King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 76

"Almost everyone knows that the greatest reward after entering the 'Underwater Tomb' through the 'Tower of the Dead' is obtaining the 'Wrath of the Sun God.' This legendary red gem from Mars will be like a super bomb, its power capable of destroying an American city or a small European country at will. However, I have no hostility towards the European and American countries. What I'm going to do is place the gem between the territorial waters of South Korea and Japan and detonate it in the deep sea. The super explosive shockwave at the edge of the continental shelf will destroy the island foundation upon which the Japanese people depend for survival, completely stripping this evil land from the Asian continental shelf. Hehe, you can imagine the final result, with your super imagination..."

Even the most imaginative person could foresee the bizarre consequences of this plan being implemented.

"This will be the second 'Atlantic' story in human history, right?" I felt a chill run down my spine. Although Venice was in the best season for tourism, with beautiful scenery and pleasant weather, I was still trembling at Sun Long's grand plan.

"Yes, it's the second 'Atlantis,' and I'll be the second Plato, using the most ornate language to record this great sinking event. My plan, the name is very straightforward, is simply 'The Sinking of Japan.'"

The Honda drove onto the highway leading to the northern mountains. Xiao Keleng had probably already floored the accelerator, as the speedometer had soared to the red danger zone of 160 kilometers per hour. Such reckless driving without any apparent emergency was truly insane.

"Mr. Feng, your heroic feat of bravely venturing into the snake pit in the Egyptian desert, seizing the 'Eye of the Moon' as easily as taking candy from a baby, and then gracefully retiring as if the priceless gem were nothing, fills us insignificant people with utmost admiration. Therefore, when I heard from Sister Su Lun that you were coming in person, I immediately felt that our villa was honored and deeply respected..."

She had one hand on the steering wheel and, even while speeding along, she still had time to chat with me.

I know that Tina is making a big deal out of the underground tombs of the Pyramid of Tsar in order to expand Egypt's tourism industry, and I will definitely become a part of that.

"Can you really believe what's in the newspapers? Better drive carefully—"

I smiled faintly, closed my eyes, and continued reminiscing.

Sun Long's plan was unwise. Putting aside whether he could obtain a super bomb like "The Wrath of the Sun," just considering his "feat" of detonating the bomb between the Korean and Japanese seas, how could he guarantee that the shockwave would precisely destroy the continental shelf longitudinally from north to south? If the longest core ray of the explosion's destruction traveled in an east-west direction, it would undoubtedly be like an incredibly powerful long knife, stabbing directly into the mainland's territory, with China's most prosperous city bearing the brunt of the damage.

One can imagine that with such immense destructive power, while traversing the Japanese islands from east to west, that city would also suffer an attack of equal intensity, with incalculable losses.

Sun Long, or his advisors, must have been out of their minds to come up with such a ridiculous plan. And the fact that the passionate Sun Long became so obsessed with it is a testament to his historical background…

"Huh? Mr. Feng, it looks...it looks like the car of superstar Kwan Po-ling? Right? Haha, it really is her car, look, look..."

Xiao Ke shouted and frantically banged on the horn, making the car scream as if it had been startled.

The highway leading to the mountains is usually sparsely trafficked. Just as we started driving, there wasn't a single car in our lane. Then, a black, extended Mercedes-Benz pulled up behind us. Besides the classic Mercedes steering wheel emblem, the hood was adorned with a diamond sphere the size of an adult's fist, which shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

The Mercedes was going extremely fast and easily overtook us without Xiao Keleng slowing down.

I glanced at the Honda's speedometer, which had already reached its maximum speed, hovering around the 200 km/h redline. Based on this, I estimated that the Mercedes' speed was at least 250 km/h or even higher.

As the two cars drove side by side, the seven-colored light emanating from the diamond sphere shone directly into our car, causing Xiao Keleng to exclaim in admiration, as if a greedy cat had spotted the freshest herring.

