King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 74

Asking a girl to blow up her own brother is the cruelest thing in the world; even I might not be able to do it.

"Brother, brother, brother, brother..." she murmured, tears welling in her eyes. Pressing that hidden button might only require a few dozen Newtons of force, but making that decision to "press" it almost exhausted her entire conscience.

"We have no other way, no other choice..." I was forced to say such cruel words. Of everyone, only I had witnessed the power of the Illusion Demon's shadow. If Earth were destroyed, everyone would die, with no other options. While we still have a choice, we must at least do something.

No one dared to fire first. The lightning-fast speed at which the scalpel had suddenly moved forward and backward had stunned all the soldiers. Even James, with his enigmatic expression, remained silent. The decision now rested solely with Suren. If they could shatter the scalpel's body, they could destroy the evil phantom demon's shadow as well.

The scalpel staggered backward, but the evil glint in his eyes regained its edge. Suddenly, he somersaulted in mid-air, leaping towards the stone platform in the center of the deep pool with uncanny agility. Despite the great distance, he landed lightly on the platform with a single, monkey-like leap.

That was the entrance to the Great Mysterious Chamber of Tu Liehan. If he were allowed to enter, things would be extremely bad—

"Brother, brother, brother... I wish you would answer me again..." she murmured to herself, her gaze fixed on the scalpel in the center of the stone platform. The scalpel's hand reached towards the pit where the "Eye of the Moon" had once been embedded; this contact might be the only way to enter the secret chamber. I

I don't want to force Su Lun to make any decisions. A girl as resilient and tenacious as her will surely be able to make her own decisions.

Everyone instinctively drew closer to the pool, watching as the scalpel-wielding hand rested on the small indentation of the stone platform. Suddenly, the change occurred. His hand vanished into thin air, followed by his shoulder, head, neck, feet, calves… This method of disappearance was clearly different from my previous experiences; it was more like a computer image being erased bit by bit.

I gave up. I don't want to blame Suren. Not everyone can sacrifice their loved ones, especially their only loved ones, for the benefit of the Earth's masses. If the Shadow of the Illusion Demon can successfully annihilate the energy-depleted Saturnians, then he can rescue the Illusion Demon sealed in the "Crystal Coffin," thus plunging Earth into the nightmare of the "Great Seven" ahead of schedule.

"elder brother……"

With a loud "boom," the remaining parts of the scalpel instantly shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions.

Suren collapsed softly into my arms, her face as pale as paper, and she fainted instantly.

When I handed the gemstone to Tina, the entire excavation process of the Turkham Pyramid came to an end quietly.

Everything I experienced in the Saturnian's secret chamber was completely absent from their memories. They only saw me gripping the knife, reaching out, taking the treasure, and retreating; they knew nothing else. Therefore, for a long time after leaving the Pyramid of Tulku, in the dead of night, I would ask myself: "Did that scene in the Saturnian's secret chamber truly happen in the long river of time? Or was it merely a figment of my imagination, a struggle between my own mind and reality?"

When I look up at the starry sky again, I can't help but stare in the direction of Saturn, and I have the deepest doubts about the scientists' assertions that "Saturn has no life."

The most noteworthy thing was that after we left the pyramids, everyone's watches started to malfunction and ran 24 hours slow.

We lost an entire day, and only when the more than one hundred soldiers stationed in the camp could confirm this without a doubt did Tina and the others realize with horror: "November 8, 2005, is a day that will never exist in the lives of those who entered the pyramids at that time!"

As modern-day inhabitants of Earth, accustomed to a seven-day week, a thirty-day month, and a 365-day year, what would it feel like if one of those days suddenly disappeared from our lives and memories, jumping abruptly from 10:00 AM on November 7th to 10:00 AM on November 9th, creating a time gap? What kind of impact would this have on people like myself and Suren?

The gem belongs to the Egyptian government, just as the unexpectedly obtained super gold ingot was rightfully confiscated by the government. All those who died in the excavation of the Pyramid of Tulku will surely be forgotten with the passage of time. Dead heroes are not heroes; true heroes are those who, like Tina, stand gloriously before all Egyptians, passionately recounting how they risked their lives to obtain the "Eye of the Moon."

Egypt, a small country, is about to set off another wave of excitement and treasure hunting in the international collecting world.

Tina was thrilled after obtaining the gem. She told me that she would officially apply for the catacombs to become a first-class tourist attraction in Egypt, and that she would make a movie or television series about my heroic story of exploring and retrieving the treasure, and distribute it to the world.

