King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 139

I whispered, "Mr. Sun, could we postpone our actions and calm down to talk? When experts clash, why drag innocent people down with them?"

The Japanese underestimated the strength of the Sharpshooter Society. Sun Longming knew that Bridge No. 9 was heavily guarded by Japanese police, yet he still chose this location as the test area. His intention to demonstrate was obvious.

Sun Long shook his head, politely declining my offer: "This is a matter for the Divine Gun Society. If we cannot establish ourselves in Hokkaido, I will lead all my brothers out of Japan. Therefore, I must make them bow down and submit."

Five minutes will pass quickly. Perhaps neither side cares about the value of a bridge or the lives of sixty people, but I don't want to stay caught in the middle any longer.

Four minutes later, Eagle Knife's phone rang. After answering the call, he quickly ran over to report to the important person: "Bridge 9 is all normal. The defense personnel have checked it four times since yesterday and found nothing. Please rest assured."

I couldn't help but shout, "Such a search report is completely useless! Everyone must do their utmost to search all locations related to Bridge No. 9, including the left double track and long-range weapon strikes..." It would be too foolish to regard Sun Long's "experiment" as just a bomb attack, and I don't believe that Sun Long could tell me his plan in detail and let the Japanese strengthen their defenses.

The ancients said, "All warfare is based on deception." If everything is just a matter of real fighting and brute force, then what's the difference between humans and animals?

“Yes, Feng is right, but now the time is up, you don’t have time to rearrange—five six, five seven, five eight, five nine, sixty, let’s begin!” As Sun Long counted down, a loud “boom” suddenly came from the south of Muwanzhou Mountain. We felt the tremor even standing on the solid mountain, which showed how strong the explosion was.

More than a dozen explosions rang out in succession, each from a different location.

The important man's expression suddenly changed, and he roared angrily, "Investigate quickly! What exactly happened? What exactly happened?"

Eagle Knife's report was truly disheartening: "Bridge 9 is intact, while the right-side double tracks of Bridges 8 and 7 have been completely destroyed. Currently, military and police are directing traffic, sealing off the scene, and awaiting reinforcements. Fortunately, no one has died, only a dozen or so people have sustained minor injuries, and the situation is under control."

The important man let out a long sigh, crumpled the map in his palm, and slammed it hard onto the ground.

"This experiment was a great success. Shall we try again?" Sun Long waved his phone, as if he held the fate of all the major cities marked on the map in his own hands.

The important man's face had turned ashen. He waved his hand in frustration and hissed angrily, "Get out of here! Get out of here now!"

The gunmen quickly dispersed, leaving him alone once again. The ambushers on the rooftops had also vanished; it was a disastrous encirclement operation.

"Mr. Sun, you've won. What price will it take for you to hand over the detailed diagrams of the hidden bombs?" The important man took out a gray handkerchief and wiped the glistening sweat from his forehead. If these eleven cities were to be bombed, it would be the most indelible nightmare for the Japanese in the 21st century, a devastating blow to the Yamato people a hundred times greater than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Sun Long handed the phone to Xiao He, softening his tone: "I don't want anything, I just want to have an equal dialogue with the Japanese government to resolve the 'comfort women compensation' case. I hope you can urge the High Court to set a hearing date as soon as possible and give a fair and reasonable trial result. I've said it before, money is not important, what the Chinese people want is justice and fairness."

The arrogance and haughtiness of the important figure vanished completely, and he nodded repeatedly: "I will look into this matter as soon as possible. Please excuse me for a moment."

He gave me one last deep look, then turned and walked out of the courtyard. His steps became unsteady, and from behind, he looked at least ten years older.

I think that through this incident, he will at least understand one thing: "The Sniper Society cannot be like a pure underworld organization such as the Yamaguchi-gumi, which can be arrested and killed by legitimate forces at will. It is foreseeable that it will become the main enemy of the Japanese government."

In the empty courtyard, only the three of us remained.