Girls all love diamonds, and you'd be hard-pressed to find one out of ten thousand, at least Xiao Keleng wasn't. She kept muttering, "My God! It's Guan Baoling! A genius actress, the pride of Asia, a future Hollywood superstar of Chinese descent, the dream girl adored by male fans worldwide… If I could live like her for even a day, I'd die happy…"

She slammed her foot on the accelerator again, and the engine, running at its limit for an extended period, emitted a series of high-pitched, popping sounds of combustion. If it weren't for the high wind speed as the car sped along, filtering out half of the combustion noise, the sound would probably have been even more piercing than gunfire.

I couldn't hold back any longer, so I slammed my hand on a mirror frame on the side of the dashboard and kindly reminded her, "Hey, miss, if you don't slow down soon, are you willing to admit we're both going to die!"

Inside the frame was a photo of Kwan Po-ling in a white wedding dress, the background likely being the grand occasion of last year's Oscars ceremony. It seems Siu Keleng is a huge fan of this diva, which explains her frenzy upon seeing her idol's car.

I simply cannot imagine how an extremely immature girl like Xiao Keleng could possibly manage a scalpel business and make its performance rise steadily. Working with such a partner would be a very difficult challenge for my patience.

The Honda slowed down and climbed a steep mountain pass, only to see the Mercedes speeding away, becoming a tiny black dot in the distance. That speed was far beyond 350 kilometers per hour; it was likely exceeding 400 kilometers per hour. The driver of that car was probably an even more insane "speed demon" than Xiao Keleng.

Hokkaido is located at the northern end of Honshu, Japan, with the Ishikari Mountains, Kitami Mountains, and Hidaka Mountains running through its central part from north to south.

Kiwan-juzan is already the northernmost point of the Kitami Mountains. From the pass we are currently at, the highway leads straight to Kiwan-juzan without any branches. Therefore, it's clear that the Mercedes, like us, is heading towards Kiwan-juzan.

Xiao Keleng stopped the car, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly screamed "Yay!" and then burst into laughter.

My brows furrowed even more. Her name contained the character "cold," yet she was incredibly fiery and passionate, completely unlike anyone who would associate her with "cold." It must have been because her parents misjudged her personality. Otherwise, they should have named her "Xiao Buleng" (meaning "Xiao is not cold").

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to drive?" I sullenly buried myself deep in the professional-grade bucket seat of the sports car. This Honda sports car was a classic model from 2004, and all the accessories inside were equipped to the level of a racing sports car, making it extremely luxurious.

After a cold laugh, Xiao Ke lightly pressed a button on the dashboard, and a hidden drawer silently popped out, revealing a mini-sized laptop. She opened the laptop lid and quickly typed four or five times on the keyboard; immediately, a page appeared on the screen.

At the very top was a glamorous portrait of Guan Baoling, adorned with jewels and radiant with life, surrounded by countless handsome men and beautiful women, like stars around the moon. Her signature budding smile was captivatingly charming, her deliberately styled golden bangs partially obscuring her left forehead, and the dimples at the corners of her mouth were as deep as an autumn spring.

Of course, what is most captivating about her is her mesmerizing eyes, which once caused Hong Kong's four most eligible bachelors to fight over her. Even if one were to list all the words used to describe eyes throughout history to praise her, it would still feel inadequate to express her beauty.

Without a doubt, Kwan Po-ling is the most glamorous Chinese actress to grace the Oscar stage in the last century. Although she has yet to win the "Best Actress" Oscar, critics in the film industry predict that winning the title will be as easy as "taking something out of a bag" for her.

During my university years, I had a classmate who was the son of an incredibly wealthy Arab oil tycoon. He was madly infatuated with Zhang's charm and fell ill with lovesickness because of her...

In the rankings of actresses by all Chinese directors and film critics, Guan Baoling's charm is second only to the alluring Zhang Meiren. However, Zhang Meiren has already passed the most glorious age of an actress and is fading away. She will soon inevitably decline, while Guan Baoling is showing a rising trend with enormous potential. No wonder she has become a celestial beauty pursued by men all over the world.

The screen quickly slid down to a long string of densely packed Japanese characters.

