Along the sides of the corridor were rooms, all closed. Though the corridor wasn't dark, the light came from numerous oil lamps spaced every few steps!
It was absurd and eerie that they still used oil lamps. I opened a door, stepped out lightly, then stopped. I heard another door open nearby. I pressed against the wall and saw a man in a kimono hastily exiting. He didn't notice me. He headed to the end of the corridor, opened a door, revealing a staircase. My only thought was to leave. Despite the complexity of my situation, leaving the Moon God Society's lair was the priority! As soon as the man descended the stairs, I dashed forward, pushed open the door at the end of the corridor, slipped through, and descended the spiraling staircase. The stairs were quiet, illuminated by the flickering yellow light of the oil lamps. I had a chance to roughly examine the building. It appeared to be a castle-like structure.
I rushed downstairs, but I didn't continue downward. Instead, I hugged the railing, trying to stay hidden from those below. At the bottom of the stairs was a large hall, lit by five torches. Next to each of the three torches were high-backed chairs, each with a crescent moon made of shimmering mother-of-pearl attached to the top.
Sitting in the chairs were three people, all around fifty or sixty years old, dressed in moon-white robes.
Five people sat motionless, while seven or eight stood by silently. No one spoke. The hall was not only lit by torches but also filled with a strange, aromatic scent, adding to the eerie atmosphere! It seemed like they were waiting for something.
My light footsteps during the descent ensured nobody saw me in the hall, allowing me to carefully observe the scene below.
If I didn't know I was in the Moon God Society's lair, I would've suspected I was dreaming. Now that I knew, it wasn't surprising. The Moon God Society was known for its bizarre practices, aimed at confusing people.
Oddly, the society's followers included not only the uneducated but also the educated, likely hypnotized during religious rituals.
After a brief observation, I realized I couldn't leave through the hall without being noticed.
I quietly returned upstairs. I had descended six flights of stairs earlier; now, I ascended only one.
On the second floor, I opened the corridor door to find another long hallway with rooms on either side. I chose the nearest door, gave it a push, but it didn't budge. I knocked twice, and a gruff voice from inside said, "Come in."
I clenched my fist and waited. In less than a minute, the door opened, and a person peeked out. Without a clear view of who I was, he received a punch from me, toppling backward with a thud. I stepped into the room, finding only the fallen person. The room was simple, resembling a single-person dormitory.
I approached the window, pushed it open, and was stunned by the view outside. I saw the waves, rocks, and pine trees growing from the rocks. This wasn't Tokyo.
I leaned out and saw part of the building. Indeed, it was a castle-like structure.
Originally, I planned to climb down from the window to avoid those in the hall. Now, my plan remained the same but executing it would be much harder.
The castle-like building was perched on a cliff. The cliff was steep, and below was the sea with waves crashing intermittently, not the bustling street I imagined!
However, I had no choice. Though the cliff was steep, climbing down wasn't impossible.
I tore a bedsheet, tied it, and hung it from the window. As I descended, when I got close to the sea, I pulled hard, breaking the sheet. Even though it was a risky move, it provided temporary concealment and increased my chances of survival if I fell.
Luckily, where I landed was some distance from the cliff's edge. I steadied myself, threw the sheet, and slowly climbed down the cliff. Eventually, I reached a large rock just above where the waves crashed.
Standing on the rock, I was stunned for a moment.
Cliffs surrounded me on my left, right, and behind. I had climbed down from the cliff, so going back wasn't an option. Ahead of me lay the vast sea.
The sea was my way out, but how would I leave? Swim?
This is no joke; swimming is indeed a viable option.
I can swim along the cliff until I find a passage and then immediately climb ashore.
However, I'd rather not swim unless necessary. As I looked around, I wondered if there were any small boats I could use. Just then, I heard shouts from above on the cliff.
I looked up.
Almost every window of the castle-like building had someone peering down. About a dozen people were swiftly climbing down the cliff.
This situation fit the saying perfectly: "No way forward, pursued from behind."
I couldn't think of a solution at that moment. The people coming down from the castle-like building were agile climbers, controlling their muscles with great proficiency. They were undoubtedly judo masters, each carrying a pistol at their waist. It was a cult using ancient legends as a cover, armed with modern weapons. Even though they thought of me as the "flying man," I couldn't risk staying any longer!
