Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 90

The man in black switched to fluent English: "Your partner has become our prisoner. How about we make a deal?"

He pointed towards the stairs and gestured for people to enter.

I walked towards the stairs with a cold smile, knowing the situation was dire. The Koga ninja, who had thrived since the Tokugawa Shogunate, couldn't have relied solely on simple methods like assassination and ambush; otherwise, they would have been swept away and obliterated by the relentless tides of history. This ninja had one particularly strange quirk: he was carrying two standard-length katana. When he reached behind his back to sheath them, the hilts protruded abruptly from his shoulders, looking utterly bizarre.

A ninja's "dual swords" typically consist of short swords that are half the length of a standard blade. These short swords are intentionally forged to be extremely thin, and the two swords are sheathed in the same scabbard, similar to the Mandarin Duck Swords or Mother-and-Child Halberds in Chinese weaponry. From a distance, they appear as one sword, but they separate to strike unexpectedly and catch the opponent off guard.

According to the understanding of the Chinese martial arts community, the Japanese never use "double swords". Even if they hold two swords, they still use the "single sword" method when they actually fight.

The ten most famous ninjas of ancient Japan all carried authentic single-handled samurai swords. Furthermore, his physique was far too tall and imposing, which seemed out of place for a true ninja who was small in stature and skilled in ambush, sneak attacks, and stealth.

Filled with suspicion, I turned the corner of the stairs and looked down into the living room. There were more than thirty gray-clad men, dressed exactly like the ninjas I had killed, some sitting and some standing. The once empty hall suddenly felt crowded because of their intrusion.

Xiao Keleng and Guan Baoling were already in their hands, with four gleaming samurai swords crossed and held to their necks, and they obediently slumped down at one end of the sofa.

My gaze was involuntarily drawn to Guan Baoling—she had just woken up, her long hair disheveled and hanging down, her eyes glazed, her hands clutching her collar tightly, looking as pitiful as a frightened little bird. The blanket was still draped over her knees, and the morning chill swept in from the open door, making her shiver all over, her brows furrowed as she curled up into a ball.

The makeup she had put on was completely gone due to her busy night. Her pink lips were slightly parted, losing all her charm and glamour, but the pure and innocent look that she revealed made my heart flutter even more.

Xiao Keleng sat there, somewhat annoyed, her head bowed. Hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs, she glanced up at me, then lowered her head even further, stomping her foot on the ground in a fit of rage. Being ambushed in one's sleep is an extremely frustrating experience for anyone.

"We only need the map, isn't this a good deal?" The man in black chuckled, his eyes darting around, revealing the cunning nature only a seasoned veteran possesses.

I was confident I could take him down in one move on the stairs, but with a distance of thirty steps, I couldn't fly over to rescue the two girls.

Guan Baoling looked up at me, her eyes revealing deep sadness and grievance, which made me feel a sudden pang of self-reproach. If I hadn't left the living room beforehand, how could I have given the enemy an opportunity? In the arms of tycoon Ye Hongsheng, perhaps she would never have been so frightened?

From this angle, Guan Baoling's slender, beautiful bones below her neck possess a captivating, jade-like luster—

"Friend, have you thought it through?" the man in black shouted smugly, completely ignoring the blood still flowing from his neck.

I sneered and pounded on the stair railing. If I didn't want the two girls to get hurt, giving in was the only way.

I took the crumpled parchment map out of my pocket, waved it at him, and pretended to be nonchalant: "Is this what you're looking for? Here, take it. It's useless anyway!"

He reached out to take it, and the hilt of the knife on his shoulder swung in the breeze, revealing a sinister black cobra engraved on it. In an instant, I knew who he was. That made things easier; if he could take the map, I could certainly get it back.

The man in black unfolded the map, looked at it, muttered something in confusion, but still slowly folded it up and put it in his pocket.

I went down the stairs and walked towards the sofa.

The man in black waved his hand, forcing the ninjas holding Xiao Keleng and Guan Baoling back to the sides and slowly retreating towards the door.

