Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 120

A sudden, fierce mountain wind howled, carrying with it the arrogant and murderous aura emanating from the tycoon, sweeping towards them. Throughout history, those who wield great power have believed in the ancient adage, "Those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish," and the tycoon was no exception. Past examples illustrate this: if someone is talented but refuses to serve him, they may mysteriously disappear from the industry, never to rise again, and may even lose their life.

He is a tycoon, and even more so a ruthless lecher who operates in both the legal and illegal worlds.

“Feng, the scalpel says you’re a smart man—and smart men naturally make smart choices. No need to rush, you have plenty of time to think it over, and you can call Helen anytime. The position of president of the Asia region will always be reserved for you; I’m sure you won’t keep me waiting too long, will you?”

He nodded casually to Tengjia and walked up the gangway.

Helen and the handcuffs entered the cabin, the gangway was retracted, and then the helicopter started its engines, the propellers slowly turning.

The battle ended most appropriately with the friendly negotiations between the tycoon and Fujika, which in effect meant that Fujika had done the Divine Gun Society a great favor.

The helicopter spiraled upwards, heading southeast. The man in black got into the car and sped away, leaving only the members of the Divine Gun Society and the monks who had fallen silent in front of the temple gate.

“Feng, I’ve promised the tycoon I’ll return Guan Baoling intact. This time, we must pray to heaven that the ‘Tide of Gods’ will surge up as soon as possible…” Teng Jia’s sleeves fluttered, exuding an air of otherworldly grace. Her reincarnation and resurrection gave me the greatest encouragement. If I could learn the secrets of the *Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Scripture* through this, all the doubts in my heart would truly be resolved.

As the sun set and the members of the Divine Gun Society left, the area in front of the temple gate became dim and deserted.

Xiao Keleng might have wanted to stay, but without an invitation from Fengge Temple, she couldn't find a reason to stay, so she had no choice but to leave in Wang Jiangnan's car.

Fujika led the way, and I followed behind, navigating the winding corridors towards the courtyard of the "Tower of the Dead." I suddenly felt a profound sense of relaxation and tranquility, because all the answers were written in Fujika's mind. I became a student listening attentively, needing only to take notes, not to think.

"Feng, what we're about to do might be a bit dangerous. Are you worried?" We stood in the center of the first floor of the pagoda. Tengjia stood at the original point, carefully adjusting his angle so that his body was facing southwest, exactly on the path of the "arrow through the heart" formation.

Her back was to the "meditation hall" of the valley, its doors wide open and completely unguarded.

I knew she must be hiding a lot of secrets. I just held my breath and watched her movements. When she finally stood firmly on her feet, she exhaled a long breath and asked, "Miss Tengjia, how did Guan Baoling get into the tower? Does she, like you, have many secrets in her heart?"

I believe Guan Baoling knows nothing, so when she reappeared after disappearing from Xunfuyuan last time, she couldn't explain where she had been at all. This isn't malicious cover-up, but an undeniable fact, because her eyes said it all.

Smoke curled from the kitchen at the far back of the temple, carrying the subtle aroma of steaming rice in wooden buckets that permeated every corner. I hadn't eaten all day, yet I felt no hunger whatsoever; each breath I took carried a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms.

Tengjia smiled and shook his head: "It's not 'entering,' but 'spatial transformation.'"

In the blink of an eye, I understood what she meant: "Guan Baoling broke through space? The secret chamber under the tower you mentioned doesn't have a door to open, but... exists in a specific form, like... four-dimensional space?"

Fujika nodded: "More or less, but the physics theories on Earth—whether it's the 'wormhole theory' or 'time-space pauses and time reversals'—are insufficient to explain this situation. I can only say that she was 'inside' and achieved this process through 'water' as a medium, but what is 'there'? Where does 'there' lead? I simply cannot explain it clearly."

I was a little confused by her tongue-twisting explanation, but at least one question needed to be clarified: "What exactly is Guan Baoling going to do 'there'? What is she capable of doing?"

If it was to break the "black magic" afflicting the tycoon, it seems she should have come with him, and naturally, everything would have gone smoothly. Why did she have to come here alone and endure all this hardship? Thinking back, when that magical bubble sound rang out in Xunfu Garden, no one else disappeared, but she was the only one who vanished. Why was that?

