Chapter 56: A Battle to the Death

  No matter how fierce the imp was, it remained a mindless spirit, driven only by wild, relentless attacks.

  While it was challenging to handle, it wasn't without weaknesses.

  Lu Fei swung the ghost-whipping rod with all his might, forcing the imp back and managing to position himself against the storage room door.

  The special protective runes carved on the door had dealt a severe blow to the imp earlier, slowing its attacks considerably.

  Whether a living being or a spirit, it was instinctive to avoid danger.

  Frustrated at missing its target, the imp's tiny eyes glinted with malice, its pale, distorted face contorting as it let out agitated screeches.

  It scurried quickly along the walls, looking for an opportunity.

  "Boss!"

  Tiger's hurried footsteps echoed from the courtyard as he arrived with the Bagua Mirror.

  "Shine it on it!"

  Lu Fei wielded the rod, driving the imp toward Tiger.

  Tiger, barely steadying himself, shone the Bagua Mirror at the imp.

  But the imp moved too fast, leaping out of the way in a blink.

  Tiger's attempts to track the imp's movement with the mirror were too slow, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

  "Hold your position. I'll drive it your way!" 

  Lu Fei steadied himself.

  Ghosts were easier to outmaneuver than imps.

  Dealing with an imp required patience.

  With the Bagua Mirror now in play, the imp had fewer opportunities to strike at Lu Fei. He bit down on his middle finger, quickly drawing a warding symbol on his left palm.

  With the ghost-whipping rod in his right hand and the warding symbol on his left, he advanced.

  Combined with the Bagua Mirror at the end of the corridor, they now had the imp cornered.

  The imp shrieked angrily, but its relentless nature left no room for retreat as it kept searching for a chance to attack Lu Fei.

  Lu Fei pretended to slow down, exposing an opening.

  The imp's eyes glowed with vicious intent and it lunged forward.

  "Now!"

  As Lu Fei shouted, he struck the imp with the rod and the warding symbol simultaneously.

  At the same moment, Tiger managed to shine the Bagua Mirror's light on Lu Fei.

  Buzz!

  Golden light engulfed the imp mid-air, freezing its body. The ghost-whipping rod lashed down on it.

  "Meow!" The imp let out a blood-curdling scream as it fell to the ground, scurrying on its tiny limbs into the shop.

  It extended a crimson tongue, licking the welts on its body, a look of pain crossing its misshapen face.

  But still, it refused to flee. Instead, it hesitated to make another charge, its eyes brimming with hatred as it edged along the wall, searching for an opening.

  Lu Fei and Tiger chased it into the shop and turned on the lights.

  In the dim glow.

  The two stood back-to-back, squinting as they searched for the imp.

  The imp hid in a shadowy corner, avoiding their line of sight, and silently crept under the counter.

  When Lu Fei moved closer, the imp suddenly stretched out its small, malformed claw.

  Lu Fei felt a chill on his ankle and quickly pressed the warding symbol downward.

  "Tiger, watch out!"

  The imp was too fast. Even though Lu Fei dodged swiftly, the ghostly claw still tore through his pants, leaving a stinging gash on his ankle.

  "Boss, are you okay?"

  Tiger's voice quivered with concern as he directed the Bagua Mirror's light onto the ghostly claw.

  The golden light froze the claw.

  Gritting his teeth against the pain, Lu Fei swung the ghost-whipping rod, catching the imp's pale wrist and yanking it out from under the counter.

  Under the Bagua Mirror's glare, the imp couldn't move. Its eyes burned with hatred as it bared its jagged teeth, shrieking menacingly.

  "This little monster is tough!" Tiger gasped, holding the Bagua Mirror steady over the imp. "Boss, is your wound serious?"

  "It's manageable."

  In just a few seconds, the scratches on Lu Fei's ankle had turned black, his leg aching and numbing simultaneously.

  Ignoring the pain, he reached into a drawer and took out a small box containing three silver needles.

  Imps were most afraid of being pierced by needles!

  Lu Fei jabbed a needle into the imp's forehead, right at its vital spot.

  "Waaah—"

  The shop echoed with a ghastly wail as black smoke rose from the imp's body, and grotesque, worm-like veins surfaced on its pale skin.

  After two more stabs, the imp didn't disintegrate but turned semi-transparent, its form significantly weakened.

  "Raising it to this level—this ghost-raiser is formidable!"

  One needle left.

  Lu Fei drew a deep breath and thrust it down.

  Bang!

  Suddenly, the overhead light flickered out.

  In the darkness, a pair of eerie green eyes flashed past.

  "It's the ghost crow! Tiger, be careful!"

  Lu Fei shouted in warning.

  Luckily, both men had been keeping the snake skin with them these past few days, which prevented the ghost crow from getting too close. With blood-red claws, it grabbed the semi-transparent imp and lifted it.

  Tiger, disoriented in the dark, could only wave the Bagua Mirror around blindly.

  Sensing the shift in the rod's tension, Lu Fei immediately pulled harder.

  But the ghost crow wasn't ordinary. It beat its wings, sending a fierce blast of cold wind toward them.

  Taking advantage of Lu Fei's momentary loss of strength, the ghost crow snatched the imp from the whip, crashed through the door, and flew out the window.

  A sliver of streetlight illuminated the room.

  Lu Fei pulled out a dagger made from a dog's tooth and hurled it at the crow.

  The blade clipped the crow's wing, scattering a few black feathers.

  The ghost crow wobbled mid-flight, let out a couple of strange cries, and quickly disappeared with the imp in tow.

  By the time Tiger, clutching the Bagua Mirror, ran outside, the creature was already gone into the night.

  "Tiger, don't bother chasing it."

  Lu Fei, panting, sat down, feeling the chill in his ankle deepen, the pain fading into a hard, cold numbness.

  This was a sign of yin energy invading the body, and the wound needed immediate treatment.

  "Boss, your injury…" Tiger's voice was laced with worry as he saw the darkened wound.

  "Tiger, fetch me some rice and ash."

  "Right away!"

  Tiger set down the Bagua Mirror and dashed to the kitchen, swiftly finding the rice and ash.

  During his time at the Evil Pawnshop, he had diligently familiarized himself with its layout through daily cleaning.

  Lu Fei tied two red cords around his ankle to prevent the spread of the yin energy.

  When Tiger returned with the rice and ash, Lu Fei mixed them and applied the paste to his wound.

  Black smoke immediately began to rise, and the rice turned black before their eyes.

  Lu Fei repeated the process with clean rice until the coldness subsided, leaving only searing pain.

  When the blood seeping from the wound finally turned red, he stopped and applied a special wound powder, securing it with gauze.

  "That old vulture is too vicious! When he couldn't buy it, he sent an imp to steal it! If he has the guts, why doesn't he face us openly?" Tiger cursed in anger.

  Wiping the sweat from his brow, Lu Fei exhaled deeply. "He's not faring any better. When an imp gets hurt, the ghost-raiser suffers backlash."

  Outside the antique street.

  In a shadowed corner.

  The black-robed old man sat cross-legged, his face contorted in pain as he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.