Xiao Keleng muttered in a low voice, "Coming here? Why? It's definitely not for tourism. If I'm not mistaken... it's the 'Well of Spirits,' right? To solve the problem in her heart... What problem could she be facing? Could it be... this?"

A tall, handsome middle-aged man appeared on the screen, wearing a light gray British golf suit. His jet-black hair was neatly combed back, revealing a smooth, full forehead. He wore light-colored sunglasses, and a faint smile graced his face, radiating confidence and arrogance.

My gaze returned to the distance; the Mercedes had vanished without a trace, and in the far distance, I could vaguely make out the undulating peaks of Mount Mokuwan. Closer by, hardy shrubs lined both sides of the road, evergreen year-round, bringing vibrant life to the cold Hokkaido.

Because it was the off-season for tourism in Hokkaido, the highway was exceptionally desolate. For several kilometers, our car was the only one parked there. Apart from the dark green shrubs, neat white road signs, and exposed blue rocks, there was nothing else to inspire any sense of vitality.

I was getting tired and longed to lie down against the warm fireplace, or perhaps enjoy a fragrant copper hot pot and a glass of wine—according to the information about the Muwan Zhoushan Resort that Suren showed me, such "three-warm" services could be provided to every guest at any time, and they could even summon the most authentic Japanese geisha to perform traditional fishermen's dances.

"Hey, are you done yet? Can we go now?" I couldn't stand Xiao Ke's strange behavior, so I could only politely remind her.

She suddenly replied to me out of the blue, "Do you think Guan Baoling might have come for the tycoon?" Her tone was simple and hurried, and she had lost the respect she had shown me when we first met.

The man in the video just now is tycoon Ye Hongsheng, a legendary man in the Chinese world who is rich, powerful, talented, and handsome.

I rubbed my face, trying to conceal my cold expression, and asked casually, "Tycoon? Do you really believe those murky rumors circulating in the entertainment industry?"

Xiao Keleng slowly started the car, no longer speeding, but moving forward at a moderate speed.

Her mood suddenly cooled; she frowned, bit her lip, revealing two sharp, white canine teeth, and gazed thoughtfully ahead. I bet she was completely lost in thought, and if an emergency suddenly occurred ahead, she wouldn't even have time to brake.

Two recent well-known rumors in the Chinese entertainment industry are: one is that a tycoon is keeping Guan Baoling as his mistress; the other is that the tycoon suffers from erectile dysfunction (ED), a condition that plagues men, and has tried various treatments including medication, physical therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Western medicine, but to no avail.

These two rumors are completely contradictory. Why would a man with erectile dysfunction go to such lengths to support a young woman in the prime of her life? You should know that to officially support a popular actress like Guan Baoling, you might not even be able to get close to her without paying at least 50 million US dollars.

The scalpel told me with absolute certainty that the tycoon's erectile dysfunction was caused by a curse of "black magic".

He once invited four of Hong Kong's most famous witchcraft masters to his mansion near Victoria Harbour. The results of the consultation were basically consistent with the tycoon's guess, and each of them used their most secret techniques in the hope of breaking the curse.

One can imagine that the tycoon must have offered an incredibly tempting reward to help him recover, otherwise why would the four top experts have been so eager to take action?

The outcome was extremely disheartening. Chinese witchcraft was utterly ineffective in breaking the curse, and the tycoon paid a heavy price for his philandering and sinful deeds, a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.

Xiao Ke remained silent, which gave me the perfect opportunity to enjoy the early winter scenery of Hokkaido from the car window.

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is the political, economic, and cultural center of northern Japan. The Kiwan-Funayama area is located at the northernmost tip of Hokkaido, which is often referred to as "the ends of the earth" in Chinese. The local indigenous population is very small, and only during the peak tourist season each year can a large number of vibrant "living people" be seen.

Looking out the car window, the sky and earth were vast and desolate, and everything was shrouded in a heavy, deathly silence.

Volume Two: The Tower of the Dead

The first book, The Mysterious Villa

— Chapter 3 — The Sound of Bubbles in Xunfu Garden —

The sun has begun to set, and dusk will fall in half an hour. If we don't speed up, we'll probably have to drive through the night.

