Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 195

Although he was puzzled, he still opened his backpack, took out a blanket and handed it over: "Mr. Feng, is there anything I can do for you?"

I shook my head: "No need. Have everyone step back a bit and stand upwind of the stone wall."

If Feiyue's strange behavior is similar to Schiller's situation of becoming a vegetable, it would be a kind of inspiration for me—does the stone wall have the power to attract souls? Could it be that Schiller was injured by this stone wall, which is why he became a vegetable? In this case, the most worthwhile thing to do is to go up to the top of the wall and take a look, so I unfolded the blanket and threw it towards the top of the wall.

Liang Wei spoke again: "Mr. Feng, we have already been to the top of the wall, but we found nothing except for the exact same talisman."

I know that; when they came back just now, several team members jumped down from the top of the wall.

“I’ll go up and take a look. Don’t you think the sudden appearance of the stone wall might be some kind of—”

He picked up where I left off, his dark forehead suddenly furrowing: "Some kind of strange formation?" It seemed that Liang Wei was more composed than Xiao Guan. Often, people who are taciturn are "quick to act but slow to speak," thinking more and doing more.

Flying Eagle gave up, cursed angrily, and stood up in frustration. Two team members quickly spread out a blanket and carried Flying Moon up.

The sudden turn of events left the team members somewhat at a loss, and they just stared at me quietly.

I reached out and placed my hand on the top of the wall, then flipped and landed on top. The stone wall on this side stretched westward, maintaining a height of about two meters as the terrain changed, winding endlessly through the jungle. The talismans on the top of the wall were actually integrated with the walls on both sides.

This discovery both surprised and puzzled me: "What kind of calligraphy master can write on three surfaces simultaneously with a single brush without the slightest pause?" Anyone with a basic understanding of calligraphy knows that this is almost impossible. Ink eventually runs dry, and strength eventually runs out. Even if you can write ten or twenty meters with one dip of the brush, what about five hundred or a thousand meters? Wouldn't you need to dip the brush again?

"Wind, catch!" Flying Eagle tossed the binoculars up.

I took it in my hand, and a thought struck me: "Flying Eagle, is there a local guide in the group?" With Flying Eagle's experience, it was impossible for him to lead a group of outsiders into the jungle without a local guide.

Liang Wei raised his hand with a wry smile: "I, I am the guide. I lived in these mountains for nineteen years. Apart from this stone wall, I am familiar with almost everything here. Two years ago, when I left this place, there was no stone wall at all, just paths, jungles, and grasslands—Mr. Feng, I know you will doubt what I am saying, but it is true. Miss Suren's expedition team has four local hunters who can testify to this."

“Then, please come up here and talk.” I beckoned to him.

Liang Wei hesitated for a few steps forward, then flipped himself onto the wall. His movements were clumsy, suggesting that his lightness skill was extremely poor.

"Mr. Feng, do you really think these two stone walls form a Qimen formation? Then, who would be so bored as to set up such a formation here? How was such a massive project completed?" He was still frowning, stomping his feet forcefully through the blanket.

The stream to the west appeared in the telescope, with decaying leaves floating on its surface, slowly drifting northward. Turning to the east, the scenery was almost identical, except that sunlight reflected off the water, creating shimmering ripples.

Liang Wei scratched his head and sighed, then turned and looked south.

"Can such a simple 'Dragon Trapping Water Formation' really stump the experts of the Sichuan Wolf Clan? Stop being so modest, okay?" I put down my binoculars, my tactical knife already in my hand, and I also noticed that Liang Wei's hands were already on the gun handles on both sides of his belt.

A silent killing intent quickly spread in the sunlight. His dark face was expressionless as he asked woodenly, "Speak to me?"

