FIMA Ch72: In the Water

This time, only Gu Siyuan and Xie Xuanxing went to N City to carry out the special mission. Unlike when they came to the capital and had to accommodate Old Xie’s ailments, they directly took a plane.

They bought the earliest flight of the day. When they dragged their luggage out of N City’s airport, it wasn’t yet dark.

Just as they were about to call a car, a young girl with a bun hairstyle approached them and asked, “Are you Mr. Gu and Mr. Xie from the Special Management Bureau?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at her.

Xie Xuanxing nodded.

The young girl immediately beamed with a bright smile, almost jumping as she said, “My name is Chen Ling. I was sent by the director of the South China branch to pick you up. The car is over there.”

Chen Ling led them to the parking lot while covering her thumping heart.

She recalled the joke from the headquarters when they gave her the contact information, saying that with their looks and temperament, she would definitely be able to spot them in a crowd and never forget them.

As expected.

Gu Siyuan looked at the so-called car, estimating that it was probably Chen Ling’s own private car, pale green, very girlish.

Gu Siyuan walked to the driver’s seat and said flatly, “The dirt on this car, it came from Hongtan Manor, didn’t it? I’ll drive back.”

Chen Ling’s eyes brightened even more. The gentleman from the headquarters was not only extraordinarily handsome but also very gentlemanly!

Hongtan Manor was a private vacation resort, covering a large area, nestled by the mountains and water. Such a place naturally couldn’t exist in the city where every inch of land was precious; it was located in a small town on the southern outskirts of N City.

The South China branch headquarters was in the center of N City, but due to the previous incident, the branch director was under a lot of pressure and had been stationed with two others in the small town where Hongtan Manor was located, to keep a close eye on the progress of the situation.

Following Chen Ling’s directions, Gu Siyuan slowed the car and drove into the town. When they stopped in front of a certain hotel, they saw in the dim sunset two men, quite tall for the south, one middle-aged and one young, returning from outside.

Chen Ling immediately rolled down the window and waved to the middle-aged man, “Dad…ah, wrong, Director, Director.”

The two men immediately walked over.

The group gathered at the hotel entrance.

The director quickly came up and first scolded Chen Ling, “I sent you to pick up people, but you sat in the back and let the special agents drive.”

After the reprimand, he turned to Gu Siyuan and the others with a flattering look, “I’m really sorry, the young ones don’t know any better.”

Xie Xuanxing shook his head, “Your daughter is lively and cute.”

Director Chen smiled.

Gu Siyuan also said, “No need to say more, tell us the specific situation at the manor.”

Director Chen nodded, sighed deeply, and said, “Ah, we’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

After a while, after listening to Director Chen’s explanation, Gu Siyuan and Xie Xuanxing understood the general situation.

Hongtan Manor was adjacent to Qinglan Lake. When it was built, water from the lake was brought in to create a leisure fishing center, beloved by many vacationers and anglers.

People often asked the manor’s chefs to cook the fish they caught from the lake, which tasted extremely fresh and delicious.

Hongtan Manor had always been famous for this.

But just a week ago, all the guests who ate the fish in the manor had severe vomiting and diarrhea, then fell into a coma.

However, after being sent to the hospital, all the tests showed no clear signs of poisoning, and they could only watch the patients’ conditions deteriorate and their vitality fade.

Thus, the matter was reported to the Southwest Branch of the Special Management Bureau.

Since the last incident, Hongtan Manor had been closed for investigation, and no one dared to go there.

The Special Management Bureau took over the case and sent people to investigate, but they found that an impenetrable mist seemed to have risen from the lake in the manor, making it impossible to see anything.

The bureau first sent in detectors, but it was as if they had entered a ghost realm, unable to transmit any images.

With no other option, they sent people in.

The investigating colleague was found unconscious at the manor’s entrance, and he has remained in a coma, like a vegetative state.

Later, the bureau sent two more people, the strongest besides the director, but one ended up unconscious and the other missing.

At this point, the bureau dared not act rashly and immediately reported to the headquarters for assistance.

