Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 8

In One Thousand and One Nights, Ali Baba accidentally recited the "Open Sesame" spell and opened the treasure vault of the Forty Thieves. I hope I can have such good luck.

The stone tablet remained perfectly still, of course. I had a feeling something was off, but my mind wasn't entirely clear. In such a confined space, people often experience strange illusions, and their judgment becomes inaccurate.

"What exactly is wrong?"

Volume One: The King of Tomb Raiders

The First Egyptian Tomb

— Chapter 18 - The Mysterious Stone Wall —

I stared intently at the stone wall. Although I didn't possess any superpowers that allowed me to exert force with my mind, I always felt that endless secrets were hidden behind it. Judging from the distance, this place was still far from the main body of the Pyramid of Tsar. Did the ancient pharaoh know that tomb robbers would dig in, so he buried this stone tablet here beforehand?

I tentatively placed both hands on the stone wall, and in a daze, the silver characters on the wall seemed to shimmer and glow, like the effect of some kind of fluorescent powder. I tried to pry at the grooves of the characters with my fingernails, but I couldn't get anything off.

The stone wall was cold, like any stone artifact anywhere in the world, and the strange summoning sound I had expected did not sound again. Disappointed, I stepped back and examined it again from a distance of five paces.

As it turns out, I will gain nothing here. The thought of this made me feel like I had been doused with cold water, and all my enthusiasm was extinguished.

"So, did Gu Ye and the others really retreat in panic after seeing this stone tablet? What about the workers? Were all the workers evacuated while Su Lun and I were at the pyramids?" This explanation seems reasonable.

"Forget it, I'd better get back to the surface first. Maybe the scalpel can provide more useful information!" I muttered to myself as I turned around, when suddenly I heard a slow "thump, thump" sound beside my ear. My first thought was that it was someone's heartbeat, right next to my ear, but the sound was amplified many times over, making it particularly startling in the empty tunnel.

"Who? Who is it?" I suddenly screamed, startled by my own voice.

Under the intense fluorescent lights, no corner escaped my gaze. There was no one around me, only this menacing stone tablet. I turned my gaze back to the tablet, approaching it a second time. The sound of my heart pounding grew louder and faster, roughly equivalent to a human pulse beating sixty times per minute.

I clenched my fists. In front of this stone tablet, drawing my gun would definitely be the least effective move.

I pressed my ear against the stone wall, a gesture as strange and reckless as an obstetrician listening to a pregnant woman's heartbeat. And then, I truly heard the heartbeat of the stone tablet, one beat after another, resounding loudly.

"You have a heartbeat? Could it be that you also have thoughts and can speak?"

In an instant, I heard that mysterious summons again: "1999, the King of Terror, descending from the sky, he's here...he's here...he's here..." Actually, back at the camp, I had heard strange noises several times, but I always stood with others, which made me feel more at ease and less terrified. Now, I was in a deep underground tunnel, and if something happened, I would have no one to rely on for help, so I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Two drops of sweat fell in quick succession, landing on the pavement at their feet.

"Who's inside? Who's talking? Who is it—" I reached out and pounded the stone tablet twice. Although I had practiced external martial arts, I hadn't reached the level of "shattering stone and breaking tablets" like Iron Sand Palm or Black Sand Palm. So, when I came to my senses, I realized that in my haste, I had broken the skin on my finger bones by hitting the stone tablet, and blood was flowing freely.

Of course, blood also stained the stone tablet, which gave me the opportunity to witness its second strange feature. The bloodstains slowly disappeared, like seawater dissolving into sand or a sponge, absorbed by the stone tablet and eventually becoming clean.

"This is... a stone tablet that sucks blood?" I was startled and took ten steps back.

In this situation, proceeding would likely require TNT and directional blasting techniques. This wouldn't be a problem for the drilling workers; with a generous reward, they would surely be able to blast the stone tablet to pieces quickly. Its exact thickness is unknown, but I suspect it wouldn't exceed five meters, which is the maximum size of the stones that make up the pyramid's structure.

I channeled all my inner strength into my right arm and suddenly flicked it, sending four or five drops of blood seeping from my finger bones toward the stone tablet. I wanted to confirm whether it could truly absorb the blood. As expected, the blood droplets seeped into the stone tablet within a second, leaving no trace.

