Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 300

I felt no anger, only a wry smile and a shake of my head, as if facing a child's ignorant tantrum: "What is he going to do with these things?"

"He said that these things, which were painstakingly collected by Hero Yang Tian and Mr. Scalpel, are all original items from the Undersea Divine Tomb. Therefore, he wants to return them to their rightful owners, which is the true nature of a chivalrous hero." At the end, Xiao Keleng couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

The three of us treated Xiaoyan with a kind of "indulgent love," letting her run wild as she pleased.

"Thank you for your care for Xiaoyan, especially Mr. Feng. I know you could have taken a strong stance to keep Xiaoyan tonight, but you didn't, you held back the whole time. Actually, when I spoke with Xiaoyan on the phone before, he said countless times that he wanted to take you as his role model and become a super talent who would be of great use to the world. For someone as invincible in the hacker world as him to say such things is already the limit of his admiration for someone. In my memory, he has never bowed his head to anyone, so only Mr. Feng can persuade him to turn back."

Yan Xun's voice suddenly rang out, right beside Su Lun, sweet and melodious, unhurried and gentle.

I looked back and saw only Su Lun and Xiao Keleng in the living room; there was no way a third person would be there. At that moment, the dazzling white light from the crystal chandelier illuminated every corner of the room, and I was certain she wasn't there, but rather speaking through some kind of device.

"Miss Yan, are you alright?" I replied immediately.

She smiled and said, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern. Although the weather in Hokkaido is cold, the air is so fresh. I haven't breathed such pure air freely in a long time, and how could I not be happy to reunite with my good friends?"

No one had their mobile phones on, and the landline in the living room wasn't being used. So, where was Yan Xun's voice coming from? I determined that the sound source was next to Su Lun, but there was only an open black laptop on the sofa next to her.

"Miss Yan, where are you?" I asked tentatively. From the strange expressions on Su Lun and Xiao Ke's faces, I sensed that something was definitely amiss.

“I’m on the computer, Suren. Don’t hide it from Mr. Feng anymore. Tell him the truth.” Yan Xun’s voice was slightly low, but it was completely devoid of any sadness.

Suren stood up, hesitated for a moment, and smiled apologetically at me: "Brother Feng, please forgive me for not telling you the truth. Yan Xun is actually just a voice with a soul. She is inside this computer, powered by high-efficiency uranium energy. Her existence is entirely dependent on the computer. If the computer crashes or loses power, she will disappear forever. That is why I did not agree to her leaving the Pentagon."

I was genuinely taken aback, but I didn't show it on my face. The concept of "computer humans" had long existed in the French science fiction magazine *Prospective*, which simply meant adding artificial intelligence to computers to create machines that could communicate smoothly with humans. However, in many experimental cases, the computer humans' intelligence was only equivalent to that of a three-year-old child, and they could only survive within the limits allowed by their programs, unable to learn or grow on their own.

If American technology can create "computer humans" like Yanxun, then their artificial intelligence technology may be 10,000 times greater than that of their European counterparts.

"Mr. Feng, I know what you're thinking. I am a voice, but not a so-called 'computer person.' These are completely different concepts. You must have heard of 'Silicon Valley Dance,' the most famous multi-talented spy during the Cold War. She was the first disciple I took on after entering the spy business. In fact, in any intellectual profession, age and status don't determine superiority. 'Silicon Valley Dance' is twelve years older than me, but her comprehension is only 30% of mine. If it weren't for the plane collision during the KGB's pursuit in the former Soviet Union, I could have rightfully retired from the underworld long ago..."

I listened quietly. "Silicon Valley Dance" is known as the "Everlasting Star" of the spy world. It is said that her mentor is a stunningly beautiful, aloof, and otherworldly young woman.

Yan Xun suddenly smiled: "That's old news, there's no point in bringing it up. Now, I have some latest information from 'Area 51' that I'll bring you, about the 'Mars probe' from a few years ago."

The computer screen was open outwards. I walked over and immediately saw the famous "Martian face" image on the screen.

"As is well known, the last US mission to Mars failed. The rover eventually ran out of power and lost contact. This is the publicly disclosed news, but the actual situation is completely different. To this day, the rover is still in operation and is constantly transmitting back the ground images it has taken, which have now reached more than 90,000."

