Chapter 7: The Jade Pendant's Soul Shattering

The case of the iron bell had just settled, and the air in the antique shop's backyard still carried a faint smell of blood. The restored iron bell lay quietly on the table, like a mute object. Jiang Hao massaged his temples, leaned back in his chair, and muttered in a low voice, "Finally calm... this damn job could kill a person." Lin Yao stood by the workbench, flipping through her notebook, recording the details of the iron bell case. The sound of her pen scratching the paper was sharp, though her eyes betrayed a trace of exhaustion.

The doorbell rang with a soft "ding," and Old Zhong walked in from the storefront, holding a cloth and slowly wiping down the counter. He glanced at the two of them and muttered, "Take a break. It's been a rough few days." Before he finished speaking, hurried footsteps echoed outside the door, and a man pushed it open, his face pale and dark circles under his eyes. He was clutching a broken jade pendant, its lotus patterns faintly visible in the dim light. His voice trembled as he said, "Old Zhong, this... this thing... it can't save me!" He tossed the pendant onto the counter and turned to run, stumbling as if something were chasing him.

Jiang Hao frowned, his hand stopping as he massaged his temple. He muttered softly, "Not again?" He stood up, picked up the jade pendant, and a sudden ringing filled his ears. Images flashed before his eyes—a woman bound in chains, struggling and shouting "Give me back my life," before a well sealed and buried her in the dirt. He gritted his teeth and growled, "She was buried alive, her vengeful spirit is overflowing!" The jade pendant felt cold in his hand, as if responding to his touch.

Lin Yao closed her notebook, walked over, and whispered, "What did he say?" She glanced at Old Zhong, her tone cold and tinged with impatience.

Old Zhong lowered the cloth with trembling hands and spoke quietly, "It was brought in last night, said he sleepwalked and jumped off a building. When he woke up, it was cracked. This morning, he almost didn't make it back. Then, you saw what happened—he just tossed it and ran." He picked up a cup of water, his fingers trembling as the surface rippled with tiny waves. He forced a bitter smile. "This thing... it's not simple."

"Old Zhong, is your antique shop a legitimate business? Seems more like a place for fixing other people's problems. You should just open a clinic," Lin Yao said, furrowing her brows.

She then flipped to a record about a female ghost's curse from the Qing dynasty, murmuring, "Could be soul binding, triggered by betrayal." Just as she finished speaking, the jade pendant suddenly floated up, and a deep, eerie footstep sound echoed. The air grew thick, as if invisible hands were pressing down. Jiang Hao snorted, "Bookworm, here we go again." The wooden door rattled, black mist poured out, and Lin Yao gripped her notebook tightly. They were sucked into the mist, the wind howling in their ears as time and space twisted. The images shattered and reformed like a broken mirror.

In the next moment, they found themselves in a Qing dynasty courtyard. The dimly lit yard was heavy with a sinister aura, chains hung from the walls, and a foul smell emanated from a dry well in the center. The jade pendant floated above, its crack widening, fragments hanging in the air as if reforming. The figure of a woman appeared—a disheveled figure with pale skin, her eyes filled with vengeful hatred. Time twisted, the chains alternated between lengthening and shortening, and footsteps echoed from all directions, as if countless people were pacing. Jiang Hao's ear ringing grew stronger, the scene clearer—a man had pushed the woman into the well, leaving with a cold laugh. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "She was betrayed and buried alive!"

Lin Yao furrowed her brows, moved closer to the dry well, and examined the symbols carved into the wall. She murmured, "Qing dynasty soul-binding, the jade pendant is the medium." She flipped through her notebook, finding a page detailing: "The vengeful woman was abandoned, her soul bound to the jade, seeking retribution on the betrayer." She looked up at the pendant and said, "It was the man who harmed her, and now her vengeful spirit is killing." The footsteps grew louder, the air heavier, as if unseen hands were pressing down.

Suddenly, the jade pendant's fragments scattered and charged toward them, the woman's figure screaming as she manifested. Time twisted again, the dry well fluctuated, the chains slithered like living snakes. Jiang Hao narrowed his eyes, the ringing in his ears showing the trajectory of the chains. He grabbed an iron hook from the ground and threw it, hooking the floating pendant and slamming it onto the ground. The fragments scattered, and the woman's scream weakened. He sneered, "The one who trapped you is long dead. What are you still making noise for?"

Lin Yao shot him a glare and whispered, "Brute, stop smashing things." She opened her notebook again, her gaze falling on "soul-binding," muttering, "The curse originates from the token of betrayal; it needs to be destroyed." She ran toward a corner of the courtyard, searching until she found a copper coin inscribed with the word "Yongan." She murmured, "The man's mark." Taking out a lighter, she ignited the coin. Flames erupted, the coin melted, and the jade pendant's glow extinguished, the vengeful spirit dispersing into black mist.

The chains lunged at Lin Yao, but Jiang Hao reacted quickly, throwing the iron hook to entangle them, shouting, "Bookworm, focus!" Lin Yao took the opportunity to burn the coin, the woman's figure crumbled, and her screams faded. The courtyard trembled, time became even more chaotic, the dead trees alternated between growing and withering, the well opening and closing like breathing.

Gasping for breath, Jiang Hao whispered, "Is it over?"

Lin Yao picked up the scorched jade pendant and murmured, "Her soul is gone, let's confirm." She tapped the pendant; it was hollow inside, no longer responding.

A walkie-talkie crackled, and Old Zhong's voice came through, distorted by static: "The jade's fixed. It's thrown to you." The wooden door rattled, and the restored jade pendant flew out, landing at Jiang Hao's feet. The surface still bore the lotus pattern, but the crack was gone, and it lay still, like a dead object.

The voice of the deity echoed, with two different tones overlapping. The Archiving faction's voice was gentle: "Archiving complete, order restored." The Destruction faction's voice was deep: "Destruction is even better, with no trace left." Then came a cold snort: "Useless ones, choose your own fate." The voice faded, and half of the courtyard collapsed, while the other half restored itself. The temporal distortion intensified, and the two of them were spat back into the backyard. The jade pendant lay quietly on the table, and Jiang Hao and Lin Yao were both gasping for air.