King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 98

Part 3: Ghostly Villa

— Chapter 4 — Divine Head Town, Black Fiend Array, Water and Fire Flag —

Anzi's Mazda was still parked outside the gate. As we walked down the steps, a Toyota Jeep sped up on the mountain road. Its bright headlights shattered the darkness that enveloped Muwanzhou Mountain. It roared all the way to the temple gate and came to an abrupt stop.

This is Wang Jiangnan's car. Why would he be so kind as to pick me up?

The first person to jump out of the car was Xiao Keleng, her short hair shimmering in the night. She waved to me and jogged over, her concern for me undisguised: "Mr. Feng, Sister Su Lun... and I were both very worried, so I specially brought some friends from the Sharpshooter Society to pick you up. How is it? Did anything unpleasant happen at the temple?"

She lunged at me and grabbed my sleeve, staring at me intently, her bright eyes fixed on my face, making me inexplicably nervous.

The second person to step off was Guan Baoling, her long hair flowing in the wind. She stood by the open car door, smiling at me from afar. The night view of Muwanzhou is already a classic sight, and with Guan Baoling's presence, this classic scene is about to become an unforgettable page in my memory.

Actually, there was another person who was infatuated with her, and that was Wang Jiangnan in the driver's seat.

I know that Wang Jiangnan is completely in love with someone he doesn't want to see. You can definitely tell his complicated feelings from his longing expression, which shows that he wants to see her but doesn't dare to.

"Mr. Feng, it's been a whole day. How are you?" Guan Baoling smiled at me with a slight upturn of her lips. The way she reached up to comb her hair was like that of a model on the runway. A classical charm emanated from her very bones, making me swallow hard in admiration.

"What a pity, what a pity, what a pity... She's a tycoon's woman!" I'm sure Wang Jiangnan felt the same hopeless sigh as I did.

The tycoon has become an absolute peak that Asian men cannot surpass. Women who have entered his harem rarely offer themselves to others or fall for him. He embodies all the virtues of Asian men…

"Mr. Feng, shall we retreat first?" Xiao Keleng kindly reminded me in a low voice when he saw that I was a little out of control.

I waved to Guan Baoling as a response, and hurriedly got into Anzi's car.

Xiao Keleng followed her into the carriage, slammed the door shut, and ordered Anzi, "Go, go back." I could tell she still didn't trust Guan Baoling.

The car sped ahead along the mountain road, and Zhang Baisen got into Wang Jiangnan's car, following behind at a steady pace.

.

This trip to Fengge Temple was incredibly fruitful. Having made a friend like Zhang Baisen, a master martial artist, would make him virtually invincible in the martial arts world. He enjoys immense prestige in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau; anywhere he goes, he can command a massive following…

With so many things happening, I didn't want to rush into talking about it in the car, especially since I had to avoid the eyes and ears of servants like Anzi.

As the car passed through Shentou Town, two crudely styled black gauze lanterns were already hanging at the gate. In this season, it would be hard to find anyone interested in eating or resting in this dark house.

I shared my first question with Xiao Keleng: "A straight line, with a white house in the bushes behind, the 'Tower of the Dead' in the middle, and Godhead Town at the very top—where do you think this line leads?"

The imagined straight line formed in my mind the moment I saw the white building of the "Meditation Hall." If you were to divide it on a world map, this line would likely point towards the continental shelf off the coast of South Korea.

The most intuitive way would be to take a globe and use a red pencil to connect the invisible lines. However, Xiao Keleng's imagination was so vivid that she could make a judgment within seconds without a globe: "It's central and southern South Korea, right?"

I nodded; she was absolutely right. The straight line stretched infinitely in both directions, aiming towards the southwest, precisely at the line connecting Daegu, Busan, and Jeju Island in South Korea.

Looking back out of the car window, Shentou Town was shrouded in darkness, utterly deserted. The roar of the waves crashing against the rocks echoed in his ears, fueling his growing suspicion about everything eerie about Shentou Town. He blurted out, "Anzi, when we passed through here this morning, you mentioned that many strange things had happened in Shentou Town. Could you elaborate?"

The combination of the "Black Fiend Array" and the "Water and Fire Flags" is extremely powerful in terms of its negative energy. I believe that in the strange events that Anzi is about to tell us, there will definitely be deaths and injuries.

"Yes, Mr. Feng. There are at least three strange incidents that actually happened, and because the police were involved, the police station has detailed investigation reports. It seems that the people involved were tourists visiting Fengge Temple. They parked their cars on the side of the road outside Shentou Town, and after less than ten minutes, the cars caught fire and exploded. Once, the empty car was destroyed in the fire, and in the other two incidents, a total of seven people died, burning to ashes along with the cars."

