King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 145

The snow in the alleyways hadn't been cleared, and it crunched underfoot.

"We cannot let Fengji Temple fall into ruin. Even if it is a Japanese temple and has nothing to do with the Chinese, letting it fall into disrepair will only allow various forces to come and go without any scruples." I made a decision to abandon my previous stubborn prejudices, revitalize Fengji Temple, and turn it into an absolutely safe bulwark.

While principles are important in life, many ingrained bad habits, if not consciously corrected, will only lead one further astray down a wrong path.

Ahead, the shadow of the bamboo wall could already be seen, and all the bamboo poles, without exception, were topped with a touch of snow-white, standing firm in the cold wind.

Without the layers of guards protecting important figures, Youhuang Water County became an undefended ghost town. On the vast snow-covered ground, I walked alone, my mind heavy with worry. From Guan Baoling's departure to the car accident, then her miraculous rescue unharmed, and finally the sudden turn of events—she becoming the tusk of the Fang Demon—the series of changes was breathtaking, and my emotions fluctuated wildly, without a moment of peace.

"What will the tycoon think? One is still under the control of 'black magic,' and the other has fallen victim to the Fang Demon's scheme. Is this the curse from Guatemala, making the tycoon's life and the lives of everyone around him miserable?"

I fumbled for the black and silver ring in the corner of my pocket, holding it between my fingers and gazing at it. Where had Reese, the American girl who had suddenly appeared in my life and then vanished in the blink of an eye, gone? What kind of story of curses and "black magic" was behind her?

"Wind, don't come near... My enlightenment is at a crucial stage... Don't disturb me."

Before I even stepped onto the bamboo bridge, Tengjia's voice suddenly rang in my ears, accompanied by low, rapid breathing. The bridge was covered with a thick layer of snow, and the water below was frozen. The cold wind had swept the nearby snow into the stream, almost filling it completely.

The plaque of unknown origin that Guan Baoling brought back from the glass box had long been forgotten and never mentioned. So, looking back with a heavy heart, I could clearly see that the reason she appeared at Fengge Temple was simply to pray for a remedy to break the "black magic".

As for me, I was just a fleeting shooting star in her life.

"Miss Fujika, something strange has happened at the temple, and it's driving me crazy. Could you help me figure it out?" I stood at the bridgehead, the gaps in the bamboo door filled with snow, making it impossible to see what was going on inside.

"I'm sorry, my thoughts can't be stopped. Can we talk again within forty-eight hours? The contents of this sign are very bizarre. I... I have to figure it out. You should leave quickly to avoid being accidentally harmed by my brainwaves..."

I don't want to force others, but neither the "Underwater Tomb of the Gods" nor the "Wrath of the Sun God," nor even a living "weapon of mass destruction" that could destroy the earth, is as important as Guan Baoling's life.

The snow beneath the bridge suddenly churned, and a thin, black-clad figure spun into the air before plummeting into the bamboo wall. This must be the female ninja whom Fujika had easily defeated. It seems the "Sea God's Nameplate" held a fatal attraction for her; even knowing she was no match for Fujika, she relentlessly pursued him like a moth drawn to a flame.

Suddenly, a burst of multicolored light appeared in the sky inside the bamboo wall, like a laser backdrop for National Day. In an instant, all the white snow and green bamboo in my sight were illuminated with a dazzling array of colors, creating countless illusions.

With a whoosh, the female ninja's backward somersault was noticeably slower than half, and she landed with a thud in the snowdrift. Her clothes had been strangely stripped off her arms, revealing her snow-white arms. The knife, still embedded diagonally behind her shoulder, remained undrawn.

“I’ve said before that I don’t want to be bothered…” Tengjia coughed lightly, his tone indifferent.

"As a Japanese ninja, you must abide by ancient precepts and accept the orders of the 'Heavenly Ninja Alliance.' The leader's command is above all else, even the Emperor's edict. Your body, mind, and life belong to the leader. If you disobey, you will be punished by heaven, struck by lightning and eaten by insects, for generations to come..."

