King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 274

"Wind, don't do anything foolish! If they rush up, the Earth will be doomed!" Alpha roared furiously.

Amidst the flashing blades, I turned sideways and headed north, gripping my sword in my right arm, once again forcing him to retreat. In my view, Alpha and Tang Qing are fundamentally different; the latter is a monster's puppet. To kill the six-armed monster, the Illusion Demon, one must first eliminate these treacherous demons and monsters who aid and abet it.

Tang Qing was indeed in that building. As I stepped onto the rooftop, she darted out from behind a severed arm, her black robe flipping as six beams of green light shot out simultaneously. Now, she had six arms, and each one could participate in the attack, displaying incredible agility—a common characteristic of illusion demons.

There were six serpentine green snakes, writhing and slithering. With a flash of the blade, the snakes were pulverized, scattering into a green mist that blocked her path. We were only ten steps apart; she was already within the range of the blade's deadly strike.

"You've been tricked—" She laughed wickedly, her four arms behind her waving high and low like a bizarre thousand-armed Guanyin statue. "His sword light is right behind you, right behind you..."

"Of course I know." In an instant, Alpha appeared behind Tang Qing, its golden sword pointing straight to the sky. I seemed to have already seen Tang Qing's fate.

"This world will eventually belong to us, to the burning planet, and in the universe, there can only be fire burning away the cold. This is an ending that no Earthling can change, hahahaha..." Her maniacal laughter turned into a violent and loud male voice.

I understand now. She's no longer Tang Qing or the Dragon Witch; she's just a walking corpse whose body has been possessed by a monster. I had the same feeling when Tang Xiaogu died, and now I finally understand that he was also a puppet of an illusion demon, not one controlled by Tang Qing.

No matter how powerful or bizarre the Tang Clan of Sichuan may be, they are still just "humans," and their actions are always limited, unlike the Illusion Demon, whose every step forward pushes the Earth to the brink of destruction.

"Belongs to you?" I asked with a faint smile.

“Of course it’s us—” Half of a longsword suddenly appeared on her chest. The crystals embedded in the blade shone even brighter and clearer after being stained with blood, almost blinding. She looked down at the tip of the sword, clasped her hands together, and gripped the blade. The four hands on her back thrashed about, trying to push Alpha away.

I don't want to see killing and death, but when I have time to survive, I have no choice but to kill the enemy ruthlessly and abandon any sentimentality.

The golden sword was withdrawn, Tang Qing spun around, and fell into the snow with a thud.

“Sometimes, cooperation is necessary, but everyone knows that there are no permanent allies, only permanent interests, right?” Alpha stared at Tang Qing, whose six arms were still twitching weakly, but she would never be able to stand up again.

He looked up at me and asked, "Can you understand why I killed her?"

I nodded, a chill running down my spine. The powerful aura of "those who submit to me prosper, those who defy me perish" emanating from this square-eyed warrior, who looked exactly like an Earthling, reminded me of the first emperor in history to rule the world. Only a great figure who could create heaven and earth and ward off evil spirits could inadvertently give others this feeling.

"Do you have anything to say?" he asked again, wiping the blood from the blade and sheathing the sword with his other hand.

The gleaming golden scabbard was inlaid with colorful gemstones, and its dark, heavy material clearly indicated that it came from the rarest snow mountain rhinoceros on Earth.

I did have a question I wanted to ask him, but I managed to hold it in and didn't ask it. That question was—"Who exactly are you?"

He could be Alpha, or anyone else; a name is just a simple label. Just like when we look at history today, we only read dry, monotonous names, unable to grasp the magnificence within each legendary tale.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Qin Shi Huang died during his eastern tour. Xu Fu, who was searching for the elixir of immortality, did not have time to return with it. Then Zhao Gao seized power, and Hu Hai, the second emperor, immediately ascended the throne. Historians have repeatedly questioned how Qin Shi Huang, born in the Warring States period, a time of numerous warring states, a veteran of countless battles, and possessing extraordinary wisdom, could possibly have embarked on an "eastern tour" while on his deathbed. Given his incredible feats such as "burning books and burying scholars alive," "collecting weapons from across the land to cast bronze statues," "building the Terracotta Army for his imperial mausoleum," and "sending alchemists to seek the elixir of immortality," could he not even understand the meaning of life and death?

