The Empty Counter
Leo arrives at the San Gabriel pawnshop at dusk expecting a routine visit with translation files and finds the counter empty, vault ajar, and relic ledger open. He discovers the hidden trade in sealed cultivation relics and family blood debts while experiencing the ledger's supernatural activation tied to his bloodline. The chapter builds intimate pressure around Aunt Mei's disappearance, Victor Zhao's involvement, and Leo's forced claim on his fractured identity, ending with the glowing ledger and ringing bell.