Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 167

"What is it that I really want?" At this moment, I was already standing behind Guan Baoling, listening to the north wind whipping her sleeves, making a constant "whoosh whoosh" sound.

"Feng, I always feel that the experience in the glass box last time was like a dream. When I woke up, everything was gone. Those strange red lights, those gears, were all things from a dream. Or, one day when we leave Fengge Temple, we'll forget everything, right?"

She had her back to me, but she could sense my presence.

"If only Mr. Ye's 'black magic' had been just a nightmare, and he had woken up healthy and energetic as before, I wouldn't feel so guilty and would feel like I owed him so much for the rest of my life—"

I sensed a hidden story in her words, but I refrained from asking further, lest I reopen old wounds. What did she owe the tycoon? And what did the curse in "The Tycoon" have to do with her?

The cold wind howled through the open tower gate, its sound rising and falling, and in the twilight, it made people feel even more depressed, and the feeling of "sitting in a well and looking at the sky" was particularly abrupt.

"Actually, don't despair too much in any predicament. With the tycoon's abilities, as long as there's a possibility of breaking the 'black magic' on Earth, he will definitely do it. His glorious and magnificent rise from an unknown nobody to a world-renowned tycoon has become a model for young people in the underworld to emulate. He'll be alright, I promise..."

This is my honest opinion. If it weren't for the grudge between me and Kwan Po-ling, he would be one of my most admired seniors. In terms of both courage and wisdom, he would be several times better than Scalpel.

Guan Baoling chuckled softly, "Thank you for your kind words. I hope the divine decree will appear soon, so I won't have to worry all the time. Hmm, what's wrong? Miss Gu Qingcheng is coming to Hokkaido? Are the siblings really interested in that ancient zither?" She pointed into the tower, her face full of worry, and continued, "Unfortunately, divine decrees come from heaven, they are unpredictable, and we don't know when they will appear again. Will you..."

I nodded eagerly: "If sacrificing Xunfuyuan can help the tycoon, I will do my duty without hesitation!"

The process of demolishing Xunfuyuan was also a process of searching for clues. Many fortune tellers would be too afraid to break the insidious scheme of "Nine-Headed Bird Struggling for Life," fearing they would bring trouble upon themselves. The eldest brother was so rich, yet he inexplicably set up a deadly trap for himself. Why?

Guan Baoling sighed with satisfaction: "Thank you, let's go back. I'd like to see that piano again. Eight million pounds is an extremely satisfactory price."

Just as we turned to walk back, a man hurriedly came out from the meditation hall. He was wearing an immaculate white monk's robe and was waving his hand and shouting as he walked: "Feng, wait a minute, wait a minute..." He took large strides, completely disregarding the dangerous situation outside.

I stopped and instinctively stepped in front of Guan Baoling. The person who had arrived was none other than Tano Shinshu, who looked exceptionally energetic after his brief rest.

Guan Baoling wisely walked alone towards the moon gate in the northwest, head down, looking melancholy.

"Feng, if it's convenient, please come to my meditation hall for a chat." Gu Ye's robes fluttered in the wind as he turned and pointed to the still eerie and strange meditation hall.

I immediately shook my head: "No, I have something to do, let's do it another day." Even though I really wanted to know what was inside the meditation hall, I still tried my best to restrain my curiosity and refused to easily venture into danger.

Gu Ye's face was probably freshly washed, rosy and fair, quite different from last night, and his eyes occasionally flashed with a wise light that seemed to see through everything.

“Feng, I feel we need to understand and communicate more. Actually, before the appearance of Fenglinshan, my relationship with Princess Fujika was always half teacher and half friend. I am also very saddened by her passing. The knowledge she brought from her past life memories is unparalleled, and she was praised by the masters Kamekawa and Bumenri on many occasions. If it weren't for the appearance of Fenglinshan, she would have brought countless insights to the exploration of the ‘Underwater Tomb’. Japan needs a natural genius like her. Her passing is a loss to the Japanese Imperial Family…”

Tani's eulogy did not resonate with me. If he, Furin Kazan, and all the ninja factions had gathered together for the sake of the "Underwater Divine Tomb," then none of his words held any credibility. People die for wealth, birds die for food; in the face of the immense temptation of treasure, all morality, integrity, and Buddhist nature lose their original luster.

He was heartbroken at losing Tengjia, but perhaps his real thought was that he was heartbroken at losing the guide who led him to open the "Underwater Tomb".