I gazed into his slightly weary eyes: "Yes, I'm talking to you. For so many years, the Sichuan Wolf Clan has risen and fallen in the martial world, its strength and reputation never surpassing the Tang Clan of Sichuan. Therefore, the saying goes, 'Better to kill ten tigers than to defeat one wolf; better to provoke ten wolves than to provoke one Tang.' You are commendable, single-handedly assassinating Tang Jingshi, the leader of the Tang Clan. At least in this generation, you have made the Wolf Clan's prestige surpass that of the Tang Clan. Do you know? Friends in the martial world have already listed 'Shotgun' Wolf Xie as the greatest hero of the Sichuan Wolf Clan throughout history. But no one knows that you actually went into hiding, becoming a mercenary, and hiding within the Flying Eagle's ranks. It truly proves the saying, 'The most dangerous place is often the safest place—'"

"You know so much? Of course you should know that people who know too many secrets tend to have shorter lives." He glared, and a look of despair suddenly appeared deep in his eyes.

"Don't be impulsive. You should have heard that the Tang Clan's revenge was carried out cleanly and thoroughly. The entire clan, close relatives, and in-laws within a thousand miles of the Wolf Clan have been slaughtered, from infants to elderly people in their eighties and nineties, none have been spared. The task of continuing the Wolf Clan's lineage and carrying on the family ancestry has fallen on your shoulders. If you want to kill me to silence me, do you think you can dodge the crossfire of dozens of submachine guns below?"

I kept a smile on my face and kept my voice very low so that the people below wouldn't notice the undercurrent of conflict.

"You...you're ruthless enough to disarm me first. I admire you, I admire you!" His lips moved, revealing sharp white teeth, like a hungry wolf cornered in a desperate situation.

I secretly flashed the small knife in my palm at him: "Yes, although you've been deliberately hiding it, I've still discovered at least three weaknesses in you. Because a friend of mine is quite familiar with the Tang Clan and the Wolf Clan, and he once sparred with you for three days and three nights straight, without sleep, practicing martial arts and drinking skills. He greatly admires you, and in front of me, he's compared you countless times to the legendary swordsman Yao Li, who famously 'severed his arm to assassinate Qing Ji.' Therefore, I've carefully studied and observed your most skillful 'Lone Goose Double Kill' spear technique, and I have the most ingenious way to counter it. Once it comes to blows, it might not be me who dies—"

"Tiger?" The murderous intent in his eyes slowly faded.

"Yes, it was Tiger." Mentioning that name, I suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable sadness. To this day, I still don't know his whereabouts or whether he is alive or dead.

“Very good, his friend is my friend.” He took his hand off the gun handle, a rare smile appeared on his lips, and he extended his hand to me. “Now there is only Liang Wei in the world, no ‘Shotgun’ Wolf Xie.”

Suddenly, the eagle cried out, "Wind, have you found anything?"

I grasped Liang Wei's hand, turned my head, and replied, "No." Revealing Liang Wei's true colors was merely an attempt to gain more close friends. My close friendship with Tiger was enough to guarantee that I would trust his good friends.

Flying Eagle grew agitated and shouted at Xiao Guan, "Make a call, contact the best hospital in Xi'an, and the shaman in the city, and explain the situation clearly." Flying Moon's predicament was like a direct hit to his vitals.

I whispered to Liang Wei, "Can the Wolf Clan's 'Golden Needle Exorcism Technique' revive Fei Yue?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then nodded: "Yes."

"Save her." The situation is urgent; we can't afford to delay any longer. If Feiyue is harmed, Feiying will lose all willpower, and this expedition will have to end here. Besides, I have a good impression of Feiyue; she's impulsive but straightforward, and such spirited girls are rare in the martial arts world these days.

Liang Wei sighed, opened his mouth as if to say something, but I squeezed his hand tightly: "I'll take responsibility for all the consequences."

In front of a seasoned veteran like Flying Eagle, once he uses the Wolf Clan's unique "Golden Needle Exorcism Technique," his identity will undoubtedly be exposed. The Tang Clan of Sichuan has already issued a warrant, offering a reward of five million RMB to anyone who provides information on "Shotgun" Wolf Xie. This amount of money is enough for some people to live a carefree life of eating, drinking, and having fun, so many people are tempted.

Liang Wei gritted his teeth: "Fine, I believe you, for the sake of the tiger."

His relationship with Tiger was stronger than that of brothers. Tiger had told me more than once that if only one of them could survive, they would each want to give the other the chance. When the bond between men reaches its peak, it is often so passionate and intense that it borders on madness, but it is absolutely pure and unadulterated, just boiling blood.

