Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 153

Zhang Baisen released his grip, letting Shao Hei's hand fall limply to his sides.

“Feng, he’s dead. China’s supernatural abilities world has lost another master. It’s such a pity…” Zhang Baisen sighed.

Shao Bai's face instantly returned to its original black color, but his eyes were wide open to the extreme, clearly showing that he died with resentment because Shao Bai had violated the ancestral precepts. I closed his eyelids for him, my heart heavy as well. The move that injured Shao Bai hadn't been truly satisfying; my chest still felt stiff and uncomfortable.

“I know Shao Bai. He has a very weak sense of good and evil, and he has always dismissed the ancients’ idea of ‘sacrificing oneself for righteousness’ as blind loyalty and filial piety. Therefore, it is almost impossible to get him to give up his life and superpowers.” Zhang Baisen cracked his knuckles, making a “crack” sound.

I replied dejectedly, "I will inform the monks in the temple to refine Shao Hei's ashes. His ashes will be temporarily stored here, and we will send them back to the mainland when we have the chance."

Part 3: Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain

— Chapter 3 — Red Flag Little Swallow, Ten Saints of the Tooth God Stream (Part 2) —

Shao Hei's death suddenly left me, who thought victory was in my grasp, without my support. In the confrontation of supernatural abilities and escape techniques, Zhang Baisen was left to carry the burden alone, while the strange abyss below the meditation hall was putting immense mental pressure on me.

When they entered the courtyard, Daheng, Guan Baoling, Xiao Keleng, and Xiao Lai were all there, but Shao Bai was the only one missing.

Xiao Lai looked unwell, panting heavily as if he had just finished a rapid run, and his forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

“Shidao is dead.” Xiao Ke gave a helpless, bitter smile.

I was stunned: "What? He died right after I started to suspect him and began to follow him?"

“He is indeed dead. I followed him all the way to the northernmost kitchen of the temple. For some reason, he suddenly jumped over the outer wall of the temple and fell directly into the sea, where he was swept away by the waves,” Xiao Lai quickly explained.

At the northernmost point of Fengge Temple is an 80-meter-high cliff overlooking the vast, white-capped sea; a fall from there would indeed be no chance of survival. The mysterious death on Shidao Island directly severed the clues about the plague's resurgence, making me even more depressed. I think the plague must know some secrets of the underwater world, because he once mentioned possessing the "Book of Purgatory."

If Shidao is dead, where can we search for the plague?

The tycoon's arm encircled Xiao Keleng's slender waist, his gesture intimate and natural, his face beaming with a bright, spring-like smile.

"Xiao Xiao, come for a walk with me." Before Xiao Keleng could agree, I rushed out of the courtyard, afraid that if I didn't leave, I would explode at the tycoon for the second time.

With the snow more than half melted, I walked towards the temple gate, taking long strides and breathing in the dry, cold air.

The smiles of the tycoon and Guan Baoling flashed before my eyes, seemingly mocking my endless emotional investment after falling in love at first sight. Actually, I shouldn't have laughed at Wang Jiangnan; he was merely a cautionary tale for me. Before, I clearly watched him suffer, and now, I've involuntarily jumped into this abyss of emotional torment myself.

"Mr. Feng, Mr. Feng, wait for me..." Xiao Keleng called out repeatedly from behind, startling the sparrows that were foraging for food on the eaves to the side. To the left was the courtyard where the "Tower of the Dead" was located. Last night, the "Mild Crisis" force attacked the Meditation Hall from this direction, but unfortunately, they were wiped out by the Japanese escape technique and had no effect.

I stopped, took out my phone, and dialed Xiaoyan's number.

"Mr. Feng, the tycoon has already notified Mr. Sun Long by phone to mobilize all the members of the Divine Gun Society stationed in Japan, including Thirteen Brother and Hawke at the Xunfuyuan Villa. Roughly estimated, more than 600 people can be mobilized within 72 hours to come to Muwanzhoushan. He himself will stay here temporarily until the extortion case is over and Miss Guan is safe and sound."

Xiao Keleng ran very fast, her short hair flying in the wind, jumping around non-stop.

