Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 161

I sprang out like a flying saucer dartboard, my toes touching the ground three times before I flew into the hall. I used the "Five Tigers Severing the Gate" technique from the Zhao family, a move called "Going with the Flow," and Jiu Chonglang's head immediately flew up like a red embroidered ball being forcefully tossed into the air, with an extremely eerie expression.

I've calculated that it only takes three seconds to pop out, kill the enemy, and retreat. Even if Fujika temporarily loses support, he can hold on and won't fall.

The one who is truly to be feared is the master who once unleashed a reverse vortex-like palm strike; his skill is extremely profound and should not be underestimated.

"Stop!" Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed in my ear, sending chills down my spine. In that brief pause, the gray-clad man's pace quickened tenfold, forming a wall of menacing swords between me and Tengjia, completely separating us.

"Who is it?" I flicked my blade lightly. Jiuchonglang's blood was still wet. If he were to fight his way out of the human wall, the courtyard would probably be a river of blood.

"On Japanese soil, daring to oppose the 'Tennin Alliance' is truly foolish. What we want, no matter when we act, will never fail. Even the Imperial Family is unwilling to be our enemy, so who do you think you are? The foolishness of you Chinese lies in only knowing how to look ahead and ignoring what lies behind. No wonder the Kwantung Army's iron cavalry could sweep across Changbai Mountain back then..."

The blade trembled with a "hum," but I was able to suppress the surging anger within me. With a formidable enemy before me, impulsiveness was a harbinger of death. The Japanese love to engage in verbal disputes; even though history textbooks around the world clearly state that they are "defeated nations and aggressors," they stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it.

The Kwantung Army was indeed well-equipped and well-trained, but what was the final result? Didn't they fall like sorghum in autumn under the broadswords of the Chinese? Just like the neat and indifferent group of ninjas before me, if I were to make a move, none of them would be able to escape the slaughter.

"What do you want? Don't you dare to stand up and speak?" Beyond the thicket of knives, Tengjia stood upright with difficulty, not yet collapsing. However, his monk's robe was completely soaked in blood, turning it a purplish-black color, like a piece of homespun cloth that had just been dyed.

Fog rose outside, and a white mist poured in through the open door, gradually enveloping Fujika.

A temporary silence fell over the courtyard. Each of the gray-clad figures held a long sword aloft, somewhat like the Terracotta Warriors exhibition hall I had visited before. They stood motionless, their expressions eerie.

“I’m right here, can’t you see me? Anything buried under Japanese territory belongs to us, whether it’s jewels or stones. So I hope you—and the Sharpshooter Society you represent—will obediently get out of here and not trouble us to do it ourselves, understand?”

The arrogant voice was mixed in with the mist, and a tall, thin man in black appeared elusively beside Teng Jia.

I didn't sense that extremely strong killing intent, so the man in black was just a henchman at the behest of a master, not the mastermind behind it all.

"I want to see... Tanino Shin... Shu..." Fujika called out with difficulty. Exhausted and suddenly seriously injured, her internal energy was completely depleted. She spoke in three parts, with rapid breathing interspersed throughout.

The mist parted and closed, and Tengjia was already lifted above the man's head, unable to struggle at all.

In an instant, I focused my mind and silently repeated in my heart: "Don't move, I'm coming to save you, don't move, I'm coming to save you..." Since I could read Fujika's thoughts, I suspected that I could communicate with her telepathically and that my words could enter her heart.

If the person constantly lurking and emitting murderous intent is the mysterious Tanino Shinshu, then at least for me, it's something to be happy about, because the enemy hidden behind the scenes has finally come to the forefront, and the chances of escaping the strange house and the Japanese escaping techniques, or defeating him, are greater.

"Alliance Leader Gu Ye doesn't have time to see you. Hand over the password! I need the password, the password..." the man in black shouted arrogantly.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, filling the courtyard before drifting into the lobby on the first floor.

In my view, "genin" are like botnets in a hacker attack, devoid of their own thoughts, easily giving up their lives at the command or glance of their master, utterly worthless. Their lives and deaths contribute nothing to society, nor do they evoke any regret in the world; they are merely like bubbles rising to the surface, bursting with a pop, nothing more.

Therefore, they should not be regarded as "people"; they are just a group of "human shields" or "human butcher knives".

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 1 - Genin (Part 2) —

“I…I don’t…want to see…him…” Once a royal princess, revered like a god by the monks of Fengge Temple, Fujika suddenly found herself in a miserable and controlled situation. The change in her circumstances was more astonishing than the most dramatic plot of a movie.