Liang Wei jumped off the wall, took off his left combat boot, and twisted the heel forcefully. With a snap, the heel came off, revealing a small golden box hidden inside.

"Xiao Liang, what are you doing?" Flying Eagle shouted angrily. My conversation with Liang Wei on the top of the wall was very low and lasted only a few minutes. At that time, everyone was focused on Fei Yue's strange behavior, and no one paid attention to what was happening on the top of the wall.

The small box popped open, revealing twelve half-inch-long gold needles that shimmered with fine golden light in the sunlight.

Flying Eagle grunted in response, instinctively reaching down with his left hand to grip the gun handle, while his right hand shot up suddenly. In an instant, all the team members sprang to their feet and went into alert mode.

"The Wolf Clan of Sichuan?" Flying Eagle's expression changed.

The Wolf Clan's poisoning techniques are on par with the Tang Clan of Sichuan, and they even surpass the Tang Clan in terms of divination and military strategy. True veterans of the southwestern border regions understand this. Furthermore, although the Tang Clan's brutal operation to wipe out the Wolf Clan took place in the small country of Nepal, news of it spread throughout Asia. Almost everyone in the know understands that the only remaining member of the Wolf Clan is "Shotgun" Wolf Xie, the expert worth five million RMB.

Volume Four: The Divine Trapped in the Epang Palace

Part 1: The Mysterious Borderlands - The Disappearance of Sulun

— Chapter 7 — The Mysteriously Appearing Little Girl —

I landed immediately and whispered in Flying Eagle's ear, "Let him save Flying Moon, he's my friend."

Eagle turned to look at me suspiciously: "Um, what did you say—"

I smiled, grasped his right hand, slowly lowered it, and added, "If you want to wake Feiyue, listen to me."

As the old saying goes, "To catch a thief, first catch the king." In the midst of a chaotic and complex situation, I will immediately identify the key to quelling the unrest. With just one word from Flying Eagle, I guarantee no one will dare to do anything to Liang Wei, nor will anyone report him for money. You see, if even a whisper reaches the ears of the Tang Clan in Sichuan, both Liang Wei and Wolf Xie will be chopped into mincemeat within days.

Liang Wei slowly bent down, removed the blanket from Fei Yue's body, observed her for a few seconds, picked up a needle, flicked it with his index finger, and with a flash of golden light, it shot into Fei Yue's right wrist, all the way to the end of the needle.

"The Golden Needle Exorcism Technique will definitely save Feiyue, believe me." I took a step back and released Feiying's hand.

The two stone walls themselves weren't scary; what was scary were the people who built them, and how they had deliberately arranged them into a "dragon-trapping water formation," intending to subtly neutralize the fighting abilities of anyone who crossed them, ultimately trapping them. Everything was happening silently and slowly; if Liang Wei and I hadn't discovered it in time, we might all have been implicated.

In the blink of an eye, the golden needles had already pierced Fei Yue's wrists and the palms of her ten fingers. Fei Ying waved to signal everyone to calm down and step back.

“She’s basically fine. The Soul-Capturing Technique hasn’t invaded her brain or heart yet, so as long as the poisonous blood from her fingers to her heart is drained, she’ll wake up.” Liang Wei took out a flat, small tin wine flask from his shirt pocket, unscrewed the lid, took a big gulp, and suddenly sprayed it into Fei Yue’s palm. Then, he took a second gulp and sprayed it into her other hand.

The air was filled with the strange smell of medicinal wine, but the ends of the twelve golden needles hissed and sprayed out extremely fine lines of blood. Immediately afterward, Feiyue groaned and opened her eyes.

The fact that the Wolf Clan has been able to maintain a stalemate with the Tang Clan of Sichuan for so many years shows that they are not without merit. Moreover, Tiger's high regard for Wolf Xie is not just empty talk; he does indeed possess many incredible abilities.

Flying Eagle was overjoyed and jumped to Flying Moon's side, calling out repeatedly, "Flying Moon, Flying Moon, you scared me to death..."

I must ensure Liang Wei's safety, from now until he dies or I die, just as in the desert, I can use a feint to delay time, giving the tiger a chance to steal the "Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Scripture" at my leisure.