Therefore, his "eastern tour" could only be a pretext to cover up more important "private matters".

I have found the answer: "He is still alive, and will live on forever, becoming the most unique 'person' on our earth. Only in this way can he be worthy of the title 'First Emperor,' a title that is unprecedented and unparalleled."

"You are—" I was unsure how to address him.

"Who I am, does it matter? You're smart enough to figure out my identity, but I'm just Alpha now. Let bygones be bygones. I won't dwell on anything anymore, and I don't want anyone deliberately bothering me." He leaped down from the small building and strode towards the empty courtyard.

Over there, the venomous insects were thrown into chaos, abandoning their unified operation to approach the "earth veins." They were tearing at each other, completely unable to focus on attacking Situ Qiushi and his group.

Tang Qing's struggles grew weaker and weaker, and the four arms behind her were visibly shrinking and shortening.

I knelt down in front of her, listening to her murmur a name: "Yang Tian... Pyramid... Pyramid... Yang Tian..."

"What do you want to say?" I took her right wrist for a pulse and felt her heart rate dropping rapidly.

Part Three: Mirror Illusion Void, Chapter Six

One sword cut off nineteen heads

"Yang Tian... Yang Tian..." she struggled to open her eyes.

"Where is he?" I moved closer to her face, which was as pale as paper from rapid blood loss, and no longer had that evil and eerie expression.

“Inside the pyramids… he’s inside the pyramids…” She saw me clearly, and a forced smile suddenly appeared on her lips. “I… I’m awake, I’m awake, you are… his… his…”

I continued, "I am his younger brother, Yang Feng. Tell me, which pyramid? Which one?" If it involves pyramids, it must be in Egypt, which corroborates what the great god Turks Khan once said.

Tang Qing shook his head with difficulty: "No... I don't know... I only saw him fighting with the illusion demon... fighting fiercely... shattering the entire pyramid, and then... an earthquake occurred, hundreds of tons of sand poured down, sealing the exit, and they... became entangled, locked together... Go save him..."

She gasped for breath, and countless blood bubbles oozed from her wounds and the corners of her mouth.

"It's snowing... This world is so beautiful, and... the nightmare is over, I want to... go home—" Her words trailed off, her eyes gazing blankly upwards.

She died, leaving behind only a few fragmented words, more difficult to understand than obscure prophecies, leaving me unable to piece together a complete story. Alpha's sword possessed a certain magic; once it pierced, it seemed to instantly sever even a person's life force.

I released her hand, pulled at the black robe, and slowly covered her face. The snow fell heavier and heavier, and in an instant, the black robe turned into a white robe, and her body was completely covered by the pure white snow.

"Is my brother inside the pyramid? Near the Pyramid of Tsar?—" A sudden surge of emotion welled up within me, and I had an urge to call Tina. If we could mobilize the entire Egyptian army to search within a hundred kilometers of the Pyramid of Tsar, could we find my brother?

Given Tina's enthusiasm for me, it's entirely possible to achieve this, but I prefer to have a clear goal before embarking on this task. Egypt has only a few hundred thousand regular troops, plus laborers and the unemployed; even if they could muster a million men, it would be a drop in the ocean on such a vast desert.

"Big Brother? An Illusion Demon? Could it really be as Elder Sahan said, that an Illusion Demon is hidden in every pyramid, including the cave with the sealed gate that Alpha personally set up?" I recalled the strange photos that Tanino Shinji gave to the scalpel at the beginning, which showed that Big Brother was indeed wrestling with a huge stone statue. Also, Xiao Yan had obtained the same information from "Area 51".

