King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 129

"What are you thinking about? I can sense you're daydreaming again, thinking about that girl named 'Tina' or 'Suren'?" Guan Baoling was very perceptive and immediately caught my train of thought.

I wanted to shake my head in denial, but the back of my neck emitted a "creaking" sound that only patients with severe arthritis could make, like a gear that had been rusted for a long time.

"Don't lie to me, in your autobiography you mentioned two girls, Tina and Suren. You really like them, don't you?" Guan Baoling forced a smile, a hint of jealousy in her eyes.

My autobiography was compiled, published, and distributed by Tina. She repeatedly revised all the content, naturally making herself the main character, while Suren would be relegated to a supporting role. Those who have read the book will simply apply the exaggerated plot points to me, making me not only a superhero active in the Egyptian pyramids but also a heartthrob with women on both sides.

Guan Baoling rested her head on my lap, her face tilted upwards, a position that helped her conserve her energy more efficiently.

"Feng, you're a very charming man from every angle, the kind of man girls adore—a angular face, thick, strong eyebrows, intelligent eyes, a straight nose, and full lips. I think you should go into the entertainment industry. In this era dominated by pretty boys, audiences might prefer to see tough guys, like those veteran Chinese male stars who went to Hollywood. If you're willing, we can collaborate after we get out of this mess, and I guarantee you'll become a sensation in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia within months, becoming the brightest male star in the world..."

As soon as the movie was mentioned, Guan Baoling's mood immediately improved, and she talked for a long time, with more and more blood seeping from her lips.

I gently shook my head. Being an actor who wears a mask all day is less appealing than being myself and living my own life happily. Aside from the financial aspect, I don't enjoy acting. That kind of life is exhausting; I often forget whether I'm a character in a script or a real person. Besides, I have more important things to do. Neither Hong Kong, Hollywood, nor the Golden Horse Awards or the Oscars hold any attraction for me.

She struggled to brush aside the stray hairs from her forehead, and her nearly parched eyes regained their luster: "Not going? Don't you like it? But I want to be with you, I want to appear together under the dazzling spotlight, to be the center of attention together. Mr. Ye owns four top-tier film companies in Asia, and they can tailor-make scripts for us. Feng, I love the feeling of being by your side, please don't leave me, okay? Now, and even after we escape this predicament—"

Once again, she mentioned the omnipotent tycoon. I admit that in any high society in the world, those who can befriend and get close to a tycoon are proud, as if he is the master of everything and there is nothing he cannot handle.

I saw the light in her eyes, perhaps a large part of which was shining for the tycoon—"I don't want it to be you who gets acquainted with the tycoon, instead of me. I will build my career on my own abilities, not by relying on others."

It's a disgrace that the tycoon, out of affection for Guan Baoling, cares about me. I'm not shameless enough to use the woman I love for personal gain. In this respect, I'm superior to the tycoon in character, because Guan Baoling once sneaked into the gates of Xunfu Garden in the middle of the night to beg a stranger for a deal in order to buy a villa and break a "black magic spell."

If she becomes my woman, I would rather die than let her beg anyone else.

“Feng, you seem to have misunderstood some things. Actually, the tycoon has a wife and children, so it's impossible for him to do anything to me. We are just... friends, just very good friends, not like what you think or what the tabloid reporters are making up.”

She was eager to explain something, but to me it only made things more obvious.

The tycoon kept many women as mistresses, each time claiming to be "confidantes, detached from worldly desires," as if their mutual admiration was purely spiritual. In reality, the truth always came out, and each affair ended in a huge scandal, leaving behind a trail of gossip. Of course, with his power, money, and personal charm, many beautiful women would flock to his door to become his girlfriend with just a nod.

Guan Baoling's resume is clean: her ancestral home is Hong Kong, she grew up with her single mother, who passed away from cancer when she was a sophomore in college. With the help of kind-hearted people, she completed her university studies and then entered the entertainment industry through a talent show on Hong Kong Island Television. Apart from tycoons, she rarely has any messy scandals. Entertainment reporters are more concerned about her future prospects in Hollywood.

