Evil Spirit Consultant

Chapter 278 Infiltration
The night was as dark as ink, turning the foothills of Mikazuki Mountain into a deep black.

The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, with only a few pale rays occasionally piercing through the gaps, illuminating the jagged rocks and swaying tree shadows, like the claws of ghosts.

An inconspicuous black SUV silently stopped at the end of a deserted road, quite a distance from the main peak of Mikazuki Mountain.

The headlights were already off, and the engine had cooled down, blending into the deathly silence of the surrounding environment.

The car door was gently pushed open, and three figures nimbly slipped out.

Yang Liu took the lead, his burly body resembling a beast poised to pounce in the darkness, yet his movements were remarkably agile.

Even in the deep mountains where there was absolutely no light, his gaze remained sharp as a knife, scanning the layered mountain shadows ahead, the heavy darkness of the night unable to hinder him in the slightest.

A damp, decaying smell permeated the air, mixed with a faint yet unsettling fluctuation of power that spread out like a spider web, its source pointing directly into the depths of the mountains.

Following closely behind was Teru Yokota, who quickly took a tactical backpack from the trunk, pulled out a tablet computer, and displayed complex signal maps and terrain data on the screen.

“The physical blockade on the outer perimeter is more stringent than expected,” he said in a low voice, his brow furrowed. “There are at least three checkpoints equipped with thermal imaging and motion sensors, and several small drones patrolling at low altitudes. The usual routes are definitely blocked…”

Uga Shoji stood silently to one side, his gaze passing over the front and looking at the mountain peak hidden in the darkness.

His face appeared somewhat pale in the dim moonlight, but his eyes were unusually firm.

Upon hearing Yokota Teru's words, Uga Shoji took out an ancient wooden rosary from his pocket and held it in his hand, chanting scriptures that were difficult to hear in a low voice. A faint golden light seemed to flow between his fingers.

“It’s not just a physical blockade,” Uga Shouji said after a moment, his voice tinged with seriousness.

"This area has been cordoned off with a large-scale security barrier, an official measure that combines Shintoism and Onmyodo techniques. Its main function is to detect and repel spirits, while also sensing strong energy fluctuations. If we forcibly enter or use large-scale magic, we will be detected immediately."

Yang Liu nodded slightly as her pupils, now completely black, contracted.

His perception was more direct than Uga Shouji's magical senses. Through his extraordinary vision, he could "see" that at the edge of the dense forest hundreds of meters ahead, countless fine and regular energy radiations floated in the air, like an invisible giant dome enveloping the entire mountain area.

Some wandering natural spirits, upon approaching this area, would quickly retreat as if they had touched a branding iron.

"Yokota-kun, is there a way to bypass the electronic surveillance?" Yang Liu asked.

“Let me ask…” Yokota Teru’s fingers flew across the tablet. “Before I came here, my father found a computer expert and asked him to try and see if he could interfere with the sensor signals here, creating a temporary blind spot in the surveillance…”

After a short while, Yokota Teru nodded: "The other party said that if we could connect this computer directly to the camera, we could try it, but even if we succeeded, the range would be limited and the risk would be very high. Once the other party's anti-jamming system detects it, we will be completely exposed. Drones are also more troublesome, as their patrol routes are random."

"Where's the barrier?" Yang Liu turned to Uga Shoji.

Uga Shoji pondered for a moment: "Although this type of barrier has a large range, its strength is relatively dispersed in order to maintain stability and coverage. I can try to find the weak points of the barrier and sneak through them using special concealment talismans and footwork, but it requires precise positioning and extremely high concealment skills, and I cannot carry too many modern electronic devices to avoid magnetic field interference."

Just then, Yang Liu's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he raised his hand to signal the two to be quiet. He listened intently, his keen hearing catching the extremely faint footsteps and rustling of leaves coming from the distant woods.

They are not wild animals; their movements are rhythmic, indicating there are at least three people.

"Patrol team," Yang Liu whispered, "approaching from the northwest, about 500 meters away."

Yokota Teru immediately turned off the tablet screen's light, and the three of them quickly slipped behind a huge rock by the roadside, holding their breath.

A moment later, three soldiers dressed in camouflage combat uniforms and carrying automatic rifles appeared at the corner of the path.

Their steps were alert, and their movements were efficient; they were clearly well-trained elites.

One of them was also carrying a strange backpack-like device with several antennas extending from it, which were rotating slightly, as if it were probing something.

"Damn it, this place is really weird. There isn't even a bug chirping at night," a soldier muttered.

"Enough talk, get on duty!" the lead sergeant hissed. "We can't let a single fly through! Especially not those shady characters!"

"Yes!"

The three carefully checked their surroundings and found nothing amiss. They continued along the path and soon disappeared into the shadows of the dense forest.

Only when the footsteps had completely faded away did Yang Liu and the other two emerge from behind the rocks.

“It seems that physical infiltration is too risky.” Yokota Teru’s expression was grave. “The other side’s alert level is very high, and they are clearly prepared to target superhumans.”

“Then we can only rely on a barrier. We can try using light and shadow illusions to physically avoid being detected by surveillance cameras.” Yuhe Zhaoji looked at Yang Liu. “Yang Liu, your senses are the sharpest. Can you find an area where the barrier is relatively weak, while also avoiding patrol routes?”

Yang Liu remained silent, opening his eyes wide once more and maximizing his senses. His extremely keen senses, like invisible tentacles, slowly spread into the darkness ahead.

His senses could "see" the density distribution of the energy radiation representing the barrier, "hear" the faint hum of the energy flow within the barrier, and "smell" the lingering human presence and mechanical smell in different areas.

A few minutes later, Yang Liu turned her attention to a seemingly denser primeval forest to her left.

"Over there. The energy flow of the barrier is relatively chaotic, like the edge of a node. About a kilometer away, there is a valley formed by a small waterfall. The sound of the flowing water there can mask our movements, and... I sense a few faint 'things' lingering there, like bound vigilant spirits. It's perfect for testing the effectiveness of our infiltration."

"A vigilant spirit?" Yokota Teru became interested. "The official team really knows how to play this game. Physical, magical, and spiritual triple defense?"

(One more chapter today!)

(End of this chapter)