The screen changed, playing a slideshow where all the photos were a deep ochre red, very similar to desert scenes on Earth.

"Martians definitely exist. Their core habitat is located to the left of the human face in that image. There are at least four hundred images of Martians. One has to admire the remarkable ingenuity of American aerospace scientists; they managed to attach a Zeiss lens with 500x magnification to a miniature camera the size of twenty grains of rice, allowing us to obtain these invaluable, close-up images. Look, those species with over 70% similarity to humans are Martians. In the scientists' research report, this should be a military base—"

I saw another picture of Martians—no, it should be a picture of "phantoms," remarkably similar in appearance to Earthlings, except they had four arms on their backs. The background of the picture was a massive castle in the desert, with layers of walls visible. At the heart of the castle, in a place that could be called a "helipad," hundreds of silver spacecraft stood.

“Brother Feng, the Martian spacecraft are exactly the same as those in the underground world!” Suren exclaimed.

Indeed, we did see that kind of thing during our battle with the Illusion Demon, but it was frozen and cracked by the ice, completely sealed under the mountain.

"Ms. Yan, I hope to hear the core content as soon as possible." I smiled at the computer screen, hoping that Yan Xun could see me.

"Alright, I'll just read a brief investigation report. Chief Administrator Dian of Area 51 reports that among the images obtained by the Mars rover are hundreds of signs. The computer system has cracked the Martian language, and the signs translate to 'Countdown to the Destruction of Earth: X days.' Furthermore, the system has received transmission signals from the Martians; they are constantly emitting high-frequency radio waves, communicating with radio waves of the same frequency at a certain point on Earth. These radio waves have been intercepted, recompiled, and transformed into a war report that will shock Earthlings. Soon, the Martians in space, guided by Earth's navigators, will begin their carnage to destroy Earth."

She read very quickly, but her voice was very clear, and all three of us understood what she was saying.

"Is the point on Earth emitting radio waves the northernmost point of Hokkaido?" I asked first, even though the situation was already quite clear. If Xiao Yan activated the spacecraft in the underwater tomb, some kind of automatic communication method would definitely be activated, connecting it to the spaceship's parent body.

The Martians' aggressiveness is undeniable, and Xiao Yan's curiosity brought enormous disaster to Earth.

"Yes, vertically, right beneath the Tower of the Dead at Fuuki-ji Temple in Hokkaido. This information is being transmitted to the Pentagon, and I intercepted a copy through special channels. Meanwhile, the highest-ranking officer in Area 51 has made the best recommendation based on his duties—'Submit a report to the President for approval as quickly as possible to destroy the radio transmission point on Earth, depriving the Martians of their contact point. Preliminary estimates suggest that launching a long-range missile from the military base in South Korea would only take four seconds to completely destroy Fuuki-ji Temple, this protruding corner extending into the sea, separating it along with the continental shelf below the surface, turning it into rubble on the vast seabed.' Mr. Feng, I'm more anxious than you are because our situation is extremely precarious. According to normal procedures, it would only take a week to complete the research, review, approval, order, and preparations for firing. At most, we only have six days to resolve the issue; otherwise, we'll have to leave here."

The atmosphere in the living room immediately became tense. The Americans' decisive and efficient way of doing things was already known worldwide during the Middle East wars. As long as the president gives an order, they will carry it out completely, even if the sky falls.

The photos kept changing, and the "Martian face" kept appearing before us from various angles, filled with an unprecedented eeriness and evil.

Fortunately, the Americans blocked this explosive news; otherwise, people around the world would have been in an uproar, spreading rumors and causing a panic-driven disaster.

As former US President Truman once asserted, the fact that Star Wars didn't happen was accidental, but that it was inevitable. This statement, considered a classic quote by aerospace scientists worldwide, remains relevant today.

"Mr. Feng, what are your thoughts after hearing all this?" Yan Xun asked quite politely.

Without hesitation, I replied, "Of course, we must do everything we can to stop Xiaoyan from launching the spacecraft."

