191: Chapter 191 The First Appearance of the Spirit

The clouds hung very low, everything was gray, and the sun was completely obscured.

The farmland along the road gradually turned into wasteland, with sparse trees and rocks scattered everywhere.

Occasionally, a few earthen houses were spotted, low and dilapidated, looking as if they had long been uninhabited.

Liu Mo glanced at the navigation.

"Boss, another thirty kilometers and we'll be in Madhya Pradesh. The town of Orchha is next to the Betwa River, and it's still a two-hour drive from here."

Li Xin replied indifferently, "Hm, how are the accommodation arrangements?"

Liu Mo hurriedly introduced, "Boss, I've booked a high-end detached homestay by the river. The landlord, Rajiv, is a retired police officer who has been rooted in Orchha for thirty years and is very well-known locally."

Li Xin's expression was calm, "You've put thought into this. With a local looking after things, our actions will be more secure."

Liu Mo lowered his head slightly and replied, "I specifically booked this homestay precisely because I considered that point."

Li Xin thought for a moment.

"A retired police officer... people like that have sharp eyes. We are just here for a vacation; don't say anything else unnecessary."

"Rest assured, Boss. I will control the situation. I've already given instructions not to discuss topics unrelated to tourism."

Li Xin nodded and said nothing more.

The car continued forward, the road conditions changing repeatedly, yet getting worse and worse. The ride was bumpy, and the car swayed from side to side.

After driving for two hours, they arrived in front of a river. The water was muddy yellow, flowing slowly. An ancient stone bridge spanned the narrow river, its railings covered in moss.

Crossing the stone bridge, they arrived at Orchha.

The town was very small, with only a few streets, and the houses were all low.

There were few people on the street, leisurely riding motorcycles.

A few small shops were open along the road, some selling tea, some selling snacks, and others selling daily groceries. The signs were old, and the writing was blurry and unclear.

The car turned into an alley with stone walls on both sides, grass growing on the wall tops. At the end of the alley was a black iron gate, with a copper bell hanging on the door frame.

Liu Mo honked the horn, and the iron gate opened in response. Standing at the entrance was a man in his fifties.

He had a sturdy build, dark skin, and was wearing a gray shirt with khaki trousers. His eyes were exceptionally sharp; one look told you he was an experienced person.

"This must be Mr. Li, right? Welcome." He extended his hand. "My name is Rajiv."

After a simple handshake to greet him, he spoke indifferently: "Hello, sorry to bother you for a few days."

"The rooms have been cleaned for you. It's a river-view room; you can see the entire river surface. The view is the best here."

Li Xin replied indifferently: "Thank you, I just happen to want to look at the river scenery in my spare time."

Li Xin looked around. The courtyard was not large but kept clean. The ground was paved with stone slabs, with quite a few weeds growing out of the cracks. A few bamboo trees were planted in the corner, rustling when the wind blew. In front was a two-story stone building with white-painted exterior walls; it looked quite nice at first glance.

"Hm, this place is quite good, quiet and comfortable to stay in."

Rajiv smiled and replied: "I specifically chose this place to build the homestay because I wanted this tranquility; guests won't be disturbed."

Li Xin looked at the water outside the gate: "Tranquility is hard to come by; it seems I chose the right place this time."

"Thank you for thinking highly of this place." The smile on Rajiv's face faded slightly.

"It's quiet here during the day and desolate at night. However, it's best not to go towards the palace at night."

Li Xin nodded indifferently, chatting casually.

"The palace? Raj Mahal? Why shouldn't one go there?"

Rajiv whispered: "Things haven't been quite right over there lately. Many people say there are strange things over at the palace at night."

Li Xin's tone was plain, asking with some curiosity: "There's such a rumor? Are there ghosts wandering around there at night?"

Rajiv looked at him with a serious face: "Mr. Li, I've been a police officer in Orchha for thirty years and have seen too many things. Just because you don't believe in some things doesn't mean they don't exist."

Li Xin's gaze swept indifferently towards the distant palace, replying: "There are always inexplicable things in the world. Thank you for your kind reminder, but I generally don't go out at night."

"That's good." Rajiv nodded and turned to leave.

Li Xin went upstairs to the second-floor guest room; the window faced the river.

The river surface was gray, the trees on the opposite bank were clear, and a grayish-white castle stood by the river, its tower top covered in weeds. He walked to the window and watched for a while.

"AI System, initiate detection. Radius of fifty kilometers, covering the entire area of Orchha."

[Scanning. It will take a few minutes.]

He waited. There were birds chirping outside the window. There was a boat on the river, made of wood, rowing slowly.

A few minutes later, the System popped up a line of text.

[Target energy field rating updated: S- (Hindu royal spirit possession). Interference rating increased by two levels compared to Jaigarh Fort. Estimated Extraction rate decreased by 20% - 30%.]

