King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 284

Suren smiled leisurely: "Really?"

I suddenly realized that her urging me to get close to Reese was a joke, a subtle jab at how easily I had won Guan Baoling's heart. Even the most reserved girl will get jealous, and the deeper and longer she loves someone, the more jealous she'll feel.

“Suren, during the time you were missing, every night before I went to sleep I told myself that once I found you, we would never be apart again. Even if we continued searching for Big Brother's whereabouts and continued adventuring around the world, we would always be together, never separated for a moment, okay?”

This is my first confession. It lacks the usual flair of a playboy like Tiger. I simply speak my heart without a trace of falsehood or lie.

“I understand, Brother Feng. Actually, I feel the same way. These days, I regret every day why I didn’t go to Hokkaido with you and instead stubbornly stayed in Xianyang. I’m the one who was really wrong. When you were here, you repeatedly taught me not to be so willful, but I still couldn’t control myself. I’m sorry.”

Her brows furrowed suddenly, because the mere mention of the name "Scalpel" brought back those horrific memories. In the final battle in the Egyptian desert, she had personally pressed the button on the remote control, detonating the bomb implanted in the Scalpel's heart. Even I sincerely admire her courage in watching her loved ones die so tragically.

"It's all in the past, forget about it—" I hope she can let go of this psychological burden.

"Fortunately, that kind of thing won't happen again, Brother Feng. Now you are my closest family. We'll be together through life and death. Brother, in heaven, you will surely bless us to find Hero Yang Tian and successfully rescue him, right?" She cleared the shadows from her face and laughed heartily, pretending to be relaxed.

The mirror reflected the mechanical structure outside the cave. As so many gears spun together, it seemed to create a rainbow in the air, gradually making people feel dizzy and mesmerized.

Su Lun extended his right index finger and touched the mirror, a gesture exactly the same as when I pointed at the mirror in front of Situ Qiushi and Lei Aobai last time.

“When I was very young, I thought that mirrors were really amazing. Such a thin layer could contain such a vast and rich world. Brother Wind, let me test you—when we stand in front of a mirror, what is the distance between our body and our shadow? Is it the distance from our toes to the mirror surface, or the distance from our toes to the toes of our shadow in the mirror?” At this moment, she was as playful as a little girl who had just begun to understand things.

Although it is an ancient bronze mirror, its quality is extremely excellent, in no way inferior to the one that the old mirror polisher Situ Qiu and his companions guarded. It can reproduce the expression on Su Lun's face in perfect detail.

"Answer me, is the answer the first one or the second one?" When she couldn't get an answer from me, she turned her face slightly and looked at me in the mirror.

I answered seriously, "I've had that same confusion too, and I still don't have the answer."

Throughout history, mirrors have always given people a sense of emptiness and nothingness. That's why many sorcerers and shamans take advantage of people's ignorance and claim that mirrors can take away people's souls, thus deceiving and swindling them.

The exact distance between a person and their shadow has been debated for centuries, and I think that even if the debate continues for the same amount of time, there will be no completely accurate answer.

"Have you heard of the 'mirror maze' experiment my master conducted in Paris? He placed ten pairs of flat mirrors facing each other between two opposing curved mirrors. When a person walks around between the mirrors, through the phenomenon of 'persistence of vision,' the person feels as if they have entered the world inside the mirror, and cannot distinguish which reflection is the real self. When this experiment is pushed to its extreme, a master of lightness skill walks through the mirrors along the same trajectory and will find that what is reflected in the mirror is no longer himself, but some completely unfamiliar people and scenery, as if he has entered another world."

She winked at my reflection in the mirror, a meaningful smile flickering across her lips.

I've seen the documentary about that famous experiment, and Goro Kanan said that applied physics defines the "reflection and refraction" properties of light. In addition, there is a little-known phenomenon of "stereoscopic reflection and stereoscopic refraction," but these two actions cannot be received by the human pupil at the same time.

Going a step further, Goro Kanan's research is heading down a wicked path of "going astray." One of his books discusses the "mirror-crossing theory," the central idea of which is that "a mirror is like a water surface, and a person is like a beam of light that can enter along the refracted path."

"Suren, don't let your mind wander. Too much thinking weakens your blood and energy, and girls age very quickly." I reminded her not to let her thoughts drift, lest she fall into a demonic path.

"I didn't think much about it. Didn't I just pass through the mirror to be with you?" she countered.

