Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 137

"Mr. Sun, should we kill him or not?" Xiao He asked in a low voice.

Sun Long nodded emphatically without hesitation: "Since their inception, the Hidden Mist Ninja have never brought any benefits to the Chinese, and I believe they certainly won't in the future. Kill them—"

After hearing the last word Sun Long said, Xiao He suddenly stepped back, rushed into the tower gate, and his palms, like two sharp knives, plunged into the gray-white stone wall with a "plop".

With a clang, the long sword fell to the ground. What she had stabbed was not only the stone wall, but also a gray-clad man hidden within it. Xiao He withdrew her hand, and the man slowly tumbled off the stone wall, rolling down the steps, leaving only a gray long sword on the ground.

"Xiao He's skills are even better than Hawke's. There are at least three hundred such skilled fighters in the Sharpshooter Association, but I still hope that you, Su Lun, Xiao Xiao, and others will all join us. After all, what we are doing is a great cause to fight for the rights and interests of Chinese people around the world. Chinese people should rely on themselves, not on the United Nations or the charity of the Americans. What do you think?"

Sun Long spread his arms wide, making a bold gesture that seemed to say, "All the talents in the world are now under my control," which immediately reminded me of Cao Cao, the warlord who dominated the Three Kingdoms period.

A dozen angry growls echoed from inside the tower, accompanied by the sound of long swords falling to the ground and the clanging of seven-star darts striking the stone wall. When it was all over, Xiao He had silently returned to Sun Long's side.

The white smoke drifting from the meditation hall gradually drew closer, swirling towards the three of us standing on the seventh floor.

"Mr. Sun, have you killed them all?" Xiao He asked again, licking her lips, her eyes growing colder and colder.

"Kill them all!" Sun Long said without hesitation, raising his binoculars again to look due north.

Xiaohe walked towards the smoke, and her body was immediately enveloped in ribbon-like smoke, followed by swirling, gleaming blades, as if countless knife-wielding assassins were hidden within the smoke.

"Those are low-ranking ninjas from the Hidden Mist Sect, nothing to do with important figures. Is it necessary to wipe them all out?" I couldn't bear to go on a killing spree inside the Maple Forest Temple. After all, there were so many snipers lying in wait outside. Why expose Kotsuru's true martial arts skills? To ninja sects, low-ranking ninjas are just the lowest-level thugs. Killing a hundred or a thousand wouldn't make a difference. If we can't eliminate the leader who instigated them, this battle will never end.

"Is that so? But—when doing great things, one can never be soft-hearted. Feng, according to the intelligence we've gathered over the past three years regarding the movements of Japanese underworld forces, the 'Tennin Alliance,' which disappeared after World War II, has resumed its activities. Someone is using the 'Amaterasu Omikami Decree' to command ninjas from all factions to submit to orders. There must be a huge, secret operation going on, which has even alarmed the Japanese government. Perhaps the only way we can do is through continuous killing to make this mysterious figure who wields the 'Amaterasu Omikami Decree' appear."

Sun Long disregarded important figures, but was deeply worried about the new master of the "Tianren Alliance".

The smoke gathered and piled up higher and higher, engulfing Xiao He within two or three minutes.

"Don't worry, Xiaohe can handle it. You probably can't imagine her martial arts skills and supernatural abilities—"

With a loud "pop," the smoke suddenly exploded and dispersed, like dazzling fireworks on National Day, slowly falling from the top of the tower. Xiao He retreated, holding a short knife with a white ivory handle in her hand.

After the smoke landed, it suddenly turned into more than a dozen gray-clad men covered in blood and with all four limbs severed.

Within ten minutes, Xiaohe had killed more than twenty people. She wondered what the snipers lying in ambush around her were thinking. The Mist Ninja came from the Meditation Hall; could it be related to Tanino Shinshu? Recalling what the man in black had told Fujika in Youhuangshui County—that she should report everything to Tanino—"Tanino has been living in seclusion in the Meditation Hall for three years without leaving; he must be plotting something. Everyone who studies and enters the 'Underwater Divine Tomb' does so to seize the 'Wrath of the Sun God,' and he certainly won't be an exception."