"'Spirit possession'—what is that? How is it stronger than a military soul?"

[A military soul is a residual energy fragment with no autonomous consciousness. A spirit possession is a complete residual spirit body, possessing active perception and expulsion capabilities. It is recommended to increase the mental defense level.]

Li Xin looked towards the palace. The castle stood by the river, grayish-white, very quiet in the twilight.

"Interesting. The 'people' in this place are much more 'alive' than those in Jaigarh Fort."

[Adjust mental defense level?]

"Must adjust; adjust to the maximum."

[Adjusted to the maximum level, current defense intensity: 150%.]

He closed the panel and went downstairs.

Rajiv was sitting in the courtyard with a pot of tea in front of him. Seeing Li Xin, he waved.

"Mr. Li, come have some tea. Indian black tea, I brewed it myself."

Li Xin walked over and sat down. Rajiv poured him a cup. The tea was hot, deep red, and smelled very fragrant.

"You've stayed in Orchha for thirty years?" Li Xin asked.

"Thirty-two years." Rajiv picked up the tea cup and took a sip. "I used to be a police officer, and after I retired, I turned this house into a homestay."

"I heard you've seen many strange things?"

Rajiv glanced at him.

"Did Kavita tell you that?"

"Not exactly, but yes."

Rajiv was silent for a moment and put down the tea cup.

"What do you want to hear?"

"Just chatting, tell me about the strange things you mentioned earlier over at the palace."

Rajiv looked at the castle by the river outside the window and spoke slowly.

"This Raj Mahal palace was built by a prince of the Bundela Dynasty. That prince favored this place most in his life, and after he died, he was buried directly under the palace."

"Legend has it that he left behind a guardian to watch over the Treasure Trove underground."

"Treasure Trove?" Li Xin asked curiously.

Rajiv nodded.

"When the Mughals invaded, the prince hid some of his treasures underground. Later, when the British came, another batch was hidden. For so many years, no one has ever found it."

"Has anyone looked for it?"

"People coming to hunt for treasure have never stopped all these years. Last year, a foreign scholar insisted on finding the secret passage of the palace and snuck in in the middle of the night."

"As a result, the next day he suddenly had a high fever, was delirious, and was babbling nonsense. It took him a full three weeks to recover. When he was leaving, he kept muttering that one must never come here again."

Li Xin shook his head and said, "That's a coincidence, right?"

Rajiv looked at him seriously.

"This is by no means a coincidence. The older generation all say that the Treasure Trove under the palace has a guardian, and anyone who wants to touch those things must pay the price."

"There is actually such a folk legend; it sounds quite mysterious." Li Xin said indifferently with a hint of surprise on his face.

Then he drank tea quietly and did not discuss this matter further.

At night, Li Xin sat on the terrace.

Night fell, and the river surface was pitch black; one couldn't see the water flow at all. Insects in the distance chirped incessantly, and the river breeze blew over, cool and damp.

He looked towards the palace. The silhouette of the castle was very blurry in the night, and one could only see a rough shape. There were no lights, pitch black, like a giant beast.

"Did you hear... someone talking?"

[Low-frequency voiceprint detected. Language identified as ancient Indian. Content cannot be translated. Energy fluctuation frequency matches the characteristics of a residual spirit body.]

"What is he saying?"

[Cannot translate. But the emotional characteristics are: vigilance, hostility, warning.]

Li Xin chuckled.

"Is he warning me? Not to touch his Treasure Trove? Hehe~ it seems a bit late."

He didn't speak and continued sitting there.

The wind grew stronger, making the bamboo forest rustle. In the distance, a dog barked, then stopped after a few sounds.

After sitting for more than an hour, Liu Mo returned.

He went up to the terrace and stood beside Li Xin.

"There is an abandoned farmhouse 9.7 kilometers north of the palace. There are no residents in the surrounding wilderness, the view is open, and it is suitable as... the 'meditation point' you mentioned."

"Hm, what is the condition of that farmhouse?"

"Very dilapidated, but the main structure is still stable. We have to bring our own folding chairs and thermal equipment."

"Very good, meditation doesn't need comfort, it needs quiet."

Liu Mo nodded.

"That group of Eastern Europeans hasn't left yet?"

"They haven't left; they are still in the old town. But their morale is very low; it seems they are waiting for instructions."

"What about the local treasure hunters?"

"They have been released. With no evidence, they were released after being detained for twenty-four hours. But their tools were confiscated, and the loss is not small."

"Do they know who did it?"

"They know; they suspect it was the Eastern Europeans, but they are not one hundred percent sure."

Li Xin thought for a moment.

"Let them guess each other. Stir up discord at the appropriate time."

"Understood."

Liu Mo left.

Li Xin sat for a while longer.

The wind stopped. The insect chirping also stopped. Fog rose on the river, grayish-white, obscuring the opposite bank.