Watching the important figure disappear behind the moon gate, Sun Long sneered arrogantly: "The Chinese will never again be at the mercy of others like they were during World War II. The wheel of fortune turns, and the Japanese should pay the price for their past arrogance."

I always feel that the last glance a great person gives before leaving is full of meaning.

Xiao He glanced at his watch and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Sun, may we go back now? The brothers in the gang at Xunfuyuan Villa must be very worried about your safety."

Sun Long patted his sleeves, as if to shake off the dust and bad luck brought by the battle, and pointed towards the temple gate: "Alright, let's go!"

The solo journey ended in a complete victory for Sun Long. Although he did not possess Guan Yu's Red Hare horse and Green Dragon Crescent Blade, he seized all the initiative in the battle, subtly forcing the powerful figure into submission without making a sound.

We walked out of the courtyard side by side, around the long corridor, and toward the temple gate. The snipers on both sides of the road were well hidden and no longer dared to expose themselves with impunity.

"Feng, I understand your potential and believe you can find the 'Wrath of the Sun God.' Promise me that even if you don't hand it over to the Divine Gun Society, you can't just give it to anyone, like you did with the 'Eye of the Moon' in Egypt. Although it's a gem that has lost its divine light, how can Earthlings know that it won't regain its light? Or that it still possesses immense mysterious power after losing its radiance? Since ancient times, 'even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman.' Take care of yourself, and call me anytime if you have any problems."

Reaching the pond of the "Well of Spirits," Sun Long stopped and peered into the water.

Those words could be considered a senior in the martial arts world admonishing a junior. We are more than ten years apart in age, but he has been in the martial arts world for ten times longer than I have.

"I know the tycoon will send someone to pick up Miss Guan soon, so I'll go back to Xunfu Garden." If nothing unexpected happens, the tycoon's people will arrive before dusk. Just thinking about it makes me feel burning with anxiety.

The ripples in the pool reflected Sun Long's triumphant face. His ability to confront and successfully humiliate a powerful figure in the Japanese Imperial Family, and to escape surrounded by nearly a thousand people, had subtly elevated the Divine Gun Society's standing in the eyes of the Japanese, elevating it to a position on par with the government.

Overjoyed by his great victory, he inevitably became somewhat careless. So when four old monks in gray robes appeared out of nowhere, he didn't react immediately.

The four old monks all covered their faces with gray cloths, revealing only their gleaming eyes. The long knives in their hands gleamed as they silently attacked Sun Long.

"Master Shenbi, stop! Stop!" From their changing footwork, I could tell at a glance that they were Master Shenbi, Elephant, Lion, and Tiger, the only four remaining eminent monks from Fengge Temple.

Behind Sun Long was a bottomless pool of water, with nowhere to retreat.

Xiaohe suddenly let out a long cry, lunging forward at incredible speed. In the battle atop the tower where she killed the attacking Kirigakure ninja, although she had killed several, she hadn't displayed her true martial arts prowess. This time, facing the four high-ranking monks of Fengge Temple, she had unleashed her full combat potential, piercing the chests of both Lion and Tiger with her first strike.

Blood splattered on the stone floor, accompanied by the two men's shrill screams, composing a desperate elegy in the gradually setting sun.

Before I could even lend a hand, Xiaohe, wielding the two longswords she had just seized, exchanged over thirty blows with Master Shenbi and the Elephant Monk. The only sound in the air was the fierce clanging of blades clashing. Her movements were as fast as a ghost, as swift as the wind. Only then did the Lion Monk and Tiger Monk stagger and collapse to the ground, their blood pooling together to form a small pool.

"Master Shenbi, don't make a move, don't make a move—" I still wanted to stop the two sides from fighting.

Sun Long turned around and blocked my way: "Feng, let them go. In the martial world, you either kill or get killed. What's the big deal?" The blood on the ground was nothing more than a puddle of sewage in his eyes, and he wouldn't pay any attention to it.

