Histoires de fantômes

Chapitre 238

He Jishang smiled faintly: "They are all where they belong, whether they are enemies or friends. And you? Are you friends or opportunistic creditors taking advantage of our misfortune?"

Her right hand was behind her back; I guessed that was where her killer move lay.

“We’re friends.” I jumped out of the car and approached Feiyue. With her martial arts skills, it would be difficult for her to avoid He Jishang’s attack. I said I wanted her to live, so I had to do everything I could to help her.

“Alright, please come up, my friend.” He Jishang turned and walked into the small building. In the light of the lantern, her steps were calm and composed, exuding an ethereal quality.

She had changed; apart from the hidden murderous intent, all that remained about her was a righteous and resolute determination to face death.

"The situation doesn't seem too good, does it, Mr. Feng?" Fei Yue turned around and looked at the deserted ancient village.

I walked towards the stone steps, and she followed, grabbing my left wrist with one hand and holding the submachine gun horizontally with the other.

"Mr. Feng, I feel a little cold—" Before he could finish speaking, a dark, monstrous creature swept past us with a whoosh, and at the same time, a nauseating, pungent stench filled our nostrils. The monster was over ten meters long and as thick as a rice sack, but it was incredibly fast, disappearing in a flash and disappearing behind the corner of the small building.

Feiyue exclaimed in a low voice, "What is that? Another snake?" She pressed herself against me, putting all her strength into her hands, her nails almost digging into my flesh.

To be precise, it was an enormous python, large enough to easily crush the bones of an adult water buffalo.

"Don't be afraid, follow me." I raised my arm, transforming it into a crutch for Feiyue to climb upwards. In this situation, the most important thing a man should do is to try his best to reassure the girl beside him. This has nothing to do with love; it's simply the most basic duty of a man.

The light from the kerosene lamp went up to the second floor and rested by the window.

“Mr. Feng, wouldn’t doing this make her an easy target for snipers? Isn’t she afraid of being ambushed by enemies lurking in the mountains?” Standing at the entrance of the small building, Fei Yue gradually regained her composure. After assessing the situation, she realized that this was the crux of the problem.

Within a radius of 500 meters, the lantern was the only source of light, allowing even the slowest sniper to quickly spot the target. The twilight was as thick as a sponge soaked with water, and milky white mist drifted above the mountaintops, hazy and indistinct, conjuring all sorts of strange and wonderful shapes.

"Please come up. Only by climbing high can you see far. A great show is about to begin, how can it be without audience and guests?" He Jishang leaned against the window.

Every move she made had a deeper meaning, so I walked into the building without hesitation and went up the wooden stairs.

“Mr. Feng, let’s be careful, okay?” Feiyue called hesitantly from behind me, but then ran after me, panting, and grabbed my wrist again. “I feel like there are green eyes watching me in the dark, ready to pounce at any moment.”

The Desert Eagle, heavy in my right trouser pocket, gave me a tremendous sense of security. Its high adaptability at close, medium, and long ranges gave me enough confidence to fight any enemy that appeared within the ancient village.

"It's alright, it should be Miss He's guardian spirit. It will definitely be able to distinguish between friends and enemies." As far as I know, in the area where the Five Poisons Sect headquarters is located, almost every household keeps giant pythons as helpers to guard their homes and even trains them to take care of children.

The world is vast and full of wonders; the scope of human cognition and imagination is always just a drop in the ocean.

Upon reaching the second floor, I immediately felt the cool mountain breeze and heard the whistling wind filling my ears.

He Jishang triggered a mechanism by the window, and with a whoosh, the entire east-facing wall vanished, replaced by a simple wooden railing, revealing the entire ancient village below. This meant that while we had a clear view outwards, we were also exposed to the enemy's sight, committing a cardinal sin in military strategy.

"Don't worry, they won't blindly attack us before they get what they want. The caravan members are rough, but they're definitely not stupid; otherwise, how could they live up to the prestigious reputation of their Fang family ancestors?"

He Jishang rested her hands on the railing, her head held high with aloofness, letting the mountain wind swirl and tease her long hair. At this moment, she was a beautiful and resolute woman, giving me the feeling that she could die for someone or something at any moment.

"What do they want?" Feiyue pressed.

"The Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad, it is said that an Indian scientist offered a billion US dollars to buy it. The caravan needs this money very much, which is why they suddenly made a move. Of course, their challenge also mentioned the most magical treasure sword in the world, which is hidden in my little building. If I can take it with me, it would be an unexpected and wonderful surprise."

He Jishang suddenly sneered, gently smoothed her hair, and muttered to herself, "Do they think the Five Poisons Sect's men are all idiots? To risk their lives for a billion dollars? Why are there so many stupid men like this in the world?"