The female ninja's tone was extremely vicious. She swayed as she stood up, her arms hanging limply at her sides. A gust of wind blew by, and her mask slowly fell away, revealing blood still trickling from the corner of her mouth.

“Those things are none of your business, go away.” Fujika’s voice carried a hint of weariness and disgust.

"None of my business?" The female ninja laboriously wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth onto her shoulder, and continued in an even more frenzied tone: "Ninja families have a bloodline that dictates that you are a member of the 'Heavenly Ninja Alliance' from birth. Do you know how terrible the fate is for ninjas who betray the alliance and their masters? If it were me, I could still try to reason with them, but if it were someone from another sect, there would only be naked slaughter. Even now, you still don't appreciate my efforts?"

She's no match for Fujika, so I don't need to make a move. Besides, I'm feeling extremely depressed right now and have absolutely no interest in fighting anyone.

I sat down on a blue stone to the side, and unconsciously grabbed a handful of snow, slowly kneading it.

The passing of Master Bumenlu was a great loss to Fengge Temple. If he were still here, he could have given me even greater inspiration and guidance. Currently, the few people around me are either completely ignorant about the Fang Demon or filled with inexplicable fear; no one can truly explain its origins or how to defeat it.

Western legends say that those bitten by vampires will become vampires themselves. Surprisingly, this same principle has been perfectly replicated in the Eastern world, turning a nightmare into a stark reality.

One minute ago, Guan Baoling was dancing and playing happily in the snow; one minute later, her future was shrouded in the dark veil of death. My heart felt as heavy as if it were filled with molten lead.

"Go away, I don't want to hear anymore," Fujika warned again.

Even I couldn't stand the female ninja's incessant chatter; I just wanted to plug my ears and have some peace and quiet.

"I just want to change everyone's fate..." The female ninja changed to a different, sorrowful tone, her arms, now regaining their strength, slumped up to the sky, as if she were praying to the heavens for something.

Snowflakes fell silently. She remained motionless for a full ten minutes, then turned and stepped eastward across the icy stream. Her arrogant and wild demeanor vanished without a trace. Looking at her back, she resembled a weary and dejected old cat, her steps heavy, her expression lonely and melancholic.

Through the bamboo wall, Tengjia let out a long, lingering sigh: "Change destiny? If it can be changed by anyone, can it still be called destiny?" Then, all around returned to deathly silence, with only the invisible wind repeatedly stirring up tiny snowflakes that seeped into my collar.

I don't know when the snow stopped, but the pale sunlight filtered through the bamboo forest, casting dappled shadows at my feet.

"I'm leaving now. I hope that after you finish your comprehension, you'll have the strength to save her." These are my true feelings. Tengjia is not an omnipotent savior, even though she has a soul that has lived for thousands of years.

The moment I turned to walk back, the "Tower of the Dead" suddenly came into view, and a glimmer of hope appeared in my heart: "Tower? Well of Spirits? Since Guan Baoling can get instructions from heaven through prayer, can't I do the same thing?"

When people are in despair, they are more likely to believe in gods and spirits. At this moment, their worship of the "Tower of the Dead" far exceeded the scope of their rational control, and they changed direction almost without thinking, going in the opposite direction from the way back to the courtyard.

Part Two: Ancient Temple Under the Dark Night

— Chapter 6 — Outside the Meditation Hall, a Silent Showdown (Part 1) —

I don't know the exact time, but there wasn't a single person or footprint on the silent snow, as if I were walking in a desolate primeval forest.

The pagoda stood silently, the snow in the courtyard thick and smooth, making one want to lie comfortably on it and have a pleasant and perfect dream.

I strode forward, my footsteps making a rapid "crunching" sound. The swirling snow kept falling into my neck, sleeves, and shoes, but I didn't care about anything else. I just wanted to get to the first floor of the pagoda as quickly as possible to make my most sincere prayer and let heaven hear my deep love for Guan Baoling.