I raised my hand to refute her: "That's not going through a mirror, it can only be called 'passing through' the mirror. It's like there's a hidden door in front of us, which is opened and closed by some kind of mechanism. You're just going from one side of the wall to another, not from one world to another."

This kind of question can drive people crazy, and you'll never find the answer. Instead, it leads to the rapid and widespread death of brain cells, which is absolutely harmful and not beneficial.

“Look—” she suddenly pointed to the mirror.

I had been watching the mirror the whole time, and I noticed the change in the mirror's surface even before she did. It was no longer clear and reflective; instead, it was as if we had moved into a steamy bathroom, with large patches of condensation forming on the surface, obscuring even our reflections.

She raised her hand to wipe herself, but I stopped her immediately: "Don't move, step back, let's step back first."

The space was extremely dry, and water vapor couldn't possibly be forming on the mirror. The only explanation was that some strange change was taking place. We quickly retreated to the cave entrance, staring at the mirror from a distance, as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was about to burst forth from behind it.

There were two brass shell casings lying in front of the mirror, but I couldn't see the bullets, which was very strange.

At that moment, the pistol reappeared in Suren's hand. Seeing me staring at the spent cartridge case in deep thought, she immediately replied, "The bullets passed through the mirror, or rather, they were swallowed by the mirror, just like the outer wall of the Turkestan Pyramid could also swallow bullets before drilling into it—"

Before she could finish speaking, I heard two soft, clear clanging sounds. Our eyes simultaneously turned to the metal floor, where two dark, steel-core bullets lay intact beside their casings. They had fallen from mid-air, which explained the sound.

"Huh? The bullet? It was swallowed by the mirror and then released?" Suren exclaimed in surprise.

As she cried out, the mirror underwent a strange transformation, like a thin sheet of paper covering a candle flame. A black hole appeared in the very center, then quickly spread outwards. In just a second or two, the mirror vanished, completely "burned" away, leaving not even a speck of ash.

"Brother Feng, what's going on? What's going on?" She grabbed my right arm and shook it hard.

After the mirror disappeared, a dark passageway appeared in front of them, stretching into the boundless darkness.

I asked in a deep voice, "Is this the passageway that leads to the Epang Palace?" There was no wind, no human voices, and no light. I couldn't immediately determine whether the event was auspicious or inauspicious.

Suren immediately shook his head: "No, no, the stone walls of that passageway emitted a grayish-white light, it was definitely not dark."

My mind raced, quickly considering our next move. No matter what, the mirror blocking our path was gone; at least we could try to move forward a bit and see if there were any other detours leading to our predicament. With Suren's pistol and my "Overreaching Blade," we could handle whatever danger lay ahead for a while.

"Brother Feng, what's the next step? Should we charge forward?" Suren released my arm and pointed his gun forward with both hands.

I slowly drew the golden sword from my back. I had taken it off my belt and tucked it diagonally behind me before reaching the pinnacle of the mechanical body, for the sake of convenience. Now, it had a purpose, because Suren was proficient in Eastern swordsmanship and had won the inter-school Western fencing championship in college. With this crystal golden sword in hand, it was more convenient than a pistol.

"What a fine sword, Brother Feng! Is this the sword of the square-eyed warrior you mentioned? I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to meet him again?" She took the sword and made a few sword flourishes, instantly filling the cave with dazzling golden light.

After Alpha carried Tang Xin away, he probably went back to the crystal pit. He could have used the power of the crystal to heal her. As for whether they would meet again, that was absolutely unknown.

We began to venture deeper into the tunnel. As we passed the original site of the mirror, Suren kicked away the bullets and casings, and took a deep breath: "Brother Feng, we can finally fight side by side again. This is the happiest thing for me."

The spent cartridges flew into the distance, making a clattering sound. I guessed there was no one ahead, otherwise she would have already raised the alarm. She thought so, and I felt the same way. Running side by side with the one you love towards the same goal is the most exhilarating thing, but I no longer showed my emotions, just turned back and smiled: "Let's go, be careful."

After advancing a hundred steps, I saw a faint light shining through the ground twenty steps away. The light was red, somewhat like embers that had not yet cooled.

"It looks like a broken neon light tube, doesn't it?" Suren whispered in my ear, her hair brushing against my earlobe, tickling me to my core.

There were no neon lights in such an environment, and the eerie feeling made the muscles in my left arm tighten in waves. The "Over-the-Distance Blade" seemed to sense the chill before the fierce battle, faintly emitting a "clanging" sound.

