Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 157

Xiao Lai silently shook his head and raised his hand to brush off the frost on his shoulder.

I know it will be tough to stand guard outside in the cold night, but I want to put Xiao to the test more thoroughly. Only after I have a deep understanding of him will I feel at ease keeping him by my side.

Part 3: Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain

— Chapter 7 - Reese's True Identity (Part 2) —

Before the Americans intervened, the only thing to worry about was Tanino Shinshu in the Meditation Hall, which fully proves that the most terrifying enemy is the one lurking in the shadows and hiding their true strength. Without Shao Hei's remote sensing detection, we would never have imagined that such a massive ambush lay beneath the strange house.

I leaped onto the roof and gazed toward the meditation hall. The white building stood out strangely in my view, completely still.

In Hokkaido's winter, birds are rarely seen. Most migratory birds migrate south, flying thousands of miles to the food-rich subtropical regions. The few remaining resident birds only occasionally come out to forage when the weather warms up. Without these chirping little creatures, this winter exudes an unbearable sense of desolation and bleakness.

According to research by American humanities scholars, the greedy, bloodthirsty, and selfish characteristics of the Japanese are extremely well-matched with the environmental and climatic conditions of this island nation. As a result, their inherent paranoia has become increasingly severe, to the point that they are incompatible with the nationalities of other Asian countries.

Undoubtedly, people are more prone to inexplicable extremism in such a desolate environment.

“Mr. Feng, the villa has been kept brightly lit. The brothers are going to have a tough time tonight—” Xiao Lai pointed south, sniffed, his nose was already red from the cold, only his youthful vigor kept him going.

Looking south, I could indeed see lights flickering over Xunfu Garden. I guessed that was Wang Jiangnan and his group, confidently awaiting the arrival of the American counter-terrorism experts. If all went according to plan, by sunrise tomorrow, the villa's defenses would be more than ten times stronger, and it would possess the most formidable firepower in a small area, eliminating any fear of a potential Yamaguchi-gumi attack.

“Actually, I really miss the days when I was adventuring with my brothers. My godfather once told me that when you’re out in the world, there are no mercy. If you want to stay alive forever, you have to trust the brothers around you.” Xiao Lai took off his black leather gloves, vigorously flexed his fingers, and then lowered his head to brush away the frost on his eyebrows.

Gangsters always have the word "brother" on their lips, and they often say, "Brothers are like hands and feet, women are like clothes."

However, that was ten years ago in the underworld, before the rules of the underworld were completely destroyed. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as the United States wielded its big stick more and more rapidly, many small countries began to act unpredictably, jumping out to start guns at the drop of a hat, causing turmoil in the legitimate world, which indirectly made it impossible for various forces in the underworld to calmly and peacefully act according to the rules.

I've seen the San Francisco underworld roster. Since 1995, the leaders of various local gangs have changed almost every six months. The old bosses die at the hands of the new bosses, and the new bosses die at the hands of even newer successors... In fact, the day before they all started their bloody battles, they were still good brothers, calling each other more affectionately and shouting louder than anyone else.

This is the world of martial arts; only those who have never been betrayed by their brothers will unconditionally trust those around them.

Xiao Lai is still young, with nothing but passion and limited social experience.

“Master Guan is right. Only by shedding blood and fighting alongside brothers can life be meaningful.” I didn’t want to spoil Xiao Lai’s mood. Besides, with Master Guan’s “bone-reading skills,” he rarely misjudged people and would never be betrayed by his own brothers.

When Master Guan was mentioned, Xiao Lai became noticeably excited: "Mr. Feng, my godfather met you at Mount Wutai and even examined your bones! However, he didn't reveal his name at the time, and you didn't pay much attention, so you only met him but didn't really know him."

I was stunned. My trip to Mount Wutai was three years ago. There were countless fortune tellers and divination masters there, and I really didn't pay much attention to their faces, treating them all as "fraudsters."

"What did Master Guan say?" I asked, continuing Xiao Lai's line of questioning.

"He never told anyone the result, he only suggested that Mr. Sun Long meet with you and invite you to join the Sharpshooter Society, and said nothing else." Xiao Lai looked puzzled. Although he was the adopted son of the Network Master, he didn't seem to be very favored.

Thinking of Master Guan's incredibly magical "bone-touching technique," I suddenly had a brilliant idea. If I had the chance to let him see my marriage with Guan Baoling, it would be great, so that things wouldn't drag on like this in vain.

I couldn't fathom the true relationship between the tycoon and Guan Baoling, but I began to doubt all the rumors circulating outside. Their expressions when they were together didn't reveal any romantic ambiguity; rather, they showed a deep and inseparable familial bond.

“Mr. Feng, I hope to continue following you on your adventures in the martial world. In fact, for hundreds of years, every great figure in the martial world has had his own close brothers by his side—brothers united can break gold, my godfather has always said so. If there is anything I have done poorly, please point it out to me in time.”