"Xiao Xiao, your hair has grown long." I suddenly wanted to stroke those black hairs that were gilded by the sunlight, and I longed for Su Lun to call and hear her long-lost voice.

"Really?" Xiao Ke was taken aback, and then a shy blush rose on her cheeks.

With my experience and inner qualities, I could easily win the hearts of Su Lun, Tie Na, and even Xiao Keleng, yet I repeatedly fail in front of Guan Baoling, which makes me feel like a complete failure. For a moment, I even wanted to forget her and give up on this hard-won relationship.

“Mr. Feng, I know you're very tired. Perhaps you should listen to Sister Su Lun and take a break for now, fly over to her place and rest a bit before we talk again—”

Someone answered the phone, and I raised my hand to stop Xiao Keleng from continuing.

A sweet, girlish voice came through the receiver: "Hello, who are you looking for?"

I asked, bewildered, "Who are you? Why do you want Xiaoyan on the phone?" This was Xiaoyan's confidential number; he wouldn't just hand it over to a stranger. Although this young man was extremely rebellious and cynical, he would never dare to joke with his own life.

"Xiao Yan? That's me. Who are you?" the girl asked with a grin.

The phone number is correct, so where did this girl named "Xiao Yan" come from?

Before I could answer, the girl exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, I know, you are the great 'Invincible Desert Warrior' Mr. Feng! I've read your autobiography, I admire you so much! How did you think of calling me? I'm so honored..." Her chattering laughter came through the receiver, and even Xiao Keleng began to frown in surprise.

I suddenly yelled, "Xiao Yan, stop playing tricks! Take that voice changer away! I have urgent business and I'm not in the mood to play games with you!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then Xiao Yan's lazy voice rang out: "Hmm? How did you recognize me? This voice changer went through 128 high and low frequency shifts, even sophisticated instruments couldn't analyze the original sound trajectory—you're not really an alien spy stationed on Earth, are you? Your thinking ability is even more acute than scientific instruments, I really can't understand it..."

Xiao Ke sneered. The question was extremely simple. The other party had Xiao Yan's personal phone and spoke to me with great enthusiasm, showering me with praise while also displaying a cynical mockery. Who else could it be but Xiao Yan herself? He was simply too superstitious about the power of electronics and had forgotten to analyze the relationship from the perspective of human relationships.

After he finished exclaiming in amazement, I finally spoke up: "Xiao Yan, could you help me look up some information?"

He chuckled and said, "Investigate what? I just accessed Miss Yanxun's private computer. It seems she sent you a lot of information, which involved several sensitive issues related to the Tokyo Bay area during the surrender ceremony in World War II. You don't want me to investigate these things, do you?"

I heard him gulping down water through the microphone, and then I heard an Arabic news broadcast somewhere. After listening for a few sentences, I determined that it was the voice of Mu'n, the star presenter of Al Jazeera.

This talented host from the Arab world once became famous for working tirelessly, broadcasting live coverage of the 2003 Iraq War 24 hours a day for a month.

I didn't answer, but listened quietly to Mu's broadcast. He repeatedly mentioned the name of the "weapon of mass destruction" in an extremely excited tone, and used highly inflammatory language to call on the warriors of the Arab world to "unite and reclaim our homes, oil wells, and oases."

"Feng, those documents are too old, there are many versions, and they're full of fallacies. Sister Su Lun ordered me to compile a fair and reasonable conclusion. I'm working on it now and will finish in a few hours. Of course, this is based on the premise that the trans-Pacific network is completely unobstructed. Recently, the solar geomagnetic radiation has been fluctuating wildly, causing frequent changes in the seabed crust, which might damage the submarine fiber optic cable at any time. How have you been lately? I heard you're with the famous film and television superstar, Ms. Guan Baoling, and you seem to be living a very harmonious and respectful life together? Remember to get me a few autographs..."

Sometimes I really envy Xiaoyan. She's innocent, simple-minded, and always happy, never caring what others think of her. He's the king of the hacker world, able to move freely through the intricate and dense web of the internet, doing whatever he wants, wielding absolute power.

For him, the internet is everything in life. As long as he has instant noodles, bottled water, and a computer, he can create a happy paradise.

