Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 141

I shook my arms and breathed in the chilly air, confident that Xiao Keleng would arrive soon.

Xiao Lai looked completely confused, but I wasn't in the mood to answer his questions. The less you know about the Fang Demon, the less panic you'll feel.

“Mr. Feng, now that the important figure has left, should we send a few members of the Sharpshooter Society over to keep watch? I have a feeling that this ancient temple is eerily quiet, and it makes me feel uneasy.” He kept scanning the dark shadows of the surrounding buildings, his hands always in his pockets, his gun never leaving his hand.

Looking northwest from the courtyard, you can see a corner of the three-story building that houses the Sutra Repository. Books seem to be the key to unlocking mysteries: the "Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Sutra" stolen by a tiger in the desert, the books on the second floor of Xunfu Garden, the books in the Sutra Repository... Unfortunately, the successive changes and blows have made it impossible for me to calm down and read.

Xiao Lai was still waiting for my answer. I thought for a full five minutes before slowly shaking my head: "No need. At present, the operations of the Divine Gun Society in Japan are under constant surveillance by the special police. Their entry into Fengge Temple will only hinder and ruin things. Some things are more difficult to do with more people. Let's make plans after Miss Xiao arrives."

What I'm really thinking about is when to inform the tycoon about Guan Baoling's disappearance due to the car accident. If his informants hadn't noticed the accident in time, at least I could have spent a few more days with Guan Baoling.

How can I untangle this knot in my heart? I have no clue what to do, and I look around blankly. There is no one who can help me sort out my chaotic thoughts.

Xiao Lai nodded silently. He would carry out my orders meticulously, unlike Wang Jiangnan last time, who, without considering the consequences, leaked the information directly to Daheng, causing the tense standoff in front of Fengge Temple.

"Alright, I'll be on my guard and patrol carefully, just in case anything happens—" He didn't finish his sentence, but flicked the gun handle lightly in his pocket, making a crisp "ding" sound.

"The Fang Demon won't give anyone a chance..." Watching Xiao Lai's departing figure, I couldn't help but worry about him, but in an instant, I was also happy that Guan Baoling had luckily escaped the double blow of the car accident and the Fang Demon unharmed.

With a hiss, the door was pulled open, and Guan Baoling stood in the lamplight, her hand on the door frame, and asked in a low voice, "Feng, can I come out for some fresh air?"

I love watching her graceful silhouette in the light; every time I see her, I'm momentarily lost in thought.

"Of course, it's a pity it's a bit cloudy tonight and the air is too humid." I really wanted to take her arm, but I forced myself to.

Her long hair fluttered in the wind, which suddenly struck me with a feeling, and I couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Miss Guan, the car accident, the fall off the cliff, and the gas tank explosion, and you weren't even hurt by a hair, it's simply... a miracle. I even wonder if you have some kind of divine protection that allows you to stand here unharmed?"

I don't know what Big Shot and Eagle Knife are thinking, but this strange situation will definitely give the police officers in charge of handling traffic accidents a real headache.

"Really? Perhaps fate is just testing me? In the short month since I arrived at Fengge Temple, I've disappeared twice and been in a car accident. The whole thing is more bizarre than a movie script. It's just a pity I don't have the brilliant writing skills of Hong Kong screenwriters to rewrite the ending for a more perfect ending—" She looked in the direction of the "Tower of the Dead" and sighed deeply.

That tower witnessed our incredible disappearance. In the deep sea, the strange, giant underwater structure, the inexplicable red light, and all those bizarre gear systems, until finally mysteriously returning to the real world through the tunnel—everything was astonishing and unbelievable.

"Feng, do you think if we climb to the top of the tower again, we'll re-enter that mysterious world?" She touched her hair that fell to her chest, a sad expression on her face.

I shrugged and silently shook my head in disagreement.

Once is enough for this kind of experience. If it weren't for that miraculous escape at the end, we'd probably be corpses in glass boxes by now, with no mood for conversation or dreams about the future.