The sun is at noon, which is the hottest time of day.

Liang Wei retrieved his golden needles, put them back in the box, and then hid them in his shoe heel. He looked at the silent, towering stone wall and said, "Mr. Feng, I have heard of your deeds. Tiger's friends are all earth-shattering heroes. Meeting you today, I realize that you truly deserve to be called the 'Invincible Warrior' worshipped by the Egyptians. I admire you greatly."

I smiled slightly: "You too. Tiger has never boasted about you, but I've always known that the Wolf Clan's defeat against the Tang Clan wasn't due to a lack of martial arts skills, but rather a matter of bad timing. It was fate, an irreversible destiny. In Tiger's eyes, the Wolf Clan has always been the number one sect in Sichuan, and your courage surpasses that of dozens of generations of ancestors. He once said that the next generation of martial arts practitioners will forever remember the name 'Shotgun' Wolf Xie, regardless of what he's called now."

Tiger did say that, but of course, I still don't understand why he later became infatuated with Tang Xin and willingly let her control him.

Feiyue slowly sat up, leaning against Feiying's arm, and suddenly two lines of tears streamed down her face: "Brother, I heard the little girl crying, and I felt her right in front of me, constantly pulling my hand, trying to drag me into the wall. If someone hadn't shot her with a golden needle, making her scream and let go, I'm afraid I would already be trapped inside the stone wall by now."

Flying Eagle gently patted her shoulder and softly comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright. Big Brother is here, and there are Feng, Liang Wei, Xiao Guan, and so many other brothers. Everything will be alright. Evil spirits and ghosts won't dare to come near!"

Liang Wei suddenly shuddered: "Is it the incarnation of the Dragon Witch?"

"I don't know, I don't know... I don't know..." Feiyue sobbed softly, gripping Feiying's arm tightly with both hands.

This eerie stone wall has become the source of all terrifying power. Flying Eagle angrily waved his arm, and Xiao Guan and three others stepped forward, took off their backpacks, took out neatly folded small explosive charges, and skillfully connected them to the detonation system.

"Boss, if we blow up this damn thing, everything will be fine!" Xiao Guan seemed unusually excited.

Liang Wei glanced at me, then subconsciously shook his head vigorously, but didn't say anything. He was Flying Eagle's subordinate; whatever the boss ordered, the others had no choice but to obey.

Modern blasting technology is incredibly powerful; if it is used immediately, a stone wall can collapse into ruins within half an hour.

"Blow it up, so it won't cause any more trouble and harm people!" Flying Eagle stroked Flying Moon's hair and gave the order with a cold face.

I understand Feiyue's inexplicable fear. First, there was the little girl's mysterious crying, and now she's been possessed, even hallucinating that she's being dragged by the little girl. It's no wonder her fear is excessive, causing more complex and varied auditory and visual hallucinations. However, facing the unpredictable jungle, relying solely on explosives and submachine guns would be far too hasty and reckless.

"Boss, shouldn't we reconsider?" Liang Wei finally couldn't hold back and spoke up to dissuade him.

Xiao Guan sneered, "The boss's orders? You're here to correct me? Why don't you explain to everyone where your 'Golden Needle Healing Technique' comes from first!" The moment he revealed his "Golden Needle Exorcism Technique," Liang Wei's true identity was laid bare. Xiao Guan wasn't some greenhorn new to the martial world; he understood perfectly well what the Tang Clan of Sichuan was after offering such a hefty reward.

Liang Wei's face turned pale, but fortunately Flying Eagle took over the conversation and loudly announced, "From now on, Liang Wei is my best brother. Anyone who causes trouble for him is causing trouble for me. I, Flying Eagle, will take full responsibility for whatever happens. Everyone listen up, he's my man. Anyone who tries to cause trouble, don't blame me for turning my back on you."

Xiao Guan obediently shut up and quickened his pace.

Liang Wei only revealed his identity to save Fei Yue, and Fei Ying's words perfectly echoed my own thoughts, essentially indicating that he would protect Liang Wei with all his might and prevent him from being threatened. Only a gang leader like this can solidify his position and gain the trust of his men.

