Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 207

"Did Auntie go there?" I asked, pointing to the dark entrance of the tunnel.

An eight-year-old girl should be able to remember a lot of things. I want to know exactly why the Tang Clan of Shu came here. If their goal is also to enter the Epang Palace to search for treasures, then a direct confrontation is inevitable this time.

It's winter now, there can't be butterflies. When I asked her questions, I kept staring into her eyes to see if she was lying.

Tang Xiaogu frowned and started biting his nails again.

Liang Wei sighed softly, "The situation inside... is just too bizarre. Look... look for yourselves..."

A dozen flashlights shone into the tunnel, revealing countless round, dark stone pillars standing tall and imposing, resembling the strange works of some abstract performance artist. A rough count suggested there were over a hundred pillars within sight; beyond that, the pillars intersected, making it impossible to see through them.

The ground slopes downwards, while the cave ceiling extends upwards. The stone walls on both sides also stand diagonally in a V-shape, like a flattened square funnel. The further one goes into the cave, the taller the stone pillars become. This tunnel structure is probably the most peculiar thing anyone has ever seen in their life, and it's impossible to understand the meaning behind the distribution of stone pillars in this way.

This large group of people stood at the cave entrance for a full ten minutes.

Under the beam of the flashlight, the four walls and stone pillars appeared as a uniform gray-black color.

I was the first to speak, breaking the deadlock: "Liang Wei, prepare to lead the men forward to explore. The rest of you, remain on guard and conserve power. The tunnel is very long; it may take us some time." Given He Jishang's wisdom, it must not be an easy task for him to have failed to pass through the tunnel formation over the years.

The roundness of those stone pillars exceeded my expectations, but after calming down and thinking about it carefully, since there is a "second Epang Palace" at the end of Lan Valley, what else is impossible?

As the ancients said, "If you don't find the strange strange, it will disappear on its own." No matter how bizarre something is, since the tunnel already exists, just patiently solve the problem. There's no need for pointless exclamations and wasting time.

The tunnel was carved into the vertical mountainside, and there was a ten-meter-wide open space outside the entrance, which could perhaps be used to set up temporary tents. I was prepared for a long haul, calm and determined not to give up until I achieved my goal.

"Is Auntie inside?" Tang Xiaogu asked, tugging at my clothes as she followed me.

I could only honestly answer, "I don't know, maybe." Her expression was so innocent; I didn't want to lie to her.

"She's going to a palace with butterflies, and she said that once she gets there, she can turn into a butterfly and fly freely in the sky." She muttered to herself, biting her nails, and casually sat down on a rock.

Part Two: A Smile That Captivates a City

— Chapter 9 - The Mystery of the Ancient Cave —

I discovered ancient zithers carved on either side of the entrance, each one and a half meters long and fifty centimeters wide, meticulously and painstakingly crafted. The seven strings and the seal on the body were clearly visible and lifelike, with smooth curves at the head and tail. They were positioned about two meters above the ground, slightly above my eye level, and all the carvings retained the original color of the stone, untouched by any paint.

A guqin (a seven-stringed zither), a strange cave? Who exactly left these ingeniously crafted stone pillars here?

According to the map, Langu is located at least two kilometers further ahead. If the area within those two kilometers is indeed filled with these strange stone pillars, the sheer scale of the project would be astronomical and incalculable.

I calmed myself down and dialed Gu Qingcheng's number: "Miss Gu, I saw the guqin we talked about yesterday. They are carved into the mountain wall. Could you tell me who their current owner is? Or when was the last time they appeared in history?"

Gu Qingcheng smiled slightly: "That's a bit difficult—I can't see the specific pictures, and if I draw conclusions blindly, it might confuse the public. However, one thing is certain: you know the current owner of this set of guqin, and you have a certain relationship with him."

My mind raced, and I immediately realized: "Is it your brother?"

She readily admitted, "Yes, it is my brother, but he bought it from the Royal Auction House in London three years ago for a huge sum of money. The previous owner was the British Royal Family. I have investigated in detail, and the source can be traced back to the time when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing. There is no way to go further back, so it seems to be of no help to your current predicament."

The guqin (a seven-stringed zither) pattern was right above my head, and what puzzled me was that it should never have been there. A hundred years had passed since the dark history of the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of Beijing; who would have had the leisure to carve images here? Of course, the placement of so many stone pillars in the cave couldn't be explained by mere "leisure."

“Feng, is there anything I can do to help? I heard that your good friend Miss Suren has gone missing, and I am very saddened by that. Although I have never met her, I can glean some information about her from your autobiography.”