Xiao Keleng jumped up first, glaring angrily at the man in black on the stairs. Although she didn't say anything, she clearly showed her determination to avenge this.

I longed to rush forward and embrace the frail Guan Baoling, to offer her tender comfort and warmth. At that moment, Su Lun's place in my heart suddenly faded. Compared to Guan Baoling, Su Lun was still strong enough, capable of protecting herself—only the girl before me was fragile and helpless, constantly needing someone to care for and protect her…

"Miss Guan, are you alright?" I tried to make my voice as gentle as possible.

Guan Baoling slowly got up, holding onto the back of the sofa, covering her forehead with her other hand, her voice slightly hoarse: "Please call my driver, I'm so tired... Please tell him to come pick me up here..." Her body swayed, then slumped back onto the sofa, closing her eyes wearily.

I paused for a moment, then pulled the blanket over her and covered her up. Then I picked up the receiver and redialed the number she had dialed last night.

The ninjas retreated in an orderly fashion, and the last man in black to leave let out a burst of wild laughter, extremely arrogant.

The downstairs living room wasn't badly damaged, but the upstairs was definitely covered in blood and filth, making it impossible to walk. Xiao Keleng rushed to the corner of the stairs and looked up. She immediately began to breathe heavily, her chest heaving violently, clearly indicating that she was on the verge of uncontrollable rage.

The same polite man who answered the phone yesterday agreed to drive over immediately and asked me to tell Guan Baoling to rest assured.

While I was on the phone, Guan Baoling kept her eyes closed and motionless, as if she were asleep, with two glistening teardrops hanging from her eyelashes. I nervously pulled out two tissues and handed them to her; beyond that, I couldn't think of anything else to show her any further concern.

She's a tycoon's woman; our relationship can only be that of buying and selling villas.

As I gazed at her, I kept thinking, "If she opened her eyes right now and begged me to sell the villa, I might give it to her for free. I'd do anything to make her smile."

The ancients had stories of "being so angry that one would risk everything for a beautiful woman" and King You of Zhou "lighting the beacon fires to amuse his concubine"—what is a mere villa compared to that?

Xiao Keleng dialed the police, closed the door to the hall, lit a roaring fire in the fireplace, and kept panting heavily through her nose, as if only in this way could she vent some of her pent-up frustration and prevent herself from exploding with anger.

The fireplace brought warmth to the hall, and I pushed the sofa where Guan Baoling was lying closer to the fireplace, letting the leaping flames bathe her body. I couldn't openly offer her warmth, so let the flames convey my sudden, deep affection...

Delicate girls are most likely to ignite a man's heroic instincts—and the power of a beautiful and delicate girl is even greater. This unexpected ninja attack truly moved me, and I had no time to pay attention to Xiao Keleng's surprised and strange gaze.

“Mr. Feng, please come here for a moment, something strange is happening here…” Xiao Keleng called out to me loudly from the restroom.

I leaned down to look at Guan Baoling, whose eyes were still tightly closed, and reluctantly sighed before leaving the living room. In my heart, she needed someone by her side every second, to make her feel protected and cared for.

Xiao Ke stood in front of the sink, frowning, her eyes wide open, like a leopard that had already gone into a rage.

There seemed to be nothing unusual in the restroom. I leaned against the door frame and involuntarily sighed three times, each sigh filled with deep resentment. Once a man is entangled in the threads of love, in a fraction of a second, he will instantly become tender and affectionate, filled with sorrow and hidden resentment, transforming from a chivalrous and spirited man into a hesitant and indecisive "Jia Baoyu".

"Mr. Feng, I must remind you that Miss Guan is the tycoon's woman—this is an open secret in the entire gossip and entertainment industry. Moreover, the tycoon is extremely attentive to her and dotes on her, making no attempt to conceal his affection for her on many occasions. No one dares to covet his woman. You're a sensible person, so of course you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

She looked at me in the mirror, and I could tell she was trying hard to suppress the anger she felt from the Koga ninja's sneak attack.