We once had a long, heart-to-heart talk under the setting sun—

“Mr. Feng, there is a position of Special Confidential Minister in the Presidential Palace that has been vacant for a long time. This position is reserved for a smart person who is extremely loyal to the President. Would you like to be that smart person?” She was not dressed in full military uniform as usual, but had changed into a long robe with colorful flowers that Egyptian girls love. She had her golden hair up and was capable, elegant and graceful.

The setting sun cast a soft golden glow on her young and beautiful face.

I smiled, as if listening to someone else's story, one that had nothing to do with me. In fact, just two days ago, James brought up the old issue again, trying to persuade me to join a special organization in India, offering an lucrative deal with an exorbitant annual salary and incredible privileges, which I politely declined.

For now, I don't want to become a "special" person in some small country. I am who I am, and wouldn't it be better to stay by Suren's side and live a peaceful and happy life? Why should I shamelessly sell myself out for petty gains?

Tina spoke at length about the future, ideals, love, power, unifying Africa, and even unifying the world—

I only asked her one question: "When you have everything, but find that tomorrow is the end of your 'Big Seven' life, will you regret that you greedily collected all the luxuries and desires? Perhaps, today, we lack nothing but time."

On her desk, I left two lines of free and unrestrained Chinese cursive script: "To share joys and sorrows with the one I love most, and to forget the one I love less in the vast world."

Tina asked sadly, "Who is the person you love most? Is it Suren? Or that—the Japanese demoness who killed Tanino?"

I shook my head, smiling silently. How could it be Fujika? I would never like a Japanese girl, never.

“Regarding that case, I still have a videotape, which I secretly planted in that tent. I believe it will help you make a completely different judgment. The truth is always far from the facts. The person who killed Tanino was actually—” She paused at the crucial moment, looking at me alluringly, “On the condition that…”

I smiled and shook my head, refusing her offer. We both knew the conditions.

At that moment, I suddenly realized that her question was difficult to answer: "Who is the person you love most? Is it Suren? If not Suren, then who is it?"

A week later, according to the will containing the scalpel left in the safe of Villa No. 13, Suren inherited all of his properties, and his will clearly stated in black and white: "All wealth shall be jointly owned by Suren and me."

What particularly astonished me was that he had sensed the intrusion of the Illusion Demon's shadow long ago, but using humanity's meager strength to fight against a powerful visitor from another dimension was still too insignificant, too negligible. In a thick diary with messy handwriting, he had recorded almost every detail of the invasion by the Illusion Demon's shadow. The following words were specifically told to me—

"When someone knows they are destined for destruction, the darkness and despair they feel is indescribable. My life, Feng, may seem glorious, but compared to the 'King of Tomb Raiders,' Yang Tian, I am as insignificant as a blade of grass. Only he deserves the titles of 'hero' and 'master.' Although he always treated me as a friend and brother, I always knew that even being a henchman under his command was my greatest honor, not to mention how much he taught me and gave me. In my heart, I have always respected him as a teacher and a senior."

“Do you know? More than half of all these assets in the safe were transferred to me by him—I am grateful for his immense trust, which is why I followed his instructions without hesitation and spared no effort in promoting the work on the Turkhan pyramid. No matter what the outcome of the excavation is, as long as it is something he said, I will do it even if it costs me my life.”

"If one day you are the one to open the safe, I may already be dead. Please take good care of Suren; he is my only concern—the great hero Yang Tian is still alive. A 'celestial being' like him will never die. Remember my words, find him. No matter how much effort it takes, you must find him, because only he can completely shatter the terrifying prophecies in 'The Centuries'..."

Now, I'm certain that my older brother is still alive on Earth and will search for him without missing a single clue.

To my relief, Suren has recovered from her immense grief, picked herself up, and begun a new chapter in her life.

My experience with the Egyptian tombs seemed to have come to an end, as the story of the "Eye of the Moon" had been settled. It would be placed in the president's private museum for permanent preservation, and Tina had ambitious plans to build a new Egyptian artifact museum in the empty Pyramid of Giza, making it the second major Egyptian tourist attraction after the Great Pyramid of Giza—but this was by no means the end, but merely the beginning. Many perplexing mysteries lay dormant, waiting for me to unravel them…

Will the Pyramid of Turkham really sink underground?

Will Fujika awaken under the summoning of the "Sand of Resurrection"?

Will the real Gu Ye return to the martial world to avenge his younger brother?

