Two days later.
Lu Fei received a call from Liang Ge and learned about the follow-up to the case.
The truth was exactly as they had speculated. The sanitation worker, unable to accept his grandson's death, successively murdered the neighboring child who had pushed his grandson down the stairs, and then abducted other children who were around the same age as his grandson.
There was one child's body in the glutinous rice jar, which was his grandson. The toys on the jar were prepared by him for his grandson.
The other children were all taken back by their parents for burial.
Without the nourishment of corpse energy, the living dead would rapidly decompose and die.
That beast's end wouldn't be good.
"Fortunately, you discovered it; otherwise, who knows how many more innocent children would have been harmed! Lu Fei, my old colleague said that you should be awarded a Good Citizen Award for bravery!"
"No need for formalities, it's good that the children can go home."
"By the way, my old colleague has some peculiar cases piling up. Would you be interested in helping out?"
"We can talk about it when I have some free time."
Lu Fei hung up the phone with a smile.
"The corpse energy from children is pure. He wanted to use that corpse energy to turn his grandson into a zombie," Jia Bannian shook his head incessantly, "But even if he succeeded, that zombie wouldn't be human! One moment of obsession, harming both others and himself!"
He patiently fed the little parrot some millet.
"If the child's soul hadn't been frightened and entered this little bird's body, and if the bird hadn't been picked up by that unscrupulous merchant for the money, and if I hadn't bought it because I thought it was too expensive, no one would have known about that old beast's wicked deeds... Who says it wasn't predestined by fate?"
"Seen in this light, it was worth losing a few thousand yuan," Lu Fei nodded with a smile, "I've heard that these little parrots usually go for just a few dozen yuan."
"What?!" Jia Bannian was shocked and slapped the table in anger, "Then I need to have a word with him! One thing is one thing, but there's no way to swindle someone like that!"
"Alright, I'll go with you to make sure that fat guy doesn't deny it."
The two of them went to the flower and bird market.
Lu Fei took this opportunity to secretly retrieve the wishstone.
How could the fat man dare to have any objections? He obediently refunded the extra money to Jia Banxian and even gave away two packages of bird feed for free.
After sending off these two deities, it wasn't long before his shop had a customer, and a deal was quickly made.
The process went so smoothly that he almost couldn't believe it, and he couldn't help but hold his chest in amazement.
"Conscienceless business really can't be done."
Lu Fei sent Jia Banxian back home and then looked at the little parrot.
"Banxian, all other matters are settled. What about this child's soul? We can't keep him attached to the bird forever, can we?"
"This child's soul is still unstable. Let's nurture it for now. I'll start preparing the mushroom wine tonight. Once my leg is better, I will personally take a trip and send this little one down."
Jia Banxian, with a smile, carried the little bird into the courtyard.
The little bird chirped incessantly, occasionally uttering the word 'grandpa,' making the originally quiet courtyard quite lively.
It is unknown whether Jia Banxian will be willing to let go when that day comes.
Return to Sinisterium Pawnshop.
Lu Fei felt the magical power within his body, which seemed to have increased a bit.
However, it hasn't yet increased from three bottles to four bottles.
It seems that once the magical power reaches a certain level, the requirement for merit becomes higher. In the past, one unit of merit could increase one level of magical power, but now it probably takes three units of merit to increase one level.
"There's no rush for magical power. I should first find a magical object to enhance the jujube wood staff. Magical objects are usually things from monsters. Would Bajingshan have any?"
"When a dragon falls, all things grow! With the nourishment of the true dragon's spiritual energy, there might be a harvest at Bajingshan..."
As he was pondering this.
A flash of light appeared at the entrance of Sinisterium Pawnshop, and someone came in.
Lu Fei opened his eyes and saw Liu Fugui's large face.
"Old Liu."
"Manager Xiao Lu, am I not disturbing you?" Liu Fugui greeted with an especially affable smile.
"You're already in, and you still ask if I'm disturbed? Is it about the Mandarin Ducks Shoes finding a buyer?" Lu Fei got up and stretched his body.
"That's why they say Manager Xiao Lu is as shrewd as a god. But, remembering the precedent of that last magic skin, I figured it would be better to ask for your opinion first,"
"Go on then." Lu Fei made him a cup of tea.
"I have this client, a lady, who has been married for a long time and feels the relationship has cooled down. She's worried her husband might be unfaithful and wants a way to win back his heart."
"As it happens, I'm free today. Call her over, and if the price is right, I'll give her the Mandarin Ducks Shoes." Lu Fei wanted to finish his current business as soon as possible so he could go to Baling Mountain.
The ritual object was one thing, but making Elder He wait so long was rather embarrassing.
Lu Fei's straightforward attitude surprised and delighted Liu Fugui, who quickly went to make a call.
Before long, the lady client he mentioned arrived.
She was around forty years old, with an ordinary appearance and simple clothing, clearly the image of a devoted wife and mother.
"I met my husband when we were in school. We got married right after graduation, it was a true bare marriage, no house, no car."
"I supported him from scratch, from a small shop to now having stores all over the city, and I gave birth to two children for him... Now that he has money, he's starting to look down on me and has found someone else outside!"
"He doesn't even think about why I've grown old and unattractive... Nowadays, he never comes home at night and doesn't provide any household expenses..."
The woman wept as she recounted her husband's faults.
"Madam, you know the taboos of the Mandarin Duck Shoes, right?" Lu Fei waved his hand, showing no interest in her emotional story.
"Once used, the two of you will be bound together for life. Not only him, but you cannot have a second thought either. Otherwise, there will be a backlash."
The Mandarin Duck Shoes, bound by love, not only trap the other person but also oneself.
"I had considered divorce before, but what about my two children?"
The woman wiped her tears, a hint of hatred flashing across her face: "Moreover, wouldn't divorce just benefit that ungrateful wretch? He holds most of the assets firmly in his hands. If we divorce, it would benefit him and that other woman, and I'd end up with nothing! Even if not for myself, I have to think about my children!"
"As long as you have it clear in your mind, there's no turning back once you start using an evil object," Lu Fei reminded her.
"I'm very clear in my head. Men are all the same! Even if I find another, he might not be better than him! As long as he is in my hands, the money is in my hands, and with money, my two children can have a good life."
The eldest sister clenched her fists tightly, her expression resolute.
"Well then, let's talk about the price," said Lu Fei, not saying any more.
The eldest sister took a sip of tea, glanced at Liu Fugui, and hesitantly said, "I know things from your Sinisterium Pawnshop are not cheap, but I really don't have much... How about 600,000 yuan?"
Lu Fei shook his head.
"How about 660,000 yuan?"
"Madam, this is not a farmer's market," said Lu Fei.
Lu Fei also hoped for a successful transaction, but the price of the Mandarin duck shoes had to at least match the value of the celestial hide.