6kv Chapter 35 Hidden Mist Village
Chapter 35 Hidden Mist Village
The next day.
early morning.
Lin Mo was awakened by a sudden alarm clock.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, glanced at the time, and saw it was already eight in the morning.
Last night, I was so engrossed in practicing the breathing technique that I circulated my energy for seven or eight cycles before finally succumbing to drowsiness and falling into a deep sleep.
Therefore, I woke up a little late this morning.
Lin Mo got out of bed, quickly washed up, ate two loaves of bread, summoned the Soul Boat, and headed towards the place he had agreed upon with Lu Yan.
The meeting place was located at the Nan'an District Public Security Bureau, more than ten kilometers away.
When Lin Mo arrived, Lu Yan was already waiting at the door.
There were two acquaintances with him.
They are Wang Hu, a shirtless man whom I had met once before, and Jiang Yue, a sexy mature woman.
"Lin Mo, over here!"
Lu Yan waved at him.
Lin Mo put away the Soul-Binding Boat and walked over quickly.
"Young man, we meet again!"
Wang Hu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth and a simple, honest face.
Jiang Yue nodded slightly to him as a greeting.
Lin Mo smiled and responded, then turned his gaze to Lu Yan, "What exactly is the situation?"
"Wait a minute, let's talk when Captain Luo arrives."
Lu Yan glanced at his watch. "They should be here soon!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a black SUV with the police department's logo pulled up to the side of the road.
The car door opened, and a man in his early thirties stepped out.
The man was burly with a resolute face, wearing a dark blue police uniform, and his expression was somewhat stern.
"Captain Luo!"
The three of them greeted each other at the same time.
Robin nodded in response.
He strode forward and his gaze fell on Lin Mo.
He looked her up and down, then extended his calloused right hand:
"You must be Lin Mo? Xiao Lu mentioned you to me!"
My name is Robin, and I'm the captain of the Special Operations Team at the Nan'an Branch.
"Hello, Captain Luo!"
Lin Mo shook hands with him.
The other person's hands were rough and powerful, like an iron clamp, clearly indicating that they were a martial artist.
"Enough with the chit-chat, let's get in the car and talk as we go!"
Robin was clearly a decisive person; with a wave of his hand, he got into the car first.
The four followed closely behind, filing in one after another.
Wang Hu sat in the driver's seat and was in charge of driving.
Jiang Yue sat in the passenger seat, Lin Mo and Lu Yan sat on the left and right sides of the back seat, and Robin sat in the middle.
The SUV started and drove towards a more remote area in the northern suburbs.
"Our target this time is Kirigakure, a small village nestled in the mountains on the northern outskirts of the city."
Robin took out a paper map and pointed to a place marked with a red dot. "The permanent population is less than two hundred households, mostly elderly people. Most of the young people have moved to the city center."
How many people are missing?
Lin Mo asked.
"As of now, we have received reports of seventeen people missing."
Robin's voice lowered, "But according to our investigations, the actual number is probably far more than that."
Some elderly people living alone have been missing for several days without anyone noticing, until a neighbor happens to visit and discovers they are missing.
Seventeen people.
Lin Mo's heart sank.
This is no small amount.
"Normally, this type of case wouldn't fall under the jurisdiction of our special operations team."
Robin took a sip of water and continued, "But three days ago, a three-person patrol team lost contact near Kirigakure."
The police department then realized something was wrong and transferred the case to me.
"To make three lower-level Black Iron-rank security guards disappear silently at the same time, the attacker must be at least a mid-level Black Iron-rank, or it could also be... an aberration attack!"
Jiang Yue glanced back and added.
"We'll have to go there to find out exactly what it is."
Robin looked at Lin Mo, "Lu said you can use the Kaling to detect the surrounding environment, including underground areas? What is the coverage area?"
"Approximately ten meters in radius."
Lin Mo pondered for a moment, "If the terrain isn't too complicated, it could be even larger."
"That's enough!"
Robin nodded. "The area around Kirigakure is only so big. It'll just take a little more time."
The off-road vehicle drove on the winding mountain road for about forty minutes, and the scenery on both sides became increasingly lush.
It felt like stepping from a steel city into a primeval jungle.
Ancient trees provide ample shade, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns of light.
A faint, earthy smell filled the air.
"The Hidden Mist Village is just ahead!"
Wang Hu slowed down the car.
Looking out the car window, Lin Mo saw a cluster of gray houses scattered among the mountains.
Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, an elderly man, hunched over and well past seventy, leaned on his cane and gazed around.
It felt like we had been waiting for a long time.
The SUV stopped at the village entrance, and the five people got out one after another.
"Comrades from the Public Security Bureau, you've finally arrived!"
The old man approached shakily, his cloudy eyes filled with fear: "Last night... last night someone went missing again, it was Old Zhang's house at the end of the village."
Yesterday during the day, I went to knock on the door and found it ajar. I pushed it open and saw that there was no one inside, but the porridge on the stove was still steaming...
I waited for a long time but Old Zhang didn't come back, so I reported the case to you!
"Where is it? Take us there!"
Robin said in a deep voice.
"No rush."
Lin Mo suddenly spoke up, "Let me investigate first."
He took a deep breath, and with a thought, summoned the mountain spirit.
A burst of light erupted, and a graceful, ethereal figure emerged from the radiance.
The mountain spirit stood quietly beside Lin Mo, its eyes filled with mist and smoke.
Lu Yan had already met the Mountain Spirit before, so he didn't react much.
Robin and his companions were seeing the mountain spirit for the first time, and their gazes lingered on it for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.
But they quickly calmed down.
"Use the Bamboo Grove's Guide - Perception!"
Lin Mo gave the command in his mind.
The mountain spirit nodded slightly, raising her slender hand and gently stroking her ten fingers in the air.
A gentle aura immediately emanated from her and spread outwards in all directions.
Like ripples, it silently seeps into the soil, grass, trees, and cracks in the rocks.
Everyone present held their breath and waited quietly.
A moment later, the mountain spirit's clear, beautiful eyes turned to Lin Mo.
A piece of information flooded into his mind like a stream.
"There aren't any around here!"
Lin Mo shook his head.
"Let's go check out Old Zhang's place first!"
Robin pondered for a moment, then said, "Sir, please lead the way!"
"Officers from the Public Security Bureau, please follow me!"
The old man, leaning on his cane, walked unsteadily toward the end of the village.
Before long, the group arrived at Old Zhang's house.
This is a detached building, built against the mountain, with no other houses around it.
In front of the house stands a withered, insect-eaten jujube tree, its cracked bark covered with dark brown resin, already dead.