Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 174

Her answer was exactly the same as mine, or perhaps it was the answer every modern person living in the digital age would think of. But after I sat back down at the table, I couldn't help but sigh: "In the field of codebreaking, the most obvious answer is often the furthest from the truth. Legend has it that the 'Book of Purgatory' was created when there were only gods and sea monsters on the Japanese land. Not to mention digital elements, it's unknown whether even Arabic numerals were created at all!"

The inventors of Arabic numerals were ancient Indians. The ten numeral symbols were later introduced to Europe by Arabs and were mistakenly called Arabic numerals by Europeans. As history progressed, they gradually became the universally used numerals in various countries around the world.

According to the description of the plague, the coexistence of Han Dynasty clerical script and Arabic symbols on that real wooden plaque was already a strange thing. It's even more impossible that the ancients could have created a perfect lotus flower pattern using a magnifying glass or Yao's "micro-carving" technique—my head is starting to throb.

Xiao Ke weighed the key in her hand and muttered to herself, "If we send this for testing first, we can understand some things, right?"

I shook my head: "There's a quicker way. Go find the exploration logs left by Mr. Scalpel. There must be something about the key, right?"

Xiao Keleng suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, the work we need to do has already been done by Mr. Scalpel. I'll call Xinzi right away—"

After so many things happened, I almost forgot about Nobuko's existence, but the horrific scene of Anko's death, who was also killed by the Fang Demon, is still vivid in my mind.

Xiao Keleng immediately called and instructed Xinzi to go to the study to find the information, but before she could finish her call, my phone rang.

The cordless phone, one of the greatest inventions of the late 20th century, has essentially built an invisible bridge across the already vibrant world. Before each call, I'm filled with all sorts of strange and wonderful thoughts, because science fiction magazines publish countless examples every year of "communication between humans and ghosts via telephone," each story vividly and realistically told. And all those terrifying yet laughable tales invariably begin with—"It's raining, the cat is meowing, the old clock has just struck twelve, and the cordless phone is ringing again..."

Fortunately, it was a bright, sunny day, and the caller was a girl with a gentle and calm voice, Gu Zhijin's younger sister, Gu Qingcheng.

“Mr. Feng, I will arrive at Xunfuyuan Villa in an hour. Would you have time to meet me? Of course, I won’t take up too much of your time; two hours will suffice. The check is already signed; I just need to inspect the goods and then tear it from the checkbook. Or, from this very second, within three hours, we will complete the largest antique musical instrument transaction in recorded history. This is a historic moment, and I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation.”

Gu Qingcheng's voice was always calm and unquestionable. Although it lacked an overbearing, forceful pressure, it made people unconsciously willing to obey her, feeling that every word she spoke made sense. In this respect, she was a hundred times better than the shameless Gu Zhijin.

I replied with a smile, "Of course, I look forward to meeting Miss Gu. Besides the money, I need to know where it came from. Is it necessary to repeat this request?"

Gu Qingcheng smiled gently, and I could imagine that the gesture of her covering her mouth and smiling must have been incredibly moving.

Next, she sighed calmly and replied with an undisguised arrogance: "Of course, I have the most complete information about its origin, surpassing any research institution on Earth. In ancient times, people would pay a thousand pieces of gold for a single character. I can also say without any modesty that if anyone can give me more information about the 'Five Lakes' guqin, even just one character, I can immediately write a check for them and never go back on my word."

The Japanese Imperial Family must not know much about the history of the koto left behind by Fujika. Otherwise, as soon as the news of her death spread, major museums and collectors in Japan would have rushed to Fukichi Temple to buy it for a lot of money.

I hoped that Gu Qingcheng, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, could give me a satisfactory answer, so I politely reminded her, "Miss Gu, the journey is long and the road is slippery, please take care." Too many variables can easily make people suspicious, so it's always best to be prepared for anything.

Gu Qingcheng smiled again: "Thank you, I will be careful."

After I finished the call, I realized that Guan Baoling was standing outside the door looking at me, while Xiao Keleng was also weighing the phone in her hand, occasionally glancing at me with a strange look.

