King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 169

Zhang Baisen didn't shake my hand. Instead, he held his palms up in front of his chest, bent his index and middle fingers, and curled his thumb, ring, and little fingers upwards to form the shape of a blooming snow lotus. He then bowed to me. This gesture is a farewell ceremony performed by disciples of the "Hidden Sect" when they leave their master. In Nepali, it is called "Anku Jeshikku," which translates to "Lotus Bow" in Chinese.

I was taken aback, stepped aside, and quickly bowed in return. After all, my age and seniority were insufficient to receive such a deep bow from anyone, let alone Zhang Baisen, who claimed to be "the number one master of special abilities in mainland China."

"Feng, Master Xianyun came to Hokkaido not only to find Master Kamekawa to return to the snowy land together to comprehend the divine decree sent down by heaven, but also because he told me that the person destined for Buddhism is in Fengji Temple—that is you. When he was waiting to be reincarnated in seven lifetimes, he had already sensed your existence. From the time he was born until he could sit, speak, and walk, he always used his 'Hearing' to detect your whereabouts, and finally met you here."

Zhang Baisen's face showed unprecedented piety. Xiao Keleng, who was listening from the side, was stunned. He looked at my face for a while, and then his gaze fell on Zhang Baisen.

"In my 'Hidden Sect,' all disciples are ranked according to their comprehension, unlike those sects in the mortal world that rank disciples based on birth age or the order of entry. Master Xianyun once said that from north of the Tianshan Mountains to south of the Snow Mountains, when it comes to comprehension and spiritual energy, perhaps no one will surpass you. Therefore, I will definitely invite you to the 'Mirror Platform' at the Abu Re Palace for enlightenment in the future. It is very likely that this will have invaluable benefits for the future growth and expansion of the 'Hidden Sect.' Here, on behalf of Master Banaidu, I extend an invitation to you—our most honored guest. After you have completed your business in Hokkaido, please come and accept this invitation. It would be an honor for our 'Hidden Sect.'"

Zhang Baisen bowed deeply again, and I quickly grabbed his arms with both hands to stop his grand gesture.

Master Xianyun came and went quickly, and I didn't even have a chance to ask him any questions. I feel very regretful. If I really have the opportunity to go to the south of the snow-capped mountains of Tibet again in the future, I must find a way to visit him.

I really wanted to say some words of comfort to him, but unfortunately, the deaths of the Shao brothers could not be changed by any amount of polite words.

“Master Zhang, you are a master in the world of supernatural abilities, and you must have seen through life and death. So, let’s just consider the fate of the Shao brothers as a destiny arranged by heaven. Take care on your journey.”

Until I said goodbye and left, Zhang Baisen never shook my hand again, and there was no longer a smile on his face.

Xiao Ke stared blankly as he left the Reincarnation Academy, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Mr. Feng, are you even a human from Earth? I'm asking about 'a human from Earth in the standard sense'?"

I know myself very well, and whatever others say is just a theoretical definition that cannot change the essence of things.

The monk got up, covered his head with both hands, and walked over with a worried look on his face, swaying as he went.

I smiled at him and said, "Master Xiang, you've gone to great lengths for the Shao brothers' refining this time. I'll write you a check; all the masters present will receive a share, and I won't go back on my word. Of course, this is our private reward, and it's best if no one else knows about tonight's events, how about that?"

The monks were naturally happy to receive money. After all, even after becoming monks and entering a temple, they still had to spend money everywhere. They were overjoyed to have someone throwing money around, and they all nodded with delight.

I led Xiao Keleng out of the Samsara Courtyard, and after walking only a hundred steps, we stopped in the shadows of an attic.

Xiao Ke glanced at his watch, lost in thought: "It's almost eleven o'clock, Mr. Feng. Should we go and monitor the Elephant Monk's movements? He's shown too many flaws; the possibility of him being impersonated is getting bigger and bigger!"

From afar, I heard the sound of the Reincarnation Courtyard gate slamming shut. The monks yawned as they walked into several courtyards on the right. The place where the monks lived was north of the Marrow Cleansing Hall, and from where we were standing, there were four more rows of houses to the east and south.

