Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 121

As the abbot of Fengge Temple, his wisdom and understanding were indeed lacking. When Master Xianyun and Zhang Baisen stormed the temple, his ability to handle the situation was already stretched thin, and his methods were extremely inappropriate. Then came the disappearance of Guan Baoling and the tycoon's fury, which must have made him even more overwhelmed and exhausted.

“I’ve met Reese. I personally accompanied her when she came, because the Japanese government takes the title of ‘World Heritage Site’ very seriously. In today’s increasingly developed and powerful economy, what the government most wants to be recognized by countries around the world is Japan’s image…”

I gave a cold "humph," thinking to myself, "Image issue? Does the Japanese government care so much about its own face? No wonder they always refuse to acknowledge the established facts of World War II!"

Master Shenbi was touching his bald head again, and Gu Ye couldn't help but urge him loudly: "Tell me quickly! When Fengge Temple was passed down to your generation, it was really... really..." It sounded like Gu Ye had to exert a lot of effort to hold back from cursing.

It's strange that Tanino Shinshu is younger than Master Shinbe, yet when Tanino reprimands him, it's like an elder is admonishing a junior.

"Yes, yes, to put it simply—right by the tower, after Resica took my picture, I had to leave, and Resica said she wanted to walk around by herself. Twenty minutes later, before I returned, Bingjian rushed over to report that the pagoda's sacred water had reappeared, and then… and then I never saw her again."

Some people disappear in the "Tower of the Dead," which is something that the Fukuji Temple can't do anything about. They don't dare to formally submit a report to the Japan Tourism Agency for fear of being criticized by the government for superstition and damaging the country's image, so they have been keeping it a secret.

"Feng, that girl seems to have disappeared, just like many others who have gone missing before. In my consciousness, there's no sign of energy activity, so it can basically be determined as death." Gu Ye calmly concluded, as if Reese's death was nothing more than an insect or a butterfly disappearing from this world.

The ring was still gleaming, but its owner was gone. I didn't know what to say, so I just self-deprecatingly put it back in my pocket. Before the mysterious power of nature, human life is as fragile as an ant, completely at the mercy of fate.

“Mr. Tanino, I want to try to comprehend and enter ‘there’. With the two masters gone and dead, I feel that my thoughts have suddenly undergone a great upheaval. Perhaps it is time for me to do something for Fuuki-ji Temple. Even if something unexpected happens, Fuuki-ji Temple can choose a more intelligent disciple to take charge of the overall situation. Please grant my request…” Master Shinbe took a few steps and walked all the way to Fujika’s side.

It's now pretty much certain that getting "in there" won't be easy, and it will be very "dangerous." So what about Guan Baoling? Even if Gu Ye says she's still alive, could it be like the strange thing that happened to Fujika in the pyramid last time—that she's alive, but in a "vegetative state"?

If you hand over a "vegetative" Guan Baoling to the tycoon, he will definitely go crazy with anger, and then the Divine Gun Society and Fengge Temple will be the next to suffer.

I shook my head, which was throbbing incessantly, and realized that finding Guan Baoling was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Godwall, why haven't you grasped what I mean yet?" Gu Ye's voice revealed obvious disappointment.

Throughout the entire conversation, Fujika's feet never moved, as if firmly rooted to the ground. Gradually, her entire body was shrouded in mist, with only the red ribbon holding her hair fluttering in the wind.

"Traversing and 'entering' is a physical matter, not a Buddhist concept of 'sudden enlightenment' or 'ascension to heaven in broad daylight.' You've spent over fifty years at Fengge Temple, merely 'studying by rote,' and your wisdom has grown increasingly dull. Forget it, you should just focus on your abbot duties. As for the secrets of the 'Underwater Divine Tomb,' they will naturally await the discovery of a destined person. You may leave now!"

Gu Ye coughed again, becoming somewhat agitated.

