Chapter 42: Yin Wood

　　Yin Wood is also known as Wumu (Ebony).

　　It is formed from trees buried underground for tens of thousands of years without decaying.

　　The wood is completely black with fine grain patterns.

　　Due to being buried deep in the earth for a long time and never seeing the light of day, it naturally carries a yin aura, making it an excellent material for yin-related purposes.

　　It can be used to make coffins or objects for warding off evil and protecting homes.

　　It can even be used to raise ghosts!

　　Lu Fei looked at the urn in front of him, feeling incredulous.

　　"Miss Lu, how much did you buy this sister plaque for?"

　　"66,000, what's wrong?" Lulu replied nervously.

　　"That can't be!" Lu Fei was even more incredulous. "Yinchen wood is very expensive. Even an ordinary piece would cost at least 100,000 or more. The seller sold it to you for only 66,000, isn't that a loss?"

　　"What is Yinchen wood?" Lulu asked with a puzzled expression.

　　"It's a very old and valuable type of wood, dug out from underground. It takes tens of thousands of years to form a single piece. It's incredibly expensive! Someone once found a whole piece, and it was worth hundreds of millions!" Hu Zi, having spent two years on the antique street, naturally knew a bit about it.

　　"As the saying goes: 'Having half a block of black wood is better than having a chest full of treasures.'"

　　"But what does this have to do with the sister token?" Lulu was still confused.

　　Lu Fei explained, "Yinchen wood can connect to the underworld and nourish yin, so it can be used to raise ghosts, and the ghost spirits raised are more powerful than usual. For the shop owner to use Yinchen wood to make the sister token is really too conscientious."

　　"Could he have been telling the truth, that the effect of the sister token is really that good?" Lulu was startled.

　　"You're not thinking of keeping it, are you?" Hu Zi looked at her. "My boss said that the better the effect of these things, the greater the backlash."

　　"Of course not, I almost lost my life because of it and haven't woken up yet?" Lulu quickly waved her hands. "No matter what kind of wood it is made of and how much it is worth, I just want to get rid of it as soon as possible! Manager Lu, please take it!"

　　Lu Fei began to seriously consider it.

　　If it was just an ordinary spirit tablet, Lu Fei might not have accepted it, but this was a rare piece of yin-wood, and it seemed to be of good quality.

　　It was definitely a rare item, and he was a bit tempted.

　　"Manager Lu, please accept it! I don't want money; you can even pay me!" Lulu looked at Lu Fei with pleading eyes, seeing him as her last hope.

　　Lu Fei examined her eyes; her pupils had not fully dilated, so there was still a glimmer of hope.

　　If her pupils were to become completely like those in her sister's posthumous photograph, then there would be no hope left.

　　After all, it was a living person's life at stake.

　　His grandfather said that the true purpose of Sinisterium Pawnshop was not to make money, so could it be to save people?

　　"Alright, I'll take it!" Lu Fei said solemnly.

　　"Really? You really are willing to save me!" Lulu's body trembled, and she started to cry again.

　　These days, she had sought help from many people, but those who used to fawn over her now avoided her like the plague, not a single one willing to lend a hand.

　　"Don't worry, my boss's word is his bond; he said he would save you, so you definitely still have a chance!" Hu Zi comforted her.

　　"Thank you! Thank you!" Lu Lu laughed through her tears, "After this is over, I will definitely show my gratitude to all of you!"

　　"Don't be in such a hurry to thank us. First, tell me, how long have you been worshiping this Sister Plaque?" Lu Fei asked seriously.

　　Lu Lu wiped her eyes and said, "It's been about a week."

　　"A week, and it's already this powerful! Tell me honestly, did you use your own blood to nourish it?" Lu Fei felt a heavy heart; it seemed the effects of the dark wood were truly extraordinary.

　　Lu Lu touched the scars on her wrist and said bitterly, "Yes, the person who sold me the Sister Plaque told me that using blood for nourishment would make it more effective and faster."

　　Lu Fei understood; this was probably the reason for the rapid backlash.

　　Ghosts nourished with blood grow faster, and combined with the effects of the dark wood, under this dual catalysis, the Sister Spirit quickly became uncontrollable and took over her instead.

　　"To neutralize this kind of backlash is not easy; I need to go back and prepare some things."

　　"Okay, I'll go with you." Lulu volunteered, as she didn't want to stay with her sister.

　　"Your body is already very weak, and it's not suitable for running around. You should wait in a crowded place for our news," Lu Fei said as he walked out.

　　Lulu followed step by step, "A crowded place?"

　　Right now, the thing she feared most was seeing people.

　　"Yes, a place with many people will have a strong positive energy, which is good for you. At this time, never be alone,"

　　"There's a mall nearby, but I don't want to be alone. I'm afraid I might faint again and do something terrible," Lulu said pitifully.

　　Lu Fei thought for a moment, gave the dagger with the dog tooth to Tiger, and arranged, "Tiger, go to the mall with her, take good care of her, and contact me immediately if anything happens."

　　"Boss, leave it to me!" Tiger patted his sturdy chest. These days, with the good food and drink at Sinisterium Pawnshop, his body had recovered a great deal, and he was eager for an opportunity to show his worth.

　　The three of them hurried down the stairs and separated at the intersection.

　　Tiger accompanied Lulu to the mall, while Lu Fei took a taxi back to the antique street.

　　Lulu has been nurturing her elder sister's talisman with her own blood, and her soul has already formed a connection with the spirit inside. There is no shortcut; to neutralize the backlash from the sister's talisman, there is only one clumsy method.

　　Forced deliverance.

　　Returning to the pawnshop, Lu Fei went straight to the storage room.

　　He was going to select a suitable magical artifact from the dead collateral area.

　　This time, he would have to face a powerful spirit head-on, so he needed to be cautious.

　　In fact, the best magical artifact for slaying ghosts is a ritual sword.

　　There were two ritual swords on the shelf, one made of peachwood and the other an ancient, unopened sword.

　　However, Lu Fei did not know any Taoist spells, so a ritual sword would be difficult for him to wield effectively, making it not the best choice.

　　He needed to choose something that inherently had an offensive effect against spirits.

　　Lu Fei looked around, and his eyes fell on a willow whip.

　　It has long been said in folklore that ghosts will shrink three inches when hit by willow branches; this whip is made from aged willow, doubling its effect.

　　"This one it is!"

　　Lu Fei put the willow whip into his backpack, but that wasn't enough.

　　He then picked a Bagua mirror.

　　The Bagua mirror has a deterrent effect on ghosts and can be used for defense.

　　Finally, he also packed a bag of incense ashes and some other odds and ends, along with two charm talismans left by his grandfather.

　　"Grandfather only left me seven talismans. They are being consumed so quickly; after this job, I need to find a way to get some more spirit talismans."

　　With everything prepared, Lu Fei hailed a cab and sent a message to Hu Zi, asking him to meet at the apartment entrance in twenty minutes.

　　"Got it!"

　　Hu Zi put down his phone and, seeing Lulu's timid appearance, comforted her: "Don't worry, my boss is very powerful, and he will definitely save you. The boss will be here soon, let's go over there."

　　"Well, I'll be off after using the restroom."

　　Lulu smiled behind her sunglasses and quickly walked into the women's bathroom.

　　Who would have thought, she had not come out even after half an hour.