Chapter 269: Blackwater Pool
"The Yin Qi isn't coming from the mountaintop; it's right here, halfway up the mountain. It's just very faint, making it hard to detect. I'm going to investigate. Do you want to come along?"
Yang Haoran glanced in one direction before turning back to Vice-captain Zhou. It was clear that the Yin Qi he had sensed originated from the direction he'd just looked.
Vice-captain Zhou furrowed his brow, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a few seconds, he said to Yang Haoran, "We don't yet know the enemy's strength, so it's best we don't split up, lest we be picked off one by one. Envoy Yang, since you've sensed the presence of Yin Qi, there's definitely something amiss in that area. Perhaps we'll make an unexpected discovery if we head over there."
Vice-captain Zhou's meaning was quite clear: he intended to follow Yang Haoran and investigate. As for the other three Spirit Police officers, they naturally followed Vice-captain Zhou's orders.
"In that case, let's go take a look."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile. The five of them then temporarily changed their destination and headed towards the source of the Yin Qi.
A moment later, the five halted their steps. Before them lay a pond.
The pond wasn't large, no more than fifty meters in diameter. In terms of size and shape, it was utterly unremarkable, yet one thing set it apart from ordinary ponds: its water was black.
A faint layer of Yin Qi shrouded the surface of this pond. The subtle Yin Qi Yang Haoran had sensed earlier emanated from this very spot.
A Spirit Police officer pointed towards a spot in the pond, as if he'd discovered something.
Following the Spirit Police officer's finger, a stone tablet appeared in Yang Haoran's and the others' line of sight.
The stone tablet was broken, and carved onto it were three blood-red characters: Blackwater Pool.
It was here that streamer Happy was forcibly dragged into the pond by a hand last night.
"Envoy Yang, have you discovered anything? " Vice-captain Zhou withdrew his gaze from the stone tablet and looked at Yang Haoran beside him.
Yang Haoran didn't respond. Instead, he simply smiled and looked behind him.
Vice-captain Zhou was puzzled and looked behind him as well, but saw nothing but weeds and trees.
After a few breaths, Vice-captain Zhou seemed to sense something. His expression instantly turned serious, and he warned the other three Spirit Police officers, "Two people are rapidly approaching our location. Stay alert!"
The three Spirit Police officers' perceptive abilities weren't as keen as Vice-captain Zhou's, so they hadn't sensed anyone approaching. However, they didn't doubt Vice-captain Zhou's words for a moment; if he said it, it had to be true.
Without any hesitation, the three secretly circulated the power within their bodies. Should anything unexpected occur, they would react instantly.
As for Yang Haoran, Vice-captain Zhou didn't bother to warn him. It wasn't that he had any issue with Yang Haoran; rather, judging by Yang Haoran's earlier reaction, Yang Haoran had noticed the approach even sooner than he had.
However, Yang Haoran's expression made him somewhat unreadable. Since Yang Haoran always wore a gentle smile, Vice-captain Zhou had no idea what he was thinking at that moment.
Whether the newcomers were friend or foe was yet unknown, but Vice-captain Zhou felt no fear, as the fluctuations of power emanating from them didn't seem particularly strong in his perception.
After him, the other three Spirit Police officers successively sensed someone rapidly approaching their position.
A short while later, two figures appeared in the line of sight of Yang Haoran and the other four.
Seeing these two figures, the three Spirit Police officers' faces lit up with pleasant surprise. Vice-captain Zhou first froze, then couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly. As for Yang Haoran, his smile remained unchanged, completely unaffected by the newcomers' appearance.
The two figures who had suddenly appeared were none other than Talisman Master Wang Yiming and Array Master Child Tong!
Even before they drew close, the two excitedly waved their arms at the trio, yet neither made a sound.
The fact that they made no sound was understandable to the three Spirit Police officers, as it was a habit of theirs to keep noise to a minimum while on missions.
Of course, if an unavoidable situation arose, that would be a different matter entirely.