Indeed, no one dared to covet Ye Hongsheng's women. In the legendary tales of Ye Hongsheng previously recounted by The Scalpel, at least three people died in the game of competing with tycoons for women. Two were Southeast Asian underworld bosses, and the other was a powerful local tycoon from India. Eliminating three such high-ranking figures would have been enough to cause a huge uproar in the underworld and on the international stage, but Ye Hongsheng did it without any hesitation, swiftly and decisively destroying almost all three men and their respective factions overnight.

Therefore, the Asian underworld has always been critical of Ye Hongsheng's ruthless methods, saying that he "killed people without restraint for a woman and could become a follower of Wu Sangui"—such words have spread throughout the underworld over the past ten years, adding an extremely cruel and negative gray to his entrepreneurial legend.

"Thank you, I understand."

Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over me. I knew that my strength was not enough to compete with Ye Hongsheng for anything.

He's a top-tier veteran in the underworld, while I remain unknown. Perhaps one day I'll become a renowned "King of Tomb Raiders," like my elder brother Yang Tian, and only then will I be able to pursue the woman I love without any reservations—

I whispered, "I understand, thank you so much..."

In Ye Hongsheng's presence, any junior figure in the underworld would pale in comparison. He was so rich, powerful, famous, handsome, and shrewd… his wealth rivaled that of a nation, he dominated the business world, and he maintained excellent relationships with political figures in Europe and America. I couldn't compare to Ye Hongsheng; even when I mentioned tycoons, I couldn't help but feel a touch of envy.

I have no dazzling aura, only the title of "brother of the King of Tomb Raiders," a title known only to Su Lun and not to be revealed to outsiders.

Xiao Ke turned to look at me, a strange tenderness in her eyes: "Actually, I was just... reminding you on behalf of Sister Su Lun. The world of martial arts is full of temptations and dangers, and Guan Baoling is acting very strangely. At four in the morning, she got up to go to the restroom and made a phone call right here where I'm standing—"

I was suddenly startled: "Really? Are you sure?" Guan Baoling didn't have her own phone with her; she even borrowed the one in the living room to call the driver.

Xiao Ke nodded seriously, patted the sink lightly, and continued with some concern, "She was using what seems to be the latest concealed phone made in America. I hid in the shadows and observed for five minutes, but I couldn't see where the phone was hidden at all. The person on the other end of the line... sigh, it's really strange. She called the other person 'Dad' and repeatedly assured him that she could handle the villa deal and that he shouldn't worry..."

We all know Guan Baoling's background. All the paparazzi's information clearly shows that she is an orphan with no family members or distant relatives. Paparazzi are ubiquitous, especially when it comes to a star who is about to take flight on the international stage. The effort they put into digging up information on her must be several times that of ordinary stars.

"It's true that she doesn't have a father, but could it be a godfather or some other relative...?"

I hope I can exonerate Guan Baoling because I can't accept the reality that "it was all a pretense." From the moment she arrived in the middle of the night, my impression of her was that she was "petite, charming, and guileless," which led me to fall in love with her against my will.

Xiao Keleng's face was full of bitter smiles: "I also hoped it was... my godfather, so before the Koga ninjas arrived, I had already made no fewer than ten phone calls to investigate this matter. Several top entertainment reporters in Japan denied the 'godfather' thing. Apart from tycoon Ye Hongsheng, Guan Baoling has no relatives or friends. She has always been under the tycoon's protection..."

The truth is obvious: ever since Guan Baoling entered the villa, she has been deceiving and pretending, with her only goal being to buy the villa.

I regretted it, because I almost used the villa as a "toy" to make her happy. A gentleman's word is his bond; if I had actually said that, I would have been the biggest fool in the world.

"So, I suspect that the hallucinations she mentioned were fabricated, just to distract you, right?" Xiao Ke's brows were furrowed as she analyzed the problem, her eyes flashing with cold light, and all the muscles in her body were unconsciously tense, like a mountain leopard poised to pounce, ready to strike at any moment.

