After hearing those words, Li Mazi's face turned pale. "Little Brother Zhang, wait a moment! I know that since your grandfather's generation, your family has been dealing with cursed items that others don't want to touch. As such, can't I just leave the shoe with you? You have to give me a hand here! You know how much I care about my son!"

I smiled sarcastically and said, "You should also be aware of it, shouldn't you? Even if it were a normal antique, one would feel rather annoyed if the pair were separated, not to mention this pair of embroidered shoes! I can't help you unless we can find the other shoe."

Li Mazi was sweating profusely. "But, that family told me that they had only this shoe..."

I said, "That doesn't make any sense. If that family didn't have both shoes, how come their place wasn't haunted?"

After hearing my words, Li Mazi got down on his knees. "Little Brother Zhang, please stop scaring me! Haunted? This is just a mischievous shoe. What does this whole thing have to do with ghosts?"

I realized that my words had been a little too extreme.

After all, people in our line of business didn't believe in ghosts and supernatural beings. What had happened in Li Mazi's house was just the doings of an otherworldly item.

The mental energy of the original owner of the shoes being too strong, alongside the help of the surrounding environment, had turned the pair of embroidered shoes into an otherworldly item. I quickly explained to Li Mazi how things stood, and his complexion finally changed for the better.

Then, he asked me, "What can I do now?"

I told him, "I can help you, but in return, you’ll have to give me the shoes for free."

It was my first time doing business, and it was relatively better not to decline this offer. Moreover, it would be a great help to my future dealings if I were to successfully deal with this matter now.

Li Mazi nodded repeatedly. "I can give you my whole shop, let alone the shoes!"

Now, it was time for me to determine how dangerous this shoe was.

I was unable to reach a conclusion just by relying on Li Mazi's story.

Therefore, I told him to wait for me and that I would make a trip to his place tomorrow evening. At that time, two big men would sit in the living room and stay awake all night. Let's see if the embroidered shoe was still going to cause trouble!

Children had weak vitality, and it was rather easy for otherworldly items to affect their minds. On the other hand, affecting an adult in the prime of their life was very difficult. This was why it was easy for children to see ghosts while adults wouldn’t see them for a lifetime, if they were lucky.

Li Mazi weakly asked me, "Can I temporarily leave the shoe behind?"

I immediately refused because I was also scared.

After that, I was on tenterhooks for the whole day. Whenever I closed my eyes, I would think of the embroidered shoe.

It was my first time dealing with something like this, and it was reasonable to be anxious. I could tell at a glance that it was a fearsome otherworldly item, but I wasn't sure about the degree of its wickedness.

Ah~ People always fear the unknown.

I recalled my father and grandfather. Every time they talked about their encounters with otherworldly items in their younger days, they would be filled with emotion. Therefore, one could imagine how incredible these items were.

I wasn't really in the mood to do business. As such, I shut the door and closed the shop for the rest of the day. I smoked two packets of cigarettes and remembered everything my father had taught me, thinking up various ways to deal with the situation I would soon have to face.

Even if I believed the plan I had devised was surefire, I still felt uneasy.

The next day, after waiting until 8 PM, I arrived in front of Li Mazi's main gate.

Li Mazi had been patiently waiting for me. After seeing me, he was overjoyed, as though he’d seen his father.

I didn't have the time to exchange pleasantries with Li Mazi. As such, I told him to show me around the house so that I could familiarize myself with the place. That way, we would be able to adapt to the circumstances in case something unexpected happened. If it still didn't work, we could always flee for our lives.

Li Mazi lived in a single-story house.

Outside the house, there was a large iron gate, a small courtyard, and a well.

Inside the house, there were two rooms and the living room. Due to the lack of a woman, the furniture was dilapidated, and the air was filled with a strange smell.

I looked around and didn't find anything unusual.

Then, I told Li Mazi to bring me to where he’d placed the embroidered shoe.

Li Mazi had placed the embroidered shoe, as well as several other antiques he’d collected, into a remote and hidden corner of the living room.

