Chapter 70: Evil Aura Pervading

　　"That's right, when the security guard's eyes bled, several drops of blood indeed fell on the painting. I thought the painting was definitely ruined."

　　Wan Chunhui took a breath, his expression one of disbelief.

　　"By the time I returned from the hospital, it was already dawn. I mustered up the courage to go back to the warehouse with some people, picked up the painting, and took a quick look at it."

　　"Result? The painting was clean, not a single drop of blood on it."

　　"Not there? Absorbed by the painting?" Lu Fei frowned; this was not good.

　　"I don't know what happened either. It was quite chaotic at the time, and I might have made a mistake. I put the painting away immediately and stored it separately. Then I ordered people to guard outside and not let anyone else get close, and went to report to the boss."

　　Wan Chunhui's brows knitted into a tight knot.

　　"Such a big incident, I didn't dare to hide it."

　　"While I was halfway through the report, I suddenly received a call from the security guard."

　　"He said a female employee, for some unknown reason, was determined to rush into the warehouse where the ancient painting was kept. They couldn't stop her, and she broke through the door and rushed in."

　　"Fortunately, she only managed to open the painting halfway before the security guards restrained her. But she was like a madwoman, biting wildly, and one of the security guards was even bitten by her."

　　"She was also sent to the hospital. Although she didn't gouge out her own eyes, she had gone mad. She draped a sheet over herself, put on makeup, and kept muttering that it was time for her wedding."

　　"It was only later that I remembered, on the day the ancient painting was first stored, she had held it for a while. I wonder if she saw something."

　　"A wedding?" Lu Fei pondered.

　　The painting depicted a bridal procession, which could also be understood as a wedding scene.

　　"Now, two employees have been affected by this painting, and we are very worried. The boss loves to collect obscure calligraphy and paintings. If we can't find a solution, we will have to burn this painting with great reluctance."

　　As he spoke, Wan Chunhui looked at Lu Fei, showing a hint of hope.

　　"If Manager Lu can solve this problem, I think the boss would be very happy to tell you the information on the sheepskin map."

　　"I understand," Lu Fei nodded, his expression serious.

　　"That painting has a strong aura of evil, which has already spread from the warehouse to the outside. The top priority now is to suppress this evil aura and prevent it from spreading further. Otherwise, more employees will be affected."

　　"It has already spread to the area outside the warehouse! Is it that vicious?" Wan Chunhui couldn't help but look around, a trace of unease in his eyes.

　　Of course, he could see nothing.

　　Only those born with the innate ability to see spirits or those who have opened their third eye later in life can perceive such an aura.

　　Lu Fei belongs to the former.

　　"If I'm not mistaken, the evil aura of that painting wasn't so strong at first; it only started to expand after absorbing the security guard's blood."

　　"The reason the female employee went mad during the day was also because the evil aura intensified. If we let it continue to grow unchecked, more people will be harmed!"

　　Any evil object becomes more powerful once it has been touched by human blood.

　　Wan Chunhui immediately took it seriously: "Then, does Manager Lu have a solution?"

　　"I have a few talismans here. Though they cannot directly solve the problem with the ancient painting, they can at least suppress the evil aura and prevent it from spreading."

　　Lu Fei immediately took out several ghost-repelling talismans and had Wan Chunhui reopen the warehouse. He then placed one on each of the four walls and one on the door.

　　Strangely enough, every time Wan Chunhui approached this warehouse before, he felt uncomfortable, as if an invisible, cold aura was lingering behind him, making his back chill.

　　As soon as these talismans were applied, the feeling of discomfort vanished instantly.

　　"Young Master Lu, what kind of talisman is this?" Wan Chunhui couldn't help but look at Lu Fei with newfound respect.

　　Initially, they only saw in Lu Fei someone from the Sinisterium Pawnshop and merely decided to give him a try.

　　He didn't expect that Lu Fei really had some skills.

　　"They are the special talismans of our Sinisterium Pawnshop." Lu Fei instructed Wan Chunhui to lock the door and told him not to let anyone get close to this place, and especially not to tear off the talismans on the door.

　　"Mr. Wan, I am going to personally deal with this painting tonight. Before the problem is resolved, I suggest you suspend the operation of your auction house and give the employees a few days off."

　　"This..." Wan Chunhui was very hesitant, "The auction house runs every day, and each day it stops, we suffer a considerable loss. This price is too high..."

　　Hu Zhi immediately frowned and said indignantly, "Are you serious? Is making money more important than the lives of your employees? Two employees have already been affected, and you're still thinking about money!"

　　These bosses truly have no conscience!

　　"Mr. Wan, this is also for the betterment of subduing the ancient painting. The employees don't understand anything; if they are influenced by the evil qi again and their blood gets on the painting, it will be even more troublesome. The more people the evil object harms, the more powerful it becomes," Lu Fei said sternly.

　　"I need to consult with the boss." Wan Chunhui, unable to make a decision on his own, stepped aside to make a phone call.

　　This time the call was brief, and he returned with a smile: "The boss said, for the sake of Old Master Lu, we can give young Manager Lu two days. During these two days, the auction house will suspend operations and fully cooperate with young Manager Lu."

　　"But after two days, if by the day after tomorrow at dawn, young Manager Lu hasn't resolved the issue with the ancient painting, we will have to replace him. The information on the parchment cannot be disclosed to young Manager Lu then."

　　"No problem." Lu Fei nodded in agreement.

　　He had come seeking help, so it was natural for the other party to set conditions. What he feared most was that they wouldn't set any conditions at all.

　　"Please sit for a moment, I'll go make the arrangements right away."

　　"No need to sit, we need to go back and prepare some things."

　　"Alright, I'll arrange a car to take you there."

　　Wan Chunhui was very respectful, calling the auction house's driver to take Lu Fei and his companion back. He then immediately gathered the employees to arrange for the closure.

　　On the way.

　　Hu Zi couldn't help but whisper to Lu Fei, "Boss, can you tell what kind of evil object that painting is?"

　　"It's not that easy. Apart from some simple evil objects, most require personal contact to figure out."

　　Lu Fei calmly gazed out the window, seemingly deep in thought.

　　"I think this painting is also quite eerie, no simpler than that ghost-head knife." Hu Zi stroked his chin.

　　"What, are you scared?" Lu Fei turned to look at him.

　　"Scared... that's impossible!" Hu Zi immediately raised his head and puffed out his chest, putting on a fearless expression, "I, Hu Zi, have seen my share of things with the boss, and I won't be frightened by just a painting!"

　　However, in the next moment, he chuckled, "Boss, my amulet has turned to ashes. Can you give me a few more?"

　　Lu Fei also chuckled, "This time, I have something even more powerful for you."