In the dead of night.
An opera stage stood erected in the remote wilderness.
The lights were dim and yellowish.
The audience seats below the stage were unexpectedly filled to capacity.
But eerily, all those people remained completely motionless and utterly silent.
Upon closer inspection, they were revealed to be paper effigies with uniform facial expressions, staring vacantly at the stage.
On the platform stood a female lead in white opera costume, performing with elongated vocal tones.
Her singing flowed with melodic grace, her movements exquisitely poised.
A more attentive observer would notice this lead performer was also a paper effigy.
Paper effigies watched the opera; paper effigies performed the opera.
Only the musicians beating gongs and drums at the stage's edge were living humans.
The pale-faced musicians played with nervous precision, scarcely daring to breathe as they maintained their accompaniment.
After the final aria, the white-clad female lead gazed fixedly at the paper audience for a prolonged moment before finally clasping her hands and bowing slightly.
Curtain call.
The eerie opera finally concluded.
The musicians exhaled collective sighs of relief.
"Everyone worked hard!"
Lu Fei and Master Yan approached from nearby.
Only by letting the haunted costume complete a full performance could its lingering resentment dissipate, rendering the malignant entity harmless.
He carefully stored the costume, then instructed the crew to burn all paper effigies and thoroughly clean the area.
Wang Xiaoqiang participated in the cleanup, working with particular diligence.
"Master Yan, thank you for your assistance."
Lu Fei presented a thick envelope to the opera master.
This Yin opera cannot be performed without Troupe Leader Yan.
"I should be the one thanking Shopkeeper Lu. How could I take your money? From now on, our Chun Family Troupe can finally be rid of this harmful thing, even though the Chun Family Troupe is no more..." Troupe Leader Yan smiled self-deprecatingly.
"Troupe Leader Yan, let's keep matters separate. You invited everyone to help—we can't let them return empty-handed."
Lu Fei stubbornly pressed the envelope into Troupe Leader Yan's hands.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Troupe Leader Yan froze momentarily before clutching the envelope with tearful gratitude.
He distributed the payments to the group and used his own share to treat everyone to a farewell meal.
Henceforth, they all went their separate ways.
Wang Xiaoqiang sought out Sinisterium Pawnshop, begging Lu Fei to take him in.
But Lu Fei needed no extra hands, and Sinisterium Pawnshop would never employ such a person. He instructed Hu Zi to politely decline.
Hu Zi escorted Wang Xiaoqiang out of the antique street and gave him several hundred yuan.
"Xiaoqiang, take this for emergencies. If you work diligently and earnestly, you'll repay your debts in time!"
"Brother Hu, thank you! I understand! When I earn money, I'll repay you without fail!"
Aid the urgent, not the perpetually destitute.
Wang Xiaoqiang's future now rested solely on himself.
Later.
Lu Fei summoned Liu Fugui and instructed him to spread news of the antique opera costume.
This garment best suited performing artists—wearing it during performances would guarantee audience acclaim.
"Splendid! My dear Brother Lu! After all this waiting, you're finally releasing a treasure!"
Overjoyed, Liu Fugui worked with frenzied enthusiasm and secured a buyer within days.
The buyer was a washed-up actress who had once won Best Actress. Her early fame had gone to her head, and her diva antics had offended many, causing her resources and reputation to plummet.
Now approaching middle age, she finally understood regret. Desperate for a comeback, she faced an entertainment industry overflowing with fresh-faced beauties. Despite trying numerous methods, none yielded satisfactory results.
When she appeared at Sinisterium Pawnshop wearing hat and sunglasses, Hu Zi's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Isn't that... Bai, Bai Yuyan..."
"Shh! Keep it down!"
Liu Fugui smugly raised a finger to Hu Zi, presenting the ancient theatrical costume to actress Bai Yuyan.
"Miss Bai, as the acclaimed Queen of Period Dramas, this historical costume was made for you."
"Is this costume truly that miraculous?"
Bai Yuyan removed her sunglasses to examine the garment closely.
Nearing forty, her meticulous skincare couldn't completely conceal the traces of time at the corners of her eyes.
The pristine white costume flowed with ethereal lightness, exuding an icy elegance. She felt instant attraction after just a few glances.
"Madam Bai, this garment will indeed help you win audience approval," Lu Fei said with a smile. ""However, prolonged wear may affect your voice. Exceeding one year could risk permanent voicelessness.""
""Please consider carefully before deciding."
"Just my voice? Small price. I'll use dubbing if needed. The entertainment industry moves fast - who knows where we'll be in a year? All I need is to stay relevant now! This career feasts on youth, and time waits for no one."
Bai Yuyan dismissed the warning, promptly completing the payment.
Three million yuan, spent without batting an eyelash.
"Don't disappoint me. Next time we meet, it'll be on television!"
Smiling, she stored the costume but lingered, surveying the pawnshop with growing interest.
"They say your shop specializes in collecting strange cursed objects. Do you handle exorcisms too?"
"Oh? Does Madam Bai have cursed items to recommend?" Lu Fei appeared surprised.
"It's not a sinister object. In fact, there are many traditions in filmmaking, and the entertainment industry has its share of eerie occurrences too," Bai Yuyan waved her hand.
"A friend of mine recently took a role in a horror film shooting at a reportedly haunted hotel. She keeps feeling the place is unclean, suspects something's attached to her, and wants someone knowledgeable to check it out."
"Apologies, we normally don't take cases unrelated to sinister objects, but I can refer you to a friend."
Lu Fei gave Bai Yuyan Jing Jian's contact number.
"Alright, I'll have her try that."
Bai Yuyan casually slipped the business card into her designer bag, put on sunglasses, and stood to leave.
Hu Zi eagerly escorted the celebrity to the door, gathering courage to stammer: "M-Miss Bai, I'm your devoted fan, grew up watching your dramas... Could I get an autograph..."
Before he could finish, her face darkened.
"'Grew up watching my dramas'? Do I look that old to you?"
Bai Yuyan rolled her eyes and departed.
Hu Zi stood frozen, enduring Liu Fugui's merciless laughter.
"Celebrities really have it easy making money. No wonder everyone wants into showbiz."
Lu Fei split the earnings with Liu Fugui, noting the transaction in his ledger.
Though he'd anticipated the antique opera costume fetching good money, he hadn't expected such effortless profit.
Antique Opera Costume.
Imbued with the obsession of performers. Wearing it during performances guarantees audience acclaim.
Sinister Object +1. Total collected sinister objects: 37.
"Oh right, there's also the King of Hell's Summons."
Remembering this, Lu Fei contacted Lin Shishi.
Lin Shishi's mother had fully recovered. The young woman specially visited Sinisterium Pawnshop to complete the pawn procedure, accepting only twenty thousand yuan.
Twenty thousand yuan for the Death God's Invitation is already a steal.
This is also a major killing tool.
How many people in this world possess the Cycle Realm to discern the clues of the Death God's Invitation?
Once the Death God's Invitation is received, no one has hope of survival.
If the King of Hell wants you dead at the third watch, he won't keep you till the fifth?
Cursed objects +1 again, total collected cursed objects now 38.
Putting down the account book.
Lu Fei glanced at the time and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"In two more days, it will be the Ghost Festival..."