In the entertainment industry, a murky and chaotic place, Guan Baoling is one of the very few actresses who is both highly talented and hardworking. Many people are 100% certain that "her future achievements will definitely surpass those of Zhang, Gong, and Zhang, who are currently the most popular Chinese actresses."

Of course, I've seen the films she starred in; they're masterpieces that showcase both her acting skills and her idol appeal. I had admired her before we met in Hokkaido, but the thought of the unsavory label of "the tycoon's woman" made me hesitate.

"Actually, many things don't need explaining; I understand." I smiled wryly, stopping her from explaining further. If I really wanted her, I would forget her past and only value her pure and innocent heart.

Guan Baoling's forehead veins bulged suddenly, and two red blushes rose on her cheeks, as if she was about to have a heated debate. But then she suddenly shut her mouth and let out a long sigh: "Alas, the innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. I really don't need to explain."

An awkward silence suddenly spread between us.

After a silence of more than ten minutes, Guan Baoling suddenly asked with a bitter smile, "Feng, do you despise me?" Her head was still resting on my lap, but two bright tears slid down her cheeks, rolling towards her small, round earlobes. Perhaps for a girl, being kept by a man like Daheng is the deepest and most unbearable pain of her life.

Do I dislike her? I can't say for sure.

At least when Wang Jiangnan was relentlessly pursuing her, I felt a sense of schadenfreude and jealousy, even a detached, spectator mentality. It wasn't until Guan Baoling's mysterious disappearance that I truly realized her shadow was deeply etched in my heart, impossible to erase.

I have indeed been bothered by the phrase "the tycoon's woman," and perhaps I will continue to be, but I cannot deny the fatal charm emanating from her, which was more perfect than any other girl I had ever met before.

“I don’t despise you. We can discuss these issues after we’re out of trouble. Right now, you need to rest. We don’t have much energy to waste…” My lips were burning.

Guan Baoling sighed again, pursed her lips, and fell into a long silence.

Time kept slipping away, and I kept hoping to break through the glass box and enter that strange cave. The row of stone platforms where the gears were placed only occupied two-thirds of the cave's total width, and a passageway was clearly left next to the platforms. Logically speaking, with so many high-speed gears, someone should have been patrolling and watching over them, and that passageway was for people to walk through.

I couldn't help but laugh at myself: "What kind of strange people would be looking after these mechanical devices in such a mysterious place?" There were too many things I couldn't understand. Unfortunately, unlike the old saying "there's always a way out," we arrived at the mountain only to be blocked by a stone wall, with no way to go.

After an unknown amount of time, Guan Baoling gradually fell into a coma of exhaustion, with small, off-white blisters appearing all over her lips, and her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

She needed to hydrate, but there was only clear air around—the knife pressed against my left wrist, and with a slight movement, a drop of blood spurted out. I felt no pain; I simply mechanically placed my wrist across Guan Baoling's mouth, letting the blood drip into her mouth. After a dozen drops of blood had fallen, she groaned and greedily licked her lips. This warm liquid was so important to her; I pressed gently on my forearm, and the blood dripped even faster, like the most precious raindrops of spring.

After at least fifty units of blood were dripped, Guan Baoling's thirst was slightly relieved. The normal blood loss for an adult is two to four hundred units, but my body was already extremely weak, and just fifty units of blood were enough to make me see stars.

"Is it raining? Is it windy? I feel water droplets falling, it tastes so sweet..." She closed her eyes, letting the bright red blood drip into her mouth.

If my blood can help her overcome the most dangerous life-threatening crisis, I would be willing to give up all my blood.

"Yes, it's raining!" I whispered back to her, squeezing my left arm again to speed up the dripping of blood. Inadvertently, a drop of blood landed on her cheek, bursting open with a splash, as red as a plum blossom in the dead of winter.

"Perhaps our plight moved the heavens, which is why it rained to save us. Ideally, a few hamburgers, or even steamed buns and cookies would fall down too... I'm so hungry. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have tried so hard to lose weight when I first entered the industry; at least my body could store more fat—"

Her stomach rumbled a few times, and then she opened her eyes sheepishly, cried out "Ah!" and struggled to sit up.

