Chapter 148: Interesting!

Mount Beimang, just outside the scenic area.

With cognitive tampering and several days of heavy fog, the entire scenic zone had become completely deserted.

Even the original staff had been reassigned, and all commercial vendors were forcibly shut down. Now, only buildings cloaked in dead silence remained, hidden deep within the fog.

But today, this sealed-off region welcomed a new wave of unexpected visitors.

Truck after truck rolled into the scenic area. One after another, heavily armed soldiers disembarked and secured the perimeter.

From the central truck, Li Hao, Vice Chairman Geng, and two other council members stepped down. Around them stood over a hundred individuals, each carrying a silver briefcase.

The closer they approached Mount Beimang, the denser the fog became. By the time they reached the scenic zone, everything around them was swallowed in white mist. They could only navigate using pre-installed lights to mark the route.

Eventually, Li Hao and the others stopped at the base of the mountain. Before them stood an electrified barbed-wire fence erected as a barricade to prevent outsiders from accidentally entering.

“Open it.”

At Li Hao’s order, the power was promptly cut off. Several men stepped forward with tools and swiftly cut a wide opening through the fence.

“Deploy the mech dogs.”

Silver briefcases were set on the ground and opened to reveal mechanical dogs and drones, prepared in advance.

Due to the rushed timeline—and to avoid tipping off rival factions—the current deployment was just a preliminary probe with a limited number of units.

Under the operators’ control, the mech dogs filed into the mountains through the breached fence, while dozens of drones flew in formation overhead, disappearing into the mist.

Even Li Hao, after some basic training, tried his hand at piloting one of the mechanical dogs into the mountain.

The moment they entered, the display screens turned pure white—not even the most advanced cameras could penetrate the fog. Li Hao could only see the path beneath the dog’s feet.

Fortunately, the scenic zone had existing roadways. Li Hao guided the mechanical dog along one such path into the deeper forest.

Just as the Black-Armored Ghost God had warned, it seemed that living beings truly could not enter. The mech dogs, however, encountered no resistance.

Instead of following the official tourist routes, Li Hao took a pre-determined exploratory path, mapped out beforehand to maximize coverage on the first pass.

Although he wasn’t bound by these preset routes, he had prepared his own personal navigation plan.

From a fork in the road, the mech dog veered into the wilds of the mountain. Its robust design made traversing steep terrain easy—but very soon, Li Hao ran into a problem.

He was lost.

The fog was too thick. He couldn’t identify any landmarks or determine his location, leaving him to wander aimlessly.

Just then, a series of gasps rang out from the drone operators.

“What happened?”

Everyone turned toward the commotion. On their screens, nothing but pitch blackness was visible.

“The drones… they’ve disconnected!”

“Something’s watching them.”

“There’s something in the mist.”

The operators were abuzz with speculation, and a tense atmosphere immediately descended.

Li Hao spoke calmly but with gravity, “We’ve lost fourteen drones. Yet none of the mech dogs have been harmed. Clearly, the drones made too much noise and drew something’s attention.

Abandon the drones. Focus solely on the mech dogs. Report back immediately upon any discovery.”

No sooner had Li Hao finished speaking than a cry of alarm erupted from one of the mech dog operators.

“What… what is that!?”

Everyone turned to look. The mech dog’s camera, zoomed in closely, revealed a towering tree shimmering with spiritual light.

On its branches hung over a dozen crimson fruits, their radiant glow translucent like jade, exuding an almost divine aura.

“Spirit fruit! That’s definitely a spirit fruit!”

Li Hao’s voice trembled with excitement. “Carefully control the mechanical arm. Pick the fruit and evacuate immediately!

If you can bring it back—I’ll reward you with five million!”

Even as the command rang out, another exclamation was heard.

“I just found a blue herb—it’s glowing like it’s covered in fireflies!”

“I found a red ginseng, buried underground!”

One rare treasure after another appeared, sending Li Hao into a frenzy of joy.

He had thought locating the Spirit Peach Tree would already mark a successful mission, but now it was clear—the number of miraculous plants here far exceeded his expectations.

If they could seize them all, his family’s rise would be inevitable. Even Vice Chairman Geng and the other two councilors could no longer hide their delight.

But just then, Li Hao accidentally knocked over his controller. His mech dog, which had been at the edge of a slope, tumbled down the hill.

The screen whirled in chaos before finally stabilizing.

They had already made significant gains. Li Hao considered abandoning the control of his mech dog and focusing on overall coordination.

But what the screen revealed next made him freeze.

In the dense, seemingly impenetrable fog, flickering lights floated in midair.

Eyes wide, Li Hao quickly grabbed the controller again and resumed control.

Despite the fall, the mech dog was still operational. Li Hao steered it toward the strange lights.

Moments later, stone steps appeared onscreen, and beyond them, dim outlines emerged through the fog—a market, shrouded in an air of timelessness.

“A… marketplace? That’s impossible!”

Gray stone paths snaked like dragons through the mist, fading in and out of view.

Stallkeepers wore garments from forgotten dynasties, faces obscured beneath the shadow of their wide-brimmed bamboo hats. Only ghostly eyes shimmered from beneath.

Their figures merged with the fog, and each movement felt like a passage through centuries.

Laid out on their stalls were indescribable treasures:
—A crystal vial glowing with liquid moonlight.
—An ancient bronze mirror reflecting red-smeared skulls.
—A floating jade slip covered in ever-shifting script.

Even across the screen, each treasure ensnared Li Hao’s gaze, pulling him toward obsession.

But then—

A sharp sword cry pierced the air, followed by an ear-splitting roar from the display.

Li Hao snapped out of his trance.

The illusion shattered.

There were no treasures, no marketplace. Only a massive ghostly beast, its body impaled by an ancient bronze sword.

Its gaping maw still cradled a glowing pearl, from which the illusory market had been projected.

Anyone who stepped into that marketplace would’ve walked straight into the beast’s mouth.

And the “lanterns” in the air? They weren’t lights at all, but six bioluminescent eyes growing from the ghost’s massive head, casting their eerie glow through the fog.

“Oh? A living human dares to explore Mount Beimang’s forbidden grounds?”

A curious voice came through the microphone. A giant hand reached down and grabbed the fallen mech dog. The still-working camera clearly captured the speaker’s face.

It was a strange man, dressed in flowing black robes, with a head full of red-gold hair.

His eyes, deep as the void, stared directly into the camera—and in that instant, Li Hao felt a chill pierce to the marrow.

It was as if those eyes weren’t just looking at the camera, but at him, through the screen.

“How is this possible!?”

Li Hao screamed inwardly, consumed by dread.

Then, a thick smell of blood filled his nose, and a soft, amused chuckle echoed in his ear.

“Interesting.”

(End of Chapter)