My heart clenched as soon as I heard the word "fire".

“There are also mysterious self-immolation incidents in Fengge Temple, such as the Heavenly Dragon Monk and Bingjian—what? Could it be that these mysterious self-immolations are exactly the same as the feng shui layout of Shentou Town?”

In the Chinese Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, the south belongs to the fire element (丙丁), and the west belongs to the metal element (庚辛). Therefore, the southwest is a place where metal and fire meet. When the fire is raging and intense, anyone who breaks in will inevitably suffer disaster and die from the fire.

The bright headlights shone straight ahead, piercing through the vast darkness of Muwanzhoushan. Just over twenty meters to the side, there were steep cliffs, and below them, the surging waves crashed against the shore.

I still don't understand what the person who set up the "arrow through the heart" formation intended. The "Tower of the Dead" has existed for more than ten or twenty years. I prefer to believe that this feng shui arrangement was formed unintentionally.

As Shentou Town was left far behind, I rested my head on the backrest of the back seat, hoping to calm my mind and have a few minutes of peace and quiet.

So many complicated and bizarre things happened today that I was almost overwhelmed. In particular, the various powers that Master Xianyun and Guijianchuan imposed on my body still make me feel faintly that there are different currents of air flowing in my palm.

Occasionally, the headlights of the jeep behind would shine through the rear window and flicker in Anzi's driver's seat.

Xiao Keleng turned her head and looked back, then suddenly spoke with unease, "Mr. Feng, I feel that Wang Jiangnan and Guan Baoling seem to have reached some kind of tacit understanding... If this situation is allowed to continue, it may become unmanageable. Wang Jiangnan's status in the Divine Sniper Association is very special, and Mr. Sun Long will definitely give him face if he says anything..."

She was somewhat incoherent, but when the car turned left and avoided the jeep's headlights, she began to speak more fluently: "The friends of the Sniper Society have always been Mr. Scalpel's most capable assistants in Asia—I believe that if Mr. Sun Long were to propose to acquire Xunfu Garden, even if Mr. Scalpel were present, he would give him face and readily hand over these villas without hesitation, and without charging a penny. Do you understand what I mean?"

I crossed my arms, pondered for a moment, and asked her in return: "Is Wang Jiangnan's identity really as reported in overseas newspapers, that he is a descendant of the 'King of Assassination'?"

Xiao Keleng pondered for more than ten seconds before slowly nodding after hearing what seemed like an ordinary sentence.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of the underworld in old China will know who the so-called "King of Assassinations" refers to. This "King" doesn't refer to a ruler, but rather that the person known as the "King of Assassinations" was actually surnamed Wang. His existence kept important figures and powerful figures from all walks of life in old China awake at night, living in constant fear that his assassination warrant would one day slip through all doors and land on their bedside table.

For nearly eighty years, assassins in the martial arts world have regarded him as their idol, and many respectfully venerate him as the "founding father" of this profession after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

"After detailed genealogical research, Wang Jiangnan is the direct grandson of the 'King of Assassins,' and the only surviving son after two generations of single-lineage succession. The Divine Sharpshooter Society was founded by the 'King of Assassins' and later entrusted to the Sun family ancestors for management. In other words, the current head of the Divine Sharpshooter Society is surnamed Wang, not Sun..."

Xiao Keleng's voice was urgent, and I knew that it all stemmed from her suspicion of Guan Baoling.

"Are you suspecting that Guan Baoling has been instructed or manipulated by someone behind the scenes?" My hand reached into my pocket and touched the black and silver ring. I didn't see Reese's presence at Maple Temple today, nor did I have a chance to ask the monks about her, which was undoubtedly my only regret.

Too beautiful a girl will always make a man lower his guard.

Moreover, Guan Baoling is not merely "beautiful," but possesses an extremely fatal attraction to all men. It is only natural and expected that Wang Jiangnan would be captivated by her.

I took out the ring and examined it under the cold light reflected from the dashboard. According to Xiao Keleng's logic, Guan Baoling would take a roundabout approach, persuading Wang Jiangnan, who would then ask Sun Long to approach me and Su Lun to buy Xunfuyuan—

"The key issue isn't whether the villa is for sale or renovated, but rather... whether we can uncover its secrets in a short time, right? Those who covet the villa, like Watanabe Castle, aren't after tourism in Mokuwan Boat Mountain; they have other motives. Once we obtain the secret, reselling the villa won't be a problem. So—in the coming days, I need many reliable, discreet workers to conduct an extremely detailed survey of the villa..."

Before I could finish speaking, Xiao Keleng was already shaking her head gently.

"What? Is there something wrong with what I said?" I smiled, trying my best to relax my tense muscles and mind.

