Chapter 23: Lucius is Very Angry

Chapter 23: Lucius is Very Angry

Mr. Burke quickly suppressed the excitement on his face, apologized to Moon, then turned around, putting on a merchant's obsequious smile and oily tone. "Mr. Malfoy, it's a pleasure to see you again. Feel free to browse if you have anything in mind."

Lucius Malfoy glanced at Mr. Burke. "No, I'm not here to buy. Mr. Burke, I'm here to sell. You must have heard that the Ministry is intensifying its investigation into our major families. The Ministry's Aurors suspect our involvement with the idiot who caused trouble here a month ago."

As Lucius finished speaking, the smile on Mr. Burke's face froze, and his gaze involuntarily shifted towards the door.

Instinctively, the urge to escape gripped him, even though he was now an undead. He felt a desire to flee at this moment.

Despite becoming a living dead, he still experienced the instinct to escape under the moonlight. Thinking this, he stiffly turned back.

Moon casually flipped through an ancient Greek manuscript, indifferent to Lucius's words.

Unaware of Mr. Burke's changing expression, Lucius took a parchment from an inner pocket of his robe and unfolded it for Mr. Burke to see.

"I have some... ah... inconvenient items at home."

"Sorry, Mr. Lucius, could you please wait a moment? I need to talk to this gentleman first," Mr. Burke interrupted, then without waiting for Lucius's response, he turned, "Sir, let's talk in the back room."

Moon nodded, picked up the manuscript, and led the way into the back room. Mr. Burke turned to Lucius, "Mr. Malfoy, make yourself comfortable."

Lucius's expression remained unchanged, but his breathing became slightly heavier, and his gaze darkened. He stared at Moon's back, trying to discern his origins.

Mr. Burke, also known as Caractacus Burke, was widely addressed as Mr. Burke. Lucius Malfoy, like everyone else in the British wizarding world, didn't underestimate this seemingly greasy and stooped old man.

Apart from selling various dangerous dark magical items, Mr. Burke also collected peculiar and malevolent things. Many families, fearing Ministry scrutiny, pawned their illegal magical items to him.

Anyone with a bit of sense knew Mr. Burke was not to be underestimated; he was a true master of dark magic.

Even newly graduated wizards had done odd jobs for him.

Lucius knew his master well; he wouldn't be the type to take on odd jobs willingly.

This undoubtedly became powerful evidence of this shop's and its owner's strength.

However, Mr. Burke's attitude towards this previously unheard-of person...

The back room appeared chaotic, a storage room filled with various malicious magical items. Malevolent magical forces intertwined, enough to corrode and torment the mind of a young wizard, making them jumpy and paranoid.

Mr. Burke waved his wand, pulling out a large box from the corner, sweeping away the dust and cobwebs, and lifting the restrictions on the box.

Then, Moon saw what was inside.

A small wooden box emitting a strong salty smell, about the size of a jewelry box. The box was somewhat decayed, with moss and vines growing on it, and water constantly dripping from the cracks.

Mr. Burke looked at the box with some fear. "It's this. After all these years of sealing, it always looks like it was just pulled from the water."

Saying this, Mr. Burke took out the small box, opened it, revealing a conch shell, a small roll of fish skin, and a gold disc necklace.

"It's this necklace that brought the curse upon me." Mr. Burke stared at the necklace, fear and anger intertwining in his eyes.

Indeed, Mr. Burke's curse was related to the curse encountered by Jack Sparrow and his crew in the Caribbean Sea.

"Mr. Burke, as you know, killing is simple, but saving is difficult." Moon toyed with an invisible cat's whisker.

Mr. Burke said lightly, "I know. As long as you can solve my curse, you can choose anything from my belongings."

Moon nodded. "I'll do my best. To be honest, I have some understanding of this curse."

With a wave of his hand, Moon's wand, which looked enormous in this world of wizards, appeared. Moon swung the wand, and light emanated from the eye sockets of the skull at the wand's tip, leaving traces in the dim room, resembling two continuously blooming and colorful fire dragons.

Finally, Moon's wand aimed at Mr. Borgin's forehead, and all the brilliance flowed from the forehead into his brain, making him look like a lantern.

The brilliance circled from top to bottom, then...

Mr. Burke pursed his lips, pupils gradually dilating. He then took out his wand and aimed it at his wrist; the wand's tip turned into a blade, slashing fiercely.

Fresh blood flowed from his wrist.

"I... I... succeeded." Mr. Burke trembled, murmuring.

The pain... so distant, so distant that he had forgotten what pain felt like.

In his efforts to lift the curse, he even slaughtered an entire French family and returned all the loot to the destroyed merfolk tribe, but all in vain.

He had lingered as a living dead for decades.

Now, the feeling of being human returned to him.

"Don't get too excited. I've only temporarily suppressed the curse's effects, probably lasting only an hour. If you want a permanent solution..."

Mr. Burke quickly realized, "Sir, as you wish." He then handed the box to Moon. "You can take anything from here. Borgin and Burkes is forever open to you."

Moon was somewhat surprised; he didn't expect such excitement from just a temporary suppression of the curse. Admitting his own cunning, Moon didn't anticipate Mr. Burke to be this sincere, not concealing his eagerness.

Wasn't he afraid Moon would strip him of everything?

"I've been an undead for forty years; there's nothing to fear. As a human, if you can't feel anything, what's the point?" Mr. Burke said candidly.

"True," Moon nodded, smiling, "I don't want to spend the second half of my life being stared at by a living dead. That's too unsettling."

"I absolutely have no such intention," Mr. Burke quickly lowered his head.

Moon didn't care about these words. He stood up, wrapped the wooden box in parchment, then picked up the ancient Greek manuscript, gesturing to Mr. Burke.

"I'll study this, and I'll come back."

"Feel free to take the books." Mr. Borgin hastily said, "May I ask when you'll visit next?"

"Next week?" Moon casually mentioned a rough time, then walked out.

Lucius, in the store, was examining an ancient silverware. He then noticed Moon and Mr. Burke coming out of the house.

The wrinkles on Mr. Burke's face seemed to be squeezed out by the smile.

When Moon reached the door, Mr. Burke hurriedly asked, "By the way, how should I address you?"

Moon turned around, thinking for a moment...

"Captain!"

Having said that, he apparated away.

Lucius looked at the so-called "captain" leaving and then turned to Mr. Burke.

"Mr. Burke, I think we..."

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy. Sorry, but I have to close the shop." Burke interrupted, walking over, almost impatiently pushing Lucius out of the store.

"It's hard to explain, but... well, if you really want to sell something, come back in an hour." Burke hastily closed the shop.

"Why?" Lucius was somewhat angry. Even a clay statue had some temper, not to mention, he was the head of the Malfoy family. Waiting outside earlier had almost exhausted his patience and the little respect he had for Burke.

Burke played with a mocking smile, completely ignoring Lucius's thoughts. When he was struggling in Knockturn Alley, Lucius was still a child.

Back then, everyone did business, so they put on a good face. But now...

"I want to enjoy my rare one-hour life, Lucius."

After saying this, he also disappeared with a phantom.

(End of this chapter)