“I just wanted to say that I enjoy the feeling of going through hardships together with good friends, a bit like when I was a child and I relied on my mother for support. So, I hope we can become good friends—” Guan Baoling’s thoughtful and gentle expression as she spoke captivated me.

Life is unpredictable. If it weren't for the tycoon standing between us, the two of us would have become inseparable lovers by now.

The thought of the tycoon's overwhelming army pressing in and his aggressive demeanor suddenly stirred up a surge of impulsive irritability within me. I felt an urge to strip off all my clothes and release this pent-up frustration.

“I am very grateful to Mr. Ye. He brought me out of the slums, sent me to university, and helped me enter the film industry, all the way to this day. Without him, I would still be Cinderella in a dark corner of the slums, like all girls from poor families, penniless and living a hasty and miserable life. Feng, you haven't experienced those hopeless and difficult days, so you won't understand the joy I felt when I met him…”

I tried my best to control my emotions and gave a cold "humph." I had heard the fairy tale of Cinderella and Prince Charming countless times, but this "Prince Charming" tycoon was too old and not a good match for the young and radiant Guan Baoling.

Everyone has their own painful experiences. After my older brother went missing, who could understand my loneliness and desolation when I tossed and turned in bed every night?

Guan Baoling's face was full of bitter smiles, showing that the hardships she experienced in her childhood had left a deep mark on her heart.

"Feng, if possible, please befriend Mr. Ye. You are both top masters in the martial arts world. He admires you greatly and has been following you through Mr. Scalpel's channels, mentioning your name to me several times—"

I understand what she means; she's trying her best to build a bridge between me and the tycoon. However, her efforts have been in vain. Based on my principles, I will never use a woman's connections to get ahead.

Another gust of wind blew by, and she tightened her fox fur coat, shivering slightly.

I gazed at her profile, sighing with regret, "Such a wonderful girl, it's a pity we met so late!"

"Feng, I—" She raised her head again to say something, with a gentle wave surging deep in her eyes, but Xiao Keleng, who strode in, startled her slightly. She quickly shut her mouth, rubbed her hands together, and breathed on them in front of her face.

She must have some secret she wants to tell me; I've seen that hesitant look on her face more than once.

I frowned slightly, not wanting Xiao Keleng to see through my thoughts, and immediately put on a smiling face: "Xiao Xiao, you came so fast, thank you for your hard work."

Xiao Keleng held a stack of fax papers in her hand, her expression serious, showing no sign of apologizing for interrupting our conversation: "Mr. Feng, these are the documents and phone records sent by Sister Su Lun. They are very urgent, and I hope you can take a look at them immediately."

She gave Guan Baoling a cold glance, then forced a smile, which she considered a greeting. A lone man and woman alone at night was the perfect opportunity for her to have ambiguous thoughts. Even if Guan Baoling and I hadn't done anything, I was firmly branded with that label.

I took the documents and quickly flipped through them. Almost every page involved the term "weapon of mass destruction," and there were numerous related country names, place names, and names of martial arts factions. It looked like a formal military intelligence compilation.

"You two talk, I'll go back to my room first." Guan Baoling smiled politely, nodded to me and Xiao Keleng respectively, and slowly went into her room, closing the door behind her.

Her shadow was cast on the paper door, creating an unusually beautiful silhouette that made my thoughts wander with every move of that shadow.

Xiao Keleng coughed twice in dissatisfaction, then stamped his foot impatiently: "Mr. Feng, these documents—"

I snapped out of my daze and, while leading her into my room, quickly flipped through the documents. There were eleven pages in total. The first ten were black-and-white photocopies marked "Top Secret," with a long-handled comb drawn in hasty handwriting in the upper right corner. The contents were nothing short of a fantasy to the average person. The gist was this: "According to investigations, Iraq does indeed possess a 'weapon of mass destruction,' but due to imperfect technology, it hasn't yet evolved to the point of direct deployment in a war between the two armies. Its power is no less than the 'nuclear button' possessed by the president, capable of destroying the vast territory of the former Soviet Union fifteen times over. Of course, everything is still in the data calculation stage; the 'weapon of mass destruction' lacks the final detonation procedure, just like a massive amount of plutonium, which is essentially useless until a nuclear reactor is found."

