As Tang Minghao finished delegating tasks, I realized the three of us made quite the perfect team—capable of handling things whether they were scientific or utterly bizarre. Once his assignments were done, Old Li immediately headed upstairs to check if Tang Mingjie was suffering from some kind of spiritual affliction. The local dialect was incredibly taxing for me to follow, so I generally kept quiet, whereas Xu Zhiwu was quite the opposite, easily blending in with the crowd to strike up conversations.

After a while, he must have noticed I was bored sitting alone, because he finally left those people and came over to talk to me. Our conversation meandered aimlessly, mostly avoiding any discussion of Tang Mingjie or his brother. The events of the past few months had taught us all one critical lesson: any speculation made before setting foot on the scene was unreliable—a complete waste of effort.

Not long after, Old Li came downstairs first. Seeing me and Xu Zhiwu, he hurried toward us. "How is it?" Xu Zhiwu and I asked almost simultaneously.

"Nothing. I can guarantee he's not possessed," Old Li paused, then added, "But I did see a dark, bruised handprint right on his ankle, definitely shaped like a man's palm."

"Uh... If you say it's not possession, but there's a handprint, then someone must have been submerged underwater, dragging Tang Mingjie down with all their might the moment they saw him," I suggested. "That’s the only possible explanation, right?"

Old Li laughed lightly. "Technician Luo, have we not encountered enough strange things? This situation isn't even that major compared to what we’ve seen."

Xu Zhiwu interjected, "People are dying, and you still call it not major?"

Old Li smiled, saying nothing more for a moment. Then he continued, "I didn't say it definitely isn't a paranormal event. However... Technician Luo, do you remember those reanimated corpses—the Jiangshi—we ran into? We couldn't definitively classify them as paranormal entities using traditional Daoist methods. But... you saw them, didn't you? Should they not count as specters or monsters?"

The mention of "reanimated corpses" and similar terms sent a shiver down my spine. I hastily cut him off, "Old Li, stop talking... We are in Yunnan, not Tibet. That's worlds apart. How could anything like that appear here? Don't spread rumors to scare people."

Old Li’s expression sobered. "I was just drawing a comparison... But... now that you mention it, it actually does feel like that might be the case." Saying this, he lowered his head in deep thought.

I was genuinely frightened. If things resembling those walking corpses or the giant-mouthed creatures could surface here in Yunnan, my only recourse would be to jump off a building; there would be no other way out. It seemed no matter where I went, I was fated to run into these miserable things—such a drag.

Xu Zhiwu, on the other hand, seemed utterly thrilled. "If these things truly appeared in Yunnan, imagine the sensation if it were published!"

I immediately recalled the promise Ni had made to him and couldn't help but laugh. "Didn't Ni also promise to take you to meet the Great Shaman of Guge? Wasn't that supposed to cause an international sensation too?"

Xu Zhiwu's expression immediately dimmed. "Ni's words are a mix of truth and fiction; I can’t quite figure it out. But if there really is a Great Shaman of Guge, I would definitely find a way to pay my respects. Haha..."

Speaking of the Great Shaman, I couldn't help but think of Zhuoma Yangjin and her meticulous arrangements throughout our journey, which filled me with a mix of gratitude and a strange apprehension. Moreover, from Xu Zhiwu's tone, he seemed unaware that such a figure actually existed, so I replied vaguely, "Perhaps."

A few thuds echoed from the staircase, and then Tang Minghao emerged, walking toward us with a look of deep concern. "Then we have no choice but to go check out Fuxian Lake first?" He looked toward Old Li, seeking his opinion.

Old Li nodded. "That sounds right. Tang Mingjie is fine; he's mostly just scared. A couple of days of quiet rest will sort him out." He then turned back to us. "Technician Luo, Brother Xu, why don't you come along too?"

Nonsense—of course we were going. If we stayed behind, would we even be considered brothers?

Old Li insisted we carry some kind of self-defense gear, lest we find ourselves in a dangerous situation like the dried-corpse cave again, where our only recourse would be to flee. Personally, I felt there wasn't much to bring. Guns—certainly not after leaving the military. For knives, maybe a dagger at best, or perhaps a melon cleaver. Of course, we might procure some special blades from other sources. Still, it seemed unnecessary. Old Li was adamant about packing dried rations, but Xu Zhiwu and I talked him out of it, suggesting we assess the situation first.

Just as we were packed and about to leave, the dog at the door suddenly started barking ferociously, immediately followed by a short, thin, spectacled old man in his fifties bursting through the door, shouting loudly, "Where's Minghao? Minghao!"

Everyone inside called out, "Old Geng!" "Uncle Geng..." "Water Ghost..."

Before I could figure out who this newcomer was, Xu Zhiwu quickly stepped forward, feigning great respect. "Oh... So you must be Geng Wei. Come, come over here, Minghao is this way." Without waiting for anyone’s agreement, he began ushering me toward where we stood, pulling me along. Tang Minghao also stepped forward, surprised. "Uncle Geng, what brings you here? Aren't you..."

