It was past midnight, and the rain was getting heavier.

Lin Mo squatted in the warehouse, a yellowed oilcloth spread out before him. On it lay neatly stacked various warding-off items: a peachwood sword, a copper coin string, a cinnabar pen, and several packets of realgar powder wrapped in red paper. A half-smoked cigarette hung from his lips, its ash piled high and dangling, almost ready to fall.

"The peachwood sword is a must, the copper coin string... Is this realgar powder expired?" He picked up a packet and rubbed it, the powder falling down, leaving a dark red mark on the oilcloth.

Another muffled "thump" sounded from beneath the floorboards, louder than the previous one. Lin Mo frowned, the ash finally falling under the weight, burning a small hole in the oilcloth.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He spat at the floor. "Even if you're going to be reincarnated, wait until daybreak."

The temperature in the warehouse suddenly dropped several degrees. The hair on the back of Lin Mo's neck stood up, and he turned sharply—

The gold-threaded buckle lay in a glass case on the counter. At some point, a dark red liquid had seeped out of the buckle's surface, slowly sliding down the glass wall and pooling at the bottom of the case.

"Tsk, it's starting already?" Lin Mo stubbed out his cigarette and fished out a yellow talisman from his pocket. "The three-day deadline isn't even up yet! You're too impatient, sister."

As he approached the counter, the glass case suddenly cracked with a "click." The gold thread on the buckle began to wriggle, unraveling as if alive, revealing the dark red core within.

Lin Mo's pupils shrank. It wasn't embroidery thread, but a strand of hair, a woman's hair.

"Interesting," he grinned, the small mole at the corner of his eye twitching. "Using human hair as gold thread for embroidery—what tailor's unique skill is this?"

The hair stretched longer and longer, soon covering the entire glass case. Lin Mo calmly took out a cinnabar brush and drew a Bagua diagram on the box. His hair immediately retracted as it touched the cinnabar, making a hissing sound and emitting a wisp of green smoke.

But it wasn't over yet.

In the incense burner behind the counter, the broken stick suddenly fell with a snap, scattering the ash all over the floor. Lin Mo's face suddenly changed. He took a few steps to the burner and saw the ashes arranged themselves on the ground, forming two words—

"Help!"

Lin Mo stared at the words for three seconds, then suddenly smiled. "You know how to yell for help now? What were you doing before?"

He turned and plucked a bronze mirror from the wall. The mirror was quite old, its surface covered in fine cracks, and the reflection was fragmented. Lin Mo adjusted his collar in the mirror, and the man in the mirror suddenly grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "Stop it." Lin Mo knocked on the mirror. "I'm working."

The image in the mirror returned to normal, but a dark red liquid began to seep from the edges of the frame, exactly the same as the one in the buttonhole.

The scratching noises beneath the floor intensified, accompanied by a low whimper. Lin Mo sighed and fished out a rusty key from under the counter.

"I was going to let you sleep a little longer." He squatted down and lifted the secret door in the floor. "Since you're so determined, come out for some fresh air..."

The cellar was pitch black, and the stench of decay filled the air. Lin Mo fetched his lighter. As the flame flickered, a pale face suddenly emerged from the darkness, almost brushing against his nose.

"Shit!" Lin Mo stumbled back, nearly falling flat on his face. "Can you please have some foreplay? It's scary to suddenly get so close to your face, okay?"

The face slowly retreated into the darkness, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes that stared intently at Lin Mo. "Listen, old rules." Lin Mo shook the key. "Help me find out the origins of this button. The cellar door is unlocked tonight, so you can wander around."

The bloodshot eyes blinked, as if weighing the pros and cons. A moment later, a pale hand emerged from the darkness, palm facing up.

Lin Mo placed the button in the hand. The hand immediately withdrew. From the cellar came a crunching sound, like someone gnawing on a bone.

"Don't eat it! It's evidence!" Lin Mo frantically said.

The chewing stopped, and a moment later, a hoarse voice drifted from the cellar: "1948... Suzhou embroidery... Zhou family..."

Lin Mo pricked up his ears, but the sound from the cellar suddenly stopped. Instead, there was a violent cough, followed by the sound of something breaking.

"Hello? Are you still alive?" Lin Mo peered into the cellar. He was answered by a shrill scream, followed by a resounding bang as the secret door was slammed shut by an invisible force. Lin Mo was caught off guard, and his finger was pinched.

"Hiss!" He jumped up, shaking his hands. "You ungrateful thing! You'll stay in the cellar tonight until dawn!"

The glass case on the counter suddenly exploded, shattering. Lin Mo dodged, but a piece of broken glass still cut his cheek. Blood oozed out, glaring against his pale skin.

To make matters worse, the button was missing.

Lin Mo wiped the blood from his face and suddenly smiled. "Interesting, really interesting."

He turned and walked to the storeroom, pulling out a brass lock from the bottom drawer. The lock was engraved with intricate runes, and it glowed an eerie green in the dim light. "Since you're going to play," Lin Mo hung the copper lock around his waist, "let's go big."

[Sanji Pawn Shop - Daily Account]

1948 - 12:30 PM

Pawn Item Abnormal Change: Gold-threaded buckle oozes blood, revealing a strand of human hair

Handling Method: Cinnabar seal failure, cellar investigation for demonic spirits

Investigation Results: Zhou family Su embroidery from the Republic of China, associated individuals unknown

Loss: One glass box (valued at three qian), blood stain on the counter (requires realgar cleaning)

Note: The cellar seal is damaged, requiring increased patrols tonight

—Lin Mo's Notes

Appendix:

At the beginning of the first hour of the lunar calendar, a woman's sobbing, which turned into laughter, was heard outside the wall.

As the hour of the tiger approached, three incense sticks burned, and the smoke turned green and red.

The cellar door opened three times on its own, fearing a demonic spirit had escaped.