Chapter 516: Pawnshop
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"The Exorcists Alliance?"
After probing, Fang Yuan received shocking information from Jiese the Monk. "There is such an organisation in the world?!"
"Of course!"
Jiese the Monk smiled but was utterly stunned.
How could such a powerful exorcist not know the existence of The Exorcists Alliance? He was like a barbarian living in the woods!
"What an organisation..."
Upon hearing their conversation, Ma Xiaoling's mouth was agape.
"The Exorcists Alliance is an international organisation with many members from different countries. For instance, the Curse Magicians and Vermin Lords from Southeast Asia, as well as the Black Magicians and Pastors from the West... Everyone will exchange information with each other and help each other out... After all, against these threats, we humans are just too weak! Amituofo..."
Jiese the Monk revealed a look of desolation and resembled a respectable monk in that instant.
"If that is so... Master Jiese, you only know the existence of the Chen Residences after reading the scrolls left behind by your master, Master Yunhai..."
Fang Yuan was speechless. "You must be really kind! It has already been so many years since that incident!"
"That's right!"
This was a piece of memory etched into Ma Xiaoling's mind. "If not for Brother Fang Yuan who saved us, my father and I would've died in there."
"Amituofo... I'm really sorry to hear this!"
Jiese the Monk placed his palms together in front of his chest. "I did not receive my Master's belongings after his death. That piece of record was only passed to me by the elders after I had left the mountains after my training."
"It seems like the elders are even afraid of you as well and had already lost all hope of bringing the Monastery back together..."
Fang Yuan started to feel interested. "Monk, what are your plans after this?"
"Since the issue at the Chen Residences has been settled, I will prepare to avenge my Master... The 'Hell' which had tempted my Master to the dark side is still living in the world. I had only just come across one of its traders."
Jiese the Monk spoke the truth.
"Hell? I'm interested in this!"
Fang Yuan raised his cup of coffee. "Can you tell me more about it in detail?"
"I only heard about this from my elders as well as from the records. I do not know much about it. The only thing I know is that this 'Hell' is a building in the alternate dimension. Therefore, it is able to appear in any part of the world and influence humans to do its bidding!"
"That place seems like a breeding ground for all sorts of curses and ghosts. In the Recalling Spirit Ritual at the Chen Residences, I suspect that 'it' had influenced Master Yunhai to do its bidding. After all, the Golden Mountain Monastery is only known for exorcism and peace-seeking rituals, not the Recalling Spirit Ritual."
"Oh? Who would've guessed that this would be the truth?"
Fang Yuan nodded his head. With a large affected area and a building in an alternate dimension, together with the ability to create curses, the source of this ghost might just be one at the 'Strange' Level!
'Is my fate changing?'
Fang Yuan was elated but he remained composed on the outside. "If there is really such a place, it will be the nightmare for mankind. I've decided to help Master in dealing with this Hell!"
"Amituofo! You..."
Jiese the Monk was stunned beyond words. This was the first time someone had volunteered themselves after hearing about the terrors of the Hell.
"There's nothing more to say. It's my mission to protect the peace in this world!"
Fang Yuan spoke with justice as Ma Xiaoling and Ma Wencai rolled their eyes.
"Regardless, it is great that you are willing to help me!"
Although he did not know why Fang Yuan would take the initiative to help him, it was still a good thing for him to gain such a powerful ally. Jiese the Monk quickly thanked Fang Yuan.
"Oh and one thing... how does the building look like?"
"Rumour has it that... it should be a pawnshop!"
...
"Huff! Huff!"
At the same time, in a small motel.
Lu Bingqi was on all fours as he breathed heavily like a dog. It was as though he was being saved from drowning. "Finally... it has ended! This is the time, activate, pawnshop!"
He took out something which resembled a black name card, bit on his own thumb and smeared the blood on it.
In that instant, the dirty and stuffy room suddenly began to transform.
A dark alternate dimension had transcended!
"Whoooo! Whoooo!"
There was a dark fog all around and a full moon was high in the night sky. A modern-looking pawnshop appeared before Lu Bingqi and the walls of the pawnshop were covered in green ghostly flames.
"Paranormal Pawnshop!"
Lu Bingqi clenched his teeth. He pushed the door open and walked down a familiar path into a room.
In the room, there was only a chair. As he sat on the chair, a bright flash sparkled before him, forming a row of twisted-looking words:
"Escaping from the life-threatening evil ghost alive, completed! You can initiate 1 trade!"
"We're back here!"
Lu Bingqi rubbed his right eye and recalled the first time he had come to the Paranormal Pawnshop.
He had the dream to explore the world when he was younger and had left his hometown to make a name for himself. Although reality gave him a tight slap, he was still able to survive in a foreign country.
