Chapter 139: Elder Bowen

A blood-red tiger head was embedded in the exact center of the black massive door, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. The moment Song Nianqiang walked up to that door, he was completely overwhelmed by the crimson beast.

It was utterly formidable, appearing almost like a deity descending to the mortal realm. After a brief moment of shock, Song Nianqiang turned to the others nearby and said, "Now I am extremely curious to see what is hidden inside!!" Right now, probably not only Song Nianqiang thought this way; every single person present shared the exact same sentiment.

However, another problem lay directly before them: how to get inside. The blood-red tiger head in front of them was extraordinary, but it seemed to form an integrated whole with the black door behind it, without the slightest seam or gap. This left the present company in a dilemma. Being unable to enter while knowing a secret lay within was intensely frustrating—that feeling was genuinely agonizing.

"Everyone, think of a way. How can we get in?" Since Song Nianqiang had no ideas whatsoever, he retreated backward with self-awareness, leaving the primary positions to Li Runze and Zhu Tianyi.

"Do you guys have any ideas!?" Li Runze and Zhu Tianyi were likewise entirely at a loss regarding the black door, so they turned to ask the four men in black. After remaining silent for a moment, one of the men in black—a short statured fellow—stepped forward. "I'll give it a try, though I can't guarantee success." With that, he walked up to the black door.

The individuals who had accompanied Zhu Tianyi this time were far from ordinary; they were either exceptionally agile or possessed some form of special ability. The short man belonged to the latter category, though his ability was rather peculiar.

His ability fell under the mental domain, but his specific expertise was lockpicking. Any renowned lock in the world, once touched by him, would automatically open within three seconds. At this moment, the short man deduced that the blood-red tiger head before him was most likely a lock, though he had no way of knowing how ancient mechanisms differed from modern ones.

He slowly extended his hand, upon which lay a layer of psychic energy so transparent it was almost invisible. Because they were inside a subterranean cavern where the lighting was quite dim, Song Nianqiang and the others could only barely make it out, and even then, it appeared hazy and indistinct.

Yet the instant the short man's hand touched the blood-red tiger head, it was violently repelled. Seeming quite startled, the short man increased his psychic output; however, his hand and the tiger head behaved like poles of magnets with the same charge, repelling each other across a barrier of space and refusing to make contact.

Gradually, a fine layer of sweat beaded upon the short man's forehead, making it obvious how much strain he was under. Yet his competitive spirit had been provoked by the tiger head, and he stubbornly persisted without giving up. Three more minutes passed in this fashion, the sweat on his forehead multiplying. However, his persistence seemed to anger the blood-red tiger head, which began to emit a faint crimson glow. As the red light radiated outward, the pressure on the short man escalated abruptly. Unable to hold on any longer, he spat a mouthful of fresh blood, his body trembling as his energy collapsed.

"Little Four, how are you doing!?" As the short man slumped limply, a burly, giant-sized fellow stepped forward and lifted him from the ground with a single arm. Although the cavern was dim, Song Nianqiang could clearly see that the short man's face was ashen, his lips drained of all color.

"Number Two, come hold Little Four. I'll give it a try!!" shouted the burly giant to the rear. From the remaining two men in black, one with a flat-top haircut stepped forward to relieve the giant of the short man. The giant then strode up to the blood-red tiger head. By now, the tiger head had resumed its original appearance, looking indistinguishable from a real tiger aside from its incorrect coloration.

Standing before the beast's head, the burly giant first removed the black suit jacket he was wearing, then tentatively reached out with both hands to touch the blood-red tiger head. Strangely enough, he encountered no resistance whatsoever and made direct contact.

The moment he touched it, the giant let out a sudden roar, his entire body's muscles rapidly bulging. The swelling muscles directly tore his white shirt to shreds. Seeing this physique, Song Nianqiang, standing in the rear, was startled—state-employed operatives really were absolute monsters.

Yet the result left everyone deeply disappointed. Despite exerting every ounce of his strength, the giant failed to budge the tiger head by even a fraction, leaving himself breathless and gasping with his hands braced against his knees.

After a few minutes, however, the giant stood up once again, placing both hands back on either side of the tiger head. Just as Song Nianqiang and the plump man were wondering what he intended to do, the giant's body suddenly expanded in size. His height, already approaching two meters, abruptly surged to three meters. Fortunately, the person who had dug the cave was very familiar with this giant; otherwise, his head would have been driven straight into the mud.

All the clothes on his body tore apart, and thick, greenish veins rippled across his transformed frame. Then, the blood-red tiger head actually stirred. Immediately afterward, it changed drastically in appearance as a pale-red tiger phantom emerged from the head and slammed directly into the transformed giant, knocking the three-meter-tall body flying backward.

As he hurtled through the air, the giant reverted to his original form, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Everyone present scrambled out of the way; it was a joke to think anyone would dare try to catch a man of his bulk—anyone who tried would guarantee they both ended up flattened.

The faint crimson tiger phantom prowled back and forth beneath the tiger head, acting as if it would tear to pieces anyone else who dared step forward. Watching the phantom, Song Nianqiang felt a strong sense of curiosity. What struck him as bizarre was that this entity possessed not a shred of spiritual aura; in other words, it was by no means a ghost or a malevolent spirit.

This was truly peculiar. Based on Song Nianqiang's understanding, he genuinely knew of nothing else in the world, aside from spectral entities, that could possess a semi-transparent form. Consequently, he stood quietly to one side and did not rush forward.

"Qiangzi, what on earth is that thing? Its aura doesn't resemble a ghost at all, but how can it have a semi-transparent body just like one!?" The plump man walked over to Song Nianqiang and asked. Song Nianqiang shook his head and replied, "I'm puzzled too. There are simply too many strange things in this world that our current knowledge cannot fully explain. Let's see what they have to say."

With that, Song Nianqiang looked toward Li Runze's group, only to find them frowning deeply as well. Clearly, they had no idea what this creature was either. "Number Two, go bring Elder Bowen in. He might know." Zhu Tianyi instructed one of the four men in black.

When they came here this time, the state had made thorough preparations. The information provided by Song Nianqiang to the old man had led the latter to surmise the existence of a highly mysterious object. According to ancient legends, deep within a certain tomb lay a picture album recording ancient prophecies; whoever acquired that prophecy would become the ruler of an era.

Of course, that notion was no longer viable today. For a single individual to dream of becoming an empire was sheer delusion; going against the machinery of the state would result in nothing less than death. However, if the state were to acquire that book of prophecies, it would bring immeasurable wealth to the nation in every conceivable aspect.

Thus, upon learning of Song Nianqiang's account, the old man immediately reported it to the Premier and won his approval. Drawing upon his understanding of the matter, the old man had dispatched all the necessary specialists.

Only a few old fellows like him in the world knew of this legend. Originally, the old man had treated the tale as a dispensable joke, never expecting that it might actually exist.

Elder Bowen had spent his entire life infatuated with the study of bizarre phenomena. If not for state sponsorship, he would have starved on the streets long ago. In return, he had provided the country with immense assistance; whenever the authorities encountered something they could not identify, they would bring it to him, and within a few minutes—or at most a single night—he would supply the answer along with detailed documentation.

Therefore, the state had dispatched Elder Bowen this time just in case, though they hadn't expected his expertise to actually be required.

Before long, old Bowen was led over by Number Two. He was around fifty years of age, belonging to the most ordinary-looking tier of men, and wore thick-rimmed glasses. Yet behind those lenses, a pair of sharp, agile eyes darted restlessly back and forth within their sockets.