King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 116

The room was dark and I couldn't see anything, but I followed my instincts and walked toward the tree hole where Bumenlu was meditating, because the sound was coming from that direction.

After Bumenlu's self-immolation, nothing was left but his bones; there were no "Buddha relics" or anything like that the monks in the monastery had hoped for. The tree hollow has been cleaned, but unfortunately, the space is so small that it's feared no one will be able to meditate and practice there again.

I stood in front of the tree and placed my hand on its trunk. As the sound rang out again, I felt a slight vibration in my palm; the clock that had made the sound was inside the tree. After a moment's thought, I took out a flashlight and a tactical knife from my sleeve, preparing to dig into the tree to see what was hidden inside.

The ancient bark emitted a strong woody fragrance, making me feel that cutting it with a knife would be a crime. Fortunately, the knife only cut about three centimeters before making a "clink" sound, indicating that it had hit some kind of metallic object.

I quickly expanded my gains, carving a 30-centimeter square hole in the tree trunk. Under the flashlight, the textures on the trunk resembled the most beautiful abstract paintings, leaving me in awe. But my astonishing discovery was not these; it was a bronze clock the size of an adult's palm.

The clock is shaped exactly like a hand, with the five fingers on top meticulously crafted, even down to the details of the skin texture and fingernails. It is truly a rare and exquisite work of art. Its dial is likely made of crystal glass, flawlessly transparent and sparkling.

Strangely, this clock has no hands, and the dial is empty except for Arabic numerals from one to twelve.

I shook it a few times. It was very heavy, nearly 20 centimeters thick. It must have been filled with high-quality copper strings, so even though it was buried deep behind the bark, it could still produce a clear sound of the strings being plucked.

"A clock without hands? Buried in the trunk of an ancient tree? How could Bumenlu be so bored as to come up with such a thing?"

I examined the clock over and over a dozen times, but found nothing. When I peered inside through the winding hole on the back, I could see the various mechanisms gleaming with a golden-yellow copper light.

"What exactly did Guijianchuan and Bumenlu realize after decades of cultivation? What does the phrase 'A destined person will open the underwater tomb' written on that birch bark mean?" I held it, feeling the struggling force within it eager to break free from its constraints—what use is a clock without hands, even if it is wound up and starts running again?

Back by Tengjia's coffin, I lay down again and heard the early roosters crowing outside... When I woke up, it was already 11 a.m. The sun was shining brightly outside, so bright it made my eyes water.

Lying in bed, I took out the clock again. It was slightly larger than my hand and looked like a highly modernized work of art. Unfortunately, it was crippled—there were several small Chinese characters engraved on the bottom of its base. After careful examination, I found two strange sentences: "Those who traverse eternity traverse eternity, right on the axis of time."

I sneered: "I wonder which Japanese sage copied this famous quote from a Chinese philosophy book?"

This kind of seemingly profound but ultimately meaningless nonsense is a favorite style of many young Chinese writers, and it is similar to the "decadent" and "nonsense" writing groups of the past.

Xiao Lai had been waiting outside the door. When he saw that I had woken up, he immediately ran in to report: "Mr. Feng, we just received a message from Brother Thirteen. He reported Miss Guan's disappearance to the tycoon via international phone. As a result, the tycoon turned furious on the phone and will be coming to Fengge Temple as soon as possible."

I chuckled inwardly at Wang Jiangnan's foolishness. To recklessly expose Guan Baoling's disappearance to the tycoon before the case was even resolved was simply ridiculous. I wondered how the Sharpshooter Society would ultimately pay the price for this. Offending the tycoon meant even Sun Long's life would likely be difficult.

"I understand." Master Shenbi will definitely help with the search for Guan Baoling; there's no need to worry about that. As long as she remains within the sphere of influence of Fengge Temple, they will surely be able to find her. Even if strange and bizarre events occur, if they are beyond human control, not even a tycoon or the President of the United States could do anything about it.

I leaned down and stared at Tengjia. She remained motionless in the same sleeping position as last night, her breathing steady and her expression blank.

