Chapter 135: A Big Deal Knocking on the Door

　　Lu Fei raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

　　The visitor was the man in white who had been drinking tea at Sanwei Teahouse the other day.

　　Sister Hong said his name was Jing Jian, a wandering cultivator well-versed in Yin-Yang techniques.

　　"Hello, may I help you with something?"

　　Lu Fei stood up without showing any emotion, greeting politely.

　　"Young Master Lu, I'm here to discuss a big deal with you!" Jing Jian sat down with a big laugh, as if they were old acquaintances, and gave a hearty smile to Lu Fei.

　　"Huzi, pour the tea."

　　Lu Fei was puzzled. He had no connection with this man and wondered what his intentions were in bringing him a big deal.

　　"May I ask, sir, do you have any cursed objects to pawn?"

　　"Not for me to pawn." Jing Jian waved his hand, took a sip of tea, and said, "Do you remember that day at the Sanwei Teahouse, when Master Duan Tiankui mentioned the coffin mushroom and the fish-terrifying stone?"

　　"Of course."

　　"I like to travel around, and recently, when I passed by Fuxian Lake, I saw a big fish floating on the surface by chance. The fish had a strong aura of evil, and it must be the very fish demon lurking in the lake. I spent several days in ambush there and finally figured out the pattern of its movements."

　　"So?" Lu Fei's expression remained calm.

　　"This is the big business I'm offering to Manager Lu!" Jing Jian talked with great enthusiasm, his eyebrows flying and dancing as he spoke.

　　"You Sinisterium Pawnshop specializes in collecting evil objects, and this hundred-year fish startle stone is quite a treasure! I am willing to share the activity patterns of the fish demon with Manager Lu. As long as the two of us join forces to capture that fish demon, you can take the fish startle stone while I get the fish's inner dan. Wouldn't that be a perfect solution for both of us?"

　　Lu Fei looked at him and nodded, saying, "Oh, I understand. You cannot handle that fish demon by yourself and you need help but do not want to pay, right?"

　　"You can't put it that way!" A trace of embarrassment flashed across Jing Jian's face, "I can guarantee that, aside from me, no one else in the martial world knows the activity patterns of that fish demon!"

　　"If that is the case, there should be plenty of people in the martial world who are willing to collaborate with you. Why do you still come to Sinisterium Pawnshop?" Lu Fei picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, his attitude very calm.

　　This reaction was unexpected to Jing Jian.

　　"Don't you want the fish startle stone, Manager Lu?"

　　"Of course, I do."

　　"Then that's settled! I promise I won't compete with you for the fish startle stone," Jing Jian asserted firmly.

　　Lu Fei glanced at him indifferently and said, "Do you remember what you said at Sanwei Teahouse the other day?"

　　Jing Jian thought for a moment but couldn't recall it.

　　"What?"

　　"You said that Old Man Duan had ill intentions, sending a novice like me to collect the Fish Frightening Stone and the Coffin Fungus, which is no different from sending me to my death." Lu Fei put down his teacup, looking at him with a half-smile.

　　Jing Jian was taken aback and quickly tried to make amends: "That's different. How can going alone compare to us working together? I've figured out the fish demon's pattern of activity and know when it is most unguarded. If we strike then, I guarantee your life will be safe."

　　"If that's the case, then there's even less need for you to find a partner. Wouldn't it be better if you took the Fish Frightening Stone and the inner pearl all by yourself?" Lu Fei seemed indifferent.

　　He remained completely unperturbed.

　　Jing Jian looked at Lu Fei's young and clean face, scratching his head.

　　"Alright, I'll tell you the truth."

　　That day in the teahouse, when he saw this boy being so obedient towards Duan Tiankui, he thought Lu Fei was a simple-minded fool. He didn't expect that obedience was just a facade.

　　This kid is not easy to deceive.

　　"I can't handle that demon fish alone, so I have to find someone to cooperate with. But in the world of martial arts, there are more people who want the fish's inner丹than those who want the fish惊stone, because the inner丹can enhance cultivation."

　　"But your Sinisterium Pawnshop is different; you specialize in collecting evil objects, so you definitely need the fish惊stone."

　　After saying that, he shrugged his shoulders.

　　"That's absolutely the truth!"

　　Lu Fei smiled at him, opening and then closing his palm, and said, "What if I want both?"

　　"Cough!" Jing Jian almost choked on a mouthful of tea. He stared wide-eyed at Lu Fei: "What did you say? You want everything based on the key clues I provided, is that reasonable?"

　　"Since you need my help, I think it's quite reasonable," Lu Fei also shrugged his shoulders.

　　"Then what's the point of all my efforts? No way, no way!" Jing Jian waved his hand vigorously, "If that's the case, I'd rather go alone."

　　"If you want to cooperate, you need to show some sincerity."

　　"Sincerity? Bringing you a big business opportunity right to your doorstep, and you still think I'm not sincere enough?" Jing Jian was speechless and stood up, "This business is a no-go! I'll find someone else to cooperate with. You'll regret this!"

　　"Take your time, I won't see you off."

　　Lu Fei smiled and made a gesture to invite him.

　　Jing Jian snorted, his cheeks puffed up in anger as he flung his sleeves and left.

　　"Boss, as the old saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch; this guy must have ulterior motives! We shouldn't fall for it!"

　　"Of course, if there was really something good, who would be willing to share half of it with others?"

　　Lu Fei, who understood even better than Hu Zi, certainly knew this.

　　He didn't take it to heart.

　　The Hundred-Year Fish Frightening Stone is definitely a good thing, but only if you can live long enough to get it.

　　"Never mind him, let's do what we were going to do."

　　The two of them tidied up a bit, originally planning to go to the haunted school building, but before they left, Lu Fei received a phone call.

　　"Mr. Lu, come over here quickly, I've found a new lead on the skinning case!"

　　It was private detective Liang, his tone brimming with excitement.

　　Lu Fei had promised to help him deal with the murderer of the skinning case, so now that there was a clue, he couldn't be careless.

　　"Alright, we'll be right over."

　　So, the two of them changed direction and headed for the Liangxin Detective Agency.

　　As soon as they entered, Lu Fei was hit by a strong smell of smoke.

　　The office was wreathed in a cloud of smoke, with both ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts.

　　Heaven knows how many cigarettes this detective had smoked.

　　"Mr. Lu, look at this."

　　Liang, with a stubble-covered face and a mess of hair, brought his laptop to Lu Fei, looking very anxious.

　　"Wait a moment."

　　Lu Fei fanned his nose and had Hu Zi open the window. After waiting for the smoke to dissipate a bit, he squinted and looked at the computer.

　　On the screen was a series of photos.

　　"I contacted the families of three victims and put in a lot of effort to persuade them. The families of two of the victims said that before the incident, the victims had bought something."

　　Brother Liang spoke while opening the photos.

　　In the photo was an ancient-looking knife with a very unique and small design. The tip was slightly curved, and the blade was thin and sharp.

　　Just looking at the photo, the knife gave off an uncomfortable feeling.

　　"I checked, and this knife was specifically used for flaying in ancient times!"

　　Brother Liang's face was haggard, but his eyes sparkled with bright, excited light.

　　"Manager Lu, take a look quickly. Is this knife an evil object?"

　　A flaying knife?

　　Lu Fei's eyebrows twitched; no wonder the knife looked so unsettling.