Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 216

“The little girl is cute, isn’t she?” Li Kang straightened up and looked at me with a hint of hostility.

I smiled and nodded: "Yes, if her background had nothing to do with the Tang Clan of Sichuan, she would definitely be more popular than she is now. You're not a person of the martial arts world, so you don't understand the terrifying power of those four words."

Aside from that satchel, he had no other personal belongings, but that narrow, cramped bag was absolutely unsuitable for storing the extremely delicate linen. In less than a minute, I had discreetly surveyed the entire tent, but hadn't spotted my target.

Li Kang smiled wryly: "Mr. Feng, I'm not lying. My family really doesn't have that original document. Otherwise, if it could be sold for a few hundred thousand RMB, my father and I would definitely have a much better life, and we wouldn't have to come all this way to work for others."

His eyes immediately reddened at the mention of Li Zun'er. However, if they hadn't shown their family heirloom to so many people, the Jiang brothers wouldn't have interfered, leading to the tragedy. It was all because of the copied ancient book.

I looked intently into his eyes: "Li Kang, I know you have concerns, but that original document is crucial for our expedition and for finding Suren. So, if you feel guilty about Suren's disappearance, hand it over to me. Or we can do this: I'll only borrow the original temporarily, and return it to you after we rescue Suren, how about that?"

Li Kang frowned even more, and almost as if trying to escape, he answered loudly, "Mr. Feng, the original and the copy are exactly the same. If it's useful, there's no difference between reading the copy and the original. If it's not useful, even if I give you the original, wouldn't it be a waste of time?"

He let something slip, and we both realized it at the same time. Before he could raise his hand to cover his mouth, I interrupted, "Li Kang, name your price. I just need to borrow it for Su Lun's sake. Please help me out, okay?"

Since he mentioned that passage, it proves he must have seen the original. He and Li Zun'er depended on each other for survival, and he was the sole legal heir to the original treasure. How could it not be in his possession?

Li Kang angrily flung his sleeves and said, "Mr. Feng, I said I didn't, why don't you believe me? Fine, return the copy to me, and let's pretend no one mentioned this."

Faced with his outright denial, I temporarily retreated to advance, ceasing to press him further: "Alright, think it over again. Actually, we can discuss anything openly. I can say frankly that I'm willing to pay any price to find Suren. We've known each other for a while, and you've helped me; I will absolutely repay that kindness tenfold."

For Suren's sake, I can humbly beg others without feeling ashamed at all, having already lowered the conditions for cooperation to the bare minimum.

Li Kang shook his head vigorously: "No, Mr. Feng, you've guessed wrong. That original document has long been lost. I really can't help you." The blank expression on his face didn't seem to be feigned. After saying this last sentence, he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged on the mattress, and became like an old monk in deep meditation.

I left feeling frustrated; being turned away was not a pleasant experience.

Tang Xiaogu was crouching on the corner of a tent, her back to me, her hands clutching her earlobes, intently staring at the ground. As I passed by, she suddenly looked up at me, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "It's going to snow. I saw all the mountain ants hiding..."

Sure enough, there was a small ant hole on the ground, and two huge brown mountain ants were struggling to drag half a grass root into the hole.

I squatted down as well and casually asked, "Little Drum, I have a friend named Tang Xin. Do you know her?" After Tiger stole the scriptures, I knew he must be with Tang Xin, and it was possible he had returned to Sichuan to hide. There had been no news of them in the martial arts world for a long time; perhaps only those within the Tang Clan knew.

Tang Xiaogu frowned and thought for a moment, then pointed towards the tunnel: "Of course I know her, everyone in the Tang Clan knows her. Right now, she's in the cave with two uncles who like to play chess. They didn't see me, but Aunt Tang Qing forbade me to tell anyone, not a single person."

I suppressed my shock: "Really? Two uncles, one fat and one thin, the thin one wearing all black clothes, and the fat one with injuries?" Compared to Song Jiu, Tiger was naturally fat, and after being caught in the vicious trap set by the Japanese Tanino Shinji in the desert, the chances of his wounds healing in a short time were slim.

Tang Xiaogu clapped his hands, his eyebrows dancing with excitement: "Yes, yes, Uncle Fatty walks very slowly, and he stops to rest every now and then, like an old man. Do you know him?"

I touched her braids and smiled wryly: "We know each other, and we're good friends."

"I—" Tang Xiaogu was about to speak when suddenly his shoulders trembled, his lips turned pale, and his eyes widened instantly, as if he were being restrained by something.

"What's wrong, Xiao Gu?" A sudden chill emanated from her braided hair, penetrating straight into my palm.

“My aunt said… I’m not allowed to talk to anyone else… otherwise she’ll never take me home.” She stretched out her trembling index finger and slowly pressed it down on the top of the mountain ant’s head. Instantly, the two ants were crushed into a ball under the sudden giant’s palm.