The car turned another corner and drove onto the highway leading directly to Xunfuyuan. After being away for half a day, seeing the white main building of the villa evoked a sense of familiarity.

As night fell, the manor was brightly lit. Various lights illuminated the walls, tree-lined paths, and outside the main building, making it look like a magnificent cruise ship on a vast sea when viewed from afar.

With the light on, my heart was instantly warmed, and my mood became exceptionally good, sweeping away all the gloom and depression.

For so many years, my only family has been the scalpel, and even then, we've only ever talked on the phone and never met in person. I'm a true wanderer. Whether in the classical elegance of Italy, the picturesque landscapes of the Nordic countries, or even while traveling throughout China, I've never felt at home. I always feel like the loneliest person on Earth. At this moment, the car heading towards Xunfu Garden feels like it's taking me home, bringing tears to my eyes.

Ever since the scalpel perished inside the Pyramid of Giza, I have been feeling incredibly depressed. Now, I have finally let go of myself completely.

Xiao Ke smiled with relief: "I sent people to add a lot of things to the villa: lights, TV, computer, kitchen utensils, refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine... I hope you will be more comfortable here."

Anzi, sitting in the driver's seat, sighed softly, shrugged, and revealed a barely perceptible expression of hurt.

I gently patted Xiao Keleng's hand, filled with gratitude: "Thank you... thank you."

My excessive loneliness makes me not very good at expressing gratitude to others, but the unexpected surprise Xiao Keleng gave me really made me very happy.

We were sitting side by side in the back seat. Xiao Ke leaned slightly closer to me, smiling silently. A light mist had formed on the car windows, suggesting the weather outside was unusually cold. It's in this kind of weather that lonely people tend to connect more easily. If the car hadn't already entered the villa's gates, we might have had a deeper conversation.

More than twenty new streetlights in the style of classic cherry blossom trees have been added to both sides of the tree-lined avenue, illuminating the way all the way to the main building entrance. The door is open, and the warm light from inside wafts out, along with the aroma of roast chicken and red wine.

I took a deep sniff and exclaimed with delight, "It smells so good!"

Just then, the phone rang incessantly, an unfamiliar Tokyo, Japan number. I got out of the car and silently watched the rapidly flashing number on the screen, knowing it was a call from Yellen.

"What will he tell me? A big secret? A big secret worth twenty million US dollars?"

Xiao Keleng jumped out of the car from the other side and asked with concern, "Do you need any help?"

Her expression and tone towards me changed; she became incredibly friendly and gentle, her eyes sparkling in the shadows where the light didn't reach.

I waved the phone at her, then shook my head with a smile: "No need. It's just a call from a friend in the underworld. Maybe he can give us some information."

Wang Jiangnan's car also stopped in front of the main building. Through the driver's side window, his sharp, eagle-like eyes kept secretly watching me.

I hurried inside with my phone and went upstairs. The sofa in the living room had been moved to the window, and a rectangular dining table was set under the crystal chandelier, its silver-plated tableware gleaming with a dazzling and alluring light. Nobuko, wearing an apron, curtsied to me, a shy smile on her face.

Subconsciously, I've always considered Anko and Nobuko as "outsiders." No matter how blatantly Anko has confessed her feelings, I've always hoped that everyone would maintain a sufficiently cold distance.

Those who are not of my kind will surely have different hearts. I am not yet at the point where I can accept Japanese people as friends; I would rather remain strangers to them.

I answered the phone after turning the corner of the stairs.

Yelan's voice rang out in a fit of exasperation: "Mr. Feng, Mr. Feng... It's me, Yelan, your friend Yelan..." The background noise was slightly loud, probably the sound of chips being tossed and the electronic music from slot machines. He was definitely in a casino; based on that background noise alone, I was 100% certain.

I walked into the living room on the second floor and slowly sat down on the sofa.

Unable to hear my reply, Yelan raised his voice anxiously: "Mr. Feng, I need money, twenty million, twenty million US dollars... I have what you need—"

I reached out and stroked the hilt of the sword at the bronze statue's waist, caressing the intricate patterns, gradually calming myself before leisurely replying, "I'd like to hear what kind of secret is worth twenty million US dollars. However, it's very likely your secret isn't even worth twenty million yen, or even a single penny. Hmm, I've always thought Egyptians were an honest and kind people, but you've hidden so much from me. I don't know if I should still trust you..."

Yelan panicked: "No, no, my secret is absolutely worth that price. Believe me, you'll definitely benefit greatly from waking that girl up. I only need twenty million, just twenty million... Of course, you'd better lend me a few thousand first, because the casino won't let me leave and is forcing me to work to pay off my debts..."