The autobiography that Tina compiled for me has such a pervasive influence that it's practically everywhere, leaving me both amused and exasperated.

Phoenixes don't alight on barren lands, and this desolate wilderness wouldn't attract the Gu siblings. I had no reason to ask them to do anything, so I could only offer the same polite response: "No need, I'll take care of my own affairs. Don't trouble yourself." While talking to Gu Qingcheng, a new idea came to my mind: to ask the Divine Sniper Society for help, especially to have Guan Fuzi, Sun Long's top strategist, come forward to solve my problems.

Sun Long once promised me that I could call upon the brothers of the Sharpshooter Society at any time, and that he would become my greatest support.

Gu Qingcheng smiled and said, "Alright, I will continue to gather information, hoping to help you reunite with Miss Su Lun as soon as possible, so that lovers can be together forever."

That last sentence left me feeling lost, because I had another girl in my heart. When it comes to "getting married," perhaps it should be Guan Baoling, not Su Lun.

"Would you be interested in joining our expedition? I remember you mentioned last time that you were getting restless and wanted to get out and about," I probed. It would probably take a week to travel from Hong Kong Island to southwest mainland China, and even then, the situation would be largely settled by then. If Su Lun was truly in danger, she would likely be dead before Gu Qingcheng arrived.

A series of eagle cries echoed overhead, and a sudden, extremely strong, foul-smelling wind swept through the tunnel, filling my throat. The team members inside the tunnel cried out in alarm, one after another: "Watch out! A gust of wind!"

Faced with such a mysterious tunnel, any slight movement would cause panic, and this is the most pressing problem that needs to be solved.

Suddenly, my mind went blank, stars flashed before my eyes, and a sweet taste rose in my throat. I quickly sat down cross-legged, circulated my breath, and suppressed the blood that was about to come up.

"There's poisonous gas in the wind! Everyone, get out! Get out!" I shouted as I turned into the tunnel. Everyone rushed out, disheveled and huddled together. Unfortunately, the gust of wind came so fiercely and quickly that there was no time to figure out where the poison was coming from.

The voice on the other end of the line sounded very distant: "Feng, what's wrong? Speak up, what's wrong?"

A small figure appeared in front of me, raising both hands side by side to shield me from the midday sun. It was Tang Xiaogu, staring at me with wide eyes. Suddenly, she snatched my phone and shouted, "He's sick and needs a doctor." She was only eight years old, but she spoke with such confidence and conviction.

Gu Qingcheng's voice was even more anxious: "Make sure he gets some rest. I'll be there in 24 hours."

I had calmed down, took back the phone, and patted Tang Xiaogu on the shoulder: "Go play, don't meddle in adult matters."

She grinned, sat back down, rested her chin on her hands, and stared blankly into the distance.

"Feng, are you alright? Who was that talking just now? Was it your little girlfriend?" Gu Qingcheng was joking, but she was relieved to hear that I was alright.

I laughed: "No, she's just a little girl, but I bet you can't guess where she comes from—hmm? You just said you'd arrive in 24 hours, I don't believe you unless you have the ability to shrink the distance between people, otherwise, hehe, it's just an April Fool's joke."

Gu Qingcheng sighed, "It's no joke. I'm currently in Xi'an. Tomorrow morning, I'll hire the best guide to go into the mountains. See you tonight, I'll catch up with you, don't worry."

This time it was my turn to be stunned: "Besides helping me find people, what else do you want to do?"

There are no such coincidences in the world, and her visit to Xi'an was certainly not a simple routine matter. Fortunately, Gu Zhijin is a legitimate businessman from Hong Kong who has always avoided political events and would never get involved in any national interest disputes. Therefore, he has extensive connections on the mainland, and people in the Communist Party give him some respect.

“Let’s talk when we meet. Actually, I just want to repay a favor to you. Not all young men in the world have the courage to spend money like water, especially for a priceless treasure like the ‘Five Lakes Ancient Qin’. To be honest, even my brother, who is such a stingy person who would rather not pluck a hair to benefit the world, praised your actions. Repaying this favor will at least put my conscience at ease.”

After a short pause, she added, "I'm exaggerating. Whether I can be of any help is still unknown. However, Uncle Wei, who follows us siblings, is very knowledgeable about the unpredictable ways of the martial arts world and is also highly skilled in martial arts. Perhaps he can be of assistance. See you tomorrow."

After hanging up, Tang Xiaogu suddenly muttered to himself, "Was that a pretty lady on the other end of the phone?"

I smiled and nodded, gently patting my chest; the nausea I felt earlier had disappeared.

