Chapter 49: The Green-Eyed Ghost Crow
Both of them were startled.
It was a bird, completely black like a crow, but with a pair of eerie green eyes.
"Where did this freak bird come from? Get out of here!"
Seeing the black bird swooping toward the urn, Tiger lunged to swat it away.
To his surprise, his hand passed right through the bird.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that the bird was made of thick, condensed black mist.
"It's a ghost bird!" Lu Fei was shocked; such birds, formed from dark energy, had no physical form.
The bird's claws had already grasped the urn when Lu Fei quickly lashed out with the willow branch.
The ghost bird deftly dodged, holding onto the urn as it flew out the window.
"Let go of that!"
Tiger's reflexes were quick, and he managed to grab the bottom of the urn just in time.
The ghost bird faltered, turning to peck at Tiger's hand with its sharp beak.
"Tiger, let go now!" Lu Fei shouted urgently, swinging the willow branch at the bird.
If the bird's beak pierced Tiger, he risked dark energy seeping into his body, potentially crippling his hand.
The ghost bird narrowly avoided the strike, missing Tiger's hand, but its movements were lightning-fast. Lu Fei's repeated attempts to land a hit all came up short.
"Damn it! After all that effort to subdue the spirit, we can't just let this ghostly thing snatch it away!"
Tiger clenched the urn with bulging muscles, his fingers turning white from exertion as he struggled to pull it back.
The bird screeched twice, sounding oddly like laughter.
Suddenly, a swarm of ghost birds, dark as coal, came flapping in, swarming towards them.
"Tiger, let go!"
The situation was beyond what the willow branch could handle. Lu Fei raised the Eight Trigrams Mirror, shining its light at the swarm.
The golden light flared.
Ghost birds caught in the beam disintegrated instantly, but the mirror's range was limited. Several ghost birds swooped in, pecking at Tiger.
"Tiger, let go now!" Lu Fei shouted frantically.
Reluctantly, Tiger released the urn, and it was immediately snatched away by the ghost birds.
Within a blink, they had vanished.
"Goddamn it! What kind of ghost thing comes to steal from us!" Tiger stomped his feet in anger.
"Tiger, don't worry. Look at this." Lu Fei picked up a few strands of dusty black hair from the window.
"What's that?" Tiger was puzzled.
"Hair from the spirit. When we were fighting over the urn, part of it cracked open, letting some hair and ashes escape."
"What good is the hair? Isn't it the darkwood we need?"
"With the hair, we can find the darkwood!"
Lu Fei gazed coldly in the direction the ghost birds had disappeared.
"Daring to steal from the Evil Pawnshop, I want to see who dares to challenge us!"
He wouldn't swallow his pride so easily after losing such a prize!
Morning light began to filter through the sky.
Lu Lu awoke groggily, eyes opening to search for Lu Fei.
"Master Lu!"
Seeing Lu Fei and Tiger still in the room, she relaxed a bit.
Sunlight streamed through the window.
"Am I safe this time?" she asked cautiously, feeling a strange emptiness as if she had lost something vital.
"The spirit has separated from your body, so your life is safe for now," Lu Fei replied.
"For now?" Lu Lu, sensitive to the wording, caught on immediately.
"The urn was stolen, so you're not entirely out of danger. But don't worry, I'll find whoever did this," Lu Fei said calmly.
But from that calmness, Lu Lu sensed a cold determination.
"Stolen? By who?" She couldn't comprehend who would steal something so cursed.
"By whoever used the darkwood to cultivate the ghost spirit."
"What! So, it was the person who tried to harm me?" Lu Lu gripped her clothes tightly in fury.
"Most likely," Lu Fei glanced at her, "It's best if you leave this apartment and stay somewhere far away for a few days. I'll let you know when everything is settled."
"Alone?"
"The spirit has lost its connection to you. As long as you don't tell anyone your whereabouts, they won't find you."
"I still want to stay with you two," Lu Lu looked pitifully at Lu Fei, feeling safe only when he was around.
"No, you'd only be a burden!" Lu Fei's refusal was resolute.
If Lu Lu stayed, the spirit might take advantage of her again, making all their previous efforts pointless.
"Alright." Seeing his unyielding stance, Lu Lu had no choice but to agree.
She quickly packed up and found a hotel near the antique street, thinking that being close to the Evil Pawnshop would make it easier to seek help if needed.
Back at the pawnshop.
Lu Fei examined the strands of black hair wrapped in tissue.
"Boss, can these hairs really help us find whoever stole the darkwood?" Tiger's disbelief stemmed from frustration and impatience.
"Tiger, do you remember when I told you that cursed objects often find their way home?" Lu Fei said evenly.
"Of course," Tiger couldn't forget it.
He still remembered how that old coin stood up on its edge, a moment that shattered his understanding of reality.
"These hairs are no different. They'll guide us back to the urn," Lu Fei said, taking out some yellow paper and scissors to cut out a small paper figure. He then wrote a birthdate on it.
"Isn't that Lu Lu's birthday?" Tiger was puzzled.
"You forgot? Her birthday is the same as the spirit's," Lu Fei smiled and attached the hairs to the paper figure.
Next, he lit a white candle and placed it in front of the figure.
A moment later.
It was as if a ghostly wind had blown, making the flame glow green.
The paper figure, lying flat on the table, suddenly stood up.
"Oh my god!" Tiger's reality was once again challenged.
"Follow this paper figure, and it will lead us to the urn."
Lu Fei took the paper figure, grabbed something from the storeroom, and left the antique street with Tiger. They hailed a cab.
"Where to, boys?" the driver asked.
"Just drive straight for now. I'll tell you where to turn," Lu Fei instructed.
"You trying to mess with me?" The driver was about to frown.
Lu Fei handed him two hundred yuan bills. "Keep the change."
"Alrighty, off we go!" The driver, now all smiles, stepped on the gas.
The taxi merged into traffic.
"Turn left."
"Got it!"
"Take the next right!"
"Roger that!"
Money talked, and the driver complied happily with Lu Fei's instructions.
The taxi weaved through streets and alleys, turning at every command.
"Stop here."
*Screech!*
The driver hit the brakes.
"Thanks, your driving's impressive," Lu Fei said with a slight nod as he exited the car.
Tiger followed him out.
"Come back anytime, boys!" The driver cheerily waved as he noticed the fare reached fifty yuan and drove off satisfied.
Lu Fei stood at the entrance of a narrow, dirty alley.
On both sides of the alley stood a haphazard collection of buildings.
This was the inner-city village, the most chaotic and dilapidated area in Jiang City.