Sinisterium Pawnshop: Exclusive to Malevolent Objects

　　"Good luck? Did I hear that right!"

　　Upon hearing Lu Fei's words, Hu Zi's sallow face twitched, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

　　"I'm almost tortured to death by this thing, and you still say I have good luck? This kind of good fortune... I'll give it to you, do you want it?" With the incense ash stuck in his throat, he spoke stutteringly.

　　"Didn't you already sell the copper coin to me? This good thing is already mine." Lu Fei chuckled and helped Hu Zi sit up.

　　"You rest for a bit, I'll clean up here."

　　After saying that, he put the bowls, dishes, and paper ashes used for sending offerings to the spirits into a plastic bag, then shoveled some soil to bury Hu Zi's vomit.

　　Even if this place is deserted, it is still a crossroad. If it's messy and dirty, how can others pass through?

　　Lu Fei was not a person with a moral compulsion for cleanliness, but he did not like to affect others because of his own matters.

　　Leaning against the streetlight, Hu Zi panted weakly. Seeing Lu Fei's relaxed expression, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope: "Lu Fei, do I really have a chance of being saved?"

　　"Of course."

　　"You're not just saying that to make me happy...Don't worry, I can distinguish right from wrong. Even if you can't save me, I won't come after you when I'm dead..."

　　"Even if you come looking for me, I'm not afraid!" Lu Fei interrupted him impatiently, "Besides, you won't die! At least not now. I already know what that evil thing is, and knowing it makes it easier to deal with."

　　Tiger's sunken eyes lit up again: "What exactly is it?"

　　"Let's talk about it once we get back. The crossroads have heavy yin energy, and your yang fire is weak right now. It's like a house with no doors; any filthy thing can get in."

　　Throwing everything into the trash can, Lu Fei patted the dust off his body and helped Tiger up.

　　In his twenties, Tiger looked like an old man on the brink of death, his tall frame deeply hunched. With Lu Fei's support, they made their way back, stopping and starting along the way. A twenty-minute walk took them an hour to return to the pawnshop.

　　Lu Fei placed Tiger in a chair and went to the back courtyard bedroom with a key, opened an old cabinet, and retrieved a very old yellow talisman from inside.

　　He lit the yellow talisman and put it in a glass of water, making a talisman-infused drink, which he handed to the half-dead Tiger.

　　"Drink this."

　　"Do you think I'm not vomiting hard enough?" Hu Zi's face was full of resistance.

　　"This is talisman water, it can ward off evil. After you drink it, you won't feel so uncomfortable, and maybe you can even eat."

　　"Is it true?" Hu Zi took the cup with a trembling hand, "If this thing is so good, why didn't you give it to me earlier?"

　　"I'm just trying to save you money. The talisman water costs 200 RMB a cup," Lu Fei said with a serious face, "If we could get rid of that hungry ghost tonight, you wouldn't have to spend this money, but unfortunately, it's not that simple. Oh, by the way, the copper coins cost 100 RMB, remember to pay me back later."

　　In fact, these talismans were left to him by his grandfather, and he cherished them as there were only a few left.

　　"You sure are kind."

　　Hu Zi gave a bitter smile and, holding the cup, first tentatively took a small sip. After waiting for a moment and finding no signs of nausea, he finished the rest.

　　"Damn, not eating for so long, even a glass of water tastes so good!"

　　Hu Zi smacked his lips, feeling unsatisfied. As soon as he put down the cup, he felt a warm current surge from his stomach and spread throughout his body.

　　His cold and numb limbs felt better, his bloated belly shrank significantly, and even his itchy teeth felt much better.

　　"Really useful!" Hu Zi was pleasantly surprised, and his gaze towards Lu Fei was different now.

　　"I'm really impressed! Brother Lu Fei, no, Elder Brother Lu Fei, please tell me, what exactly is that copper coin? How do we deal with it?"

　　Lu Fei took out the copper coin and examined it under the light before saying, "This is called a hungry ghost coin."

　　"What does that mean?"

　　"It's a special kind of evil object. The conditions for becoming a hungry ghost coin are very strict; it's not just something you can dig up from any grave. First, it has to be a mouth money placed in a dead person's mouth. Secondly, the deceased must have been a hungry ghost."

　　Lu Fei smiled at Hu Zi.

　　"There are plenty of mouth moneys and many hungry ghosts, but the chances of these two elements coming together are one in ten thousand. What you have isn't just luck, what else could it be?"

　　Hu Zi waved his hands repeatedly: "Who would want this kind of luck! Just tell me how to deal with it."

　　"To counter this hungry ghost curse, it can be simple or complicated. Mainly, you need some soil from the grave of a hungry ghost."

　　"Ah? That still doesn't solve anything!" Hu Zi's face fell again, "I don't even know where it's buried. How am I supposed to find the soil from its grave?"

　　"Don't worry, I have a plan. Tomorrow we'll first go to the village where you collect copper coins, and I'll take care of the rest. It's getting late now, so let's get some sleep. If you don't rest well, how will you have the strength to dig up a grave tomorrow?"

　　Lu Fei patted Hu Zi on the shoulder.

　　Seeing Lu Fei so confident, Hu Zi put all his questions aside. After a series of tiring events, his body could hardly hold up any longer.

　　He leaned back on the sofa and fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes.

　　After drinking the talisman water, his body felt warm and was no longer tormented by nausea. This was the most peaceful sleep he had in recent days.

　　The next morning.

　　Hu Zi was finally able to eat normally.

　　Sitting at a roadside stall, he gnawed on a warm meat bun while wiping away tears.

　　His eating manner made Lu Fei wish he didn't know him.

　　"Take it easy, the talisman water will work for three days, which is enough to deal with that hungry ghost."

　　"You don't understand what it's like to be hungry for days and nights! Even if I can't find soil from a grave, I'd rather die as a satiated ghost than a starving one. It's better to be killed directly than to starve to death."

　　Tiger ate six baskets of food and still wasn't satisfied, he even wanted to pack some more for the road.

　　The street vendor was so moved that he felt like he had found a kindred spirit and insisted on giving him two more baskets of buns for free.

　　The village where the copper coins were collected was in a remote county under Jiangdu. In order to get there quickly, Tiger borrowed a minivan from a friend.

　　Driving along the bumpy road, Tiger kept eating while driving and finally arrived at the village entrance after half a day.

　　"My boss was collecting ancient pottery bowls at a house in the west part of the village. Let's go and inquire. If the old bastard who sold the copper coins is from this village, we should be able to find out."

　　After a full meal, although Tiger was still thin, he looked much more energetic.

　　He parked the car and, relying on his memory, led Lu Fei into the village, finding the house with ease.

　　The homeowner was a middle-aged man with dark skin and yellow teeth. He still remembered Tiger because he had recently sold an ancient pottery bowl.

　　"Uncle, I'm here to ask about someone." Tiger offered him a cigarette.

　　"You speak." The middle-aged man placed the cigarette behind his ear.

　　"Is there an old man in our village, wearing all black clothes and green rubber shoes, very thin and bony?"

　　"Don't all old men look like that? Give me a name."

　　"I don't know his name." Hu Zi scratched his head, trying hard to recall, and said, "I remember now, he has a big black spot on his neck and many on the back of his hands too."

　　"Black spots?" The middle-aged man was taken aback for a moment, his eyes becoming strange as he looked at Hu Zi and asked, "Why are you looking for this person?"