# 1913
Chapter 1906: Spirit Tablet
Commander Lu hesitated for a moment before replying in a very official tone:
"The Vanguard Exploration Team is a privately organized exploration group, and I represent the Great Xia military. Determining whether a video is special effects compositing should be the work of professionals, so we will not comment on that."
The host nodded slightly and continued asking: "When the Mist first descended, the Great Xia military also sent exploration teams into the Mist, but the results of the exploration don't seem to have been made public. Now that the Mist has dissipated, can we learn about those exploration results?"
"I'm sorry, although Great Xia did have teams enter the Mist back then, they were not part of the system we belong to, so I have no authority to inquire about the relevant results."
"Even you can't inquire?" The host seemed surprised. "From what you're saying... besides the Great Xia military, there's another organization specifically responsible for exploration outside the Mist, and their clearance level is extremely high, correct?"
"...Yes."
"Is it related to the silver fortress captured by the Vanguard Exploration Team, and the flying Straight Blade banner on it?"
Hearing this question, Zhao Zhengbin in front of the TV unconsciously held his breath, staring intently at the screen, not even noticing his mother carrying dishes out of the kitchen beside him.
On TV, Commander Lu paused, then smiled helplessly:
"Host, you're roundaboutly trying to pry information from me..."
"Some things might have been classified back then, but perhaps they can be disclosed now?" The host smiled accommodatingly. "Of course, if Commander Lu finds it difficult, you may decline to answer."
"To be honest, I have no authority to answer these questions either... The only thing I can reveal is that there really is an organization under the Great Xia government specifically tasked with handling certain special events both outside and within Great Xia's borders. Their existence is the highest-level secret of Great Xia. Perhaps when the right time comes, they will completely reveal everything about themselves to the public.
When that day comes, I hope everyone will actively cooperate with them and our operations..."
As his words fell, even the host sitting beside him froze on the spot.
In front of the TV, Zhao Zhengbin's jaw dropped in shock...
Commander Lu's response undoubtedly stood from the perspective of the Great Xia military, confirming the existence of that special organization that had been circulating online. And although he hadn't confirmed the footage captured by the Vanguard Exploration Team, he hadn't denied the authenticity of its content either... Looking at both together, the footage captured by the Vanguard Exploration Team was highly likely real!
Thinking it through carefully, if the footage captured by the Vanguard Exploration Team had been fabricated as special effects, it would undoubtedly be publicly slandering the Great Xia military—would a private organization have that much audacity??
Zhao Zhengbin had a feeling that whether it was the six-winged figure that suddenly appeared after the Mist dissipated, the mysterious footage captured by the Vanguard Exploration Team, or this news broadcast itself, everything seemed to herald some earth-shattering secret about to surface... Over the past century, there had been almost no reports of supernatural phenomena online. How come the moment the Mist cleared, they were appearing one after another?
In the final analysis, this news interview itself actually represented the stance of the Great Xia military... they seemed to be foreshadowing the arrival of some event?
The same thoughts crossed the minds of many watching the TV. When the host came back to his senses, Commander Lu had already risen from his seat.
"That's all for today's interview... Thank you, everyone."
The interview ended, quickly transitioning to a public service announcement, seemingly about the best ways to respond when earthquakes, fires, and other disasters struck. Zhao Zhengbin wasn't interested in this at all. He lay back against the sofa, still unable to recover from what he'd witnessed.
Without even opening his phone, he could guess that this interview had already spread across the internet, and the discussion heat was probably about to break records... Tsk, if he wrote a novel about this subject at this moment, it might become a hit?
While Zhao Zhengbin was lost in wild speculation, a middle-aged woman's voice came from beside him:
"Stop spacing out and come eat."
"Oh, alright."
Zhao Zhengbin returned to the dining table, sat down, mechanically picked up his chopsticks, and ate. His mind was filled with thoughts of the special organization and the god's corpse, so he couldn't taste the food at all, sitting there in a daze.
"What are you thinking about... why are you so distracted during a meal?" The middle-aged woman glanced at him.
"Oh, right." Zhao Zhengbin picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, suddenly remembering something. "Mom, don't you have to go to work this afternoon?"
"Yeah, I just got transferred to the company here in Cangnan, and there's still a lot I'm unfamiliar with... I need to leave early this afternoon."
"Say, aren't there several places the company can transfer you to? Why did we specifically choose Cangnan?"
"What's wrong with Cangnan? The housing is so much cheaper than in Huaihai or Shangjing, and the pace of life is slower..." The middle-aged woman paused, glancing at the spirit tablet in the corner of the living room. "Besides, your father's unit back then seemed to be stationed near Cangnan. Coming here to set up his memorial tablet lets us be closer to him..."
"There's a unit near Cangnan? I never heard about that."
"There should be, right? Maybe it's in a more remote area."
Zhao Zhengbin's chopsticks halted. "Mom... which unit was Dad in back then?"
"I don't know either... He was so mysterious back then. When his comrades sent his remains back, they didn't say much either, didn't mention which specific unit... Why are you asking?"
At this moment, countless thoughts flashed through Zhao Zhengbin's mind. He asked, almost as if possessed:
"Mom, Dad wasn't in some special department, was he? You know... the kind that enters the Mist at the drop of a hat and fights gods and stuff?"
The middle-aged woman shot him a look, saying impatiently: "What nonsense are you talking about? You should read fewer novels... Do I need to tell you how capable your father was? Fighting people in the Mist? When I first met him, he didn't even dare kill a chicken. When he was young, he liked to boast that he'd become a general and return home in glory... And in the end?"
She glanced again at the spirit tablet—at the middle-aged man in the black-and-white photo who was grinning so happily—and a trace of sorrow flickered almost imperceptibly in her eyes... She lowered her head, took a few more bites of rice, then put down her chopsticks and stood up to walk toward the bedroom.
"It's getting late, I should go change for work... Just put the dishes in the kitchen when you're done, I'll wash them when I get back."
Zhao Zhengbin didn't notice the异样 in his mother's eyes. He finished the food in his bowl, then walked over to the black-and-white photo as usual and replaced the offerings on the tray with two fresh fruits.
He gazed deeply at the man for a moment, let out a long sigh, then turned and left.
A gentle breeze brushed the white纱窗 (sheer curtains). Above the cheerful black-and-white photo, several large characters remained dust-free:
—Spirit Tablet of My Late Husband, Zhao Kongcheng