Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 213

I could hear him gulping down instant noodles over the receiver. It was one of his favorite foods, and he would always have a big bowl of instant noodles by his side whenever he did a big online search, without exception.

I briefly described the stone pillars in the tunnel, and he kept making interrogative sounds like "Huh? Hmm? Oh," clearly indicating that these things were strange and unheard of to him.

"Xiao Yan, the arrangement of these stone pillars has nothing to do with Qimen Dunjia. Would you be willing to come to the site and help me? Or I can draw up a detailed topographical map for you and try to decipher it?"

I need a lot. Besides getting through the stone formation smoothly, I'd prefer to open a passage so the supply wagons can also pass through. The advantage of doing this is that if we encounter flying snakes, we can use the jeeps to hide and avoid close combat with those terrifying serpents.

Xiao Yan is very curious. As long as I use the right strategy, I will definitely lure him over. But this time, he pondered for a few minutes, slurped down his instant noodles, and then calmly replied, "Feng, you can contact Hong Xiaogui to solve the mystery. I really want to go, but I have something more interesting to do right now and can't give it up. Sorry."

I was taken aback: "What is it...?"

His fearless and reckless behavior would definitely cause big trouble if Xiao Keleng didn't keep a close eye on him.

"I already know the submarine's propulsion system inside and out. Next, I want to go into that underwater tunnel and open the sealed windows. Feng, do you think the red light might be the legendary 'Wrath of the Sun God'? If I can be the first to get it, wouldn't all the powerful nations on Earth be under my control from then on? Haha, haha..." Xiao Yan's voice sounded very strange. Given his personality, he should only be interested in technical issues and wouldn't be thinking about deeper issues like controlling the Earth.

I had a vague feeling that something must have changed in Xiao Yan's life. In just a few days apart, he was no longer the arrogant and domineering number one hacker in the world, but some kind of elusive undercurrent had appeared in his mind.

"Feng, that's all for now. I'm currently cracking the submarine's weapon system. There are many interesting things waiting to be developed. We'll talk about it later. You'll have to ask Red Kid to help with your decoding work. Goodbye, hahahaha..." He laughed exaggeratedly and frivolously, seemingly on the verge of losing his mind.

I couldn't help but press, "Xiaoyan, that underwater structure is very strange, not as simple as you imagine at all. Moreover, the underwater world is unpredictable. This isn't the internet or electronic world you're familiar with. Please don't do anything reckless... understand?"

The eldest brother, Yang Tian, left a message in the passageway: "Even a master like him, who roamed the world, disappeared without a trace in the end. How much less could a big kid like Xiao Yan, who has no real social experience?"

Xiao Yan suddenly sneered: "Feng, do you also think that hackers can only live on the internet, like spiders that can only exist in their webs and will starve to death as soon as they leave the web?"

This has become his Achilles' heel; any discussion of the difference between the online and offline worlds immediately triggers his irritability and dissatisfaction. However, this is an absolute fact; everyone should know what they can and cannot do, instead of being blindly arrogant. He is the world's recognized number one hacker, "Red Flag," but outside of this professional system, he is nothing. Especially when it comes to the complex and ever-changing political world, his mindset is barely at an elementary school level.

"I'm just worried that you'll be taken advantage of. Listen to me, discuss everything with Xiao Xiao before you do anything, okay?"

He respected Yan Xun, Su Lun, and Xiao Keleng to a certain extent, and what the three of them said should have a certain effect on suppressing him.

"Haha, Feng, I'm not a child anymore. I'm over eighteen and a full citizen of this country. Of course, I have the right to decide what I do. Come on, why have you become so old-fashioned? Are you the only one allowed to travel the world and become famous, but I'm not allowed... the freedom to move around as I please?"

His tone grew increasingly harsh, eventually turning into a roar.

"What's wrong? You don't look well?" Gu Qingcheng, who had been staring at me, reminded me at the right moment.

Xiao Yan had already hung up the phone with a "click," and I suddenly realized that leaving the submarine's controller to Xiao Yan was a huge mistake—he was still an ignorant child, most likely to be used as a pawn by others.

I shook my head, puzzled. "It's nothing."

What happened tonight was strange enough, and I don't want to express my concerns about Hokkaido any further and continue to affect everyone's mood.

"Alright, I'll go listen to the collected sounds again. See you in a bit." Gu Qingcheng bent down and went into Uncle Wei's tent, leaving me alone outside.