I held up the phone and waved it: "Miss Gu Qingcheng from Hong Kong Island will be arriving at Xunfu Garden soon. The origin of this guqin will be helpful to the various mysteries we have been investigating. So, let's go back to Xunfu Garden to meet her first. We can come back here after we have any results."

With nothing to hide, I didn't care what they thought of me. I calmly dialed Xiao Lai's number, told him to lower his guard, and prepared to retreat.

I entrusted the affairs of Fengge Temple to Hanshi'an, a third-generation disciple. He was the most admired disciple of Master Shenbi, and according to the rules of Chinese temples, he should be the one to take over his master's mantle.

The body of the plague victim was temporarily placed in the Reincarnation Institute for cryopreservation. I was just unwilling to let the lotus pattern disappear, and I hoped that his spirit in heaven could give me more inspiration.

Twenty minutes later, just as the sun was moving towards noon, Guan Baoling, Xiao Keleng, Xiao Lai, and I arrived at the temple gate. Hanshi Temple had provided the best-performing black Toyota sedan in the temple, which was parked with its doors wide open at the bottom of the steps.

The snow on the mountain road had only melted halfway, but with Xiao Lai's skills, driving on this snowy ground would definitely be no problem.

Guan Baoling was the last to step down the stairs. With my help, she carefully stepped onto the still icy stone steps. For some reason, her complexion was not good, and her brows were furrowed, as if she had suddenly become preoccupied.

My thoughts were entirely focused on Gu Qingcheng, who was about to arrive. The guqin, wrapped in a fine blanket, was carried by Xiao Lai and placed in the trunk of the car, then tied with several layers of foam and rope. Such an expensive item deserved to be wrapped ten times more carefully than it is now. If it weren't for supporting Guan Baoling, I would have preferred to hold the guqin in my own arms.

Hokkaido's snow scenery is listed as one of the "Top Ten Famous Tourist Attractions in Japan". Looking southwest, the snow-covered landscape is picturesque, truly a magnificent scene described by the ancients as "mountains dancing like silver snakes and plains galloping like wax figures". Unfortunately, I only glanced at it briefly and did not have time to look at it in detail.

"Feng, please wait a moment, wait a moment..." Guan Baoling stopped her movement as she was about to get into the car, placed her hands on the car door, and turned around abruptly.

A strong mountain wind in front of the temple gate whipped up her long, black hair, making it fly like mist, shimmering with an oily sheen in the diffused sunlight. She didn't bother to tidy her hair, tilting her head back and gazing intently towards the temple gate, her hands covering her ears as she listened carefully to something.

The Fifth Undersea Mystery

— Chapter 4 — The Oracle from Heaven (Part 2) —

"What's wrong? Is something amiss?" I was stunned. The monks from Hanshi Temple who were seeing me off on the steps, along with a few low-ranking servants, were also stunned and craned their necks to look back.

Behind the temple gate was the courtyard of the "Well of Spiritual Communication," and beyond that—it suddenly dawned on me: "A divine oracle! It must be Guan Baoling who sensed a divine oracle from heaven!"

Her face gradually became sacred and devout, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she unconsciously clasped her hands together, beginning to walk up the steps. A wave of indescribable anxiety swept through my mind. Perhaps it was the calming effect of the strong cold wind, but my thoughts were racing: "Oracle? Tower of the Dead? Mysterious disappearance? No, I have to stop her, lest the strange disappearance of last time repeat itself!"

The eerie encounter inside the glass box has just ended, and no one wants it to happen again.

Xiao Keleng and Xiao Lai didn't understand what was going on. They turned to look at them, and Xiao Lai had already turned the key, and the car engine roared to life.

"Miss Guan, don't go! Don't go—" The steps were very slippery, and my jumping was too violent; I almost fell when I landed. I knew that a layer of cold sweat had quickly broken out on my forehead, and a chill ran down my spine; my nerves immediately became highly tense.

Guan Baoling turned to look at me, bewildered. After hesitating for a few seconds, she slowly asked, "You mean, I shouldn't have gone?"