Geng Wei immediately cut him off. "With such a major incident, I had to return to check, no matter how busy I was. What's this?" He looked at our gear, puzzled. "Where are you all planning to go dressed like that?"

Tang Minghao first introduced us, then explained the purpose of going to Fuxian Lake—that they absolutely had to find his elder cousin's body.

Geng Wei listened, offering neither approval nor disapproval. After a long period of contemplation, he said, "How about this: I’ll go change my clothes and accompany you. We'll go scout the situation first. You don't need to carry so much gear; it’s all a burden. Let's check things out, and then we can discuss the next steps."

Tang Minghao was so overwhelmed that he was speechless with gratitude upon hearing Geng Wei’s willingness to help, gripping Geng Wei’s hand for a long time before finally letting go.

Tang Mingjie’s house was quite close to Fuxian Lake, barely a thirty-minute walk. So, Geng Wei went back to change while the four of us walked over.

Not knowing Geng Wei’s background, I asked Tang Minghao. Before Tang Minghao could answer, Xu Zhiwu jumped in. "Water Ghost Geng Wei—you don’t know about him? He did something that shook the entire country."

"What was it?" I asked.

Tang Minghao took over the explanation. "He was the one who discovered the submerged ancient city under Fuxian Lake while diving." Only then did I realize; I seemed to recall hearing about this man before, though I hadn't paid much attention. I hadn't expected such a legendary figure to turn out to be merely a dark, thin old man who, apart from seeming quite robust, displayed no obvious extraordinary qualities. I couldn't help feeling a touch of disappointment.

Soon after, we arrived at the shore of Fuxian Lake. The surface of the azure lake shimmered under the light, and a gentle breeze made one feel refreshed and uplifted. Unfortunately, perhaps due to the strange incident and the death that had occurred, there were very few people even along the shore, let alone on the water—the entire vast surface was eerily still.

We couldn't help but sigh. Tang Minghao stared blankly at the lake, not saying a word, only managing a weak smile when Geng Wei arrived. We all understood he was overcome with grief; other than patting his shoulder and telling him not to dwell on it, we didn't know how to comfort him. Everyone grew sad along with him.

Geng Wei, having weathered many storms, quickly suppressed his sorrow. "Minghao, now is not the time for grieving. Let's get in the water and take a look first." He glanced over the other three of us, seemingly gauging whether we were qualified to enter the water with him. Xu Zhiwu immediately backed away self-consciously. "My swimming isn't great; I only know a rudimentary dog paddle."

Old Li groaned helplessly, looking at me, stammering slightly, "I... I'm not very proficient either." He then looked at Tang Minghao, appearing quite embarrassed.

If both of them weren't up to it, then it had to be me. Although my swimming style wasn't elegant, I had grown up near the Yangtze River and could generally manage under normal circumstances. However... if something grabbed my foot from the depths, that... that definitely required further consideration. My brain had acted on impulse earlier, following Old Li out here; why hadn't I considered how Tang Minghao's elder cousin died? "Ah!" I inwardly cursed myself as an impulsive, foolish pig. But there was no turning back now.

"Haha..." Geng Wei suddenly let out a hearty, guileless laugh. "How could I forget the most important thing... I’m a professional diver; how could you compare yourselves to me... I know this lake better than anyone. Why would I ask you all to go down? This isn't a trip to the marketplace."

Tang Minghao quickly objected. "No, no, Uncle Geng, I must go down with you, just in case... just in case..."

Geng Wei waved his hand dismissively. "No need. You wait here on the shore." Then, he instructed us with serious gravity, "Under no circumstances are you to sneak into the water without telling me. If something happens, no one can take responsibility."

In truth, the earlier agreement to dive had been an impulse, but now, standing by the lake and recalling the fates of the two Tang Mingjie brothers, none of us genuinely dared to enter the water. When Geng Wei said that, the three of us readily agreed, taking the easy way out, saying we would wait on the shore for his news.

Tang Minghao was uneasy about Geng Wei going alone and insisted on accompanying him so they could watch each other's backs. He instructed us that if they didn't surface within a certain amount of time, we should call the police. After giving these final instructions, the two of them entered the water, leaving the three of us standing foolishly on the bank.

Old Li stared fixedly at the water surface. Only when the splashes made by Geng Wei and Tang Minghao vanished did he say, "I'm checking to see if there are any real water ghosts in the lake."

Xu Zhiwu and I were startled, not understanding his meaning. "I don't get it," I shook my head.

"I... put simply, I used some non-scientific methods to observe whether there are truly any spirits or monsters present in this lake."

I have always held a deep respect and caution toward water and dared not speak carelessly. I asked Old Li cautiously, "Are there? Are there water ghosts?"