I immediately dialed Xiao Keleng's number because Xiao Yan was a ticking time bomb. If she caused trouble in Hokkaido, she could be exploited, and with the slightest misstep, she could become a sinner in Earth's history. Children like Xiao Yan, who lack clear moral standards, become arrogant as soon as someone flatters them, and are willing to do anything for that person.

Xiao Keleng was clearly asleep, and answered the phone with a heavy nasal voice: "Mr. Feng, is there any news about Sister Su Lun?"

When we parted, she expressed her firm determination to go into the mountains with me, but I politely declined, as Xunfuyuan absolutely needed her.

I hesitated for a moment before answering tactfully, "Not yet, we're still searching. Xiao Xiao, has Xiao Yan been acting strangely lately?"

Xiao Ke was stunned for a moment: "No, what happened?" Her voice immediately became clear.

“We just spoke on the phone. He’s planning to dive into the underwater tunnel and open the window blocking our way. Keep a close eye on him and don’t let him cause any trouble. Tanino Shinshu is dead, but I have a feeling that the crisis isn’t completely over.”

Xiao Keleng immediately agreed: "Okay, Xinzi and I will keep a close watch on him, please don't worry. Xunfuyuan Villa has been rebuilt and is undergoing final repairs. If you have any news about Sister Sulun, please let me know immediately."

There were no empty pleasantries between us; we only discussed important work matters, clean and efficient, without any formalities. This made me feel very comfortable; Xiao Keleng's shrewdness and competence surpassed that of most men.

Part 3: The Square-Eyed Monster

— Chapter 5 — Is Xiao Guan a puppet of the Dragon Witch? —

So much happened during the demolition and reconstruction of Xunfu Garden. If it weren't for the sudden disappearance of Su Lun, I would still be in the villa right now, fighting alongside Xiao Keleng. Gu Ye Shenxiu is dead, and the secret of the underwater world is in the hands of me, Xiao Keleng, and Xiao Yan. Therefore, the most pressing issue is how to sneak into the underwater structure without the Japanese's knowledge. But that doesn't mean Xiao Yan's actions are correct. Given his incompetence, he'll likely make a complete mess of it.

I could only tell Xiao Keleng with utmost caution: "No matter how important the secret, it is not as important as human life. So, you must stop Xiao Yan from doing anything dangerous. He is just a naughty big kid who doesn't understand all the stakes."

"I know Mr. Feng, the road ahead is dangerous, please take care. We still need you to come back and take charge here in Hokkaido." Xiao Ke's closing words were filled with concern and gentleness.

I said goodbye softly, then hung up, letting out a long sigh. I couldn't help but hope that Xiaoyan wouldn't turn into a crazed gravedigger. Every hacker who dominates the internet inevitably has some personality flaws. They are omnipotent in the online world, inevitably blurring the lines between reality and illusion. For example, they can freely access the Pentagon's database to steal classified documents, or break into Russia's aerospace data department to steal arbitrary images, but if they were to take radical action in the real world, they might be arrested or even shot dead by the government before even touching those things.

The critics are right: hackers are giants in words but dwarfs in deeds.

The tent was eerily quiet, and I suddenly sensed impending danger. I should have at least heard Gu Qingcheng putting on and taking off her headphones, or the sound of her footsteps, but there was nothing, except for the beeping of electronic devices—

The sentries diligently patrolled the perimeter of the tent, occasionally stamping their feet lightly. The night was so cold that even the warmest combat boots would be frozen through.

I took five steps back, hid behind another tent, and dialed Gu Qingcheng's number. After hearing the ring, I immediately put the phone on the ground, quickly went around to the south side of her tent, and secretly peeked inside through the small window.

I saw Xiao Guan, looking like he was facing a formidable enemy, holding a silenced pistol in each hand, pressed against Gu Qingcheng's forehead. The phone kept ringing, but Gu Qingcheng's hands were raised upwards, unable to take the phone out of her pocket.

Xiao Guan exuded a surging murderous aura, his sickness and fatigue vanished in an instant, as if he had transformed from a sick sheep into a hungry wolf.

Last night, if he hadn't suddenly appeared, the massacre in the camp might not have happened. I suspect he's possessed by an evil spirit, which is why he's targeting his own kind.

"Answer the phone—" Xiao Guan said ominously.

Gu Qingcheng took out her phone, but after more than thirty seconds of ringing, the phone stopped ringing.

"Whose call was that?" Xiao Guan pulled his gun back a little, pressed his body against the north side of the tent, and looked warily at the instruments on the table.

"Mr. Feng, may I go back?" Gu Qingcheng remained calm, but showed no signs of preparing a counterattack. Uncle Wei had not yet returned to the camp and was still standing near the tunnel entrance, seemingly searching for something.