Feiyue smiled too. Being able to find traces of the Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad meant that our operation was already half successful.

A strange rustling sound came from the rooftop, coming from south to north, unhurried and rhythmic.

He Jishang's eyes lit up, and she gave a soft whistle. A dark snake head suddenly slid down from the eaves, its red forked tongue hissing strangely.

Feiyue leaped back quickly and grabbed my shoulder, her fear evident in her eyes.

The giant python was enormous, appearing like a huge bucket in sight, its two emerald eyes staring lifelessly at Feiyue.

“Guardian deity, they are our own people, you can go.” He Jishang deftly extended his left hand and flicked the snake’s head with a “snap.”

The giant python obediently rolled over and disappeared in an instant, leaving only the unique fishy smell of snakes in the air, which lingered for a long time.

The terrain of the ancient village rises steadily from low to high, and we are currently at the highest point. Beyond that, the mountains become steep. If the enemy wants to attack, they can only choose the east side, which is clearly exposed to our view. When the ancient village was built, He Jishang must have already considered this key point of "easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"With this, we are more than a match for a thousand troops," she sighed with satisfaction.

Modern firearms are indeed not very effective at eliminating giant pythons, a point illustrated by numerous biologists and Hollywood adventure films. According to nearly fifty years of research by the American Society for Dangerous Biology, there are three types of animals that are the most difficult to deal with on Earth: sharks in the ocean, crocodiles on the mudflats, and giant pythons in the jungle.

When these creatures reach a certain size, they become a nightmare where humans face a near-death experience.

The Five Poisons Sect's ability to tame snakes is unique; their ability to command giant pythons as servants is one of their mysterious magical techniques.

I hope He Jishang can protect herself and deter the Southwest caravan from taking action. In this jungle, offending a caravan that's like a leech, relentlessly stalking you, will cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. After all, we'll be staying in the tunnel for a while, and nobody wants to constantly worry about them cutting off our escape route.

"And you? What do you want?" He Jishang's way of speaking became direct and unreserved, and her attitude towards me was like that of a stranger meeting for the first time.

Feiyue subtly tightened her left thumb and little finger, pinching my elbow three times in succession—a deeply meaningful signal. In internationally recognized SWAT hand signals, it signifies "encirclement and annihilation in one fell swoop."

There were only three people upstairs. Feiyue and I were both armed, and facing the unarmed He Jishang, our chances of winning were at least 80%. I guessed that Feiyue's plan was to "capture He Jishang, find the Night-Shining Toad, and quickly leave this dangerous place." People who have been in the underworld for a long time don't have much patience for strategizing; they prefer to solve everything directly with force.

He Jishang stood in front of the railing. Feiyue and I were two steps away from the railing, to her right and behind. It was indeed the best time to launch an attack.

"This little building will always carry his scent. Over the years, the caravan has coveted it, negotiated with it, coerced it, and tempted it dozens of times, but I never left. I just hoped that one day he would suddenly appear. Sometimes, the wear and tear of time can turn pearls into dust and turn black hair into white. I like this east-facing window, and I removed the entire wall just so I could more easily overlook the road he had traveled, leaving only the serene railing. Do you think he will come back?"

The last sentence might be asking me.

"Fragrance spreads along the ancient road, verdant green reaches the desolate city. Again, a prince departs, the lush grass overflowing with parting sorrow. It's always good to have someone to miss, isn't it, Mr. Feng?" Fei Yue raised her voice, just to cover the sound of drawing her spear.

She always liked to be reckless and gamble with her life, which is probably one of the worst habits of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world). Following a big brother like Flying Eagle in the martial arts world, one is influenced by one's surroundings; that's all one can learn.

“It’s been too long…too long…” He Jishang shook her head.

In the eastern sky, the clouds dispersed and the mist cleared, revealing a bright moon that silently illuminated the distant mountains, forests, and cliffs, and even coated the rooftops of all the houses in the ancient village with a faint silvery glow.

I want to stop Fei Yue's actions. She underestimates He Jishang too much. As the head of the ancient village and the former holy maiden of the Five Poisons Sect, He Jishang is definitely not as weak and ordinary as she appears on the surface.

Feiyue's left thumb slowly sawed two lines on my arm, a gesture that said, "Observe, stand by, watch me." Opportunities are fleeting; the veins of a gambler always flow with restless energy, refusing to lie low. Her movement to draw her gun was as swift as a wild leopard descending a mountain; the silver pistol, reflecting the snow-white moonlight, was like an arrow released from a bow.

The arrow landed right on the side of He Jishang's neck. Feiyue seized the half-second opportunity and succeeded in one move.