It's easy to imagine that the eldest brother is indeed alive, but his situation is not good.

I grabbed a handful of snow and gently rubbed it on my forehead; the bone-chilling cold made my mind work more quickly.

"Perhaps the Great God Tu Liehan can give me more inspiration?" I did not intentionally help him break the Dragon Control Formation, but in fact, Lei Aobai's crazy actions had indirectly prompted me to participate in the operation to break the formation. Then Alpha's cooperation with Tang Qing ended, he killed Tang Qing with his own hands, the insect formation collapsed, and the entire "Heaven and Earth Spin Dragon Control Formation" also showed irreparable flaws.

Looking down at the empty courtyard from my position, the southeast, east, and northeast directions are all open gates, which is the perfect time for the great god Tu Liehan to break out of the earth's veins.

Tang Xin, Situ Qiushi, and Lei Aobai slowly walked out of the gap and arrived at the foot of the small building where I was standing. After the insect swarm had engaged in a fierce infighting, the remaining poisonous insects retreated chaotically to the west, fleeing all the way to the main gate of the Epang Palace. Only a jumble of dark limbs remained on the snow, but they were quickly buried under the white snow.

The poisonous insects were originally controlled by Tang Qing's thoughts. Once their master died, they naturally lost all their spirituality and returned to being mindless animals, devoid of any proactive aggression.

Snow is the most beautiful thing in the world; it can cover up anything, no matter how frightening, until the earth is completely transformed into a vast, cold, and pure white expanse.

“Mr. Feng, I have something to say—” Tang Xin leaped down beside me, her eyes immediately falling on the corpse covered in snow. Her shoulders trembled violently. “She is dead after all. Fate has finally come…”

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, each word tinged with a sob.

She kept mentioning "destiny," and I really want to know what my older brother's destiny is? Or what my destiny is with Su Lun?

Below the small building, Situ Qiu and Lei Aobai gazed at each other sadly, their gray robes fluttering in the snow like two flags faded by time.

"Destiny? What is their destiny? Is it to travel from the Tang Dynasty through the ancient mirror to become unjustly killed ghosts?" I smiled bitterly to myself. In their world, there was only killing and being killed, women and gold, achieving hegemony and fleeing overseas. Everything changed abruptly because of an ancient mirror.

Of course, it wasn't just their lives that changed abruptly, but also the turbulent power struggles that plagued Chang'an.

“Mr. Feng, what did she say? Did she leave any information about the ‘Pandora’s Box’?” Tang Xin finally couldn’t help but sob softly.

I shook my head: "No, Alpha's sword came too fast. She didn't have time to say anything more before she died. Miss Tang, actually, death was a kind of happiness for her. She herself said, 'The nightmare is over.' Being transformed into a monster's puppet was originally a life process that was worse than death, right?"

Tang Qing's last words were all about her eldest brother, Yang Tian. Perhaps this was the clearest and most important memory she held, which is why she could speak of it so quickly after regaining her senses. Unfortunately, what exactly happened between her and Yang Tian, whether they ever confided in each other or made any promises, is now impossible to know. Of course, after her death, all those past loves and hates, being loved and being loved, vanished like fireworks, losing all meaning in the end.

Tang Xin knelt before Tang Qing's body, reaching out to brush the snow off her face. Just then, a sharp whistling sound rang out, louder and more piercing than the whistle of a massive ship. Tang Xin abruptly changed direction, covering her ears with her outstretched hand.

My eardrums also felt a stinging pain, like being pricked with needles.

The howling sound came from beneath the "earth veins." I could sense that the Dragon Control Formation was crumbling and the Earth God's counterattack was about to begin. Then, five more howls followed, like five tidal waves crashing against the table, one louder than the next, one wave stronger than the last. I felt my blood churning in my chest, unable to control myself. I immediately sat cross-legged, held my breath, and entered a state of self-preservation, forgetting myself and the world around me, to avoid being injured by the howling.