"What password? What password does Tani need?" I understood Fujika's thoughts, but I didn't see any fragments of thought related to "password," only layers of rapidly flashing mazes. This situation was enough to prove that all her intellectual intelligence was focused on the path of the deduction maze, leaving her no time to think about anything else.

"Then go die—" the man in black laughed, blowing away the mist to reveal his long face covered by a black veil.

This was the first time he had revealed his exact location, and the intervals between the parting and joining of the mist were very short, but that was enough. My knife flew out of my hand using the "dart-spear" technique from Chinese martial arts, using the knife instead of a spear, and whistled away.

When two sides are facing each other, the most important thing is to adapt to the situation on the spot, especially in close combat with cold weapons, where a master can always control the battle.

I have already seized the two closest longswords and am charging outwards. The Chinese martial arts world has studied the use of swords to the point of being deeply ingrained, with the most detailed and clear definitions of "what kind of sword technique and movement method should be used in what situation and against what kind of enemy."

The sword technique I'm using now is somewhere between the lower-attack "Ground-lying Blade" and the upper-attack "Chaotic Cloak Blade." It originated from Shaolin Temple and was later improved by the famous Beiping martial arts hero "Big Blade Wang Wu," eventually being named "Whirling Slash," a dual-blade technique. It focuses on attacking the enemy's vital areas from the waist to the lower abdomen, prioritizing a fatal blow over aesthetics, aiming to disembowel the enemy.

More than twenty ninjas died under my blade in an instant. No one could stop me from doing what I was going to do. So, when I threw away my twin swords, which were also chipped at the same time, I rushed to the man in black, reached out and grabbed the long sword stuck in his belt, and with a "clang", it came out of its sheath.

The gleaming blade reflected on the man in black's neck; a long sword that had pierced his Adam's apple was still trembling and buzzing.

I caught Tengjia's body, tucked him under my arm, and gave him a push. The man in black fell to the ground with a thud.

"Is the mastermind behind this Tani no Shinshu? I can sense an extremely dangerous enemy nearby, who could appear at any moment." Fujika needs medical treatment; once her blood has dried, all the secrets will vanish.

"No...no...he's our...friend, I suspect...he..."

While we were talking, I quickly led her out of the courtyard. The best course of action at that moment was to see the Elephant Monk, not to rush back to the courtyard and bring the conflict to Guan Baoling's side. No one's safety was more important than hers; that was beyond question.

We walked through the vast white fog, our hair and eyelashes getting damp within ten steps. To see the magnificent scenery of the valley, we had to head southeast. Suddenly, I felt a tremendous force swooping down from the heights to my side, like a raptor pouncing on its prey with terrifying, surging killing intent.

In a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. I wielded my long sword, creating a beam of light, and charged forward, carrying Tengjia with me.

Who knows how many dangers lurk within the white mist? Taking a step back or dodging might just lead you into the ambush set by the ninjas.

This is at Fuuki-ji Temple, a famous Buddhist temple in 21st-century Japan's legal society, just before dawn. However, there are no police, no laws, no firearms, only a brutal fight with cold weapons from two hundred years in the future. Moreover, I am facing ninjas who are utterly irrational and inhuman, a group of "slaves" who have been taught martial arts.

"Is it 'Sex and Debauchery, Demon-Faced Gamblers'?" I sensed Fujika's thoughts once again, without her having to utter a single word.

The murderous aura dissipated, and I found myself standing at a narrow crossroads. I immediately sensed something was wrong, as this was clearly a "besieged on all sides" situation. Although it might not be called that in Japanese divination techniques, the perilous setup was exactly the same.

"Be careful... the other party seems to be... Higano—"

I lowered my head and forced a light smile: "I understand what you're thinking. Don't speak, focus on healing your wounds, or we might have another tough battle ahead of us."

The "Surrounded by Enemies" strategy originated from the "Scroll of Immortal Clues" by Zhang Liang, the strategist of the Han Dynasty. Back then, Han Xin used the tactics of luring the enemy and setting up an ambush to lead Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, into Gaixia, where there was no place to hide or take cover, and trapped him firmly.

If it weren't for this persistent white mist, I should have been able to find the mastermind on some high point nearby; if it weren't for the heavily injured Tengjia, I could have used my lightness skill to take advantage of the height and kill the mastermind first; if... Unfortunately, there aren't that many "ifs" in the world. When a dry, plucked instrument sound came from directly in front, ten steps away, a group of women with snow-white faces vaguely appeared in the mist, all of them with their left shoulders bare, revealing their white arms.