"My aunt says that pretty older sisters are all bad people, what do you think?"

Feiyue staggered over and sat wearily beside me. Hearing Tang Xiaogu's words, she couldn't help but laugh and interject, "Really? Then what about your aunt? Is she pretty? Is she a good person or a bad person?"

It's difficult to define the people of the "Tang Clan of Sichuan." They'll stop at nothing to make the Tang Clan rise to power; it's simply a case of "two countries fighting for their own masters." Both those they kill and those who kill them are driven by self-interest, with no inherent good or bad, right or wrong.

Tang Xiaogu couldn't answer, and stared at Feiyue with puffed-out cheeks.

Flying Eagle walked over with a serious expression: "Feng, I think that with just these people, we probably can't complete the exploration mission of such a strange tunnel."

Liang Wei followed behind him and spread a sketch in front of me, which was covered with countless horizontally arranged dots.

"The tunnel is like a square funnel of unknown depth. After going in forty meters, the side length expands to six meters, and there are five horizontally arranged stone pillars, each half a meter in diameter. After going in forty meters, the side length is nine meters, and the number of stone pillars increases to eight. And so on. The further you go in, the more stone pillars there are, and the funnel expands infinitely in all directions. I can't imagine what kind of place this is, because such a structure has never appeared in the human world before."

As Liang Wei explained, he kept gasping for breath.

I was already surprised when I heard He Jishang describe this issue, so when I arrived at the scene, it seemed quite logical.

Liang Wei looked up at the impossibly high stone wall and sighed three times: "The wind, like a funnel expanding endlessly, what will happen in the end? It will hollow out the entire mountain—"

Flying Eagle raised his hand to interrupt him: "Xiao Liang, what's the big deal? I think that strange wind just now was so fierce, could it be that the legendary winged snake is deep in the funnel? That kind of poisonous gas might harm the brothers." As if in response to his words, two team members suddenly jumped up and rushed into the bushes, vomiting violently.

Liang Wei's gaze immediately fell on Tang Xiaogu. Since she was a member of the Tang Clan, she must possess the skill of repelling snakes and detoxifying, which was exactly the kind of talent we urgently needed.

Tang Xiaogu snorted: "Don't look at me, I'm most afraid of poisonous snakes."

Liang Wei stroked his chin, the muscles on his cheekbones twitching incessantly. Given his status, he had an irreconcilable feud with the Tang Clan. Whenever he saw someone with the surname Tang, regardless of age or gender, it would stir up painful memories of his past.

I reminded him in time: "Children are innocent, don't cause trouble. Besides, Tang Qing is nearby. If you do anything outrageous, the retaliation will be absolutely fatal, understand?" Just like when I was in the desert, I was always wary of Tang Xin, and I absolutely dared not ignore Tang Qing, who had not yet appeared.

No one wants to see endless killing, especially during long-term explorations deep into the wilderness. Once a battle is started, it will trigger a chain reaction with unimaginable consequences.

Liang Wei nodded with difficulty: "Yes, I understand." Old habits die hard. Although he had changed his name to "Liang Wei," the blood of Lang Xie, a member of the Sichuan Lang family, still flowed in his veins. Stopping him was actually for his own good. Killing the little girl Tang Xiaogu was easy, but Tang Qing, who followed, would be much more difficult to deal with.

Looking at the sketch, I whispered to Liang Wei, "I need detailed charts showing the diameter, color, and arrangement of all the stone pillars. Also, observe the stone quality on all four sides of the funnel to see if there are any hidden passages or mechanisms. Most importantly, ensure everyone's safety. Organize the team into four-person combat teams: two for measurements, two for guard duty, and all walkie-talkies on—"

Whatever outcome He Jishang gets in this tunnel, I will traverse this array of stone pillars and reach the end.

Flying Eagle, Flying Moon, and Liang Wei looked up almost simultaneously and asked in unison, "Will Suren go into this tunnel? Without backup or donkeys, as an experienced explorer, she would never act rashly. Besides, the withered grass outside the tunnel is perfectly preserved, with no signs of being trampled. Therefore, we can say with certainty that searching for Suren ahead is a directional mistake."

This viewpoint must have been agreed upon by them in the tunnel, which is why they have the same story.

As the group marched, I observed the tracks on the ground. Just as they said, there were no human footprints, no donkey hoofprints, and not even the dust on the withered grass had been disturbed. Based on these surface observations, Suren had indeed not been there. So where did she go? Searching forward was a directional error; would searching backward, left, or right be the correct path?

The main reason they made this decision was—danger!