I smiled calmly: "No rush. He won't do anything suspicious until at least an hour later, when it's late at night and everyone's asleep. In the meantime, let's discuss the matter of Fenglin Huoshan." Given Gu Ye's skill level, the fact that he could still be controlled by Fenglin Huoshan suggests that the latter seems to be our most dangerous threat.

Xiao Keleng shrank back, pressing herself against the stone wall, completely hiding herself in the shadows. She looked preoccupied, constantly raising her hand to stroke her short hair, and spacing out in fits of thought.

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 9 - The Crimson Flame Army's Ambition (Part 2) —

"I wonder if Guan Baoling is asleep?" This thought crossed my mind as I glanced south. Fengge Temple seemed to be an ominous place, with constant turmoil and people being killed one after another. Moreover, internal strife was frequent between the ninjas of Tano and Fenglinshan. If the "divine oracle" that Guan Baoling longed for did not appear soon, we really should retreat to Xunfuyuan first.

“Mr. Feng, I would like to ask you about the ‘Great Weapon’ and the Crimson Flame Force. What are your thoughts on this?” Xiao Keleng suddenly spoke up, ignoring the topic I had just brought up.

This question is sensitively related to her North Korean background. I had thought about it before, but I didn't want to make any wild guesses.

Xiao Keleng reached into her pocket and took something out, holding it between her fingertips: "Mr. Feng, please take a look—"

It was a gleaming pure copper bullet, with what appeared to be an engraved pattern on its casing. I didn't even need to take it to imagine that it depicted a blazing flame, with a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle below.

“I know, this is the contact badge of the Chiyan Unit. They contacted you?” My mind quickly conjured up Xiao Keleng’s thoughts—in order to carry out their operations in Hokkaido smoothly, the Chiyan Unit used Kim Chun-hee, who was in Pyongyang, to blackmail Xiao Keleng into obediently serving the North Koreans.

“Yes.” Xiao Keleng sighed, looking up at the sky.

"What do they want?" I should be able to find the answer to this obvious question, but I still want to get final confirmation.

"A deadly weapon, a priceless treasure from Iraq." That was the answer I expected, but I didn't think the North Koreans could win this battle to plunder such a weapon. They intervened too late; after all, this was Japanese territory. With a single order from the bigwigs, the entire Hokkaido coastline could be sealed off, and no one would be able to escape.

"Sigh, I thought that after traveling through several countries, hiding my identity, and being far away from home, no one would have noticed my existence. In the end, I still couldn't escape the Crimson Flame Army's search. This earth is just too small; everyone's background is almost transparent, while the tentacles of intelligence agencies are everywhere. They can deduce logically from a broken fingernail, then perform the most meticulous logical deductions, and finally find a behemoth like a mammoth. Every time I see this bullet, I feel like I'll never have anywhere to hide—"

She stared at the bullet, which was less than an inch long, her eyes gradually filled with despair.

This is no ordinary bullet; it represents the national power and national interests of the North Koreans and will forever be Xiao Keleng's nightmare.

At this moment, we can bury ourselves in darkness and temporarily gain a moment of peace of mind, but when dawn comes, countless unseen tentacles can reach out to her at any time, seize everything she has, kill her, or turn her into a second "Kim Soon-hee".

"Who's leading this group? Is it Park Sung-joo, codenamed 'Troy'?" I once checked the files on the Crimson Flame Squad's top fighters. Park Sung-joo has a nickname, "The King of Disguise," because he's a master of disguise, able to change his appearance, physique, and voice without limit.

“Yes.” Xiao Keleng was gradually sinking into despair. After a pause, he added, “There are a total of one hundred people. Besides Troy, there’s also Cui Jingtai, the ‘Red Uranium’ who orchestrated countless terrorist attacks in the former Soviet Union. He was once appointed by the Chairman as a super arms expert, knowledgeable about military products from any country in the world—”

I interrupted her with a laugh: "I know, that criminal who often boasts that he can 'start a terrorist war by himself,' the weirdo who was issued seven Red Orders by the former Soviet president."