Oni-men ninja is a type of ninja sect. The phrase "debauchery and sensual pleasures" was added by the Chinese later, because this sect of ninjas is most adept at hiding their true killing intent behind their supernatural feats.

"I'm about to... die..." Fujika gave a bitter smile, reaching up to brush the hair from her face. Her hands were covered in blood, her face was covered in blood, and her hair was still covered in blood, but she seemed to have suddenly regained her spirit.

“A thousand years… it’s been a long time, long enough that I’ve grown weary of life, weary of living like a cicada trapped in its shell. Now, I can finally stretch my body and mind freely, roam the heavens and earth, and search for my master’s soul in another world…”

Her tone became much smoother, but I understood that if someone suddenly recovers from a serious injury, it must be a "last gasp" before death.

“Those who haven’t endured a long wait won’t understand the joy of being suddenly freed from trouble. I finally understand what Master meant by ‘a sudden awakening, a moment of enlightenment’…”

The group of women walked straight toward me, their white clothes fluttering in the wind.

The next second would mark the beginning of the real slaughter, even as I charged down at these unarmed women with my knife. I took a deep breath; I heard light footsteps to my left, right, and behind me. I didn't turn around; my attention was completely focused on what was ahead. Because under no circumstances would I choose to turn back or retreat; I would only move forward, killing anyone who stood in my way.

"You still haven't told me where the entrance to the maze is?" I pointed the tip of my knife at the ground two steps in front of me.

"Entrance..." Fujika asked in bewilderment.

From her thoughts, I only saw a complex maze, but I couldn't figure out the situation on the outside. There should at least be some kind of closed portal to prevent the seawater from entering, right? Just like in Shao Hei's remote perception, those two doors should have been opened with the lotus key.

"Yes, the entrance—"

The sound of a sharp weapon slicing through the air suddenly rang out, but it came from behind me. What I smelled was a metallic scent mixed with more than a dozen kinds of intoxicating sandalwood incense—the unique aroma of a blade tempered with deadly poison.

I charged forward, the women's white clothes billowing in the wind. Beneath the clothes, instead of beautiful, alluring bodies, were revealed a large group of dwarf assassins with狰狞 faces and gleaming blades. Close-quarters combat quickly ensued, the ruthless killing making me gradually forget the existence of real time.

The principle of using killing to stop killing and violence to stop violence is a naked survival principle from primitive societies. Undeniably, there are peace-loving, normal people among the Japanese who enjoy equal and friendly interactions with the Chinese, but such people are absolutely absent from this group of beast-like ninjas.

“Yes, I didn’t see the entrance to the maze, but Master said that if we went down the cold pool, we would definitely find the ‘Underwater Divine Tomb’… He has passed on everything he learned from the ‘Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs Scripture’ to his ten disciples, but he really didn’t mention the entrance… I don’t know, my head hurts so much…”

Tengjia struggled for a moment, and a spray of hot blood, whether belonging to a dwarf or a woman, rushed towards her and sprayed onto her shoulder.

"Could it be... that I haven't completely... deciphered that 'Poseidon's Plaque'?"

With a "cough," she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. In that instant, I killed two more dwarfs, but at the same time, I found myself trapped in an ever-growing array of enemies. The white-clad woman's weapon was a half-foot-long Emei dagger hidden under her wrist, its tip flashing brightly before my eyes.

"Perhaps—" I sighed, my longsword slicing through a curved blade that was slashing horizontally. After several clashes, I still hadn't left the crossroads. There was a commander directing the attack from above, ensuring that the attacking ninjas would never lose their direction. This was why Xiang Yu, the once arrogant overlord who boasted "the strength to uproot mountains and the spirit to cover the world," was ultimately trapped.

“Then, I can’t… die yet…” Fujika’s body flashed with extreme agility, slipped out from under my armpit, climbed onto my shoulder, and quickly stood upright.

I didn't want this to be another "last gasp," so I used my right arm to slay four people in a row, and also seized a long sword with my left hand.

"One o'clock, forward," Fujika whispered.

There was a gray wall at one o'clock, but I rushed out without hesitation. From her vantage point, she should have been able to see the weakest point of the formation.

The blade pierced flesh without a single scream; all the ninjas became either mute or deformed individuals born without the ability to feel pain.