This feeling is absolutely abnormal, like someone practicing advanced martial arts who is about to go into a state of demonic possession due to carelessness, except that I can't feel it at all right now.

I leaped into the tower, immediately turned to face southwest, and clasped my hands together.

Over the years, I have traveled and visited famous mountains and ancient temples. Whenever I go to a place, I always follow the local custom and burn a few sticks of incense to worship Buddha, but I have never been as devout as I am now.

The Japanese people's most revered deity is Amaterasu, who is believed to possess great supernatural powers. When faced with dire straits, they often pray to her for protection.

"I pray to God that she will be alright. If someone has to become the fanged pupa of the Fang Demon, I am willing to suffer in her place. Even if I go to the eighteenth level of Avici Hell, I will never regret it." I muttered to myself, when suddenly I felt a scorching wave of air pressing down on my back, sweeping away all the cold after the snow.

"Watch out—" someone shouted, and then with a "whoosh," another surging wave of air rushed out from the side, colliding with the heat wave, and the gust of cold wind lifted the hem of my clothes all the way over my head.

Who else but Zhang Baisen could unleash such a powerful palm strike from fifteen paces away?

As he sprinted across the snow, he was like a tiger spotting its prey, bypassing the "Tower of the Dead" and chasing after them to the northeast. The other two tall, thin men, like bamboo poles, were the Shao brothers, who joined Zhang Baisen in a coordinated attack from the west and south respectively.

To the northeast, there is only Tanino Shinshu's meditation hall and the bushes surrounding the strange house, which are mostly covered by snow, resembling a monster crouching on the ground with a sneaky look.

Once the three of them had mastered their lightness skills to the fullest, they were far superior to Xiao Keleng. She lagged far behind and called out to me with concern, "Mr. Feng, are you alright? Things are very strange, please be careful!"

She held a pistol in each hand, as if facing a formidable enemy.

My mind gradually cleared, and I rubbed my temples hard before jumping out of the tower, filled with remorse. From leaving Youhuang Water County until now, the entire process was a blank in my memory, like sleepwalking.

“Master Zhang said that a master was using some kind of evil martial art, similar to the ‘Bewitching Technique,’ in the meditation hall. He sensed something was wrong, so he brought us here. How are you? Are you hurt?” She was breathing heavily, gasping for breath.

There are many masters in the martial arts world, and compared to Zhang Baisen and the Shao brothers, her lightness skill is nothing.

I know I've been hypnotized, and it could be someone hiding in the meditation hall, or even Taniguchi Shinshu himself. I was just standing on the target line of a "one arrow through the heart" scheme; if the person who orchestrated it were to strike, no one could save me.

"Woo-oh-" Shao Hei suddenly let out a sharp whistle, and Shao Bai responded in unison from thirty paces away.

Zhang Baisen, who was running at the front, suddenly stopped abruptly, the snow kicked up by his feet flying up and swirling towards the bushes ten steps ahead. Under the cover of snow, everything was smoothed out, and all that could be seen outside the meditation hall was tranquility, a vast expanse of white snow.

Xiao Keleng and I rushed over. Shao Hei squinted at the meditation hall, which looked like a lime kiln, then turned to look at me, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "How strange... how strange... who exactly is the master living inside?"

The three of them stood side by side, not taking another step forward.

The doors of the meditation hall were tightly shut, and there was no sound. Occasionally, a gust of wind would stir up the snow on the roof, which would shimmer with rainbow colors in the weak, pale sunlight.

On the snow, there were only the footprints left by us as we ran; there wasn't even a trace of a sparrow flying by.

Shao Bai chuckled coldly a few times, then asked Zhang Baisen with a hint of regret, "You want us to deal with the experts in the strange house? Let's forget about the multi-million dollar offer! Just this 'Fish and Meat a Thousand Miles' formation alone will take a lot of time and effort to break. Who knows what's hidden behind that door? We might not even be able to save our lives, yet we dare to covet other people's dollars? I think we should forget it, Second Brother, let's hurry back to Sapporo. This money isn't easy to earn."