Master Shenbi was devastated. Confused, he stared at the red light in Tengjia's palm, refusing to look away. He took a deep breath and spoke again, his temples now deeply sunken, like vertically placed wine bowls. This was a peculiar phenomenon that occurred after a master of internal martial arts had reached the pinnacle of their skill and then began to bide their time and cultivate their inner strength—"I want to try, this is the last time! The princess is very important to Fengge Temple. If I can replace her, I am willing to sacrifice myself."

"Hmph, take her place? Forget it! You have no wisdom; if you insist on doing anything, you'll only be blindly throwing your life away, which won't help the whole thing at all. No one can help the princess make a decision; you should just leave!" Gu Ye had become impatient.

Given that Fujika has a complex and mysterious relationship with the Emperor, is the only national treasure who can understand the "Yellow Springs Sutra," and is the inhabitant of the soul of an ancient high monk, any one of these identities would command the utmost respect from everyone at Fuuki Temple. Of course, Tanino and the others have no right to decide her actions.

Master Shenbi suddenly pointed at me: "Him! He can take the princess's place! Isn't that right? He has the potential for enlightenment, and he has saved the princess twice..."

With a flick of his finger, a faint tremor of wind and thunder suddenly arose in the air, and an invisible gust of wind rushed straight to my eyelashes. His martial arts skills were truly unfathomable; even a casual gesture could create an unpredictable and deadly move.

"Me?" I sneered, sensing that his pointing finger was clearly malicious.

"That place" seems to be a death trap with no return. Saving Guan Baoling is important, but before the matter of "finding my elder brother Yang Tian" is completely settled, everything else must give way to this matter.

"Yes, it's you. I know everything you did in the Egyptian desert. You have courage, superb martial arts skills, exceptional comprehension, and an indomitable will. In Japan, many people have already compared you to Yagyu Shasemaru, the famous ninja of the Shogunate era, something rarely seen in our country. Furthermore, you once saved Princess Fujika, which has already bestowed upon you the glory of a 'hero' in the hearts of the people. I believe in you; in the 'Tower of the Dead,' you will surely be invincible once again and achieve fame..."

Master Shenbi's words carried an endless power to bewitch people's hearts—Yagyu Shassho Maru, the "King of Dark Assassins" during the Edo period, was most skilled at ambushing and killing in the desert. In the eleven years he fought in the martial arts world, countless famous generals and nobles died under his "Yagyu Sword".

I don't want to portray myself as a killer who only knows how to kill indiscriminately, and being revered by the Japanese doesn't seem like a very honorable thing.

“‘There,’ what place is that? Is it right beneath our feet? How deep is it? Is there no other way to get in, or do we have to wait for the ‘tide of the gods’?”

I stomped my feet again to dispel the cold mist below my knees.

Master Shenbi and Tengjia exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of confusion.

“If there were other ways, we would have already started to get involved without you having to tell us. Why bother going up against the tycoon?” Teng Jia never explicitly said what he had discussed with the tycoon, yet he managed to turn the tycoon’s murderous intent into a gentle breeze.

Tanino added, “Perhaps it’s beneath our feet, or perhaps it’s in some unfathomable, unknowable deep-sea trench beneath Hokkaido. Since the Hokkaido Prefectural Annals recorded the ‘Tides of the Gods,’ a total of 460 people have disappeared in the ‘Tower of the Dead,’ but no one has sent back any information about what it’s like there. I hope you’re the first to rewrite the history of the ‘Tower of the Dead,’ and the history of Fuuki-ji Temple…”

I murmured, repeating his words: "Underfoot? Undersea?" At the same time, I squatted down and reached out my hands to touch the wet, cold stone slabs under my feet.

One of the two tasks from my Hokkaido trip is complete: Fujika has awakened, and the knot in my heart from my experience in the Egyptian desert has been untied. The remaining time should be devoted to exploring the secrets of Xunfu Garden and striving to find my elder brother, Yang Tian. So, should I accept Tanino's invitation and take the risk? Has Guan Baoling reached the point where I would sacrifice everything for her?