"You stay here and wait for my message." I gave the order without room for argument, like a commander ordering a soldier, and then tiptoed towards the light ahead. Faced with danger, I would always shield Suren behind me, preventing her from being hurt or wronged. I could do this before, but I would do it even better in the future.

"Brother Feng, be careful!" Her voice was full of concern.

I will be careful. For her sake, I will do everything I can to stay alive and stay with her forever.

The firelight was coming from underground. As I approached, I saw a layer of glass on the ground, and the firelight flickered and danced about ten meters below it. Perhaps it wasn't glass, but crystal, like the crystal wall that had once separated Suren and me. But what kind of world lay beneath? How could there be an open flame?

After confirming that there was no danger around, I crouched down and carefully observed the area near the firelight. It was a space paved with bluestone, with a square cauldron on the ground, filled with firewood haphazardly. After looking around a few more times, I realized that the fire felt artificial and cold; it wasn't moving at all. The flickering flames I had sensed earlier were just my own imagination.

I must say that all the flames, firewood, cauldron, and everything below were frozen in time. Now I am certain that what lies before me is an enormous crystal that encapsulates all of that, creating a magnificent three-dimensional specimen.

Suren crept up behind me and looked down from above my right shoulder. She finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Nobody's here, and nothing seems amiss. Thank goodness."

We stepped onto the crystal together and walked twenty more steps before reaching the other side. Crystals of this size are rare these days, and it's even more incredible that the flames beneath them could be solidified. After all, flames are intangible and fleeting; just how fast must the solidification be to capture them?

“Brother Feng, I have a feeling that I’ve been wanting to say, but I can’t guarantee its truthfulness—” Suren said hesitantly, his eyes fixed on the cluster of flames.

I made a "speak frankly" gesture; time is precious, and we need to move on immediately.

She hesitated for a few seconds, then raised her hand to smooth her hair, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

I turned to face the darkness and softly reminded her, "How about we move forward and discuss things as we go?" At least we should reach the end of the passageway and try to gain the upper hand in the changing situation, instead of wasting more time on this crystal.

“No, Brother Feng, my ominous premonition is about this crystal body. To be frank, when your body underwent those strange changes last time, I sensed it immediately, even weeks before he noticed it himself. I know perfectly well that I have a special, innate sensitivity to monsters like the ‘Illusion Demon.’ As soon as they appear, I immediately have a telepathic connection.” She pointed to a dark, shadowy mass beside the fire. “That’s the shadow of the Illusion Demon. He must be here, he must be.”

The shadow spread diagonally on the ground was long and narrow, but it was just a large, dark patch, making it impossible to tell what it was.

"Are you sure?" In this kind of predicament, I like to express my thoughts in the shortest possible way.

“I’m sure, it’s that kind of thing, not the so-called ‘illusionary demon shadow’.” She nodded emphatically.

I stared at the shadow, unable to connect it with the six-armed illusion demon, but thankfully it was a large piece of crystal, which would solidify the illusion demon even if it were below, just like that ball of flame.

"Don't worry, he's frozen in place, isn't he?" I whispered to comfort her.

“Yes, but that ominous feeling keeps stubbornly surfacing in my mind, I can’t shake it off. Brother Feng, let’s both be on high alert, and make sure we don’t fall into a trap.” Suren moved closer to me, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.

The passageway was so quiet, with only our long, drawn-out breaths rising and falling, sounding abrupt and eerie.

"Let's go." I raised my chin and continued forward.

I hoped to see light ahead, not a dark, impassable stone wall. Unfortunately, after five hundred paces, what we encountered was indeed a cold stone wall, not the exit of the passage.

Suren stopped and sighed dejectedly: "It's a stone wall?"

I repeated helplessly, "Yes, it's a stone wall. It seems we still have to turn back." Looking back at the way we came, the light from the cave entrance was as small as a makeup mirror in a girl's purse, seemingly impossibly distant. We had to go back; staying in darkness for too long was extremely unsafe.

"Suren, don't lose heart, we'll definitely get out of here." I took her wrist, ready to retreat.

“Brother Feng, as long as I’m with you, I have confidence no matter what,” she replied softly.

Suddenly, the buttons on her belt emitted a blinding red light, and a small but sharp and piercing warning sounded.

“Brother Feng, Master… Master and the others are within ten meters, that’s right, they are very close, very, very close—” She dropped the golden sword, untied her belt, and held it in her palm. The red light continued to flash, becoming brighter the closer she got to the stone wall.