Guan Baoling had already disappeared beyond the Moon Gate. I forced a smile and replied, "Please accept my condolences. With Mr. Gu Ye's achievements in the tomb raiding world, he will surely be able to clear the obstacles to entering the Divine Tomb, achieve great things, and display his divine power."

The sudden appearance of Tanino Shinshu only made the power struggles surrounding the "Underwater Divine Tomb" on the Fengge Temple side more complicated, and the escaped Fenglin Huoshan would definitely not give up so easily.

Suddenly, a warmth filled the cold wind. I noticed that Gu Ye's clothes were very thin, but he showed no sign of shivering. On the contrary, his cheeks glowed with a faint red light. Clearly, his martial arts skills far surpassed those of his younger brother who died in the Egyptian desert, and had reached the level of "returning to simplicity and inner strength." On the surface, he showed no signs of being strong or domineering, but deep down, he was like a raging sea, ready to unleash astonishing destructive power at any moment.

"Fighting him would be no easy task." Our eyes met unintentionally, and for a fleeting moment it felt as if we had exchanged hundreds of blows silently. His eyes were the deep brown characteristic of the Japanese, carrying an innate coldness.

The book of physiognomy says: "The eyes are the windows to the soul." His eyes gave me a pure feeling of "emptiness of the four elements," without murderous intent, but also without kindness, like a Taihu stone frozen white in the snow, standing calmly and silently.

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 7 - The Nemesis of Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain (Part 2) —

"Feng, there's a saying from the wind, forest, fire, and mountain. Would you like to hear it?" Gu Ye smiled, lowered his head, and clasped his hands together.

His hair and beard were completely shaved, and with his monk's robes, he looked no different from the monks of Fengge Temple. But I believe that his spiritual cultivation is a hundred times better than that of all the monks in the temple.

"Please speak," I said in a more friendly tone.

Until the curse of the Fang Demon is lifted, I will prioritize Guan Baoling's safety above all else and will never make another powerful enemy. After everything that has happened, the impulsiveness and stubbornness surging in my blood are gradually diminishing, becoming more and more gentle and peaceful.

“He has been secretly watching you many times, ever since the first day you stepped into Xunfuyuan Villa. He said that you are an extraordinary Chinese and a formidable enemy of Japan.”

I smiled slightly and gestured for you to continue.

With a half-smile, Gu Ye shook his head slightly, as if he didn't entirely agree with what he was relaying: "You surely know that Fuurin Kazan is a very knowledgeable person when it comes to China. He likes to quote wise and philosophical sayings from ancient Chinese people—he said that everything in the world is mutually generating and mutually restraining. This 'thing' can be extended to an infinitely large extent, such as between people, between countries, between races, and between planets. Japan's defeat in World War II was because it encountered its natural nemesis. The Chinese produced a master with the destiny of 'Heaven Kills the Big Dipper,' which is why the Chinese army was able to be invincible and defeat the Imperial Army, which had once swept across Asia."

The theory of mutual generation and restraint has appeared repeatedly in works on the history of World War II since 1990. I wonder if Fenglinshan has plagiarized the work of those military theorists?

The sun had completely set, and I knew I should go to the Reincarnation Institute. I believed Xiao Keleng and Zhang Baisen would arrive soon.

I found myself gradually drawn into Tanino's narrative; his voice was gentle and magnetic, something most hysterical Japanese people lack.

“Feng, let me put it simply. Fenglin Huoshan sees you as his nemesis, so he has repeatedly tried to eliminate you first, but he has not been decisive enough. He has always believed that you have some kind of quality that allows you to successfully enter the ‘Underwater Divine Tomb’ and obtain the ‘Wrath of the Sun God’.” Gu Ye kept shaking his head, probably finding Fenglin Huoshan’s hesitation ridiculous.

"Is he planning to use me on this expedition first, and then reap the benefits?" I found it amusing.

“Yes, he always thought he was the smartest person in the world, at least the smartest person in the last hundred years, so he always tried to maximize his interests in everything he did, and was willing to make unconventional decisions for it.” Gu Ye took a step closer to me, stared at my forehead, and suddenly widened his eyes.

He was a head shorter than me, and his strenuous posture looked very strange.

Five seconds later, he stepped back, still five steps away from me, blinking rapidly as he pondered deeply.