As the last drop of crimson blood dripped from Xiaohe's short sword, she slowly slid the sword back into its sheath.

“Wind, someone’s coming.” Sun Long pointed to the winding corridor to the north and handed me the binoculars.

I waved my hand in refusal. There was no need for binoculars; I had already clearly seen the middle-aged man's appearance. Calm and composed, with a steady gait, he was the important figure who had spoken to me twice in front of Youhuang Water Town. He was all alone; there was no one else with him.

Xiao He pressed his ear against the stone wall of the tower, listening intently as he quickly reported, "Mr. Sun, the sniper formation has changed. At least two hundred people are heading this way from due north. I can feel a strong, surging killing intent."

Her face showed no sign of tension or fear, only a faint hint of mockery in the corners of her eyes and brows.

When a high-ranking official takes action, his bodyguards will undoubtedly follow suit with all their might. The main battlefield for the Japanese ambush immediately became the courtyard where the "Tower of the Dead" was located. This situation could be clearly predicted without even needing to lie prone and listen for sounds.

I strolled north along the railing, and the strangely shaped meditation hall came into clear view, including the layers of protective array surrounding the white building. From the outside, it was just a white building, but I could imagine that if Tanino really had the power to mobilize all the ninjas, then his position here at Fuuki-ji Temple would be unshakeable and not to be underestimated.

The meditation hall was quiet. After the white smoke was driven away by the crane, there was no further movement, as if it had become a dead house.

"Feng, have you ever seen the Qiantang River tidal bore in China?" Sun Long followed, leaning against the railing, his fingers interlaced tightly, his cold gaze also fixed on the meditation hall.

"I've seen it," I replied absentmindedly.

"The Japanese ambush was like the impending Qiantang River tide, poised to erupt. Once unleashed, it would be like a stampede of ten thousand horses, unstoppable. Faced with such a massive attack, if one could not be a master of riding the tide, one would be crushed and swallowed up in the blink of an eye, becoming the dregs of history. On the map of Asia, fighting the Japanese was an extremely dangerous thing—I have always been well aware of their destructive power."

The north wind kept blowing, interrupting Sun Long's somber narration several times. The wind carried the bitter smell of withered grass, as well as the aroma of birch and Japanese pine. In fact, if you think about it another way, without the coveting and vying for "the Wrath of the Sun God," without the tense hunting traps set by special police—this could have been a beautiful, sunny winter day.

"Hmm," I replied blankly.

Shifting the gaze, countless gray figures, almost blending into the roof tiles, were rapidly converging on the rooftops of the Marrow Cleansing Hall, the Sutra Repository, and the Youhuang Water County. The murderous aura, like the morning mist, spread silently, and by the time it was noticed, it had already filled every inch of Fengge Temple.

"I carry the 'Sharp Gun Society' sign on my shoulder. Wherever I go, I cannot disgrace the 'King of Assassins' of yesteryear. So many brothers are watching me, including those who died fighting for the Chinese people. Every drop of their blood was worthy of the name 'Sharp Gun Society.' The organization's sacred weapon, which the brothers in the society believe in, is the gilded spear left behind by Yue Fei. We always remember the eight words: 'Serve the country with utmost loyalty, and uphold the great Han dynasty.' Feng, you are not a brother in the society, so it may be difficult for you to understand our feelings. But I hope you remember that the existence of the Sharp Gun Society is not to compete with the Mafia or the Yamaguchi-gumi for control of the underworld, but to fight for the nation and the people..."

Sun Long remained absolutely calm throughout. I had already heard the Scalpel explain the core principles of the Sharpshooter Society, but the Scalpel's concluding remarks included these unusual words: "Throughout Chinese history, countless political parties and organizations have used 'serving the country, serving the people, equalizing wealth and status' as their guiding principles, but what happened in the end? Didn't they all just 'hold power and issue orders'? Sun Long is not a simple person, and the Sharpshooter Society is not an impulsive and reckless criminal organization. It is clearly different from the Mafia, the Yamaguchi-gumi, and so on. Therefore, you must remember to understand what you want to do before making any decision, instead of being instigated and misled by others."

