“Knock, knock, knock.”
Zhang Jin tapped on the table, drawing everyone's attention to the documents in her hand.
“This is the background information on the fifteen tourists and villagers who have gone missing recently. I won't beat around the bush; I'll get straight to the point.
“Based on our comparative research, the only commonality among the missing persons is that most of them have criminal records. To put it more bluntly, whether from a legal standpoint or a basic sense of morality, these people are what the general public would consider ‘bad people.’”
As she spoke, as if to verify her own hypothesis, Zhang Jin removed her mask and exposed herself to the yellow miasma.
“Mai Sheng, a famous internet blogger. It was recently revealed that he privately abused and killed cats and dogs. According to the investigation by our comrades in the Ministry of Public Security, he frequently produced and sold videos of these acts.”
“Huang Zhongyi. Three years ago, he was paralyzed in a drunk driving accident and has been bedridden ever since. However, that accident, caused by his negligence, resulted in three deaths and one injury. The victims were a young couple.”
“Zhang Awu. He has a history of gambling and soliciting. He was previously imprisoned for two years for theft. After his release, he drove his parents to their deaths. Even shortly before his disappearance, someone reported to the police that he and others were stealing dogs to eat at home.”
“...”
As name after name was read aloud, a look of realization gradually appeared on everyone's faces.
No wonder the toxic miasma had no effect on some people. So that was why.
Did this mean the yellow miasma only affected the wicked?
“We cannot guarantee that the toxic miasma won't evolve, nor can we act solely on speculation.”
Having removed her mask, Zhang Jin had visible marks on her cheeks, and the stray hairs on her forehead were damp with sweat.
“I'm telling you this not so you can judge these people, but to prove that this miasma is not invincible and does have weaknesses.
“As long as we understand the cause, these supernatural phenomena are not scary at all.
“Even if these missing persons broke the law, they should be sanctioned by the laws of the state. What we need to do is find the source of the miasma as quickly as possible to minimize the loss of life and property.”
Applause broke out in the tent. Encouraged, the others also began to remove their oxygen masks one by one.
They waited for a long time, but none of the symptoms of poisoning seen in the videos appeared.
It really was the case.
The pressure finally eased a little.
Zhang Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Zhuang Sinan quickly walked into the operations room from the adjacent area, a relaxed smile on his face.
“Director Zhang, it's confirmed. The source of the miasma is at the bottom of Mulian Lake. Should we conduct an underwater probe now, or wait until dawn tomorrow?”
“We have specialized probes. There isn't much difference between probing during the day or at night. The sooner we find the source of the miasma, the sooner things can return to normal.”
Seeing that Zhuang Sinan had also removed his oxygen mask early on, Zhang Jin guessed that he had likely figured something out as well. Her serious expression gained a touch of solemnity.
It seemed that incidents like this would only become more frequent in the future.
...
...
“Splash!”
The heavy probe was dropped into the water, sending up a spray. Inside the tent, the corresponding images immediately appeared on the screen connected to the device.
The dark lake water was clean to an almost abnormal degree.
There were no signs of fish or shrimp, and even aquatic plants were scarce.
“This lake is deep. I asked a Qingfeng spirit to go down and take a look. He said that in the entire Mulian Village, only the bottom of this lake has a massive dark patch, like someone wet the bed. It's so obvious that it's definitely the source of the miasma.”
Ma Lanhua took a few sips of milk tea, her complexion looking a bit more flushed.
“Also, those orange trees seem to have a story of their own. They look white and glowing, and there's nothing wrong with the groundwater there. They probably don't have much to do with whatever's in the lake.
“The Qingfeng spirit can go underwater, but he said something in the water clouded his eyes, so he couldn't see what it was.”
Zhang Jin nodded silently at the side.
Researchers had previously made a similar hypothesis.
Mulian Lake was connected to Stone River, and the lake water was drawn from the river. If there really was a problem with the river water, then the affected area wouldn't be limited to just Mulian Village; it would be the entire drainage basin. Therefore, the only logical explanation was that the problem lay within Mulian Lake itself.