Xiao Lai's attitude touched me because, so far, I haven't had much of a reputation in the Chinese underworld. If he were to follow another expert, he would have a better chance of success and more opportunities to stand out.

I patted him gently on the shoulder: "Thank you, Xiao Lai."

As the ancients said, "White hair is still fresh, and meeting someone for the first time feels like meeting an old friend."

I hope that Xiao Lai and I will become good friends who venture into the world together, just like my older brother back then. Having a scalpel as a brother who shares my heart and soul means that I can entrust anything to him at any time.

When she returned to the house, Guan Baoling was staring blankly at the brazier, her black and silver ring lying quietly on the table.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect to cause you so much unexpected trouble—" She raised her head, her long eyelashes glistening with moisture, her eyes dark and deep, like two longan grapes that had just been soaked in ice water, possessing an alluring charm that made one want to greedily taste them.

She reached for the fire tongs, seemingly wanting to add charcoal to the brazier.

I quickly rushed over and grabbed the fire tongs, because I always felt that her delicate hands shouldn't be doing such rough work. I remember a recent entertainment magazine article saying that she was endorsing a French nail product, and her initial fee reached seven figures in US dollars.

"Did Miss Suren scold you again?" Her long eyelashes trembled, and her lips were slightly pale.

I shrugged and forced a relaxed smile. "No, we were just talking about a few minor things—hey, have you heard of a place in China where there's a second Epang Palace? And it's perfectly preserved?" If I could change the subject, at least the two of us wouldn't feel too awkward. Being with Guan Baoling, Su Lun's image would quickly fade from my mind.

Guan Baoling shook her head in surprise: "A second Epang Palace? Impossible!"

She held up her fingertip, looked at the finger that I had just injured with my recklessness, raised an eyebrow, thought patiently for half a minute, and once again answered with certainty: "Impossible."

I suddenly found her behavior strange. Her life had never been involved in activities like tomb raiding or exploration, so she shouldn't have such a definite attitude towards these issues.

The brazier was lit again, and my body, which had been almost frozen to the bone, gradually warmed up. I began to try to recall the contents of Yan Xun's phone call—"Reese disappeared from satellite surveillance, but no matter how smart the Americans are, how could they have imagined that she disappeared in such a mysterious environment? Even if the 'Great Waves Wash Away the Sand' organization sent someone over, even if they brought all the people in the American spy reserve, who could get into that glass box? The Americans, who claim to be able to defeat the whole world on their own, can never compare to mysterious forces. At most, they can only fantasize about virtual aliens in some science fiction movies."

"Feng, have you ever heard of Gulechiv?" Guan Baoling cleared her throat, as if she was about to give a long speech.

I nodded: "I've heard of him. He's that Russian explorer, right? He's nicknamed 'The Eagle of the Caucasus.' He was quite famous in the Soviet Union and the Arctic Circle exploration community."

Guan Baoling curled the corners of her mouth, revealing a mischievous expression that was not quite a smile: "Well, I've read some of his reports. The most famous one is about how he plans to build a temperature-controlled palace on the ice sheet of Greenland to showcase the prehistoric culture before the Ice Age, as simulated by a computer."

I looked at her with some surprise, wondering how she knew anything about Gulechiv. In my memory, that bearded Russian was always dressed in rags and had a drink in his hand; he didn't seem like a very likeable person.

A half-cooked piece of charcoal burst open with a "pop," scattering a string of extremely bright sparks.

Guan Baoling trembled like a frightened kitten, her shoulders shaking and her eyelashes fluttering anxiously.

Her identity is that of a noble and unparalleled superstar under the spotlight, but for some reason, I always feel that she is sensitive and easily hurt, and does not have the "psychological bulletproof vest" that is indispensable for girls in the entertainment industry, so that she can develop all her advantageous resources without any scruples.

"Well, continue—he once sent Mr. Ye a research report, and I happened to be there and read part of it. The report's title, quite coincidentally, is very similar to what you just mentioned: 'Excavating Qin Shi Huang's Backyard.' Russian writing, like their national language, is overly verbose and misses the point. That thirty-oddreport, roughly speaking, based on a translation of a court document from Tsarist Russia, revealed that the Epang Palace, which was destroyed by fire in ancient China, has a completely identical replica hidden in the jungles on the border of Sichuan and Tibet…"

I couldn't help but laugh, because I felt that Su Lun should hear Guan Baoling's account, and the report from the exploration expert Gulechiv would probably be more credible than what the old farmer from Shanxi said.

"Gulechiv demanded $100,000 from the tycoon, with the proceeds from the excavation to be split 50/50—"

I fiddled with the fire tongs in my hand, nodding in agreement: "This request is very reasonable. It sounds like the tycoon will have a good deal to make."

