Chapter 19: The Antique Street Tragedy

  Lu Fei and Xie Yao approached the rose bushes.

  A faint floral fragrance drifted in the air.

  Lu Fei picked up a dead branch and used it to lift one of the rose branches. 

  Petals scattered, revealing countless sharp thorns hidden beneath the dense leaves and flowers.

  "These roses have an unusually high number of thorns. The arrangement of these bushes is also intriguing—they happen to encircle the grave. If they were wild, they wouldn't grow so evenly." 

  Looking at the sharp thorns, Xie Yao shivered as memories of her misfortunes since her grandfather's death came flooding back. "Could someone have deliberately planted them here?"

  "I can't say for sure; they might just be wild roses. Either way, it's best to have them removed as soon as possible."

  "I'll arrange for it right now!"

  Xie Yao's face darkened, feeling as if her whole body were pricked by needles. She didn't want to wait another moment, immediately taking out her phone to make a call.

  After arranging for the removal, she steadied herself and looked gratefully at Lu Fei.

  "Master Lu, you've saved me yet again."

  "You're too kind, Miss Xie. I don't know much about feng shui, and this may just be my overthinking."

  "No! You're absolutely right!" The more Xie Yao looked at the thorned vines, the more they resembled shackles with spikes. "There's no way this is a coincidence. Someone must have planted these roses on purpose. I think I know who did it..."

  Xie Yao's face darkened.

  Before long, the workers she called arrived and carefully uprooted each rose bush.

  "Take them all away and burn them completely—don't leave a single branch behind!"

  When giving orders, Xie Yao held a certain authority.

  The workers complied, loading the thorny vines onto a small truck.

  Strangely, once the truck left, Xie Yao immediately felt a weight lift from her. The constant unease that had plagued her since her grandfather's passing vanished.

  In the six months since her grandfather's death, Xie Yao had often felt like something was lurking in the shadows, targeting her, making her uneasy yet without an apparent reason.

  She had assumed it was merely the pressure she was under. Only after Lu Fei pointed it out did she realize it wasn't that simple.

  No wonder she'd encountered so much trouble—someone had been covertly working against her from the beginning.

  If she hadn't brought Lu Fei to her grandfather's grave, then even without the bone necklace, there would have been something else waiting for her.

  Xie Yao clenched her fists, her nails nearly piercing her palms.

  "Are you all right, Miss Xie?"

  Lu Fei's voice pulled Xie Yao from her thoughts.

  The setting sun cast a warm glow over the cemetery, coloring everything in soft yellow.

  Standing in the light, Lu Fei looked at her with concern.

  A gentle warmth touched Xie Yao's heart. Since her grandfather's death, she hadn't truly felt someone's genuine care.

  "I'm fine... Master Lu, are you free for dinner tonight? You've saved me twice, and I haven't even properly treated you to a meal. That's quite shameful!"

  "No need for that, Miss Xie. You're helping me search for information on my grandfather, so I should be the one thanking you. It's getting dark; let's head back."

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, the white Mercedes left the cemetery.

  The city lights began to twinkle.

  Although Lu Fei politely declined Xie Yao's dinner invitation, she insisted on giving him a ride home.

  The Mercedes gradually came to a stop outside Antique Street, and night had fully fallen.

  "Thank you, Miss Xie," Lu Fei said as he opened the car door.

  The car window rolled down, and Xie Yao's delicate, fair face showed a hint of reluctance. Looking at Lu Fei, she said, "Master Lu, since Xie Zihou offers treasures for sale, could I purchase something for my own protection?"

  "Of course, but not right now." Lu Fei was, naturally, open to business, but until he completed his grandfather's tasks, he didn't have the authority to use Xie Zihou's past treasures.

  "When would it be possible?"

  "Hopefully next month... I'll let you know when the time comes."

  "That's wonderful! I'll start arranging things right away. And as soon as I find any information about your grandfather, I'll notify you immediately!" 

  Seeing that there were only three days left until the next month, Xie Yao's spirits lifted, and she gave him a cheerful smile.

  The Mercedes gradually blended into the night.

  Lu Fei headed back to Antique Street and walked into a noodle shop, planning to have something to fill his empty stomach.

  This noodle shop was a long-established one on the street, known for both its noodles and braised snacks. The regulars who ate here were mostly familiar faces.

  It was dinner time, and the shop was bustling.

  But tonight, the patrons seemed more animated than usual, talking excitedly. It appeared that something significant had happened on Antique Street that afternoon.

  Lu Fei listened intently while eating.

  "Boss Liang's family really suffered a tragedy!"

  "Yes, I heard the floor of Duobao Pavilion was covered in blood. How could a sane man suddenly go mad and kill his own wife and child?"

  A chill ran down Lu Fei's spine—Boss Liang from Duobao Pavilion was none other than Tiger's boss.

  "This is all so strange—could it be something unclean he acquired?"

  "Exactly. Just a few days ago, he was boasting about acquiring some invaluable treasure. But when we asked what it was, he kept it under wraps as if afraid someone might steal it."

  "Well, looks like he got himself a cursed item."

  "I think he was just too greedy. In our line of work, we should all know not to mess with items that carry heavy negative energy."

  The patrons shook their heads and sighed.

  Lu Fei asked, "What happened to Duobao Pavilion?"

  "You didn't hear? Boss Liang went crazy last night, hacking his wife and child to death in the middle of the night."

  "This afternoon, his assistant Tiger came looking for him, and after a long wait, he finally went inside."

  "As soon as he opened the door, he was hit by an overwhelming stench of blood. Inside, he saw blood everywhere, and Boss Liang's wife and child's heads were neatly placed on the table."

  "Boss Liang was just sitting beside the table, holding a knife, his face covered in blood, looking scarier than a ghost."

  "Tiger was so terrified he wet his pants and scrambled out."

  "The police arrived quickly, and after investigating the scene, they confirmed that it was Boss Liang who did it..."

  "Tragic."

  The diners' expressions were heavy, far from their usual lighthearted gossip.

  Lu Fei's temples throbbed as he listened. "How could a sane man suddenly go mad?"

  "Who knows!"

  "Three years ago, there was a similar tragedy on Antique Street. But at least that person didn't harm anyone else—he skinned himself alive…"

  "Stop, I'm losing my appetite."

  "Poor Boss Liang's family. His son was only six, cute as a button…"

  The patrons shook their heads and sighed.

  "What about Tiger?" Lu Fei asked.

  "The police took him in for questioning, and he hasn't returned. He probably doesn't want to come back after what he saw…"

  Lu Fei finished his noodles without tasting a single bite, his mind occupied by the horrific incident.

  If Boss Liang's sudden insanity was connected to the antique he'd acquired, it was undoubtedly a significant cursed item.

  If left unchecked, it could continue to harm others.

  But with Boss Liang's family dead and him in custody, no one knew what kind of cursed item it was or where it might be.

  "Is Tiger having a string of bad luck this year? Just after getting rid of the Hungry Ghost Curse, he gets tangled up in this mess…"

  Walking down the dark alley alone, Lu Fei suddenly felt uneasy.

  It was a strange sensation, like someone maliciously watching him from behind.

  "Who's there?"

  He abruptly turned around.