Who is the true "reborn" member of the Azure Dragon Society?

What exactly is James plotting? Will the mysterious prophetic stele on Mount Everest that he mentioned still exist?

When the "Big Seven" arrives, will the Earth really be destroyed?

Do underwater tombs really exist? Could they be related to Tengjia's background?

What exactly is the Illusion Demon?

What is the interruption of time flow?

How will the Tang Clan of Sichuan make a comeback?

Where exactly is the underwater tomb?

What about Yang Tian, the true "King of Tomb Raiders"? Will he ever reappear...?

Volume Two: The Tower of the Dead

The first book, The Mysterious Villa

— Chapter 1 - Airplane Accident —

On screen, skyscrapers tilted and collapsed, smoke and fire filled the air, cars collided in chaos on the streets, drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled in panic. The giant waves of the tsunami crashed onto the beach in layers and surged into the coastal city within seconds, quickly turning the block-like skyscrapers, elevated railways, and iconic city buildings into a vast expanse of water.

"Hokkaido will be submerged, Kyushu will be submerged, Osaka will be submerged... Tokyo will be next, and then the entire Japanese island will disintegrate in a violent undersea earthquake and sink into the sea. All we can do is pray... pray... pray..."

The plane jolted slightly, causing the young woman sitting next to me to let out a soft gasp. Her soft, smooth blonde hair flicked and brushed against my cheek.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I'm sorry—" It was polite American English, with a touch of New York accent.

I turned my head and first saw a pair of large, slightly shy, panicked, bright blue eyes, and slightly parted, rosy lips revealing clean, even teeth. It was a young American girl.

"It's okay, it's not your fault." I smiled kindly.

My mind was completely absorbed in the scene of the remake of "Japan Sinks" in front of me, and I didn't pay any attention to anything else, not even noticing the exquisite and beautiful American girl sitting next to me.

She extended her hand, her expression much more natural: "Reese, Asia Bureau Reporter for Discover Magazine."

I reached out and shook her hand: "Feng, a nobody in the business world."

She smiled, a slight upturn to her lips: "Hmm? A nobody. Asians are always deliberately low-key and humble. The more someone portrays themselves as a nobody, the more likely they are to be a hidden master..."

When she heard my name, her eyes lit up involuntarily, as if she had thought of something.

She was wearing a navy blue suit skirt, from an Italian brand beloved by professional women worldwide. Seeing Italian brands always evokes a strange sense of familiarity in me. After all, my previous four years of study were spent immersed in that beautiful country with its rich culture and elegant style—it's practically my second home.

In my hand, I held a golden, antique-looking envelope with only three small, flowing characters in Emperor Huizong's flying-white calligraphy: "To be opened by the Emperor."

The letter inside was also exquisitely crafted, with gold-lacquered edges, and at the end, the owner's signature was stamped with a blood-red dragon seal. I closed my eyes, leaned back, and savored the contents of this letter, which I had read at least twenty times. The entire letter revolved around the same thing—"The 'Underwater Tomb' contains the gem called 'The Wrath of the Sun God.' Feng, let's join forces to retrieve it, unleash its boundless energy, and deliver a devastating blow to the Japanese archipelago. If you agree, please contact me upon arrival in Hokkaido..."

The Flying Dragon Seal represents the name of a mysterious Chinese man, who, along with his powerful family, has been plotting a military plan called "The Sinking of Japan."

The reason I asked the flight attendant to bring me this film as soon as I boarded the plane was so that I could mentally simulate what kind of panic would occur on the Japanese archipelago if this plan were ever actually implemented.

Of course, the plan of the owner of the Flying Dragon Seal could only give me a shocking feeling of "outlandish imagination and amazing talent", but it was not the main reason why I flew to Hokkaido.

In the scalpel's will, there was a page specifically for me: "All the properties in the Mokuwan-Zhoushan area of Hokkaido are left to Feng. Xunfu Garden was personally supervised by the great hero Yang Tian twenty years ago, and he lived there for a long time. I believe that a peerless hero like him will never die, because he possesses qualities that ordinary earthlings cannot attain. I have searched for Xunfu Garden villas countless times, racking my brains to understand the profound meaning behind Yang Tian leaving behind this white building complex, but due to my limited intelligence, I have never been able to make a breakthrough. I am old, and the task of searching for the great hero Yang Tian can only be left to Feng..."

