Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 244

He reached his pipe into his pocket and took it out; it was now full of dark brown tobacco.

"I'm tired. Sigh, lately I always feel tired after killing someone. Do you think this is a kind of illness?" He stared at the tobacco, and within three seconds, the tobacco slowly ignited, emitting tiny sparks.

"You are the real puppeteer; everyone else is just your puppet." Rumors in the martial arts world are the most harmful. Everyone knows that the puppeteer is a dull and serious-looking middle-aged man with a rigid and ridiculous demeanor, but they ignore the truth of those words.

"Yes, I am a puppeteer. I only reveal my true colors when I am facing the dead." He took a deep, satisfying breath, then slowly exhaled a cloud of milky white smoke from between his teeth and nostrils.

Just as the smoke began to dissipate into the air, He Jishang collapsed without warning.

"I've said it before, the puppeteer is never truly dead; only the enemies he doesn't want to see die. Young man, the next one might be you, but I'm really too tired today and don't want to kill anymore. Consider yourself lucky." He was smoking again, his expression strange, neither sad nor smug.

"Do I have a choice?" I smiled faintly.

The killing has begun, and this strange cycle will not end until everyone falls.

I swung the knife with all my might, resigned to certain death, leaving all my worries behind and focusing all my thoughts on the short knife in my hand.

Not everyone can unleash the Overreaching Blade. I only wanted to use my heart to strike the blade and push my martial arts to the limit. The result was not important. The blade tip pierced the puppeteer's chest and went straight through his back without any obstruction. My right hand, which was holding the blade, also sank into his chest.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this? How can it be so fast?" The pipe was still in his mouth. The sallow complexion on his face quickly faded, replaced by an eerie flush, from his neck to his cheeks, and from his cheeks to his forehead, as red as a huge, ripe strawberry.

The Sixth Part: The Mystery of the Heavenly Ladder

— Chapter 6 — A thousand deep affections, ultimately reduced to ashes —

"No one in this world is immortal. Those who believe in immortality often die in an instant, turning into ashes and vanishing with the wind."

I withdrew the knife; the stars still shone brightly, and the blade remained unblemished.

The puppeteer collapsed, a trail of purplish-black blood flowing from beneath him, meandering down the stone steps.

“That is the true ‘Blade Beyond Distance,’ a supreme sword technique that breaks through the limitations of time and space—I originally thought that only Brother Tian could possess such extraordinary power, but I never expected that you could too… Haha… You could too…” He Jishang struggled to sit up, his eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and despair.

I rushed over to help her, but she abruptly raised her hand to stop me: "Don't come any closer, I'm poisoned, twenty-five kinds... all at once, this is the day I die, actually I've been waiting for this day for a long time." The blood that slid down from the corner of her lips had turned an eerie inky black, splattering on her white clothes into a strange picture.

"The 'King of Tomb Raiders,' Yang Tian, has been absent from the martial world for so many years. Young brother, who are you? How could you possibly comprehend his swordsmanship so thoroughly?" The puppeteer's throat emitted a hissing sound like a leaking balloon, a sign of depleted energy and dissipated true essence. Only those who have practiced martial arts their entire lives would experience this kind of sudden burst of energy before death.

He looked down at his blood dripping onto the path below the stone steps, slowly flowing towards the swarm of snakes. Suddenly, he sighed, "Knowing the truth is meaningless now. This time, I'm afraid I'm really going to die. Young man, I only have one last request: tell me your name. I need to know who killed me. Please..."

With each word he uttered, a small mouthful of blood would gush from his mouth and fall limply onto his chest.

The pipe was three steps away from his feet. He struggled forward, supporting himself with one hand, seemingly trying to retrieve it. As the second most important figure in the Southwest Caravan, to end up like this would surely make anyone sigh at the vicissitudes of life, and would likely rush forward to pick up the pipe and hand it back to him.

Everyone has a sense of compassion, especially when the other person is about to die at their hands.

I dared not move forward, but instead took half a step back and smiled faintly: "You've already killed Kaku with the 'Dismemberment' death curse, and you still want to wipe me out with the 'Blood-Weeping Curse'?"

He Jishang laughed loudly behind me: "Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when it's dead. Puppet Master, your ghostly tricks are useless against us. Who is he? Who else could inherit the mantle of 'King of Tomb Raiders' Yang Tian and unleash the 'Over-the-Distance Blade'?"

The puppeteer finally got his pipe, his lips twitching. He picked up where He Jishang left off, asking in bewilderment, "Who else? His brothers? His nephews? Heroes all over the land want to follow him and master that swordsmanship, but none have succeeded. Young brother, tell me your name, tell me—"

As he finished speaking, he stared at me fiercely, paused for a second, and then two streams of blood suddenly flowed from his eyes, slowly sliding down the sides of his nose. Before the blood could reach his lips, his body slowly leaned back, and the hand that was tightly gripping the pipe opened limply. The pipe fell to the ground, bounced up again, and rolled down the stone steps.