Scalpel had received no fewer than ten written invitations from Sun Long to join the Sharpshooter Society and contribute to the Chinese world, but he refused them all.

I will not accept Sun Long's invitation, because my mission is not to risk my life for some gang, but to find my elder brother Yang Tian.

“Feng, this is my last invitation to you. Actually, what I’m most worried about isn’t your refusal, but that you might be misled and won over by the Japanese, becoming a traitor to the Chinese people.” Sun Long’s voice was even colder, devoid of any human warmth.

"I will not, and have no intention of, being driven by anyone." I suddenly realized that Sun Long had not come to visit me, but to act as a persuader, hoping to move me with his earnest and heartfelt teachings.

“Mr. Sun, I understand what you mean. I am Chinese and have my own ultimate goals. I am just a passerby in Hokkaido and will not become an accomplice of the Japanese. As for the legendary ‘Wrath of the Sun God,’ whether I can obtain it is just a matter of chance. Just because you think highly of me doesn’t mean I can do it. I know my own abilities. I don’t seem to have reached the point of being able to fly to the heavens or command the wind and rain. You are overthinking it.”

What I mean is, even if I obtain the "Wrath of the Sun God," I might not necessarily sell it to or hand it over to any particular party.

"That's good! The Sharpshooter Society has another extermination principle—'Anyone who betrays their country for the Japanese, who recognizes the enemy as their father, regardless of their status, will be executed by slow slicing with three thousand six hundred cuts. Once verified, they will be executed no matter how far away they are.' We are friends, and I hope we will remain friends for life, not become irreconcilable enemies." Sun Long slammed his hand on the fence, his face devoid of any smile. He wasn't threatening me, but I understood that despite my efforts to keep a low profile, I had inevitably been drawn into the vortex of this political struggle.

The important figure had already walked to within twenty steps of the pagoda and was looking up at it.

Sun Long called out, "Xiao He, let's go down." He suddenly leaped over the fence, spread his arms, and descended slowly like a graceful and unrestrained crane.

I knew his lightness skill didn't seem to have reached the pinnacle of being able to leap from a height of nearly thirty meters, and I couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Suddenly, a black rope shot out from Xiao He's right hand, with two fist-sized purple copper bells tied to the end, making a crisp "clattering" sound in the wind. The rope quickly caught up with Sun Long's falling body and swiftly wrapped around his right arm twice.

Using the force of the rope, Sun Long adjusted his body and, when he reached a height of five meters above the ground, did a somersault in mid-air and landed gracefully, standing right in front of the important figure.

The courtyard was very open, with no obstructions or cover within a radius of twenty paces. It was believed that Sun Long's body was already exposed to the scopes of more than a hundred snipers. In just a tenth of a second, his body would be riddled with shrapnel and turned into a pile of tattered cotton, beyond anyone's ability to save him.

Moreover, the well-trained marksmen lying in ambush around the courtyard didn't even need to use sniper rifles. Within a 30-meter range, even ordinary assault rifles could hit the target without missing a shot—I took a deep breath, and my heart, which had just calmed down, jumped up again.

Xiao He entered the tower and slowly descended the stairs. Her martial arts skills were unfathomable, and her methods were experienced and prudent; she never acted on her own initiative. Perhaps this was why Sun Long led her deep into enemy territory alone.

I knew that even if I went downstairs and stood between Sun Long and the important figure, it would be of no use. The conflict between them was not a personal grudge that could be resolved by "taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture," but a huge conflict concerning the nation and its people, which could absolutely not be resolved by the efforts of one person or even one generation.

"When conflicts and grudges accumulate to an immeasurable level, perhaps only a superweapon like 'Apollo's Wrath' could destroy the world in an instant, indirectly destroying humanity's conflicts as well?" I smiled bitterly. After studying the history of World War II, I had a deep understanding of many brutal and unbelievable massacres. Those were no longer simple battles of conquering cities and seizing territory, but rather the devastating destruction of one nation by another.