His voice was choked with sobs, and he began to cry into the phone like a woman.

Japanese casinos are all under the control of organized crime. Gamblers who fail to pay their debts are often severely beaten, or even have their limbs broken or lie dead in the streets – such incidents are commonplace. To be honest, a professional engineer like Yelan shouldn't have tried his luck in a casino in the first place, and he certainly couldn't afford to mess with the thugs of the underworld.

The "Soul-Returning Sand" that Long and Yelan valued so highly had no effect on Tengjia; otherwise, she wouldn't still be lying in Master Shenbi's "Marrow Cleansing Hall" to this day.

Should I believe Yellan? For me, twenty million dollars is not important; I hope to find the best shortcut to solve the increasingly complex problems.

"Mr. Feng, save me! I promise this secret can wake someone up! I promise... I can't stay here any longer, the security guards here are inhuman..."

I can imagine the kind of unfair treatment an Egyptian would receive in Japan, especially after accumulating such a large gambling debt. If I don't intervene, another foreigner's corpse will appear on the streets of Tokyo in a few days.

I wrote down the address and phone number of the casino called "Crown Plaza." Yelan, still worried, pleaded with me repeatedly before hanging up, tears streaming down his face.

"A secret? 'Resurrection Sand' plus this secret, can it really wake Teng Jia?" I wasn't sure. I stood up and strolled to the window, watching Guan Baoling slowly get out of the car and stop on the steps in front of the door. Her clothes had been changed, but they were now a long skirt and a fur coat of the same material and style. Her skin was so fair, perfectly complemented by black clothes; it was clear at a glance that she had been carefully styled by an image consultant.

Wang Jiangnan stood on the other side of the car, his hands behind his back, his head held high, exuding a calm and composed aura.

I shrugged and sneered, "Compared to a tycoon, Wang Jiangnan is just a nobody. Can he really win Guan Baoling's favor? Probably not!" A subtle jealousy inexplicably arose in my heart, I didn't know if it was jealousy of Wang Jiangnan or tycoon Ye Hongsheng.

Guan Baoling looked up at the window directly in front of me. Her hair cascaded down her back, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene that almost took my breath away. I looked around the room, desperately wanting to find a camera to capture her pose and preserve it forever.

In the Asian entertainment market, four personal photo albums of Guan Baoling were once released and circulated widely. However, compared with the living person she was in at this moment, those poses in the photo studio were nothing more than cold and lifeless pictures. Ten thousand pictures could not compare to the moment in front of you.

Someone gently knocked on the railing at the top of the stairs. I turned around awkwardly, knowing without looking that it was Xiao Keleng.

“Mr. Feng, the study on the second floor has never been renovated or altered. If you really need to thoroughly search the villa, my suggestion is to start from there.”

She walked to the study door and turned on the main light.

Only then did I notice that the upstairs lights had been replaced with brighter ones, and a giant Brazilian wood plant with large, fleshy leaves, over two meters tall, had been added to a corner of the living room.

The scene of the Japanese ninja attack is as distant as a memory from years ago, but Xiao Keleng definitely has a way of making everything go my way. I was only gone for an afternoon, and she completely transformed the villa.

“Mr. Feng, do you have a better explanation for that black and silver ring?” She leaned against the study doorframe, arms crossed, a hint of gloom in her eyes. I noticed that in just over ten minutes, she had already touched up her makeup, applied powder, and carefully drawn her lips. If all of this was for me, what should I do—

I wiped my face, temporarily putting aside my wild thoughts about Guan Baoling, and took out the ring: "Xiao Xiao, do you remember the American girl Reese, whom we met at Sapporo Airport? She was wearing a ring just like this, exactly the same. However, as you and I both know, black and silver rings are completely handmade. Even if made under a magnifying glass, it's impossible to produce something exactly the same, let alone with this amber stone embedded in it?"

She frowned deeply: "Really? You mean the ring belongs to the American girl Reese? If only you had told me sooner—" With her memory, she would have remembered Reese's face immediately.

I smiled wryly: "Reese's destination is Maple Temple. I thought I would meet her there, but too many things happened today. I believe Guan Baoling has nothing to do with the black magic in Guatemala. Who is the tycoon? He has already been harmed by black magic, so why would he keep a girl related to black magic by his side?"

Under the bright light, every detail of the ring was clearly visible; the band was incredibly smooth, displaying an elegant and beautiful curve. One can only imagine the immense effort the original maker must have put in to create it using primitive forging tools.

To cast such a beautiful handicraft upon it the most evil curse on earth—perhaps only the sorcerers of Guatemala would be willing to commit such a heinous act as burning a musical instrument and boiling a crane.