Xiao Lai sighed and was about to leave when Master Shenbi strode in: "Mr. Feng, Mr. Feng, will Princess Tengjia wake up today? There's a very important call from Tokyo, inquiring about the princess..."

There are still many things I don't understand about Tengjia's identity. I will ask Master Shenbi for clarification when I have the chance in the future.

I nodded: "I will do my best, but I can't guarantee anything. Master Shenbi, my friend Miss Guan Baoling went missing in the temple yesterday, I believe you know that. Please find a few capable monks to accompany me to search thoroughly again. This is a serious matter. If it is not handled properly, Fengge Temple will not have peace from today onwards."

Yesterday, Wang Jiangnan and Hawke led a group that caused trouble for half the afternoon; Master Shenbi couldn't possibly be unaware of that.

He sighed helplessly, "Mr. Feng, we searched several times yesterday, but to no avail. Since you've given the order, we'll do our best to find her. I'll assign a hundred young monks to search for Miss Guan with all our might. Alas, I'm afraid the result will still disappoint you..."

I believe more strongly that Guan Baoling's disappearance was due to "non-human" forces. She came to Fengge Temple several times; if someone wanted to harm her, they would have done so long ago, instead of waiting until now.

After Xiao Lai and Master Shenbi left, I took Teng Jia's right hand and carefully examined her wrist pulse. Her hand was cool, her skin was smooth, and the pulse was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, sometimes strong and sometimes weak.

“Miss Fujika, wake up… Can’t the power of the Resurrection Sand awaken your soul?” I placed my left palm on her right palm and tentatively channeled my inner energy into her body.

Intuitively, she was like a solid block of ice, requiring me to use my inner strength to condense a stream of heat and melt the ice layer bit by bit.

Fortunately, I had the internal energy that Bumenlu gave me for free; otherwise, I would have been exhausted and died from exhaustion long ago if I had continued to exert my power.

The shouts of monks outside, calling for formation and assigning tasks, came from outside. A large group was indeed moving at once. Now that my status was different, Master Shenbi would take every word I uttered seriously. To have unintentionally subdued such a powerful force was truly… truly an unexpected joy—"Perhaps I really am someone with a special destiny?"

With a "click," the strange clock that had been lying next to the pillow started ringing again, and this time it kept ringing nonstop, seemingly with no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Fujika's fingers suddenly moved, gripping my five fingers tightly with astonishing force.

"Tengjia... Tengjia..." I called her name loudly, feeling her entire right arm stiff as a rigid wooden stick, but the strength in her fingers was like a steel hook, endlessly gripping my hand. Power naturally arose within my body, quickly transferring to my left palm to resist her.

"Wake up... wake up..." I kept repeating this phrase to myself, hoping for a miracle this time.

"Heh...heh..." Fujika suddenly cried out, her voice mingling with the ticking of the clock, and her head began to shake violently.

I took a deep breath and quickly extended my right index finger, pressing several acupoints on her head, neck, and upper body with a few "puff puff, puff puff" sounds to prevent her from biting her tongue due to unconscious movements while unconscious.

Her eyes snapped open, gleaming, and she released her right palm at the same time.

Although my acupressure skills aren't great, I managed to hit four acupoints on her upper body, which should have temporarily disabled her movement above the waist. But it didn't work at all; her arms were still able to move freely.

"Finally... I'm finally back..."

"Mr. Feng, thank you for everything you've done for me." Her tone remained arrogant, as if the months-long coma had passed in a mere second.

On the contrary, I was so shocked that my own thoughts became blurred. The Japanese had already done everything in their power, but to no avail; it had become a huge medical challenge. And what had I done? I had revived her so easily—was it the power of the resurrection sand? Or the 'yin-yang divine power' of the cloth shoes, or perhaps this strange clock had some unseen influence?

I took a few steps back, both surprised and astonished: "Are you sure... Miss Fujika, are you sure you're back to normal?"

She let out an extremely cute laugh: "Of course, but you'd better leave for a while, I need to tidy my clothes..." As she said this, two blushes suddenly appeared on her cheeks.