The man at the bottom of the stone steps let out a terrible scream, turned around and ran away, completely ignoring the venomous snakes coiling all over his body. He had only run five steps out of the village gate when he let out another shrill scream, collapsed, convulsed a few times, and then stopped moving.

"The first snake to bite him was a blue-and-red five-step snake. Look, exactly five steps from the village gate." He Jishang's spirits began to improve. He put his little finger in his mouth and let out a low whistle, like a mother calling her playful child at dusk. The snakes stirred and scattered, disappearing back into the small building they had come from.

"I'm going to die too. From childhood, members of the Five Poisons Sect have twenty-five kinds of poisonous insect eggs implanted in their internal organs. With their power, they can live unharmed alongside any poisonous insect. The puppeteer's illusion magic is almost divine; it has just triggered the power of the insect eggs. My own strength is no longer enough to control them. In a few hours, the poisonous insects will—"

Without her needing to explain in detail, a strange thing happened on her left temple: a vein suddenly bulged out about a centimeter, throbbing as if something was about to burst out of her body.

"Is there any way to salvage this?" My heart was sinking. She was my brother's woman, and I couldn't just watch her die.

“This is… the fate of the Five Poisons Cult. Brother Tian once asked me the same question… It’s a pity that everyone has to fall into this fate, killing people with poison, and in the end, they themselves die from the poison…” Three blue veins bulged on her neck at the same time, and in each of them, a red dot the size of a pea was slowly wriggling.

She first pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped it around her fingers, then used the handkerchief as a base to take out a silver metal box, holding it in her palm: "Here, take this. I know you need it... Treasure Toad, don't open it. The poisonous insects will sense its power and flee far away... If you ever see Brother Tian again, tell him that I... I..."

I took the box, about the size of a playing card and an inch thick, and carefully put it in my pocket, then patted it with my hand again, still feeling uneasy. Too many people have lost their lives trying to get it, from yesterday until now, including young Feiyue.

He Jishang's eyes gradually became unfocused, the black blood at the corner of his lips dried up, and blue veins throbbed all over his forehead, cheekbones, and jaw, while the wriggling speed of those red spots also increased several times.

"Come with me, I have something to give you—" She straightened her back and stood up, walking towards the small building. A gust of wind blew by, and most of her long black hair suddenly fell down.

I couldn't bear to look any longer, so I lowered my head and followed. As I climbed the stairs of the small building, I saw He Jishang's bloody shoe prints on every step. The ancients had the beautiful story of "golden lotuses blooming with every step," but this time, with each additional shoe print, her life would be shortened by an inch, until her final end.

From the first floor to the second floor, there are a total of seventeen steps, and the shoe prints are getting fainter and fainter.

“Feng, do you know? When Brother Tian built this wooden house, I was just seventeen years old. This little house witnessed all my youth. I really hope to see him again before I die, to see that baby in swaddling clothes again…”

She entered the secret room, her left hand still resting on a handkerchief, and took out the light blue photo from a hidden compartment next to the computer. She held it up to her eyes and gazed at it: "Hero and beauty, a perfect match. I wonder how Brother Tian is doing now?"

Looking around the empty building, I felt a pang of nostalgia for the place where my older brother once lived.

"Feng, who exactly are you? Are you the baby in your swaddling clothes from back then? What is your relationship with Brother Tian?" He Jishang swayed her waist and suddenly rushed closer to me, wanting to grab my wrist, but she forcibly restrained herself. At this moment, she was a person whose whole body was poisoned, and wherever she touched, she would spread the poison.

"Answer me, answer me—" Her despair turned into tears, washing away the black blood that had flowed earlier.

I straightened my chest and answered clearly, word by word: "I am his only younger brother, Yang Feng, the baby in swaddling clothes back then." Since the scalpel died, I haven't admitted my identity to others for a long time. Speaking of the word "Yang," a strange feeling of unfamiliarity arose in my heart.

"It really is you. The way you look at me hasn't changed at all since then, as if you can see right into my heart. Your profile is so similar to Brother Tian's. I really want to die in his arms someday, but that wish will never come true in this lifetime..." she murmured to herself.

The wind outside never stopped, and now it was growing increasingly fierce, making the small building on the stone steps feel desolate and lonely at its height.

"If my brother were standing here, what would he do? What could he do?" A hot liquid rushed into my nasal cavity and throat. I knew it was my tears that I couldn't shed. Salty, astringent, and spicy, it slid into my body.

A few seconds later, her hand holding the photo turned as black as ink, and perhaps her face would be the next to change.