Kazan Kaze was an exceptionally intelligent spy. At the time, intelligence experts from Japan, the United States, Russia, and China unanimously regarded him as the most outstanding figure in the history of espionage. Because he came from a family of ninjas, he entered the stage of ninja training almost from infancy, which was unmatched by the experts trained in spy academies of other countries.

Perhaps I should feel honored to be regarded as his nemesis? Just thinking about this Japanese spy who has been active on the war-torn land of China for nearly twenty years makes me feel that his hands must be stained with the blood of Chinese people.

"Feng, the energy emanating from your forehead is astonishing! No wonder Feng Lin Huo Shan said that in some aspects, your aura and destructive power even surpass his. I suspect that your cultivation level is at least fifty years' worth of comprehension—oh, I understand, it's Master Bu Men Lu's power—his 'Yin-Yang Divine Power' has entered your body..."

Tano suddenly showed a look of horror, followed by extreme envy in his eyes.

When Bumenlu transmitted his skills, gave him medicine, and passed away in meditation, Master Shenbi and the three monks, Elephant, Lion, and Tiger, all showed the same expression.

As dusk deepened, Gu Ye's features began to blur. He murmured to himself in a very complicated tone, "Master Bumenli's skill... how could it be passed on to a Chinese person? Could this be a predetermined fate?"

The pagoda stood silently in the twilight, and every time I looked up at its spire, the feeling of "looking at the sky from the bottom of a well" would come vividly to mind. The layout of ancient buildings is mostly dignified and upright, and almost all of their unique structures are expressions of the architects' unique ideas; it's just a matter of whether later generations can understand them.

Given that the pagoda's foundation stones were chosen so low, does this suggest that some great secret is buried beneath it?

Searching through my memory, I found that none of the pagodas in Asia are sunken below the average foundation of the temple. On the contrary, in most temples, the base of the pagoda is level with that of an ordinary house, and the body of the pagoda can only be seen by looking up. This is to convey the meaning that "Buddha is high above and people must look up to him with reverence".

Just as I was about to say goodbye, hurried footsteps came from the moon gate to the west, and I quickly caught a whiff of a girl's perfume. Although it came from behind me, it was obviously Xiao Keleng's.

Gu Ye suddenly took a deep breath, like a peerless master taking a deep breath before a decisive battle.

Immediately, a low whistling sound came from behind me, carrying endless killing intent and chilling aura. If I hadn't known for certain that Zhang Baisen was coming with Xiao Keleng, I might have misjudged the situation—I had never felt Zhang Baisen so full of killing intent before. He was like a general in full armor, with a blood-stained blade in hand, who could dominate thousands of troops. Once he charged into the enemy ranks, every pore on his body emanated a terrifying killing aura.

Xiao Keleng darted over as nimbly as a mountain antelope, her hands tucked into the pockets of her tracksuit. Before she could even greet me, her eyes were already fixed on Gu Ye, whose white robe was fluttering in the wind.

Zhang Baisen focused intently on channeling his internal energy as he strode forward, his speed slightly lagging behind Xiao Keleng. When he was about ten steps away from me, I suddenly felt a chill run down my back, as if a dozen newly sharpened executioner's blades were approaching simultaneously.

Tanino remained calm and still, his hands still in front of his chest.

"For the past ten years, I've heard that you've been the leader of the 'Heavenly Ninja Alliance,' commanding all seventy ninja sects across the Japanese archipelago. It's an undeniable fact that in the last five years, especially the last three, ninjas have been active on war stages around the world, constantly committing murders. Shouldn't all of this be attributed to the Heavenly Ninja Alliance? As its leader, shouldn't you bear some responsibility?"

Zhang Baisen was a little nervous, and his voice trembled at the end of his sentence.

"Yes," Tanino admitted frankly.

"Then you should be aware of the three genocide incidents that occurred in Turkmenistan, the Sinai Peninsula, and Sydney in February, July, and November of 2004, respectively, right? Interpol has determined that the five masterminds and fourteen assassins involved in these three heinous murders against Nepalese people were all ninjas of the Japanese Iga sect, and direct descendants of the 'Heavenly Ninja Alliance.' I want an explanation from you, or should I, in my personal capacity, represent the Hidden Sect and challenge you?"

Zhang Baisen's voice grew increasingly cold, and his murderous intent intensified.

“A challenge?” Gu Ye muttered to himself, staring at Zhang Baisen for a few seconds before suddenly smiling. “So the most famous Asian master of special abilities is actually from Nepal. If you’re from the ‘Hidden Sect,’ then you must be a disciple of Master Banaidu of the Abu Ra Palace. My apologies.”