This is easier said than done. If Xiao Yan were someone completely unrelated to us, and we didn't care about her life or death, it would certainly be easier to do.

“Mr. Feng, I only wanted to grasp at the last hope, which is why I risked coming to Hokkaido. Xiaoyan is my younger brother, and I wouldn’t hesitate to die to save him. So, I beg you three, you must—” She couldn’t finish her sentence, and her voice suddenly stopped.

Blood is thicker than water, and kinship is ordained by heaven. The four of us can probably all understand the meaning of these eight words.

"Don't worry, we'll do our best." I replied simply, but a heavy burden immediately weighed on my shoulders, since I had absolutely no idea how to stop Xiao Yan.

They sat there until dawn, Su Lun and Xiao Kelen barely exchanging a few words. Only the pictures on the computer screen flipped through one after another tirelessly, reflecting Yan Xun's melancholy and unease.

The golden rays of the rising sun were already visible outside the door. I got up and went out, hoping to use the quiet of dawn to calm my throbbing head.

Xiao Lai was pacing back and forth at the bottom of the steps. When I opened the door, he immediately came up to me and said, "Good morning, Mr. Feng. I just received a call from Mr. Sun Long. The Sharpshooter Society has sent fifteen elite brothers to you, led by my godfather, Master Guan. They are at your disposal. If there is anything you need me to do, please feel free to ask."

Compared to when we parted a month ago, his confidence has greatly improved, and I noticed that all the people currently stationed at Xunfuyuan are following him respectfully.

"Xiao Lai, have you been promoted? I remember you said last time that Mr. Sun Long wanted you to be the head of the Japanese branch?" I asked with a smile, already having a pretty good idea of what was going on.

"Yes, Mr. Wang Jiangnan has left to establish a new branch in Africa. I'm currently in charge of all affairs in Japan. Please give me your guidance, Mr. Feng." His reply was humble and appropriate, a stark contrast to his previous impetuousness and recklessness. This reminded me of Xiao Yan, who never seems to grow up; if she didn't cause trouble from time to time, she'd really become a god.

Even a master like Master Guan is at my beck and call; it seems Sun Long is determined to obtain the "Wrath of the Sun God" this time. Given his ambition, once he seizes the gem, the consequences will be no less dire than a Martian invasion of Earth. There are certain things between him and me, but neither of us wants to say them aloud. From this perspective, Master Guan's arrival with his men has ulterior motives, and he may not even be considered our ally.

Chaos has already begun, and the Sharpshooters will be the first to strike. But I'm still unclear who the cicada is, who the mantis is, and who the oriole is in this battle for the "Wrath of the Sun God."

"When will Master Guan arrive?" I smiled faintly.

“Before evening,” Xiao Lai answered crisply.

"Alright, his bone-reading skills are unparalleled. It's perfect to have him come and see if we can escape this catastrophe that will cause the sky to fall and the earth to collapse." I suddenly lost my interest in taking a walk and turned back to the living room.

The phone rang deafeningly at that moment, startling Xiao Keleng, who was dozing on the sofa. She immediately grabbed the receiver: "This is Xunfuyuan Villa. Who are you looking for?"

As soon as the other party replied, her expression suddenly became tense: "Okay, please wait a moment." Then, she covered the microphone and whispered to me, "Mr. Feng, your call is from a very important person in the Japanese Imperial Family."

Suren was also taken aback: "Oh? So early, what could be the reason?"

I waved my hand and said, "Don't worry, their intentions are very clear. They are definitely aiming at 'The Wrath of the Sun God'. Xiao Lai just reported that Sun Long sent Master Guan with fifteen experts to help, which means the same thing. You see, the earth is always full of people who pursue fame and fortune. Even if the world is in chaos and the planet is overturned tomorrow, they still want to get everything they want today."

From the very beginning, the powerful figure coveted the "Wrath of the Sun God" and always cautiously flattered Tengjia, because at that time he believed Tengjia was the key to entering the underwater tomb and obtaining the gem. Now, I think his favor should be directed towards Xiaoyan, not idle people like me.