I abruptly drew my pistol, because a daring idea swirled in my mind: if the stone tablet could absorb blood and had a heartbeat, I could tentatively consider it a "living being." Could a living being withstand gunfire? How would this sentient stone tablet react to bullets?

As the gun barrel pointed at the spot where the blood droplets had disappeared, a thought flashed through my mind: "Could it be... that my shot might awaken a sleeping beast? It might turn into..."

Such thinking is indeed like the mythical logic in "One Thousand and One Nights," where the stone tablet is the guardian of the ancient tomb and will kill any tomb raiders who dare to covet the treasures inside.

I flexed my stiff fingers, then decisively pulled the trigger. Bang! The gun went off.

I'm certain the bullet hit the spot where the blood droplets had disappeared. There's a faint smell of gunpowder in the air, but to my surprise, there's no bullet hole on the stone tablet, and I can't find the bullet that was fired.

Clang—

The spent cartridge case landed and bounced four or five times on the hard ground before finally coming to a stop.

I know now—

The bullet penetrated the stone tablet; it truly hit it. In an extremely short time, imperceptible to the naked eye, it repaired the tiny bullet hole.

"My God! It's alive, and... and it's made of a substance that has never been seen on Earth before..." My thoughts were a little confused, but thankfully, the stone tablet was still a stone tablet and had not turned into any other prehistoric monster.

I calmly touched the spot where the bullet had disappeared, but there was nothing unusual; it was still hard rock.

I'm certain that behind the stone tablet lies the secret I most desire to uncover. It, or some mysterious force lurking behind it, is calling me in, for only I can hear its call. Let's call that force "The Crocodile God" for now. I need to obtain all the information before taking the next step.

After much deliberation, I took the elevator back to the ground floor.

The situation was worse than I had imagined. The wellhead was surrounded by everyone in the camp, including the workers. My gaze quickly swept over the group of workers wearing orange hard hats and I immediately concluded: "This is not all the workers; there are probably about forty short, which is the number of people who enter the shaft each shift."

I took a deep breath and braced myself, because a terrifying problem was now before us: a number of workers had clearly gone missing—if everyone in the camp were present at that moment.

Suren has been taken hostage by special forces. No matter how skilled she is, she is no match for the entire team of special forces.

Volume One: The King of Tomb Raiders

The First Egyptian Tomb

— Chapter 19 - The Centenarian Elder —

“Mr. Feng, I think there might be some misunderstanding between us…” Gu Ye had regained his composure, his smile forced and insincere.

"Misunderstanding?" I leaped onto flat ground. The special forces soldier released Suren, who sullenly shook her arm and walked towards me. In this situation, I couldn't explain everything to her.

"Mr. Feng, please keep everything below a secret for now, okay? There are many things that neither of us understands, but I have already gone to ask Elder Sahan for help. We should be able to get a fairly objective conclusion within twelve hours." Gu Ye waved his hand, and the special forces soldiers slowly dispersed to continue their guard duties.

The workers looked at each other, then returned heavily to their tents; the underground work had naturally ceased.

Even after I got back to my tent, I still felt inexplicably depressed.

Suren didn't rush to ask any questions. Instead, she opened the coffee pot, added two spoonfuls of coffee powder, and closed the lid. The water in the pot slowly boiled, a layer of milky white foam constantly bubbling up, and the tent was filled with the slightly bitter aroma of Brazilian coffee.

“There’s something, something very strange… Suren, if you were in this situation, I think you would also be completely baffled—” I didn’t know where to begin.

Su Lun stared at the boiling coffee, lost in thought. "My brother once said that you, and even the former King of Tomb Raiders, Yang Tian, both possess an extraordinary magic in your blood. You are both born tomb raiding geniuses, which is why I gave you the chance to go down the well. But you must know that in the areas of tomb raiding, archaeology, and history, my expertise is far deeper and more extensive than yours." Perhaps sensing the atmosphere was too somber, she raised her head, adjusted her expression, and smiled alluringly.

The coffee was ready, and everyone sat facing each other, each holding a full paper cup.

"Tell me? What happened down there? Were there demons and monsters, or did a mummy come back to life...?" In the desert, the most terrifying thing is a mummy coming back to life. Legend has it that a mummy needs to absorb the life force of tens of thousands of living people to come back to life, so it will kill any living person it encounters during the resurrection process.