"Don't move, Miss He, my gun is very easy to misfire." She laughed, raising her chin at me triumphantly with the air of a victor.

Part 5: The Blade of Distance

— Chapter 10 - The Puppet Master —

There was not a single person in sight; it was as if all living things in the mountains and forests had fallen into an eerie silence. Under the moonlight, only the three of us were alive and conscious, and Feiyue's gun instantly took control of everything.

"Very well, what do you want? My life, or other treasures?" He Jishang remained calm, but with the muzzle of a gun pressed against the side of her jaw, her skin twitched laboriously with each attempt to open her mouth. Her face was turned eastward, and she didn't turn to stare at Feiyue or me, showing any anger at being suddenly taken hostage.

There was a profound indifference in her body, like someone whose heart was almost dead, daring to coldly disregard everything, including life and death.

"I only want the Azure Blood Night-Shining Toad. I hope you remember where that treasure is kept." Fei Yue bluntly stated her purpose; it was time to reveal her true intentions. In this respect, her personality was very similar to Fei Ying's; after all, they were siblings, sharing many similar traits.

"Very well, and what about you?" He Jishang's voice was even colder.

"We found some clues in the tunnel, but we were blocked by the snake formation. We hope to use the glowing toad. Actually, I really hope you can join us and reach the end of the Heavenly Ladder together." I tried to be as tactful as possible. We share common interests in finding my elder brother Yang Tian, so we should be able to reach an agreement.

"Your true intention was also to obtain that treasure, but you expressed it in a more tactful way, didn't you?"

He Jishang's slightly sarcastic tone suddenly made my heart ache. If it weren't for the need to explore the tunnel and uncover the mystery of my brother, Su Lun, Tang Xin, and Sun Gui's disappearances, I would never have made things difficult for her. In this materialistic world, it's truly rare to find someone so devoted to my brother; her life has been pitiful enough already.

Feiyue sneered, "No matter what, you're in our hands. I don't see any other way out for you except to obey us." The gun might not go off accidentally, but she was definitely blinded by her small victory.

"Feiyue, release Miss He. She'll understand why we're here. It's all for the people who disappeared in the tunnel." I didn't want to mention "Yang Tian, the King of Tomb Raiders," fearing it would bring He Jishang more disappointment. So far, no clues have been found that are definitively related to my elder brother. Based solely on Gui Luo's few words in Hong Xiaogui's notebook, it seems impossible to draw any conclusions.

“Mr. Feng, have you forgotten what happened on the other side of the tunnel? We don’t have much time—” A look of horror flashed across Fei Yue’s face as she looked down at her hand holding the gun.

"What's wrong with you?" I noticed her unusual behavior.

"My fingers are numb, all the way down to my shoulder." She managed to say just one sentence before her jaw stiffened, and she could only manage to close her mouth again by raising her left hand to support her chin.

He Jishang turned around, flicked Feiyue's pistol with his left middle finger, and the gun fell to the ground with a dull "plop".

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. For your sake, I only used a tiny bit of anesthesia. After a minute, she'll be completely paralyzed, with only her heart still beating weakly. The whole process will last about forty minutes. During this time, perhaps you can tell me about what's happening on the other side of the tunnel?"

The only one who can truly influence the situation in Xiaolou is He Jishang. Feiyue's only chance just now was to suddenly shoot and kill her. Otherwise, she could only be countered.

In the opposite forest, the wind became stronger than before, and more than a dozen large trees with palm-sized round leaves swayed together.

I sighed. "Miss He, the caravan is nearby. Will something happen to them? The house downstairs is completely silent. What about the women and children? Who will protect them?"

Many in the martial arts world have witnessed the fighting prowess of the Southwest caravans firsthand, and only one word aptly describes their methods of killing—"ruthless." It's said that villages they massacred were often abandoned for years, reduced to ruins. Enemies who fell into their clutches would invariably experience a living hell, a state of unbearable torment, until they were tortured beyond recognition and their last shred of hope for survival was drained away.

It was because of those rampant rumors that I rushed back, fearing that this woman who had loved my elder brother would suffer misfortune.

"It's nothing. During the attack early yesterday morning, the caravan left behind twelve corpses. The blood-written words outside the village gate were written by them using their own blood. There's no movement inside the village because they're resting quietly and don't take the enemy seriously at all."

He Jishang proudly held her snow-white neck high, completely unconcerned about the opposite mountain forest where "the trees wish to be still, but the wind will not cease."

I had already observed the ancient village's geographical location and knew it was absolutely vulnerable to long-range sniping or explosive attacks using modern weaponry. The caravan's attack was likely just a probing move, unwilling to provoke He Jishang immediately. Based on this, I deduced that there must be a strategist within the enemy camp who was directing the attack.

