Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 191

I can accept even the strangest things with equanimity, as long as the matter itself can be explained by "reason" or "principle".

The witch silently raised her left hand, and the spider sprang back into the darkness with a whoosh.

“There are places that only the dead can reach, such as the underworld. Fifteen Ridges is not the underworld, but it is more terrifying than the underworld. Have you ever seen forty million poisonous snakes entwined together? Right there, forty million or even more. The ability of those animals to reproduce is endless—” She tapped the mounds in the sand table one by one with the branch in her hand.

"Master, please advise me on how to find her? I can grant you any request."

I couldn't help but feel anxious. The place Suren was going to was called the "Heavenly Ladder," and the witch Longge said she was with the "Gods." I really didn't want to keep talking so vaguely. I just wanted to find out exactly where on Earth she went, and then organize a rescue team to bring her back.

“There’s a group of people looking for her too. They’re in a hurry. One of them is as fierce as a tiger, as cunning as a snake, as soaring as an eagle, and as lurking as a rat. He’s very powerful. He might be the next one chosen by the gods. Do you know him?” Longge’s branch pointed to a mound in the upper right corner of the sand table as he murmured to himself.

I tried my best to control my emotions and silently shook my head.

“There’s an iron ring embedded in his skull, and some kind of steel frame in his arms, legs, and even ribs. You really don’t recognize him? But your name has always been on his mind. He longs to see you. Why?” Longge threw aside the branch, reached into the darkness for a bowl, and gulped down two large mouthfuls.

I had just thought of a name when Long Ge suddenly exclaimed, "You know him? You're lying!" Her ability to "read minds" was incredibly sensitive; she could sense even the slightest fluctuation in my thoughts.

"Yes, I know him."

Having grown accustomed to the neon-lit nights of the city, suddenly finding myself in this dimly lit jungle made me feel a tightness in my chest, a very uncomfortable sensation. The damp mist rising from the forest felt like each breath was adding to the strain on my respiratory system.

"What are you looking for?" Long Ge lifted the black cloth from his head, staring intently at me with a strange sense of excitement.

“I can actually tell you a lot of… information…” She straightened up, slowly stretched out her arms, and did a stretching movement similar to a yoga balancing exercise.

"How much are you willing to give for that girl?" She bent down and pulled all the branches off the sand tray, then opened her palm and smoothed the sand back down.

She casually dragged a black wire cage out of the darkness, inside which lay a dozen or so menacing, crawling golden centipedes, the largest of which was larger than a dinner knife. Suddenly exposed to light, these vicious insects raised their black heads, their powerful legs thrashing about incessantly.

"These little guys have been hungry for three days. If you can feed them, you might get the answer you're looking for..."

"Offering blood to feed poisonous insects is not difficult, but I need to get the information I want first. If you are the real Longo Witch, why don't you take off your hood and let me see your golden mask?"

The knife had already slipped between his fingers, and all sorts of rumors about the Dragon Witch surfaced in his mind.

"Seeing the mask might turn you into a dead man, and you're willing to accept that?" She put the cage back, turned her back, and laughed arrogantly. "I kindly tried to stop people from going into the mountains to their deaths, but why did everyone turn a deaf ear, including your friend? As the saying goes, 'People die for wealth, birds die for food.' While obtaining treasure, we've awakened the nightmare of Earthlings. Is this God's arrangement or Earth's calamity? Do you understand what I mean?"

Her words became increasingly delusional and hostile.

"I'm only taking her back. As for the treasure, it has nothing to do with us. What do you know?" The martial world is always a dog-eat-dog world. Since she refuses to tell me the truth, I will not hesitate to use force against anyone for Su Lun's sake.

“The Witch of Long knows everything, the past, the future, the present, what you want to know, and what you don’t want to know—she knows everything. Young man, remember my words, the sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore. If you don’t leave now, you will never be able to escape this forest for the rest of your life, forever…” Her voice grew lower and lower, like the sky outside gradually darkening. Suddenly, she flashed past me, leaving a colorful phantom trail.

That kind of lightness skill had surpassed the pinnacle that humans could reach. Just as the hood slipped off, I really saw a brilliant golden light appear on her face, flashing with an eerie and evil light.

The stream was very clear and cold, but unlike mountain springs in other places, it did not make a cheerful "ding-dong" sound. Instead, it flowed silently through the crevices of rugged and craggy rocks.

Dusk fell heavily, faster than I expected, and everything around me was rapidly merging into the dark night.