Guan Baoling suddenly asked, without any apparent reason, "Feng, what are you thinking about? The villa... are you thinking about the Xunfuyuan villa? Why did you think of building watchtowers at the four corners of the courtyard?"

I exclaimed in surprise, almost dropping the fire tongs, and stared up at her face.

For a full minute, the room fell into a silent hue, until the charcoal in the brazier exploded again, and the leaping sparks nearly hit my shoes, pulling me back from my shock.

“Miss Guan, what did you just ask? What watchtower?” I twisted my neck and heard an exaggerated “crackling” sound from my neck bones due to excessive stiffness and tension.

"I can sense the issues on your mind; you're thinking as you listen to me—"

She took a piece of white paper and a pencil, and with a few quick strokes, first drew a rough rectangular framework of the courtyard, then marked four circles at the four corners, and after a moment's thought, she marked the Arabic numeral "fifteen" next to the circles.

"What is the watchtower used for? Does this question bother you?" She added houses and passageways, as well as water pavilions, trees, and gates within the framework, and the entire aerial view of Xunfu Garden appeared before me in a concise and clear manner.

Part 3: Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain

— Chapter 8 - The Black Silver Ring (Part 1) —

I was speechless, only repeating in my mind countless times: "She can read my mind? Could this be Shao Hei's 'mind-reading technique'..."

When she was talking about Gulechiv's past, my mind really wandered, and I kept thinking about the situation at Xunfuyuan. There are many ways to break the "Nine-Headed Bird Fighting for Life" formation. I'm considering using the "Four Directions Suppressing Evil Technique," using the four corner watchtowers as the "Nine Palaces Seal" needed to suppress the evil, which can also serve as four artificial high points for offense and defense.

Guan Baoling shook her pencil and tapped it on the paper: "I just suddenly had a sudden inspiration and asked the question casually. I don't know anything else, and I don't even understand your intention."

I gently patted my forehead, trying my best to suppress my excitement: "What else? Can you draw what I saw at the bottom of the sea? Doors, keys, tunnels? And the words carved on the stone walls?" If Shao Hei's "mind-reading technique" can be transmitted into my body 100%, then wherever my thoughts go, they will be unstoppable.

Guan Baoling stared at me intently for several seconds, then shook her head dejectedly: "No, I can't see it. I don't understand what you're talking about. Are you referring to those strange drawings I made?"

I took the paper with a wry smile and added a clear note to the location of the watchtower: "Here, a light mobile combat team is to be set up, equipped with three-way sniper weapons, thermal imaging telescopes, and complete camouflage protection covering a vertical distance of five meters and 360 degrees on the top of the tower."

The purpose of adding protection is to effectively reduce the possibility of being killed in a single hit by local rockets.

I've already considered the weaponry of our main hypothetical enemy, the Yamaguchi-gumi. Their most likely method of attacking watchtowers is long-range vehicle-mounted rockets. Of course, if Wang Jiangnan acts quickly enough, he can immediately mobilize all his men scattered throughout major Japanese cities, including many anonymous lone assassins—enough to form a sufficient combat force.

I got up and went to the fax machine to send the drawings to Xiao Keleng.

Guan Baoling's gaze followed me, and she asked thoughtfully, "Feng, do you still want to hear about Gulechiv's matter?"

I nodded and watched as the green light on the fax machine lit up, waiting for a response from the other party.

"The tycoon valued Gulechiv's report highly, but instead of allocating funds directly to him, he used his connections on the mainland to find a man called 'Thunderbolt' and asked him to investigate the truth of the matter."

I hummed in agreement and muttered to myself, "Thunderbolt is the head of the caravans along the ancient southwestern road. If you want to do something in those places, I'm afraid you can't hide it from him." Actually, when Su Lun set off from Xianyang to begin her exploration, I also thought of reminding her to first pay respects to the caravans and give the local bigwigs a little something. That would make things much smoother for her later.

Thunderclap's background in the martial arts world is very complicated. He has mixed blood from Tibetan and Nepalese ethnic groups and has considerable power and prestige in the southwest region.

"Thunder's report was very long, listing a great many local legends, from eastern Sichuan all the way to the heart of Tibet. He ordered people to collect almost every piece of news that could be connected with the 'Epang Palace'. The tycoon sent ten people to summarize and organize these things, and the final clues pointed to a place called 'Heavenly Ladder'."

I calmly countered, "A ladder to heaven? A ladder to heaven?"

Although the tycoon and the thunderbolt come from different social classes, they share a common trait: an undeniably keen sense for clues about wealth and hidden treasures. These qualities are innate, not acquired through training or arduous study; like Beethoven's piano music or Van Gogh's abstract paintings, they are natural and inimitable.