Ants are an integral part of life in the mountains and forests. Seeing how cruel she became in an instant sent a shiver down my spine. I felt as if someone was lurking in the shadows, watching us intently, ready to pounce and seize control of our thoughts.

"Little Drum, where is Aunt Tang Qing? Can you take me to see her?"

Part Three: The Square-Eyed Monster, Chapter Eight: Super Hacker Red Ghost

Tang Xiaogu stood up blankly, tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears: "Auntie... has become... a monster, Auntie has become a monster..."

Li Kang, Liang Wei, and Gu Qingcheng popped out of the tent at the same time. The four of us surrounded Tang Xiaogu and listened to her repeat the phrase "Auntie has turned into a monster" over and over again. After repeating it more than a dozen times, Liang Wei suddenly shouted, "Enough—enough! If you cry again, I'll break your neck. I'm so annoyed!"

Tang Xiaogu was startled and screamed "Ah!" before throwing herself into Li Kang's arms.

"It was just a joke." Gu Qingcheng winked at me.

How could a person turn into a monster? I tried to understand Tang Xiaogu's words from a child's perspective, but I was completely baffled. I could only force a smile and say, "Maybe my question scared her and gave everyone a false alarm."

Gu Qingcheng smiled: "How can you believe what a child says?"

She held the walkie-talkie in her left hand and her right hand in her pocket, presumably holding the revolver.

A gust of north wind swept across the land, lifting her long hair and the hem of her dress, creating a misty, beautiful scene in this desolate wilderness. Any ordinary person who saw her would surely feel a surge of beautiful wishes. As the philosopher said, a beautiful girl enriches one man, but a girl with profound inner qualities and both beauty and wisdom can enrich a whole group of men.

Without a doubt, Gu Qingcheng's inner qualities are worth thousands of times more than her outward appearance.

Li Kang put his arm around Tang Xiaogu's shoulder and asked in a low voice, "May I take her back to the tent? Miss Feiyue asked me to look after her, so please make sure nothing goes wrong." He only looked at me, seemingly oblivious to Gu Qingcheng's graceful figure.

I nodded, and he dragged Tang Xiaogu's wrist back to his own tent.

Liang Wei sighed angrily, "Feng, this little girl is very strange. In my opinion, a real man should be decisive, otherwise there will be trouble later. It's better to hand her over to me. One bullet will solve the problem, so I won't feel uneasy! Miss Gu, what do you say?"

Just as Flying Eagle was captivated by Gu Qingcheng, he was also more or less bewitched by her flowing long hair.

Gu Qingcheng shook her head indifferently: "If bullets can solve the problem, what's the point of having human brains? We might as well train everyone to be killing weapons."

Liang Wei felt like he'd been doused with cold water, and with an embarrassed laugh, he backed away, saying, "Yes, yes, I was just saying it casually. You two can continue chatting; I'm going back to my tent to sleep."

Gu Qingcheng's gentle and patient attitude only works on me. When she talks to someone else, her tone changes immediately, which gives me a brief moment of smug satisfaction.

In the blink of an eye, only Gu Qingcheng and I were left on the open space.

"Feng, just as we expected, Uncle Wei and the others have encountered the first hurdle and can't break through it." She raised the walkie-talkie, her expression not one of frustration, but one of even higher morale.

"Really? Are they in a pentagonal space? That's the middle part of a pentagram. If we don't have a suitable countermeasure, I think we should call them back. We must not act rashly."

It's easier to understand by looking at the distribution of the diagrams in the manuscript. Those countless star patterns connected by straight lines are actually a plan view of the tunnel structure. If the number of stars is endless, it means that the maze set up by the ancients is also boundless and impossible to cross.

Gu Qingcheng smiled again: "I have already given the order, and they are evacuating in an orderly manner. In addition, wireless cameras have been left on the pillars with a wide view, and soon we will be able to capture the real situation inside the cave in real time."

Her plan was flawless, but how exactly would we get through that five-pointed star formation? I'm afraid I'll have to rely on Xiao Yan, who's good at solving puzzles.

I took out my phone and dialed Xiao Yan's number. Gu Qingcheng nodded understandingly, "I'll go study that book. We'll discuss it again when Uncle Wei and the others come back and see what they find."

The phone rang for a long time without being answered, which was unprecedented. Even if Xiaoyan was sleeping, she should have been woken up by the ringing long ago.

Left with no other option, I dialed Xiao Keleng's number: "Xiao Xiao, what happened to Xiao Yan? Why isn't she answering my calls?"

In the background noise, the rumble of impact drills and chainsaws could be heard, indicating a huge renovation site. The entire reconstruction of Xunfuyuan was on her shoulders; she must be incredibly busy.