"No need, we're all going to die anyway, it's just a matter of time—"

Gu Qingcheng suddenly turned towards the workbench, her expression one of utter shock. She didn't even notice the cold twin pistols in Xiao Guan's hands; something strange must have appeared on the computer screen. I shrank back, turned to the doorway, and peered through the gap in the curtain. The amplitude of the sine wave on the computer screen had suddenly increased more than tenfold, while the distance between the two peaks had narrowed considerably.

This strange waveform indicates that the collector has picked up some kind of sharp, rapid sound, but I can't hear anything, and Uncle Wei doesn't show any unusual behavior at the tunnel entrance.

Xiao Guan looked up, staring at the tent top, his expression becoming extremely tense, as if he were listening intently to something. I suddenly darted into the tent, grabbed his wrists with both hands, and with a pull and a push, two cracking sounds dislocated his wrists at the same time, and the pistol also fell into my hand.

"Feng, can he hear those strange sound waves?" Gu Qingcheng rushed to the workbench, grabbed the earphones, and quickly pressed them to her ears without even putting them on, but it was obviously useless. Both ultrasonic and infrasound waves were beyond the range of human hearing. We can see them with an oscilloscope, but we can never hear them.

The strange sine wave on the computer screen bounced for nearly three minutes before gradually returning to normal. Xiao Guan also lowered his head, a bizarre and ferocious expression appearing on his face.

"Xiao Guan, what are you doing?" I stood in front of Gu Qingcheng, trying to wake him up.

“You… have disturbed the slumbering gods of the mountains; you all face certain death. They have slumbered for many years… and it would be best if they remained slumbering, otherwise, the entire world would become a vast ocean, and then… and then…”

I could tell he was repeating what he had just heard, but it was a long narrative that he hadn't been able to remember entirely.

A sudden gust of wind whipped up the curtain, and Gu Qingcheng, her hand gripping my belt, shivered. "Feng," she said, "he's talking about a great flood—"

Archaeological research indicates that there was a period of "Great Flood" when the earth was covered by oceans, and the "Noah's Ark" in the Christian Bible was built by God to save mankind, drifting until the flood receded and land appeared.

Gu Qingcheng has a rich imagination, which is why she was able to instantly recall those ancient myths from Xiao Guan's words.

"Xiao Guan, you're too tired. Maybe you should go back and get some sleep. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow." Killing him is easy, but I don't want to give up the only clue to the massacre. Subduing him is more practical than eliminating him.

"Tomorrow? We have no tomorrow... Those who enter this mountain, their only destination is to turn into bones." He staggered toward me, his eyes blank, lost and empty.

I pointed my gun at his chest, knowing I would never fire unless absolutely necessary.

“You have defied the will of the Witch of Longge… Only she is the ruler of the Great Mountain World… Die…” He raised his arms and crossed them upwards. A gust of wind swirled rapidly from his forearms, making me feel as if I were holding a wildly spinning chainsaw.

Three gunshots rang out, bullets piercing his throat and both shoulders. I had no choice but to fire; the wounds on the bodies of the slain team members had given me the clearest indication.

Xiao Guan staggered backward, the blood spurting from his throat falling to the ground. The withered grass and rocks made a strange "sizzling" sound, as if corroded by concentrated acid, and emitted faint blue smoke.

“The Longewitch is the ruler of the mountains, you… will definitely die… die a horrible death…” He started walking forward again, the bullets no longer had any effect on him.

I whispered to Gu Qingcheng, "When the second round of shooting begins, immediately run towards the door. I'll hold him off." Xiao Guan has already transformed into a demon and become the puppet of the Dragon Witch; we can only hide for now.

Gu Qingcheng was very nervous, her body pressed tightly against my back, trembling incessantly.

In the mountains and jungles at night, anything can happen, so even in extremely dangerous situations, I can remain calm. As long as Gu Qingcheng is free, I can easily leap out of the small south-facing window.

"Xiao Guan, where is the Dragon Witch? If we've really offended her, we can leave immediately and never come back." I tried my best to stall for time until Uncle Wei or the others realized the danger. If we couldn't kill Xiao Guan, I was afraid more team members would suffer.

"She's there...she's there—"

I pulled the trigger hard, and all eight bullets went into his mouth and out through the back of his head.

Gu Qingcheng didn't have time to escape because the curtain was ripped open with a "whoosh," and a person with a gleaming blade shot in, circled Xiao Guan's body once, and then suddenly retreated to the southwest corner of the tent.

