Xixia dead book

Chapter 145 The Decisive Battle at the Peak of Helan (30)
【No.16 The General in the Shadow】

1
Tang Feng, Han Jiang, and Makarov were all startled when they heard the voice behind them. They turned around and saw that Stephen had come to his senses and was sitting up with his weak body propped up.

"Old friend, let's meet again!" Han Jiang said with a smile, "But your situation seems to be not good this time!"

"Yeah! From the first time I saw you, I knew... that we were destined." Stephen also forced a smile on his face.

"How did you come here?" Han Jiang changed his face in the blink of an eye, and stood in front of Stephen in the attitude of an interrogator.

"If you can come, I...why can't I come?" Stephen still kept a smile on his face.

"The person who attacked me in the tunnel just now was you, right?" Han Jiang asked intentionally.

"Do you think it might be me?" Stephen didn't answer Han Jiang's question directly.

"Okay, let's ask another way, who is the person who attacked you?" Han Jiang said seriously.

"I... I said that I don't know that person, do you believe me?" Stephen asked back.

"Then let me hear your reason."

"There's no reason. All I can tell you is that it's for your own good to advise you to get out of here quickly!" Stephen said with difficulty.

"Thank you for your concern! But we don't need it."

"Then...then I have nothing to say!" Stephen shrugged, then closed his eyes, and leaned weakly against the rock wall behind him.

"Fanny, you won't tell me that you don't know me either!" Han Jiang suddenly mentioned Fanny.

Stephen's body trembled violently, but he bit his lip and said nothing.

"As far as I know, you and Fanny have feelings, and the relationship is very good! I'm right!" Han Jiang stopped to look at Stephen, and found that his body trembled again, "Speak, Who killed Fanny? You have to know, now only we can help you catch Fanny's murderer."

Stephen still didn't speak, but Han Jiang had already seen that his inner line of defense was loosening, so he continued: "We know that you are not the real mastermind behind the scenes, you are just a smuggler of art, and you are not that capable at all! Don't you want to avenge Fanny?"

"Stop it!" Stephen roared violently, interrupting Han Jiang's words.Everyone noticed that two lines of tears trickled down Stephen's cheeks.

After a while of silence, Stephen said again: "Okay! I... I can tell you everything I know. What do you want to know?"

"Answer my previous question first, who is the person who attacked you?" Han Jiang eased his tone.

"He seems to be a Russian, but...but I don't know his name," Stephen said.

"Stechkin?" Han Jiang and Tang Feng immediately thought of Stechkin.

"That...that man is very powerful, I've never seen him before."

"Is this the same person who killed Fanny?" Han Jiang asked.

"Well! This is the person."

"Why did he kill Fanny and wound you?"

"It's all because of that piece of jade... the jade screen."

"Yu Jiaping? Well, let's talk about the most important thing! Who is your boss?" Han Jiang decided not to go around the bush and go straight to the point.

"This..." Stephen hesitated, pondered for a long time, finally made up his mind, and said slowly, "This is all fate, fate! Everything starts with the fate of our family..."

2
On a country road on the outskirts of Seattle, Washington, USA, Stephen and Fanny are driving a red Ferrari sports car they bought with ill-gotten wealth.They've just had a big shot in Europe, and that's enough for the two of them and their team to enjoy for a while.

However, Stephen, who was driving a Ferrari, couldn't be happy because he had just received bad news that his father, Ma Changguo, was seriously ill, probably within the past few days.

Before he knew it, the humble nursing home by the lake had appeared in front of his eyes.Stephen drove into the parking lot, parked the car, jumped out of the car, and frowned at the peaceful nursing home in the afterglow of the setting sun.My father has always insisted on living in this remote nursing home.He has also repeatedly suggested to his father to change to a nursing home with better conditions and closer to the city, but his father insisted on not doing so.

When she came to the gate of the nursing home, Fanny shook Stephen's hand tightly.Stephen felt Fanny's warmth.He had no relatives since he was a child, and he was dependent on his father, but after entering middle school, his father sent him to a boarding school and insisted on moving to a desolate suburban nursing home.Stephen didn't understand his father's intentions, and even resented his father for it.For a long time, Stephen was trapped in a deep loneliness.It wasn't until the appearance of Fanny that Stephen's cold heart felt a ray of sunshine that had not been seen for a long time.

Father and Fanny were Stephen's only remaining relatives in this world, and now that his father was about to leave him, Stephen couldn't help feeling sad.Before he knew it, he had arrived at the door of Room 202 of St. George's Lakeside Nursing Home.Just at this time, a nurse hurried out of the room, and the door of Room 202 was ajar.Stephen looked in, and saw an old man lying on the bed with his eyes closed. The old man seemed to be dying with an infusion tube inserted in his arm.Stephen recognized at a glance that this was his father - Ma Changguo.I didn't expect my father to be so old after not seeing him for half a year.