However, a sudden car crash destroyed all that he had.
The impact of the car crash was still fresh in his mind. As soon as he woke up, he was already here! This was the true... Hell!
'You are already dead! Now, you have two choices. Firstly, you can leave here to complete your death! Secondly, you can sign a contract and pawn your dead soul in exchange for a revival!'
This was the first offer he had come across in the pawnshop.
Since he knew that he was already dead, nothing could be worse. Of course, Lu Bingqi would choose the second option.
When he woke up again, he realised that he had returned to the real world, where the car crash was. He was uninjured, but no one was shocked at the accident. To put things into context, he had turned into a pile of bloodied mess just moments ago!
Therefore, he now entirely trusted the powers of the pawnshop and knew that his dead soul would forever belong to the pawnshop!
However, this first trade was only the beginning of a series of nightmares!
"I have passed this year's tribulation... Because I do not belong here, I will have to face the life-threatening evil ghost every year on my death day. I need to continuously trade with the pawnshop in order to stay alive!"
The scar on Lu Bingqi's face started to hurt.
Of course, the pawnshop was not a charitable organisation. In exchange for an eye which was able to see paranormal activity, Lu Bingqi had to give up his entire right eye and had to face a ghost for 3 straight days in a graveyard! It was an experience which almost drove him crazy!
"Sometimes, the pawnshop will request for our lifespan, and other times they will request us to complete a certain task. Most of the time, these tasks will involve endangering us under curses... It is almost like this pawnshop owner is a psychopath who will take joy from looking at us escape death. Finally, he will harvest our injured souls!"
Similar to a conventional pawnshop, the Paranormal Pawnshop was like a vampire.
They had already put in place traps during the first trade to revive. Those who were fortunate enough to revive would have to continue to trade in order to stay alive.
If one were to be fortunate enough to survive the annual encounter with the life-threatening ghost, they would gain an opportunity to trade in the pawnshop and no one would give up such an opportunity.
"To newcomers, the first encounter with the life-threatening ghost will be the most dangerous. However, once they survive it, they will be able to engage in a trade to strengthen themselves. Of course, since this will be their first trade since their revival, the pawnshop will give them a discount. They will not require them to complete any task but instead will just draw from their lifespan, joy or flesh to strengthen them. It is as though they want us to become stronger so they can further toy with us!"
Lu Bingqi sighed as he felt extreme fatigue all over his body.
However, through some 'Experienced Seniors', he had gained some insider information.
If he was able to pay the price, he would be able to redeem his own soul back!
If not for this, most customers of the pawnshop would have given up hope.
"It is rumoured that if I engage in more than 7 trades, the option to redeem my soul will appear!"
Lu Bingqi didn't know if this rumour was true. However, he could only choose to believe it.
"The pawnshop is not a charitable organisation. In theory, you will be able to request anything from it as long as you are able to pay for it!"
Lu Bingqi held his chest. "Pawnshop, How much will I have to pay if I want to avenge my nephew, Lu Xia?"
"Rumble!"
The green glow faded before him, but there were no new words.
Lu Bingqi felt a sense of familiarity. "It is unable to complete. Could it be because I don't have enough to trade? Could Xia have really died in an accident? No... I've checked before. There are 2 deaths and 1 missing person during that period. How can such a strange death be normal? If not for the fact that Wu Lu had lost her memory, I could've known even more about Xia's death... As of now, it seems like it is related to a certain curse from a ghost?"
Lu Qingqi had heard many experiences of his experienced seniors taking up such tasks.
They either had to unseal a certain ghost or spread a certain curse. Regardless, all the tasks were evil and dangerous.
"Pawnshop!"
Thinking about this, Lu Bingqi clenched his teeth. "I shall change my request. I want to know the truth behind my nephew, Lu Xia's death!"
"Rumble!"
Flames erupted before him and a streak of green words appeared:
Pawnshop contract: To gain the truth behind Lu Xia's death!
Price: Unseal the ghost in the Chen Residences within 7 days from now. Stay in the residences for a night after unsealing the ghost!
...
"It is not a request for my lifespan or flesh, but instead, a task to unseal a ghost!"
Lu Bingqi sighed.
As soon as the words glowed before him, it would that the contract would take effect immediately and he had to accomplish it! As long as he completed the task, he would be able to know the truth behind Lu Xia's death!
On this, the pawnshop was still worthy enough to be trusted.
"However, this is a huge price to pay for just knowing the truth behind his death..."
Lu Bingqi remained solemn. In the eyes of the pawnshop, an effective contract would mean that the things being traded were of equal value.
"Is there something remarkable in the truth?"
He mumbled to himself. This was the only explanation as to why the price to pay would be so high!