Chapter 100: Breaking the Ritual

 Chen Jinfa's expression, which had just relaxed, turned tense again as he looked at the small coffin in Lu Fei's hands.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, let's open it now and finish this once and for all! Sure, those kids were pitiful, but it's not like we caused it. Why keep it around? Just to harm more people?" 

 One vengeful spirit already had enough power to bring down such a massive pillar. If it wasn't dealt with, who knew how many more lives would be lost. Just thinking about it made him shudder.

 "You're right, Brother Fa. But I've been thinking about one thing," Lu Fei said, furrowing his brow.

 "What's that?"

 "What happened on this site that made someone use a boy and a girl for the ritual?"

 "Who cares! Whether one or both, let's deal with this thing first." Chen Jinfa waved impatiently, worried that the doll inside the small coffin would also escape.

 "You're right."

 Since the client insisted, Lu Fei decided not to dwell on it. He carried the small coffin, searching for a suitable spot to open it. Just as he was about to move, his eyes landed on the shattered remnants of the clay doll.

 He stopped and told Tiger to gather the fragments and place them into his backpack.

 Lu Fei then walked through the scattered debris and found a relatively flat spot to place the coffin. Taking out a small hammer, he prepared to start.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, be careful!" Chen Jinfa couldn't help but warn nervously.

 "Relax, Brother Fa. It's not coming out," Lu Fei reassured him and began prying out the coffin's soul-locking nails.

 When the first nail came out, the coffin shuddered. 

 Chen Jinfa's heart skipped a beat.

 But Lu Fei remained calm. He took a bottle of slightly murky water and poured it into the small hole.

 The coffin soon stilled.

 He pulled out the second nail and poured more water in. This time, the small coffin only trembled slightly.

 Finally, Lu Fei removed the third nail and emptied the rest of the water into the third hole.

 The small coffin stopped moving entirely, and a musty, damp smell seeped out through the holes.

 When Lu Fei finished, Chen Jinfa noticed the red hue on the coffin's surface rapidly fading as if aging in real-time.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, am I seeing things? Why is the coffin losing color?" 

 "You're not seeing things, Brother Fa. The fading color means the ritual has been broken, and the clay doll inside is now just that—a clay doll." 

 Lu Fei opened the coffin.

 Inside was a clay doll, less than half a meter tall, soaked and riddled with cracks. It had clear facial features, arms, and legs and was crafted with great detail.

 However, the young face wasn't endearing; it was filled with pain.

 "Rest in peace," Lu Fei murmured, signaling Tiger to pack up the broken doll while he wrapped the small coffin and the soul-locking nails.

 The other coffin, shattered earlier, didn't matter since the complete one was the key.

 "All done, Brother Fa," Lu Fei said, clapping his hands and smiling at Chen Jinfa.

 "That's it?" Chen Jinfa's eyes widened in surprise. After all his anticipation, the process had turned out to be unexpectedly straightforward.

 "Since this coffin wasn't opened, it was easier to handle," Lu Fei explained with a smile.

 Chen Jinfa scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

 "Turns out, I made things harder for myself! From now on, if I ever dig up anything strange, I won't mess with it. I'll call an expert first!"

 "It's not your fault, Brother Fa. Once the digging started, finding the small coffin was inevitable," Lu Fei said, glancing around. With the ritual broken and no anomalies in sight, he felt reassured.

 "Good thing I called Shopkeeper Lu! Age really doesn't determine skill. That fraud of a master with his long beard was all show!" 

 With the trouble resolved, Chen Jinfa's mood brightened. He flashed a big grin, his dusty face cracking into a laugh as he threw an arm around Lu Fei's shoulders.

 "I, Chen Jinfa, admire capable people! From now on, Shopkeeper Lu, you're my brother!"

 Lu Fei's straightforwardness and capability had clearly impressed Chen Jinfa.

 "You flatter me, Brother Fa," Lu Fei responded with a light chuckle.

 With everything settled, they prepared to leave, navigating the rocky mess back to the entrance.

 As they climbed the ladder, Lu Fei heard a strange gurgling noise.

 Gurgle, gurgle.

 It sounded like bubbles rising in water.

 He paused, glancing back.

 The dark pit was filled with shadows and rubble, but nothing seemed out of place.

 "Did anyone else hear that?" Lu Fei asked, turning to the others.

 "Nope," Chen Jinfa said, pausing mid-step.

 Everyone listened closely for a moment and then shook their heads.

 "Something wrong, Shopkeeper Lu?"

 "Maybe I misheard."

 They continued up and out of the pit, greeted by the warm summer air and the noise of city traffic. The neon lights cast a glow over everything, making them feel as if they'd returned to the world of the living.

 "Shopkeeper Lu, it's late. No need to rush back tonight. Stay at the hotel and rest. Tomorrow, I'm treating everyone to dinner," Chen Jinfa said warmly, insisting Lu Fei not return to his shop.

 It was the same hotel from that afternoon, close enough to see the excavation site from the window. 

 Lu Fei, still uneasy, advised, "Brother Fa, I recommend holding off work for a day or two, just to be safe."

 After a moment's thought, Chen Jinfa nodded resolutely. "I trust you, Shopkeeper Lu! We'll wait and watch."

 He then told Lu Fei and Tiger to clean up and change out of their dirty clothes.

 Once washed and in their robes, Ah Long brought out a small first aid kit to tend to everyone's cuts and bruises.

 His movements were practiced and efficient.

 "Ah Long, use this," Lu Fei said, handing over the special healing powder from the Evil Pawnshop.

 Ah Long glanced at Chen Jinfa.

 "Shopkeeper Lu's offering is bound to be good," Chen Jinfa said, nodding.

 Ah Long accepted the powder and treated everyone's wounds. The coolness of the powder felt soothing on their skin.

 Once he was done with the others, he began tending to his own injuries.

 "Fighting in my past life meant getting hurt was just part of the job. No one went to the hospital; we always handled it ourselves," Chen Jinfa said from his reclining chair, lighting a cigarette.

 "Sounds like you had quite an eventful past, Brother Fa," Lu Fei said with a smile.

 "Haha! Those days are long gone," Chen Jinfa exhaled a cloud of smoke, a touch of melancholy in his eyes. "Those times of fighting and rivalry are over. A man's got to move forward."

 "I may be older, but I'll carve out my success in the right way!"

 He narrowed his eyes, studying Lu Fei.

 "You're young, with a bright future ahead! Tonight, you've worked hard, so I called for a few lovely ladies to help you unwind."