I stared silently at Xiao Keleng, my mind racing: "She's lying to me? She's been putting on a pitiful act all along to deceive me..."

All my romantic fantasies vanished, and I became as calm as a stone. At the same time, I asked, "Xiao Xiao, if her 'disappearance' was also a deception, then how did she do it? Could it be... could it also be a trick by the Koga ninja?"

Xiao Keleng suddenly looked up, her short hair bouncing again: "Yes! I think so too. However, among the seven major ninja schools, it's not only the Koga school that knows escaping techniques and illusions. I suspect that the person directing Guan Baoling behind the scenes is someone from the Fengge Temple. Because... the only place she's been to during this time, besides the movie set, is the Fengge Temple. She's very superstitious about the 'Well of Spirits,' and if someone deliberately points out some kind of 'path to enlightenment' trap, she'll definitely rush into it without hesitation..."

I believe that behind Xiao Ke's seemingly casual analysis, there must be a wealth of information and data to back it up.

Before leaving Egypt, Suren praised Xiao Ke's calm and capable handling of affairs countless times in front of me. She had been highly valued by the surgeon, which is why he entrusted her with the management of all the Japanese businesses.

Facts speak louder than words. Data analysis has become paramount in all sectors of this modern society, while I was presumptuously preparing to "play the hero" and sacrifice everything for the tycoon's woman. I am truly ashamed.

Part 2: Tower of the Dead

— Chapter 6 - Wang Jiangnan —

"Things might not be as bad as we think. Let's wait for Thirteenth Brother to arrive and then we can plan things out properly. That map—"

I raised my hand to interrupt Xiao Keleng: "I've discovered the secret of the map. It's made of many very thin sheets of parchment pressed together. If we could carefully peel off each layer, we should find some unexpected discoveries." This idea would be more clearly proven if the map were examined under a microscope.

Actually, from the time I discovered the secret of the map until I talked to Xiao Keleng about it, I had overlooked one question: "Parchment is an ancient artifact from the Qin Dynasty. In that era, it was already incredibly advanced for humans to be able to tan animal hair into something that could be written on. What kind of tools could they have had to cut the fur into such a thin state?"

That kind of technology could not possibly have originated in the Qin Dynasty—my deduction and Xiao Keleng's conclusion are in fundamental and violent conflict.

Xiao Keleng's short hair and dark eyes shone brightly as she expressed her surprise at my discovery: "But... that map... I've already examined the edges and corners with an eight-times magnifying glass, and I didn't find the situation you described. If it were a layer that could be seen with the naked eye, it should be obvious under a magnifying glass. How come I didn't find it?"

The contradictions are interconnected, one after another, and they keep coming one after another.

The only way to answer Xiao Keleng's questions is to bring back those damned Koga ninjas. I think with the power of the Divine Gun Society in Japan, it should be relatively easy to get clues—besides, I know the name of that man in black, "Black Cobra" Iwamoto Sawa, one of the top ninjas among the new generation of Koga ninjas, and affiliated with a chain gambling organization in Sapporo.

I am confident in my martial arts skills. If I find his whereabouts, I will definitely be able to retrieve the map.

The police arrived two hours later, consisting of a sheriff and four regular patrol officers.

These people handle such violent cases in a very simple way: they lift the injured into a car, put the dead into body bags, and then diligently connect a high-pressure water tap to wash away the bloodstains left on the second floor.

The tall, thin police chief named Kawaguchi even gave us a free bucket of brand-name disinfectant, instructing us to spray it in the room where the bloodshed occurred to disinfect and kill bacteria and viruses.

The entire process took less than half an hour, and the villa was filled with the astringent smell of disinfectant, and the messy furniture was rearranged.

Xiao Keleng handled the police procedures with ease, including her charming smile, which was entirely formulaic. Of course, when the police car finally drove away, she stuffed a thick wad of cash into the stern-faced Chief Inspector Kawaguchi's hand, melting the cold indifference on his face into a beaming smile.

