Once they got to Blackwater River, Fang Xiu and his team moved quickly. Up ahead, they spotted a group in black tactical uniforms and armed with submachine guns. These guys were big and stood up straight, obviously well-trained.
But right in front of this Special Operations Squad stood a guy and a girl dressed like they were going on a hike—wearing windbreakers, trekking boots, and carrying hiking poles and backpacks. They seemed to be having a heated discussion with the Special Operation Squad.
"What's the deal with kicking us out? You don't own this place. We're just soaking in the view."
"Exactly, this isn't some tourist hotspot, but even if it was, we could just get tickets."
"We're on a specific mission. No one without authorization can come near. Please leave right now," said a member of the Special Operations Squad.
Just then, Fang Xiu and his team showed up.
One of the squad members jogged over and gave them a salute. "Agent Fang, Team Ten of the Special Operations Squad at your service."
Fang Xiu gave a nod. Just as he was about to say something, the hiker and his companion came up to him. The guy was tall, built, and had a rugged look, while the girl was also tall, had a tan, and looked like the outdoorsy type.
"Are you the one in charge here? Who are you to—"
Fang Xiu cut her off mid-sentence, "Get them out of here."
"Got it."
The Special Operation Squad didn't waste any time. Two of them started leading the man and woman away.
The guy looked like he wanted to put up a fight but thought better of it when he saw how many of them there were and the guns they had. The girl, on the other hand, was making more noise than anyone else.
"This isn't over yet! You know who I am? My dad knows the Public Security chief, so you'll—"
They slowly disappeared from view, still being led away.
Zhao Hao shook his head, "Wow, some people. I used to think those videos online were fake, you know, folks thinking they can go toe-to-toe with armed forces. Yet here they are, brave enough to get in the faces of a fully-armed squad."
"One of them said they're adventurers who like off-the-grid spots. They showed up not long after we got here," a squad member chimed in.
Fang Xiu nodded again, "Did Director Wang send you guys?"
The guy nodded and showed his ID, "Yeah, Director Wang sent us to back you up."
Fang Xiu wasn't shocked; that was his privilege as a psychic possessing special power. Any other newbie with common powers wouldn't get this level of trust without a formal briefing. For him, one phone call did the trick.
"Everything good to go?"
"All set and ready."
"Okay, let's kick this off."
At Fang Xiu's orders, the Special Operations Squad got down to business.
They moved quickly and skillfully. Some were digging holes and channeling water with their shovels, others were placing bunches of plastic pipes, and a few were setting up pumps and generators.
There were even team members specifically tasked with making sure the area was secure from any outside interference.
It was clear they'd done their homework on rerouting the river water into adjacent low-lying areas. Before long, the noisy hum of machines echoed around them. Assisted by numerous pumps, the water level in the river started to drop fast.
Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai were both super impressed.
"Is this what it's like to be a pro? These guys really know their stuff."
"Absolutely, if regular weapons were any good against Specters, we wouldn't even need psychics."
A few hours down the line, the riverbed was finally seen. They could see mud and scattered pools of water, as well as fish struggling in the muck and even some turtles.
Throughout all of this, Fang Xiu and his team were on high alert for any water Specters that might show up, but none did.
"There's a woman's body in the mud!" Zhao Hao yelled, pointing at the riverbed.
Lying half-submerged in the mud was a headless female body.
"Man, who could've done this? They've sliced her face into four sections!"
Fang Xiu didn't reply. Instead, he activated his blood pupil.
While everyone was focused on the grim scene, he scanned the muddy terrain with the sunglasses covering his eyes. A few seconds later, his eyes fixed on a small puddle in the middle of the dried riverbed.
Deactivating his blood pupil, he pointed his finger toward the puddle, "Shen Lingxue, hit that puddle with your fire."
Without hesitating, Shen Lingxue did as told, fully aware that Fang Xiu had the power of foresight. She figured he must've known where the Specter was hiding.
She opened her hand, and a blazing fireball materialized, instantly heating up the area. She launched the fireball with force, aiming straight for the puddle Fang Xiu had pointed out.
BOOM!
The fireball burst, sending a wave of hot air across the vicinity. The water in the puddle instantly boiled away, and the surrounding wet mud began to dry and crack.
Right at that moment, a piercing scream erupted from the depths of the puddle. After that, a mass of hair, squirming and giving off a burnt scent, shot up from the ground.
"A Specter's showing up!" Zhao Hao yelled, quickly ducking behind Fang Xiu for cover.
The hair levitated, swirling around in a frenzy. Some strands, still on fire, were thrown off, similar to how a gecko sheds its tail.
Angered, the hair started to spread outward like a rapidly expanding spider web—it grew to five meters, then ten, then twenty, seemingly wanting to trap everyone there.
That was when Shen Lingxue decided to act, fueled by a desire to get back at the cold lake water she had been submerged in the previous day.
BOOM! BOOM!
Intense, fiery flames formed in her palms, and she launched them mercilessly at the writhing hair.
Just then, Fang Xiu caught the sound of bullets being loaded into chambers. He squinted, directing his gaze at the Special Operations Squad.
A gut feeling told him something wasn't right. He wondered why these well-trained soldiers, who knew full well that firearms didn't work against Specters, would be loading bullets without being told to.
Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai also chimed in, "Hang back and let Shen Lingxue handle this. Her powers are the perfect counter to this Specter."
But in the next heartbeat, something shocking happened. Completely ignoring everyone's advice, the Special Operations Squad lifted their guns and pointed them at Fang Xiu and his team.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on? Aren't we on the same team?" Zhao Hao screamed, panic-stricken.
"Move, move! We can't control ourselves!" one of the Special Operations Squad members managed to yell out, his voice laced with a rigid tension.