Chapter 105: The Real Murderer

  The stench of blood surged forward.

  Lu Fei's heart pounded as he stared intently at the surging blood water, gripping his lightning-struck jujube wood rod, prepared for a hard battle.

  The aged ghostly face emerging from the blood water, contorted in rage, charged directly at Lu Fei.

  "Boss!"

  Tiger shouted, tension in his voice, yanking Lu Fei back with all his strength.

  Lu Fei rolled with the momentum, barely dodging the blood wave.

  The burning joss paper was doused entirely by the splashing blood, scattering the offerings everywhere. This blood water spirit wasn't willing to listen.

  Of course, resolving a lifetime's worth of resentment wasn't easy.

  "If that's the case, don't blame me for taking action," Lu Fei gritted his teeth, tightening his hold on the lightning-struck wood rod, and kept a vigilant eye on the turbulent blood water.

  Luckily, he managed to obtain the photo album. Although the blood water spirit wasn't willing to yield, it had shown a significant reaction to the album. Perhaps it could be used to manifest its true form.

  "Madam, this is a photo of your family. Do you not want it anymore?"

  Lu Fei cautiously raised the album and inched closer to the blood water.

  "Boss, don't go near! It's too dangerous!" Tiger called out anxiously.

  "Tiger, stay back! I've got this. Worst case, I'll just use my legs to run," Lu Fei called back without turning, eyes firmly fixed on the motion of the blood water, every step deliberate.

  "Alright, but please be careful!" Tiger, holding his large knife, stamped his feet nervously but respected Lu Fei's order to stay put.

  Chen Jinfa, who had dodged aside, watched with a pounding heart, his admiration for the young shopkeeper growing by the minute.

  Lu Fei, with the album in hand, crept toward the blood water.

  The liquid churned even more violently. A tall wave surged up, and within it, the ghostly face turned to stare at the album, blood-red eyes seeming to scan the photos.

  Now!

  Lu Fei seized the moment.

  He sidestepped, thrusting the album forward with his left hand while his right hand, infused with power, brought down the lightning-struck rod directly onto the ghostly visage.

  "Rest in peace!"

  The rod, imbued with the force of heavenly thunder, sent a tremor of terror through the ghost's face. There was no time for it to retreat.

  The seemingly ordinary, short wooden rod barely grazed the face before faint blue arcs of electricity crackled through the blood water.

  The face dissolved in an instant, and the blood water crashed back down into the pit.

  It receded rapidly, leaving behind only a thin trickle that quickly withdrew.

  "The source of the blood water is where the remains are buried!"

  Lu Fei leaped into the pit and gave chase.

  "Boss!" Tiger, fearing for Lu Fei's safety, grabbed his knife and followed.

  "Ah Long, go help him!" Chen Jinfa ordered, staying behind to wait it out.

  Lu Fei traced the small stream of blood to a corner of the pit where it seeped into the earth and disappeared.

  "Here!"

  Lu Fei marked the spot with a wooden plank.

  When Ah Long arrived, Lu Fei instructed, "Ah Long, tell Mr. Jinfa to bring someone to dig this up."

  "No need to call anyone. I'll do it," Ah Long said, grabbing a shovel from the tools scattered around the site and began to dig. Tiger found a hoe and started helping.

  After a while, Chen Jinfa, seeing that the danger had passed and the blood had disappeared, rushed down to join them.

  With the combined efforts of the two strong men, a deep hole quickly took shape.

  Clang!

  The shovel struck something solid, producing a sharp sound.

  They exchanged glances and switched to smaller tools, carefully uncovering the object buried in the dirt.

  As they peeled away the last layer of soil, they revealed a half-meter-tall cement vat, heavy and covered with a lid.

  It took the strength of both men to lift it out.

  "It looks like an old water jar from decades ago," Chen Jinfa said cautiously, stroking his chin.

  "A water jar?"

  Lu Fei reached over and pried off the lid.

  A foul odor wafted out, revealing murky, putrid water and, within it, a set of human bones.

  "Remains."

  Lu Fei put the lid back on, suppressing his emotions.

  No wonder the spirit became a blood water ghost. The old lady had been drowned in this jar, and judging by the state of her bones, had suffered severe torture before her death.

  "It seems that whoever did this thought that burying the old lady and the jar beneath the ground, covered by a grand building, would keep it hidden forever."

  "But they underestimated the power of human resentment and unfulfilled desires."

  Lu Fei shook his head.

  "Mr. Jinfa, you should call the police."

  "Call the police?" Chen Jinfa was momentarily stunned.

  Him, a man who had lived on the edge of society, reporting to the police?

  "Yes, and you should also find a proper burial site for her remains and belongings. If her family ever returns, they'll have a place to pay respects. Consider it an act of goodwill, to ensure your project goes smoothly," Lu Fei said with a smile, patting Chen Jinfa's shoulder.

  "Oh, and those two clay dolls should be buried with her."

  "Do you really think this will bring good fortune?" The idea of his project proceeding without further obstacles piqued Chen Jinfa's interest. After wrestling with his thoughts for a moment, he decided.

  "Alright, we'll call the police! We're upstanding citizens now, aren't we? Nothing to fear from the law... I mean, the police," he corrected himself with a smirk.

  Emerging from the pit and resting in the site's temporary office, Lu Fei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  No wonder the Tang family had resorted to sealing it with the soul-stake ritual. The blood water ghost was truly formidable.

  Luckily, he had secured the photo album and wielded the powerful jujube wood rod. Without those, resolving this matter might have been impossible.

  Lu Fei pulled out his treasured rod and wiped it clean.

  Dipping into the blood earlier hadn't left a mark. Just a touch with the rod, and the malevolent spirit had been vanquished.

  No wonder it was a prized artifact in the mystical arts world.

  With the problem resolved, Chen Jinfa's gratitude knew no bounds.

  "Master Lu, your effort didn't go unnoticed. Words alone aren't enough to express my thanks. Please accept this token of my appreciation." He pushed a thick red envelope into Lu Fei's hands.

  "No need for that, Mr. Jinfa. It's our pawnshop's principle to take what's necessary and nothing more," Lu Fei said, patting the small coffin.

  "Whether it's a rule or not, we in the trade repay our debts. This coffin is yours, and once I wrap up the rest, I'll come back with a proper token of my thanks!"

  True to his word, Chen Jinfa arranged for the authorities to be notified.

  The police took the remains for investigation and soon confirmed they belonged to the old lady, Liu Guying, tracking the case back to the initial developer.

  Most thought that after so much time, the investigation would take a while.

  But to everyone's surprise, someone turned themselves in the very next day!

  Chen Jinfa stormed into the pawnshop with the news.

  "Master Lu, take a guess—who was behind it all?"