Perhaps it was just my imagination, but when I looked at the embroidered shoe, I felt uncomfortable. As for why I felt uncomfortable, I wasn't sure myself.

After I finished inspecting the place, Li Mazi asked me, "Did you discover anything unusual?"

I shook my head and said, "No, I haven't."

Li Mazi was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't speak further.

Anyway, since the embroidered shoe had been targeting Li Mazi's son, I decided to tie him up to prevent him from coming into contact with the shoe.

As for Li Mazi and myself, we decided to stay awake the whole night and see if the shoe was going to create any trouble.

Everything went well before midnight. I played on the computer while Li Mazi watched TV. As for his son, he’d already fallen asleep. After all, he’d been tossed about quite a bit during the past few days.

After midnight, my eyelids started to become heavy, and I felt really sleepy.

I ended up smoking the whole pack of Yuxi cigarettes I’d brought with me, and since I couldn't find anything else to reinvigorate my mind and body, I told Li Mazi to stand on guard for now. I was going to take a short nap and then take his place.

Li Mazi didn’t dare to let his guard down, and he frequently turned his head to look at his son. This made me feel relieved. As long as Li Mazi didn't fall asleep, everything would be fine.

After sleeping for a bit, I was awoken by the sound of running water. I immediately opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Li Mazi's son.

Luckily, the boy was peacefully lying on the bed. He was deeply asleep, and the light sounds of snoring could be heard.

I relaxed and sluggishly turned on the computer, getting ready to play some games.

However, the sound of running water was still coming from the courtyard.

I was puzzled and asked Li Mazi, "What’s happening? Did a water pipe outside break?"

However, Li Mazi didn't reply.

I asked once more, but again, no one replied.

Due to this, I turned my head around and looked in his direction. In the next moment, I got a fright... because Li Mazi had disappeared!

Other than that, the sofa where he’d been sitting was soaked with water.

This was a bad sign! All my sleepiness was blown away by the shock. At this time, the only thought on my mind was: Where had Li Mazi gone?

I immediately looked around the room, but I was unable to find any trace of Li Mazi.

Right, the embroidered shoe!

But, when I reached the corner of the living room where the embroidered shoe was placed, I made another scary discovery. The embroidered shoe had likewise disappeared.

My brain was a mess, and I got goosebumps all over my body. Something had definitely happened to Li Mazi!

I quickly took out my mobile phone and gave him a call.

However, right at this time, the sound of footsteps echoed in the living room. I turned around and almost bumped into Li Mazi. The guy had stealthily arrived behind me and was staring at me absent-mindedly. He wasn’t moving in the slightest.

After he gave me a scare, I shouted, "Li Mazi, what the hell are you doing?!"

However, Li Mazi didn't pay me any attention. He stared at me for a while and then opened the door, heading outside.

I ignored the goosebumps on my body and quickly followed after him.

It was very dark outside, and cold moonlight shrouded the small courtyard, making it even eerier and scarier.

Although I was afraid, I knew that it was too late to go back. Therefore, I braced myself and went to look for Li Mazi.

At this time, I noticed that Li Mazi was holding a pair of scissors in his hand and had several towels on his shoulder. The scissors reflected the moonlight and illuminated half of his face.

My heart was crazily beating as I thought: Is Li Mazi trying to commit suicide due to the influence of the embroidered shoe?

But, why bring so many towels along if he just wanted to commit suicide?

Li Mazi reached the edge of the well and stopped. As for me, I was ten or so meters away, and crossing that short distance caused my whole body to be drenched in sweat. I was gasping for breath and felt as though I’d just walked for an eternity.

A few birds resting on the branches of a nearby big tree abruptly flapped their wings and flew away, scaring me further.

Ah~ Birds suddenly flying away wasn't a good omen!

I stared at Li Mazi without blinking. I knew that he’d been affected by the embroidered shoe. As such, I didn't recklessly disturb him.

To resolve Li Mazi's problem, I first had to know the background of this embroidered shoe!