I awkwardly stepped out of the door and carefully closed it behind me.

Fujika woke up, and many questions could be answered immediately, such as her mysterious disappearance, the death of Tanino Shinji, the secrets in the scriptures... I paced back and forth in front of the door, my mind filled with extremely excited questions, and the awakened Fujika was the key to unlocking all my questions.

Xiao Keleng's call came at that moment: "Mr. Feng, the tycoon is coming, um... things are a bit bad. Thirteenth Brother, Mr. Hawke, Master Zhang and others will be going to Fengge Temple soon, and they have already notified Mr. Sun Long..."

The immense joy of waking Tengjia filled my entire being, so I wasn't too bothered by the tycoon's interrogation. Instead, I excitedly shouted into the microphone, "Xiao Xiao, Tengjia is awake! Tengjia is awake, you know? She's fully awake! Soon I'll be able to understand the secrets of the *Biluo Huangquan Jing* ()..."

I called out for a full half minute before I suddenly realized that the person on the other end of the line was Xiao Keleng, not Su Lun. Xiao Keleng understood nothing of what had happened in the Egyptian desert; only Su Lun could truly empathize with her. Xiao Keleng was still an outsider, a world apart from the bond between Su Lun and me.

"I know." Xiao Keleng was indeed not very enthusiastic, her tone was flat and depressed.

I was speechless. After all, compared to Guan Baoling's disappearance, Teng Jia's awakening was a bigger headache for the Sharpshooter Association.

The sliding door behind me clicked softly, and Teng Jia emerged, dressed in a grey monk's robe. A white cloth belt tightly bound her waist, making it seem as if one could wrap their arms around it—truly the classical beauty described by the ancients as having a "waist so slender it could be grasped in one hand." She wore white wooden clogs, barefoot, the skin on the insteps as white as snow… Although I was still on the phone with Xiao Keleng, my gaze had already been drawn to the radiant Teng Jia.

"Xiao Xiao, I've already mobilized all the monks in the temple to search high and low. This time, I suspect..."

Xiao Keleng quickly interrupted me, her tone becoming very impatient: "No, no, Mr. Feng, do you still believe the nonsense she told last time? I told Thirteen Brother and the others about that, and nobody believed me! Not a single person believed me! And about the ring, there's no reasonable explanation for anything. Therefore, Mr. Hawke suspects that Miss Guan is just bait deliberately placed there to sow discord between the tycoon and the Sniper Society. Once the tycoon joins forces with the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Sniper Society's power in Japan will suffer a major blow..."

I couldn't listen anymore. All of Wang Jiangnan's and Hawke's ideas were based on political struggles, underworld struggles, and territorial struggles. No one put themselves in Guan Baoling's shoes.

"Don't attribute every incident to the battle between the Yamaguchi-gumi and the Gunslinger Society, Xiao. You're not entirely part of the Gunslinger Society, so why force yourself to be associated with them? I came to Hokkaido to investigate something else; I have absolutely no interest in the clash between these two major underworld forces, and I will never be seduced by any 'honey trap.' Regarding the ring, I can tell you very seriously, this one is the one Reese's wearing. I'll find her immediately and make her prove it to you. Goodbye—"

I pressed the button hard to reel in the cable, feeling utterly disappointed in Xiao Keleng.

If I enjoyed the life of a fugitive embroiled in gang warfare, I could have easily joined any gangster organization in the world three years ago. Why wait until now to dedicate myself to the Gunslinger Society? Xiao Keleng is utterly foolish, always and in every way considering himself a member of the Gunslinger Society.

The underworld is easy to enter, but to leave is incredibly difficult, often requiring immense suffering and leaving one barely alive. Even then, severing all ties to past grievances is not guaranteed. Over the centuries, countless individuals who dreamed of cleansing their names through the act of "washing their hands of the underworld" have ultimately met their demise at the hands of their enemies.

Having witnessed too much bloodshed and vendetta in the underworld, I have an intense aversion to things in the criminal world. There's no way to avoid it, so why would I want to get myself into trouble?