"The timing of the war launched by the president was absolutely right. If it had been delayed by two more months, the Iraqi government would have been able to acquire enough semi-finished nuclear bombs from the former Soviet arsenal. Combined with the 'weapons of mass destruction,' that would have been a nightmare for the entire American people. Fortunately, our air bombing and long-range missile attacks directly destroyed Iraq's ground arsenal, successfully forcing the Iraqis to move their 'weapons of mass destruction' underground..."

I patted the photocopied documents, then couldn't help but chuckle wryly, pinching my chin: "Is there a problem with the credibility of this report? Of course, I know the meaning of this comb marking, but even the greatest spy can make mistakes, right? Currently, the whole world knows that the Iraqis don't have 'weapons of mass destruction,' and the Pentagon has publicly stated that it admitted to intelligence failures. Doesn't this report contradict the statements of the US government?"

Xiao Keleng sat down by the window, clasped her hands together, and made no comment on my question.

The comb symbol represents a very famous spy under the Pentagon, who has evolved espionage into a flawless art. His achievements and reputation in the espionage world are second only to Ian Land, the US military's counterintelligence master during the Normandy landings.

He had no name, only the code name "Comb." It was as if any complex and intricate intelligence, whether true or false, would become perfectly organized and clear in his hands, like hair combed with a comb. Pentagon staff likened him to a tireless gold prospector, always able to extract the most useful and valuable information from tens of thousands of seemingly unrelated intelligence fragments, turning them into elements more precious than gold.

Ten photocopies, each marked with a comb, and the last paragraph in particular shocked and amazed me—"All intelligence indicates that Iraq's confidence in declaring war on the West and clamoring to bury the US-led coalition in the desert stems from its soon-to-be-completed 'weapon of mass destruction.' Data transmitted from the military's ground forces shows that at least fifteen ground structures resembling missile silos have been discovered on the outskirts of Baghdad. As is well known, only long-range offensive weapons use silos, meaning that the Iraqis are already prepared to launch long-range missiles."

"When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Russians had already seized control of its more than two hundred high-tech arsenals. Therefore, no matter how much money the Iraqis had, they could not purchase massive weapons that could be put into immediate use. I noticed that in the six months before the start of the Iraq War, at least eleven Russian nuclear weapons experts suddenly disappeared. Of course, there were many excuses for their disappearance, all of which seemed quite reasonable, but their real destination was a neutral country in the Middle East, from which they entered the outskirts of Baghdad."

"Based on all the intelligence, we can assume that the Russians are helping Iraq with its research on 'weapons of mass destruction.' There's no such thing as a free lunch, so why are the Russians so enthusiastic? Here, we should pay attention to one of the eleven nuclear weapons experts, whose name is Mayorov, a once internationally renowned figure."

I recognized the name, but it was closely linked to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in the former Soviet Union. He was the only survivor of the technical advisory group for the nuclear power plant at the time of the explosion; he was on vacation in Moscow and thus escaped unharmed.

What deeper meaning might be behind the mention of Mayonov in the comb?

I glanced at Xiao Ke, who placed her hands on her temples and rubbed them slowly. Her expression turned serious and solemn once again, as if she were facing a difficult choice.

"Xiao Xiao, you should have seen all of this information. What do you have to say?" The more he read, the more horrified he became. After all, only two and a half years had passed since the outbreak of the Iraq War, and many of the media reports from that time were still fresh in his memory. It seemed that what the public saw and heard was always just the surface of major events, and they could never get to the truth.

Xiao Ke shook her head. Just as I was about to lower my head to finish reading the photocopies, she suddenly spoke again in a low voice: "Mr. Feng, there's something I want to say before you finish reading all the materials, which is about my background—"

I didn't understand what she meant, and I didn't quite understand how her background was related to this information.

