I understand, Grandpa!" Duan Lingyue nodded earnestly, "It's like a chocolate cake; chocolate can be used to make a cake, but it doesn't mean that all cakes are made of chocolate."
Her analogy made everyone burst out laughing.
"You little glutton!" Duan Tiankui couldn't help but tap her little nose.
At this moment, Lu Fei thought of the mountain goods Zhao Fengchun had given him, and he quickly asked Hu Zi to bring out some mountain walnuts and roasted peanuts to entertain the little food lover.
Old Man He then said, "Old Duan, you're the expert in feng shui. From your perspective, do you think there was indeed a divine dragon that fell on Baxian Mountain?"
"Empty words are baseless. No matter how skilled I am, I don't have the ability to see through distant places!" Duan Tiankui laughed, "Especially for such a special feng shui location, we must see it with our own eyes. Only when we get there can I make a more accurate judgment."
"When would you be free to go with me?"
"You're being too formal by asking that. Your matters are my matters. I'm naturally available anytime."
"Thanks, old buddy!" Old Man He was very moved and patted his old friend's shoulder. Then he said to Lu Fei, "Young Master Lu, I hope you can make a trip to Baxian Mountain and help me find that Dragon Breath Euonymus."
"If the elder asks, the junior is naturally happy to oblige," Lu Fei readily agreed.
With business coming, how could there be any reason to refuse?
"However, Old Man He, since it's an evil object, it naturally has evil qualities. In the last breath of that true dragon, besides spiritual energy, there is also resentment."
"Resentment?" Old Man He's expression changed slightly, and he exchanged a glance with Duan Tiankui, then urgently asked, "What kind of evil qualities might it have?"
"After the elderberry is connected to a person, if they cannot resist the resentment within, it's possible that they might gradually turn into wood. Although they may appear no different from ordinary people, in reality, they have become emotionless wooden figures," Lu Fei replied seriously.
"It's so serious!" This was something Old Master He never would have expected, "Is there any way to eliminate such resentment?"
"The resentment of a true dragon is not so easily eliminated. I can't guarantee one hundred percent success, but I will do my best," Lu Fei said sincerely with a smile.
"Your words are enough! No matter what, I must first obtain the Dragon Breath Elderberry; it is my only hope to make amends to my disciple! As for the side effects, we can figure out ways to deal with them later!"
Old Master He nodded forcefully, reappearing with a smile.
"Alright! However, Senior He, the association's test is about to begin. How about I go to Bulong Mountain after I pass the test?"
"Why bother with such trouble?" Old He waved his hand, "Old Duan and I may not have much capability, but we have a bit of seniority. With our recommendation, you can join directly."
So there's such a way to do it!
Lu Fei couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
It seems that any circle cannot be separated from personal connections, and the Xuanmen world is no exception.
After all, no matter how powerful a person from the Xuan Sect is, they are still human.
Where there are people gathered, there will be social graces and worldly wisdom.
"Thank you for your kindness, seniors, but I signed up with a friend this time, and I can't just leave him behind," Lu Fei declined with a smile.
"Who is your friend? If his talents are acceptable, I can vouch for him as well..." Great Elder He said after a moment's thought.
"Old He, young Lu here is ambitious and capable; he doesn't need us to pull strings for him," Duan Tiankui advised. "If Young Lu has promised you, he will certainly fulfill it. Put your mind at ease, why rush things?"
"You're right, I was being hasty."
With that said, Great Elder He also did not insist anymore.
"But, Manager Lu, you can learn about the place called the Ruby Mansion."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
Lu Fei knew that the other party was giving him a tip, so he nodded seriously.
Then, Old Master He left a golden business card and got up to take his leave.
"Manager Lu, we won't disturb you any longer as you need to prepare for the test! Feel free to come to the hospital if you need anything."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Lu Fei saw the three of them off. Noticing that Duan Lingyue enjoyed eating walnuts and roasted peanuts, he packed a large bag for her to take with her.
"Big Brother Lu Fei is the best!" The girl was so delighted that her eyes curved into crescents.
After they left, Lu Fei took a look at the business card.
Apricot Grove Clinic.
He then put it away in a drawer.
"The Ruby Tower should be the place for the test this time." Lu Fei turned on his computer and searched for information related to the building.
"Boss, the name sounds like a commercial building. Can such a crowded place really be haunted?" Hu Zi asked curiously.
"Don't underestimate this building; it's a notoriously famous haunted building, one of the Eight Great Urban Legends of Jiang City, along with the old dormitory building of Jiang University."
Lu Fei quickly found the relevant information.
As a native of Jiang City, he had heard about the horror stories related to the Ruby Building more than ten years ago.
"That's amazing!"
Tiger instantly became energized, leaning closer to the laptop screen and taking a few glances. He scratched his head and said, "Boss, why don't you tell me about it? I get drowsy when I see so many words."
Lu Fei took a sip of tea, peeled some roasted peanuts, and began to speak slowly.
"The Ruby Building was the first high-rise in Jiang City with an elevator!"
"When it first opened, it caused quite a stir."
"Many wealthy people scrambled to use their connections to buy a unit. Owning an apartment in the Ruby Building was a symbol of status and prestige."
"You could say that it sold out on the very first day of its opening!"
"Those who bought the houses were so proud and happy when they moved in! But no one expected that a particularly devastating fire would break out within less than a year of the handover!"
Huzi opened his eyes wide: "A fire? Did many people die?"
"The fire broke out in the middle of the night, and it's said that several households couldn't escape!"
Lu Fei narrowed his eyes, his tone grim.
"That day was particularly eerie. One household was holding a wedding, while another was holding a funeral."