Below, he made a note in a completely different handwriting, possibly a minor alteration made long after the will was written: "Yang Tian's disappearance is related to Xunfu Garden, the Undersea Tomb, and 'The Wrath of the Sun God,' isn't it? Isn't it? I'm really exhausted..."

The bizarre events that occurred in the Tu Liehan Ancient Tomb only made me more concerned about the whereabouts of my elder brother, Yang Tian, and more determined to pursue the truth. The photos of Gu Ye and Xiao Yan, coupled with the scalpel and Su Lun's definitive conclusion, all seemed to be pointing towards the clue that "Yang Tian is not dead."

Fengge Temple is one of my biggest goals on this trip. Miss Fujika, now in a vegetative state, is the only key to unlocking the mystery of the *Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Sutra*. Therefore, I hope she can wake up from her coma and tell me more secrets.

Does the "Tower of the Dead" truly contain a secret passage leading to the "Underwater Tomb"?

What kind of energy gem is the so-called "Wrath of the Sun God" that possesses the power to completely destroy the Japanese archipelago, as envisioned by the owner of the Flying Dragon Seal?

The answers to all the mysteries may lie hidden in the mysterious Fengge Temple, and are related to the former master tomb raider, Tanino Shinshu...

The plane suddenly shook again, jolting me out of my reverie.

The passengers in the cabin let out a series of extremely dissatisfied gasps, and complaints arose everywhere.

The beautiful blonde flight attendants from United Airlines quickly appeared and bowed respectfully to everyone, apologizing: "We are so sorry, the plane encountered a reverse warm current and is making an emergency evasive maneuver. We are so sorry... so sorry..."

The Boeing 747 flying to Hokkaido, Japan, was almost entirely filled with serious and earnest Japanese people in the economy class. Therefore, the flight attendants bowed in the standard way for Japanese girls, bending their waists almost to ninety degrees, looking rather pitiful.

Warm air currents in winter are one of the common challenges that aircraft encounter during flight, but given the performance of Boeing aircraft, there is no need to worry about it.

I turned my head to look out the window, gazing at the fluffy white clouds in the distance, and dismissed the Japanese people's harsh criticism. It seems that the Japanese are only satisfied with services and products within their own country; they complain and nitpick about services from any other country in the world, as if everything on this blue planet except for "Japanese" brands is third-rate garbage.

Resica pointed at the screen in front of me, chuckling softly, "A people so harsh and stubborn, even Heaven can't help but punish them—"

In an instant, we felt a connection, and we smiled knowingly at the same time, and the feeling of unfamiliarity quickly disappeared.

To appease the passengers' complaints, the flight attendants immediately brought out a liquor cart and, exceptionally, added a full layer of century-old Scotch whisky. This liquor is a favorite among the Japanese, and with the clinking of ice cubes against glasses, the cabin was filled with its aroma, and the complaints instantly disappeared.

As the wine truck passed by, I shook my head, refusing the temptation of the fine wine, and opted for only a glass of fresh orange juice. Before the plane landed, I needed to stay clear-headed. This trip to Hokkaido would involve a perilous and unpredictable exploration, and only by remaining constantly alert could I uncover hidden secrets.

Resica also ordered fresh orange juice, blinked her big eyes, and raised her glass to me meaningfully: "I apologize again, but—your name reminds me of someone, a hero who made a name for himself on the African continent."

I smiled noncommittally: "Hero? Who?"

She laughed: "He's a very young tomb raiding expert, known to the Egyptians as 'Invincible Warrior'—not just his name, but you also look remarkably like him. Am I so lucky that I'd end up on the same journey as this hero on my way to Tokyo?"

I smiled and shook my head: "I'm just a small businessman, you've mistaken me for someone else."

The world is vast, and there are countless masters and extraordinary individuals. I hope to deliberately maintain a low profile, especially before I possess extraordinary abilities. Blindly exposing myself and elevating my status will only make me increasingly impetuous and corrupted by fleeting fame. Also, unlike most urban men, I am not always ready to indulge myself and accept any romantic encounters during my travels.

My heart is filled only with Suren.

Reese's skin was extremely smooth and fair, her nose was high and straight, and her long hair was flowing down her shoulders. She possessed almost all the dazzling advantages of a New York beauty, and her face also had an elegant and refined scholarly air, which made people feel good about her involuntarily.

The two glasses clinked lightly together, and I noticed a light yellow amber ring on the index finger of her left hand, which was holding the glass. A small woodpecker was embedded in the clear, rectangular face of the ring.