In an instant, my thoughts were thrown into chaos again, and I suddenly felt unable to make a choice.

"It's a pity I can't ask Su Lun about this. What kind of feelings do I have for Guan Baoling? She's a tycoon's woman... Could I really risk everything for a tycoon's woman, becoming someone else's pawn, just like the awkward Wang Jiangnan?"

If I continue to wallow in Guan Baoling's allure, Wang Jiangnan will surely serve as a cautionary tale for me.

"Feng, what are you thinking about?" Tengjia completely ignored the presence of Master Shenbi and stared directly into my eyes.

"My mind is a mess, I need to go up to the top of the tower for some fresh air—" I didn't want to confuse my own affairs with the "private matters" of Fengge Temple. Their ambitions to revitalize and develop, to unify the world, and to bring glory to Japan had nothing to do with me. The reason I was standing here in the middle of the night was simply to find Guan Baoling.

My steps became very heavy, because according to Gu Ye, even if I wanted to save Guan Baoling, I might not be able to get to "there" smoothly; and once I got there, there was no guarantee that I could come back, as there was no precedent for successfully entering and leaving "there".

"If we go to save her, we might all die! If we don't go to save her, Guan Baoling will die on her own. She won't be so lucky as to have another chance, will she?"

Each flight of stairs has nineteen floors. After turning and going up another nineteen floors, you can reach the second floor of the pagoda. I climbed up aimlessly, and soon I could no longer hear the conversation between Tanino and Fujika.

I walked all the way to the top floor and leaned against the railing. The phone was already in my hand, and I suddenly had the urge to call Su Lun. Since entering Xunfu Garden, due to the separation of time and space, it seemed an inexplicable rift had formed between Su Lun and me; every discussion on the phone ended unhappily. In my heart, Su Lun's image was gradually being replaced by Guan Baoling.

If Guan Baoling weren't the tycoon's woman, I would have taken a gamble to see if I could keep her by my side. Seeing Wang Jiangnan so eagerly waiting for her, besides sneer and contempt, I felt mostly jealousy. Whether I admit it or not, it's an undeniable fact.

The night was so cold, the sky and earth were dark, and white fog filled the air. Looking down from the tower, all the houses and buildings were shrouded in mist. Looking south, the direction of Xunfu Garden was completely obscured by white fog, and nothing could be seen.

I held onto the railing and walked around, but all I could see was fog and no one. So I resolutely dialed Su Lun's number.

Suren's voice was still tired: "Brother Feng, I just received a call from Xiao tonight. I know about the fight against the tycoon."

I smiled, thinking that Xiao Keleng must have told Su Lun all about my heroic deeds.

“Brother Feng, you’re being too reckless. What’s been exposed about the tycoon’s power is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s no benefit in going against him, only endless danger. Also, Guan Baoling is the tycoon’s woman. Wang Jiangnan has already served as a cautionary tale. You mustn’t repeat his mistake. When you were still alive, you told me about the tycoon’s ruthless methods more than once. Every single one of them was terrifying. Compared to the tyrants of small Middle Eastern countries, their methods seem far too merciful and naive…”

My heart grew cold. Although I didn't expect to receive praise from Su Lun, I also didn't want to be scolded.

"Are you listening, Brother Feng?" Suren stopped her rambling narration.

"I'm listening, I understand what you mean!" I could only remain silent, regretting making that call. Meeting Guan Baoling wasn't my fault; every man in the world knew she was the tycoon's woman, why repeat it to me separately?

The gap between them was endlessly widening and deepening, and Suren realized this as well, so she changed to a lighter tone: "Brother Feng, guess where we are now?"

I mumbled a muffled "hmm." The road to the Sichuan-Tibet border and the villages along the way weren't clearly marked on any map. Even the military maps of the mainland garrison only vaguely represented it with approximate contour lines. There were no fixed routes in that area. A torrential rain or a flash flood could cut off all the mountain roads, and then countless new narrow paths would be carved out.

