King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 111

Every time I think about how extraterrestrial life has a technological level that is a million years more advanced than that of humans, I can't help but feel a chill run down my spine.

"I saw it," I replied dejectedly.

Youlian tapped her hands a few times on a virtual platform, paused for a few seconds, and continued in a very apologetic voice: "I'm sorry, Mr. Feng, the great god Tu Liehan does not want to see you. His energy system has weakened to the most dangerous state, and he dares not suffer any loss. He can only communicate with you through voice. Please forgive him."

I nodded, and the weak voice of the Earth-Cracking God rang out: "Wind, are you alright?"

I gave a wry smile: "Good? How can it be good? Think about it, a person who was originally expected to live to be a hundred years old is forced to end his life in his twenties because of the unexpected disaster of the 'Great Seven'. How can he be good?"

Part 4: Reincarnation and Resurrection

— Chapter 7 — Guan Baoling Disappears Again —

I am not a monk who has renounced worldly life and spends my days chanting scriptures and practicing meditation, always ready to ascend to the Western Paradise. I haven't had enough of this beautiful, colorful world yet, and there are so many wonderful things I haven't personally experienced. How could I possibly accept that it would perish along with the earth?

"Wind, don't overthink it. When we Saturnians heard this news, we couldn't bear it either, but what could we do? There's no other way but to endure the whimsical destruction that the universe is inflicting on our little planet."

The Earth God's strength was noticeably weaker than usual, like a patient on the verge of death. My heart softened; we weren't from the same planet, and he couldn't even protect himself, so how could he have the mind to concern himself with Earth's affairs?

I gazed at Youlian's profile and sighed three times: "Youlian, if possible, please lend me some of the energy in my body. We've known each other for a while, so consider it a loan between friends."

Youlian laughed: "What? You're willing to give up the energy in your body? Among Earthlings, people like you are extremely rare. It's such a pity... such a high-quality individual like you can't join the ranks of transformed humans..."

The Great God Tu Liehan slowly and breathlessly refused my request: "No need... I still have enough energy. A little more wouldn't make a difference. Anyway, it's impossible to pilot the spaceship back to the mother planet... The 'universal gravitation' on your Earth is just too strong. The remaining energy is simply not enough to make the spaceship escape gravity and enter space orbit..."

Youlian's gaze was fixed on a spot beside her. I think the great god Tu Liehan is probably sitting in that direction.

I found it somewhat amusing. Humans can defy Earth's gravity and fly to the moon, so why can't the Great God Tulihan do the same? But what I desperately needed to know was about Tengjia—"Great God Tulihan, if you decide to leave, could you tell me how to retrieve Tengjia's soul? After entering the pyramid in such a strange way, she has remained unconscious. Is this related to you seizing her energy?"

The main purpose of running between Xunfuyuan and Fengge Temple was to awaken Tengjia. Now that he has met the great god Tuliehan, he should ask him for details.

The great god Tu Liehan quickly refuted my doubts: "Feng, Tengjia's soul never left her body. There's a strange binding force within her body, like a hard shell, preventing me from penetrating. Therefore, there's no need to discuss absorbing energy or seizing her soul. Her physical structure is clearly vastly different from that of ordinary Earthlings; even the X-ray vision equipment on spacecraft can't see it clearly..."

If the Saturnians don't fully understand Fujika, then the various "superpowers" she displayed at Maple Temple are nothing to brag about.

"Your spell... wind, your spell might be useful... I see the surging, overwhelming power within you, like a ball of molten lava about to explode. You see, any sudden event in the universe occurs by focusing on a three-dimensional axis and then supplementing it with a temporal sequence. For example, among those hoping to awaken Fujika, assuming all methods are correct... but the timing of the rescue isn't right, it can't connect with the life force within her body—it's all in vain. Time is the most important thing... do you understand? Awakening someone requires the perfect timing..."

I don't quite understand, but if the only way to get more information about my older brother is to wake up Fujika, I will do everything in my power.

"I'm tired... I'm so tired..." the great god Tu Liehan murmured to himself, like an old man who had grown old and helpless, every word he spoke was filled with the weariness of old age.

Youlian adjusted her posture and waved to me again: "Goodbye, we'll probably meet again several thousand meters below the surface. Our departure is just a temporary step away from the Earth's surface. Take care, everyone!"

I had a vague feeling that something was wrong, so I waved goodbye to her blankly.

With a soft "snap," Youlian's shadow disappeared from the bedroom.

I didn't want to sleep anymore. I grabbed my phone, ready to go downstairs, when suddenly it dawned on me: "It's Tina! I have to call Tina, I can't go into the Earthshaker Pyramid anymore—" Good heavens! The Saturnians are about to launch their spacecraft to sink underground. If Tina goes into the pyramid now, she's 100% doomed!