As for whether the anomalies in the village were related to the changes in the lake water, that would require multiple experiments.
The old orange trees flowering and bearing fruit was very similar to descriptions in ancient texts of places with abundant spiritual energy—where trees were lush, grass was beautiful, fruits ripened on their own, spiritual energy was plentiful, and birds and beasts danced together.
As for whether the leakage of spiritual energy came first or the anomaly in the lake...
“Bzzzt... Bzzzt...”
The underwater footage being transmitted back was displayed on the screen. An operator wearing a headset and a military uniform focused intently on reporting the depth.
“Currently descending to fifty meters. No anomalies.”
After the body was recovered from Mulian Lake, Zhang Jin had applied early for a military probe. There had been some hesitation at first, but as soon as they heard it involved supernatural phenomena, they immediately sent both the personnel and the equipment.
The lake bottom was a cliff-like drop, but the operator was incredibly steady. Despite the pitch-black environment and lack of visibility, the device displayed the descent depth.
Fifty meters.
Sixty-five meters.
Seventy-five meters.
Eighty meters.
It still hadn't hit the bottom.
Zhang Jin couldn't help but feel anxious. Ma Lanhua, standing nearby, shook her head and said with certainty:
“There's definitely something at the bottom. We haven't reached it yet; this is just the beginning.
“I reckon it's an old toad or a snapping turtle that's become a demon. It's stayed at the bottom of this water for years and years, eaten all the fish and shrimp, and now it's got no choice but to prey on people, right?
“I've encountered something similar before. That old toad's urine was poisonous. Anyone who drank it would get dazed and confused and fall into the water to drown. This yellow miasma looks exactly like the color of toad urine. It's a safe bet that's what it is.”
A toad that could eat people?
Just how big would it have to be?
If that were the case, not only could it come ashore, but it could also produce hallucinogenic toxic miasma?
Everyone's expression turned grim.
The probe continued to sink, and beads of sweat broke out on the operator's forehead.
Ninety-five meters.
One hundred meters.
One hundred and twenty-five meters.
One hundred and fifty meters.
The surroundings grew darker and darker. The camera footage showed almost no image, and under the infrared lens, it was just an empty void.
One hundred and seventy-five meters.
One hundred and eighty meters.
One hundred and ninety-five meters.
It wasn't until the image on the device trembled slightly that the operator breathed a sigh of relief and reported the final value.
“Two hundred and eighteen meters. Good grief, it's actually this deep.”
One had to realize that the deepest lake in Great Xia had an average depth of only two hundred and four meters. Who would have thought that a tiny village would hide such a deep river valley?
“Can you see anything at the bottom? If we can find the source of the miasma directly, we might be able to control it.”
Zhang Jin leaned forward. The operator nodded, and his companion turned a knob, causing the screen to brighten instantly.
The probe was equipped with lighting facilities—military grade. Even in the deep sea, it could illuminate the surroundings clearly.
But as soon as the lens opened, everyone was shocked.
A field of corpses.
Everywhere they looked were white bones. These bones belonged to both animals and humans, varying in size, all laid out across the lake floor, piled into a carpet of white bones.
The light happened to hit a skull, its dark eye sockets filled with green algae that drifted with the current.
“What is that?! Can the lens be zoomed in?!”
Zhang Jin suddenly pointed at one spot, her gaze sharp.
“There. Yes, zoom in.”
The operator also noticed something was wrong and immediately adjusted the camera parameters. In the next second, an expression of disbelief appeared on everyone's faces.
On the bone-strewn riverbed, nourished by nutrients over the years, dense clusters of aquatic plants had grown. At the ends of these plants were tied round, bulging vacuum water bubbles.
These bubbles looked exactly like ripe grapes, connected together in clusters.
Inside the bubbles, the missing persons they had been searching for so long were curled up in the fetal position. Although their breathing was faint, their chests were still rising and falling.
They were still alive!
A thunderous cheer erupted in the operations room.
Rate on N.U.