I was eagerly anticipating the reappearance of the water flow. With Fujika here, I wouldn't worry about anything ten times more bizarre than this. However, things didn't go as planned; the more I hoped for something strange to happen, the less likely anything would occur.

"Miss Tengjia, are we just going to waste the night like this? In the 'Blue Heaven and Yellow Springs Scripture' that you've read, is there any shortcut to open the 'Underwater Divine Tomb'?"

Tengjia recited softly, seemingly lost in thought: "Between heaven and earth, rise and fall along a single line; tides ebb and flow, mouth to mouth; when you float, time ceases."

She then gave a bitter smile: "This is the shortcut left by our predecessors to enter the 'Underwater Divine Tomb.' My master brought the scriptures from the Tang Dynasty in the East in order to find a quiet place with 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Top and Five Roots of Water' to fully comprehend the secrets in the books and find the 'Wrath of the Sun God' that bewitches the world. Unfortunately..."

This was the second time I'd heard her use the words "Tang Dynasty" and "Master," so I couldn't help but chuckle softly and ask, "Miss Tengjia, who is your master? And where is this Tang Dynasty you're referring to?"

In global Chinese dictionaries, when "Tang Dynasty" is mentioned, almost everyone can think of the prosperous Tang Dynasty that lasted for hundreds of years and was founded by Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin.

"The Great Tang Dynasty refers to the Tang Dynasty in mainland China; my master... hehe, you might not believe it, but he is—Master Jianzhen."

I let out a strange cry and jumped back a large step, pressing my body tightly against the cold wall. In fact, at that moment, my heart was so shocked that it could hardly beat smoothly, because these words were definitely the most bizarre statements I had heard in 2005.

Master Jianzhen traveled to Japan in the twelfth year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, which is 753 AD, more than 1,300 years ago. Could Teng Jia Neng have been his disciple?

Tengjia gazed intently into the distance: "No one would believe this, so when I entered the scripture library of Fengge Temple at the age of four to read ancient Buddhist scriptures, everyone was utterly astonished. What's so remarkable about that? Many of the scriptures were compiled from Sanskrit by my master, and I personally transcribed them. Reading those words filled with Buddhist wisdom is like the feeling of painstakingly copying them stroke by stroke under the lamplight back then—"

The Sutra Repository is located to the west of the "Sui Sui Tang" (Hall of Marrow Washing). It contains more than 20,000 volumes of the oldest versions of Buddhist scriptures in Japan, all stamped with the personal jade seals of successive emperors, and are considered national treasures.

"You mean—the soul of an ancient person is attached to your body?"

Tengjia smiled: "That's true, but not exactly. My Dharma name is 'Dingji'. I became a nun at Baoxiangguo Temple in Luoyang, the Eastern Capital. I was the only female disciple who served my master, so my status was extremely special. In the twelfth year of Tianbao, I followed my master to the east. After my death a hundred years later, my soul remained dormant in a cicada shell in the Sutra Repository until I was reborn into a new body."

I opened my mouth but couldn't speak. Everything was too strange. The girl in front of me, Teng Jia, was clearly a gentle and tender girl, but she was the reincarnation of the soul of an ancient high monk.

Tengjia laughed with profound loneliness: "When my soul was awakened again, I realized that a thousand years had passed. Only I could understand the 'Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Sutra' that my master brought me. Invincibility is the loneliest thing. Although I am surrounded by countless devout men and women, and hundreds of monks in the temple, who flatter me and treat me like a celestial being, I would rather be Dingji, who copied scriptures in the library every day back then. Every time I wake up in the dead of night and recall the tone of others calling me 'princess,' it sends chills down my spine..."

I really want to roar to the sky and vent all the frustration and pent-up emotions in my heart. I wonder what Su Lun and Tina will think when they find out Teng Jia's true identity? And what about Tang Xin, Tiger, and Song Jiu who stole the scriptures? Who could have known that they were once facing a strange person with an immortal soul?

"In the pyramid of Tu Liehan, I almost thought my end was coming. I felt it would be better if this ambiguous life ended, so I wouldn't have to trouble myself every day. But my master's last wish was not fulfilled, which was my biggest regret."