His words were polite, but his expression showed no sign of apology for being "disrespectful".

The Hidden Sect is the largest martial arts sect in Nepal. Its current highest-ranking leader is Master B. Naidu, the most respected royal advisor of the Nepalese royal family. The three massacres Zhang Baisen just mentioned shocked the world in 2004. According to Interpol's investigation at the time, as many as sixty Nepalese were killed while transporting a treasure belonging to the Hidden Sect—the "Scepter of Mount Everest."

The scepter is a symbol of power within the "Hidden Sect." Whoever possesses it will become the new leader of the sect, replacing Master Banaidu.

“Yes, a challenge. After the scepter went missing, it should be in your hands by now, right?” Zhang Baisen pressed on relentlessly.

In fact, given his character and status, there was no need for him to be so eager for quick success.

“I won’t fight you, because you’re no match for me. In terms of seniority, even Master Banaidu has to address me as ‘senior.’ You’re just his second-generation disciple, so there’s a huge generation difference between you. How about this: I’ll give you a riddle. If you can solve it, I’ll do anything for you; if you can’t, then don’t mention anything about the ‘Hidden Sect’ in front of me, okay?”

Gu Ye's inner cultivation was unfathomable; he neither got angry, nor laughed, nor yielded, nor mocked, approaching the highest Buddhist state of "forgetting oneself and the external world." In contrast, Zhang Baisen, who had the title of "master of special abilities," suddenly seemed like a naive and clueless young man, falling at a disadvantage in every way.

"As for you, Miss Xiao, you can also come and study this together. However, you'd better turn off the safety on the gun in your pocket first. This Austrian-made rapid-fire pistol has a record-breaking accidental discharge rate of five in a thousand. For a girl, this is a dangerous toy. I know some of your trump cards and the Crimson Flame Army's trump cards—don't try to help Mr. Zhang with anything. You'll find that his beliefs are not entirely the same as yours, and are basically opposite."

With a "click," Xiao Ke obediently turned off the safety of the pistol and withdrew his hand.

The Crimson Flame Army was an unresolved knot in her mind; the conflict had escalated from individual clashes to hostility between nations and ethnicities. Undoubtedly, if Zhang Baisen was fighting for the "Hidden Sect," based on my understanding of Nepal, this mysterious mountain nation, his beliefs would indeed differ from ours.

The fourth super weapon

— Chapter 8 - Master Shenbi's Diary [Part 1] —

“Mr. Zhang, may I borrow the Burmese knife in your sleeve?” Gu Ye gently extended his hand to Zhang Baisen.

Xiao Ke was startled. On the surface, Zhang Baisen appeared unarmed and showed no signs of carrying a weapon. But I knew that he would always have a knife on him, even during the most private moments, such as when bathing or using the toilet. His knife was in the sleeve of his left arm; I couldn't see it, but I could feel its presence.

Zhang Baisen drew an arc with his right fist in front of his chest and slowly landed on his left elbow, as if facing a formidable enemy: "I have the knife, but I will never lend it to the Japanese."

A sharp "clang" suddenly rang out from the crook of his arm. It was indeed a peerless sword that could "turn steel into silk" and was able to sense its master's hostility, issuing a sound in advance to intimidate the enemy.

The current situation can be roughly seen as us being outnumbered three to one, with an absolute advantage in terms of numbers, physique, and height. Even Xiao Keleng's height is almost greater than Gu Ye's, but he exudes an aura of neither arrogance nor servility, and is not suppressed by Zhang Baisen in the slightest.

Dusk had fallen heavily; the elephant monks at the Samsara Institute must be getting impatient.

Zhang Baisen's martial arts skills had already been demonstrated when he carried Master Xianyun into the temple, indicating that he was a first-rate martial artist in the mainland. However, when Gu Ye swung his left arm, a series of strange cracking sounds came from his shoulder to his fingertips. Suddenly, his left palm opened and closed, and Zhang Baisen's left sleeve tore open with a ripping sound. A Burmese knife, two feet long and two inches wide, was already in Gu Ye's hand.

"Indeed a fine knife." Gu Ye said four words, pointing the tip of the knife forward. Amidst the flying stone chips, a crisscrossing maze pattern appeared on the ground.

