Chapter 68
The next morning, Fang Xiu received a phone call. The Special Operations Squad had made it near the mountain region close to ckwater. However, due to the difficult mountain roads, they couldn''t drive further, so they were walking toward ckwater and expected to arrive in about an hour.
After setting up a meeting point, Fang Xiu went to the vige with the others. He also wore sunsses that he had readied ahead of time.
He wanted to test a theory. He hadn''t seen other vigers yesterday because it had gotten toote, but today, he was eager to inspect their hair closely.
Strolling through the vige, they immediately drew the attention of many vigers. Most of them were already out workingsome were farming, others were looking after livestock.
Fang Xiu and the others'' outfits made it clear they were not from around here; they were city dwellers, which drew a lot of eyeballs. Yet, the vigers appeared more curious than unfriendly, probably because the vige chief had told them that they were journalists.
As the vigers eyed them, they were also doing the same. What caught Fang Xiu''s attention was that all the vigers, without exception, had hair that was jet ck and lustrous.
"Xiu, what''s the deal? Have all these people been munching on ck sesame seeds from childhood or what?" Zhao Hao asked, his voice quivering.
"How could any ck sesame seeds be that potent? I''ve noticed some elderly vigers, and their hair is just as ck and glossyno sign of any gray strands," Liu Shuai chimed in.
While the others were preupied with the vigers'' hair, Fang Xiu scanned the area.
_''No Specters! Absolutely none!''_
Fang Xiu now felt confident that there wasn''t a single Specter in the whole of ckwater.
_''But why? If we''re in a Specter Zone, which would make the Specters invisible, then why is there still cell service? Is it because we are using encrypted phones from the Investigation Bureau?''_
Taking out his own phone, Fang Xiu could see that it also had reception, although the signal was weaker due to the mountain area.
Fang Xiu was baffled. The mystery surrounding the Specters was huge, and he felt like he had only begun to peel back theyers. Many strange things remained unexined.
At that moment, he walked up to an elderly man basking in the sun. This senior looked much older than the vige chief, his face a maze of deep creases. He was contentedly puffing on his tobo pipe while soaking up the sunlight.
"Excuse me, sir, may I ask how you keep your hair so dark and glossy? For someone your age, it looks more vibrant than that of young people."
The old man shot Fang Xiu a confused look. "Why would a city folk like you mock an old man like me? My hair turned gray a decade ago. It''s not dark or even glossy."
Upon hearing his words, Shen Lingxue and the others were immediately taken aback. They stared intently at his rich, shiny ck hair, a shiver running down their spines.
Fang Xiu, however, kept his cool and calmly said, "I''m sorry. I must''ve been mistaken."
After offering this apology, he turned and walked away with Shen Lingxue and the others.
When they were far enough away, Zhao Hao couldn''t resist asking, "So, was that old guy''s hair actually ck or gray? Am I seeing colors wrong? Because it looked pretty ck to me."
"I thought it looked ck too," Liu Shuai chimed in.
"These vigers are certainly not normal; they must''ve been affected by the Specters," Shen Lingxue dered. "People who are influenced by Specters often exhibit strange traitslike being frail, emotionally unstable, and mentally exhausted. But there are other symptoms as well."
Fang Xiu nced at her and calmly asked, "How can you be so sure that it''s the vigers who are affected and not us?"
The rest were shocked hearing that. Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai looked noticeably paler.
Just then, they heard voices in the distance.
"Miss Shen, so you''re here."
The individual approaching them was none other than Wang Fugui, the grandson of the vige chief.
Out of breath, he asked, "You are all early birds, aren''t you? I came to invite you to breakfast but found your rooms empty."
The group''s eyes immediately zeroed in on Wang Fugui''s lustrous ck hair, their expressions turning strangeparticrly Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai, who now seemed more guarded.
Fortunately, Shen Lingxue, a seasoned psychic, didn''t let any emotions show. "Yes, our work often requires us to wake up early," she replied.
"Do you n to start filming soon? I could guide you to some beautiful spots."
"We''ll decline for the moment; we intend to do some solo exploration today and will reach out if we need your assistance."
Wang Fugui looked somewhat disappointed but relented, "The mountains can be quite dangerous, you know, what with wild boars and such. Having a guide might be helpful."
"It''s alright. We''re experienced in fieldwork and have ample survival skills. We''ve been to more remote ces than this. For now, we''ll explore on our own and touch base with youter in the day."
Seemingly unustomed to rejecting offers, Wang Fugui finally nodded in agreement.
"However, steer clear of the central area of ckwater River," he cautioned.
Maintaining her poise, Shen Lingxue asked, "Oh? Why should we avoid that ce?"
Wang Fugui''s expression shifted to one of fear, as if he were recalling something terrifying.
"Anyway, please don''t ask further. My grandfather doesn''t want to spread superstition, but there''s more than one person in the vige who ims that something strange happens there. So, better steer clear."
Shen Lingxue nodded in understanding, and shortly afterward, Wang Fugui took his leave.
Not too long after that, Fang Xiu''s phone buzzed.
"Agent Fang, Team Ten of the Special Operations Squad has reached the designated area."
"Understood, we''ll be there shortly," Fang Xiu replied before hanging up.
Turning to the group, he dered, "Let''s put the vigers'' oddities aside for now and focus on the Specter situation at ckwater River."