In a second, I dialed that mysterious phone number, but no one answered. I dialed it three times, but still no one answered.

In my frantic state, I had forgotten about the time difference between Egypt and Hokkaido. I frantically searched my phone book for Tina's mobile number and dialed it, praying in my heart, "God! Please let Tina answer the phone! Please let her answer the phone!"

Finally, Tina's voice came through the receiver: "Feng, is it urgent? Why are you calling my cell phone?"

The background noise from the receiver was chaotic, a cacophony of voices mixed with the sounds of various traditional African instruments.

I yelled into the microphone, “Tina, don’t go into the Turkic Pyramid! It’s dangerous! There’s going to be a huge explosion there, don’t go! Don’t go—” I yelled so hard that it seemed to shake the entire main building.

This is no joke. Once the Saturnians' spacecraft starts, the sandy ground within hundreds of meters of the Earth Rift will suddenly collapse. Not to mention the people who go inside the pyramid, they will all die and go down thousands of meters underground with the Saturnians, becoming guinea pigs in the Saturnians' "conversion" experiment.

I don't love Tina, but I don't want to just watch her disappear.

“Wind, you—hahahaha…” Tina burst into laughter, and I could imagine her shaking with laughter as she held the phone.

"Feng, are you sleepwalking? Or did you take the wrong medicine? How could you... think of such a strange question? I'm in the camp where we used to stay, but now it's been turned into the entrance to a huge underground palace, our country's most dazzling development project in 2005. You really should come and see this place. Compared to the old-fashioned, dilapidated entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza, this place is magnificent and faithfully recreates the extravagance of the Pharaoh's palace..."

Her voice was muffled and indistinct, mixed in with the background music.

Egypt's tourism industry lacks new development projects and has been gradually shrinking in recent years, which is an indisputable fact. But right now, everyone is playing with fire—I said very seriously into the microphone: "Tina, I swear on my integrity, the Pyramid of Tsar will explode soon. Please believe me this once and for all, do not go near it, and do not go deep inside."

With each passing second, the danger from the Saturnians increased, but Tina clearly wasn't listening to me: "No, no, Feng, are you drunk? How could we possibly give up such a magnificent tourism project? Right there on the stone platform in the center of the pool where you obtained the gem, we've arranged a very creative ribbon-cutting ceremony. Wait a minute, I'll be there with the President..."

I kicked the stair railing hard and couldn't help but curse.

If Tina disappeared inside the pyramids along with the president, Egypt would be thrown into chaos, which would conveniently give the Pentagon an opportunity to take control of Egypt.

"Is it absolutely necessary to go in?" I gradually calmed down, adopting a more even tone, no longer as emotional as before.

Tina laughed again: "Of course! I've always regretted not being able to invite you to join us for this ceremony—"

I cursed inwardly again. Participating in a ceremony? It's like playing a game on a volcano; it's bound to end in tragedy.

The hall was quiet and deserted, so even after I shouted on the stairs for a long time, no one came out to peek. Thinking about it carefully, Anzi was dead, Xinzi was too shocked to leave and had already been taken to the hospital, and Xiao Keleng had left for other matters—indeed, no one should be in this living room.

I went downstairs and sat on the sofa, ready to have a serious talk with Tina. Even if I couldn't convince her, dragging things out until the explosion happened was better than letting her go straight into the pyramid.

The microphone crackled with the sound of celebratory cannons, and then Tina's apologetic voice came through: "Feng, I'm sorry, I'm about to enter the observation elevator. Let's talk later after the ceremony. The President is waiting for me..."

I gritted my teeth and tried to soften my tone: "Tina, give me five more minutes. There are a few things I can only tell you now. If you want to hear them, give me five minutes..." My face flushed, probably already red beyond recognition, but to save her, I had no choice but to "sacrifice" myself without hesitation.

Tina was visibly startled: "What are you saying? I'm listening, please speak..."

She must have misunderstood that I was trying to express some kind of affection, like a marriage proposal or a heartfelt confession… I took deep breaths, trying to recall scenes from romantic movies I’d seen before, making sure I had at least five minutes of dialogue—“Damn Saturnians, why didn’t they leave sooner or later, right when the Egyptians are celebrating? Aren’t they deliberately torturing me?” If I had known this would happen, I should have asked the god of earth to let me go underground later.

“Tina, I…I have thought it over carefully. You said before…that I should serve the President…I have thought it through—” My face was still burning, so I got up and went to the bathroom to get some cold water to cool down.

"Hmph..." Tina laughed. Someone was urging her on; it seemed time was indeed running out.