The series of movements was so fast it was dazzling. The three emeralds embedded in the blade shimmered with an eerie light, like green fireflies in the night sky. By the time Zhang Baisen roared, Gu Ye had already completed the design, casually tossing it, and the Burmese knife pierced the stone slab with a "crack".

"Impressive skills, but I feel that Mr. Gu Ye is still concealing his true martial arts abilities." I knew that his deliberate use of his left hand to wield the knife was to hide his dominant right-handed martial arts. This made me even more suspicious that his martial arts skills might have reached a level that even I couldn't fathom.

Since the Opium War, martial arts masters from China and Japan, two close neighbors separated only by a narrow strip of water, have never ceased their official and unofficial duels. Many historical records of martial arts tales reveal that the Japanese have never won a championship in China; after all, the saying "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin" has been around for a long time. Every martial art revered by the Japanese as a "divine skill" or "ultimate technique" originated or was copied from a Chinese prototype. Therefore, the outcome of a disciple challenging his master was predictable. Occasionally, a few exceptional Japanese samurai might temporarily gain an advantage with their unorthodox techniques, but ultimately, they could not escape defeat. After all, the essence of combat techniques had been thoroughly studied by the Chinese, leaving no room for further innovation.

What Gu Ye used was nothing more than a combination of "splitting palm, absorbing palm, grappling hand, dragon-capturing hand" and Indian yoga techniques. Strictly speaking, it was just a simple, free-mixing technique without any formal lineage or school of thought.

"Yes, I did conceal my martial arts skills. Fighting and killing are outdated, and I have no need to use ninja techniques against the 'Hidden Sect' masters of Nepal. Feng, if you had also experienced the dark days of being imprisoned for three years, you would have understood the feeling of having a calm mind. Victory, defeat, honor, and disgrace are just meaningless empty titles to me."

With a flick of his right hand, Gu Ye sent the Burmese knife flying again, smoothly hovering in front of Zhang Baisen before stopping mid-air. This was still the skill of the "Dragon-Capturing Hand," and his mastery of "manipulating objects in mid-air" was extremely high, reaching a level of complete control.

Zhang Baisen wanted to retaliate, but knowing the vast difference in their martial arts skills, he could only sigh and humiliatingly sheath his sword.

A person should know their own limitations. Having been in the business world for over a decade, Zhang Baisen certainly wouldn't act like a blindly impulsive and hot-blooded youth.

"We, the Hidden Sect, will never forget those three bloody incidents. One day, we will settle accounts with the Heavenly Ninja Alliance." Zhang Baisen's vow was tinged with helplessness. Although the Hidden Sect was the largest sect in Nepal, it was almost insignificant in the grand scheme of Asia, equivalent to a second-rate sect on the mainland.

Gu Ye pointed to the maze diagram and calmly replied, "Let's look at this riddle first. Being quick to act but slow to speak is the shortcut to cultivating one's true nature. If your 'Hidden Sect' could reflect on this saying more often, you wouldn't have put your position in such a precarious position in the Snow Mountain region." He spoke to Zhang Baisen in the tone of an elder admonishing a younger generation.

The maze consists of fifteen irregular circles, with three straight lines running vertically and horizontally intersecting through the circles like a deformed spider web.

I glanced at it briefly, nodded slightly to Gu Ye, and turned to walk towards the moon gate in the northwest. It was getting late; I had to finish refining the Shao brothers' ashes tonight and send them back to China as soon as possible. There were too many things to understand. Fujika's death would affect the Japanese Imperial Family; important figures could come to Fengge Temple at any time, and Gu Qingcheng from Hong Kong was also coming—I had to finish today's work today to efficiently seize the initiative.

Xiao Keleng quickly followed, leaving Zhang Baisen and Gu Ye in the courtyard.

After turning through the moon gate, Xiao Ke let out a long, indignant sigh: "How strange! Gu Ye has no murderous aura at all, but is filled with a heavy, oppressive aura, making it hard to breathe." She took the pistol out of her pocket again, examined it carefully, and then put it back.

Gu Ye's ability to see through everything is truly astonishing. If he intended to deal with Xiao Keleng and Zhang Baisen, the two of them would have had almost no chance to fight back just now.

I led her quickly through the winding corridor, heading straight north, passing the side of the Marrow Cleansing Hall, and then through six courtyards. Ahead, to the left, was the black wooden door of the Reincarnation Courtyard. As we approached the door, a strange, burnt smell wafted into our nostrils—the distinctive odor of a crematorium, unlike any other strange smell in the world.