Xiao Ke's voice was a little hoarse: "He's with Xinzi, so maybe he doesn't have his phone with him. Don't worry, I've already given Xinzi a strict order: if Xiaoyan does anything unusual, disarm him and bring him to me. In short, I won't let him do anything dangerous."

Separated by thousands of miles, I can only temporarily entrust all the problems in Hokkaido to Xiao Keleng. I even have Xiao Lai stay by her side as her bodyguard and assistant.

"Have Xiao Yan call me back. I need his help with something really difficult." That's all I could say, to avoid worrying Xiao Keleng. With internal and external troubles piling up, her body wouldn't be able to handle it. Everyone has a limit to the pressure they can bear; excessive burdens will only lead to collapse.

Xiao Keleng agreed and then reminded me, "Mr. Feng, Sister Su Lun has said more than once that if anything happens to her, the command of the operation will automatically be transferred to Sister Yan Xun. If you need any information, you can also call her. After all, the scope of American military intelligence is unmatched by any other country, wouldn't you agree?"

She was always very polite to me, even though we had been through so many battles and hardships together.

“Mr. Feng, the tycoon and Miss Guan have terminated their film contracts with the Japanese and flown back to Hong Kong Island. Before leaving, she repeatedly told you not to distract yourself. Anyway, the curse of the Fang Demon has been lifted, and she will take good care of herself. We will contact each other again after you have dealt with Sister Su Lun’s matter.”

When Guan Baoling was mentioned, Xiao Ke's tone suddenly became sad: "Actually, Miss Guan is a very good girl. I was really ashamed that I had an inappropriate prejudice against her before. Please be sure to convey my apologies if we have the opportunity to meet in the future."

Having gone through those experiences, Xiao Keleng has become more mature and rational. She doesn't follow the crowd blindly, nor does she prioritize public interests over private ones. She can always treat all issues fairly and peacefully.

As for my personal relationship with Guan Baoling, at this moment, it does indeed need a period of "cooling off" so that I can devote all my energy to the search for Su Lun.

Five minutes after hanging up, the phone rang. It was from a completely unfamiliar number in Chile.

When I answered the phone, all I heard was Hong Xiaogui's aggrieved sobbing voice: "Mr. Feng, I just received a call from Xiaoyan, and she gave me a huge scolding, blaming me for not providing you with help in time. I'm so wronged! I did everything you asked me to do, so why am I so unlucky to have to get scolded by the boss?"

Faced with these unpredictable young hackers, I could only choose to "take it all in stride." I waited until they had finished crying before speaking: "Now, I've encountered a tricky problem and need your help to crack the maze. I also need you to come to the site. Is that alright?"

Telephone, fax, and email are not only cumbersome but also often fail to convey meaning, making them inconvenient. Furthermore, I've been worried that the strong magnetic field in the mountains might flare up again, which would cut off our signal transmission and leave us unable to do anything.

Therefore, I need a skilled hacker by my side, available anytime, anywhere.

Red Imp yelled, "What? You want me to join your expedition team? That's asking too much! No way, I won't go!"

I remain silent. Whether a deal can be reached depends solely on whether the offers from both sides are commensurate. As long as both sides are willing to sit down and talk, there is no such thing as "absolutely impossible."

“Mr. Feng, I’m a hacker, not a laborer. You want me to work in the mountains? No way. I advise you to give up that idea as soon as possible.”

Hackers are like snails carrying large houses on their backs in some ways, wanting only to keep themselves in a hard shell, using only their hands and words, never showing their faces. This stems from both a high degree of self-esteem and arrogance, but also from a deep-seated inferiority complex. They like to portray themselves as superheroes on the internet, but in real life, most of them, like Xiaoyan, consider even simple tasks like cooking a daunting task, relying on instant noodles and sausages to fill their stomachs every day.

Understanding and communication are important between strangers. As long as I know what Little Red Devil wants, I will definitely be able to get him to do it.

I smiled easily into the microphone and said, "Brother, you can name your price. Spring is just around the corner. Come out into the countryside to get some fresh air and sunshine. It will definitely be good for your health."

Actually, I've been worried about Xiao Yan's situation. With his clever and mischievous mind, I wonder what he'll do with that submarine? If something happens underwater, I'll really feel bad for Yan Xun and Su Lun.

Red Little Devil let out a strange laugh: "Conditions? Hehe, there really is something I can't do without you. If you agree to that, I'll pack my bags and head into the mountains right away. How about it?" He suddenly became interested.

I calmly replied, "Tell me your price. Anyone who can quote such an exorbitant price must have incredible abilities. I hope your offer is commensurate with your capabilities."

The receiver made a "rustling" sound of pages turning, and after a while, he slowly uttered four words: "The Sun Boat".

Without a doubt, the "Sun Boat" he was referring to was the ancient artifact unearthed in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, because nothing else in the world is worthy of that name.