I smiled and said, "That's just a legend, a myth. I don't have that kind of luck. Even if I encountered a mummy, it would only be a broken skeleton, worthless."

“Then—” Suren remained silent, looking down at the cream foam on the surface of her cup.

"A huge stone tablet blocked the tunnel's path. Inscribed on it was the Pharaoh's curse..."

Suren laughed, gripping the cup tightly. I don't blame her. For any archaeological expert of our caliber, encountering cursed stone tablets is as commonplace as snow in winter or rain in summer. It would be strange if, during tomb raiding, you didn't encounter such intimidating warning signs.

"The stone tablet is alive, it sucks blood and can swallow bullets. I suspect that it 'swallowed' the more than forty workers in the mine." This is my conjecture, of course, without any supporting evidence.

Upon hearing the word "workers," Suren suddenly became alert: "Oh? Workers? I know that forty-one workers were missing from the crowd of onlookers just now. I thought they were underground. Impossible! Impossible, how could they have been 'swallowed'?" Suren's face turned slightly pale.

In the dead of night in this vast desert, nothing is more terrifying than a mysterious and unpredictable event.

As I recounted my discovery, a chill ran down my spine. If the stone tablet was alive, how could I be sure there weren't other similar tablets on the ground nearby? Before I could finish explaining my findings, Suren's first question was already out: "You said the curse on the stone tablet happened to block the tunnel's path. Doesn't that seem like a huge coincidence? If the stone tablet was enormous and had so many inscriptions, how could it possibly have the cursed part just happen to be exposed at the tunnel entrance?"

I scratched the back of my head, and then it dawned on me. That was exactly what had made me feel strange but unable to articulate it when I first saw the incantation.

"Therefore, I say that the stone tablet is alive and has consciousness, knowing to align the part that says 'warning' with the tunnel entrance." My words were very logical and persuasive.

Suren chuckled to herself, "I really want to go down and see what kind of stone tablet it is." As she laughed, she dialed the number for Scalpel.

The scalpel made a loud noise: "Perfect timing! Elder Sahan is also at the villa. He has provided some new information about the Tu Liehan Tomb. I'll send it to you right away."

Elder Sahan is estimated to be between 120 and 125 years old. He has served under five Egyptian presidents and is considered a "living encyclopedia" by both the government and the people, enjoying widespread popularity. The authority he commands almost surpasses that of the current Egyptian president.

Of all the elements that define his identity, the one that interests me most is this: "proficient in ancient Egyptian language, geography, writing, secrets, and magic." In short, Sahan was a shrewd and astute individual, a prominent figure in Egypt, and held immense prestige among the people of the desert kingdoms.

"Brother, actually, some things happened during the excavation work, and I want to tell you about them..."

I waved my hand, and the walkie-talkie hidden in my collar told Scalpel everything. He was the kind of shrewd and capable person who could often deduce the meaning of a whole sentence from just one word, without needing a detailed explanation.

Suren smiled sheepishly and silently hung up the phone. She knew her brother better than I did; she casually turned on her computer and checked her email. The email contained four pictures. The first three were easy to interpret—similar to tourist postcards of Egypt, featuring the Sphinx, pyramids, and an aerial view of the sand dunes.

The last image is of a statue against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds. The statue is enormous, its entire body tinged with a deep, dark blue-green, with one leg raised as if taking a giant stride forward. Its head almost disappears into the clouds, its face expressionless, but its features are similar to a human's, with two ears, two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

If it weren't for respect for the scalpel and Elder Sahan, I would have already started cursing "Shit."

Four completely unrelated pictures. What do they suggest? Do they suggest there's a giant statue in the desert?

The scalpel phone rang, the voice gentle and tactful: "You two take a look at these pictures. They were taken three years ago by Elder Sahan's grandson near the Pyramid of Turkham. You must be cursing me for being nosy, you know? The statue in the fourth picture, Elder Sahan called it 'Great God Turkham,' the great god who specifically protects the Pyramid of Turkham. Anyone who can see him will either become extremely wealthy or die a violent death in the streets."

I scoffed: "And what about his grandson? Did he become rich overnight? Or—"

The scalpel took a deep breath: "Died suddenly on the streets of London, killed by stray bullets."