"Flying Eagle." I walked back, silently repeating the name of the person I had just thought of. He was a pawn that Scalpel had placed in the ancient city of Xi'an, and also his closest brother who had struggled and fought alongside him for many years. No one remembered his name anymore, just like Scalpel, only his nickname—"Flying Eagle."

The witch Longge described him vividly. Flying Eagle's abilities were second to none in the southwestern underworld of the continent. He had more than five hundred brothers under his command, and spent most of his time as an antique broker, occasionally engaging in petty "double-crossing" incidents. He didn't have that many strange metal parts on him; they were just souvenirs left over from years of wandering the underworld.

The metal ring on the back of his head was from when he stepped on a series of landmines during the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979. It pierced his skull just four millimeters away from destroying his cerebellum. The metal braces in his limbs and chest were implanted in Hong Kong after severe bone fractures, and have become an integral part of his body over the years.

Being covered in "iron" is the most distinctive feature of a flying eagle, so as soon as Long Ge uttered his description, I immediately thought of him.

If Su Lun wanted to gather troops near Xi'an, Flying Eagle was the perfect choice. A sudden glimmer of hope struck me: could it be that Flying Eagle had intervened to save Su Lun?

Volume Four: The Divine Trapped in the Epang Palace

Part 1: The Mysterious Borderlands - The Disappearance of Sulun

— Chapter 3 — Flying Eagle and Soaring Moon —

As I caught sight of the smoke rising from the campsite, my satellite phone rang. It was Guan Baoling calling.

“Feng, I’ve turned down all my advertising and film offers in Tokyo. I’ll be going back to Hong Kong Island with Mr. Ye tomorrow. I’ve been really tired lately and just want to be alone for a while. Don’t worry about me, I’ll take good care of myself. I wish you a speedy recovery in finding Miss Su Lun. Don’t forget to come to Hong Kong Island with me when you do, I’ll treat you to a star-studded dinner.”

Her voice was filled with deep helplessness. Upon receiving news of Su Lun's disappearance, I rushed here immediately. Anyone could see how much I cared for Su Lun. This must have hurt her, but I didn't have time to consider her feelings. Only after losing Su Lun did I realize how important she was.

"Definitely. I thank you on behalf of Su Lun. Please tell the tycoon that after rescuing Su Lun, we will definitely rush to Hong Kong Island and ask an expert to help him break the 'black magic'."

The distance between us suddenly stretched to an immense distance, with Suren standing between us, becoming an insurmountable mountain and chasm in our relationship. Between her and Suren, I ultimately and firmly chose the latter, vowing to keep my promise and remain unmoved by anyone.

The fluttering heart and turmoil I felt inside the glass box resembled love, but it was nothing more than a drifting duckweed. Perhaps a true man should cherish the one he loves most and forget the one he loves less. Initially, I was captivated by Guan Baoling's beauty and charm, unable to extricate myself. But after so many things happened, until Su Lun was trapped in the mountains of Southwest China, I suddenly realized that she was the most important part of my life.

When I returned to the Concubine's Palace, the lights were on in the north room, and everyone was gathered around an old eight-immortal table with four steaming porcelain basins in the center. I immediately smelled the aroma of braised pork ribs and freshly steamed white buns.

"Mr. Feng, have you seen the Witch Longge? How was it? Did she say where Miss Suren went?" Li Kang dropped the steamed bun he was holding and ran over to greet me.

I slowly shook my head, speechless. Mentioning what had just happened would only cause more panic.

"Let's eat first. Miss Suren is a lucky person, she'll be alright," Li Kang sighed.

The cook in charge of the expedition's meals had previously run a restaurant outside Xianyang City. He only liked rich, dark-skinned meat and fish. This was the third time I had eaten braised pork ribs since I arrived here, and my stomach was so greasy. Seeing everyone happily picking up their chopsticks and eating heartily, I could only barely manage to pick up a small piece and put it in my own small bowl.

He had only eaten half of his meal when Jiang Guang suddenly looked up and shouted, "Who? Which gang are you from?" The rough porcelain bowl in his hand shattered in two with a "crack," and he then threw it away.

The light streaming through the doorway dimmed, and a girl dressed in denim and wearing a cowboy hat barged in. With a cold laugh, she released her grip, and the broken bowl Jiang Guang had thrown landed with two loud clatters. She raised her foot, clad in brown combat boots, and stepped on the broken bowl, slowly crushing it into pieces with a "crack, crack."