“They must be on the other side of the stone wall, and they will receive my message. Brother Feng, as long as we use precise directional blasting, this rock will be cleared away soon, and we can get out.” She excitedly stomped her feet repeatedly until the red light faded, then she fastened her belt again and picked up the golden sword.

She was right. If the stone wall were ten meters thick, a skilled demolition expert could easily remove it after fifty precise blasts. Yesak, the top disciple of Guan Nan Wulang, was an elite member of the American army; this demolition work was as easy as picking something out of a bag for him.

We retreated to a distance of twenty paces from the stone wall to avoid being accidentally injured by the explosion.

Suren sat down cross-legged, the golden sword resting across his lap, his eyes fixed on the stone wall, his face full of anticipation: "Our eldest brother is Master's most trusted disciple. He has been by Master's side for the past few years. We haven't seen each other for more than two years. To reunite with him in such adversity is truly a deeply moving experience—"

As the ancients said, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." I understand the deep teacher-student relationship between Suren and Goro Kannan, and I was also full of anticipation for this meeting. Although Goro Kannan is Japanese, his actions and numerous acts of kindness have offset the negative impact of his nationality. In a recent fundraising campaign for Somali refugees, he raised US$1.5 million and personally escorted it to the International Red Cross center in North Africa.

We saw the light almost at the same time. I quickly waved my hand to shield Suren's eyes while turning my head to avoid the bright light.

The light gradually expanded until the stone wall completely disappeared, but no explosion was heard.

"Su Lun, Su Lun, is that you?" A powerful beam of white light shone at our feet, and a tall, thin man rushed over, stopped in front of Su Lun, and burst into laughter: "Junior Sister, stand up quickly so I can see if you've grown any prettier, hahahaha..."

Part 4: Resurrection Battle

— Chapter 7 — Fire in Somalia, Pompeii the Female Spy —

Suddenly freed from the darkness, though my eyes were still half-closed, I didn't lose my vigilance. I immediately lunged forward, my right palm blocking the other person's path: "Friend, please wait."

The man grabbed my wrist with a backhand grappling move, his forearm as supple as if boneless, coiling around my wrist like a snake. He sneered and shouted, "Get out of my way!" A tremendous, meandering force slammed into me, combining the agility of a snake's fist with the ferocity of a tiger's claw, cleverly blending the two contrasting forces of softness and strength.

Judging from his martial arts skills, I could tell that the man was none other than "Eagle of Lake Ontario" Yesack. I immediately retreated slowly following his force, calmly neutralizing the grappling move.

More flashlight beams shone in, and there were actually more than twenty people standing outside in shadow.

Yesak grabbed Suren's hand and almost tossed her into the air. The two of them burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the corridor.

“Sulun—” a dignified voice called out in fluent Mandarin.

Suren responded, "Master!" and broke free from Yesak's grasp, lunging towards another man who was slightly shorter but whose imposing presence was as strong as a mountain.

Watching Suren flit about like a swallow filled me with genuine joy, until the bright beam of Yesak's flashlight shone directly into my face.

"Young man, are you Feng? Rumor has it you're the most promising newcomer in the martial arts world, favored by Scalpel and Su Lun?" He strode up to me, extending his right hand condescendingly. Yesak was a Tajik citizen who initially served in the Soviet special forces, later joining Guan Nan Wulang's tutelage, and then transferring to the elite American forces—a world-class military elite. His tone and manner were undeniably stiff, even his handshake was commanding.

I slowly raised my hand to shake his, and whispered, "Nice to meet you."

Yesak's serpentine gaze swept coldly and moistly across my face. His abruptly hooked nose twitched, and he laughed again: "Very well, very well. The scalpel's eye is always excellent, especially when it comes to someone our junior sister has taken a liking to. He's truly exceptional. Young man, from this moment on, you are a friend of our entire sect. Wherever you go in the world, if you mention my—" He stumbled over his words, immediately drawing out his words to correct himself, "...mentioning my master's name will surely earn you state guest treatment."

He was a head taller than me, almost reaching the top of the passageway.

I wasn't interested in this overly insincere enthusiasm, so I nodded again as a sign of politeness.

"Feng, are you alright?" A thin figure emerged from behind the group of strangely shaped men, hands clasped behind her back, smiling politely. Her long hair fluttered in the bright flashlight beam, carrying a delicate and refreshing fragrance.

“Hey, Miss Gu, please follow behind us, otherwise it will be difficult to protect you if an unexpected situation occurs—” Yesak turned around and spread his arms to separate us.