I answered the phone, and the important man's voice came through like a gentle breeze: "Feng, did you enjoy your trip to mainland China? I heard that Xi'an and Xianyang were strategic locations fought over by military strategists throughout history, controlling the passage between the inside and outside of the Great Wall. Did you gain any extraordinary insights there?"

"Your Excellency is well-versed in the history of World War II and certainly understands the importance of these two cities. However, let's leave out the 'strategic location' designation, since there will be no more wars on the Chinese mainland, and the strategic importance of each city will diminish to zero. Are you disappointed to hear this?"

I didn't want to lose to him in terms of momentum, so I immediately retaliated.

The important man laughed: "Hahaha, let's not talk about state affairs. Feng, I have good news for you. I heard you've already started planning to go to sea to retrieve the treasure, so I'll be sending you some men, all experts from the Ninja Alliance. The leader is a close friend of yours, and I'm sure you'll be very happy to see him. Arrive at Xunfuyuan Villa no later than after lunch. Please don't refuse; you must give me this personal favor, okay?"

His laughter was hearty and loud, but the generous gift he gave me left me feeling like I had a fishbone stuck in my throat, unable to swallow it.

"Great, thank you." Since I couldn't refuse, I simply accepted it readily.

"Alright, I have a bottle of 1917 French brandy in my office, ready to celebrate your success!" His plan was so complete, as if he had calculated that I would obediently hand over "Wrath of the Sun God" as soon as I got my hands on it. He was confident that everything was in his grasp.

After ending my call with the important figure, I deliberately acted as if nothing had happened, so as not to worry Suren: "Another group of people are coming to our aid, but this time it's from the Japanese Imperial Family."

Su Lun and Xiao Keleng both exclaimed "Ah!" at the same time, and a wry smile appeared on their faces.

“Brother Feng, there’s only one gem, and we don’t even know if we can get it in the end. These people are being far too eager. I’m afraid that if both families arrive at Fengge Temple at the same time, something might happen.” Su Lun became worried.

I smiled and looked at her: "Don't worry, when the King of Qin loses his throne, the whole world will chase after it. This time, whoever wants to take the 'Wrath of the Sun God' will have to rely on their true abilities."

While receiving these bad news, I did not forget that there was an even more powerful force in the world, namely the Azure Dragon Society, which had been biding its time but was omnipresent.

Part 6: Invincible

— Chapter 4 - The Dragon-Slaying Saber —

The Japanese are known for their punctuality. At 2 p.m., three Honda station wagons slowly pulled up in front of Xunfuyuan.

At that moment, I was standing by the second-floor window, staring blankly at the ravaged bronze warrior. It was obvious that the touchscreen keyboard had been added later, bearing the label of a globally renowned computer company. If someone had tampered with the bronze statue before Xiao Yan, and then restored it to its original state, who could it have been?

I think only one person can do this, and that is my eldest brother, Yang Tian.

The keyboard is embedded in a sturdy, thick bronze base. To uncover its secrets, the entire sculpture would need to be disassembled. The last disassembly didn't reveal the bronze statue's secrets in one go, and we don't have time to do so now.

In the increasingly complex struggles of the martial world, certain mysterious events are merely insignificant preludes. We live in a human world, and can only act "human-centeredly and fight against others" in everything we do. Take the "Wrath of the Sun God" for example; it is precisely because of human competition that it becomes so precious. In fact, many people rush to fight for it, yet they do not know the true meaning of its existence.

"Brother Feng?" Suren quietly went upstairs.

"Su Lun, those cars outside are sent by the Japanese. Be careful; big shots aren't so easy to deal with." My heart was heavy. After all, the Sharpshooter Gang was a huge force in the martial arts world, and if the two groups started fighting, the small Xunfu Garden would be reduced to ruins.

This is the legacy left by my elder brother and the scalpel, and we don't want any outside force to damage it except for me and Suren.

"I know, actually I came up here to apologize to you." Suren moved closer to me, took my arm, and rested her head on my shoulder. She carried a faint, sweet fragrance that momentarily intoxicated me.

"Why are you apologizing? Is it because of Yan Xun?" I replied with a smile.