She stood up, opened the door, and went out. I knew no one would be eavesdropping outside, since Xiao Lai was hiding somewhere on the roof, able to see everything happening inside and outside the courtyard. Given Xiao Keleng's usual behavior, what she was about to say must be a huge secret, otherwise she wouldn't be so cautious.

When Xiao Keleng returned, she brought with her a chill that filled the room. Her expression was extremely cold: "Mr. Feng, Sister Su Lun said that you are very interested in my background. Actually, those are things from a long time ago. I don't want to think about them, and I don't want to mention them to anyone. Before you, only Mr. Scalpel, Sister Su Lun, and Sister Yan Xun knew about them."

I nodded and smiled, indicating that I was very honored to be the fourth person to hear this secret.

"I am North Korean, my original surname is Kim. I belong to the same family as the head of state, and we are close relatives within five degrees of kinship. Everyone in the martial arts world knows that I have an older brother nicknamed 'Lone Wolf' Xiao Shi. Actually, he is my second brother. We also have an older brother named Kim Soon-hee—"

My smile froze instantly. The name "Kim Soon-hee" has long been recorded in the annals of global military history. He was the one who single-handedly built North Korea's "Red Flame" special forces unit, and at the age of thirty, he was promoted to the position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea, becoming a legendary figure in the North Korean army.

Part Two: Ancient Temple Under the Dark Night

— Chapter 2 — Xiao Keleng's Background —

Without a doubt, in the eyes of North Koreans, Kim Sun-hee was the most promising candidate to go even further and become the youngest leader in the country's history. Unfortunately, the political situation was as unpredictable as the weather in June. Just three years ago, this healthy and exceptionally intelligent young man suddenly fell ill. His condition deteriorated within two weeks, and he became a true vegetative state patient, still lying in the Revolutionary Military Sanatorium in Pyongyang to this day.

If Xiao Keleng had such a renowned elder brother, he should at least be enjoying a successful career in the domestic political arena. How could he be wandering the world and need the protection of a scalpel to survive?

Looking at her face, her features did indeed bear a resemblance to Kim Soon-hee, who frequently appeared in international newspapers.

"After my eldest brother became a vegetable, my second brother vowed to find out the truth of the matter. At that time, he was still a mid-level officer in the Red Flame Army. Using his authority, he finally obtained a tape recording of my eldest brother's meeting with the leader before his sudden illness. The conversation in the tape was very clear. My eldest brother's sudden illness was all the leader's doing because he did not want anyone's reputation in the country to gradually surpass his own. This is a typical case of 'merit overshadowing the master' and then being ruthlessly killed."

I couldn't say anything, I just listened quietly.

"My second brother was convicted of stealing state secrets and forced to wander the martial arts world. At the time, I was studying at university in England. After receiving an urgent call from my second brother, I immediately disguised myself and, with the help of a fake passport dealer, changed my nationality to Chinese. Then I flew directly to Japan and went into hiding. As for my relationship with the Sharpshooter Society, it is indeed as Sister Su Lun said. My godfather was once a top master in the Sharpshooter Society, but he died in a martial arts battle. Therefore, Mr. Sun Long took good care of me, and I gradually became very familiar with several of the leaders in the society—"

She wiped her face, utterly exhausted, as if these long recountings of the past had drained all her energy.

An ancient Chinese proverb says, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger." This saying holds true everywhere. As China's close neighbor, North Korea has drawn heavily on China's feudal history in its culture, style, and governance. Their leader certainly understands the principle that "two tigers cannot share one mountain, and one cannot allow another to sleep soundly beside one's bed." Therefore, Kim Sun-hee, a young and capable man who did not know how to bide his time, became a complete political sacrifice. The Red Flame Army, which he personally created, fell entirely under the leader's control, making it a farce of "making wedding clothes for others."

I handed Xiao Keleng a tissue. Despite the cold weather, beads of sweat kept seeping from her forehead, a testament to the immense trauma this painful experience had caused her.

I finally understood why she was so shocked when she received the news that the Crimson Flame Force was taking action; this time, she might be fighting her own countrymen to the death.

The air in the room was heavy, like a thick cumulonimbus cloud, making it hard to breathe, and even the lights dimmed considerably.

