"When my son got home and took a look!"
Old Guan, getting excited, stood up directly.
"His wife was lying unconscious at the kitchen door, and the whole house was filled with the smell of gas. He was terrified and quickly opened the windows and doors, then carried his wife downstairs and told me to call an ambulance."
"At the hospital, the wife was saved, but the baby was lost! She was heartbroken, crying every day, not eating or drinking, and the doctor said she was depressed."
"She said that on that day, she suddenly felt like making some soup, but didn't know when the stove went out. She thinks it was her fault that the child got hurt, and that she doesn't deserve to live, believing she should have died with the child. Now, her son is by her side at the hospital every day, afraid that she might do something drastic."
"Actually, before this, she wasn't the type to be so stuck in her thoughts, but this time, she's just fixating on it."
Old Guan clutched at his thinning hair, looking utterly frazzled.
"My wife and I are so worried that we can't even eat! I've lost a lot of hair! I used to have a lot of hair, not like this now! It's all because of that house!"
Lu Fei examined his appearance.
Indeed, his forehead was dark, a sign of being tainted by something negative.
"Have you inquired about the situation with that house after the incident?"
"It's a haunted house!" Old Guan gritted his teeth in anger, "Someone died in that house before! They say it was a tenant, a girl who couldn't get over something and committed suicide by gas. Her corpse was found only after it started to decay! We tried to contact the landlord, but the phone was disconnected, and we heard they had already left the country!"
"No wonder they sold it so cheaply to us! We're regretting it now; there's no such thing as a good deal!"
"These heartless landlords, they're harming people!"
After scolding a few words, he looked at Lu Fei anxiously.
"Shopkeeper Lu, is this house considered an evil object? Can you take it?"
"Old Guan, since this is your first time at Sinisterium Pawnshop, I will explain the rules to you first." Lu Fei didn't nod immediately but instead explained what a dead pawn and a live pawn were.
"In simple terms, with a dead pawn, the house belongs to me. With a live pawn, you can redeem it back."
"If possible, we would of course choose a live pawn! It's not easy to buy a house!" Old Guan said earnestly, "Shopkeeper Lu, if you are willing to take it, can you come with me today? We can't wait another day; we're afraid that our daughter-in-law might not be able to accept it."
"Then when will you take my car?" The Evil God of Fire Cloud immediately stood up and said anxiously, "Shopkeeper Lu, that car is now parked at home, and it's dangerous too! That car was also the dowry I bought for my daughter. I thought I couldn't afford a new one, so I bought her a used good car, but it turns out that car was involved in a fatal accident as well!"
Lu Fei looked at them with amusement.
One buying a marital home for his son, the other buying a dowry for his daughter.
You two might as well become in-laws.
"Gentlemen, there's no need to rush. Since you were referred by Master Xu, I will definitely do my best to solve your problems."
Lu Fei took out two ghost-repelling talismans and gave one to each of them.
"Old Guan, take this talisman back and have your daughter-in-law wear it; it will keep her safe for the time being. And what may I call you, sir?"
"My surname is Yi, just call me Old Yi," replied Huo Yun Xie Shen hurriedly.
"Old Yi, put this talisman on your car; it can temporarily suppress its malevolent nature. After I deal with Old Guan's house, I'll come and solve the problem with your car. How about that?"
"No problem!" Old Guan said immediately.
Old Yi gritted his teeth: "Shopkeeper Lu, you need to act quickly!"
"Rest assured, it won't take too long. Old Guan, I'll go to your haunted house before dark tonight. Just wait for my call."
Lu Fei smiled and nodded at the two, had them leave their phone numbers, and then saw them out.
He had worked all night last night and needed a break to catch his breath.
After breakfast, he closed the door and went to sleep.
Evening.
A black SUV, carrying two people and a dog, left the antique street and headed to a mid-range residential area.
The neighborhood had a pleasant environment, convenient transportation, and many shopping areas nearby, making life very comfortable.
One couldn't blame the Guan family for being attracted by a good deal; a house in such a location, reduced by hundreds of thousands, who wouldn't be tempted?
"Manager Lu, you've finally arrived."
At the entrance of the building, Old Guan was already anxious from waiting.
Beside him was a young man under thirty, who bore some resemblance to Old Guan.
"Manager Lu, this is my son, Xiaoguan. He knew you were coming, so he specifically came to explain the situation to you. Xiaoguan, quickly greet Manager Lu."
Xiaoguan's condition was no longer just a darkened forehead; he was now shrouded in a black aura from head to toe.
He sized up Lu Fei from top to bottom.
He found that this so-called master was even younger than himself, holding a cute little dog in his arms, looking more like he was out for a walk rather than there to inspect something.
The big man behind him looked even less like a good person.
His eyes immediately filled with disbelief, probably thinking that his father had been deceived.
"Mr. Lu, hello. I'm not one for beating around the bush. Can you really solve the problem with my house? If not, please don't waste our time."
"How can you speak like that, son!" Old Guan immediately hit his son and quickly apologized to Lu Fei: "Mr. Lu, I'm sorry, he's just worried about his wife being too anxious, it wasn't intentional."
Lu Fei waved his hand dismissively and smiled, "Mr. Guan, I haven't even seen your house yet. Would you believe me if I made a grand promise now? How about we go up and take a look first, and then we can talk?"
"Okay."
Little Guan looked at him, and together with his father, led the two of them upstairs.
The apartment is on the 11th floor.
There are four households on each floor, and except for Little Guan's family, the other three units are unoccupied.
"At first, we were quite happy and thought it was peaceful, but now we understand why no one lived next door." Old Guan shook his head and sighed.
Little Guan looked at their front door, a hint of fear appearing on his face.
Taking a deep breath, he mustered the courage to open the door.
"Please come in."
As soon as the door opened, a cold, eerie aura rushed towards them.
It's normal for a haunted house to have a yin energy, but Lu Fei felt that there was also a strange presence mixed with the yin energy.
He stood at the door for a moment before stepping into the room.
The house had three bedrooms and a living room, decorated beautifully and tastefully, in the modern, subtle luxury style favored by young people today.
The setting sun cast a blood-red glow through the balcony onto the floor.
Despite the house having a good orientation and excellent renovation, there was an uncomfortable feeling as soon as one entered.
"Manager Lu, what have you noticed?"
Old Guan and his son followed Lu Fei as he walked around the room. Seeing that Lu Fei remained silent for a long time, Young Guan couldn't help but ask.
"Just a moment."
Lu Fei sent Huzi downstairs to find a hardware store to buy some thin ropes and a level.
Then, he had Huzi use the rope and the level to measure and check various parts of the house. Finally, he nodded, showing a look of understanding.
"Manager Lu, what exactly are you doing?"
Old Guan also could not help but ask.
Don't masters usually use compasses or something like that? Why is this Sinisterium Pawnshop manager different? Levels are usually used for renovations.
"Old Guan, look, this house is a few centimeters wider on the east side than the west side," Lu Fei pointed out.
Father and son were still at a loss.
"A normal house should be square and proper! But your house, one side is wide, the other side is narrow, what does it look like to you?"
Father and son exchanged a look.
"What?"