My hearing disappeared, but I could clearly see the snow in the empty courtyard trembling violently, as if it were being tossed around in a giant winnowing basket, being randomly drawn into the earth's veins.

Within a minute, there was no more snow in the empty courtyard, and even the snowflakes that had just fallen from the sky took on a strange trend, automatically drifting towards the well before even touching the ground.

Alpha stood on the southern wall, his body swaying with the howling sound, but he held the golden sword firmly aloft with both hands.

Tang Xin bumped into me with her shoulder, her hands still covering her ears, her chin pointing downstairs, and her lips moved as if she were saying the word "look".

I was so focused on what was happening in the empty courtyard that I completely overlooked Situ Qiushi and Lei Aobai. At that moment, the two of them were standing on the leeward side of the small building, covering each other's ears, their chests pressed together, barely managing to block out the enormous noise.

"Who are they? I don't think they can hold out much longer." Tang Xin only managed to utter two sentences before her cheeks suddenly flushed red, her throat tightened, and a spurt of blood silently shot out, splattering onto the snow beside me. Such a loud noise could easily damage one's blood vessels. Fortunately, she only coughed up blood from her mouth; if her ears, eyes, and nostrils had been ruptured, it would have been dangerous.

I sprang up with a "whoosh," placed my palms on her collarbone, and released my inner energy to help her circulate blood and ease the shock in her heart and lungs. At the same time, I shouted in her ear, "Don't move, take care of yourself, I'm going to save them." Normally, shouting that loudly in someone's ear would almost deafen them, but now, after that huge shriek, both of us were nearly deaf, so no matter how loud the voice was, it didn't matter.

Tang Xin smiled slightly, let out a long breath, and slowly closed her eyes. She is a very alert person; once she senses something is wrong, she will immediately take self-rescue measures, so I don't need to worry about her now.

I jumped down from the small building and slapped Situ Qiushi in the center of his back. Strands of blood were seeping from his left ear, because Lei Aobai was no longer able to cover his ear after being injured.

"I...I can't go on..." He turned his face with difficulty, blood seeping from his eyes. He had suffered severe internal injuries from the noise that was beyond human endurance, but he still tried his best to help his junior brother cover his ears, hoping that Lei Aobai would be the one to be saved in the end.

Even in the most dangerous environment, he still cared for others. The camaraderie that Situ Qiu showed is invaluable today.

"Save him...save my junior brother...save him..." His lips trembled as he forcefully swallowed back the blood that was about to spurt out.

Lei Aobai, who was also poisoned, was not much better off. His face was covered in bruises, and there were grayish-white spots on his cheekbones, making him look like a rotting orange.

The whistling stopped. I removed their hands, and Situ Qiu swayed, then slowly slid down the wall and collapsed in the corner.

Lei Aobai did not sever his injured hand. Besides, even if he were to cut off flesh to survive, it wouldn't be a matter of just one or two places. So he simply gave up resisting, sat down next to his senior brother, and waited for death in peace.

“Brother Feng, even if we die, send us back to the Mirror. I hope a miracle will happen. We should die in the era we lived in. As the saying goes, ‘After a hundred years of wandering, fallen leaves return to their roots.’ We are both from the Tang Dynasty, so of course we should be ghosts of the Tang Dynasty. It’s just a pity that I can’t see that girl. The feeling of ‘dying with eyes wide open’ is not pleasant, haha…” He was very open-minded, but his laughter revealed obvious weakness. He only laughed twice before his voice suddenly went hoarse.

I nodded. If there's anything I can do for them, I'll do my best.

“I hope to live… to go back and apologize to the Bearded Stranger… In the martial world, what matters is ‘trust’. He couldn’t keep his promise to a friend and left without even an explanation… Junior Brother, the reputation we’ve built up over the past thirty years is all ruined. I wonder what kind of infamy we’ll be left with…”

Situ Qiu was already on his deathbed, his mind beginning to wander. A thousand years had passed since the assassination at Lingyan Pavilion; even if they returned, everything would have changed, a thousand years would have passed in the blink of an eye. Who would still remember these two assassins who had fleetingly passed through the martial world?