“Okay, no problem with the autograph. How about we get the tycoon to sign one too? I heard his autograph can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market!” My face immediately turned from gloomy to cloudy at the mention of Guan Baoling.

Xiao Yan sneered disdainfully, "A tycoon? Who does he think he is?"

Hackers like him excel at disregarding the class order of the real world and mocking those high and mighty figures. This is why every skilled hacker considers challenging the Pentagon's core database their ultimate goal. They want to trample this towering "Pacific policeman" underfoot, leaving Americans humiliated and disgraced.

I know that the tycoon once hired the top three hackers on the global hacking list to probe the Japanese database. Judging from Xiaoyan's tone, it seems that she doesn't have much of a relationship with the tycoon.

"Xiao Yan, I need to investigate things related to the Japanese. Please give me detailed information on the Fang Demon and the Fang God Ninja." The reason I wasn't in a hurry to interrupt Xiao Yan's endless chatter was because I enjoyed listening to him talk. We could converse without any reservations or ulterior motives, without any taboos.

"Haha, another Fang Demon? Could it be that the tycoon sent you here?" He chuckled, the sound of his fingers flying across the keyboard crackling out.

"No," I answered honestly.

"Nineteen hours ago, three people disappeared from the hacker leaderboard: 'Ghost Dragon,' 'Die-hard Dragon,' and 'Rambo Stallone.' By now, they should have been sentenced to life imprisonment through the US expedited trial process, spending the rest of their lives behind bars. It's said they were top-notch hackers hired by the tycoon for a huge sum of money, but I don't like others interfering in my territory, so I easily detected their online addresses and called the hacking research lab at the US police headquarters. Feng, I don't like the tycoon, so whatever he wants to do, I won't let him have his way."

Xiao Yan laughed mischievously, perhaps thinking that teasing the tycoon was a lot of fun.

"Where are the documents? Are they still there?" That's all I care about.

"Of course, of course. I ransacked their entire storage system and found some useful information—well, the Kibagami-ryu ninja belong to one of the oldest branches of the Iga school, originally based in Hakone, a famous cherry blossom viewing city. This school has a magical, evil martial art called 'Soul-Tethering Technique' in Chinese, which requires ten brothers who are of one mind to perform together. The description of this martial art in the documents is very obscure; in my understanding, it is similar to the 'Soul-Shifting Technique' in Chinese martial arts."

"Ten brothers using it at the same time?" I asked casually, as such a prerequisite was quite demanding.

"Yes, ten people at the same time—and they must use the same weapon, ten identical ancient swords. The Yagami-ryu martial arts have too many restrictions, and almost no one in a generation can successfully master it. It wasn't until before the start of World War II that such a combat group appeared in the special forces of the Japanese Kwantung Army. They were ten brothers from the same mother, each with superb martial arts skills, and were known as the 'Ten Saints of Yagami-ryu' by the Japanese military intelligence system at the time."

Part 3: Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain

— Chapter 4 — Reunited with the Reborn (Part 1) —

The information Xiaoyan mentioned has never appeared in the history of Asia during World War II. As the main force of the Japanese army's foreign aggression, the Kwantung Army's unit designations, organization, personnel, and weaponry are all available in detailed figures. At least I have never seen the name "Yajin-ryu Ten Saints".

Xiao Yan promptly added, "These documents are top-secret texts from the Japanese Tokyo Military Archives, and it's impossible for them to be circulated in the world. The information you're looking for about the Fang Demon is also related to these ten people. The same series of files shows that the 'Fang Demon' in Japanese folklore is actually a strange illusion technique of the Yagami-ryu ninja, much like the 'sword immortals and sword-wielding techniques' in ancient Chinese fantasy legends. It can kill people from thousands of miles away, without a trace, and is difficult to defend against."

The legendary figures of "sword immortals" in the martial arts world are mostly found in the towering mountains of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Tibet. They are known by name but never seen in person.

