Ahhhhhh——
All smiling faces disintegrated in that instant.
Incense ashes drifted like snow amidst scattered fragments.
Feeling physical relief wash over him, Lu Fei slowly opened his eyes. Clutching the black umbrella, he approached the large clothing chest.
"If these are the only tricks you have, the game should be over!""
The hood trembled slightly, its pinkish skin turning a waxen yellow
Though the smiling face remained unchanged, the curved eyes now seemed to radiate fear.
Lu Fei's expression remained impassive as arcane energy coursed through the jujube wood staff in his hand, flickering electrical arcs casting his face in shifting light and shadow.
All the trunk coats were gathered here.
The hood had nowhere left to flee.
The electrical light intensified.
Until it exploded violently.
Boom!
The entire fifth floor seemed to tremble as thunderous echoes reverberated through Loujia Building, cracks spiderwebbing across walls while plaster dust cascaded downward.
Black smoke slowly rose from the trunk.
The smiling hood lay charred, its crown shattered into a gaping hole, leaving only a broken husk.
"That's it?""
Lu Fei prodded the hood with his staff, causing it to crumble into fragments.
It seemed almost too easy.
After a pause, Lu Fei thoroughly inspected the entire fifth floor, opening every trunk to ensure nothing remained hidden.
"Looks like there was only this one.""
To be fair, without the Huangquan Umbrella - that great evil artifact - even Lu Fei would have struggled to eliminate this malignant entity.
For ordinary people, this thing would have been truly terrifying.
"Good work, Little Umbrella!"
Lu Fei folded up his black umbrella, brushed off the incense ash from his clothes, pushed open the door, and left the fifth floor.
First floor.
Liu Chongming and Hu Zi were in the living room.
Liu Chongming couldn't sit still for a moment. Upon hearing the rumbling sounds from the rooftop, his face paled with fright.
Young man, is Shopkeeper Lu going to be alright alone?
Don't worry, Manager Liu. My boss has encountered more evil spirits than I've eaten grains of salt! This is just a minor scene for him! Hu Zi waved his hand nonchalantly.
Is that so... But Dashige has been enshrined for many years...
Liu Chongming still couldn't feel at ease.
How about this, young man—why don't you go up and check?
Absolutely not! My boss ordered me to guard downstairs. To use that idiom—I can't abandon my post. Hu Zi shook his head. Though burning with curiosity to see the situation upstairs, he remained rooted to his spot.
You mean 'dereliction of duty'.
Liu Chongming forced a helpless smile and resigned himself to waiting.
Chongming... Chongming...
Agonized cries suddenly emerged from his father's room.
Dad! What's wrong?
Liu Chongming rushed over and pushed open the door, instantly turning pale with shock.
His father lay curled on the floor, clutching his head in apparent agony.
I... I fell... Hurry... Take me to the hospital...
Where did you hurt yourself? I'll call an ambulance immediately! Liu Chongming's throat tightened as he scrambled to dial the number.
No time... Get me out first... Quick... His father urged hoarsely, trembling uncontrollably.
"Dad, don't panic! Someone who's fallen shouldn't be moved recklessly..."
"Do you want me dead?"
Though Liu Chongming felt uneasy about this, his father insisted stubbornly. He could only instruct the driver to pull the car up to the entrance while carefully helping his father to his feet.
The old man's body was ice-cold and hunched over, his head bowed deeply as he shuffled forward with trembling steps.
"Dad, your head is swollen from the fall..."
Liu Chongming noticed his father's head seemed larger than usual.
His father didn't respond, merely trudged forward with his head lowered.
His pace quickened steadily until even Liu Chongming struggled to keep up.
"Dad, why are you..."
"President Liu! Stop him! Don't let him leave!"
As they neared the doorway, a stern voice rang out from the staircase.
"Boss! You're back!"
Hu Zi leapt up from the sofa in excitement.
"Shopkeeper Lu, my father took a fall..."
Still supporting his father, Liu Chongming tried to explain.
The old man groaned miserably with his face still downturned: "They're bad people... hurry... take me out..."
"President Liu! That's not your father! It's Da Shige now!"
Lu Fei shouted while sprinting down the stairs.
"What?"
Liu Chongming froze in shock, staring disbelievingly at the figure he was holding.
"Dad, you..."
"Why should I listen to those outsiders? I told you to send me out, why didn't you obey?"
The father's voice was icy and unfamiliar, white hair cascading down as his swollen head slowly lifted.
No—that wasn't a swollen head.
Rather, he wore a grotesque helmet on his head, making him resemble a monstrous big-headed doll.
A doll's face, smiling sweetly.
Narrow, unblinking eyes stared fixedly at Liu Chongming.
"No..." Liu Chongming shuddered.
Though it was clearly his father's body, it now felt utterly like a different person.
"Da Shige?"
"Ungrateful wretches! I raised you for years, helped you build prosperous careers, yet you conspire to destroy me! Worthless descendants! What use are you?"
A child's voice erupted from the aged body as Da Shige seized Liu Chongming's throat, pressing his eerie smiling face against the man's nose, voraciously inhaling his yang energy.
"Danger! Hu Zi, quick, stop them!"
Lu Fei shouted while sprinting up the stairs.
"Yes!"
Hu Zi snapped to attention, hefting his broadsword as he charged toward Liu Chongming.
"Halt!"
He swung the blade with full force at the monstrous oversized head.
The giant head whirled around, its frozen smile glaring at Hu Zi.
Hu Zi's legs turned to jelly—he slid to his knees, raising the sword in trembling hands as he knelt before Da Shige.
"Holy shit???"
Hu Zi was completely stunned, his head full of question marks. He didn't know why he had knelt down, struggling for a long time but unable to get up.
"Hu Zi, Zhenyang Splash..."
Lu Fei's heart tightened, and he shouted urgently while descending the stairs.
"Husband, where are you going?"
A white opera costume drifted over silently, blocking Lu Fei's path. An eerie operatic voice emanated from it.
"I've searched for you so desperately~~~"
"I knew it. A century-old evil spirit couldn't be that simple."
Seeing the opera costume also manifesting its malice, Lu Fei反而calmed down. He threw the black umbrella toward Hu Zi.
"Xiao San, go help them first."
Black Umbrella swiftly dashed away, its fluttering hair strands reaching toward Senior Brother's head covering.
The head covering spun 180 degrees, turning its smiling face toward Black Umbrella.
However, this ability was completely ineffective against Black Umbrella.
Seizing the opportunity, Hu Zi bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed the blood from the tip of his tongue toward Senior Brother.
A piercing, eerie shriek rang out.
Senior Brother finally released Liu Chongming.
Hu Zi also managed to stand up, pulled Liu Chongming back, and took cover behind Black Umbrella.
"Manager Liu, wake up! Don't you dare die on us. If you die, who's going to pay us..."
Hu Zi vigorously shook the pale-faced Liu Chongming, ultimately shaking him awake.
Meanwhile, Black Umbrella darted past Senior Brother, closed the door a step ahead, and stood firmly guard at the entrance, preventing Senior Brother from escaping.
So be it.
Lu Fei relaxed.
He focused on dealing with the haunted opera costume before him.