Suddenly, Ma Changguo on the bed opened his eyes, sat up from the bed, and then hysterically pulled out the infusion tube on his arm, yelling wildly: "The devil! ... It's terrible! ... The oasis of death! ... The devil! ...Blood Curse...Damn Blood Curse!...Don't come near me!...Damn devil!..." English mixed with Chinese, Ma Changguo yelled like crazy, attracting several elderly people next door to watch .

Stephen and Fanny rushed in. "Father, father, it's me, it's me, I'm Stephen, and I'm here to see you!" Stephen tried his best to calm his father down, but his father still yelled like he didn't know him at all.

"Quick, please step aside, the patient needs first aid." The nurse and two doctors rushed into the room, "Sir, please go out first, we need to rescue the patient."

"I am the patient's son."

"No! Sir, we don't care who you are, please go out and wait first, we need to rescue the patient." The nurse insisted that Stephen leave.

Stephen was reluctantly pulled out of room 202 by Fanny. "How did father become like this?" Stephen buried his head in Fanny's arms in pain.

The doctors and nurses worked for a long time, and finally brought Ma Changguo back from the brink of death.

3
At midnight, in Room 202 of St. George's Lakeside Nursing Home, Ma Changguo's condition has stabilized and he has fallen asleep on the bed.Suddenly, the door of Room 202 opened, and two black shadows came in.

The two shadows did not turn on the light, but walked slowly to the bed.They took off their sunglasses and quietly looked at Ma Changguo lying on the bed.The moonlight tonight is particularly bright, and the moonlight shines on the faces of two black shadows, who are none other than Stephen and Fanny.

The moonlight also shone on the old man's face. The old man's eyes were closed tightly, his eye sockets were sunken, his hair was gray and white, his cheeks were covered with fine wrinkles, and his breathing was a little short of breath.Stephen and Fanny stared at the bed for a long time...Suddenly, Ma Changguo on the bed opened his eyes, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, majestic and cold, approaching the two standing beside the bed.The two were slightly taken aback, obviously surprised.

"You guys are here!" Ma Changguo said on the bed.

Stephen sat on the edge of the bed, "Yes, we have come to see you."

Ma Changguo laughed dryly: "This may be the last meeting."

"No! There will be no problem with your health, we can invite the best doctor..."

Before Stephen could finish speaking, Ma Changguo interrupted him: "Stephen, don't be sad. I know my body best. I have overcome so many storms and waves. I don't have any fear in the face of death. God will bless me. .”

At this moment, the moonlight reflected on Stephen's face, and two tears slid down his thin cheeks.Ma Changguo yelled in a low voice with difficulty: "Stephen, don't cry, you must understand the painstaking efforts of your father, you lie down on the bed now!"

Lie down on the bed?Stephen didn't understand what his father meant, he looked at his father suspiciously.

"Get down on the bed, and you will see a box." Ma Changguo urged his son sternly, knowing that his time was numbered.

Stephen crawled under the big bed. "Look at the bed board, the box is tied under the bed board." Ma Changguo directed Stephen.Stephen looked towards the bed board, and in the hidden place under the bed board, there was indeed a rectangular box wrapped in a black plastic bag.Stephen moved slowly until his hands could reach the box.He tore off the tape that bound the outside, and took the box out with great effort.

When Ma Changguo saw the box in Stephen's hand, his eyes lit up with uncontrollable light.Stephen wanted to tear off the black plastic bag outside the box, but Ma Changguo waved his hand, "Wait until you leave here."

"What's in it?" Stephen asked curiously.

Ma Changguo frowned, and said with difficulty: "When you open it and read it, you will know that there is a letter from me inside. You have to read it carefully. This thing... this thing belongs to our Ma family. Your grandfather lost his life because of this thing; I left my hometown and came to the United States because of this thing. Over the years, Americans want this thing, and people in Taiwan, China not only want this thing, but also want to get rid of it Me. So I can only pretend to be crazy and foolish, hiding in hiding, and survive until today. Now I hand this thing to you, you must be careful, because..." Ma Changguo suddenly became short of breath, panting heavily, with an extremely painful expression .