I raised my hand: "Flying Eagle, blowing up the wall is not wise, especially before we know who built it. What I mean is, have the expedition team from the Consort Palace come up here as soon as possible and see if the local hunters have a better explanation. If the wall belongs to the Dragon Witch, things will be tricky and can't be solved with just a few pieces of explosives."

The purpose of searching forward is to find Suren. Stopping here to blow up the wall would be putting the cart before the horse.

Feiyue stepped out of Feiying's embrace and pointed to the spot where they had just stood: "Mr. Feng, this place is very strange. As soon as I stood here, I felt cold all over, and there was a chilling wind."

I also noticed something unusual about that place, but I didn't want to exaggerate it and affect everyone's confidence, so I just frowned indifferently: "Is that so?"

Suddenly, Flying Eagle grabbed Xiao Guan's submachine gun and pulled the trigger hard at the stone wall, firing more than a dozen bullets with a "rat-a-tat-tat" sound. The spent cartridges clattered and fell haphazardly. At such close range, the bullets hitting the hard bluestone scattered and flew everywhere.

In an instant, I could feel something flying out of the stone wall at high speed, passing over everyone's heads, and rushing southward at high speed.

"What is that?" Eagle turned his gun around and fired another burst of bullets into the sky, the bullets whistling as they flew upwards.

Feiyue also suddenly looked up, tracking the direction in which the thing had flown. I can only say that it was a very fleeting shadow, moving as swiftly as a gust of wind, but all three of us felt it at the same time; it was neither an auditory hallucination nor a visual hallucination.

Since the shadow escaped from the stone wall, it was enough to prove that the stone wall was haunted. So when Flying Eagle gave the order to blow it up again, I did not stop him again. Instead, I hid with Liang Wei behind a big tree about twenty paces away.

“Mr. Feng, the one thing we must never provoke in these mountains and forests is the Dragon Witch. If we blow up the stone wall and anger her, our journey will become extremely dangerous.” Liang Wei looked very nervous. Only the ignorant are fearless; the more one knows, the more timid one tends to become.

I smiled meaningfully: "Danger is everywhere. Feiyue didn't offend anyone, yet she was still targeted by the Soul-Stealing Technique and almost became a vegetable. Sulun and Schiller also went missing and fell into a coma on their first trip into the mountains. From this, it seems that the Longge Witch's practice of punishing humans at the drop of a hat is no different from the tyranny of ancient emperors. When people are suffering, they will naturally revolt. I support Flying Eagle's idea."

Liang Wei's face turned ashen, and he stopped talking.

Xiao Guan and his men placed explosive blocks within twenty paces of the western wall, then retreated and immediately issued a "detonate" signal.

"Boom, boom boom boom, boom boom..." Amidst the flying rocks, the stone wall collapsed instantly, and countless fragments of stone bearing red runes flew up and crashed into the jungle from afar.

I focused my attention on the smoke and dust rising from the explosion, but I didn't see any more strange shadows fly up. If Flying Eagle wanted to, destroying all the stone walls would be an easy task, but after the initial explosion, the "Trapped Dragon Water-Drawing Formation" had already been broken, and I thought that was enough; there was no need to delay any longer.

Liang Wei was the first to rush onto the ruins, searching through the rubble, but to no avail. The ground was covered in rubble, and the craters created by the explosions indicated that the two stone walls had no deep foundations; they were simply built on flat ground. This confirmed my suspicion that the stone walls were a defensive formation, not something ordinary people built for protection against wind and disaster. I imagine Su Lun understood this as well.

Suren's actions this time can be described as "knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still heading towards them." Even knowing the dangers of the Qimen formation and the "Flying Serpent of Lan Valley" ahead, she still went into the mountains without hesitation, which is consistent with her indomitable character.

Flying Eagle, somewhat frustrated, stopped Xiao Guan from continuing his urge to blow up the wall. He walked over to me and asked in a low voice, "Feng, shall we continue on our way?"

After suffering a series of setbacks, his emotions became volatile, which was not a good thing. Fei Yue had stopped sobbing, wiped away her tears, and rallied her spirits.