The sunlight shone on the fine downy hairs on her forehead, and in an instant, her face turned extremely pale, especially her lips, which had just been painted with lipstick; they were completely bloodless, looking as fake as a thin layer of red paper.

"Don't go, or you might disappear like last time! Remember? The glass box, the deep-sea building, those eerie red lights..." Rather than being afraid of her getting into trouble, I was more afraid of both of us getting into trouble, because I would stay with her the whole time, never leaving her side. If the eerie events of last time were to repeat themselves, we would both disappear together.

“I heard a divine oracle from heaven, summoning me to the tower…” She stretched out her right hand and slowly pointed forward in the direction of the “Tower of the Dead”.

I gasped. "I know."

"Heaven said that was the last chance... I owe it so much, and perhaps now is my chance to repay it..."

This "he" definitely refers to tycoon Ye Hongsheng, but I no longer feel jealousy. If it were possible to break the "black magic" through normal means, I would do everything in my power to help her, but this time it was simply not worth the risk.

The cold wind stirred up the remaining snow on the ground, which swirled and transformed into colorful "snow rainbows" under the sunlight. In the distance, two startled egrets suddenly took flight from the pine forest, crying out as they soared into the sky, becoming two white silhouettes in the increasingly dazzling sunlight—normally, I would have peacefully enjoyed appreciating these moving scenes that belong only to Hokkaido, just like every man in the world who loves life.

I gripped Guan Baoling's cold wrist and said firmly, "No, you can't go this time."

Guan Baoling tilted her head back in bewilderment, as if worshipping something in the ethereal air. Following her gaze, the "Tower of the Dead" stood against the blue sky, seemingly unremarkable.

The monks on the steps began to whisper among themselves, while the short, thin, dark-skinned Han Shi'an asked loudly, "Mr. Feng, do you need any help?"

I shouted, "Quickly gather all the monks and go to the courtyard of the 'Tower of the Dead' to see if anything strange is happening! Hurry!" The situation was urgent, and this might be the only solution. If we couldn't stop Guan Baoling's actions, at least we should fill that courtyard with monks and, under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, see how those mysterious disappearances occurred.

Han Shi'an led the way and rushed into the temple gate. A dozen seconds later, the temple's large bell rang out urgently.

Xiao Keleng realized something was wrong at this moment. She jumped out of the car and ran up the steps, asking nervously, "Mr. Feng, what... happened?" Her hands instinctively went into her pockets, but in this kind of bizarre situation, firearms were basically useless.

“Miss Guan heard the summons and is inside the tower—” I explained hastily.

Xiao Ke blinked, then suddenly jumped up and ran towards the temple gate, shouting, "I'm going to take a look!"

Xiao Lai jumped out of the other car door, already holding a pistol. Without time to go around the car, he did a somersault, rolling over the roof and silently chasing after Xiao Keleng.

From Guan Baoling's strange behavior to Xiao Lai disappearing at the temple gate, only a minute and a half had passed, but my underwear was already soaked with cold sweat, damp and icy, as if I were wearing a layer of cold, hard armor close to my skin.

"Let me go... If this is truly the last chance, it's very important to him..." Her eyes grew increasingly lost, like a sleepwalking patient, and a few strands of hair were stuck to her cheeks with cold sweat, making me feel a mixture of shock and heartache.

"Wait a moment, Xiao Xiao and Xiao Lai will bring us back. If there's no danger, I'll naturally let you go." I loosened my grip slightly, afraid of hurting her. With my martial arts skills, in a moment of panic, I might break her wrist. I felt nothing about the divine message emanating from the "Tower of the Dead," unlike the summons from the god Tu Liehan that I heard in the Egyptian desert.

Of course, I understand that since it is a "divine oracle," only special individuals whose thoughts can communicate with the gods can receive it successfully.

I am very grateful to have helpers like Xiao Keleng and Xiao Lai. No matter how dangerous the road ahead, they can charge in without hesitation. Perhaps every great hero who becomes famous in the martial arts world needs such like-minded and caring comrades by his side to successfully achieve his goals. Similarly, when they are in trouble, I will not hesitate to draw my sword to help them, even at the cost of my own life.