I was also recalling the scene of rescuing people from the deep well at the center of the pyramid—"Master Jianzhen's eastward journey was to spread Chinese Buddhist theories and save all sentient beings, could there be another purpose?" Although I saved Tengjia, I couldn't prevent all the tragedies that followed, including the deaths of Tanino Shinji and Scalpel. Jianzhen's eastward journey is already a very old Buddhist tale, and I don't think there's any point in bringing up this old story.

"Of course, Fusang Island was desolate and sparsely populated back then. Why would Master have to go through so much hardship to cross the sea? Besides the six attempts to cross the sea recorded in history, there were eleven unsuccessful attempts. He was a high-ranking Buddhist monk. If he just wanted to spread the teachings, he could have just sent ten of my senior brothers. There was no need for him to take the risk himself."

"Hmph..." I chuckled softly.

Buddhist monks are also human beings and can die; of course, they shouldn't personally risk their lives. Therefore, historians from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and even modern times, have not understood the necessity of Jianzhen's eastward journey. This is unlike Xuanzang's journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang "took" them, while Jianzhen "sent" them. Both were eminent monks of the Tang Dynasty, but their actions were completely different.

A thin white mist rose into the night, gradually blurring the temple's halls and pavilions. Looking at Fujika's posture, it seemed he would stand there forever, waiting for the "Tide of the Gods" to appear. This waiting seemed meaningless—more than the tedious wait, I wanted to see what was written in the *Blue Heaven and Yellow Springs Sutra*.

"My master traveled east to find something. On page twenty-two of the scriptures, it says, 'When a god is shot by a rebel, his body shatters into seven pieces and falls with the wind and rain, but the divine light in his eyes remains undimmed, transforming into the sun and moon. The god's weapon falls and burrows under the Fusang tree, then connects the land and the deep sea. As for the god's soul, it also sinks into the earth forever, dwelling there for ten thousand years, eternally undispersed, until it sees the light of day again.' I understood every word above, but I still don't understand the meaning of those words. Therefore, the soul is surrounded by persistent desires, which is why it cannot perish along with the body."

I began to not understand what Tengjia was saying. All Buddhist language is inherently obscure and profound, full of deep metaphors. What Tengjia was reciting at this moment seemed to be the most direct translation of the Sanskrit sutra "The Yellow Springs Sutra". Without considering the context, it was impossible to guess its meaning.

Two young gray-robed monks awkwardly passed through the moon gate, each carrying a wooden tray, which must have been my and Tengjia's dinner.

Before the "Tide of God" appears, life must continue as usual. It's just unknown whether Guan Baoling, who is trapped "under the tower," is hungry or has anything to eat.

The monks were extremely respectful to Tengjia. Before speaking, they would always put their palms together and bow more than 90 degrees, as if they wanted to perform the "prostration" ceremony.

"Are we just going to wait like this? Waiting for days and nights?" I don't want to waste my energy on this pointless thing.

"Yes, until the 'Tides of Gods' appear. We have to do that to find her."

I stomped my feet hard on the ground and asked incredulously, "Is this... the gateway to 'Below the Tower'? What's down there? Could it be the palace where the 'Wrath of the Sun God' is kept?" Although I asked this, I knew the answer was no. If that great gem were hidden so superficially, it wouldn't have captivated archaeologists all over the world.

Tengjia shook her head: "I can't explain it. Guan Baoling's appearance is a variable in this matter, which greatly reduces my precognitive abilities, and I can't see through anything. Otherwise, I wouldn't just be waiting here. But there is someone who can probably help us!" She pointed to the east, and beyond the wall was the hillside where the "Meditation Hall" was located.

"You mean Tani no Shinshu?" I sneered. The person who injured Xiao Lai has entered Tani no's sphere of influence. I wonder if it might be Tani no himself?

Tengjia nodded, staring at his feet, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Feng, don't you think Guan Baoling is special? Why are other monks burned to ashes by nameless fire when the 'Tide of the Gods' arrives, while she is luckier than anyone else to enter there? I think she must have some kind of quality in her body, some kind of... quality that makes her particularly easy to blend into the aquatic world..."

She has mentioned the magic of "water" countless times, just as the Saturnians wield the power of "gold." Perhaps we Earthlings really know too little about the billions of substances that exist on Earth, and all resources are being wasted and consumed without our knowledge, under seemingly legitimate pretexts.