I pressed down on her shoulders and whispered, "Don't move, you're very weak, please don't move..." Then I pressed down on her left and right shoulder sockets twice, causing her to lose the strength to struggle.

She cried out incoherently, "I don't want... I don't want you to bleed, I don't want..." and quickly shut her mouth, shaking her head resolutely.

Blood was still dripping, but it was falling haphazardly onto her chin, cheeks, and chest. Just as I was about to grab her chin and force her mouth open, the "whooshing" sound in my ears suddenly disappeared, and a chilling silence descended upon us.

I couldn't help but look up. The spinning gears suddenly stopped, while many colorful lights were rapidly flowing and flashing on the band of light, like the colorful lights that flooded the Christmas Eve.

"Are they broken? Or has something changed? Or is another unexpected event about to happen...?"

Guan Baoling stopped struggling, her eyes widened to their limit, and she shouted, "Look at the cave ceiling! Look at the cave ceiling! The cave ceiling!"

None of us cared about our still-bleeding wrists; our eyes were fixed on the patch of light on the cave ceiling. It was writhing strangely, as if the rock wall was rapidly disintegrating. The patch of light seeped deeper into the rock wall, and in the blink of an eye, it had sunk more than a meter deep. The glass box also floated up, remaining firmly attached to the cave ceiling.

My brain only spun for two seconds before I jumped up, grabbed Guan Baoling, and rushed into the tower without a word of explanation. As I sprinted towards the stairs, I casually hooked my toe and lifted the metal plaque, grabbing it in my right hand. Suddenly, I felt an inexhaustible surge of energy, having been utterly exhausted. I reached the top of the tower, holding Guan Baoling and the plaque, and stood beneath the glass roof.

Now we can observe the spot of light more clearly. The rock behind it is not being broken down, but rather being removed layer by layer, like pulling open many stacked doors, at a speed that is too fast to see.

"Feng, even if the barriers above are completely opened, we're still trapped in this box and can't escape. What should we do? What should we do?" What she said was exactly what I was thinking. Breaking through the cave ceiling was crucial, but smashing this box seemed to be an essential step as well.

Its glass outer wall is so tough that even the best bulletproof tempered glass is no more so, and it seems difficult to achieve the desired result without special tools.

The Sixth Sea God Plaque

— Chapter 6 — A Myriad of Threads —

Within minutes, the depth of the recessed light spot exceeded ten meters. Under our unwavering gaze, the stone wall suddenly opened up, and the light spot shot out, hitting a blue background.

"That's the blue sky! Blue sky, blue sky, blue—" Guan Baoling's excited shouts were abruptly cut off by a sudden surge of elasticity, and the two of us were suddenly lifted into the air, flying straight up into the sky.

"Ah—" Guan Baoling screamed and clung tightly to my neck, but even as my body was suddenly lifted into the air, I still managed to glance back. Below was an extremely deep black hole, bottomless and blurry. I only caught a glimpse before the layers of stone walls that had been opened up by the light spots merged back together, quickly cutting off my view.

Standing under the blue sky again, I greedily breathed in the fresh air of the earth, and my spirits lifted. I realized that I had not been thrown into the air, but was standing steadily on the top of a building.

The mountains and rivers are desolate, the trees are scattered, it is still winter on Earth, thankfully we have not been launched to some extraterrestrial planet.

Guan Baoling was still in my arms. She pointed diagonally downwards, unable to suppress her sobs with joy: "Look, look, look... It's Fengge Temple! We're in Fengge Temple! Feng, I see the well over there, that 'Well of Spirits'..."

It's unbelievable that we're standing on top of the "Tower of the Dead" right now. After carefully jumping down with Guan Baoling in my arms and standing on the railing at the top, I took dozens of deep breaths before I could truly believe it.

The sun hung low over the western mountain peaks, its light gradually fading; it was afternoon, just before dusk. From the direction of the kitchen to the north, wisps of smoke rose, carrying with them the enticing aroma of food that made one's stomach rumble. My gaze swept over the rows of rooftops, recognizing the location of the Marrow Cleansing Hall, and of course, the two ancient trees steeped in history. Everything felt so familiar; even the "Meditation Hall" in the valley seemed much more pleasing to the eye.

