A day later, Director Lei and Lan Shengu finished all the preliminary work for stripping away the ritual nodes. The process went far more smoothly than expected.
But dismantling an Esoteric Ritual demanded intense mental concentration. They could not afford the slightest mistake, especially with an ancient ritual like this, which differed greatly from modern ones. They had to probe their way forward with painstaking care, so the day's work had taken a heavy toll on both their minds and bodies.
Once they finished, they took a short break and some medicine. When they felt their spirits revive, they went together to see Chen Chuan again.
Director Lei spoke first. "Director Chen, we've completed the preliminary work. We request permission to begin stripping away the Esoteric Ritual now."
Chen Chuan looked at them both. "Director Lei, Advisor Lan, are you sure you're up to it?"
"No problem," Director Lei said gravely. "We originally estimated a maximum of two days, so we prepared to work for two days without stopping. Since it's only taken one, we can move straight on to the next step. The Old Sin inside has probably noticed what we're doing. We can't give him too much time to prepare."
Lan Shengu added, "Exactly, Director Chen. We're in good shape right now. This is the perfect time to carry it through in one push."
Chen Chuan looked them over again. Once he confirmed that neither was pushing himself beyond his limits, he said, "All right. Request approved. Director Lei, you and Advisor Lan can proceed without holding back. Leave any problems that arise to me."
Director Lei nodded solemnly.
After discussing things with Lan Shengu, he and Lan each took their people to separate positions. At several other locations, members of the Secret Sect Review Bureau were already