Chen Jinfa lit a cigarette, squinting at the man known as Qiangzi.
Qiangzi, a man in his thirties, was thin, with a pointed head that made him look like a large rat.
"What happened here? Tell me everything, or I'll toss you down there where even your bones won't be found!"
Although much of the bloodwater had receded, the pit's bottom still held a crimson pool, chilling to behold.
Qiangzi's bruised face turned pale, and he began spilling everything he knew as if his life depended on it.
It turned out that this place had seen death long before the current troubles, back during the initial demolition phase.
Before the mall was constructed, the area was home to an old residential complex with decades of history. While the facilities were outdated, the location was prime, surrounded by newly developed commercial streets.
A developer had spotted the potential and wanted to build a luxury shopping mall. However, trouble arose during the relocation process.
Most residents willingly accepted the terms, except for one erratic old woman who refused to sign off, no matter what the developer offered. She became the quintessential "nail house" occupant.
Negotiators came and went, but she was unyielding. Whenever someone approached to reason with her, she would wave her cane and drive them off like a madwoman, making dialogue impossible.
Because of her, the entire project was delayed, leaving the developer in a panic.
Shortly afterward, the old woman mysteriously disappeared.
"Disappeared? That sounds suspicious," Lu Fei frowned.
Chen Jinfa snorted. "No need to guess—the shady developer probably had a hand in it."
"I really don't know about that, Brother Fa. The police did investigate, but they found nothing," Qiangzi said with a wry smile. "The developer pulled some strings and acquired her property, seeing as she had no family—no children, no one."
"And then?" Lu Fei pressed.
"They tore down the old buildings, and the mall's construction began. Everything went smoothly at first, but when they were driving the last foundation pile, there was a death on the site."
Qiangzi continued his story.
The first to die was a foreman. He had been supervising the workers near the pit when, for some inexplicable reason, he fell, landing directly on a steel rod that impaled him through the stomach.
Blood pooled, soaking the dirt in crimson.
Before he died, he claimed someone had pushed him. But he had been standing alone, with no one nearby.
The second death was the developer's president.
Hearing about the fatality, the president rushed to the site. He stood in the same spot as the foreman and suddenly looked terrified, scrambling into his car and ordering the driver to leave immediately.
But before they could even exit the site, disaster struck.
A parked cement truck inexplicably had its brakes fail, ramming into the president's car. The car flipped, throwing the president into the pit where he died on impact. The driver escaped with just minor scrapes.
Two deaths in quick succession, both eerily bizarre. Rumors began circulating that the developer's misdeeds had angered the old woman, and she had returned for vengeance.
Frightened, the developer halted the project and sold it to an out-of-town businessman who knew nothing of the deaths.
That businessman soon faced his own troubles.
First, the last foundation pile couldn't be driven, no matter what techniques were tried. Then, he began seeing two figures at the edge of the pit.
These figures stood there, waving at him. When he approached, he saw that they were covered in blood. He was so terrified he nearly fainted.
If someone hadn't grabbed him in time, he would have stepped into the pit himself.
The businessman, finally realizing something was wrong, paid for information and learned about the prior deaths.
The blood-soaked figures he saw were likely the foreman and the former president.
Although furious and frightened, the paperwork had already been completed, so he sold the project at a loss to cut his losses.
"Eventually, Tang Corporation took over the project. Rumor has it that their construction went smoothly, and they finished the mall without incident."
Qiangzi finished, glancing cautiously at Chen Jinfa.
Chen Jinfa's face was dark with anger. He hadn't expected so much hidden trouble in the mall's history. No wonder everything had gone wrong since he took over.
Lu Fei said coldly, "If that old woman was indeed killed by the developer, she likely suffered greatly before her death. Only those who die in extreme pain and hatred become Bloodwater Wraiths. It's no wonder the mall was built under such malevolent circumstances."
"Bastards like them deserve it!" Tiger, who despised ruthless bosses, spat angrily.
"With so many incidents, it's clear someone covered up the stories. Otherwise, who'd be foolish enough to buy this project?" Chen Jinfa sneered.
Qiangzi remained silent, head bowed in guilt.
Chen Jinfa didn't lash out at him just yet; instead, he turned to Lu Fei for guidance. "Master Lu, do you think the Bloodwater Wraith is the old woman? How can we deal with it?"
"The best solution is to resolve her grievances. If that's impossible, we'll need to draw her out and confront her directly."
Bloodwater Wraiths were feared even by seasoned mystics because their bloodwater could dissolve anything, living or otherwise. Even Lu Fei's grandfather would hesitate to approach one, let alone him.
Lu Fei glanced at the pit, where only a shallow layer of blood remained. The suppression stones seemed effective, but who knew how long they would hold? They needed to act before the bloodwater rose again.
"Weren't the developer and foreman both killed? Why wouldn't that appease her?" Chen Jinfa grumbled in frustration.
"There could be other reasons. Why was she so adamant against relocation? A better living environment and compensation would please most people. Why not her?"
Chen Jinfa turned to glare at Qiangzi.
"How would I know? People said she was just crazy," Qiangzi replied helplessly.
"That's impossible. For her to resist so clearly and persistently, she must have had her reasons. She wasn't insane," Lu Fei reasoned. "Finding out why she resisted might be the key."
Chen Jinfa barked at Qiangzi, "Think harder!"
"Brother, Brother Fa, I really don't know! That's all I've got!" Qiangzi whined, tearful and snotty, shaking like a frightened dog. His cluelessness seemed genuine.
"The old woman's dead, with no family. How can we find out why she refused to move in such a short time?" Chen Jinfa said, racking his brain.
Lu Fei's eyes lit up as he thought of someone.
"I know just the person to help investigate the past!"