I shrugged: "Miss Fujika, the most important thing right now is to rescue her, and then we can take our time to figure things out—you said that Tanino Shinshu can help us, should we go and pay him a visit?"

It's only a kilometer from here to the "Meditation Hall," a five-minute walk.

Tengjia gave a helpless, bitter smile: "No, he doesn't see outsiders. Even I haven't seen him in a long time—he's practicing a kind of... martial art, a martial art that allows him to travel through time using teleportation techniques..."

I involuntarily widened my eyes: "Time travel? Escape technique? He instilled all his martial arts and wisdom into his younger brother, starting everything anew, and it was... what kind of martial art was that?"

According to physics, if an object travels faster than the speed of light, it can potentially travel through time, either forwards or backwards. Could Gu Ye be practicing some kind of super-lightweight technique, attempting to travel through time by moving his body at infinite speed?

As a top-tier tomb raider, Gu Ye's achievements are globally renowned, and almost no one can rival him. Of course, his elder brother Yang Tian is an exception. In the narration of "The Scalpel," Gu Ye can never surpass his elder brother Yang Tian; only Yang Tian is the undisputed "King of Tomb Raiders."

"You're mistaken. This matter is beyond the comprehension of human thought. It's a technique of escape, but not the Five Elements Escape Technique in the ordinary sense; it far surpasses its meaning. Compared to what he's doing now, Feng and Gu Ye's past achievements are but a drop in the ocean. I know he will succeed; he will surpass all the achievements of his predecessors. He will definitely reveal the meaning of the 'Underwater Divine Tomb' and successfully enter..."

She raised her hands, staring intently at her palms. A faint red light appeared in her palms, flickering and dancing as if a short match had been struck, illuminating her entire hands.

I've seen Tanino Shinji use this technique of emitting red light from the palm before, but I don't quite understand what she just said.

"Tanano Shinshu, I'd like to know the approximate time when the next 'Divine Tide' will occur?" she whispered into her palm, her tone brooking no argument. At that moment, her dignified expression finally befitted her role as a "princess."

The Japanese have a very strong sense of hierarchy and social status. They have studied and strictly adhered to the ancient Chinese "Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues," a point that, upon closer examination, is truly laughable to us. These feudal ethical concepts, which have been utterly rejected and forever despised by the Chinese, are revered as classics by the Japanese. It seems the Yamato people and the Han people will never be able to communicate smoothly.

No one answered. Could the red light in her palm be a communication method I'd never heard of before? More mysterious and magical than "sound transmission over a thousand miles" or "secret sound transmission"?

I suddenly felt a strong urge to visit Tano and see his even more mysterious escape technique than the "time machine," but I lacked the confidence to successfully break through the Five Elements Formation set up outside the "Meditation Hall."

When the tycoon arrived at Fengge Temple, the Shao brothers did not appear. Could it be that they had something else to do at Xunfu Garden?

It's a pity that the people gathered in Xunfu Garden don't have much cohesion right now—footsteps sounded from the moon gate at the back, and suddenly the figure of Master Shenbi appeared in the mist, walking towards them with a serious expression.

"Cough cough, Princess... It should be in sixteen hours, but there are many variables... I can't sense the sine wave fluctuation of time, which is significantly different from the previous exploration results." It was the voice of Tani no, exactly the same as that of Tani no Shinji who died in the desert, even the cough sound was similar.

“There are two kinds of variables. One is ‘there,’ someone who has entered that place but continues to emit energy signals; the other is beside you, which I believe comes from Mr. Wind. When a variable appears, all exploration actions are for reference only. Princess, please cherish your body and do not take risks lightly. Besides, we have tried countless times before. Without the help of a powerful external force, neither you, me, Kamekawa, nor Bumenlu could enter—‘there’…”

Gu Ye's voice was low and his language was cryptic, mentioning "there" several times.

"Mr. Tanino, what exactly do you mean by 'there'?" I couldn't help but ask loudly.

"'There' is 'there,' Wind. If I could describe it using sentences from the human dictionary, why bother with all this nonsense? You can imagine it as a mysterious space—oh, right, if you can't enter 'there,' all the theories you know are useless. In Earthling records, the legends about 'there' will only be a laughing stock." Tanino spoke to me in a cold tone, his voice emanating from Fujika's palm.

