Le Banquet des Cent Fantômes

Chapitre 37

“Dudu didn’t say anything, it just said it had to hurry and find its little master, and then it flew south towards the Nmai River,” Naisuo replied.

Han Sheng looked anxiously at Wu Chushan and said with a heavy heart, "Something must have happened in Nanshan Village..."

Wu Chushan pondered for a while, then decisively said, "Hansheng, we must split up. I will rush back to Wuyuan immediately, and you will track down Dudu and Shen Caihua. We will need Yancheng boy's help to assist you in this matter."

Han Sheng nodded, agreeing that this was the only safest approach.

“Oh, right,” Naisuo suddenly remembered something and said, “Old Ao also captured one of Dudu’s companions, a very ugly old man.”

"Ugly old man? What does he look like?" Han Sheng asked hurriedly.

“A bald head, a mouthful of crooked teeth, and his face is covered in layers of wrinkled skin, he’s quite frightening… Hmm, he’s also blind, his eyes are all white, like the eyes of a stewed fish,” Naisuo said, gesturing.

Upon hearing this, Han Sheng pondered to himself, "It seems I need to find this ugly old man first. Perhaps I can get clues about Dudu and Shen Caihua from him."

Chapter 52, Part 1

Kokang is a Shan word; "Ko" means nine, and "Kang" represents a dwelling place, so it means nine households. The English name for the Kokang people is "Kokang," which means "a minority group from China living in the Golden Triangle of Myanmar."

Two days later, it was the traditional market day in Kokang. The old street was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder. People had heard the news that the Burmese government and the 93rd Division of the National Army had broken up and the danger of war had been lifted. So men, women and children dressed up and went out, their faces showing long-lost smiles.

A prayer ceremony was held at the Guanyin Temple in the old town, attracting pilgrims from all over northern Myanmar. The crowd was immense, including elderly people dressed in Kokang attire, women in elaborate longyi (traditional longyi garments), and occasionally, stylish young women in Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) and middle-aged men in suits. People jostled and thronged. In front of the temple, stalls selling incense, candles, paper money, and gold and silver ingots were set up, while fruit stalls, herbal medicine stalls, snack stalls, general merchandise stalls, and vegetable and meat stalls lined the streets in a chaotic scene.

The Old Street Temple is located at the back of the Old Street, facing east, covering an area of about ten acres. It is a magnificent and imposing ancient Chinese temple building with carved beams and painted rafters. The exact date of its construction is no longer recorded, but the elders say it looked just like this when they were children.

Han Sheng mingled in the crowd and slowly walked towards the temple. After parting ways with Wu Chushan in the hut of the boy from Yancheng in the Golden Triangle, he had been traveling non-stop through the rainforest for two days and finally arrived in Kokang, while Wu Chushan had returned to China via Xishuangbanna through Mae Salong.

Entering the temple through the small door on the left, one is greeted by a square stone courtyard. White walls line the east, the main gate the west, and tiled wooden side rooms flank the north and south. A horizontal plaque with the inscription "Protect the Nation and Bless the People" in gold lettering hangs in the center of the main gate. Devotees flow in and out, creating a lively atmosphere. In the center of the courtyard stands a large stone incense burner, its smoke curling upwards, where more than ten devout men and women are prostrating themselves in worship. From the main hall comes the sound of a monk chanting and striking a fish-shaped wooden gong; the crowd surges and jostles, like waves, like poetry, like a tide.

Han Sheng's gaze swept over the heads of the kneeling believers and locked onto the white-browed old monk in a yellow robe chanting sutras. This man was none other than Elder Ao. The villagers of Kokang Old Street all knew this peculiar-looking old man with white hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard, so they easily found out that he would definitely be present at the prayer ceremony today.

Ao Lao was deeply versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Marxism, and was considered a genius within the Communist Party of Burma. His successful assassination of General Bo Nong of the Burmese government army, cleverly framing the National Revolutionary Army's 93rd Division, led to the collapse of the enemy's military alliance and eliminated the imminent threat of war. For this, the 8.19 Department received commendation from the Burmese Communist Party's Politburo. The situation regarding Huang Mingyue was top secret within the 8.19 Department; apart from Vice Chairman Deqin, no one knew anything, only that it was the work of a mysterious assassin under Ao Lao's command.

Han Sheng stood in a corner outside the hall, quietly waiting for his chance to strike.

