The surgery was very long.

After all, it involved such a crucial part as the heart, and the spores were in a transparent and invisible form.

Even with Professor Guo personally performing the operation, it took him a full two hours to find and remove it.

When the Zodiac Pig was wheeled out on a stretcher safe and sound, all the researchers couldn't help but applaud this perfect surgery.

They all knew about the existence of the Zodiac Pig and understood that it was the former Zodiac that had become a Polluter.

Most researchers were unaware of the Promised Land conspiracy, but they knew that the Zodiac Pig's return to sanity was sure to bring more research directions to paranormal research!

Perhaps they could even overcome the issue of the Symbionts becoming contaminated!

"Shadow, you push him to the deepest ward of the right corridor to rest. That's what he asked of me before the surgery." Professor Guo's first words after removing his mask were directed at Wu Liang.

"Huh? It's not like I'll be taking care of you after surgery..."

Wu Liang muttered, but his body very honestly started pushing the Zodiac Pig out of the operation area.

As they gradually distanced from the crowd and entered the ward, there was no one else inside.

Now the two were instantly alone, except one was awake, and the other was still under anesthesia.

"Alright, bro, stop pretending, it's enough." Wu Liang said helplessly to the Zodiac Pig.

Then he found a chair and sat beside the Zodiac Pig's hospital bed, watching the other awkwardly open his eyes and slowly sit up against the bed's headboard.

It's hard to imagine that this was something a person who just had heart surgery could do.

"How can your mind be normal or abnormal? You could even guess that?" Zodiac Pig said, confused.

This guy called Shadow, sometimes his words sound like a madman, other times it feels like he can see through everything; this sense of dissonance is so bizarre!

"Otherwise, why would you ask for the two of us to be alone? You don't really want me to take care of you, do you? Then I'll have to take out the kitchen knife."

"Haha, it's not that serious, it's all thanks to Professor Guo that we got this far. Let me get to business first." Zodiac Pig didn't explain why he could move right after surgery.

He silently took out a phone from under his pillow and casually dialed a number.

Without needing to be told, Wu Liang knew he was calling Minister Long.

"So this lunatic was really sent by you? For the Promised Land?"

"What? You think he's relatively normal? This guy has an even more abstract younger brother?"

"His brother dressed in women's clothes to find supernatural objects and infiltrate a brothel a few days ago? Okay, that's definitely more abstract."

"..."

Wait a minute, did some weird conversation get mixed in!? Damn, what on earth is that Puppet Ghost doing every day with my face?

Wu Liang's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened to the conversation between Zodiac Pig and Minister Long.

There was a sense of dissonance like being violated.

After Zodiac Pig chatted casually for a few minutes, he hung up and looked at Wu Liang.

"Now it's no problem. Listen, buddy, this is how things were back then—"

In the early year 03 of the Disaster Calendar, the Zodiac Department utilized Sister She's foresight ability to locate the hidden city of the Promised Land.

Zodiac Pig devised a plan to investigate each person's identity clearly, and he spent two full months connecting with every member of the Promised Land that he found.

During the encounters, everyone was naturally marked with an ability marker to prevent anyone from escaping the encirclement.

"But after I finished, I discovered that before becoming members of the Promised Land, they showed no signs at all, like an idea born out of thin air." Zodiac Pig said in confusion.

Even when controlled mentally by Sister Yang, many still believed that "Ghosts are humankind's ultimate refuge" and "Awakened are the next chapter in human evolution," as if they suddenly understood these notions one day.

After finding like-minded individuals, they formed the organization called the Promised Land together!

Indeed, everyone back then thought they were the ones who founded the Promised Land!

This level of fanaticism led Zodiac Pig to conclude that some kind of brainwashing supernatural object existed within the organization and was powerful enough to make the brainwashing completely irreversible!

This made it impossible for the authorities to trace who the real mastermind was.

But they underestimated such a national institution.

At the time, two Squad Captains had quite unique Awakened Abilities, allowing them to trace the source of supernatural powers that the target had come into contact with.

In the end, it took them a week to determine—all brainwashing came from two directions.

Anyi City and Gushan City.

Those conducting the brainwashing in these two cities were also two different people who seemed to be the source of those two insane ideologies.

They also discovered the code names these two gave themselves in the Promised Land, which were—

Ghost Valley and Pioneer

This is also why both cities were eventually wiped out.

"There were two things very strange in the whole operation, but at the time we were too focused on pursuing efficiency, since human society was still being rebuilt and paranormal events were still rampant, so we didn't investigate deeply." Zodiac Pig said solemnly.

After all, he had made the plan, and not thoroughly rooting out the problem made him feel quite guilty.

"First, in the last second before the operation began, a member of the organization I contacted said 'If the supernatural exists, so do I.' It now seems that Ghost Valley in Anyi City was hinting that he had already escaped and would return."

"Second, I confirmed Pioneer's death, but before dying, he revealed through a member's mouth that he had a mentor who had been deceased for three years, and both his and Ghost Valley's ideologies were realized with the mentor's help."

Upon hearing this, Wu Liang frowned and immediately added, "You suspect the 'teacher' isn't dead?"

Zodiac Pig nodded.

He touched the gauze on his chest thoughtfully, "The current Promised Land might be even stronger than before, either Ghost Valley has made a comeback, or... the 'teacher' himself is taking action."

With that, the two fell silent simultaneously.

They both began deducing the unreasonable aspects of the entire situation according to their logical thinking.

Especially Wu Liang, who couldn't help but think more when he heard the sensitive timing of three years.

The Promised Land affair was two years ago, if you go three years back from that time...

It precisely coincides with when the paranormal revival was about to begin, as well as when his own parents were killed!

Too coincidental... coincidental to the point of being absurd!

"By the way, if Ghost Valley really did make a comeback, his hiding places would all have a characteristic—near a water source." Zodiac Pig suddenly said.

"His base back then was by the riverside, riverbanks, or even near reservoirs, without exception!"

Upon hearing this crucial information, Wu Liang's eyes lit up.

Because the Promised Land currently had a secret base in Chengyang City that couldn't be located!

And Chengyang City indeed has a large reservoir!

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