"We are in a small town called 'Luofengpo', which is said to be the place where Pang Tong, Liu Bei's strategist 'Phoenix Chick', was shot and killed during the Three Kingdoms period. Haha, the people here like to make up stories and claim kinship with the ancients. I heard that if you go further ahead, you will encounter a site called 'Bagua Formation'. For one yuan, you can ride a donkey through the stone formation site for half an hour."

When she mentioned these things, her tone became light and cheerful. I was curious to know who she was with, was it that damn biology expert?

She must have heard the news of Tengjia's awakening, and I suddenly lost the mood to discuss it with Su Lun.

"Brother Feng, you don't sound happy?"

Does she still remember to take care of my feelings? I sneered, reaching out to pound on the railing, hesitating whether to tell her about the discussion between Tanino Shinshu and Fujika.

Another man's voice came through the microphone: "Su Lun, this is today's computer analysis data. Please give me your revision suggestions before sunrise tomorrow. Good night."

My anger began to surge within me, and I suppressed my rage: "Su Lun, I'm going to die. There's been a new development regarding Guan Baoling's disappearance, and I have to attend. We'll discuss the details later!"

She has already aroused my jealousy. Now I realize that men can also be jealous easily, it just depends on whether there is a suitable opportunity.

"Brother Feng, please don't take any risks. You have to be responsible for your actions. Don't forget that the primary task in Hokkaido is—"

Suren's voice suddenly rose, filled with dissatisfaction; she was almost about to roar into the microphone.

I successfully countered her jealousy with my own, but just then I glanced down at the tower and suddenly realized that the fog had completely dissipated, and the ground in the courtyard outside the tower was shimmering like a giant mercury mirror.

I hissed and gasped. The fog had indeed dissipated, and the ground was glowing because of the sudden appearance of water; those were the shimmering, turbulent reflections of the water.

“It’s the ‘Tide of the Gods,’ it is…” I don’t know how to describe my feelings at this moment. This strange event, which was supposed to happen in more than ten hours according to Tanino’s calculations, has occurred ahead of schedule.

"Brother Feng, what did you say? Are you even listening to me?" Suren's voice rose again.

I leaned against the railing, taking deep breaths. The phone was still to my lips, but I couldn't care less about talking to Suren anymore. The water had already spread to all sides of the courtyard, silently enveloping the Tower of the Dead.

"Brother Feng—" Su Lun was still calling.

I wiped the large beads of cold sweat that had suddenly appeared on my forehead, sprang to my feet, and rushed towards the stairs. The "Tide of God" had appeared, and the experiment for Tengjia to enter "there" was about to begin. Whether I wanted to participate or not, I had to witness the miraculous changes on the first floor of the pagoda with my own eyes.

I had pushed my light-footed skills to the limit, leaping down almost every flight of stairs, twisting my toes at the corners, and then leaping again. The continuous leaps, combined with the mental tension, made my heart pound wildly, and my blood flow accelerated throughout my body.

Sixth floor, fifth floor, fourth floor... I couldn't hear anything, only the surging of my blood rushing through my veins.

"Can Fujika get 'there'? She's a Japanese princess. If something happens to her at Fuuki-ji Temple, the Emperor will be furious and will surely turn Fuuki-ji upside down! And what about Tanino? Does this person who locks himself in this strange house have some other secret purpose? He wants to understand the secret of the 'Underwater Divine Tomb'—what exactly does he know? And why did he pass on all his martial arts wisdom to Tanino Shinji?"

I hope Teng Jia can succeed. In any case, she should get into "there" and be with Guan Baoling, at least to keep Guan Baoling company.

In my memory, Guan Baoling was a delicate girl who needed someone to constantly look after her and care for her. Of course, not a pretentious江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who acts hypocritically), but someone who genuinely liked and doted on her—"A tycoon, is he? Holding power and being the richest man in the world, does such a man still have the leisure to cherish a girl?"