Just as I was about to remind Xiao Keleng of this, she suddenly changed to an extremely puzzled tone, raising her hand to point towards the cluster of mountain peaks directly in front of her: "Mr. Feng, I have information indicating that since last Christmas, Guan Baoling has visited Fengge Temple six times to pay homage to the two high monks. What she sought was a way to break the 'black magic' using authentic Japanese Buddhism. Moreover, each time she came, she would stay overnight at Fengge Temple, waiting until one o'clock in the morning to pray by the 'Well of Spirits'..."

Celebrity fans often know everything about their idols, from their latest movies and commercials to their dining, shopping, and dating spots. Xiao Keleng's claim of knowing every detail of Guan Baoling's activities at Fengge Temple is a classic example of "Guan-style fan" behavior.

I have to admire Xiao Keleng's associative abilities; looking at it step by step, what she said makes perfect sense. A tycoon falls for the scam, a confidante lends a helping hand, the 'Well of Spirits' is the most sacred and efficacious divination site for the Japanese... Guan Baoling's recent filming location is in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, and driving here is very easy.

"Even if she does that, what does it prove? We are businessmen, not private investigators or third-rate tabloid reporters, right?" I didn't think much of Xiao Keleng's paparazzi behavior.

She fell silent again, but then noticeably increased the throttle, and the car sped up.

In my eyes, entertainment news is utterly unreliable, like fireworks bursting in the sky on a festive day—they appear dazzling and spectacular at first glance, but after they burn out, all that's left is a pile of cold ashes, devoid of any memorable significance. Whether the tycoon has a relationship with Kwan Po-ling or not, it's all trivial matters to us outsiders.

What I am personally involved in is finding my elder brother Yang Tian and visiting the "vegetative state" patient Teng Jia.

At this time, Fujika had already been taken back to Japan by Japan's Minister of National Security, Toshio Watanabe, and was staying at Fuuki-ji Temple. Her coma had become my greatest worry.

"What exactly is recorded in the 'Bira's Yellow Springs Sutra'? Can we obtain any useful clues to search for our elder brother through this sutra? Once Fujika wakes up, all the mysteries related to the sutra will be solved—if, as the deceased Tanino Shinji said, the sutra gathers all the mysterious places on Earth and reveals all the unknown great secrets, wouldn't it be another 'treasure book' of immeasurable value that surpasses 'The Centuries'?"

Thinking back to the story of the tiger stealing the scriptures in the desert, I often get so angry that I feel like I'm going crazy. If the scriptures were still here, I could at least ask some textual experts to decipher them, instead of relying on Tengjia's awakening like I do now.

What use was he to take the scriptures? Was he just trying to curry favor with Tang Xin? If Tang Xin really obtained the secret to unifying the martial arts world and wreaking havoc through these scriptures, then Tiger would be a sinner against the entire society and would never be forgiven.

Next, I will visit Fengge Temple again and do everything I can to give Fujika a happy ending to her accident. Since I was able to rescue her from the ancient well in the pyramid, I believe I can definitely awaken her again.

Before sunset, the car arrived at the resort's core villa, a two-story white granite villa built against the mountainside.

It was a complex of buildings consisting of a prominent two-story main building and two wings of evenly spaced bungalows, resembling a white albatross about to take flight. The backdrop of the complex was a mountain covered with withered shrubs and fallen leaves, and bare, exposed blue rocks.

Looking further into the distance, a seven-story, milky-white spire stands tall atop the mountain directly north of the complex, piercing the twilight sky.

“Mr. Feng, that’s the most famous ‘Tower of the Dead’ in Hokkaido. Everyone in Japan knows that it was a magical artifact used by high-ranking monks during the Edo period to ‘suppress the eye of the sea.’ Even travel magazines openly print that description, using the ‘underwater tomb’ at the foot of the tower to attract tourists.”

Xiao Ke skillfully drove the car through the heavy black electric iron gate, into the wall that was also made of white granite, and drove all the way to the entrance of the main building and stopped.