He put the compass back in his pocket, took out a piece of chewing gum, and tossed it back and forth in his palm, his attitude very unfriendly.

The power of the Japanese esoteric arts is beyond my imagination. I originally thought that Zhang Baisen and the Shao brothers would easily destroy the ambush set up by Gu Ye, but now it seems that Shao Bai wanted to back down before even trying. The result is predictable.

A wisp of white mist rose from Zhang Baisen's head, a natural reaction when a martial arts master activates their internal energy. He did not refute Shao Bai, essentially indicating his acquiescence.

A sparrow hopped onto the roof, chirping a few times, which caught Shao Hei's attention.

He looked up, his left thumb quickly tapping his index and middle fingers seven or eight times, whispering, "Thunder position, potential, fire position, scorching position..." Before he could finish the long string of terms, the sparrow had already spread its wings and flown down, heading towards the bushes to his right.

I bet there were no invisible high-voltage electric fences or any other defensive measures in the air, but the sparrow had only flown halfway when a brief bolt of lightning suddenly struck it, and a foul, burnt smell immediately filled the air. The poor little thing plummeted to the ground and became a bare, charred corpse.

Shao Bai sniffed and then sneered, "Are your friends at home having a barbecue? Sparrows for guests, that's too stingy!"

The door to the strange house opened silently, like a terrifying gaping mouth.

Shao Hei's face was gloomy as he muttered in dissatisfaction, "You're all talk and no action, all you do is offer sarcastic remarks."

Shao Bai rolled his eyes, bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, squeezed it tightly in his palm, and hurled it through the door with astonishing force, creating a whistling sound. The snowball traveled about thirty paces, but only flew halfway before, like a sparrow, it was struck by a burst of lightning and turned into white powder.

No one came out, and it was quiet and still inside the door.

Zhang Baisen took out his business card holder from his pocket, pulled out a card, and shouted loudly towards the strange house: "Zhang Baisen, along with two brothers from the Shao family, the master fortune teller, have come to pay a visit to Mr. Gu Ye. As martial artists follow the rules of the martial world, may we invite him out for a meeting?"

Without him exerting any force, the black business card, slightly smaller than a playing card, flew smoothly into the air and towards the door. In modern society, a business card is equivalent to a "greeting letter" in ancient martial arts circles. Accepting the letter means that you are friends who can sit down and talk; refusing it means that you have different values and cannot work together. If the other party dares to burn the business card like they would a sparrow or a snowball, it is undoubtedly an extreme contempt for Zhang Baisen's character.

He was a smart man; instead of rushing into action, he used a small business card to test the other party's attitude.

Shao Hei scratched his messy hair, his eyes fixed on the trajectory of the flying business card. Suddenly, he grinned, relieved: "The Gate of Life is open, the Gate of Rest is open. The other party is quite sensible and is giving the boss face."

I can also do that skill of manipulating objects from a distance, but I don't understand what stance Tanino Shinshu is taking.

He's a top-tier tomb raider, so how could he possibly be the leader of the "Heavenly Ninja Alliance" mentioned by the female ninja? Previous interviews with him by American media never mentioned his relationship with Japanese ninjas. If this bombshell were to be released, the media would undoubtedly launch into a frenzy of reporting.

The business card flew smoothly into the room. Shao Hei's expression became even more puzzled. He asked in a low voice, "Boss Zhang, there seems to be no one inside. I can't sense any human heat. The temperature inside is probably around minus ten degrees Celsius. It's basically a sealed icebox. What should we do? Should we go in and take a look?"

Shao Bai shook his head vigorously: "No, no, it's too risky for a lone force to penetrate deep into the heart of the 'Fish and Meat for a Thousand Miles' formation. Wouldn't that be suicidal, like being the fish on the chopping block? Second brother, you never care about money and accounts, what's going on today? Are you going to risk your life for this idiot for free?"

He had expressed contempt for me on the phone, but with a formidable enemy at hand, I didn't want to argue or get angry.