"At the one o'clock position, the person who set up the formation is fifteen paces away."

As soon as Tengjia's voice came, I bent my knees and sprang up, taking her slender body with me as we turned to the left, our toes landing over the heads of a group of women in black, leaping a distance of fifteen steps.

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 2 — Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain (Part 1) —

I felt the hot blood dripping from Fujika's body. I had no time to think or make any judgments because the flashes of swords, like a tidal wave, were relentlessly entangling my twin blades.

"Fifteen steps at one o'clock—"

"Ten o'clock, nine steps—"

"Two o'clock position, five steps—"

After three consecutive turns, I killed eleven more people, then threw my long sword with my left hand, piercing the chest of a woman in red. It wasn't that I intentionally went on a killing spree; I simply had no choice. The fact that Japanese ninjas have been present throughout the entire history of regime changes and military wars is enough to prove that this special group has irreplaceable qualities, especially their tenacious and murderous spirit of "never giving up until the goal is achieved."

Five steps away, exactly the length of two longswords meeting, I saw an extremely thin and withered man dressed in black, his face covered by a pitch-black metal mask, revealing only his gleaming eyes. Behind him, instead of the usual samurai sword, were four triangular flags of different colors: red, white, blue, and green. If it weren't for the brutality of the battle, it would easily have reminded one of a martial arts performer in Chinese Peking Opera, making one laugh.

On either side of him stood two women with pale faces painted on, their figures extremely similar, except that they wore clothes in red, white, blue, and green, with wide sleeves that fluttered in the wind.

I realized that the position these people were standing in was the core of the "Surrounded on All Sides" formation. The entire formation was activated by the black-clad man's flag. Unfortunately, there were no long-range weapons to kill him. Once the core was dead, all the dwarfs and women would lose their direction of attack and naturally collapse.

"Are you alright...?" Fujika's voice was mixed with the clanging of swords.

"Of course!" I sneered, wiping away the blood that had splattered on my face for who knows how many times. With a flash of my blade, I pierced the chest of a dwarf who was lurking three steps away. These rat-like, perverted, and detestable short ninjas could strike a fatal blow at any moment under the cover of night.

"If we don't kill that array master, tonight will be the end."

Strangely enough, even surrounded by layers of snowflakes, we were still able to talk calmly.

The white fog thickened, obscuring all traces of people, both near and far, of the original buildings of Fengge Temple. In the art of Japanese ninjutsu, the most important means of concealment is this tangible yet intangible fog, but highly skilled ninjas can penetrate the fog and see through all the movements of both sides.

“I know, but the enemy has already set up a ‘shrinking the earth to an inch’ technique. What seems like a five-step distance may actually be a hundred steps away.” The attack suddenly stopped, giving Tengjia and me a chance to catch our breath. “Shrinking the earth to an inch” and “traveling a thousand miles in an instant” are both advanced skills in Qimen Dunjia. If you don’t know how to counter them and attack rashly, no one can predict what kind of dangerous ambush might be hidden in that distance.

Fujika swayed, rolled onto the ground, his face was sallow, and the light in his eyes was gradually dimming.

I put my arm around her waist again and whispered, "What do they want? The secret in your heart?"

Only if she harbors the secret of being coveted by others, or if she readily relinquishes it, can she escape her current predicament.

"No—" she laughed miserably, traces of blood on her chapped lips.

I read her thoughts, and indeed, apart from that strange, three-dimensional labyrinthine building, there was nothing unusual about it.

"So, in the Egyptian desert, who killed the God of the Valley? Who stole his heart? What about the nineteen Buddha relics he ate? Where did they go?" This question has troubled Suren and me for a long time. I refuse to believe that it was Tengjia who did it, and Suren even suspects that Dr. James is the real murderer.

Fujika took a few quick breaths, straightened his body, and suddenly asked, "Buddha relics? There are no Buddha relics in the world, at least not at Maple Temple, nor in the 'Tower of the Dead'."

I was stunned. Tanino Shinji clearly said that he had stolen and eaten the Buddha's relic, which was why his comprehension ability had improved by leaps and bounds. "Then, who killed him? You, or Dr. James?" After Fujika woke up, he said that even when he was unconscious, he was still awake, but he just couldn't speak.

“I am a reborn person,” she answered without hesitation.

"The 'Reborn Ones' under the Azure Dragon Society? Is James one of the Reborn Ones?"

Fujika shook his head: "No, 'Reborn Ones' are not people at all, but... a kind of... thought..."