This small incident clearly demonstrates her extraordinary interpersonal skills; she's exceptionally adept at dealing with people from all walks of life and with diverse backgrounds. I'm starting to regret injuring Nine-Tails and Golden Wheel. That blind impulsiveness was utterly irresponsible. After all, we're all going to be living in Hokkaido long-term; why fight and brawl over such trivial matters?

Through the glass of the gate, I watched Xiao Ke coldly and smugly see the police car off. She looked up at the approaching midday sun, paused for a moment, then slowly turned and walked up the steps. When our eyes met, she gave an even more captivating smile, a fleeting brilliance flashing in her eyes, so bright it seemed to illuminate my entire soul.

Guan Baoling remained lying on the sofa, silent.

I deliberately distanced myself from her and stopped looking at her. I went into the bathroom and reflected on the story she had told me in front of the antique bronze mirror.

"What profound chill did she feel when she fabricated this story to deceive me? Could it be that everything the plague saw was deliberately staged by Guan Baoling to be witnessed by others as evidence?" If she could even detect the plague's spying, Guan Baoling had probably also concealed the origins of her martial arts skills.

The plague's agility was so great that if he wanted to hide and spy, it would be almost impossible for others to discover him.

So, did Guan Baoling really notice the existence of the plague before she used her illusion technique?

I looked at my gloomy face in the mirror, reached out, and touched my reflection, subconsciously mimicking Guan Baoling's actions, sliding my hands towards the sides of the mirror frame. I hadn't heard the sound of bubbles for a long time; it was as if that strange sound had never appeared since Guan Baoling's magical disappearance.

Behind the mirror, there must be a cold stone wall, and it seems unlikely that I would have the same good luck as Guan Baoling, directly entering another dimension.

A crisp car horn sounded outside the gate, and I heard Xiao Keleng open it, followed by a heartfelt laugh: "Thirteenth Brother, I've missed you so much—"

I scratched my head, knowing it was people from the "Sharpshooter's Guild." The thought of Xiao Keleng being so warm to these people filled me with a strange sense of desolation. My budding feelings for Guan Baoling had been abruptly cut short, while Xiao Keleng's occasional displays of deep affection and expectation towards me over the past three days had often made me feel flattered. If she were this affectionate with other men, then it would simply be wishful thinking on my part.

I made a funny face at my reflection in the mirror, straightened my collar, and vigorously wiped my face to put on a relaxed and carefree expression. The blood-stained clothes from my battle with the Koga ninjas had already been taken away by the police as evidence in court. What I was wearing now was another gray Goldlion sweater that Xiao Keleng had prepared for me, which was both stylish and well-fitting.

"Calm your mind, the important matter is paramount!" I silently reminded myself. At all times, I will make the search for Brother Yang Tian my top priority in life—"How can I think of a home when the Xiongnu are not yet defeated?" This motto will forever inspire me to continue on this arduous and difficult search path.

At the bottom of the steps outside the hall, Xiao Keleng held the hand of a middle-aged man, her face beaming with joy, occasionally jumping and gesturing wildly. The man in the white suit simply listened to her chatter with a smile, neither refuting nor agreeing.

They stood next to a black Toyota Jeep with its door open. Three strong-looking young men, all dressed in black suits with their buttons fastened, stood respectfully upright by the door.

Each of the three men had a strange, barely noticeable crease at the hem of their trousers, revealing at least two or more firearms hidden there. Their skin wasn't in great condition; their noses, mouths, foreheads, and cheekbones were covered in glaringly red pimples, clearly indicating they were three hot-tempered, rough-and-tumble gangsters.

Behind the Jeep, there was a Toyota station wagon parked, its doors closed and its windows covered with black curtains, so nothing could be seen from the outside.

As I stepped out the door, the eyes of three young men swept over me at the same time, like three blazing torches, carrying the scorching smell of gunpowder.