I was speechless for a moment: "London? Stray bullets?" Given London's security situation, the chances of a pedestrian being shot on the street are extremely small.

Volume One: The King of Tomb Raiders

The First Egyptian Tomb

— Chapter 20 — Captain Turner's Suicide —

On the other end of the line, the scalpel's voice was heavy and melancholic: "Feng, this is a strange matter. Don't force yourself if you can't do it, do you hear me? I don't want to lose you, my only brother, because I promised Yang Tian that I would take care of you for the rest of my life."

I grunted, still simmering with anger from the tunnel: "What else did the elder say? What can four photos prove?" An Egyptian boy's murder in London has absolutely no connection to the Egyptian pyramids. Those stone statues can be found all over the world; you can't just casually label them some "Egyptian God," can you?

“Listen to this incantation: ‘Those who obey its call shall be its servants, generation after generation, never to betray it. Those who do not obey its call shall return to dust, perish beneath the stars.’—Wind, be careful. Stay in touch, and do not act on your own.” The scalpel’s voice grew stern at the end. It was clear he was very displeased with my and Suren’s earlier unauthorized actions.

If the scalpel is so afraid of the legends about the god Turks, why go to such lengths to uncover the secrets of the pyramids? I don't understand, but I know that beneath this small pyramid, there might be more secrets buried than in the massive Great Pyramid of Giza.

After ending the call, my mood became even heavier. Fortunately, Elder Sahan arrived soon, and the task of excavating the pyramids was to be completed by Gu Ye and his group, which had little to do with me. I could rest easy, with a beautiful girl like Suren by my side, and forget all my worries.

After hanging up the receiver, I noticed that Su Lun had been looking at me with a thoughtful expression, her eyelashes drooping, exuding endless charm. Her waist was so slender, absolutely the "willow-like waist" described in ancient Chinese poetry…

"Brother Feng, I want to... go down and take a look!" she uttered, then tossed her long hair, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

I blinked, my head spinning: "Go down and see? I've already described it in great detail, is it really necessary?"

Suren gently tugged at her long hair, pondering as she slowly said, "The area beneath the pyramids is riddled with mechanisms. I think that stone tablet must be controlled by a mechanism; opening it shouldn't be difficult. 'A mountain nine ren high, how can we fail at the last basket of earth?'" It seemed she had received a traditional Chinese education, as her use of Chinese idioms was quite apt.

I pulled out the gun and placed it on the table, completely disagreeing with her suggestion.

Suren waved the two black plastic bags in his hand and held a small silver shovel in his other hand, smiling: "At least a part of that stone tablet should be taken down and sent for testing. As you said, a stone that 'has thoughts' is definitely unusual, so it is absolutely necessary to analyze its composition. Brother Feng, this time you keep watch, I'll go down into the cave."

I touched my nose, and could only describe my astonishment and admiration at her audacious suggestion. She was indeed an extraordinary girl, showing absolutely no fear in the face of danger—the very qualities a skilled tomb raider should possess. However, the tunnel was so strange; I didn't want her to take the risk.

I shook my head: "Surren, let's wait for Elder Sahan to arrive before we talk about it. It's not worth risking our lives for some inexplicable things." Thinking about the more than forty workers who suddenly disappeared, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine again.

Suren waved the bag in her hand, thought for a moment, then stopped insisting, sat down in front of the computer, and went online to look up information.

I lay on my back on the bed, carefully recalling the strangeness of the stone tablet. Subconsciously, I imagined it as a monster that not only swallowed more than forty workers whole, but also used its fat rear end to firmly block the tunnel.

Suddenly, several loud gunshots rang out from outside, coming from near the tents where the special forces were staying.

I jumped up and stepped out of the tent. Everyone was running frantically westward, and the special forces soldiers, fully armed, had surrounded the tent. A short while later, the solemn-faced special forces soldiers carried three bodies out of the tent.

The last one to emerge was Gu Ye, his face contorted with grief, carrying a small, powerful pistol, as he walked towards my tent.

"Mr. Feng... Turner is dead. He killed two squad leaders in the same tent and then shot himself. Before he died, he kept saying one thing... Would you like to hear it?"

The gun in his hand, with dark red blood stained on the muzzle, looked eerie and disgusting.