Faced with Lucien's provocation, the female astrologer ghost didn't seem in a hurry to attack immediately.
Her previous continuous materialization of tarot cards had depleted most of her power,
to the point that her aura was visibly weakening.
But Lucien was getting anxious.
"You're already done for before the hint even appears.
My new supernatural power hasn't even been finalized yet!"
With this thought, Lucien immediately pulled out a demon-suppressing talisman from his robes and threw it at the female astrologer ghost!
The power to suppress evil spirits burst forth from the talisman, transforming into golden light that attacked her!
Lucien's aggressive and relentless attack enraged the female astrologer ghost.
She suddenly roared, and immediately, a hermit in black robes carrying a yellow lantern appeared before her, blocking the demon-suppressing talisman head-on, and then rapidly approached Lucien!
The female astrologer ghost remained calm and unhurried, throwing out two more talismans.
One to deplete, one to suppress.
The hermit could only fall to the ground as a card.
Just then, Lucien finally heard a notification sound.
[You have witnessed the ability to bring inanimate objects to life multiple times, and seem to have gained some understanding of its intricacies.]
Perfect timing!
Lucien breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the astrologer ghost opposite him.
Her aura was already somewhat weak; the black mist that had been constantly emanating from her had disappeared, and she could no longer maintain her levitation and landed on the ground.
Before Lucien could react, the astrologer ghost transformed into a wisp of black smoke and returned to the tarot cards.
The tarot cards floated gently and landed in Lucien's hand.
He looked at them for a moment, and finally decided to put them away.
"It's all over, you're safe."
Seeing the ghost disappear from the street, the four onlookers breathed a sigh of relief.
"Remember to prepare the money when you get back, and send it here within seven days."
"Wait a minute, I don't remember you saying you were going to charge money..."
the chubby Paxton blurted out instinctively.
"How much?"
Compared to Paxton, Grant seemed much more sensible.
"Fifty thousand dollars per person."
"That much?!"
Lucien glanced at Paxton before speaking.
"One hundred thousand."
"..."
The chubby boy immediately shut up, covering his mouth.
"Is there a problem?"
This time, no one dared to object, all nodding vigorously.
"That's good, everyone go home, don't bother seeing me out."
Lucien lifted the chair in the middle of the street, returned to the antique shop, and closed the back door.
"Paxton, you really should change your loud and boisterous habit."
Grant sighed as he watched Lucien leave.
"Compared to life, money is nothing. Fifty thousand for a life is already a great deal."
"Yeah, after meeting so many people, can't you tell that the owner has a strange personality?"
Hailey chimed in from behind.
"I was just expressing my thoughts… We've been spending a lot lately, and I don't have much money left…"
Paxton was on the verge of tears.
"I just said it once, and it went up by $50,000... Waaah..."
"Be proud, that's literally a word worth a thousand pieces of gold..."
"Would you like that word worth a thousand pieces of gold?"
"Too kind of you, keep it for yourself."
"Hailey said you'd appear in front of your friends in a different guise... does she mean a penniless person?"
"I think it's a homeless person."
"Peggy, you're making fun of me too!"
...
Back at the antique shop, Lucien rummaged through the jars.
A few days ago, while reading, he came across information about the Five Witches' Army and was thinking about when to put it into practice.
And here it was, ready-made.
He wouldn't consider taking it from others or borrowing the Cold Jar Army.
There are two legitimate sources for the Army.
The first is from a sect's inheritance.
This type of army is the easiest to control and utilize, considered top-tier.
The second is self-cultivation.
This is slightly inferior to the first, consuming a significant amount of one's own power, and sometimes even requiring the use of other magical artifacts.
Lucien, lacking any legitimate lineage, could only choose the second method.
This astrologer ghost's abilities were quite impressive; if tamed, she would likely be a valuable ally.
However, Lucien showed mercy, mainly because among the evil spirits he had encountered, she was one of the few who died cleanly.
She was far superior to figures like Freddy Krueger and Mary Shaw.
Lucien didn't see anything wrong with the ghost cursing and killing the Earl.
In that historical context, it was impossible for a commoner to rebel against a powerful nobleman on every level.
When the law failed to uphold justice for the victim, revenge became a reasonable and righteous act.
Besides, that Earl was truly bizarre.
He was the one who calculated, and he was the one who was angered by his accurate prediction.
Upon learning that his wife would have a difficult childbirth, instead of taking preventative measures or trying to change her fate, he only knew how to make things difficult for a fortune teller, and even went so far as to hunt her down and kill her daughter.
In short,
he was just a case of choosing the best among the worst, relying entirely on the contrast with his peers.
Lucien searched for a long time but couldn't find any container resembling a jar.
Should he go out and buy a pickle jar?
Lucien pondered seriously.
Just then, a subtle fluctuation emanated from the tarot cards.
The astrologer ghost reappeared in the antique shop, but this time, her form was extremely ethereal, as if she might disappear at any moment.
"You've come at the right time,"
Lucien said, looking up.
"I'm short-handed. Do you want to work for me? I won't force you; you can say so if you don't want to."
"..."
Seeing Lucien put his hand in his robes, seemingly about to pull out a talisman, the astrologer ghost's illusory figure trembled, remembering Lucien's previous fierce behavior, and nodded.
"That's great! I'll find you a place to stay now..."
Lucien looked around again.
After all, he was the first scoundrel, so he couldn't be treated poorly.
With just a quick scan, he quickly found something good.
"How about this?"
The astrologer ghost looked at the colorful spittoon in Lucien's hand, then at Lucien himself, before disappearing back into the tarot cards.
Seeing this, Lucien understood her meaning.
"I'm fine here; I don't need to go anywhere else."
"I still need the jar; we'll be performing a ritual later… something like a contract."
Lucien patiently explained to the tarot cards.
Hearing this, the tarot cards reacted.
A tiny red light emanated from them, drawing a pentagram in the air, which landed in front of Lucien.
Lucien understood immediately and reached out.
A familiar chill emanated from his palm, and the pentagram vanished.
From this moment on, Lucien had a subtle connection with her.
As long as he destroyed the magic circle in his palm, the astrologer ghost would feel pain, or even dissipate completely.
It comes with its own contract; how thoughtful.
As for the ritual, Lucien didn't dwell on it too much.
The result was the same, no need to worry about the form of the ritual.
Picking up the tarot cards again, Lucien felt a different way.
If before it was a threat and resistance, now it was complete obedience, like an extension of his arm.
Could this be considered hiring an employee?
Lucien looked at the tarot cards in his hand, a sudden thought striking him.
Judging from her previous behavior, the astrologer ghost seemed to possess considerable intelligence.
She could understand Lucien's meaning and perform basic communication.
With a little training, cleaning and odd jobs in the shop…
no food expenses, no salary, no need for sleep or rest…
except for being able to move around only after closing time at night—the ideal nuclear-powered donkey!
Lucien's eyes lit up!