Fulu

Seeing that I agreed, Esteban finally laughed happily—though his grin made him look like a pervert. A man so wealthy, yet still indulging in such unsavory behavior—did he really think this would work?

Then again, money wasn't particularly effective against a girl like Stella.

"You take the case, and when you finish your errand, remember your promise to me." Esteban finally released me, but I wasn't stupid. Asking Stella to draw a portrait under these circumstances wouldn't be easy at all, and in exchange for a pile of junk? Yeah, right!

"Esteban, is Stella only worth this trash in your eyes? No way, absolutely not!" I huffed.

"How could that be? Stella is priceless to me!" Esteban grew flustered and hurriedly backtracked.

Sensing his vulnerability, I pressed further, "Then isn't it a bit disrespectful to your goddess to offer a bunch of worthless trinkets?"

Esteban seemed to catch my drift. Suddenly, he pointed to the row of Fulu in the shop and declared, "Pick any of these Fulu you want, and I'll give it to you."

I gave him a thumbs-up. "Now that's more like it! Stella must truly hold a special place in your heart."

"Of course!" Esteban flicked open his white fan with a flourish, his expression brimming with affection. Meanwhile, I was inwardly overjoyed... This young man, he really was too easy to manipulate! Another victory for me.

I walked over to examine the row of Fulu—charms of all kinds, each with its own purpose. Esteban began explaining their functions:

Black Talismans—typically used by witches for casting hexes and curses. Their effects varied, but they leaned toward the sinister and eerie.

Yellow Taoist Talismans—the most common type of Fulu, often employed by Taoist practitioners. They could exorcise ghosts, suppress evil, and cast protective spells. Their power depended entirely on the skill of the talisman's creator.

Red Symbols—rare and formidable, these were usually used to craft mystic formations, malevolent arrays, or seals. Creating them consumed the user's life force, shortening their lifespan, which made them exceedingly valuable. Legends spoke of masters using Red Symbols to command hordes of ghosts or control thousand-year-old zombies. However, their power was too terrifying for ordinary people to wield; most could only use them as wards.

Blood Charms—horrific and murderous, these were primarily tools of evil witchcraft, capable of killing unseen. Their malign energy was overwhelming. Southeast Asia's Kuman Thong frequently employed them, as did certain profiteers of the dark arts—those who reveled in the shadows.

Demon-Suppressing Talisman—specifically used to deal with demons. However, if the demon is too powerful, the talisman's effectiveness diminishes drastically, becoming practically useless. It's only good for dealing with minor demons.

Ghost Charms—a type of eerie, green-tinged Fulu that oozes an unsettling aura. Esteban claimed only Zhong Kui (the Judge of the Dead) or the living dead could draw them.

He wasn't sure if Zhong Kui truly existed, but the living dead were very real.

What exactly was a living dead? A person who could traverse the realms of yin and yang. These individuals lived by night, their faces pale and lips blue, resembling ghostly enforcers more than humans—yet they still breathed.

They worked for both ghosts and the living, moving freely between the earthly realm and the netherworld. Another name for them was Ghost Police. But here in the Yin-Yang Artifacts Market, they were simply called the living dead. While outsiders might react with fear or curiosity, the market's regulars were unfazed.

These individuals crafted Ghost Charms by infusing green paper with ghost tears.

Carrying a Ghost Charm made the spirits regard the bearer as one of their own—for two hours. Essentially, it served as a passport to the netherworld. But the user had to leave before the effect wore off—otherwise, the ghosts inside would devour them.

Most who bought these charms wanted to visit the netherworld to see a loved one. But what was the point? The dead were gone, and clinging to them was futile. So whenever someone purchased a Ghost Charm, Esteban made sure to offer some counseling.

At this point, Esteban added grimly, "No one who's entered the netherworld with a Ghost Charm has ever come back alive."

My face turned even greener than the talisman itself. I'd been considering using one to visit my grandfather, but Esteban's words doused my hopes like a bucket of ice water.

"Hey, if Ghost Charms are so dangerous, what if I find a living dead instead? There's someone in the netherworld I need to see—things I have to say to them," I asked Esteban.

He admitted it was possible—but warned that the living dead were sinister and cunning. They possessed human greed and ghostly deceit, making them dangerous to deal with.

Then, he handed me a black business card bearing only a name and number: Libanio.

Esteban explained that Libanio was one of the living dead—but contacting him was only possible at night. The living dead slept by day and woke by night.

I pocketed the card and thanked him.

Finally, Esteban said, "Time to choose. Which one do you want? I'll give it to you."

I thought for a while, hesitating. I definitely didn't want the black talisman - a sorcerer's tool would be useless to me. The blood talisman was meant for killing, a murderous charm heavy with malign energy, equally unsuitable.

The Demon-Suppressing Talisman wasn't needed either. As for the Red Talisman, while powerful, I lacked the mana to wield it effectively. Besides, it was mainly used for formations and seals - not particularly relevant to me.

That left only the Ghost Talisman and Yellow Taoist Talisman. The Yellow Taoist Talisman would serve me best - useful for defense on Mount Zhongnan, warding off evil spirits and exorcising ghosts. But they were too common. Since I could only choose one, I wanted something special - and the Ghost Talisman perfectly fit that desire.

Ghost talismans were rare and served unique purposes. After long consideration, I finally selected the ghost talisman.

Esteban placed it in a small box for me, warning that once opened and placed on my body, the talisman would expire in two hours. I nodded understandingly, slipping the box into my pocket. With the large case in hand, I bid Esteban farewell, though not before he reminded me of my promise.

What the hell? Was this kid really that obsessed with Stella? I shivered imagining that tigress-like face. Beautiful as a flower, yes - but she could tear me apart effortlessly. That wasn't beauty, that was terror.

Carrying the large box, I hailed a taxi straight back to the tattoo parlor. Upon returning, I called Stein and we examined the haul together, curious how many would prove useful.

First, Stein produced a sword resembling fishbone, its odd shape adorned with strange blade patterns. He recognized it immediately - the Shark Bone Sword, one of the sacred artifacts enshrined in Zhi Xuan Feng's temple.

"A good find," Stein remarked. "A medium-grade dharma artifact, after all - temple property blessed by the master."