Xiao Ke gave a bitter laugh, wiping away a few glistening beads of sweat from the tip of her nose with a tissue. She then said, “Mr. Feng, I didn’t need to tell you these things. Even if you don’t trust me, I can still survive smoothly in Hokkaido until I accumulate enough power for revenge. But now it seems things have changed. We must unite closely to ensure our safety. Although Sister Su Lun and I aren’t biological sisters, our bond is deeper than that of blood sisters. I will always obey her, which is why I told you about my background. I hope that from now on, we can truly cooperate openly and honestly, without suspicion between us.”

At this point, she straightened her chest, let out a long breath, and gently tossed her short hair, as if she had accomplished something extremely important.

Now I understand why Su Lun hesitated so much when talking about Xiao Keleng's background. Xiao Keleng's low profile and seclusion were solely for avenging the death of her family, and had nothing to do with other江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) feuds. If her true identity were revealed, the North Koreans would certainly not let her go.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Xiao, I was too demanding of you before." I sincerely apologized to her.

Xiao Ke waved her hand weakly and shook her head again: "It's okay. Friends should treat each other with sincerity. I just hope that Mr. Feng won't hold a grudge against me for being a foreigner."

After a moment's thought, I quickly came up with another question: "Xiao Xiao, do you have any other thoughts about Yelan and Anzi's deaths? If they really died at the hands of the Fang Demon, can you explain why the Fang Demon specifically targeted these two people?"

Xiao Keleng adjusted her mental state and answered succinctly, "I can't explain it. Not only me, but even Master Zhang and the others can't figure it out. Especially Masters Shao Bai and Shao Hei, who have been repeatedly emphasizing that they can't detect any strange information from the Fang Demon. According to past experience, as long as there are ghosts, demons, or strange creatures, their 'Spirit Summoning Technique' will naturally react, but now, they can't sense anything."

I paced quietly in the middle of the room, and at the same time, I discovered a new contradiction: "The Fang Demon killed the Mercedes driver and Genny, but let Guan Baoling go. Why? If it's because the Fang Demon only kills men and not women, then what about Anzi's death?"

Xiao Keleng's gaze followed my steps, and she couldn't help but remind me, "Mr. Feng, please finish reading those materials as soon as possible. Sister Su Lun said that the 'weapon of mass destruction' is not only of interest to the Americans; it seems that ambitious people all over the world are full of curiosity about this mysterious weapon."

I returned to the table, picked up the stack of papers again, and flipped through them.

Through his connections in Iraq, Comb found Mayorov and successfully used women, liquor, and money to extract a huge secret from him—"Why did the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explode?"

"Mayonov said that the 'weapon of mass destruction' initially fell into the hands of the Soviets. It is said that they found it on an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean, and after detecting its composition, they immediately sent it to a nuclear power plant, preparing to mobilize physicists from across the country to conduct systematic research on the 'weapon of mass destruction.' Unfortunately, a sudden explosion occurred in the secret laboratory where the 'weapon of mass destruction' was being tested, creating the most shocking tragedy in the world at the time. He analyzed that the cause of the explosion was that someone cut off the power supply equipment that was continuously cooling the 'weapon of mass destruction,' causing the surface temperature of the object to rise rapidly, which triggered a chain reaction of explosions."

Revisiting this old story brought a bitter smile to my face once again: "A weapon of mass destruction? The nuclear power plant explosion?"

The report by the comb only briefly touched upon the Chernobyl explosion, and what followed was even more unbelievable—"After the explosion, the 'weapon of mass destruction' mysteriously disappeared. Mayorov was interrogated by the KGB at least a hundred times, but he knew nothing and confessed nothing. In the spring of 2002, when Mayorov secretly entered a chemical plant on the outskirts of Baghdad, he carried with him a booklet coded in 'Pagapala'. At this point, the 'weapon of mass destruction' reappeared. Our top secret intelligence agents even had the opportunity to take pictures of the weapon with a pinhole camera, but unfortunately, they were not transmitted in time and were captured by Iraqi counterintelligence."