I stood up and looked solemnly at Flying Eagle's face: "Flying Eagle, Mr. Scalpel and Miss Suren trust you and consider you a friend. As I said, if you feel there is any danger, you can leave with your people at any time. I will never force you. We will still be friends."

Flying Eagle's face flushed red and then paled as he argued, "I'm not a coward, I just feel it's unnecessary to do such a futile effort. If you insist that doing this is worthwhile, I will comply."

Liang Wei was stunned for a long time without offering any explanation. He turned around and called to his team, who immediately began to form combat groups and re-enter the tunnel.

The Bakun brothers and Li Kang were in a relaxed, unattended state, sitting around on the grass, each holding a horsehide wine bag, drinking in silence. For mountain hunters, there are only two things they can't live without: guns and alcohol.

The sun had just passed noon when the light in front of the tunnel dimmed, making one's heart feel heavy.

I've been holding onto Liang Wei's sketches. There are so many questions and puzzles about the stone pillars; I can't even find a plausible explanation for how they appeared. The only geological structures that could be related to them are stalactites in lava formations, but those stone pillars and stalagmites are naturally formed, bizarre and disordered.

The beams of flashlights flickered incessantly in the tunnel. Everyone moved very cautiously, and their voices were hushed as if some ferocious monster lurked deep within the tunnel, and they were afraid of disturbing it.

Tang Xiaogu fell asleep on Feiyue's lap. After all, he was just a child. Whether he was excited or scared, it would pass in a short while, and he would never think too much about more complicated issues.

“Mr. Feng, I always feel that those stone pillars seem to have ‘grown’ in the cave, rather than being the result of mechanical processing.” Fei Yue frowned, her eyes fixed on the tunnel.

She used a very strange word—"growth"—which made Fei Ying chuckle: "Fei Yue, stones are not people or animals. They can only weather or fall apart. They certainly have nothing to do with life or growth. This is not the stone that gave birth to Sun Wukong, which could carry a child for ten months and give birth to a stone monkey in one day."

Feiyue shook her head and retorted, "Brother, just now in the cave, as long as you pay attention, you can feel a lot of inexplicable information. I heard all kinds of sounds: the sound of wind, dripping water, birdsong, the howling of beasts... even the crying of children. I felt that the mountain was alive, just like a person's stomach is always making noise, it also makes sounds."

Just as Flying Eagle was about to burst into laughter again, Flying Moon suddenly pointed into the cave: "Listen, the sound is coming again—"

Sure enough, the moment she lifted her finger, a gurgling sound of water reached my ears, as if someone was standing on a high place, slowly pouring water from a pointed kettle, the water falling into the pond below, creating countless ripples. What I heard was the echo of the splashing water.

Flying Eagle jumped up and cried out in alarm, "Oh no! There's water in the cave! Should we tell the brothers to get out first?"

I raised my hand to stop him. The sound of water was coming from a great distance, and it wasn't a turbulent flow, so there was nothing to worry about.

Feiyue let out a soft "Ah!" and covered her ear with her right hand, holding her breath and listening intently.

The light in the valley continued to dim, and the Bakun brothers and Li Kang, seemingly tired from drinking, lay silently on the grass.

"The sound of the door opening... I heard the creaking of a heavy, old-fashioned door turning. What... what is hidden in this hole?" The girl was observant, and Feiyue gleaned far more information from the sound than Feiying.

That sound comes from the grinding of wooden or stone door hinges against the door leaf. In ancient times, people would apply a suitable amount of fragrant oil to the door hinges to increase their lubrication, resulting in a melodious "creaking" sound, like the lingering notes on a musical string. If it appeared in a period film, it might evoke a sense of nostalgia in the audience, but now, it only sends chills down one's spine.

Flying Eagle's first reaction was to draw his pistol and chamber a bullet with a "click".

Ancient caves, ancient gates, and the sound of water are enough to prove that behind the endless stone pillars lies an extremely mysterious world.

I stood up and gestured to Flying Eagle to calm down: "I'll go check it out. You and Flying Moon stay here to prevent anyone from cutting off our retreat."

In terms of personnel arrangements, Flying Eagle was too careless, always assuming that there would be no enemies in such a remote place, and even skipped the sentry posts outside the cave. This can only be attributed to the fact that the tedious jungle trek had impaired his thinking ability.

"Mr. Feng, please be careful." Fei Yue looked up, her concern and admiration undisguised.

I don't intend to deliberately portray myself as a hero, but often, circumstances force someone to step forward. For example, right now, Flying Eagle has lost its composure, and the heavy responsibility of leading the overall situation falls on my shoulders.

"It's alright," I smiled at her.