"Uncle Wei—" Gu Qingcheng exclaimed with delight.

The person who stormed in was indeed Uncle Wei. A gleaming dagger was attached to the back of his left elbow. He stood proudly, looking at Xiao Guan with disdain.

Xiao Guan stood there, stunned. Gu Qingcheng whispered again, "The sound waves are changing again—"

On the computer screen, those extremely high-amplitude sound waves reappeared, but disappeared abruptly after only a dozen seconds.

After tearing off the curtain, a chill rushed in, and the temperature inside the tent dropped sharply.

Another gust of wind blew by, and Xiao Guan's body swayed before suddenly collapsing into a heap. I didn't want to face this disgusting scene, so I grabbed Gu Qingcheng's wrist and pulled her out of the tent. She was such a noble and elegant girl; she must have hated this bloody and violent scene even more.

It was even colder outside, the world was shrouded in darkness, and all that could be seen were undulating, withered grass.

"I can't believe it, what just happened was like a scene from a fantasy movie—" Gu Qingcheng sighed as she calmed down.

"I remember a philosopher saying that life is far more exciting than movies, isn't it?" I looked at the lights at the tunnel entrance. The more dangerous and difficult the situation, the more it aroused my fighting spirit.

Gu Qingcheng stretched out her arms and yawned, tilting her head back and letting her long hair fall gracefully behind her, like a beautiful elf in the night.

"Feng, wouldn't you say we've been through thick and thin together now?" Her emotions gradually relaxed.

I smiled and gazed at her profile: "Of course. Actually, I've always been grateful to you. Only friendships forged in adversity are truly trustworthy. Friends should share resources; whatever rare treasures we find this time, they're all yours, okay?"

She smiled and said, “A petty person can be swayed by profit, while a virtuous person should be persuaded by righteousness. You have used both of these tactics on me. It seems that whether I am a petty person or a virtuous person, I should help you honestly. Otherwise, I will owe you a debt of gratitude and righteousness, and I will never be at peace with myself for the rest of my life.”

The Flying Eagle team has suffered heavy losses. Liang Wei can be considered a good friend of mine, but his thinking ability is too mediocre. He can only serve as a vanguard, like Xiao Lai. Only Gu Qingcheng is the best candidate to discuss and exchange ideas with me. Unconsciously, her position in my heart has risen to the same level as Su Lun.

When facing the ferocious Xiao Guan, I used my own body to protect her, which already proves this point. I believe that as we move forward, in any predicament, I will never abandon her and flee alone.

"Those sound waves must be the tools that the Witch Longge uses to control Xiao Guan. So where is she hiding? And what is this so-called 'Sleeping God'? Is the Witch Longge preventing everyone from entering the mountains out of a good intention to protect the Earth?"

Remembering the old woman I'd seen in that strange stone house, my doubts deepened. Did she know where Suren had gone? If she really was the Longe witch, would she try to harm Suren?

"Human understanding of ultrasound and infrasound is really too little—" I sighed sadly. The systematic theories of modern applied physics have developed for nearly three hundred years, but they only account for a tiny fraction of the vast and extensive phenomena on Earth. They can only explain superficial phenomena. Once you delve deeper, you will immediately find that these theories are really too barren, and the more you explore, the more confused you become.

“Ultrasound…ultrasound…” Gu Qingcheng suddenly made a “shush” gesture, frowned and looked up at the sky.

I immediately shut up so as not to disrupt her train of thought.

She has a classic Chinese beauty with an oval face and well-proportioned features. Although she doesn't have the long, curved eyelashes of Guan Baoling, her eyes are full of intelligent and proud brilliance. Every blink of her eyes reveals her refined and intelligent nature.

"What can emit ultrasonic waves..." she was still talking to herself.

"The harmonious vibrations of the strings, besides producing melodious and pleasant music, can also create a variety of indistinguishable sound patterns beyond the range of human hearing. The more strings there are, the more layers of noise there are. So, what is the significance of their existence? Are the ancient descriptions of 'piercing clouds and tearing silk,' or 'sounds that stop the clouds in their tracks,' general or specific?"

Uncle Wei stepped out of the tent; the knife was gone, and his earlier arrogance had gradually dissipated. However, the way he had severed all of Xiao Guan's joints and tendons with a single strike reminded me of a renowned Chinese martial arts master in England.

He was heading towards Flying Eagle's tent. Xiao Guan was Flying Eagle's subordinate, and if anything happened, Flying Eagle should be the first to be notified.

“I think I understand…” Gu Qingcheng took out her phone, and without even looking at it, quickly dialed a number.