Chapter 52, Part 2

A People's Army soldier with a gun entered the main hall, bypassed the worshippers, and came to Ao Lao's side, whispering something in his ear. Upon hearing this, Ao Lao's expression changed drastically. He silently stood up, leaned on his cane, and followed the soldier out of the incense-filled hall. He limped through the noisy crowds on the old street and headed straight for Xishan Mountain.

Han Sheng kept his head down and followed at a distance.

Old Ao walked ahead without saying a word, with the soldier carrying a Type 56 submachine gun following closely behind. After crossing a mountain ridge, the path ended at a sheer cliff with a long crevice at its base. Old Ao and the soldier disappeared into the crevice in a flash.

Han Sheng arrived at the stone wall and peered inside. The light inside was dim, and he didn't know how deep it was. He waited a moment, and after Ao Lao and the others had gone far away, he slipped inside as well.

At the end of the narrow crevice in the stone wall, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a valley filled with poppies. The valley was very quiet, with swarms of apricot-yellow butterflies fluttering among the flowers. In the distance, one could glimpse Elder Ao and the soldier standing in front of a pile of ruins, and the smell of burning smoke drifted through the air.

Old Ao's face turned ashen. He remained silent for a long time before sighing with regret, "Grandma Mi Nang is indeed a reclusive master, 'appearing only as a dragon and never showing her tail.' Old Ao is ashamed to admit his inferiority..."

"Elder Ao, should we send people to search everywhere?" the soldier asked.

Old Man Ao shook his head and said, "Grandma Mi Nang burned down the house and hid herself, not wanting to leave any trace. No one can find her."

Han Sheng felt that the place was deserted and he could make his move. So he suddenly opened his eyes, moved swiftly, and appeared beside the two men in an instant. He first snatched the soldier's submachine gun, and then stood steadily in front of Ao Lao.

"It's you..." Boss Ao was taken aback. He recognized the person in front of him as the strange young martial arts master he had encountered in the rainforest.

The soldier blinked, wondering how the gun on his shoulder had ended up in someone else's hands.

Han Sheng said calmly, "Elder Ao, you caught a large parrot, didn't you?"

Old Master Ao nodded and admitted, "That's right, I did catch a blue-feathered parrot that could talk, but it escaped later."

"Is there a six or seven-year-old boy with the parrot?" Han Sheng pressed.

"Hehe, why should I tell you?" Old Man Ao chuckled twice.

With a "clack," Han Sheng pulled back the bolt, chambered a bullet, and pointed the gun at Old Ao, coldly saying, "We're complete strangers, so if you don't tell the truth, then I'm sorry..."

"Yes, there is a boy, his name is... right, 'Xiao Xiao'." Old Ao's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he quickly said.

"What about the child?" Han Sheng pressed.

Old Man Ao replied, "The child was taken away by Granny Minang."

"Who is Granny Rice Noodles?" Han Sheng asked doubtfully.

“Grandma Minang was a reclusive master. Look, this is where she lived.” Old Ao pointed to the ruins of the wooden house, which still smelled of cooking fires, and said.

Han Sheng took two steps forward and used the barrel of his gun to pry open a pile of charred thatch, revealing a dark blue coffin underneath.

"A spirit coffin made by Zhuyou!" Han Sheng exclaimed in surprise.

Chapter 52, Part 3

It turns out she was a Hakka grandmother...

Han Sheng was stunned. Last time, when he and the Undying Bone-Eating Grass caused chaos in Miaoli's Nanzhuang, Xiao Caihua stole the bottle of Hanqing. The scheming Huang Jianguo then took the opportunity to consume the water from the Hakka Granny's husband, Li Dishui. This grudge was now firmly established. Now that Caihua was in the Hakka Granny's hands, he wondered what would happen…

"Why did Granny Mi Nang take that child away?" Han Sheng asked Old Daoist Ao.

"I heard that Granny Mi Nang wanted to take him as her apprentice," Old Man Ao recalled.

Oh, I see... Han Sheng felt a little relieved; at least Shen Caihua's personal safety was no longer a concern.

Han Sheng thought for a moment and then asked, "Where did your son learn the 'Intermediate State Corpse Absorption Technique'?"

Old Master Ao was startled. This person actually knew that Huang Mingyue was using the "Intermediate Yin Corpse Absorption Technique." No, this was a top secret of the 8.19 Department. It could not be leaked under any circumstances, otherwise the future plans would be difficult to implement.

"What great law? I don't know..." Elder Ao categorically denied.

Han Sheng then pointed the gun at Ao Lao again.