"Wind, go, go as far away as possible. I don't want anyone to see me die. I stole this photo from Brother Tian's pocket and hid it. If you ever see him, please say 'I'm sorry' for stealing his most precious thing—"

I took the photo, and He Jishang immediately made a "hurry up" gesture and turned to walk towards the railing.

Back at the jeep, I pressed the box again through my clothes. With it, I could quickly disperse the snakes and pass through the crevices. The road ahead was long, but untangling this huge knot was something to be thankful for.

I started the car, stepped on the gas, and drove back the way I came without looking back.

"What will happen to He Jishang?" The consequences of being devoured by poisonous insects are incredibly tragic. I couldn't imagine what would become of a beautiful woman like He Jishang. I just focused intently on gripping the steering wheel, speeding forward. Perhaps I was deliberately avoiding a certain outcome, letting He Jishang meet this final end. I felt sorry for my older brother Yang Tian, but what had I done wrong?

If Sulun hadn't come to the southwestern border, would He Jishang's ancient village have been spared? Would so many massacres have been avoided? There are no "ifs" in this world, not a single one. Sulun wasn't the root of the problem; I can only silently bear the consequences.

"Heaven above, earth below, I, He Jishang, a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect of Miao territory, am bound by the sect's rules in this life, possessed by poisonous insects, unable to fulfill my desires. After death, I wish to be reduced to dust, falling into the six realms of reincarnation, to atone for my sins as a ghost, a beast, a cow, or an ant. One day, I will marry Yang Tian, the 'King of Tomb Raiders,' for seven lifetimes, never to be separated, generation after generation. My devotion is unwavering, my blood is my witness—"

"Brother Tian—"

"Brother Tian—"

"Brother Tian—"

After rounding a bend in the mountain, a heart-wrenching, earth-shattering howl suddenly echoed from the direction of the ancient village. Every word was clearly audible in my ears, its energy incredibly powerful. I knew it was the "Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique" of the evil sect, a final act of self-sacrifice to save his life force.

Before she died, she called out her elder brother's name, and her voice echoed through the valley, reverberating over and over again: "Brother Tian, Brother Tian, Brother Tian..." She only called out three times, but it was as if hundreds of people were shouting together, and the sound lingered for a long time.

I couldn't help but stand up straight in the speeding car, echoing He Jishang's voice: "Big brother, big brother—"

A violent explosion rang out from that direction, and in the rearview mirror, it was clear that He Jishang's small building was engulfed in flames, with stones and pieces of wood flying everywhere.

I slammed on the brakes, and the box in my pocket swung and hit the steering wheel with a crisp "ding".

Perhaps this was the inevitable outcome? When someone realizes there's no way to salvage the situation, they end it all with a massive, earth-shattering explosion? I suddenly clutched my head, slumped over the steering wheel, my mind blank, with only He Jishang's increasingly despairing expression etched into my memory.

The successive explosions caused the ground nearby to tremble terribly. I no longer had the courage to look back. The ancient village, He Jishang, the saintess of the Five Poisons Sect, and the small building where my elder brother once lived had all disappeared, turning into ordinary soil fragments in the mountains and forests, decaying with the years.

A stream of hot tears welled up in my eyes. It was hard to believe that the graceful He Jishang had died in such an instant, along with her youthful past, her deep longing for her elder brother, and the illusory image of her elder brother that we had all seen together.

For a full half hour, I lay there stiffly, utterly exhausted. The commotion caused by the birds and beasts fleeing in the forest had ceased, and the aftershocks of the explosion had completely subsided. Looking back, the original location of the ancient village had been replaced by an exposed stone pit, like a strange wound that had suddenly appeared on the hillside.

I started the jeep again as if in a daze, seeing stars before my eyes, barely managing to keep going.

"Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring—" The shrill telephone rang more than a dozen times, but I was oblivious until it rang for the second time. Only then did I free my left hand, grope through my pockets, find the phone, and numbly press the answer button.

Gu Qingcheng's anxious voice immediately came through: "What's wrong? Why aren't you answering the phone?"

I wanted to answer her, but my lips were chapped and my throat was burning.

“There’s some news that I don’t know if it’s good or bad—Schiller has woken up.” She gasped loudly, paused once, and then finished speaking.

"What..." I licked my lips, a faint smell of blood spreading across my taste buds, and my wandering thoughts slowly settled down.

Gu Qingcheng raised her voice: "Schiller is awake. I think he can tell us how Su Lun disappeared, but something more serious is happening—he's showing signs of a 'last flicker of life,' so you need to get back as soon as possible. Hmm, should I send someone back to pick you up? Are you alright?"

My mind went blank again, and I saw golden flowers flying before my eyes. Instinctively, I slammed on the brakes to avoid sliding into the ravine beside me.