I sighed deeply: "Mr. Sun, those four are the only remaining old monks of Fengge Temple, and they are of great significance to the future development of our temple. If we want to uncover the secret of the 'Underwater Divine Tomb,' we will have to rely on them. Killing them will not benefit us at all."

This fierce battle will surely be seen by the snipers and reach the ears of the bigwigs. I don’t think there’s any need to continue to demonstrate against the Japanese. Killing more people will only incite the monks’ anger and hatred.

“Feng, look at the blood on the ground.” Sun Long smiled helplessly and pointed to the pool of blood.

The blood gradually congealed, but its color changed from bright red to purplish-black, and a faint fishy smell slowly spread in the air, clearly indicating that the blood was poisonous.

"Xiao He is extremely ferocious and cannot even control herself. She will only stop when all the killing is over. Her body is filled with poisonous blood. Every time she kills an enemy, she will also be poisoned. So, it is not that I intend to go on a killing spree. Let her be for now!"

The monk's painful howl suddenly rang out, and he staggered backward. His robe was ripped open in two places, the flesh turned inside out, and blood gushed out.

Almost simultaneously, the long sword in Master Shenbi's hand collided heavily with the sword in Xiaohe's left hand, breaking off in the middle with a "crack". Xiaohe's other sword flashed back like lightning, and with two "snap, snap" sounds, Master Shenbi's right arm flew up, broke in two in mid-air, and fell outside the courtyard wall.

Without pausing, Xiao He slashed horizontally with his sword, aiming for Master Shenbi's neck.

"Stop!" I could no longer hold back and suddenly darted out, grabbing Xiao He's right elbow with one hand.

Whatever reason Master Shenbi had for attacking Sun Long, it seemed he didn't deserve to die. If he were to die at Xiao He's hands, then there would truly be no morality or justice left in the martial arts world.

Xiao He suddenly turned around, her long hair whipping around like a chaotic whip, sweeping across my face.

"Feng, don't touch her!" Sun Long's warning came half a second too late. My five fingers had already struck Xiao He's right elbow acupoint, and with a forceful push from my fingertips, she could no longer hold onto the long knife and it clattered to the ground.

I felt a sudden numbness in the pads of my fingers, followed by an itch and pain. Distracted, I couldn't dodge her long hair sweeping across my nose, and it stung painfully.

Sun Long let out a long whistle, and Xiao He raised its head and cried out in response. Its high fighting spirit finally subsided, and it slowly lowered its head and retreated behind Sun Long.

Her martial arts skills may not have been unparalleled, but what was truly chilling was the beast-like madness she displayed when she wielded her knife to kill. At that moment, she was no longer the calm and indifferent little girl she appeared to be, but a hungry cheetah, a lone wolf in a trap, or even a reckless African lion.

Of course, what's most frightening is the potent poison emanating from her body. The five fingers of my right hand, where I touched her elbow, were already swollen high, and the tingling, itchy sensation seemed to penetrate right into the bone, like a dozen invisible ants relentlessly and frantically biting me.

"Wind, look at your face." Sun Long shook his head and smiled bitterly, pointing to the pool water.

My face was reflected strangely on the water. A dark, inky blotch was rapidly spreading outwards from the bridge of my nose, but I felt nothing; it neither hurt nor itched.

"I should have warned you earlier not to fight with Xiaohe. In this situation, even if you apply medicine immediately, it will take more than twenty days to heal."

Xiaohe went from a furious killing spree to a calm, respectful standing in less than half a minute, a stark contrast to how she appeared to others. She took out a small, emerald-green bottle, unscrewed the cap, and walked over: "Mr. Feng, these potions will be very effective for your injuries. I'm sorry. My life was given to me by Mr. Sun. If anyone dares to offend him, I will stop at nothing to save him."

