Seeing the small coffin in Lu Fei's hands, the relieved expression on Chen Jinfɑ's face instantly turned tense again.
"Manager Lu, let's open the coffin right now and take care of everything inside! Sure, these dolls are pitiful, but it's not like we caused their situation. What's the point of keeping them around? To hurt people?"
A single little ghost, when enraged, can have such great power as to make a large pillar fall. If we don't put it away, who knows how many more people will die in the future.
Thinking about it now still made him feel chills down his spine.
"Brother Fɑ is right, but I've thought of a problem," Lu Fei said thoughtfully.
"What is it?"
"What happened at this construction site that required a pair of young boy and girl to be sacrificed?"
"Who cares! One by one, let's deal with this little thing first." Big Fa waved his hands anxiously, very worried that the mud doll in the small coffin might come out.
"You're right."
Since the customer had said so, Lu Fei no longer hesitated, holding the small coffin and preparing to find a suitable place to act. When he stepped forward, he saw the broken mud doll on the ground.
He paused, asking Hu Zi to pick up the fragments and put them in the backpack.
Then, he carried the small coffin through the messy pile of stones, found a relatively flat spot, placed it down, took out the small hammer he had prepared, and got ready to take action.
"Master Lu, be careful!" Big Fa couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Don't worry, Big Fa, it won't escape!"
Lu Fei said, prying out the soul-binding nails on the coffin bit by bit.
As soon as the first nail was pulled out, the coffin immediately began to tremble.
Chen Jinfɑ was startled.
But Lufei remained calm, picking up a bottle of mineral water and pouring the slightly turbid water inside into the coffin through a small hole.
The coffin soon calmed down.
Lufei then pulled out the second nail. After removing it, he poured some more water in.
This time, the small coffin just trembled slightly.
Lufei removed the third nail and poured the remaining water from the mineral water bottle into the coffin through the third small hole.
The small coffin did not move at all. A damp, earthy smell emanated from the three small holes.
When Lufei finished, Chen Jinfɑ was surprised to see that the red color on the surface of the coffin was rapidly fading before his eyes.
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things, but the entire small coffin had indeed aged, as if it had been buried underground for many years, no longer crimson like fresh blood.
"Mr. Lu, I'm not mistaken, am I? How did the coffin fade in color?"
"Big Brother Fa was right, the fading of the coffin indicates that the soul-binding spell has been broken, and the mud doll inside is just a plain mud doll now."
Lu Fei opened the coffin lid.
Inside was a mud doll less than half a meter tall, drenched and covered in cracks, with clear facial features and limbs, made to look very lifelike.
But its innocent face was not cute; instead, it was filled with pain.
"Rest in peace."
Lu Fei had Hu Zi pack up this broken mud doll as well, and he wrapped up the small coffin and the soul-locking nails carefully.
It didn't matter if the other small coffin was destroyed, as long as this one that hadn't been opened prematurely was useful.
"Big Brother Fa, it's done."
He clapped his hands and smiled at Chen Jinfɑ.
"It's all over?" Chen Jinfɑ opened his eyes wide. He had been on high alert for so long, only to find out that the process was unexpectedly easy.
"This small coffin hasn't been opened, and the mud doll inside hasn't been released, so it's easy to handle," Lu Fei said with a smile.
Chen Jinfɑ fiddled with his head, showing an annoyed expression.
"After all this trouble, I was causing it for myself! In the future, if I dig up anything again, I can't just do as I please; I must get someone to take a look first!"
"How can we blame Brother Fa? Whenever the ground is disturbed, it's inevitable for such a small coffin to be dug out." Lu Fei looked around and found that although the soul-striking stake had been broken, there were no abnormalities at the construction site, so he felt relieved.
"Luckily, I found Manager Lu! It seems that whether someone has real skills has nothing to do with age! That damn Master Wang, looking dignified with a long beard, turned out to be a fraud and a scoundrel!"
With the problem resolved, Chen Jinfɑ was very excited. He looked at Lu Fei with great admiration. His dusty face broke into a broad smile, and he enthusiastically put his arm around Lu Fei's shoulder.
"I, Chen Jinfɑ, admire capable people the most. From now on, Manager Lu is my brother!"
This young manager not only had skills but also handled things in a straightforward manner, without pretenses or fuss, which suited Chen Jinfɑ's preferences perfectly.
"Brother Fa, you are too kind," Lu Fei said with a faint smile.
With the matter settled, everyone left without lingering and walked through the messy pile of stones to the outside.
As he was climbing the stairs, Lu Fei suddenly heard a strange gurgling sound.
Gurgle, gurgle.
It sounded like bubbles in the water.
Worried, he looked back.
The chaotic and dim pit did not show anything coming out.
"Brother Fa, did any of you hear anything?" Lu Fei turned to ask the others.
"No, did you?" Chen Jinfɑ paused in his steps.
Everyone listened quietly for a while, then shook their heads, indicating they had heard nothing.
"What's wrong, Manager Lu?"
"Probably just my mistake. I might have misheard."
As they spoke, a few people climbed out of the pit, and the warm air of early summer rushed up to greet them. The bustling sound of city traffic filled their ears, and neon lights flickered all around.
There was an overwhelming sense of being back in the world of the living.
"Mr. Lu, it's too late today, don't rush to go back. Stay at the hotel for the night! I'll treat everyone to a meal tomorrow, us brothers..."
Chen Jinfah was very hospitable, not allowing Lu Fei to return to the pawnshop, and insisted on pulling him to the hotel instead.
It was still the same hotel from noon, very close to the construction site. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see the situation inside the site.
The pit was pitch black, like a giant mouth torn from the ground.
Lu Fei was still a bit uneasy, so he said to Chen Jinfah, "Brother Jinfah, I'm still worried. Don't start work tomorrow; let's observe for another two days."
Chen Jinfah stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then slapped his thigh and said, "I trust Mr. Lu! So we'll do as you say, and wait one more day!"
With that, he told Lu Fei and Hu Zi to go and freshen up, and change out of their dirty clothes.
After they had cleaned up and came out in bathrobes, Ah Long immediately brought a small medicine kit to treat their minor injuries.
His movements were very skillful.
"Brother A-Long, use this." Lu Fei took out his family's specially made wound medicine.
A-Long looked at Chen Jinfah.
"What the Shopkeeper Lu gives must be good stuff." Chen Jinfah nodded to him.
Only then did A-Long take the wound medicine and apply it to everyone.
The powder sprinkled on the wounds felt cool and soothing.
After A-Long had taken care of everyone else, he started to tend to himself.
"We used to fight a lot in the past, getting injured was common, who went to the hospital? Everyone took care of their own injuries," Chen Jinfah said, sitting in a recliner and lighting a cigarette.
"Brother Jinfah, your life in the past must have been quite exciting, huh?" Lu Fei said with a smile.
"Hahaha! That's all in the past." Chen Jinfah exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, "The days of fighting and killing are long gone. One always has to look forward."
"I, Chen Jinfa, am not one to admit defeat to old age; I've made a name for myself in the right path!"
Then, he squinted his eyes and looked at Lu Fei.
"Master Lu is still young and has limitless potential! You must be exhausted tonight. I've called in a few pretty girls to help you relax."