The tires screeched against the mountain road with a sharp, piercing sound. Gu Qingcheng cried out in alarm, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with your car?" She cared about me a lot, but in front of the team members, she would skillfully hide her emotions and never reveal them casually. In this respect, she was much better than Feiyue.

The thought of Feiyue is like a dozen steel needles piercing my heart at the same time, and my body curls up in pain.

"Has Flying Eagle... woken up? Flying Moon is dead—I really don't know how to face him. Although we've obtained the 'Azure Blood Night Toad,' it's been a complete failure." I can't explain Flying Moon's death to anyone, and the person I'm most afraid to face is Flying Eagle.

"What? What exactly—" Gu Qingcheng abruptly stopped her questioning. Asking about the cause of death would only waste time and miss opportunities.

When she spoke again, her tone had changed to indifference: "No, only Schiller has woken up. Uncle Wei is channeling his inner energy into him. Under the current conditions, his death is almost inevitable. We have no other choice." Gu Qingcheng sighed sadly. A person on the verge of a final burst of energy was only half a step away from death, and even the world's top-notch doctors were powerless to help.

"I'm heading back, I should be there in an hour..." My tongue felt numb, and I dared not use the "Disintegration Technique" for the third time, as that would be like drinking poison to quench my thirst. But at this moment, my physical strength had dropped to its limit, and the mountain road was rugged and difficult to travel, making it hard to continue.

“Mr. Feng, I’ve placed some oral medications in a hidden compartment at the very bottom right of the dashboard. They might help you stay alert. Of course, they are only mildly addictive and not drugs—” Gu Qingcheng said hesitantly.

I immediately reached out and pulled open the hidden compartment. Inside was a red plastic box with six transparent pills neatly arranged inside, exactly the same as the cod liver oil capsules I usually take.

"Don't blame me for doing this; everyone runs out of energy at times during an expedition. I'm just preparing—"

Before she could finish speaking, I had already torn open the box and swallowed all six pills at once. An indescribable spicy sensation shot straight into my throat. A few seconds later, my entire stomach was burning, as if I had accidentally eaten the world's number one ghost pepper. After the intense spiciness subsided, I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, and my spirits indeed lifted.

"I feel much better, I'll go back right away."

I hung up the phone, immediately started the engine, floored the accelerator, and sped forward. Schiller's information was crucial to us; at the very least, he would tell us the whole story of the disappearance. I wanted to see him as soon as possible, even though I hated him when we were in Hokkaido.

Cliffs and trees kept flying past on both sides, and I entered a state of extreme excitement. The speedometer needle kept climbing, and in less than an hour, I saw the smoke rising from the campsite twenty minutes ahead of schedule.

Gu Qingcheng was waiting for me at the entrance of the camp. She waved a red flag at me from several hundred meters away.

The car screeched to a halt beside her. Before I could even turn off the engine, I jumped out: "Where is he? Is he still alive?"

These absurd and abrupt words would have made people laugh in a normal setting, but neither she nor I felt any amusement, and we didn't utter a single word of nonsense.

“Yes, let’s go.” She took my wrist and led me straight to the second tent inside, only then adding, “How are you?”

I just smiled, my throat parched as if it were about to burst into flames. As soon as I entered the tent, the first thing I saw was a large glass of water on the side table. I couldn't resist reaching for it, about to pour it into my mouth. Those pills were like the most potent desiccant, having drained all the water from my stomach within forty minutes. Now, all I wanted was to jump into a cool, clear lake, lie on my back, and drink my fill.

"No, you can't drink water now. You have to wait for the medicine to wear off, otherwise it will burn your internal organs." Gu Qingcheng pressed down on the water glass, her face suddenly showing an expression of extreme pain, and her fingers on the glass were trembling slightly.

I took a deep breath, my arm muscles stiffened, and I slowly put down the water glass. There's no such thing as a free lunch; the effectiveness and toxicity of those drugs are always proportional.

Gu Qingcheng glanced at her watch and smiled apologetically, "There's still half an hour before the effects of the medicine wear off. At that time, even if you drink all the fresh water in the camp, no one will stop you."

Uncle Wei, sitting in a corner of the tent, suddenly coughed lightly: "Mr. Feng, it's so good that you're back. Mr. Schiller's body is at its weakest point, like a dying tree, and my internal energy is hardly able to penetrate his 'tanzhong' and 'dantian' and other central organs—"

Beside him was a hastily erected cot, with white sheets scattered haphazardly. Schiller lay on his side, curled up like a tired lobster.

Uncle Wei's right hand remained resting on the back of Schiller's neck, and he himself looked exhausted. Nearly an hour had passed since Gu Qingcheng's call, and continuously transferring internal energy to someone else like this was an extremely arduous task for anyone.