The square below the tower was spotless, without a single fallen leaf—looking south, the main building and courtyard of Xunfu Garden were clearly visible.

“We’re finally back…” I whispered, something welling up in my eyes with a bittersweet feeling.

As I descended the stairs, between the second and first floors, I walked with extreme caution, fearing another accident that would send me back into that mysterious glass box. Once I could see the ground floor, I threw the sign I was holding down with a loud "bang," and it tumbled twice on the ground.

The sign hadn't disappeared, so Guan Baoling and I stepped down with peace of mind, picked it up, and left the pagoda. Thank goodness, after our long disappearance, we were finally back in reality.

Before we even reached the moon gate on the west side of the courtyard, two monks walked towards us, chatting as they went. They looked up abruptly and saw Guan Baoling and me, their mouths agape in disbelief and extreme horror on their thin, slightly yellowish faces. One of them even shoved a fist into his mouth, trembling violently as if he had seen a ghost.

"Is it...is it Mr. Feng, Feng, Feng? Is it you...?" The other one was relatively calm, but his ordinary sentence was broken into countless fragments, completely incoherent and failing to express his meaning.

I waved my arms, shouting triumphantly, "Of course it's me! Hurry up and take me to the kitchen, I'm starving!"

These were the first words we spoke after returning to the human world. After saying these words, we were so exhausted that we collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Brother Wind, Brother Wind, it's me, Suren—"

I heard a call, but it was very distant and faint, as if separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.

"Suren? No way, she's still searching for the Epang Palace on the Sichuan-Tibet border, how could she possibly fly to Hokkaido? It must be a hallucination, maybe I miss her too much?" I turned over and continued to sleep soundly, shutting out all the calls from my dreams.

The extreme panic of being plunged into the deep sea still lingered in my mind, including the helplessness and despair of having nowhere to hide when the red light struck. I knew that even if we didn't fall into that huge structure, if we were splashed by the underwater volcanic eruption, the magma at thousands of degrees Celsius would probably reduce even the sturdiest glass box to ashes, and Guan Baoling and I would only die instantly.

I wanted to sleep a little longer. The taste of milk and fresh orange juice lingered on my lips. Someone put an extremely thin straw into my mouth. I took a sip without thinking. It felt like sipping nectar, and I immediately became much more awake.

"Ah, he's drinking orange juice, he's sober now, that's great!" It was Xiao Keleng's voice, she was clapping excitedly. Very close to me, someone sat with their head down, holding my hand. This person's hand was so smooth and soft, who could it be? Was it Guan Baoling? I hoped it was Su Lun; her place in my heart was irreplaceable.

Or perhaps it's Fujika? That mysterious Japanese princess? At least I was the one who woke her from her slumber, so she should save me again and let me get through this difficult time, right?

My head felt heavy, and my eyelids felt just as heavy. I couldn't open my eyes. I took another sip of orange juice, and my stomach convulsed and twisted. I broke out in a cold sweat from head to toe, and then I fell back asleep.

Subconsciously, I most long for Su Lun to be by my side right now. After I disappear, Xiao Keleng will definitely call her. If I hold enough importance in her heart, she will definitely come.

I opened my mouth and weakly called out, "Sulen—"

At this moment, all the bones and joints in my body ached, and the wound on my wrist was burning. I tried to gather the power in my dantian, but all eight extraordinary meridians were weak and unable to exert any force, as if I had suffered the most severe internal injury.

No one responded, and disappointment and resentment filled my chest at the same time: "She's not here. Is she in the primeval forest on the border of Sichuan and Tibet right now, searching for the fictitious Epang Palace with that biologist Schiller? I really don't know who has bewitched her to believe that there is a second Epang Palace on Earth?"

I thought of Xiao Yan: "Yes, I should immediately notify Xiao Yan and have him access Russia's classified data repository to see if there's a deep-sea military base beneath Hokkaido. Oh my god, there's so much to do. I wonder if Guan Baoling is awake yet... Will the tycoon come to see her?"

Time seemed to stand still. I felt as if it was raining, with raindrops constantly hitting my face.