"Yes, I should have told you her true identity a long time ago. After that shocking helicopter crash that horrified the world, my master used extreme methods to transplant her soul into a computer, where it exists eternally in the form of a voice. So, the real 'Three Heroes of Flying Flowers' consists of two real people, Xiao Keleng and me, plus a third illusory voice. She is a natural-born spy, just like Xiao Yan is a natural-born super hacker. She belongs to the Pentagon's intelligence system, but she is the super advisor of the entire spy network. Every day, more than 40,000 pieces of global intelligence are processed through her thinking system, then collected, organized, and analyzed in a macro-level way before being reported to the highest leader."

Suren's voice was filled with a faint sadness; the most heartbreaking thing is for a genius to suffer such a misfortune.

I put my arm around her slender waist: "Don't be sad. Heaven is the most unfair yet the fairest. If you had her brains, combined with your looks, Xiao Keleng's competence, and Tensei's martial arts skills... then what power in the world could stop this exceptionally outstanding combination? She would be invincible and unstoppable, right?"

Suren nodded, gazing at the car outside the gate.

I continued, “I always felt that the eight characters in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ‘What is united for a long time will be divided, and what is divided for a long time will be united,’ were absolutely correct. Looking back at many famous events in Earth’s history, many figures who attempted to dominate the world would suddenly fall when they were at their most dazzling and powerful, just like Germany during World War II—” Suddenly, I felt a deep chill.

"What's wrong?" Suren looked up with concern.

In that instant, I remembered the person I encountered when I passed through the mirror. History records that he had committed suicide by shooting himself in his villa, but I clearly saw that he was still alive and well, albeit trapped in the gap between the two mirrors. If he could break free like us when the opportunity arose, wouldn't that be another catastrophe for Earth?

"I remembered someone, but he may have already been reduced to dust in the 'Asian Gear' explosion. Not everyone is as lucky as us." I vaguely covered up the past.

"The most unfair yet the fairest? Brother Feng, what you're saying sounds like a tongue twister and profound illusory philosophy at the same time." Su Lun laughed, patting the unrecognizable bronze statue. "I had Xiao Xiao take it away. A perfectly good work of art, ruined by Xiao Yan. You know what? All those strange things I acquired in Xianyang, originally destined for Cairo in batches, were all taken by him using my name, and now we don't know where they've gone. Sigh, this guy has become a real worry for everyone, making Sister Yan Xun so sad—"

This stone can't be moved; it seems Suren will never truly be happy.

A tall, thin middle-aged man climbed out of the car, shook out his gray mink coat, looked up at the main building for a moment, and then walked into the gate with his head held high.

Behind him, a dozen burly young men followed closely, their clothes bulging, all concealing firearms.

"It's him?" I couldn't help but laugh in surprise.

"Who?" Suren was taken aback, staring at the middle-aged man for a few moments before suddenly realizing, "The most famous swordsmith in all of Japan? Is that so?"

I smiled and nodded: "Yes, it has a very Chinese martial arts-style name—Dragon-Slaying Saber."

The big shot is truly powerful; he actually sent Tu Longdao with his men to Xunfuyuan. He must be subtly trying to divert and mitigate my anger towards the Japanese. Tu Longdao and I are kindred spirits; the difference in our nationalities is negligible.

Suren sighed, "Brother Feng, the scheming of powerful figures is simply unfathomable. Every action they take is likely considered in terms of its continuity months or even years in the future. You're the one who should be careful; don't fall into these traps, big or small. In my opinion, the Divine Gun Society is far from being able to contend with powerful figures with just passion!"

Her view is quite reasonable, after all, this is Japan's homeland, and no civilian organization or underworld force can possibly oppose the national government.

"You mean that the final outcome for this 'Wrath of the Sun God' will definitely be the Japanese Imperial Family?" I'd love to hear Suren's assessment.

"No, I suspect the gem will become Xiao Yan's toy. Brother Feng, that playful child, once he discovers he possesses something coveted by the global underworld, he'll never easily let go. Instead, he'll do everything in his power to flaunt it, until four billion people on Earth know his name. He doesn't want money; he wants the same illustrious reputation as you, as the 'King of Tomb Raiders' Yang Tian, as Big Brother. Alas, he doesn't understand the importance of concealing his abilities; after all, he's just a child—"