For a moment, I missed Su Lun. Her ability to handle situations and respond to situations was just like mine, something Xiao Keleng couldn't compare to at all.

Tengjia swept a stone bench clean with a flick of her sleeve, then slowly sat down, a red ribbon between her fingers gently tying up her long, black hair. Months of unconsciousness hadn't made her dull or dazed; on the contrary, she appeared even more energetic. Every movement of her eyes seemed to carry a chilling light, making her even more aloof and proud than when she first met him in the desert.

“I’ve been awake the whole time, but my ‘awake’ state means my mind is clear, and my hearing and smell are normal, but I can’t move or speak, as if I’m locked in a large box. So, you don’t need to explain everything that happened; I experienced it all myself, and I will answer all your questions. However, there’s something extremely urgent right now—someone has gone missing, right below… the ‘Tower of the Dead.’ We must rescue them before the next ‘Tide of the Gods’ arrives, otherwise…”

I didn't immediately realize that the "person" she was referring to was Guan Baoling, and blurted out, "What? Someone else is missing? And under the tower—what's under the tower? Is it a secret passage leading to the 'Underwater Tomb'..."

Confused by Xiao Ke's coldness, his mind seemed to suddenly freeze, unable to think deeply, and he just kept asking random questions without any rhyme or reason.

“Wind, look at the sun, the answer is in there. Let the sun illuminate your soul and wisdom. When the shadows in your mind are dispelled by the sunlight, you will get the answer, because the answer to every question is in your heart…” She raised her hand and pointed to the sun, her gray sleeves sliding down to her elbows, revealing flawless, radiant white skin on her arms.

I looked up at the sun, squinting, and felt that the saying "all things grow by the sun" was truly an eternally applicable truth. Bathed in sunlight, I felt warm all over, and my frozen thoughts began to flow again—there could only be one missing person, and it must be Guan Baoling. So…how did she get under the tower? A secret passage? A teleportation technique? Or a wormhole?

Under the radiant sunlight, the heaviness and oppression that Fengji Temple had brought me for so long began to slowly fade away, and I was able to awaken Fujika—regardless of whether it was because of my incantation that she was resurrected, at least a huge stone that had been weighing on my heart was removed.

Such good news should be shared with Suren immediately.

I lowered my head and rubbed my face vigorously with both hands, as if I were taking an extremely comfortable sunbath.

Dressed in a monk's robe, Tengjia looked refined and otherworldly, her aloof eyes holding a captivating, faint smile: "Actually, there's no need to inform others. Anyone with a telepathic connection to you will surely sense your pain and joy. Let's go—" She pointed south, towards the "Tower of the Dead."

After the initial excitement subsided, I regained my composure: "Miss Tengjia, you were able to sense everything around you even while you were unconscious? Can you be sure that Guan Baoling entered the tower? What reason do I have to believe you?"

Both times I entered the first level of the "Tower of the Dead," I carefully searched the paving stones on the ground—I believe anyone who knew that "the 'Undersea Tomb' lies beneath the tower" would have done the same. In everyone's imagination, if a secret passage truly exists, the entrance must first be found; this is a self-evident truth.

There were no signs of loosening on the ground of the first level of the pagoda, which means that the secret passage did not exist at all.

Tengjia smiled, rose, and walked towards the courtyard gate, her movements as light and graceful as flowing water. She truly didn't need to explain anything to me, because many things in this world can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words. Until we achieved a spiritual connection, I wouldn't easily believe any strange things she said.

Because of Teng Jia's resurrection, so beautiful and vibrant, it seemed to instantly displace Guan Baoling from my heart. At that moment, I didn't realize how terrifying the tycoon's anger was; I only thought he could still give the Divine Gun Society some face and resolve any issues amicably through negotiation.

I caught up with Tengjia, and together we turned into the long corridor. We encountered a group of monks rushing towards us, looking around anxiously. They must have been part of the group sent by Master Shenbi to search the entire temple for Guan Baoling. Upon seeing Tengjia's face, the young monk at the front suddenly froze, his mouth agape as if making a silent scream, but no sound came out.