"Hey, little girl, which gang are you from?" Jiang Guang and Jiang Liang jumped up at the same time.

The four hunters stared lustfully at the girl's fair and rosy cheeks, forgetting to move the chopsticks they were holding, their mouths agape in disbelief.

I heard the sound of clothes rustling in the wind on the roof. In an instant, four night travelers with extremely high lightness skills occupied the four corners of the roof, controlling our way up and down.

Bakun stood up, wiped the drool from his mouth, and walked forward with a grin: "Little sister, it's dark and the road is slippery, aren't you scared? We are all famous hunters who have been through countless battles in these mountains, and we can protect you for free..."

These unsophisticated mountain folk had no idea that the girl's denim outfit cost 5,000 RMB. It was from a top European outdoor adventure clothing brand, and someone who could casually wear it as workwear was definitely not someone who could be easily flirted with by men.

"Ah—" Bakun suddenly stumbled back, his back hitting the corner of the octagonal table with two cracking sounds. He fell to the ground without a sound, his bones breaking somewhere.

I was not surprised by this inevitable result, and I noticed that the other person had a silver moon pendant hanging around their neck, which kept swaying under the light.

Jiang Guang roared, "You're asking for death!" He then took a deep breath, his belly bulging, kicked aside the chair, and strode forward. His external martial arts skills were somewhat impressive, but his movements were too slow, and his internal energy wasn't refined enough; he was probably no match for his opponent. I guessed the girl's identity, but I didn't want to stop this spectacle immediately. The indifference and apathy these people displayed after Su Lun's disappearance infuriated me; they should be given a slight punishment.

The stir-fried preserved pork with pumpkin tonight was a bit too salty. I picked up the bowl in front of me, took a big gulp of rice porridge, and focused intently on picking up the fried peanuts from the plate. Actually, for the locals, this kind of meal is equivalent to a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner. For a considerable period of winter, they live on only pickled vegetables and rice, rarely seeing meat or fresh vegetables; their lives are extremely isolated.

“I’m here to see him.” The girl pointed at me, wearing a wide Tibetan silver bracelet on her left wrist, with a large, bright oval red agate embedded in it, which emitted a captivating red glow.

"I don't care who you find; if you dare to act wildly in front of me, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents first—"

The girl swayed and was already in front of the table, staring coldly at me: "Hey, someone wants to see you. Come with me?"

After saying this, Jiang Guangcai roared, clutching his chest and staggering back to the corner. He could no longer speak, only coughing heavily one after another.

I glanced at the anchor-shaped embroidered logo on her hat, and my gaze inadvertently met her wild eyes.

"Someone wants to see you!" She slammed her hand on the table, and immediately all the bowls and plates started to rattle and clatter, with half a plate of peanuts scattering all over the table.

"Little sister, let's talk this out, let's talk this out..." Li Kang had just stood up when the girl suddenly struck him with her palm, causing him to scream, fall over, and cover his cheeks with his hands, no longer daring to say another word.

The girl's actions were lightning fast, and her accent wasn't local, which stunned everyone.

"Are you here to treat us to a meal? Or to start a fight?" I put down my chopsticks and stood up.

On the earthen bed in the side room lay the silent Schiller, the once-arrogant biologist, now practically a vegetable. I hoped he would wake up soon and tell me what had happened—but I hoped even more to meet Eagle, in case he could reveal something even more shocking.

"Feiyue?" I smiled and called out her name.

“If you treat a guest to a meal and they don’t behave, beat them until they do.” She still sneered, puffing out her proud little nose. Behind her thin lips were two rows of pearly white, perfectly aligned teeth.

"Can we go now?" She rubbed the red agate on her left wrist with her right palm, slowly and dismissively surveying the crowd standing to one side.

Feiyue is Feiying's younger sister, a famous female knight-errant in the underworld of the southwestern border of the mainland. However, many people have only heard her name but have never seen her in person.

I nodded, and Li Kang called out impatiently, "Mr. Feng, don't go! It's too dangerous at night. Besides, Miss Su Lun is missing and we need your rescue..."

Feiyue swayed and slapped Li Kang hard across the face.

Li Kang spun around twice like a comical top, coughed twice, spat out three bloody teeth, and blinked repeatedly in fear: "Heroine, spare me! Heroine, spare me... spare me..."