Stephen quickly poured a glass of water and helped Ma Changguo take the two pills.After Ma Changguo calmed down a bit, he continued, "Because from the moment you get this thing, danger will approach you step by step...you...be careful..." Ma Changguo began to breathe heavily again.Stephen noticed that his father's eyes were no longer looking at him at this moment, but staring obsessively at the front...Suddenly, Ma Changguo pointed to the wall in front of him and cried out in pain, "Who are you?...the devil! ...Oasis of death!...Devil!...Don't come near me!...Damn devil!...A terrible blood curse!" Immediately, Ma Changguo's pupils began to dilate rapidly.Stephen tried his best to calm his father down, but his father was so ill that he was still so strong that no matter how hard he tried, it was useless.Stephen knew that his father had been suppressed for too long, and this time he was really crazy.

Ma Changguo's howling woke up the others, and the nurse on duty turned on the lights in the corridor.The moment Ma Changguo saw the light, the last light in his eyes disappeared, and he fell heavily on the pillow.Ma Changguo ascended to heaven - there is no devil there, God will bless him.

4
Ma Changguo died, and the doctors and nurses worked for most of the night until the sun rose.Stephen hugged the box his father left him, and sat alone on the sofa, lost in thought.Fanny took care of everything for him, and came over to comfort him softly: "Stephen, don't be sad, what should we do next?"

"Look what's in this box!" Stephen said, about to open the box his father left him.

"Wait! Your father said let's get out of here before opening the box!" Fanny reminded Stephen.

Stephen hesitated for a moment, but pushed Fanny's hand away: "Father said, my grandfather died because of this thing, and he left his hometown and hid in Tibet because of this. I want to see what this is?!"

Stephen refused to listen to Fanny's dissuasion, and insisted on tearing off the black plastic bag outside the box, and an antique red sandalwood box appeared in front of him.With years of experience, he concluded at a glance that it was an old red sandalwood box.This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful red sandalwood box. The box is already so noble. What's in the box... Thinking of this, Stephen couldn't wait to open the box.But inside the red sandalwood box is another brocade box, which is sealed with wax paint.He was just about to remove the wax when he suddenly found a letter on top of the brocade box.There was no writing on the envelope, and the envelope was unsealed. Obviously, this was the letter my father left for me.

With trembling hands, Stephen opened the last letter from his father.There was no will in the letter, but a history written by Ma Changguo, a history of the Ma family.

My son:

When you read the letter of being a father, your father has already left you and this world.Father has no inheritance, only what is in this box can be left to you, but it also leaves you with great danger.I hesitated and tried to destroy the contents of the box forever, but in the end I couldn't make up my mind.

The contents of the box are family heirlooms in our Ma family.Your grandfather once lost his life because of this treasure; he left his hometown for his father and hid in Tibet for decades.When you were a child, I sent you to boarding school, and then hid in this desolate nursing home under anonymity because of this thing.

When it comes to this thing, we must start with your grandfather.Stephen, I never told you about your grandpa, now is the time to tell you.Your grandfather's name is Ma Yuan, from Ningxia, and he was originally a scholar.But born in that chaotic world, warlords fought in chaos, natural disasters and man-made disasters, the people were in dire straits, not to mention the days when they were born, even if they had enough food and clothing, they couldn't make it.Once, your grandfather went out to make a living, but was plundered by a group of robbers and came to a place called Mazong Mountain.The bandit saw that your grandfather was literate and scheming, so he took him in.So, your grandfather fell into the grass reluctantly and became a bandit.

Later, your grandfather found out the details of this group of bandits. The leader of this group of bandits was the famous black lama in Northwest China at that time.They rob business trips, kill people and sell goods, and do all sorts of evil.Because your grandfather is educated and smart, he gradually gained some prestige among the bandits, and the black lama often consulted with him on matters.Gradually, your grandfather became an influential figure in the ranks of black lamas.

Once, a black lama robbed an inn near Dunhuang. Among the passengers staying in the inn was a guy who specialized in stealing and selling cultural relics.From this person's luggage, a treasure was found, which was the item in the brocade box.According to that person, he had participated in the expedition team of the Russian explorer Kozlov and robbed the antiquities of Heishui City.This time he found the treasure in a grotto in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, and told your grandfather their secret about this treasure.After much deliberation, I decided not to tell you this secret, because once you know this secret, it will only bring you disaster.Please understand as the painstaking efforts of the father...

After your grandfather and the black lama knew the secret of this treasure, they became evil and wanted to crack the secret and get astonishing wealth.Later, Mongolian and Soviet agents raided Mazong Mountain to destroy the black lama.In a critical moment, your grandfather helped the black lama escape.There were only a few of them left, and they fled all the way to Helan Mountain.Later, the few remaining people were dissatisfied with the black lama, so your grandfather and a few others killed the black lama in Helan Mountain after they got the treasure of the black lama and this treasure.

(End of this chapter)