I cleared my throat forcefully and politely bowed to Shao Bai: "If we can help you break the tooth pupa in Miss Guan's body, I am willing to pay any price, not just money. On behalf of Miss Guan, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone."

Shao Bai tilted his head back with even more disdain and chuckled: "You? Can you represent Miss Guan? Then, presumably this act of kindness has been approved by tycoon Mr. Ye, hasn't it?"

Xiao Ke snorted coldly, flicked her short hair, and glared at the arrogant and smug Shao Bai with extreme dissatisfaction. We were on the same side; insulting me was tantamount to indirectly disrespecting her, greatly damaging her self-esteem.

Shao Bai's behavior seems a bit out of line. There is no direct conflict of interest between us, and he absolutely had no need to say such offensive things and drag Guan Baoling and the tycoon into it.

“There are a total of 144 sniping points, completely blocking the front entrance of the strange house—” Shao Hei flicked his wrist, and a gleaming Emei dagger appeared in his hand. He drew twelve lines vertically and twelve horizontally on the snow in front of him, forming a grid with 144 intersections.

“At each point, there are talismans that reverse the five elements. I don’t understand their meaning, but I sense that these talismans are extremely ominous. Lightning strikes are just one of the opponent’s attack methods; there are even more powerful follow-up methods coming one after another—” He raised his head in confusion, pointing the Emei dagger at the entrance of the strange house.

Part Two: Ancient Temple Under the Dark Night

— Chapter 6 — Outside the Meditation Hall, a Silent Showdown (Part 2) —

Zhang Baisen had just sent out his business card but received no reply. He stared at the diagram drawn by Shao Hei and asked thoughtfully, "What kind of school or sect does the other party belong to? Don't you have any clues at all? According to the information I have collected before, Gu Ye Shenxiu's skills in Qimen Dunjia are not so profound that they are impossible to find, right?"

Indeed, in this age of highly developed information exchange, the background information of every famous person is almost completely transparent. Besides the omnipotent and ubiquitous paparazzi with their long-range cameras, there are also the intricate spy systems of various superpowers. In the 21st century, the most valuable and irreplaceable resource is highly skilled talent; therefore, any major power aspiring to dominate the world will always be prepared to expand its talent pool.

Xiao Keleng chimed in at the opportune moment: "According to the latest information from the US intelligence agencies, even in Japan, Tanino Shinshu's research on the art of Japanese magic is not the most famous, and he doesn't even rank among the top ten superpower masters."

Shao Hei swung his Emei daggers repeatedly, drawing a brief outline of the terrain around the Meditation Hall within a minute. He then added seven more grids around the Strange House, making them exactly the same as the first one he had drawn.

He looked back towards the "Tower of the Dead," muttering to himself in bewilderment, "The pagoda has eight sides, so the house of the strange has eight layers of defense. Why not make it six-sided, and then add two more sides, one for heaven and one for earth, arranged according to the principles of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams? Could it be that the Japanese have unknowingly surpassed us in their research on Qimen Dunjia? Impossible... impossible..."

Shao Bai strode over and asked gruffly, "So, the weaknesses of the formation are all at the intersection of Yin and Yang? Does the enemy have any special defenses or countermeasures? I'm thinking of using brute force to break the formation. Does anyone have any objections?"

He pointed to the different joints of the mesh, his five fingers thin and curved like eagle claws, without any excess fat.

I instinctively wanted to speak up and stop him, but Zhang Baisen spoke first: "Unless absolutely necessary, there's no need to resort to such a desperate measure as violence. A duel between masters isn't a brawl between street thugs. What's the point of exchanging blows and destroying bombs? If Tanino Shinshu thinks he's relying on the terrain to set up his formation, it's obvious there's an element of showing off in it. If we can't defeat him and make him submit willingly, when the Chinese martial arts community comes to Japan again, they'll probably laugh at us."

“Fatal flaw—” Shao Hei suddenly shouted, pointing towards the top of the tower.