I shook my head, blowing away the white mist that drifted towards my face: "A mysterious space?" I didn't want to ask any further. According to the information I had read about Tanino Shinshu, he was extremely secretive, embodying the Japanese characteristic of stinginess and conservatism to the extreme. He always kept a tight rein on any major archaeological discovery he handled until it was completely finalized, not letting a single word leak out. Asking someone with such a miserly, miserly nature for information would likely be very difficult.

"Tani, I still want to try one last time. Perhaps... the trip to Egypt can change the molecular structure inside my body, and there will be unexpected results. I can travel through time... why can't I..."

Fujika became hesitant and deliberately omitted the most crucial words, which made me very uncomfortable. When they communicated using the red light from their palms, they completely treated me like an outsider.

I quietly withdrew from the tower. Since they didn't want outsiders to hear their conversation, why should I be so tactless?

The fifth film, Sea Horror

— Chapter 7 — Tanino Shinshu —

"Mr. Feng, would you like to go and rest first?" Master Shenbi's attitude towards me was quite polite.

I gave a wry smile: "No need. If they can't find Miss Guan, the tycoon will come again. I'm going to sleep tonight; I don't know if I'll have a chance to sleep again tomorrow or the day after!"

This time, the tycoon came and went like the wind, and thanks to my and Tengjia's repeated attempts to stop him, he was unable to commit a massacre. Will he be so lucky next time? So, what exactly did Tengjia say to him? I put my hand in my pocket and suddenly touched something cold—it was Reese's black and silver ring.

"Hmm, Master Shenbi, there's an American female journalist from Discovery magazine named Reese, hasn't she visited Fengge Temple?"

I remembered her; the pretty American girl I met on the plane.

"Yes, I came here before, but... I left very quickly, staying for no more than five hours." His answer was somewhat unnatural, which of course did not escape my keen observation.

Under my cold, unwavering gaze, Master Shenbi pointed nervously into the tower and said, "Hyomi once reported to me that Miss Resica took many photos here, including the 'Well of Spirits,' and even dozens of exterior photos of the 'Meditation Hall' from the top of the tower before leaving."

As he spoke, his eyelids twitched incessantly. To a lie detector expert, this was a clear sign of "intrinsic noninertial lying," meaning he was lying.

I took out the ring, held it between my thumb and forefinger, and blew on it. The amber stone set in the ring shimmered in the night, attracting Master Shenbi's attention.

"Master, Bingjian is dead, but before he died, I gave him several hundred dollars. You should understand what I mean, right?"

Although I still don't understand why Master Shenbi lied, I have a vague feeling that something might have happened to Reeseka as well—the soldier is already dead, and Master Shenbi is using the words of a dead man as a shield, which is obviously to conceal a fact.

Master Shenbi's expression changed drastically. He patted his sleeves, feigning composure: "I don't understand. I've never seen that female reporter. The temple's interview and reception work has always been handled by Bingjian. Of course, to expand the publicity of Fengge Temple, he always likes to fabricate some sensational legends. I have punished him many times..."

He was lying again, because his surprised expression upon seeing the black silver ring said it all. If he had only heard Bingjian's report, he wouldn't have been so wary of the ring.

The uproar caused by Guan Baoling's disappearance has not yet subsided, and I don't want to hear about Reese's disappearance anymore, but it turns out that something happened to her too, otherwise Master Shenbi would not have denied seeing her so vehemently.

With a "pop," the red light in Fujika's palm suddenly brightened, and Tani's voice became much louder: "Shinbe, you can't hide that from the wind. Tell the truth! Even if the American embassy inquires, just say that Fengge Temple did nothing. Let their secret agents investigate the mysterious disappearance of American citizens here as they please."

The fog around them grew thicker and thicker, and the smell of the sea became stronger. The moon gate, which was clearly visible just moments before, was now blurred and indistinct.

The mist surrounded the pagoda, floating beneath our feet, like the dry ice effect released on a stage.

My premonition was confirmed once again—Reese was missing, seemingly before Guan Baoling. The black and silver ring I was holding suddenly felt heavy.

"Sigh—" Before speaking, Master Shenbi sighed and reached out to stroke his bald head.