Choi Kyung-tae's existence had caused the KGB in the former Soviet Union a great deal of trouble. They used all means of surveillance and assassinated his assistants more than a dozen times. However, they could not stop him from carrying out eleven car bomb explosions in six major Soviet cities in two months in the winter of 1995. He also successfully killed two major Russian arms dealers and obtained the nuclear test fuel that North Korea desperately needed without spending a penny.

Unexpectedly, the North Koreans came secretly and with all their might, seemingly determined to obtain the weapon of mass destruction.

Xiao Keleng's short hair and eyes gleamed in the darkness, making her look even more like a cheetah ready to pounce at any moment.

"What do they want you to do?" I stared into her eyes, and within thirty seconds, I assessed the situation and outlined my plan to seize Troy's treasure.

"On the contrary, their only requirement for me is that I do nothing, at least—I don't do anything for you!" The cheetah's eyes began to fill with a dangerous wildness. I knew that as Kim Soon-hee's sister, she must have a fierce spirit of taking risks or "raging into the sky" in her blood.

"Anything else?" I reached out and touched the stone wall. It was cold and damp, and frost was already forming. I quickly added, "Don't lean against the wall. The frost and dew are heavy, so be careful not to catch a cold."

"And another thing... it would be best if I could kill you." Xiao Keleng revealed the secret in his heart.

"Kill me? They consider me their primary enemy? Unfortunately, the weapon of mass destruction is something the Americans and the multinational forces want, and I have no interest in competing with them for it. Actually, you could tell Troy that if they're so capable, they should snatch the weapon of mass destruction from the Japanese. In East Asia, it's not too late to talk about military expansion or world domination after they've defeated the Japanese."

I feel somewhat wronged to be labeled the Red Flame Army's number one enemy. There are countless tiny countries like them on Earth, and whether due to inferiority complex or excessive pride, the smaller the country, the more it dreams of dominating the world. The three Axis powers during World War II were no exception. Sixty years later, the tables have turned, and it seems it's time for other small countries to entertain this absurd idea of "tiger trying to eat the sky."

Suddenly, a light came on in a courtyard to the southeast. The bright white light shone on a withered old tree outside the courtyard, making it look particularly striking in the dark night.

“Let’s go, that’s where the monks live. We can begin.” I turned to the south, but in that instant, Xiao Keleng suddenly shot out both of her hands, her palms flipping over, and two dark gun barrels were already pointed at my right temple. The safety had been engaged long ago, and both her index fingers were on the triggers. With less than a centimeter of free travel, she could send two bullets into my head.

"Your movements have sped up again, probably no more than 0.05 seconds. Adding the interval between pulling the trigger and the bullet leaving the barrel, it exceeds the Red Flame Unit's pistol rapid-fire standard. Xiao, so you've been holding back in front of me all along?" The muzzle was cold and filled with murderous intent, and I could feel the killing intent lurking everywhere in the vast darkness.

Xiao Ke let out a long breath and slowly put away her dual pistols: "I just want to test whether you will give me the chance to fire."

I smiled silently: "Your action of drawing your gun and firing was flawless, but you were too close to me, giving me an instant opportunity to counterattack. Within half a meter, a true master's speed in unleashing a killing move is not much slower than a bullet. So, if you really want to kill me in the future, please shoot within ten meters, or shoot me directly from behind; that would increase your chances of success."

Even with her flawless shooting technique, I could still see at least five flaws. I didn't believe she would pull the trigger, which is why I didn't immediately retaliate.

“Mr. Feng, you trust me that much?” Xiao Keleng put away his gun and added with a wry smile, “Actually, there are no bullets in the magazine.”

I looked intently into her face: "A friend of Suren's wouldn't be a traitor who betrays his own people. In fact, you can trust me, just as I trust you. True friends will always entrust their backs to each other without hesitation. Remember my words."

This statement is more suitable for the martial arts world ten years ago or even earlier, not now, but I know that with Su Lun's intelligence and wisdom, his judgment in making friends is absolutely 100% correct. Xiao Keleng glanced in the direction of the Samsara Academy behind him, took out a magazine, clicked it twice, inserted it into the gun handle, and then flicked the trigger, chambering a bullet with a click.