"The Pharaoh's Ascension Ship?" I countered. Egypt was Tina's domain; with her immense power, there was almost nothing she couldn't do. If the little red devil's request was related to Egypt, she could always find a way.

"Yes, that's the strange ship. My condition is that if I can help you complete this expedition, you must agree to let me stay alone on that ship for seventy-two hours. Can you do that?" Red Devil is a smart man. He knows my relationship with Tina, the most powerful figure in Egypt, which is why he came up with such a condition.

Without hesitation, I answered, "Yes, as long as you don't blow up or steal the ship, I guarantee it will be fine for 72 hours or longer." The ship, as a national treasure of Egypt, lies in the main hall of the National Museum, heavily guarded and with strict access control; stealing it is simply a pipe dream.

Red Little Ghost sighed three times in succession: "Seventy-two hours... is enough, or an enlightened person only needs to snap their fingers for a moment... I don't know if I am a destined person, but in any case, Mr. Feng, I believe you will keep your word. I will be able to reach your camp within twenty-four hours, and we can talk when we meet."

The Chilean phone line he used was naturally the result of "botnet switching," where a super hacker, upon gaining access to the internet, can use any of the more than six thousand servers worldwide as a relay address. Now it's Chile, but perhaps a second later it will be in Africa or North America; even the most experienced cyber police would struggle to track it.

Since Xiaoyan specifically asked him to contact me, he must not be too far away. I guess he is somewhere in Sichuan.

The legendary tales surrounding the "Sun Boat" have been circulating since its successful excavation, but so far, apart from the hieroglyphs engraved on its hull, it seems to have revealed no particularly magical power. Why did the little devil specifically request this condition? Another question unconsciously crept into my mind.

When Uncle Wei returned to the camp with his men, his face was full of confusion. Everyone looked exhausted, especially Flying Eagle and Flying Moon, who went straight into their tents and never showed themselves again.

I understood their dejection. Two days of work, only to be trapped amidst rows and rows of stone pillars, stretching as far as the eye could see, with no hope in sight—anyone would be incredibly frustrated. So, I didn't rush to ask Uncle Wei for details. Instead, I returned to my tent and placed a large stack of white paper on my mattress. "A star-shaped path? Even the most expansive maze has entrances and exits. How did the original builders determine their direction?"

When I first entered the tunnel, I was deeply impressed by the towering stone pillars. But now that I've come this far, I realize that what's truly awe-inspiring is far more than that. It's the fact that the builders were able to carve through the mountain in the boundless darkness and ultimately achieve such a unique miracle in the world.

Compared to this, the world-renowned Stone Forest in Yunnan and the magnificent underground karst caves seem insignificant. If sufficient funds were allocated to develop this area into a tourism project, it would surely become one of the world's greatest wonders.

I drew dozens of interconnected pentagrams on a piece of white paper, imagining them covering the entire area beneath the mountain, each pentagram filled with stone pillars of various diameters. The most immediate question that arises from this is: what is the purpose of their existence? Is it merely a smokescreen to mislead those who come after them?

If there is no better way to identify the correct path, the only option is the most cumbersome and labor-intensive one: explore each possibility one by one until a solution is found.

This method involves an incredibly demanding workload, and it might not even be completed within months. Unless a miracle occurs, Suren cannot wait that long for such a protracted exploration.

I lay on my back, covered my face with the white paper covered with stars, and forced myself to calm down and reconsider all the pictures in the copybook.

Scientists have proven that when humans lie flat or upside down, their thinking abilities are enhanced, making it easier to resolve long-standing mental issues.

In a hazy state, I gradually drifted off to sleep, but those strange images still lingered in my mind...

The square-eyed monster strode into the egg. The simple, monochrome drawing couldn't possibly describe the egg's material or color. How did it open and close? Where did the egg and the square-eyed monster come from? How could they appear in the Qin Dynasty, a time of extremely low technological productivity?

He was also wearing the armor of a Qin general, but it was clear that everyone was bowing and scraping before him, as if he were the emperor, the supreme ruler. Could it be that besides Qin Shi Huang, who reigned supreme over all under heaven, there was another ruler in the Qin Dynasty who could stand on equal footing with the First Emperor?

"I must get that original document. Perhaps, after passing these stone pillars, I can see this strange egg in that round stone house?" I muttered to myself in a daze. In my mind, I also entered the egg. It was pitch black all around. Suddenly, a bright light shone, and I found myself at the highest point of a magnificent palace.

Looking down, there are pavilions, terraces, flower gardens, and waterside pavilions everywhere. The roofs of the slightly lower palaces are covered with glittering glazed tiles, reflecting the light of what I don't know if it's sunlight or luminous pearls, which makes my eyes hurt from the glare.

Behind the nearby pillars, a figure flickered, and intuitively it was that square-eyed strange man.