The medicine carried the delicate fragrance of lotus blossoms. Xiaohe poured a few drops onto her fingertips and applied it to the injured area on my nose. The wound immediately felt a slight coolness. Her fingers were very gentle, carrying a faint sweet scent that mingled with the lotus fragrance, filling my nostrils.

“Mr. Feng, I’m sorry again.” She said gently in a low voice, taking my hand and applying the medicine to my five fingertips again.

So close, her gentleness and fragrance reminded me of Tang Xin again and again. During the latter half of my adventure in the Egyptian desert, almost every day was filled with thrilling and unpredictable events. Occasionally, when I thought of Tang Xin, clad in a fox fur coat and aloof and proud, I would feel sorry for her disappearance and always believed that she was definitely alive, or that she had simply found a quiet place to retreat into seclusion and comprehend the secrets of the "Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Scripture".

"With the tiger by her side, and Song Jiu too, everything should be alright, right?"

I suddenly sighed, and the hot breath I exhaled ruffled the hair on Xiao He's cheeks, causing it to flutter up.

Volume Three, The Well of Spirits

Part 1: Clash of Titans

— Chapter 9 - Farewell —

"Wind, wind... wind..." Master Shenbi groaned, tearing off the gray cloth from his face, futilely trying to cover the wound on his right arm.

I walked over to him, bent down, and reached out to press a dozen acupoints on his right shoulder, right chest, and right rib to help stop the bleeding.

“Mr. Feng…promise me, obey Master Bumenlu’s dying wish, take over…Fengge Temple…promise me…” He grabbed my wrist, the violent breathing from his throat like a broken bellows. Blood splattered on his cheeks and bald head, like a bizarre piece of performance art, but his eyes still radiated a solemn light.

"I will not become a member of Fengge Temple, Master. You should choose someone else. Do you want me to call an ambulance for you?" He was dying. If it were any other request, I would agree without hesitation. But this one thing was unacceptable to me.

Master Shenbi struggled to sit cross-legged, his eyes filled with even stronger anticipation.

“Feng, if you refuse a request from someone who’s about to die, wouldn’t that be against the rules of the martial arts world?” Sun Long interjected slowly from behind me.

I understand what he means. If I become the abbot of Fengge Temple, it will be much easier to search for the secrets of the "Underwater Divine Tomb," and I will also have the military support of the monks. It would be a win-win situation. However, I cannot treat the position of abbot of Fengge Temple as a garment that I can wear and discard at will, using it and then getting rid of it.

"Mr. Feng... I beg you... Our temple must never become a puppet of someone else... with ulterior motives, please..." Thick clots of blood gushed from Master Shenbi's mouth, his life hanging by a thread.

“I lack enlightenment… Masters Guijianchuan and Bumenlu… both said that diligence can make up for lack of talent, but I… have cultivated for over sixty years in vain, yet I still cannot achieve enlightenment, and my pure temple has been defiled by others… My death will wash away all the past shame of Fengge Temple, and from… from you, may the temple get back on track, diligently study Buddhism, I beg you… I beg you…” Every word he uttered was so laborious that I couldn’t bear to interrupt him.

Actually, I really want to tell everyone clearly that I am just a passerby at Fengge Temple. I can't even be sure how long I will stay here, so how could I possibly tie myself to this place?

The stench of blood grew stronger, and Master Shenbi gripped my hand like a hook tightening its grip: "Feng, whoever receives Master Bumenlu's 'Yin-Yang Divine Power' will be... the future master of Fengge Temple. Whether you admit it or not, you already bear the mark of Fengge Temple. I must go first; I entrust everything to you..."

Faced with his stubbornness, I was speechless. Anyone else would be overjoyed to receive such a windfall, but all I felt was an overwhelming weariness, a heavy weight pressing down on my shoulders.

"Xiang, from this moment forward, Feng is the new abbot of Fengge Temple. You must lead the temple's disciples to obey his leadership. If they disobey... Heaven and Earth will—"

Before Master Shenbi could finish speaking, his chest stiffened, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell backward violently.