"Vice-captain Zhou! Envoy Yang!"
"Vice-captain Zhou! Brother Yang!"
After Wang Yiming and Child Tong appeared, they excitedly greeted Vice-captain Zhou and Yang Haoran.
Vice-captain Zhou nodded with a furrowed brow, saying nothing, while Yang Haoran merely smiled without a word, not even bothering to nod.
"Yiming, Child Tong, why are you two here? " one Spirit Police officer asked, looking pleased.
This Spirit Police officer clearly had a good relationship with Wang Yiming and Child Tong, so he was the first to speak to them.
The other two Spirit Police officers were also delighted. The current situation was still unclear, and an extra person meant an extra measure of strength. In their eyes, the appearance of Wang Yiming and Child Tong could only benefit the mission, not harm it.
Especially Child Tong, as an Array Master, his presence was akin to having a powerful support, not only increasing the safety factor of the mission but also its success rate.
Despite their happiness, the two Spirit Police officers also harbored some doubts.
"Weren't you two on another mission? How did you end up here? " another Spirit Police officer asked.
"The other mission is complete, so Captain Luo sent us to reinforce you. Captain Luo was very worried about your safety," Wang Yiming explained.
"With Envoy Yang here, what danger could there be? If even Envoy Yang can't handle it, your presence here would only be suicide," Vice-captain Zhou said, his brow deeply furrowed.
Judging by his expression, he didn't seem to welcome their arrival.
Wang Yiming gave an awkward laugh, then said with an embarrassed expression, "Well, hehe, although Brother Yang is formidable, Child Tong and I aren't completely useless. My talismans and Child Tong's formations can still play some role, however small."
The moment Wang Yiming uttered those words, Vice-captain Zhou exploded in rage!
"Bullshit! Are you two trying to get us killed? !"
Vice-captain Zhou's outburst came without warning, his sudden roar startling the three Spirit Police officers.
Although they were no strangers to Vice-captain Zhou's temper, in their eyes, he wasn't an unreasonable person. On the contrary, he was very skilled at handling people, and his every outburst had a reason behind it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have earned everyone's respect, nor would he have ascended to the position of vice-captain at such a young age.
Yet, at this moment, the vice-captain they respected seemed to have suddenly swallowed gunpowder. He flared up and started cursing without rhyme or reason, leaving them utterly bewildered.
"Vice-captain Zhou, Yiming and Child Tong are here to support us after all, you—"
The Spirit Police officer who had a closer relationship with Wang Yiming and Child Tong, seeing them inexplicably endure a scolding, was about to intercede with Vice-captain Zhou, but his words were cut short by Vice-captain Zhou's sharp rebuke.
"Shut your mouth! Do you want to die? !"
The Spirit Police officer froze, Vice-captain Zhou's single sentence stunning him into silence.
Seeing this, Wang Yiming forced a smile and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Vice-captain, don't be angry, this matter—"
The result was the same as before; Wang Yiming's words were cut off by Vice-captain Zhou's cold voice before he could finish.
"What are you laughing at?"
Wang Yiming looked utterly bewildered, unsure what to say for a moment.
"I asked you what you're laughing at! What were you laughing at just now? " Vice-captain Zhou demanded coldly.
"I—"
Wang Yiming was deeply embarrassed. Just as he opened his mouth, Vice-captain Zhou appeared before him, and without a word, drew a dagger from his waist, aimed it at Wang Yiming's chest, and plunged it in!
It all happened too quickly. The other three Spirit Police officers didn't even have time to react. By the time they did, Vice-captain Zhou had already pulled out the dagger.
As the dagger was withdrawn, blood spurted from Wang Yiming's chest, splattering Vice-captain Zhou's face. Yet, Vice-captain Zhou acted as if he didn't see it, as if the blood spraying onto his face was merely air.
Wang Yiming swayed unsteadily, an expression of disbelief on his face, while Child Tong, standing by, paled dramatically and quickly rushed to support the tottering Wang Yiming.
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