Those comatose patients and the bureau colleagues were all waiting for help…

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Gu Siyuan and Xie Xuanxing, accompanied by the branch director, dragged their large suitcase brought from afar and headed to Hongtan Manor.

From a distance, one couldn’t even tell there was a manor there, as all the buildings were hidden in a hazy mist.

Only when approaching the entrance could one see the white walls and black tiles of the manor, and the artistic “Hongtan Manor” characters above the dark red gate.

Gu Siyuan took out a portable detector, and the needle on it was wildly fluctuating irregularly.

Xie Xuanxing, somewhat knowledgeable about this, knew it was a device Gu Siyuan had recently developed to detect spiritual and yin energy. Such erratic movement indicated that both energies might be present, making the situation indeed complex.

Next, Gu Siyuan bent down and opened the large suitcase, taking out several small flying detectors.

Since the semi-ghost king incident at Luojun Mountain, he had made significant improvements to the detectors, fixing the types of particles and waves they could detect within a specific range.

Director Chen widened his eyes, “I heard that the headquarters recently made significant breakthroughs in the study of metaphysical phenomena. Could these be the latest detectors from the headquarters? It’s said they can enter any ghost realm without hindrance?”

“Roughly,” Gu Siyuan nodded expressionlessly.

Director Chen sighed, “I wonder which great scientist invented such an amazing device. I’d really like to call him dad.”

Gu Siyuan: “…”

Gu Siyuan said flatly, “No need for that, he certainly wouldn’t want a son as old as you.”

Xie Xuanxing couldn’t help but lower his head and smile.

He also couldn’t father a son this old.

Uh…

No, why did his thoughts go there? How did he become so corrupted? It must be Luo Chuan’s influence.

He’s a man; he can’t have children.

No, he shouldn’t be thinking about having children at all.

The detectors, under Gu Siyuan’s control, flew into the manor. Soon, the tablet in Xie Xuanxing’s hand started receiving the footage along the way. The inside of the manor was desolate and empty, with nothing unusual.

The group frowned.

Before coming, Gu Siyuan had memorized the entire layout of the manor. Seeing no anomalies in the building areas, he directly controlled the detectors to fly towards Qinglan Lake.

The mist rose from the lake, and the fish were caught from the lake. If nothing else, the problem was likely in the lake.

Three detectors flew in a triangular formation over the lake’s surface.

The late autumn lake was quiet and desolate, with a few withered yellow reed stalks and tangled water plants hanging limply.

Still, there was nothing unusual.

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he handed the control of the monitor to Director Chen and the others. “We need to go in and take a look. You monitor from outside at all times.”

Director Chen took the remote control with a look of amazement and repeatedly reminded, “You two must be careful.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, bent down to take some other tools from the box, equipped himself, and handed some to Xie Xuanxing.

Director Chen felt dizzy watching. It seemed like all these were good things, and he would apply for a batch from the headquarters once he returned.

Gu Siyuan and Xie Xuanxing held hands and walked in.

Chen Ling’s eyes lit up. “Aaaaahhhh, so that’s the kind of relationship they have. I’m shipping it!”

Director Chen glared at his daughter. “How can you speak so frivolously about the special agents, you girl!”

Chen Ling shook her head and laughed. “You don’t understand my joy.”

As they were talking, the screen on the tablet in Director Chen’s hand already showed the backs of Gu Siyuan and Xie Xuanxing.

Director Chen watched in amazement. He didn’t expect to see so clearly in such a misty place.

If they had these devices a few days ago, they wouldn’t have had several colleagues fall into comas or go missing without a single clue.

Gu Siyuan walked through Hongtan Manor as if it were his own home, moving smoothly and without hesitation until he and Xie Xuanxing stood by Qinglan Lake.

“We should see what is unusual about this lake.”

Xie Xuanxing frowned uneasily. “This lake gives a strange sense of oppression, as if facing a cultivator much more powerful than oneself.”

Gu Siyuan raised his eyebrows and tried to release his divine sense.

