Chapter 95: The Three Soul-Locking Nails

 "Boss, be careful!"

 Tiger's warning came as he quickly followed Lu Fei into the pit.

 "Ah Long," Chen Jinfa signaled to his bodyguard, who immediately jumped down to join them.

 Lu Fei walked around the two concrete pillars a few times, then stopped at one and examined it closely before glancing back at the spot where the small coffin had been found.

 "Brother Fa, this pillar has a problem. It needs to be dismantled!"

 "Why?" Chen Jinfa asked, stunned.

 "If I'm right, there's another small coffin inside."

 "What?"

 "Another small coffin?!"

 Chen Jinfa was shocked, staring at Lu Fei in disbelief.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, are you sure?"

 "Brother Fa, have your men dismantle it, and you'll see whether I'm right." Lu Fei smiled slightly, his confidence unwavering.

 Ah Long moved closer to the old pillar, examined it briefly, and shook his head at Chen Jinfa.

 After a moment's hesitation, Chen Jinfa gritted his teeth and said, "Dismantle it! Out with the old, in with the new—if it means ensuring a smooth project, it's a small price to pay!"

 "Ah Long, call in a crew right away to start dismantling!"

 His impatience was clear; he couldn't wait another second.

 "Yes," Ah Long responded, propelling himself out of the pit with a powerful jump that showed his agility and strength, akin to a panther.

 "That guy's got some real skills," Tiger muttered, narrowing his eyes at the bodyguard's movements. Ah Long's demeanor and sharp eyes suggested he was no amateur—his skills were solid.

 Tiger jumped out with ease as well, offering a hand to pull Lu Fei out.

 "It'll take a while for the scared workers to come back. Shopkeeper Lu, have you eaten? How about a bite?"

 Chen Jinfa's voice was hoarse; he had spent the whole night dealing with problems without a break for food.

 "Sure, I'll join you for a bite." Lu Fei agreed readily, aware that he and Tiger had only grabbed a quick breakfast and were still hungry.

 The three found a nearby breakfast spot, where Chen Jinfa, always the generous host, ordered a feast.

 "Dig in, don't be shy!"

 With that, he dove into his meal, clearly famished.

 Tiger took full advantage of the free meal, making Lu Fei give him a warning glance to rein it in and not embarrass Evil Pawnshop.

 "Haha, no need to hold back! Martial folks always eat big!" Chen Jinfa laughed heartily. "My Ah Long's the same—one meal equals three ordinary men's portions!"

 "Eats a lot, fights hard—could take on ten men without breaking a sweat."

 Chen Jinfa beamed with pride as he spoke of his bodyguard.

 "I owe my life to him several times over. Back when rivals cornered me, Ah Long fought them off single-handedly. I swore then—he's a brother to me. As long as I've got food, he'll never go hungry!"

 The praise came with a touch of loyalty and pride.

 "Brother Fa, you're a man of loyalty!" Lu Fei chimed in, going with the flow.

 "And your companion isn't half-bad. I can tell he's trained too," Chen Jinfa remarked, casting a glance at Tiger.

 "But compared to Ah Long… he's a notch below."

 Tiger's eyes flashed with defiance. "Haven't sparred yet, so who knows?"

 "Why not test your skills against Ah Long sometime?" Chen Jinfa proposed with a grin.

 "Deal."

 After their meal and some friendly banter, Chen Jinfa's phone buzzed. It was Ah Long, informing him that the workers were ready to dismantle the pillar.

 "Great, stay put—I'm on my way!"

 Chen Jinfa quickly paid the bill, then hurried Lu Fei and Tiger back to the site.

 Once inside the fenced-off area, they saw several workers, helmets on, moving machinery toward the suspicious pillar.

 "Brother, had to double their pay just to get them to come back," Ah Long reported.

 "No matter, as long as the job gets done," Chen Jinfa dismissed the concern with a wave.

 The workers positioned the machinery, awaiting instructions.

 Chen Jinfa cast a concerned glance at Lu Fei. "If this pillar is indeed problematic, will dismantling it cause trouble?"

 "Stick this on, and it'll be fine," Lu Fei replied, handing Tiger a special talisman, a Ghost-Banishing Symbol, to affix to the pillar.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, what is this? Looks like a kid's doodle," Chen Jinfa squinted at the markings, perplexed.

 "It's a Ghost-Banishing Symbol, unique to Evil Pawnshop. It wards off ghosts and negative energies," Lu Fei explained.

 "Interesting!" Chen Jinfa raised a brow, giving the go-ahead to the workers.

 The group watched from the edge of the pit as the workers operated the machinery.

 The two bodyguards stood behind their bosses, arms crossed, muscles flexing in silent competition.

 Thud, thud, thud!

 The machine roared to life, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.

 Lu Fei and the others stepped back to avoid the cloud.

 After half an hour, the machine suddenly stopped.

 Amid the settling dust, a worker's voice called out, "We found something!"

 Chen Jinfa leaned forward. "What is it? Is it a coffin?"

 "It looks like it. It's red, like it's covered in blood!"

 The workers' anxious faces emerged from the clearing dust.

 Chen Jinfa strained to see into the pit, eyes wide as he spotted a sliver of red wood protruding from the broken concrete.

 It was identical to the small coffin in the office.

 "Damn, there really is another one!"

 He turned to Lu Fei, eyes wide with disbelief.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, how did you know? What is this thing?"

 "Finish unearthing it, and I'll explain," Lu Fei said seriously. "Please be gentle, everyone. Try not to damage the coffin."

 "Did you hear that? Be careful! Get it out intact!" Chen Jinfa shouted at the workers.

 "Boss, this isn't safe! Continuing might…" The workers exchanged nervous glances, hesitant to proceed.

 "What are you afraid of?" Chen Jinfa barked. "We've got the Evil Pawnshop expert here and a protective talisman. You'll be fine!"

 The workers still hesitated.

 Gritting his teeth, Chen Jinfa said, "Double your pay again!"

 Money spoke volumes, and the promise of a larger reward motivated the workers to restart the machine.

 After a tense period, the small coffin was finally extracted in one piece.

 Covered in dust and sweat, the workers' faces shone with relief.

 They placed the coffin carefully on the ground and backed away.

 "Boss Chen, is this good?"

 Seeing the smooth extraction, Chen Jinfa's trust in Lu Fei deepened. He looked at him, waiting for further instructions.

 "Good. Let the workers step back—I'll take it from here," Lu Fei said, donning gloves and hopping into the pit to lift the small, cold coffin.

 The lid bore three vertically aligned nail heads, deeply embedded.

 Lu Fei's brow furrowed.

 "Three Soul-Locking Nails. What a vicious setup!"