The monk crawled over on his knees, whispered three or four incantations, his face filled with deep sorrow.

Over 99% of Japanese Buddhist disciples lack enlightenment; most waste their time ringing bells and chanting sutras. Someone as strong-willed and proud as Master Shinkabe is absolutely unsuitable to be a monk. While his martial arts, wisdom, enlightenment, and interpersonal skills were not outstanding, he was at least more capable of managing the daily affairs of Fuuka-ji Temple than the deceased high monks, Dragon, Lion, and Tiger.

I stood up, feeling a lump in my throat.

“Feng, Xiaohe and I are leaving. Xiaolai will be your bodyguard forever. The people currently stationed at Xunfuyuan Villa will be at your disposal. I hope that one day you will come to see me with the ‘Wrath of the Sun God’. In the Divine Gun Society, besides the strategist Guan Fuzi, there is a position of Grand Steward waiting for you. Perhaps you will be interested.”

"In short, if you think highly of me, Sun Long, feel free to call me anytime for tea. The brothers in the gang are all waiting for you to join. Do you have time to think about it?"

I saw them off at the temple gate. Suddenly, the mountain wind turned cold and fierce, and the good weather was instantly covered by dark clouds, making it extremely gloomy.

Xiao He started the car, turned a corner, and sped away. She and Sun Long were the true members of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), living a life of swift retribution and ruthless killing. As long as they lived, they could always calmly deal with the killing between people, treating murder as a daily job, and willing to shed rivers of blood for their ultimate goal.

This kind of world is not the adventurer's paradise I seek, so I will never join the Divine Gun Society and commit mass killings for the benefit of any one person or party. Looking at my own hands, I find it hard to imagine that one day I would be like Xiao He, roaming freely and killing without hesitation.

“Abbot, Master Shenbi was unwilling to see a member of the Imperial Family humiliated at Fengge Temple, which is why he went to great lengths to intercept Mr. Sun Long. This concerns the reputation of Fengge Temple and the Japanese Imperial Family, so we hope you can allow him to be included among the holy monks protecting Fengge Temple.” The elephant monk followed behind me, his attitude respectful.

I sneered. How could he understand that Master Shenbi's rash attack was because he wanted to escape his inability to achieve enlightenment by seeking death? True high monks are willing to sacrifice their physical lives in order to reach the supreme state of "sudden enlightenment of the supreme Dharma in one night." This was the path that Master Shenbi pursued.

"Alright, you can take full charge of the temple's affairs for now, and everything will still follow the rules originally set by Master Shenbi." I didn't want to get entangled in the temple's complicated affairs, so it was the easiest way to let the monk Xiang manage them.

When I passed the "Well of Spirits" again, I couldn't help but stop. The thick, congealed bloodstains had been absorbed by the bluestone slab in less than ten minutes, leaving only light ochre-red marks, like rouge blurred by water.

I squatted down and rubbed my fingers on the stone slab twice. Sure enough, all the blood had been absorbed, and there was nothing left on my fingers.

"A blood-sucking stone slab?" I instinctively took a step back, as if an unseen monster lurked beneath the stone slab in front of me.

"What's wrong, Mr. Feng?" the elephant monk asked curiously.

I shook my head, not wanting these strange occurrences to cause further turmoil in the temple. I simply instructed him, "Go ahead and gather the monks to clean up the mess. Tell everyone to be careful and vigilant, and not to act rashly if anything happens." I now understood that there were strange things everywhere in Maple Temple, not just on the "Tower of the Dead."

The monk hurried towards the "Marrow Cleansing Hall." Even if a Japanese monk like him practiced for another hundred years, it would only result in increased age and martial arts skills; he wouldn't make any progress in Buddhism or his Buddha-nature. To reach the level of masters like Xianyun, Guijianchuan, and Bumenlu was pure delusion. Perhaps Master Shenbi, after repeated setbacks, had understood this, which is why he committed suicide in despair, forcing me to succeed him.