"My conjecture is that the Iraqi government dares to provoke Western countries precisely because it possesses dangerous weapons like 'Weapons of Mass Destruction,' and hopes to use these weapons to create a super nuclear bomb, placing North America and Europe entirely within nuclear attack range. Given enough time, the global military landscape will undergo a dramatic transformation in the coming months. Iraqi military fanatics don't care about any 'Nuclear Power Mutual Restraint Treaty'; once the nuclear bomb is completed, their primary target will be the political heartland of North America."

"The Iraqis's dream didn't last long. After the UN nuclear weapons investigation team entered Baghdad, they used various advanced detection methods to check almost all possible locations where the 'weapons of mass destruction' could be hidden. At this point, things took a dramatic turn. The Iraqi government hastily decided to transport the 'weapons of mass destruction' by sea, since nuclear weapons were not yet fully developed. Of course, the investigation team had anticipated that Iraq would attempt to transfer evidence and had deployed security forces along the coastline. However, they slightly underestimated the Iraqis' capabilities. Within the core armed forces of the Iraqi government, there were Japanese ninjas skilled in the Five Elements Escape Technique. The reason why the 'weapons of mass destruction' were successfully transported to a Japanese cargo ship on the high seas was precisely because of the connections made by these Japanese 'Hashizu-style' ninjas."

"Currently, it can be said that the 'weapon of mass destruction' has fallen into the hands of the Japanese, but it is being controlled by underworld forces rather than the Japanese government. Therefore, the situation in Northeast Asia has become extremely delicate. South Korea and North Korea have both begun to stir, deploying their top government agents, each wanting to seize control of the 'weapon of mass destruction' themselves. This will inevitably trigger a chaotic battle between dark forces—"

Seeing this, I breathed a sigh of relief, because before the massive explosion at the Dolan Society, I clearly heard the two female ninjas from the Hashizu faction utter the word "weapon of mass destruction."

The intelligence analysis by the comb was extremely comprehensive, quickly connecting seemingly unrelated strange events around the world to form the migration route of the "weapon of mass destruction." I understand that behind this thin tenreport must lie tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of highly condensed pages.

I remember Xiaomei and Mino mentioned the name of a ship—the Columbia Wolf. Could it be the Japanese cargo ship that transported the "weapon of mass destruction" from Iraq? So, what is the relationship between the Hashizu faction, Watanabe Castle, the imperial family, and the Japanese government?

I remember discussing this issue with Xiao Keleng after the battle with the Blue Dragon Society, and asking her to use her connections with the Sharpshooter Society to search for the whereabouts of that cargo ship.

Part Two: Ancient Temple Under the Dark Night

— Chapter 2 — Xiao Keleng's Background (Part 2) —

Xiao Ke shook his head, meeting my questioning gaze: "Currently, there is no such ship in any of the ports along the Hokkaido coast. Searching for such an inconspicuous target among thousands of cargo ships is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, based on the brief conversation between the Hashizu ninjas, it is impossible to determine whether the ship actually exists or whether it is just a secret code name."

I understood what Xiao Keleng meant, but I could clearly see that she was somewhat absent-minded and became restless.

By this time, the old Iraqi government had collapsed, and the US-led coalition controlled the oil-rich land. It seemed the "weapons of mass destruction" incident should have come to an end. So, what did Sulun mean by sending me these materials?

I took out the bottom sheet of Su Lun's phone records. Xiao Keleng's handwriting was very messy: "'The ultimate ownership of the weapon of mass destruction' will directly affect the East Asian and Northeast Asian landscape. Within this scope, it will touch the sensitive nerves of the Pentagon at any time, ultimately leading to a large-scale war. No matter which small country gets its hands on it, driven by inflated ego and self-interest, it will accelerate the development of nuclear weapons based on the 'weapon of mass destruction,' placing the entire Pacific Rim region on the brink of eruption. Therefore, we should collect as much information as possible about the Hashizu faction's ninja activities. If necessary, we can even feign compliance with the Watanabe Group to obtain the latest intelligence."