“I promise you, and I’ve decided to fly to Egypt soon to meet you. Of course… my qualifications are rather limited… it’s impossible for me to directly enter a confidential department as you said…” I turned on the tap, put one hand into the cold water, and immediately goosebumps rose all over my body.

"Feng, this is wonderful! This is the most exciting news I've heard in 2005! Hmm, you don't know yet, do you? The story of Mr. Feng, the handsome Chinese man, bravely seizing the 'Eye of the Moon' has spread throughout Egypt and even the entire African continent. The Ministry of Culture is organizing a group of writers, screenwriters, and directors to make this legendary story into a thrilling tomb-raiding film, spreading your fame and deeds worldwide... If you're willing, several of the highest-ranking institutions in the country are open to your participation. The President can sign off on granting you the title of 'Special Contribution Expert,' placing you on par with several ministers in terms of administrative rank..."

Tina spoke excitedly, her voice rising and falling, perhaps as she excitedly handed the phone from one hand to the other.

I never imagined that my trip to Egypt would leave such a wonderful ending; it was truly an unexpected bonus.

The cold water gradually calmed my feverish face. I checked my watch; only a minute had passed. Damn it—"Feng, when can you come? I'll immediately order the Ministry of Personnel to prepare your file and submit it to the President. I'm so glad you can come! I'm extremely happy—"

Perhaps Tina was too excited to understand my ulterior motives.

"General Tina, the President requests that you enter the elevator immediately. In two minutes, the elevator will enter the underground tunnel," someone next to her urged.

Tina couldn't contain her excitement: "Feng, thank you for the good news! I'll call you again after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and we can talk in detail about your future—no, our wonderful future together, a future that belongs only to the two of us… But I have to go now, goodbye…"

I yelled, "No! No, wait a minute, I have one last thing to say—"

Such lines often foreshadow the male protagonist saying "I love you." Tina understood this, hummed in agreement, and held her breath, waiting.

The background music from the microphone suddenly became incredibly jarring, as if it were a cruel mockery of me.

I smiled bitterly at the ancient bronze mirror. Although "I love you" is a clichéd and meaningless line in the 21st century, I swear I've never said it to a girl. Including Su Lun, I've never said it. Firstly, I haven't found the right opportunity, and secondly, in my heart, it seems that I can only say these words when I'm willing to marry a girl and spend my life with her.

"Feng, I'm waiting..." The person next to me urged Tina, and Tina urged me in turn.

“I…I…” Hardening my heart, I had to say it to save her, even if it was just to buy her a few seconds—in the most terrifying explosions, a few seconds or even a second can often determine the life or death of many people.

"I...love—" I never imagined that one day I would say these words in such a reluctant state.

"Boom—" That was the last sound I heard from the microphone. Then the call was abruptly cut off, as if the call was a single thread that was suddenly torn into countless pieces by the explosion.

I jumped up in horror, splashing water all over myself and the mirror. An explosion had occurred! The Saturnians weren't lying—though I didn't understand why they had to launch the spacecraft at this moment, I believed Tina had successfully escaped the catastrophe.

Looking at my face covered in water stains in the mirror, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad I hadn't finished saying that sentence. At least in my heart, I didn't have to feel sorry for anyone.

Perhaps I should save these words for last, to say to Su Lun, because besides her, no other girl is suitable to be my bride. When I seriously examined myself, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Does Su Lun... also feel the same way?" At that very moment, Guan Baoling didn't appear in my thoughts. And after she left Xunfu Garden, we might never have the chance to meet again; this "amazing" encounter would end there.

Back in the living room, I turned on the TV and went to the news channel, expecting news about the Egyptian explosion soon.

The setting sun streamed in, making this rare moment of tranquility all the more precious. No one was there to disturb me, allowing my still-warm face to slowly recover.

Anzi is dead. The only person I suspected died at the hands of the Fang Demon, and with Yelan—these are two completely unrelated characters. How could they be killed on the same night, one in the east and one in the west, separated by more than a dozen houses?

I suspected Anzi twice. The first time was on the bus to Fengge Temple, when she boldly confessed her feelings to me, almost causing a collision with Zhang Baisen's car. I'm not so arrogant about my masculine charm that I would never allow a Japanese girl I'd only met a short time to say such blatantly provocative things to me. The second time was when she looked through my computer—I believe she had looked at it more than once before, since the laptop was always on the coffee table upstairs, though it didn't contain any important data. When I received the pictures from Su Lun, she immediately took advantage of my feigned sleep to secretly look at them, and looked at them all without missing a single one.

She is certainly suspicious, although I don't know if Xiao Keleng knew about it.

"Knock, knock," someone gently knocked on the door, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned to look outside and saw it was Xiao Lai, the minor leader of the Sharpshooter Gang. It seemed that even after getting my two hundred dollars, he wasn't satisfied and wanted to try and get closer to me?