Volume Three, The Well of Spirits

Part 1: Clash of Titans

— Chapter 7 - The Duel of the Two Dragons —

Sun Long's words had a powerful, persuasive force on young people filled with patriotic fervor, including myself. If it weren't for the surgeon's prior assessment of Sun Long, I might have joined the ranks of the Sharpshooter Society without hesitation.

The nation comes first, then the family. Just like the ancient Chinese man's resounding vow, "How can I have a home when the Xiongnu have not yet been defeated?", every Chinese person will dedicate themselves to the prosperity and strength of their country. At least for me personally, if I had the opportunity to obtain the "Wrath of the Sun God," I would never hand it over to a powerful figure, thus arbitrarily fueling the war ambitions of this tiny nation.

Suddenly, a short woman dressed in black appeared at the entrance of the meditation hall, holding three small flags. She glanced at where I was standing, then raised a green triangular flag and waved it three times. From her gestures, it was clear that she was the one who had been defeated by Teng Jia in Youhuangshui County.

Flag signals are almost universal, so when she waved the flag at me for the second time, I quickly descended the tower, walked out through the northeast door on the first floor, and went as far as five steps away from the dried-up stream.

The man in black's face remained covered, revealing only his eerie eyes.

"I would like to see Mr. Tanino. Please inform him." I bowed with my hands clasped in a polite and courteous manner.

The woman in black crossed the black and red flags in front of her chest and shook her head vigorously. The gray wooden door behind her was wide open, and it was pitch black inside, with nothing visible and no light at all.

I repeated it again in Japanese, and she was still shaking her head, tapping the black flag and the red flag together four times.

"Since the host is unwilling to receive guests, what did you mean by signaling to me with flags just now?" I asked with a sneer.

Those who deliberately mystify others are bound to have ulterior motives. In my memory, Tanino Shinshu, who once dominated the tomb raiding world, was not such a person. His achievements in tomb raiding and archaeology deserve the respect and emulation of younger generations in this field, and have greatly promoted the study of Mongolian history from the Song and Yuan dynasties by Asian archaeologists.

"Oh, you've misunderstood. Why do we need to meet in person to talk? We're discussing archaeological issues, not romantic relationships. Hearing each other's voices is enough, isn't it?" A peculiar voice rang out, exactly like the one from the ancient Egyptian desert, the same one that had died there.

The man in black lowered the flag and stood respectfully by the door with his hands at his sides. The voice came from the darkness inside the door, extremely powerful and resonant.

I clasped my hands in a fist salute towards the door and said, "Mr. Tanino, I have long admired your name."

The man chuckled softly, "How could I dare? You Chinese have so many polite words, but they're all lies you don't mean. You haven't changed them in all these years."

"China is a land of etiquette with a five-thousand-year history of civilization. Of course, people are humble and polite to their friends. It seems that Mr. Gu Ye has never experienced what it feels like to be a friend of the Chinese, otherwise he wouldn't have said such a thing." I couldn't help but retort.

Gu Ye was silent for a few seconds before continuing in a deliberately tolerant tone: "Feng, since this is our first meeting, it seems we shouldn't waste our precious time. I know you have many questions in your mind, and I would be honored if I could help you answer them."

I'm about twenty meters from the open door now, and the obstacle in between is negligible; I could easily cross it. But I never trust the Japanese, especially someone who's locked himself in a strange, dark room for over three years; his answers are likely paradoxes that lead people astray.

Suddenly, the woman in black raised her left arm, and with a gurgling sound, a gray pigeon flew out of the door and landed on her forearm, tilting its head and staring at me with its eyes darting around.

"Feng, you can ask your questions now. Any questions, as long as I know the answer." Gu Ye's voice rose slightly, as if he were standing right behind the door.

I slowly shook my head, giving up the urge to ask a question.

"Oh? You don't want to ask? Or you don't believe me?" He could see my movements, so I judged that he was by the door.

"I want to know, what price will it cost to answer my question?" I understand that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"Hehehe, the price? That depends on what question you ask. Like the world's rarest jewels, each one has its own value, and none are the same. But I can predict that what you want to ask is the most difficult mystery to solve, and it will be very valuable."