The temple erupted in noise, with footsteps and screams echoing throughout, momentarily distracting me: "What's going on?"

Guan Baoling suddenly broke free from my wrist. The immense force emanating from her arm was like the "Cloud Hands" move of a Tai Chi master, with boundless potential. It poured into my arm in a manner similar to the "Three Waves of Dragon Gate," each wave more surging and unrestrained than the last. Caught off guard, I leaned back, deflecting the first two waves of force, but had to perform a backflip to avoid the third powerful strike. When I landed, I was already ten steps away from her.

I exclaimed in surprise, "You? You know martial arts?"

This sudden change almost made me collapse instantly. From the moment we met, I knew she didn't know martial arts, and this had been repeatedly demonstrated in several emergency situations. To unleash the power of "Dragon Gate Three Waves" from "Tai Chi Cloud Hands" requires at least twenty years of internal Tai Chi training. My excessive shock delayed my chance to approach her again. She began to run, leaping up the steps in two strides, her long hair billowing behind her. In just two seconds, she vanished into the temple gate.

This ghostly, uncanny lightness skill completely shattered my judgment. As I gathered my strength to chase after her again, my mind was in turmoil: "She knows martial arts, and her lightness skill is so exquisite. Were she deliberately hiding it all along? How could a twenty-year-old girl, constantly exposed to the media's relentless scrutiny, have mastered such martial arts? She simply didn't have the time or opportunity to practice. Even with exceptional talent, she couldn't have maintained such a clean secrecy—"

The moment I burst through the temple gate, I even remembered the example of Tengjia: "Could it be that some wandering spirit has possessed her body again? If Tengjia can become the vessel of a thousand-year-old soul, why can't Guan Baoling?"

The Fifth Undersea Mystery

— Chapter 5 - Water Illusion (Part 1) —

This strange thought swirled in my mind, making me suddenly feel that even the sunlight on the ground had dimmed.

Guan Baoling's lightness skill was so superb that when I entered the courtyard of the "Well of Spirits," she had already passed through the moon gate and was heading towards the courtyard of the "Tower of the Dead."

The monks' noisy shouts grew louder and louder, and I heard them utter the Japanese phrase "the tide of the gods" most often—"Is water starting to gush out from under the tower again?" At that moment, every hair on my body stood on end in horror. I quickened my pace, pushing my light footwork to the limit, and my mind kept replaying the bizarre encounter when I entered the glass box.

When the "Tide of Gods" appears, it seems to be the time when the entrance to that mysterious space opens. If Guan Baoling blindly enters the tower, she might mysteriously disappear again.

Turning past the moon gate, a crowd of people appeared before us. Many monks, their clothes disheveled, huddled together, pointing and peering ahead. Monks also rode atop the surrounding walls, their gazes all fixed on the pagoda. Clear water was indeed churning on the ground again, but it didn't overflow the courtyard; it only flowed around the pagoda's base in a circle about five meters in diameter, reaching a depth of about half a meter in its deepest part.

No one dared to cross the moon gate and go any further. Everyone knew that the water would eventually flood the entire courtyard, and strange things would happen.

Xiao Keleng and Xiao Lai had already blended into the crowd, and I couldn't find them at all. I only saw Guan Baoling staggering forward, but she didn't use her lightness skill, otherwise she would have already entered the tower by now.

I was taken aback: "Where's her lightness skill? Can't she use it in this courtyard?"

She was in such a hurry to enter the tower to pray that she should have been making the most of every second and would never have deliberately wasted time. Apart from the inexplicable water, the pagoda itself was normal. Its shadow, cast by the sunlight, slanted northward and fell among the withered ivy vines on the rooftops of the long corridors.

Water, disappearance, other dimensions, glass box, underwater architecture—this string of words jumped through my mind, and Guan Baoling's strange behavior in front of the temple gate was like a strange knife that stabbed me hard, making my thoughts a bit chaotic. So I needed to use deep breaths to control my emotions, and it took me a full half minute to make the decision to rush over.

I pressed my hand on the shoulder of the monk in front of me, leaped up, and flew over the heads of six people in succession, landing in the courtyard. Then I exerted my strength to chase after him.