Since drawing a thunder talisman last time, Gu Siyuan knew that his divine sense was much stronger than others.

Even the director of the headquarters had a divine sense range of only forty to fifty meters, but Gu Siyuan had two hundred meters.

As soon as Gu Siyuan’s divine sense touched the lake surface, he felt a shock in his brain, followed by an inexplicable sense of unease, as if he was being watched by something terrifying.

He immediately withdrew his divine sense and squinted his eyes. “The malevolence here doesn’t seem to directly attack the cultivator’s body but uses divine sense attacks. When the divine sense collapses, it naturally leads to a coma, and in severe cases, it can lead to death. This is also why those two branch colleagues fell into comas.”

“Divine sense attack?” Xie Xuanxing’s eyes widened.

He had never known that divine sense could be used as an attack method.

In today’s end-of-the-law era, even spiritual power attacks were quite monotonous. Except for battle maniacs with exceptional talent like Gu Beilin, in general, whoever had more talismans or stronger magical tools would be the final winner.

The cultivation methods for divine sense attacks were simply fantastical.

Xie Xuanxing blinked his big eyes, full of curiosity. “If divine sense is to be used for attack, wouldn’t it first have to be materialized and then leave the mind? How is this possible? How deep and vast must one’s divine sense be…”

Gu Siyuan nodded in agreement. His little sidekick had sharp and clever thinking.

He reached out and pinched the soft flesh on Xie Xuanxing’s cheek. “You know, modern cultivators control magical tools by refining them with their own blood to deepen the connection, then controlling them with a weak divine sense. But in the flourishing period of metaphysics…”

At the mention of this, Xie Xuanxing remembered something.

He immediately said excitedly, “It’s said that as long as you leave a divine sense imprint on a magical tool, you can use it to control the tool in battle by letting your divine sense leave your body. This method makes the tool more like an extension of your own limbs. If you obtain someone else’s magical tool, you just need to erase their imprint with your divine sense to make it yours.”

Gu Siyuan nodded. “Exactly.”

“In this way, if one’s divine sense is deep enough, using it for attacks is not impossible,” Xie Xuanxing blinked again, then pouted slightly and wondered, “But divine sense relates to a cultivator’s soul and mind. The cultivation process must be extremely dangerous and painful. Are there still such cultivation methods in existence today?”

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes, staring intently at the seemingly tranquil lake. “All beings have their differences. What if there is a creature that naturally excels in divine sense attacks?”

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuanxing immediately furrowed his brows and glared at him angrily. “Did you sense something in the lake just now? You must not do that again, or you might end up like those two branch colleagues…”

The little sidekick could also teach him now.

Gu Siyuan pulled him into his arms and lightly touched his forehead. “I have a plan. Be good.”

“Oh…” Xie Xuanxing responded with a long, helpless tone.

Then, he also hugged his boyfriend’s waist.

Well, if he didn’t hug him, it would be a waste.

At this moment, ripples like whirlpools began to spread across the calm lake surface.

Along with them, a clear “hehe” laugh sounded, and a slender figure slowly emerged from the center of the whirlpool.

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes and looked over. The figure had long, seaweed-like green hair, and green eyes. If you ignored the patches of fish scales on the face and the wide webbed feet, the appearance and body shape were quite similar to a normal human.

Xie Xuanxing also turned his head following his boyfriend’s gaze. However, as soon as he met the green fish man’s green eyes, he felt a dizziness in his head, almost fainting.

Gu Siyuan’s expression turned icy, and he immediately pulled him behind.

The green fish man’s gaze attack was basically ineffective against him.

The green fish man’s laughter grew louder. “Kid, you have some skills. Why not become my servant? I might spare your life.”

Gu Siyuan squinted his eyes. “All beings have spirits, and cultivation is not easy. If you abandon evil and do good, the heavens have virtues of good life, and I might spare you.”

The green fish man’s expression instantly changed, the green eyes slightly yellowing with anger. “Since you insist on seeking death, I’ll fulfill your wish! I’ll make sure you know the consequences of rejecting me, just like those who came here to die before.”