"I've reviewed all the information I have on hand, and there's a crucial figure—Fūrin Kazan. He was the superior of the 'Ten Saints of the Kishin-ryū' and played an irreplaceable role in the 'Sunrise' plan in 1945, on the eve of the surrender of World War II. The Americans have deduced a strange conclusion: Fūrin Kazan is still alive, in Hokkaido, and holds the token of the 'Tennin Alliance,' brewing an even larger-scale operation..."

Roughly calculated, Fuurin Kazan was a prominent figure in the Japanese invasion war, and at the time he was at least 35 years old. By 2005, he should have been an elderly man over 100 years old and in his twilight years.

"How much error is there in the data from the United States?" I'd rather believe that someone is impersonating Fenglin Huoshan to cause trouble.

"The absolute error is less than five percent, so it's completely reliable. I'll package all the information and send it to your email address. I'll set two passwords, one for Sister Su Lun and one for Sister Xiao, okay?"

The phone rang again; it must have been another phone next to him that started working.

"Feng, I got a call. I'll stop here for now. We'll talk again after you've reviewed the information." Xiao Yan hung up quickly, leaving me with a lot of questions.

I spread my hands and shrugged at Xiao Keleng: "A new problem has arisen. The former Japanese super-hero of combat, Kazebayashi Kazan, is still alive and well, in Hokkaido, still holding the 'Heavenly Ninja Alliance' token, and seems to be organizing some large-scale operation. The information comes from the Americans, and it's almost certainly true—"

Xiao Keleng silently lowered her head and followed me slowly until we left the temple gate and walked down the steps.

The tycoon's car was gone, and the snow on the mountain road was left unswept, with two obvious tire tracks, one coming and one going.

"I've arranged for the driver to take the car to Xunfu Garden. Mr. Feng, shouldn't we evacuate Fengge Temple as soon as possible and return to our Xunfu Garden? It would probably be safer that way."

Her suggestion made sense; Tanino Shinshu in the meditation hall was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. If they could retreat to Xunfu Garden and redeploy their defenses, the safety level would naturally increase significantly.

Xiao Keleng suddenly gave an awkward smile: "When Mr. Sun Long left, he severely reprimanded Thirteen Brother and Hawke, blaming them for taking it upon themselves to arrange the defensive formation and ignoring the fact that you, a master of martial arts, didn't come to consult him. When they return this time, they may consult you on everything, which will be quite troublesome."

In my mind, Wang Jiangnan is all bark and no bite, a showy but empty shell. The defense system previously set up at Xunfuyuan was unprofessional in terms of quantity, location, and accuracy, which led to the tragedy of the Fang Demon killing Yelan and Anzi right under everyone's noses. If I were to arrange it, I would need to increase the budget by at least five times.

The only things I care about at Fengge Temple are Tengjia and the "Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Sutra." I have to wait until she finishes deciphering the "Sea God's Inscription" before I can leave. For the next while, I need to cremate and collect Shao Hei's body, and stabilize Shao Bai's emotions.

Looking back at the "Tower of the Dead," I couldn't help but sigh and recall the days when Guan Baoling and I were trapped in the glass box, my heart filled with confusion and turmoil.

Xiao Keleng followed my gaze and suddenly asked with a smile, "Mr. Feng, what do you think that is? It's not even spring yet, and people are already flying kites?"

A giant black Bagua kite appeared in the sky, carried by the northwest wind, rising towards the direction of the scripture pavilion of Fengge Temple. Below the kite, a gray, handmade object swayed in the wind.

Xiao Ke suddenly gasped, rubbed his eyes, and stared intently again, asking in horror, "Is it a person? Or a corpse?"

Before she could speak, I could see the man's open gray suit, his disheveled hair, and his tall, slender figure. I quickly called out his name: "Shao Bai!"

Xiao Keleng was quick to respond and reported: "After Shao Bai rushed out of the room, he looked panicked and his arms were hanging down strangely. I greeted him, but he ignored me and disappeared after crossing the west wall."

Shao Bai had been out of our sight for no more than three hours, but now he was strangely hanging on a kite.

I smiled wryly: "Let's go take a look. I guess it will land near the 'Well of Spirits'." Wind direction and wind resistance can determine the direction of a kite's rise and fall, using the same coordinate calculation formula as the gliders we commonly see.