Old Ao had now concluded that the man before him was kind-hearted and not the kind of cruel person who would indiscriminately kill innocent people; he wouldn't shoot him. So, feigning innocence, he said pitifully, "This child was born blind and mentally challenged; everyone pities him. After I die, he won't even be able to take care of himself..."

Han Sheng pondered, then thought, "Forget it. Maybe there really is still some kind of 'Intermediate Yin Corpse Absorption Technique' circulating in other worlds. I'm not some patriotic hero who acts on behalf of heaven, and this is none of my business. I should hurry up and find Chen Caihua."

"Alright, let me ask you again, where might Granny Minang take the child?" Han Sheng asked, his clear eyes fixed on Elder Ao.

"I don't know about that. Granny Minang is extremely eccentric. She goes her own way and has no friends..." Old Ao replied.

"Then what is your relationship with her?" Han Sheng asked suspiciously.

“I regularly send people to provide her with rice and flour. In return, she has eliminated several traitors within the Burmese Communist Party. That’s all. Of course, this is a secret of our party, so please don’t tell anyone,” Elder Ao explained, his attitude extremely sincere.

Han Sheng thought that the Hakka nanny was indeed eccentric and acted differently from ordinary people.

"How did that child named 'Xiaoxiao' come to this place all alone? It is said that several monks were with him. Do you know that?" Han Sheng then asked.

“I do know this,” Old Man Ao said, thinking that things might get complicated and he needed to get rid of this person as soon as possible. “The monk who was with ‘Xiao Xiao’ was Elder Anxi from the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Perhaps Granny Minang took the child there.”

Elder Anxi? Han Sheng felt that the name sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, he finally remembered that six years ago, when Feng Sheng was recuperating in Nanshan Village, he had mentioned the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, and Elder Anxi.

Having made up his mind, Han Sheng casually tossed the gun in his hand to the soldier and said, "Old Ao, 'good and evil will be rewarded in the end.' I advise you to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, otherwise you will surely be punished by heaven." After saying that, he opened his fly-like eyes, his figure swayed a few times, and then disappeared without a trace.

Old Master Ao was extremely astonished. This person had left so quickly. The Central Plains truly was a place where hidden talents resided.

Chapter 53, Part 1

Vice Chairman Dechin stood with his hands behind his back on a small hill in Kokang facing China, gazing northward at the vast mountains and rivers shrouded in mist in Yunnan Province. With a confident expression, he waved his hand and said, “Elder Ao, look at that land of 9.6 million square kilometers across the border. It’s a huge market waiting to be developed. Once we have more sufficient funds, the People’s Army can recruit soldiers, equip them with modern weapons, expand its base areas, and ultimately liberate the whole of Burma, establishing a unified proletarian dictatorship. What a wonderful picture that would be!”

Old Ao nodded, excitedly saying, "Yes, our ancestor followed Emperor Yongli into exile in Mandalay, the capital of Burma, where he was taken in by King Mangda of Burma. Later, Wu Sangui invaded Burma, and Mangda's brother, Mangbai, launched a coup, murdering his brother and seizing the throne. He then launched the 'Curse of the Water' incident, killing all of Emperor Yongli's attendants and guards. Our ancestor perished at that time. That bastard Mangbai even handed Emperor Yongli over to Wu Sangui. The following year, Emperor Yongli was brutally hanged in Kunming at the young age of 39. More than three hundred years have passed, and this hatred is hard to quell. I wish I could lead my army into Rangoon as soon as possible to avenge this humiliation."

Deqin glanced at Ao Lao and said with a serious expression, "Comrade Ao Lao, our revolutionary goal is not to restore the feudal imperial system of the Ming Dynasty."

Realizing he had misspoke, Elder Ao quickly corrected himself, saying, "Yes, yes, Elder Ao understands. Those feudal ideas have long been submerged by the surging tide of world revolution. Now we have a more lofty revolutionary goal: the Internationale, a world of great harmony."

“Hmm,” Deqin nodded in satisfaction, then said solemnly, “Not long ago, the Chinese central government established a special anti-drug committee, targeting the Yunnan-Myanmar border, which destroyed many of our secret transport lines and arrested a number of liaisons, resulting in extremely heavy losses.”

Elder Ao said solemnly, "I have already heard about it."

“Elder Ao,” Deqin said solemnly, “the Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Burma made a secret resolution last night, deciding that you would be in charge of its implementation.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Ao's expression suddenly turned serious.