"Mr. Feng, I have a strange premonition. The Elephant Monk is the Plague. From the way he walks and his cunning and ever-changing eyes, I can basically see seven or eight parts of the shadow of the former Black Angels Gang? Master Thief? The Plague. What do you think?"

She followed behind me, trying to stay close to the shadow of the wall as she walked.

I was even more certain of this than she was—not just "seven or eight out of ten," but over ninety-five percent certain—that the monk Xiang was indeed the Plague Monk in disguise. His lightness of body, his scent, his eyes, and his manner of speaking all proved this. Most importantly, when his sleeves were fluttered by the wind several times, including when he fell onto the roof and rolled to the ground, the first thing he thought of protecting was his sleeves.

"I think so too, but since he can use the most skillful disguise to turn himself into the Elephant Monk, why can't he remove the tattoo on his wrist? Why does he have to use the clumsy method of pulling on his sleeve to cover it up?" This point made me discount my judgment by 5%, otherwise I would have been 100% certain that he was the Plague.

Fifteen minutes later, we approached the small courtyard. No one was there; the bright lights that had been shining were now off, and only a dim bedside lamp illuminated the room. The door was tightly shut, and all was quiet.

Plague once possessed the "Book of Purgatory," an ancient book containing the password to the "Underwater Tomb," and was killed by the "Angel of the Night" for treason. His survival itself proves that he had a systematic way of dealing with the gang's pursuit, which allowed him to deceive everyone.

I whispered in Xiao Keleng's ear, "You keep watch from the ancient tree outside the wall, and I'll go closer to the door and listen. If anyone jumps out of the house, shoot the first person; it won't be me."

The ancient cherry blossom tree was about fifteen meters from the doorway, slightly beyond the optimal firing distance for a pistol. If there were an assault rifle, it would be perfect; prey would have no place to hide within thirty meters. Xiao Keleng agreed, quickly climbed the ancient tree, pressed himself against the shady side of the trunk, and gave me a "done" gesture.

The absence of monks on night patrol at Fengge Temple did indeed make our nighttime incursion easier. The surroundings were extremely quiet; it seemed all the monks were fast asleep, not even a whisper could be heard.

I climbed over the courtyard wall and landed lightly in front of the window. I held my breath and pressed my ear against the windowpane. There was no unusual sound from inside; I couldn't even hear the snoring or breathing of someone sleeping. This was clearly illogical, since the monk was inside at that moment.

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 10 - The Book of Purgatory, The Angel of the Night (Part 1) —

Suddenly, the window paper was ripped open with a sharp gust of wind, which carried with it a menacing killing intent.

My mind was completely focused, so I easily dodged the thrust, and my right hand pierced through the window paper with a soft "whoosh." My mental estimate of the weapon's length was spot on, and I grabbed the back of my opponent's hand precisely, tightening my grip to control their ability to continue attacking.

"Who is it?" the monk asked in a low voice. The window paper rustled again, and a gray-backed, white-bladed samurai sword emerged, heading straight for my lower abdomen.

With a flick of my right hand, I snatched the triangular bayonet from the opponent's hand, and with a horizontal slash, deflected the samurai sword with a snap.

This type of bayonet, with blood grooves on all three sides, is a patent of the Americans. It is extremely powerful in close-range attacks, and once it pierces a target, it immediately creates irregular lacerations that are difficult to heal.

"The plague, an old friend has returned." From his two attacks, his true identity was finally confirmed: a "dead man" who should have been buried by the Japanese police long ago.

The door opened, and the dim light from the desk lamp shone out, but no one spoke.

"Come out and talk. The air is better in the yard, so you don't have to pretend all the time and make yourself look like a ghost." Actually, if nothing else had been bothering him, he should have seen through his pretense much earlier.

The plague remained silent. I took a deep breath and strode inside. Why would someone who had escaped the "Angel of the Night" remain in the same place, disguised in various ways, instead of fleeing far away? Given the plague's greedy nature, why would it linger at Maple Temple if it weren't for a vast treasure?

Without even looking up, I could feel the murderous aura emanating from above. The Plague was a seasoned veteran; he should have understood the difference in skill between us, which was why he attempted to swoop down from the top of the beam to deliver a fatal blow.