The howling stopped for about five minutes before my hearing gradually returned to normal. Suddenly, I felt a deathly silence all around me; there was no sound at all. Turning back to look towards the empty courtyard, Alpha was gone too. The fierce battle within the Dragon Control Formation felt like a fleeting dream.

"It seems to be the 'dead silence before the great battle.' What will happen next? Will the great god Tu Liehan's actions be delayed? Or have his men lost their fighting spirit after suffering heavy losses and retreated in panic?" I can't judge the current situation. If I were still on the rooftop, I might be able to have a more accurate overall understanding.

"Hold on, I'll send you back right away—" It wasn't that I insisted on staying here, but I needed to see what the Earth God did to determine if those circular staircases were still there. In other words, if the Earth God's aircraft broke through the ley lines, the ley line entrance in the small building would no longer exist.

Of course, the passageway leading to the "Asian Gear" and the crystal wall of Suren have become eternal secrets of Earth, never to be recreated—everything is spiraling out of control, just as Alpha cannot control the fleeing swarm of insects.

Suddenly, a long howl came from the farthest part of the west, continuous for two or three minutes, undulating and swirling, with an imposing momentum.

"A tiger?" I couldn't help but perk up.

That sound was all too familiar; tigers often roared in moments of confusion and distress to rouse themselves. His internal strength was quite profound; under special circumstances, the roar could last for up to five minutes and travel five kilometers away. Reinforcements had arrived, and I was naturally delighted, but Situ Qiu and Lei Aobai's expressions suddenly changed. They stared at each other, their eyes filled with astonishment.

"My friends have arrived, my reinforcements have arrived!" I couldn't contain my joy, not only because of the tiger, but also because of Gu Qingcheng who was about to appear.

"What?" they both asked in unison, their surprise deepening.

“My friend is a renowned wandering knight-errant throughout Southeast Asia, and with him is a beautiful woman of exceptional wisdom—” I realized my slip of the tongue in my excitement. Tiger and Gu Qingcheng were just two simple linguistic names to the two people in front of me. Even if I recounted their achievements and extraordinary qualities, what interest would anyone else have in listening?

Situ Qiu leaned against the white wall and sat up straight immediately: "Brother Feng, what is the name of the person who let out the long howl?" He wiped his face hard, but the bloodstains covered his face, making him look not clean, but rather a terrifyingly gruesome face.

“His name is ‘Tiger’.” I realized something seemed wrong.

"I asked for his real name." Situ Qiu struggled to stand up, but failed twice. "I want to see him... to see your friend, you must see him."

Lei Aobai lowered his head, muttering in a low voice, full of doubt: "Impossible, impossible! It can't be him! It can't be!"

Having heard the tiger's roar, I figured he would find this place soon, and my mood relaxed slightly. Just as I was about to call Tang Xin down, suddenly the empty courtyard underwent another transformation—

A dozen gray shadows soared into the sky, rising seven or eight meters high before splitting up and rushing towards the east, southeast, and northeast. Their intention was clear: to seize the opening in the Dragon Control Formation and then turn the tables, launching a counterattack against Alpha, who had set up the formation.

I could see clearly that they flew out of the well, and neither the petite Youlian nor the tall and thin Sahan were among them. Unfortunately, the openings in these three directions appeared before the whistling sound was emitted. The changes in the Qimen formation rely on the three elements of terrain, momentum, and time, none of which can be missing. Moreover, if any one of these elements changes, the life gate, death gate, and opening gate of the formation will also be completely overturned and unrecognizable.

Their timing was wrong, which led the operation to an irreversible dead end.

Even Situ Qiu realized this, and exclaimed, "It's over! It's over!"