“That head of the anti-drug committee must be eliminated!” Deqin said with unusual seriousness. “This man is no ordinary person; he is decisive, calm, and ruthless—he is our nightmare… You and Comrade Huang Mingyue must immediately disguise yourselves and set off. We have informants in Beijing. Comrade Ao, there is one thing I need to remind you: in case the assassination fails, you must not reveal your identities. If the Chinese government finds out that we did it, they will definitely retaliate, and things will become even more difficult…”

"Please rest assured, Central Committee, Elder Ao is determined to succeed or die trying, and will not leave any loose ends," Elder Ao said solemnly, his resolute gaze fixed on Vice Chairman Deqin.

"The head of the anti-drug committee is..." Deqin whispered into Ao Lao's ear.

"It's the leader!" Elder Ao exclaimed in surprise.

Chapter 53, Part 2

The hills and foothills in the northwest of Beijing are home to many scenic spots and historical sites, such as Shangfang Mountain, Xiangshan Mountain, Badachu Park, Tantuo Temple, Jietai Temple, Shihua Cave, Yunju Temple, and Shidu, making them popular destinations for Beijing residents to enjoy spring outings.

Huangpu Temple is located on the southern slope of Bishan Mountain. From Longquan Temple, head south, pass through Xingyuan, turn west, and cross the Nanshan Ridge at Tapogou. It was originally founded by Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Jing, as his hunting palace. It is one of the eight major water temples west of Beijing, also known as Shengshui Temple. In the ninth year of the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty, the eunuch Yin Feng happened to pass through Changping and stopped here, praising it as "truly a magnificent sight." After retiring from the palace, he came here to become a monk. In the second year of the Zhengtong reign, it was bestowed the name "Miaojue Chan Temple," and in the fourteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, it was renamed "Mingzhaodong Ruiyun Nunnery," commonly known as "Huanggu Temple."

Within the courtyard stands a towering, majestic rock, upon which sits a hexagonal, seven-story brick pagoda with closely spaced eaves. Each corner of the pagoda's base is adorned with a ferocious, ring-horned bull-like monster. According to local legend, this giant rock has absorbed moonlight and fed on wind and dew for three hundred years, eventually becoming a spirit capable of traveling eight hundred li at night. It was said to frequently eavesdrop on the old monks chanting sutras at the Upper Temple, hence the pagoda was built to subdue it. In reality, this pagoda is the stupa of Yin Fengshou, the first abbot of Miaojuechan Temple. After Yin Fengshou's death, his remains were buried beneath the pagoda.

Two armed People's Liberation Army soldiers stood guard outside the mountain gate, and several black cars were parked in the small square. Mingzhao Cave Ruiyun Nunnery faces south and was carved out of a natural stone cave. The interior has been converted into several offices, fully equipped with communication equipment. This is a secret outpost of the Beijing Anti-Drug Committee, and even high-ranking officials rarely know about it. The leader works in the innermost room.

Inside the room, the leader stood in front of the map on the wall, deep in thought, while his secretary reported the situation to him.

"Sir, according to intelligence provided by our sources within the Communist Party of Burma, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Burma held a secret meeting not long ago. The meeting discussed sending assassins to infiltrate our country, and the target of the assassination is you..." The secretary said nervously, holding a top-secret file in his hand.

"Hmm, what kind of assassin is he?" the commander asked calmly.

"Intelligence says this assassin is extremely mysterious. Even the committee members attending the meeting don't know his true identity. All they know is that last month, he assassinated General Bo Nong of the Burmese government army in Mae Salong in the Golden Triangle and escaped unscathed. This assassination was organized by Department 8.19, and the person in charge is named Ao Lao," the secretary continued.

"Do you have a rough date?" the commander asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know, it might be soon," the secretary replied cautiously, then suggested, "would you like to ask the Ministry of Public Security's Security Bureau to send two highly skilled individuals to be your personal bodyguards?"

"No need." The leader waved his hand, and the secretary left, gently closing the door behind him.

Assassins... Hmph, what kind of experts could there be in a godforsaken place like Myanmar? Last time, Elder Anxi suddenly left without saying goodbye for some reason. If he were still in the capital, he could find out some information, the leader thought.

He picked up the telephone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this Mr. Qiao? I'd like to see you tonight... eight o'clock, yes, at the usual place." The leader slowly put down the microphone.

Chapter 53, Part 3

Night fell, and neon lights illuminated Chang'an Street. In Shitou Hutong, located in the Eight Great Hutongs of Qianmen Dashilan, a long-established tavern with two red banners, sat an old man with a youthful face and white hair at a table in the corner. He was none other than Master Qiao, the renowned Qigong master of Beijing.