"When I'm speaking, it's best if you don't interrupt. God gave everyone one mouth and two ears, meaning everyone should listen more and talk less, understand?" Fei Yue's cold and arrogant gaze swept across everyone's faces. The Jiang brothers lowered their heads meekly, no longer daring to stand up and challenge her.

Not wanting the situation to escalate further, I briefly instructed Li Kang, "Take good care of Mr. Schiller; I'll be back soon."

Li Kang nodded repeatedly, no longer daring to speak. Given Su Lun's gentle and mild manner, he must have spoiled these people. Someone like Fei Yue really should step in and discipline them.

Feiyue laughed loudly and walked proudly out the door.

The sky was a hazy gray. Although it wasn't pitch black, fog was rising up ahead, shrouding everything and reducing visibility to no more than ten meters.

The four people who were hiding on the roof jumped down and simultaneously turned on four powerful flashlights, shining them straight south.

Feiyue led the way, rushing south at full speed, seemingly using all her lightness skill. I wondered if she was testing me or showing off. I didn't want to say anything, so I followed behind her at a leisurely pace, quickly figuring out the direction.

From the Concubine's Palace, there is only one narrow, winding path leading south into the depths of the mountains, which is the direction of "Orchid Valley" and "Heavenly Ladder". At this moment, we were heading towards Orchid Valley, running nearly two kilometers in fifteen minutes. The grass under our feet became less and less, and most of it turned into bare rocks.

Suddenly, an orange fog light illuminated in the thick fog, and Feiyue breathed a sigh of relief, slowing her pace.

"Who? Password?" came the sound of someone pulling back the bolt of a gun.

"Returning from catching snakes." Fei Yue's reply was hilarious; it seemed she had mistaken me for a "snake" and brought me back.

After advancing twenty meters, a small camp made up of tents came into view. Two sentries carrying submachine guns lay indifferently behind a boulder, chewing gum incessantly.

"Where's the boss?" Fei Yue strode forward.

"The boss is in the main tent," one of the sentries replied respectfully, then gave me a cold look.

The air was filled with the acrid smell of a extinguished campfire, and of course, the aroma of snake repellent spray. Although it was still early before the Awakening of Insects, many animals in this jungle, which is teeming with snakes and insects, did not follow the natural law of hibernation. Without careful precautions, one could easily end up being devoured by a snake.

Beside a conspicuously erected radio antenna, there was a gray tent with a high curtain. A thin man stood with his back to us, intently in front of a huge military map, arms crossed, occasionally poking at the map with a pencil in his hand.

The four people who accompanied me had already left. Feiyue suddenly turned around and smiled at me: "Mr. Feng? I've heard so much about you!"

It seems inappropriate to exchange polite greetings now, but I still smiled and said frankly, "Thank you, I'm the same as you."

The person inside the tent suddenly turned around, their eyes lighting up: "Feng, is that you?"

Two years ago, I saw Flying Eagle once in the villa of the Egyptian Scalpel. Compared to then, he was obviously much more weathered. The wrinkles on his forehead, nose and cheeks were dense and deep. The only thing that remained unchanged was his pair of eyes that were like cold stars.

He gripped my hand tightly: "Feng, you arrived just in time, that's wonderful!"

From his smile, I sensed a hint of anxiety and, without bothering with pleasantries, asked, "What happened? Eagle, tell me everything immediately. Did Suren contact you to provide support for her expedition?"

It's been two years since we last met. Perhaps a long and tedious set of formalities would be necessary for a proper reunion, but we are people of the martial arts world, and we are in extraordinary times, so everything can be omitted.

Flying Eagle frowned, turned his head and ordered, "Flying Moon, pass on the order: move forward in twenty minutes."

Feiyue glanced at me, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Brother, does the arrival of Mr. Feng mean all your worries have been resolved? I really can't see what abilities he has that make him so highly regarded by you." She took off her cowboy hat, tossed her short hair, and strode toward the tent on the side.

In the concubine's courtyard, I didn't make a move, which must have disappointed her. A girl her age, always proud and arrogant, how could she understand the principle of biding her time?

“Feng, you’re right. Suren did ask me to be her backup, but I failed in my duty. I’m sorry, Scalpel Brother. She only has this one sister. If anything happens to her while she’s under my care, even if I die a hundred times, I can’t atone for my sins. So, I’m hoping you can come so we can solve this problem together. Let’s talk about everything as we go, shall we?”

This has always been Eagle's way of doing things; they always put the "mission" first.