I grabbed someone's hand, sat bolt upright, and cried out, "Su Lun!" Deep down, what I needed most at that moment was Su Lun. With her there, I had nothing to worry about. Back in that strange space, if I had replaced Guan Baoling with Su Lun, our chances of escape might have increased hundreds of times.

"Brother Feng, you're awake! You're awake!" The person in front of me still had tears on their face, and four or five glistening teardrops were still clinging to their eyelashes. It was none other than Su Lun.

My first glance fell on her hair. It was a short, freshly cut cut, shiny and smooth, but it felt very awkward to me, and I couldn't help but frown slightly. Compared to when we were in Cairo, Suren had become much thinner and darker, and her skin had become somewhat rough. Coupled with Xiao Keleng's short hair, she suddenly seemed a bit unfamiliar to me.

Xiao Keleng stood behind Su Lun, stomped her foot hard on the floor, and shouted excitedly, "Thank God, she's finally... finally awake! I'll go get her a bowl of soup, that's great! That's great!"

She spun out like a gust of wind, her short hair shimmering in the sunlight streaming through the doorway.

For a moment, only Suren and I were left in the room, our hands clasped tightly. We had so much to say, but it all got stuck in our throats, and we couldn't say it.

This must be a guest room at Fukatsu-ji Temple, because I could smell the pervasive scent of incense, and on the opposite wall hung Japanese verses by Buddhist masters, carved into deep rosewood panels. The wind swept in through the window, occasionally stirring a string of wind chimes under the eaves, producing a scattered tinkling sound that lingered.

"Suren, you've lost weight. Is the search work over there very tiring?" I've never been so tongue-tied. I was really looking forward to Suren's visit, but I couldn't think of any sweet words to say.

"No, things went smoothly over there. After you went missing, Xiao called me immediately, and I flew here with Schiller, hoping to find you. Unfortunately, we searched the 'Tower of the Dead' and the entire Maple Temple hundreds of times over the past two weeks, but to no avail. Thankfully, you appeared on your own, and everyone's hearts were finally at ease."

Suren calmed down, pulled her hand away from mine, and wiped away her tears.

Everything that happened felt like a dream. I smiled wryly and touched my chin: "What? I disappeared for two weeks? Was it that long?" The stubble on my chin was hard and prickly. This usually happens when I don't shave for more than four days. I felt that I had only disappeared for five or six days, definitely not as long as Su Lun said.

Beneath me lay a soft, pure cotton sheet, and beneath me was a cotton quilt of the same material. I couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so good to be back! I thought I was going to perish in that mysterious space—"

On the small rosewood table to the side, pencils and white paper were neatly laid out. Suren smiled in confusion: "Brother Feng, let's not discuss the time issue for now—you kept calling out the words 'gear' and 'underwater base' while you were unconscious. What did you mean by that? Did you go to the bottom of the sea?"

She picked up the stack of white paper, on which many inexplicable short sentences were scribbled. I glanced at it and realized that these records must have been my ramblings during my unconscious state. Indeed, the word "gear" was repeated in many places.

“Yes, I’ve been to the ocean floor, and I want to recount my experiences while my mind is still clear. Suren, you’d never guess how strange my experiences are…”

I took the paper and pen and began to describe what I saw of the "Tide of the Gods" appearing at the top of the tower, using both words and simple sketches. Suren took out a miniature recorder, pressed the record button, and placed it next to my pillow. I don't know if anyone will believe my account, but I'm determined to draw it down as an important reference for future explorations of the "Tower of the Dead" and the "Underwater Tomb."

Three hours later, I finished my description, threw down my pencil, and vigorously stretched my aching right hand. I have to thank Xiao Keleng for the ginseng soup she brought. The essence of Japanese food culture—fresh oysters with ginseng soup—was indeed the most delicious tonic. I drank two large bowls, which, in her and Su Lun's eyes, was like a cow chewing on a peony.

More than twenty sheets of white paper had already been used, but as I was drawing that huge underwater structure, Suren kept hissing through her teeth to express her utter horror.

"A building that can emit red light? At an unknown depth on the seabed? Brother Feng, you must know that there's no way the Russians could have an underwater base near Japan. The Japanese Navy's underwater ultrasonic detection technology is on par with the United States. How could such a massive base escape their search?"