Gu Siyuan laughed coldly, “I’ve heard that many times before, but everyone who said it to me ended up forever in the dust. In the end-of-law era, cultivation is not easy. Do you want to follow in their footsteps?”

“Arrogant words.” The green fish man’s temper seemed quite violent.

The next moment, he showed a contemptuous smile. His hands, larger than those of a human, swiftly formed a few hand seals, and at the same time, he chanted a few incantations.

As soon as he started the hand seals, Gu Siyuan felt a massive surge of divine sense rushing towards him.

However, perhaps due to the green fish man’s limited divine sense or cultivation, although the hand seals and incantations were completed, the speed at which the divine sense attack approached him was not very fast.

Xie Xuanxing, witnessing a real divine sense attack for the first time, was deeply shocked and extremely worried. Instinctively, he wanted to shield Gu Siyuan.

However, as he moved, he noticed Gu Siyuan squinting his eyes, imitating the green fish man’s hand seals and repeating the incantations.

Although his movements seemed somewhat clumsy and unfamiliar, he was much faster.

When the green fish man focused again, he saw that his own divine sense needles were met by several identical divine sense needles, successfully blocking each of his attacks.

“Who… who are you? You also know my tribe’s divine sense attacks?” the green fish man exclaimed in shock.

Gu Siyuan ignored him.

Instead, he swiftly moved his arm again, forming the hand seals from before. The next moment, the green fish man saw a sharp and fierce divine sense drill rapidly flying towards him, much stronger than the previous divine sense needles.

“Just as I guessed, the shape can be freely constructed using one’s divine sense.”

Gu Siyuan nodded, as if he had just completed an ordinary small experiment.

If it weren’t for the inappropriate occasion, Xie Xuanxing would have jumped onto his boyfriend and hugged him tightly, kissing him a few times.

There was no one else like him in this world.

Thinking about it, he glared fiercely at the green fish man. Annoying creature, interrupting his moment.

At this moment, the green fish man was utterly shocked, but his hands couldn’t hesitate. He quickly formed hand seals again.

The hand seals were slightly different from before, much more complicated.

After a while, a divine sense shield appeared in front of the green fish man.

He looked up with lingering fear, relieved that he had formed the shield before the divine sense drill arrived. Divine sense defense was more difficult than attack, requiring more divine sense power.

However, he found that the divine sense drill was not stopped by the shield but was directly in front of his brow, meaning it had arrived long ago and just hadn’t killed him.

What did this person want?

Gu Siyuan raised his eyebrows, and upon closer inspection, there was a slight upward curve at the corners of his eyes, indicating his good mood.

He said calmly, “So that’s how you form a defense.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Siyuan again formed the hand seals and chanted the incantation. Quickly, a large shield appeared in front of him, much larger than the green fish man’s due to his immensely powerful divine sense, almost like the difference between a door and a mirror.

“Who… who are you?” The green fish man’s stance on the lake surface began to waver, and he looked at Gu Siyuan as if he were seeing the most terrifying being in the world.

Meanwhile, the Han family hidden, secretly observing from below the lake, was even more astonished.

The green fish man spent all his time in the water and wasn’t very bright.

But he could see that Gu Siyuan had learned these divine sense attack techniques just by watching the green fish man.

The divine sense cultivation method itself wasn’t difficult; the key was having a strong divine sense. Divine sense governed the mind and soul, and once it was strong, one could naturally learn anything quickly.

For someone like him, with insufficient divine sense strength, he wasn’t even qualified to learn it and could never get started. But those qualified could learn it very quickly, all complementing each other.

But the so-called “not difficult” and “quick” were relative terms, taking at least ten days to half a month.

It wasn’t supposed to be something one could learn just by watching once, replicating it without hesitation and with no errors, even more powerful than those with innate racial talent.

This was incredible…

The inescapable killing array set by the ancestor and the young master was broken in such a simple way.