With a few leaps and bounds, Xiao Keleng and I passed through the temple gate and entered the courtyard. It was deserted; only the water in the pond rippled gently, still crystal clear.

Xiao Keleng looked up and saw the kite swooping down, skimming over the north wall and falling into the pond. She exclaimed in surprise, "Eh!" and leaped into the air, her toes touching the well platform as she soared into the sky, intending to use a clever, deflective force to deflect the immense impact of the kite's trajectory.

Shao Bai weighed at least seventy kilograms. With the addition of wind force, inertia, and acceleration, Xiao Keleng would have to exert a force equivalent to resisting three hundred kilograms of weight to possibly turn it. With her martial arts skills, doing so would have been effortless. But strangely, as soon as she leaped over the water, her body suddenly sank, her toes sinking into the water up to her ankles, splashing up two strings of crystal-clear water droplets.

"Oh no—" I watched as she raised her arms, maintaining the upward leaping posture, but her body kept sinking, instantly submerging above her knees, as if a huge suction force suddenly appeared in the water, making it impossible for her to pull herself out.

The thought process took less than half a second before I sprang up, passing by her, grabbing her shoulders, and forcefully lifting her to the other side of the well. Just then, the dark, octagonal kite, accompanied by the sound of its breath, whooshed and crashed into the water, splashing a huge wave that sprayed both Xiao Keleng and me from head to toe.

There was indeed suction in the water. When I lifted Xiao Keleng, I used at least five times more force than usual. But we didn’t hesitate or stop for a moment. We rushed to the well and grabbed the kite from both sides.

The water suddenly turned a shocking red, as Shao Bai was covered in blood. The moment he fell in, he stained the clear, blue well water crimson. At the same time, his body was being pulled down by an invisible undercurrent. Fortunately, we acted quickly enough to pull him out and place him on the brick ground beside the well.

"Mr. Feng, that was close! How strange—" Xiao Ke's face turned pale. He turned back to the well water and exclaimed in horror, "Look, the attraction of the well water is really powerful. Even those blood flowers were sucked down!"

Shao Bai's blood was being drawn into the deep water, thread by thread, like a blood-red veil that would disappear within five seconds. The water was still water, the well was still a well, the only difference being that the undercurrents within the well had now transformed into an invisible vortex of death, dragging everything on the surface into its endless, dark depths.

I picked up a few withered leaves and tossed them into the water; they immediately spun and disappeared from the surface. One can imagine that if I hadn't intervened in time, Xiao Keleng would have met the same fate as those leaves.

"It's nothing, just a whirlpool formed by an undercurrent," I explained calmly, hoping Xiao Keleng hadn't been scared out of her wits.

Shao Bai lay sprawled out, his clothes ripped open roughly at the chest, revealing a gaping hole in his chest from which blood continued to gush, flowing freely across the floor. I couldn't see his heart, and my own heart leaped into my throat.

Inside the desert tent, the image of Tanino Shinji's death immediately flashed into my mind. Wasn't he the same person who died when his heart was suddenly snatched away by the enemy? "Azure Dragon Society? Reborn?" These two terms were on the tip of my tongue, but Xiao Keleng blurted them out first: "Aum Shinrikyo? The Reborn's methods of killing?"

Japan is the birthplace of Aum Shinrikyo, a cult so notorious that it is universally reviled. Television media has published graphic reports of its members being manipulated by its heresies, leading to brutal suicides and murders. This cult, deeply hated by Asians, has been confirmed as a small branch of the "Rebirth" organization under the Qinglong Society and is listed as one of the three major cults by Interpol Asia.

I took out my knife and cut the brown hemp rope tightly binding Shao Bai. The deaths of the Shao brothers within hours of each other were a huge loss to the Chinese supernatural community in every sense, and would likely cause high-ranking officials at the Pentagon to sigh with regret, given that they had provided the Americans with the greatest assistance during Operation Poker Cards.

Xiao Keleng looked down at the black kite, which was at least two meters wide, and concluded with certainty: "This kind of thing is an essential tool for Japanese deep-sea fishermen. It serves as a lifeline when the fishing boat's radio communication system fails. It can hold up to 200 kilograms in winds of force 5 or higher."