Then, a scream erupted from the crowd: "Ah—"

More screams and gasps rose and fell, and after a period of chaos, the group of people all knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly to Tengjia.

I had no idea that Tengjia's status was so noble that others would bow down to him without hesitation.

Tengjia waved her arm dismissively: "No need for formalities." Her demeanor at that moment was absolutely that of a princess who was high above and looked down on the world, making me feel involuntarily ashamed.

More and more screams echoed through the nearby halls, corridors, and courtyards. Master Shenbi rushed into the corridor, panting, and glared at me and Tengjia from afar. He raised his hands and rubbed his eyes hard.

It seems that the resurrection of Fujika is of great significance to Fengge Temple. When Master Shenbi knelt down, the corridor was already full of people kneeling, with gray monks' robes and bald heads that shimmered with blue light everywhere.

"Long live the princess! Long live the princess! Long live the princess..." Starting from who knows where, hundreds of monks raised their arms and shouted, their voices echoing like a tsunami in the corridor.

I quietly retreated, because in this heated atmosphere, everyone's eyes were only on Princess Tengjia, and I had become nothing more than insignificant dust clinging to her sleeve. Why should I stay here?

After navigating the long corridor and passing through three moon gates, you will arrive at the courtyard of the "Tower of the Dead".

Xiao Lai stood on the first floor of the pagoda, facing southwest, his hands clasped together at his chest, bowing at a ninety-degree angle, praying devoutly. This was the second time I'd seen him pray in the past two days; he seemed to be hiding something from me. In truth, everyone harbors secrets, regardless of status or moral character; everyone has their own private space.

Observing the pagoda from this angle, it looks simple and unadorned, as if it were built brick by brick by a clumsy and dull craftsman, seeking only solidity and not ostentation. Rather than calling it a pagoda, it is more like a thick chimney or a lime kiln taller than that white house, completely inconsistent with the principle of "magnificence and jewels" advocated by Asian Buddhist architectural art.

Of all the more than 600 temples and pagodas in Japan, this is probably the most humble.

After Xiao Lai finished praying, he waved to me and smiled sheepishly.

I walked to the tower and circled it, deliberately examining the gaps between the bricks and stones at the base. I still couldn't fathom what Tengjia had said—"Entering the base of the tower? What superpower does Guan Baoling have to pass through these hard stones? Could her experience be as bizarre and strange as Tengjia's?"

The pagoda is so old that the stones that make up its base have begun to weather and crumble, facing the same decay problem as other buildings.

The octagonal base, each side measuring eight meters, is indeed a massive and magnificent structure. However, these milky-white stones themselves seem insufficient to conceal any profound secrets. Even if there were secrets within, archaeologists, historians, and humanists throughout history have long since excavated them, leaving no opportunity for future generations to discover them first.

The fifth film, Sea Horror

— Chapter 3 - The Grand Formation —

"Mr. Feng, this matter is likely to cause serious trouble. Even Mr. Sun Long is rushing over from New York and has repeatedly warned Mr. Wang not to act rashly... I feel that something terrible is about to happen. Is a woman really that important to a tycoon?"

Xiao Lai, with a pained expression, took out the pistol from his pocket, removed the magazine, and carefully inspected it. The firearm was his weapon for self-defense, but after last night's events, he should understand that within the boundaries of Fengge Temple, even the best shooting skills might not be enough to save his life.

"It's said that the tycoon has many women, owns luxury villas in at least thirty-six countries around the world, and regularly has more than three hundred women of various skin colors. Sigh, is it possible that he only values Miss Guan to this extent..." Xiao Lai muttered in frustration.

The tycoon's womanizing ways are common knowledge, so when rumors of his erectile dysfunction spread, many heartbroken men were overjoyed. After all, the existence of such an outstanding man is a potential source of pressure for any man.

"Is the tycoon really coming to Fengge Temple?" I asked noncommittally.

“It’s absolutely true. His private helicopter will arrive at the entrance of Fengge Temple in an hour and a half.”