Third floor, second floor... I became more awake and heard the water outside the tower gently lapping against the base, making soft "plop, plop" sounds.

"Brother Wind, answer me, what are you doing?" Su Lun's voice became extremely anxious. Perhaps it was the sound of the wind from my rapid jump that entered the receiver, but she could feel that I was running very fast with great tension.

Without waiting to answer her, I quickly jumped down the last step and reached the first floor.

There was no one there, neither Tengjia nor Master Shenbi. The space on the first floor was so small that there was nowhere to hide. As far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single person in sight.

"Miss Fujika! Miss Fujika!" I called out twice, then suddenly noticed a staircase leading down to my left. I laughed self-deprecatingly, "Oh my god! We're not even on the first floor yet, of course there won't be anyone here!" As I started walking down the stairs, I felt that my mind was still relatively clear.

Ten minutes ago, I went from the first floor to the top of the tower. Now I'm coming down from the top. If I go up the stairs, I'll definitely get back to the first floor. It's obvious. I'm on the stairs, and at the end of the stairs is the first floor where Tengjia and Master Shenbi are standing.

The fifth film, Sea Horror

— Chapter 8 - The Floating Chamber —

There was no sound from the receiver; it's possible that Suren angrily hung up the phone.

I put my phone away. I'll explain things slowly when we meet in person later. Right now, one of us is in a primeval forest on the border of Sichuan and Tibet, and the other is in the strange Fengge Temple. Even a long phone call probably won't be able to get us through smoothly.

I went down another floor, and when I stood on the empty ground, I still couldn't find any trace of Fujika.

"What? Did I miscalculate and count the wrong floor when I came down from the top of the tower?" There was a staircase on my left, and I instinctively ran down it. Because I didn't stop to think about what was going on, I just assumed that the end of the staircase was the first floor of the "Tower of the Dead".

After observing the "Tower of the Dead" several times, I only found a staircase leading to the top of the tower, and thus I had formed the stubborn impression that "the staircase only leads from the first floor to the top of the tower".

After descending three floors, my mind began to race, as if I had stepped into an endless nightmare. No matter how I calculated it, I should have reached the first floor by now, instead of endlessly climbing the stairs.

I stopped, took deep breaths, and tried to calm myself down and think about what had happened.

The stairs beneath my feet seemed different from before, emitting a faint white light, as did the walls. I leaned against the wall, my forehead pressed against the cold stone. After about five minutes, I felt calmer and continued down the stairs, slowly taking each step.

There was no one on the stairs, no one on any floor; it was as if I were the only person left in the "Tower of the Dead." At that moment, my only belief was: "Go to the end, get out of this tower!"

I don't know what happened. I've been up and down the tower several times, and this has never happened before. Now, walking on the stairs feels like entering an unpredictable maze, with no end in sight.

After turning another corner, a person suddenly appeared in my line of sight, sitting on the stairs with her back to me. Her head was resting on her knees, which were pressed together, and her hair hung down casually, trailing to the ground. She sat there silently and motionless, showing no signs of breathing.

“A…dead person?” I held onto the wall and carefully made my way down until I was behind her. The scent of French perfume filled my nostrils, and her slender waist felt incredibly familiar. She was wearing a long black dress with a short, soft, pure black fox fur cloak over it—“It’s Guan Baoling! It’s her, it must be her!” I began to feel ecstatic. I walked past her quietly, then turned and squatted down.

She remained motionless, as if she were fast asleep.

I slowly reached out and grasped a strand of her black hair. Her hair was so soft and smooth, like holding a piece of the finest silk. For a moment, I forgot where I was and what I was doing, and only wanted this moment to last forever.

There was no wind, no sound of water, no smell of the sea—nothing at all, just this faintly glowing staircase, the walls, and two people.

She was barefoot, her ten small toes slightly red and swollen, and her shoes were nowhere to be seen. Clearly, she had been walking back and forth for some time and had thrown away her shoes in an attempt to walk faster.