I beckoned him in, my expression indifferent, because I really didn't want to have too much contact with people who made a living by selling information. When they attract attention, that's when their intelligence sources dried up.

"Mr. Feng, there's some news..." It was the same opening line, the same fake, inscrutable smile, but at least Xiao Lai knew how to respect others, always standing about five steps away from me.

"Go ahead and tell me. If it's useful information, the price won't be low." I have the money, but in the current situation, I don't see any information that might interest me.

"Something happened in the direction of Fengge Temple." This statement was made with certainty.

I sized him up. In the short time I'd been away, he'd changed his attire considerably. His hair was now short, and he was wearing a white work uniform with the cuffs and trouser legs all tucked in, making him look clean and efficient. Of course, there were four slightly bulging areas on the thighs and calves of his work pants, undoubtedly concealing short firearms.

"Something happened in the direction of Fengge Temple. I saw the warning flare sent by Brother Thirteen. Fiery red, thirteen flowers, I have no mistake for it, and Mr. Hawke has already rushed over there with five brothers—this happened an hour ago." His words were concise, probably because he understood that I didn't like listening to nonsense, and that nonsense couldn't bring me any money.

I calmed myself down. Wang Jiangnan went to Fengge Temple to take Guan Baoling there. Half a day has passed, so why is she still there?

Xiao Keleng had said that Guan Baoling's original intention was to go to Fengge Temple first and then return to Hong Kong; she wouldn't stay at the temple for too long. Now? Wang Jiangnan warned her—could something have happened to Guan Baoling?

"Anything else? Keep going, this piece of information alone could be worth a thousand US dollars."

Xiao Lai smiled and stood even straighter: "Thank you. The second piece of information concerns Miss Xiao. This morning, she took Miss Xinzi to Sapporo, where there is a nationally renowned hypnotist. I think Miss Xiao's intention was to see what exactly happened in the Anzi sisters' room last night—that's the first point. After receiving the alarm signal from Brother Thirteen, Mr. Hawke called Miss Xiao, and I overheard a few words, it went like this..."

He coughed and mimicked Hawke's voice perfectly: "Miss Xiao, Guan Baoling has gone missing... Thirteenth Brother said that Guan Baoling has gone missing and has sent out a distress signal. I will go there immediately... No, it's best not to let Mr. Feng know about this yet. Concern can cloud judgment, and I'm afraid he might do something rash..."

Without a doubt, Xiao Lai had learned something similar to ventriloquism, imitating others' speech with remarkable accuracy.

My suspicions were confirmed, but I remained calm. After all, Hawke was a top-tier fighter in the Sharpshooter Guild, several times more skilled than Wang Jiangnan. With him there, nothing serious was likely to happen.

How did Guan Baoling disappear? Is it related to the monks at Fengge Temple?

My first thought was the insincere Master Shenbi. As the abbot of Fengge Temple, he's implicated in everything that happens there. Guan Baoling has disappeared from the temple; if we keep pressing him, we'll definitely find her… “Mr. Feng, there's a third thing—Mr. Hawke is probably unsure about finding Miss Guan, because in the forty minutes after he left, he called Master Zhang three times, asking him to join forces with the Shao brothers to see if they could use spirit summoning to find Miss Guan's whereabouts. Unfortunately, Master Zhang has already done his best, but there's been no result in twenty minutes—”

Xiao Lai's intelligence report is complete. It's no longer a matter of price. As it turns out, Guan Baoling has disappeared again, just like before when she disappeared in the main building's restroom.

I got up and paced a few steps to the bathroom door, where I frowned and peered inside repeatedly.

Xiao Lai followed behind me, but he wouldn't understand the significance of me standing here.

"A mirror! Yes, a mirror! It could be the root of her mysterious disappearance..." I walked to the mirror, carefully recalling the actions Guan Baoling had described before her disappearance—first turning on the tap, washing her hands, then turning it off, and slowly walking to the window. I tried to make each movement as slow as possible, mimicking Guan Baoling's dejected mood at the time, even bending over and lowering my gaze, which made Xiao Lai blink nervously, barely daring to breathe.

Guan Baoling disappeared in the dead of night, but now it is broad daylight. The endless wilderness outside the window shows the desolate and cold desolation unique to Hokkaido in the cold winter.

"Mr. Feng, do you need... do you need help..." Xiao Lai held onto the door frame and slowly squatted down.

I waved to him and looked back at the mirror, but I didn't hear any sound. Everything was perfectly normal; there was no way there could be a sudden bubbling sound.

I leaned against the back window, lost in thought, and asked Xiao Lai, "What's in the mirror?"

He looked carefully at himself in the mirror, then shook his head: "It's just me, nothing else?"