The ground was dry, or perhaps this "divine tide" didn't have the same force as before, at least not like the one when the monk was burned to death.

"Mr. Feng, be careful, come back quickly—" Xiao Lai and Xiao Keleng shouted behind me at the same time.

The shouts of the surrounding monks immediately subsided. They had probably all witnessed people being burned to death by sudden flames, so they were filled with fear of the "Tide of the Gods".

I can't stop, because Guan Baoling is right in front of me. Perhaps with every staggering step forward, I'll get a foot closer to that mysterious space.

Finally, I stopped her. Although the distance from the temple gate to here was short and the time was brief, my psychological state was undergoing one intense change after another.

"Miss Guan, you can't go over there." I tried my best to suppress my nervousness. The clear water, from who-knows-where, was just a meter behind me, ready to flood over at any moment.

Guan Baoling was panting heavily, her long hair disheveled, and she was running very hard. But logically speaking, given the lightness of her skills in getting rid of me in front of the temple gate, she should have been able to leap into the tower in a few seconds without any effort.

“I must go… You saw it yourself, the pagoda is the most efficacious; it must be connected to some mysterious power. So, pray to it, and your heart will reach the heavens, where you will receive enlightenment in the ‘Well of Spirits.’ Wind, please, let me go. The water could disappear at any moment, and the divine message from heaven would vanish with it. Please…”

Her voice was anxious and helpless, but I dared not be careless at all. The scene in front of the temple gate made me wary enough.

“Miss Guan, if you insist on going, I’m afraid it will be a repeat of the last disappearance. How are we supposed to explain that to the tycoon? Besides, I’m not so stupid as to let you go knowing that something bad will happen. So, no matter what you say, I will not give way.”

Xiao Keleng and Xiao Lai stepped out from the crowd and hurried over. They were worried about me and ignored the monks' inexplicable fear. In the vast, empty courtyard, people appear particularly small, like slaves in the ancient Roman Colosseum, receiving the leisurely indifference of the spectators. Everyone scoffs at the beliefs of other races, believing only in their own true god; that's why we can be indifferent to what the Japanese fear.

Suddenly, my ankles and calves were enveloped in a chill. Looking down, I saw that the water had risen straight up to my and Guan Baoling's knees in an instant. It was cold water, not a hot spring, so from my feet to my knees, I was instantly immersed in the icy cold water, and the chill went straight up to my waist.

Amid the monks' screams, Xiao Keleng and Xiao Lai retreated rapidly. In less than a second, the water reached the edge of the courtyard, just as it had always done, forcing everyone out.

"How are you?" I grabbed Guan Baoling's wrist, pulled her into my arms.

She struggled for a moment, but the water had already risen rapidly to my chest. Even if I lifted her up with all my might, most of her body would still be submerged. I immediately used the "Thousand-Pound Drop" stance, slowly moving my feet towards the Moon Gate.

"Wind, let me go, otherwise we'll both regret it for the rest of our lives. I'll hate you... I'll always hate you..." Her hair was submerged in the water, like a large, eerie clump of seaweed. The water was so cold; I felt completely frozen from the chest down. I could only exert all my strength to protect my heart and force my blood to flow. I had never experienced being immersed in cold water before. I had never known that even unfrozen water could be so bone-chillingly cold.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should you contemplate them..." She closed her eyes and murmured these four lines of scripture. Suddenly, her eyelashes trembled, and two crystal tears slid from her eyes. These are lines from the Diamond Sutra, often used by Chinese monks to dispel strange illusions and clear their minds of fear and distracting thoughts.

Her tears pierced my heart instantly, and I couldn't help but ask, trembling, "Are you really going to go?"

"Yes, I really have to go, Feng. I know you mean well, but please let me go and let me fulfill my wish." She opened her eyes, her gaze deep and cold, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs.

Given her height, she wouldn't be able to get close to the tower before being submerged. I sighed and pressed her again, "If something strange happens again and we end up at sea, are you scared? Will you regret it?"

Guan Baoling gave a sad and miserable smile: "I'm not afraid, and I don't regret it."