The Han family dark elder sighed deeply; perhaps the Han family had provoked someone they shouldn’t have.

Just then, a cold voice sounded in his ear, “Come out obediently. Hmph, you’ve already experienced my divine sense attack.”

The Han family dark elder’s face stiffened, and the next moment, he slowly appeared on the water’s surface.

As he emerged, a sharp divine sense drill stopped perfectly in front of his brow.

Gu Siyuan looked at him coldly. “Speak, which family dared to plot against me?”

Being under someone else’s control.

Man as the knife, I as the fish.

The Han family dark elder sighed. As Gu Siyuan said earlier, cultivation was not easy. After enduring so much hardship, how could he give up easily?

He opened his mouth, about to reveal the truth.

The next moment, his mind suddenly exploded, and he uncontrollably fell backward into the lake with a splash, sending water flying everywhere.

The commotion startled the green fish man beside him.

He stared blankly at the floating corpse in the lake. “That’s a divine sense seal. He was implanted with a divine sense seal.”

As he spoke, his own head suddenly throbbed painfully, and he fell heavily into the water, sinking downward.

Gu Siyuan immediately pulled Xie Xuanxing over and said calmly, “We need to go down. There’s something below.”

The two took off their jackets and jumped into the water.

The autumn lake water was icy cold.

As soon as Xie Xuanxing touched it, he couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably.

At that moment, a solid body pressed against him from behind. Even though they were still in the icy water, Xie Xuanxing instantly felt a warmth spread through his body and mind.

The two quickened their pace, and soon they followed the green fish man into an underwater stone cave.

Behind the stone cave was another world.

However, when they tracked him to the innermost part, the green fish man had already fallen completely to the ground, lifeless, just like the middle-aged man earlier.

In the very center of the stone cave was a large formation.

Beside the formation stood three stone pillars, with one of them binding a thin human figure.

Gu Siyuan said indifferently, “It’s Huo Yan.”

The missing colleague from the sub-bureau.

After searching the cave and gathering information, they noted down the formation and carried the unconscious Huo Yan back to the surface.

On the lakeshore, Director Chen from the sub-bureau waited anxiously with his team.

He had been watching the monitor and saw Gu Siyuan dominating, but he didn’t know why he suddenly jumped into the water. In a panic, he brought his team in.

Fortunately, the fog in the villa was also slowly dissipating.

Seeing the three of them surface, Director Chen widened his eyes in joy, “That’s great… that’s great!”

Huo Yan’s divine sense was unharmed. The green fish man probably had other uses for him.

As soon as they landed, Huo Yan woke up.

When he opened his eyes and saw the cold and stern face in front of him, he hesitated, “You… you saved me?”

Director Chen grinned, “Yes, it was Mr. Gu from the main bureau who saved you.”

Gu Siyuan nodded indifferently.

For some reason, looking at this cold person, Huo Yan suddenly became more dazed, even blushing slightly.

Gu Siyuan felt it was strange and stood up nonchalantly.

Xie Xuanxing squinted and glanced at the person beside him. The thin inner shirt was soaked and clung tightly to his beautifully muscular body, outlining an intoxicating curve.

Because he hadn’t trimmed his hair in days, his black hair was casually slicked back, revealing sharp features with a unique charm.

No wonder he was so attractive…

Gu Siyuan naturally felt the little follower’s intense gaze, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Xuanxing smiled and walked over, standing on tiptoe to hug his neck and kissed him hard on the face, sighing, “Ah, satisfied. I wanted to do this in the water. You’re still as handsome as ever today.”

Gu Siyuan grabbed his slim waist, staring at him with an unfriendly gaze.

Xie Xuanxing teased, “Not satisfied?”

Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, slightly lowered his head, and whispered in his ear with a deep voice, “Then why didn’t you do that earlier? I heard it’s even better in the water. No time like the present.”

“…” Xie Xuanxing.

You… you…

Kissing and doing aren’t the same!

Hmph, if that innocent young man knew how you really are, he wouldn’t have blushed earlier.