The room was sparsely furnished, with just a table, a chair, a lamp, and a bed. The blankets on the bed were still neatly folded, indicating that he had never intended to sleep there.

"We have no conflict of interest, so why make trouble for me?" The man on the ridge spoke slowly, his voice shifting from the monk's hurried tone to the cunning and shrewd one of the plague-ridden old man. He lightly flicked the long knife in his hand, making a "clang" sound. A wise man always knows when to advance and retreat. Since he is certain he is no match for me, he will not easily make a move.

“Yes, there’s no conflict of interest. Wouldn’t it be better to talk down here?” I slowly placed the military knife on the table and raised my hands to show that I had no hostile intentions.

The plague landed with a whoosh, straightened up, raised its hand and tore off an extremely thin mask from its face, revealing its thin, sallow face once more.

In the stillness of the night, it would be the perfect time to sit around a fireplace, drink and chat, but there isn't even a glass of water here, only an endless, bone-chilling cold.

“I thought you were dead. Do the people of ‘Black Angel’ think so too? It’s a pity that with your disguise skills, you could have easily impersonated someone else, like the original Shidao, or an even more inconspicuous monk. Why did you have to pretend to be the Elephant Monk?” This is what confuses me the most.

Plague walked to the table, put down the knife and mask in his hand, and raised his hands to show his sincerity.

"I just want to know more about the secrets of the upper echelons of Fengge Temple. I already knew some of the secrets of the Sutra Repository a long time ago, the secrets of Master Shenbi, the secrets of Kamekabe and Bumenri, the secrets of Princess Fujika, the secrets of Tanino Shinshu... Actually, my goal is to add all these secrets together and then find the most reasonable organic logical deduction—"

The plague's eyes gleamed cunningly, and it would occasionally stop to touch the tip of its nose.

"Didn't you have time to light a fire here? Or is it that your martial arts skills prevent you from getting near fire?" I deliberately changed the subject. All he wanted was to sell his secret and make the biggest profit. From our first encounter at Xunfu Garden, I knew I would be his best buyer.

"Mr. Feng, there's neither friendship nor hatred between us, and besides, there's no need for fire here—you know perfectly well what I have and what I want. It's late, so let's be frank, shall we?"

Plague's eyes darted around, much like a rat cornered. I had no interest in the deal until I figured out his trump card; I just felt he wouldn't easily reveal his final secret.

"What do you have?" I rubbed my hands together gently.

"The Book of Purgatory," he answered directly, without hesitation.

I sensed a murderous aura again, as if it were coming from a knife and a stab on the table.

"Last time, you mentioned that the 'Angel of the Night' is also desperately searching for this strange book. Perhaps you could give it to them to avoid being hunted down. But I just want to know what treasure Maple Temple holds that would entice you to risk your life to stay here? Could it also be the 'Wrath of the Sun God,' coveted by various forces?"

If that's really the case, then the plague was incredibly foolish. It's clear that countless people covet this treasure, and it wouldn't tolerate a lone江湖人 (jianghu person, a person from the martial arts world) getting involved.

"Everyone has their own goals. I'll only ask Mr. Feng, are you interested in the 'Book of Purgatory'?"

I suddenly leaned forward and grabbed a bulging wad of paper from his waistband with my right hand. It was a few crumpled pieces of paper, probably what he was looking at before I arrived at the courtyard. In his haste, he crumpled it up and put it in his pocket.

"What is this?" Before he could defend himself, I returned to my chair and tossed the fist-sized crumpled paper onto the table. Undoubtedly, the paper resembled that in Master Shenbi's diary. I even suspected that many parts of the diary had been torn out by the plague, leaving me only insignificant fragments.

The plague sneered, shook his head, walked to the door, and slammed the paper door shut with a hiss, showing no intention of escaping.

I unfolded the crumpled paper, and to my surprise, it turned out to be four crisscrossing chessboards, with a dozen or so black and white pieces scattered on them. When the four pieces of paper were put together, they formed a complete chess game, and next to them, the order of moves for about fifty moves was recorded in pencil.