A figure flashed inside the door, and my body sprang forward, leaping four meters without warning. My toes touched the top of a dark green bush, and I sprang up again, leaping another five meters. I wanted to see the real Tanino Shinshu, lest I be fooled by someone again.

"What are you going to do? Hehe..." I heard Gu Ye's cold laughter, and the man in black waved the flag twice with a "plop, plop".

The bushes beneath my feet suddenly transformed into over twenty gleaming longswords, so densely packed that there was nowhere to stand. The black-clad man's red flag drew a brilliant red line, suddenly magnified tenfold, and was hurled towards me with astonishing force.

I took a deep breath, maximizing my lightness skill, and placed my toes on the blade below. With a snap, the knife broke in two, the tip piercing my leather shoe, pushing straight up between my thumb and forefinger. Using this momentum, I pulled myself up again.

The man in black shouted, as if it were a Japanese incantation, and charged forward right behind the red flag.

I placed my right palm on the flagpole with a backhand motion, twisted it with force, changed its direction of impact, turned it 180 degrees, and used it as a long spear to meet the man in black.

"Hey!" the man in black shouted, raising his knife with both hands and slashing down, splitting the flagpole in two. The surging sword intent was not diminished at all, heading straight for my face.

From the fight where Fujika defeated her, I knew that her weak points were her chest and lower abdomen. So, as I thrust out the flagpole, I flicked my toes slightly, and half of the blade spun out. Just as her long sword was about to strike me, the blade had already "snap" into her left rib.

With a hiss, blood splattered everywhere, and all the murderous aura in her body dissipated instantly. Like a deflated balloon, she fell into the bushes with a thud.

More longswords and a stronger killing intent rose with a cloud of white smoke, quickly forming a wall of blades around me.

I could not see the valley, nor the entrance to the meditation hall. It was as if, in the vast and chaotic world, there were only endless blades gleaming with cold light besides me.

"Feng, don't force me to take action. Actually, we can be very good friends and like-minded comrades-in-arms. I can give you more information about the 'merman's lungs'—" Gu Ye's voice still rang out, drifting and lingering, its origin unknown.

"Since we're friends, why can't we be honest with each other?" As I moved, I realized that the sky was also filled with blades, and the air was filled with the chill emanating from the sharp edges.

"It's not time for us to meet yet. I won't see anyone until my seclusion ends. So even something as important as searching for the 'Eye of the Moon Goddess' has to be done by someone else. Feng, believe me, one day we will fight side by side and explore the secrets of the 'Underwater Divine Tomb' together. And what you're looking for can only be fulfilled with my help. My Qimen formation hasn't been activated yet, so please go back and take care of yourself."

The man in black let out a sharp whistle, and the surrounding wall of knives instantly vanished.

The woman in black, who had just been severely injured, had pulled the blade out of her left rib. Blood was still flowing, but she stood respectfully by the door with her hands at her sides, clearly showing great respect for Tanino Shinshu in the meditation hall.

At this moment, I was standing in a large thicket of bushes, the dark green, half-dried shrubs densely surrounding the meditation hall, forming a natural barrier.

The door was still wide open, but the distance of a dozen meters seemed as insurmountable as the Yangtze River.

“Mr. Gu Ye, I will return again. Your Five Elements Formation is nothing special in the eyes of the Chinese.” I slowly retreated, abandoning my attempt to enter the house. Killing is easy, breaking the formation is difficult. Even if I killed the man in black, I would still be trapped by the wall of swords, leaving me in a dilemma. The simplest way to break these strange formations is to ask Zhang Baisen and the Shao brothers to come.

At present, it seems that there is no direct conflict between me and Tanino Shinshu.

"Feng, as far as I know, in the past ten years, only I have known the training method for 'Mermaid's Lungs'. Perhaps you will be interested in it? After the full moon next month, you are welcome to come and debate and exchange ideas anytime. Goodbye."

The man in black retreated back into the house, and the gray door closed silently.