The sprawling estate was eerily quiet. The two-lane concrete road we had just driven along was lined with towering birch trees, their lawns carpeted with half-dead leaves. When I got out of the car and looked back, the estate felt excessively desolate, and all the buildings were shrouded in darkness, devoid of any life.

Above the main gate hangs a plaque with silver characters on a black background, bearing the three large Han-style clerical script characters "Xunfuyuan".

"Mr. Scalpel had specifically instructed that no outsiders were allowed to linger at Xunfu Garden except for routine cleaning and tidying. Sister Su Lun informed me that Mr. Feng had arrived, which was just like Mr. Scalpel coming in person, and everything would be handled by Mr. Feng."

Xiao Keleng pushed open the white front door and led the way into the spacious living room, casually turning on the huge crystal chandelier on the ceiling. With the light on, the gloom in my heart dissipated considerably, and I realized my stomach was already rumbling.

The living room was simply furnished. To the right was a huge black fireplace, spotless and without a trace of ash. In front of it were large, thick white leather sofas arranged in a square, surrounding a white square oak coffee table. To the right, apart from the wooden staircase leading to the second floor, there were no other decorations.

On the front wall hangs a rectangular ink wash landscape painting that almost fills the entire wall, but it has no signature or inscription, so it is impossible to tell what era or artist created it.

"Isn't it too shabby?" Xiao Ke sneered. Ever since she saw Guan Baoling's Mercedes, her emotions had been suppressed, and she was only now beginning to recover.

Indeed, the furnishings in this large house were extremely simple, lacking even the most basic television and audio equipment. It resembled a secluded retreat for Buddhist monks, having already eliminated all temptations of worldly pleasures.

Xiao Keleng dialed a number and arranged for someone to deliver dinner.

I was so hungry, my stomach was rumbling, which made her giggle.

In the scalpel's will, he specifically mentioned Xunfuyuan Villa and suspected that the villa held some kind of secret.

I came here full of hope, but seeing how clean the place was, I was already half-dejected. If this house had any special secrets, they would have been completely discovered and made public long ago through the daily cleaning and tidying.

Looking around the empty living room, I felt dejected, thinking that to find anything, I might have to dig three feet into the ground or dismantle the entire villa. However, finding my elder brother Yang Tian was the most important goal of my trip to Xunfu Garden in Hokkaido. Even if Su Lun wasn't by my side and I was fighting alone, I had to persevere in finding the clues.

I walked up the stairs to the second floor. Unlike the bluestone floor on the first floor, the entire second floor was covered with extremely expensive genuine maple wood flooring, dark brown and so shiny it could reflect a mirror.

The second floor has three rooms, with a large living room in the middle featuring floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views. To the side of the window stands a massive bronze warrior statue. The statue has a long sword at its waist, its hands held across its chest, and it holds a clock more than half a meter tall, its pendulum, gleaming with a bluish light, swinging slowly and steadily.

The bedroom is on the left, and the study is on the right, with bookshelves that reach all the way to the ceiling.

All the rooms had one thing in common: they were all exceptionally clean. One could imagine that, under Xiao Keleng's meticulous care, workers would come in every day to clean them carefully, leaving not a speck of dust behind.

Looking out the large window, one could see all the way to the street outside the manor gate. The dark twilight had enveloped everything in sight, with only the occasional flickering light in the far distance. This desolate environment, coupled with the sparse population of winter, made it seem incredibly gloomy and desolate.

The aroma of Japanese sushi, salmon sashimi, and lobster seaweed soup wafted from the living room. I hurried downstairs and saw two Japanese girls in white shirts and hats setting out dishes on the coffee table. Next to them, a black lacquered food box held seven or eight delicious-looking Japanese dishes, stacked high.

Before we started eating, I asked Xiao Keleng this question: "Have you read the books in the study? Or rather, are there any important notes or memos tucked inside them?"

In my briefcase, I still carry the notebook my older brother left me. In addition, my electronic notebook contains copies of experts from various countries' deconstruction, inference, verification, and discussion of "The Centuries"—it can be said to encompass all known information about that prophetic book.

Since my elder brother once lived in Xunfu Garden, I hope there will be something left in that study.