This is an age of information overload. Anyone with even a slight reputation in the public eye will be noticed by the masses, and their family history, spanning three generations, will be thoroughly investigated.

There is only one truly intelligent figure among the Southwest caravans—the second-in-command, the puppeteer, who claims to be a disciple of the Shangqing Temple on Laoshan Mountain in Jiaodong and is most skilled in ambush, formation, attack, and defense.

"What are you thinking about?" He Jishang, bathed in moonlight, was dressed in snow-white clothes, her face as beautiful as jade, exuding an otherworldly elegance.

"I'm wondering, what exactly do these caravan people want? Money is no longer their primary concern. For the past decade, their drug and arms dealing business has been thriving, establishing connections in Thailand, Myanmar, and Nepal, and they're about to create a new generation of the 'Golden Triangle of Heroin.' Their ambitions cannot be satisfied by a few hundred million US dollars. Ms. He, you've been neighbors with this hungry tiger entrenched in the southwest for many years, so you must understand their ambitions."

Although the caravans are nominally affiliated with mainland China, they are actually engaged in smuggling across the border, and their headquarters and most of their assets have been moved to the other side of the border.

"I received some vague information that they seemed to be looking for a crystal mine and a spacecraft, and more than a dozen major international buyers were offering incredibly high prices for it. The information from the informant was only a tattered half, the rest of which was soaked in blood and impossible to decipher."

He Jishang began to frown. Those incomplete and fragmented messages were the most troublesome; it was better not to see a single word of them at all.

The crystal mine must refer to the place mentioned by "King of Capture" Gui Luo. But where is the spacecraft? Which country's spacecraft is it, or which planet's spacecraft is it from?

The situation was becoming increasingly unpredictable, and I really wished I could get the Crimson Night Toad within a minute and fly back to the tunnel snake formation.

"Mr. Feng, what's the situation in that tunnel? Is there any news about Yang Tian?" He Jishang's eyebrows immediately lit up with a smile as soon as her elder brother's name was mentioned.

I couldn't bear to discourage her, so I explained vaguely, "I have a friend who is the successor of 'King of Catchers' Gui Luo. He personally heard Gui Luo recount a story: years ago, Gui Luo strangely fell into the belly of a mountain and landed in a crystal pit, where he was rescued by Yang Tian. The situation inside the mountain is very complicated; a massive ancient palace is buried deep within. Now, our main problem is the obstruction of the snake formation—"

No one can guarantee what we'll encounter after passing through the crevice. Since the masked man was able to imprison Tang Xin and Tiger, we might not escape the same fate. Therefore, I can only describe the general direction of events; I will never guarantee He Jishang that we'll see our elder brother.

He Jishang was a smart man. He frowned and had already keenly realized the issue of time: "In the early years? Could it be that after Yang Tian left the ancient village, he crossed the tunnel alone? 'King of Catchers' Gui Luo is a big shot in the martial arts world with a lot of influence. His words are at least 90% credible, right?"

I nodded. The phrase "a word is as good as gold" is not only a sign of respect from people in the martial arts world towards Gui Luo, but also a consistent assessment of him by members of Interpol Asia. He rarely speaks, and almost every word he utters is based on his own actions, spoken with utmost care and consideration.

"Yang Tian—is he still inside the mountain?" He Jishang asked, filled with hope, yet also with endless trepidation and anxiety. She had lamented that time could change everything; was the world inside the mountain also being erased, destroyed, and ravaged by time?

This question has no answer and has been a huge weight on my mind.

I wish my brother were still alive, but I also fear seeing the true reason he had endured so many years hidden deep in the mountains, witnessing my loved one transformed into a monster beyond recognition. It would be more humane to hear of his death. From the scalpel, I hear mostly of the "King of Tomb Raiders" roaming the world with his triumphant spirit. The fading beauty of a woman and the end of a hero are the saddest things in the world, and I don't want my brother to fall into the same tragic cycle as those in the martial arts world.

"I don't know, things change, and life is unpredictable, isn't it?" Without realizing it, I also walked closer to the railing and stood with He Jishang in the moonlight.

She sighed deeply, the lingering sound like the final echo after a previous rapid strumming, piercing my heart once more.

“He is a god, not a man. The constraints of the world will never apply to him. He will escape from the face of certain death ten thousand times, standing before everyone with a smile for the ten thousand and first time. I know this better than anyone and have always believed it. Otherwise, why would I be waiting for him here so steadfastly? Look, the moonlight tonight is so lovely, illuminating even the darkest mountain paths. On such a beautiful night, he may return under the moonlight, still radiating an unparalleled brilliance…”

She turned halfway around, gazing at my profile, and began to speak with deep affection.