"Yes, the ladder to heaven. Legend has it that if a person can climb the ladder, they will reach an enormous treasure trove and gain the superpower to control the heavens and earth and reverse the seasons. However, to enter the 'ladder to heaven,' one must first pass through an extremely terrifying valley."

The fax has been sent, and I'm waiting for Xiao Keleng's reply.

Guan Baoling yawned, picked up the ring, and idly twirled it in front of her eyes.

"And then? With Thunderclap's influence in the southwest, finding some experts from the indigenous tribes to cross the valley shouldn't be too difficult, right?" The miasma, poisonous insects, and strange trees in the remote mountains and rivers might be terrifying to outsiders, but for the indigenous people, it's just a simple matter.

“Yes, the tycoon said the same thing, but Thunderbolt made it clear on the phone that no matter how high the price, no one would take it on. It's a valley of death, inhabited by flying snakes. Their venom isn't too potent, but if bitten, the wound will inexplicably fester within a short time. Currently, the antibacterial and antiviral anti-inflammatory injections available on the mainland are useless against it. In other words, being bitten by a flying snake will result in a horrific death, with absolutely no cure—I'm thirsty…”

I didn't react to her last words. She repeated, "I'm thirsty, I want to drink water."

I went to the water dispenser, filled a cup with hot water, and walked over to her. Suddenly, I noticed that her attention was gradually becoming completely focused on the ring.

I'm starting to get interested in Gulechiv's story. If even tycoons and thunderbolts are treated as important matters, then the legend of the "Epang Palace" can't simply be a product of some people's idle fabrication. I hope Guan Baoling will continue; at the very least, I want to know the results of the thunderbolts' exploration.

She faced the light, staring intently at the amber stone, but found nothing. She could only toss the ring aside again: "I'm sorry, I talked too much tonight. I don't think I've ever been like this before. It's as if I have so much to say that I need to pour it out." She picked up her glass, lowered her head to drink water, and a bluish vein on the left side of her neck flashed alarmingly.

I have never forgotten the curse of the Fang Demon, and I know clearly that when I wake up tomorrow morning, there will be a third tooth mark on her neck.

"Where was I?" she asked, looking up again, her weariness even more pronounced.

"Speaking of that valley filled with flying snakes, what happened next? Has Thunderclap sent any more detailed reports?" There are very few precedents for snake bites causing ulceration. Normally, people die from snake venom, not from some kind of bacteria that causes severe ulcers, unless there is a problem with their own organs.

“Yes, a valley, such a dangerous valley, yet it has a very warm name, called ‘Orchid Valley’.” She tossed her long hair and then secretly yawned.

"Lan Valley? That's a good name indeed." I was taken aback. Wasn't Lan Valley the place Suren was going to?

"The matter ended there, because Gulechiv himself suddenly disappeared without a trace. Several months later, news came that he had encountered an unexpected blizzard in Greenland and had gone missing permanently. As for the exploration of the Thunderclap, Mr. Ye offered two million US dollars, but the other party still refused to take over, so he had to stop."

Guan Baoling stood up, let out an undisguised yawn, and smiled sheepishly: "Feng, I hope to sleep in this room tonight, not entirely because I'm scared, but because I've always felt that the oracle will appear at a certain time, and I'm afraid I won't be able to notify you in time."

Her words were sincere, without the slightest hesitation or ambiguity.

I nodded very naturally: "Okay, you go to sleep. I'll stay here and keep you company by the fire."

This is perhaps the situation that Su Lun and Xiao Keleng were most worried about—in the dead of night with the wind howling, a man and a woman longing for each other's warmth sharing a room is like a secret room filled with gunpowder, where even the slightest spark could cause a devastating explosion.

Guan Baoling quickly fell asleep, emitting soft snores, and didn't have any necessary precautions against me.

I refilled the brazier with charcoal, thinking I should call and stop Suren. Given the current situation, it seemed unnecessary for her to risk her life so recklessly to explore the Epang Palace. My real thought was that perhaps we could wait until the "underwater tomb" incident in Hokkaido was resolved, then work together to thoroughly investigate the mysterious second Epang Palace.

The phone started vibrating again; it was Xiao Keleng calling.

"Mr. Feng, the counter-terrorism experts have arrived. Your suggestion of four watchtowers coincides with their ideas. Everything is expected to be arranged before noon tomorrow. Nearly five hundred members of the Sharpshooter Society have arrived. Mr. Hawke is responsible for selecting top fighters to form twenty five-man combat teams to guard Xunfuyuan. Those not currently in use have been stationed in other villas. The weapons provided by the US military are the best-performing firearms in the Iraq War, especially the 'Star' omnidirectional sniper rifle, which is currently the most favored type by European arms dealers..."

Xiao Keleng's words seemed a bit too much. Actually, she didn't need to report every little detail to me. I know more about the US military's firearms capabilities than she does.