Without hesitation, I leaped into the sea!
As I leaped, I heard voices from above the cliff in despair: "Moon God, spare us!"
I cursed inwardly, thinking, "What nonsense is this? When did I become the 'Moon God'? If I had the power to bring calamity upon you, you cultists would've been cursed to death long ago!"
I didn't have a chance to hear their second sentence; with a splash, I sank into the sea.
Remember, it was winter. Although the sea wasn't frozen, it was bitterly cold, and the sensation was unbearable.
I swam underwater for about ten meters before resurfacing. I swam along the rocky shore, not straying far. After surfacing, I used a large rock to conceal my head, allowing me to stealthily observe the people standing on the rocks.
The fat man I had spoken to earlier was there, trembling with bruises on his face. An elderly, fierce-looking man was repeatedly slapping him.
The elder was one of the three I had seen in the hall earlier. The fat man dared not retaliate, only pleading, "Second Elder, it's not my fault! He... he complained that we shouldn't have kept him in the room and exposed him to bright light."
I speculated he was referring to me.
The elder grunted and stopped hitting the fat man. He addressed those around him, instructing them to spare no effort in finding him. He expressed disbelief that someone who supposedly descended from the moon hundreds of years ago could strengthen their position. I, however, was clueless about the connection between me and the Moon God Society.
The elder, as I realized, was the "Second Elder" of the Moon God Society, explaining his authority. Yet, I still couldn't grasp their assumptions about my abilities, like scaling a vertical wall with speed being interpreted as "flight."
However, it wasn't that simple. The fat man and the Second Elder referred to an event hundreds of years ago regarding someone descending from the moon. Why did they think I, or "Mr. Fang," was that person?
Was Mr. Fang indeed Fang Tian? I had no way to confirm, but the possibility was significant. I stopped observing and submerged again, swimming forward.
I estimated I had swum quite a distance before resurfacing. Sure enough, I had turned past the cliff, facing a desolate beach. I left the water, running forward to avoid freezing.
I ran quite a distance until I reached some rudimentary houses. Claiming to be a fisherman in need of a boat, I landed in the water. Though the homeowner was skeptical, he lent me clothes and warmed me with hot Japanese rice wine, offering much-needed warmth. Half an hour later, my spirits were fully restored. I thanked the homeowner sincerely, donned my freshly dried clothes, and left. I realized I was on a beach two hundred kilometers east of Tokyo.
From being knocked unconscious near Dr. Sasaki's house in Tokyo to being on that sheer wall, then being hit again and waking up to see three hypnotized girls dancing, I had been moved two hundred kilometers away from Tokyo!
This highlighted the extent of the Moon God Society's power and influence.
There were no trains available. After waiting by the roadside for a while, I hitched a ride on a truck heading to Tokyo. I promised the driver some reward, and he let me sit beside him.
On the journey, I remained silent, lost in thought. I couldn't make sense of my experiences, let alone explain them. It was an unprecedented situation for me.
What did the Moon God Society want with "Mr. Fang," even if he was Fang Tian? Fang Tian was an outstanding space scientist. If someone wanted him, it might be a spy from a foreign embassy, which wouldn't be surprising. However, the Moon God Society was a mystical cult unrelated to space science, yet they were after Fang Tian (my assumption, albeit possibly accurate).
The embassy? They urgently needed to transport a mysterious metal box out of Tokyo, possibly related to the wealthy Inoue family. What was inside the box remained unknown as it was taken before we could open it. Sadly, I had no idea who took it.
Dr. Sasaki was dead, and his daughter was missing, likely connected to Fang Tian.
Indeed, I began to believe that everything was related to the enigmatic blue-blooded man, Fang Tian.
However, because Fang Tian himself was shrouded in mystery, everything related to him became even more mysterious! Coupled with the mysterious Moon God Society and legends of people descending from the moon or flying to it, my mind buzzed for a while, and I couldn't help but sigh.
The truck driver kindly advised me, saying, "Don't worry; Tokyo is a good place. You'll be happy there."
I gave a vague reply, and the driver misunderstood me as an unemployed person going to Tokyo to seek work. He added, "Rich people aren't necessarily happy. Look there!"
I didn't understand what he meant. Following his gaze, I saw an imposing mansion atop a hill. Just from its appearance, it exuded luxury and grandeur.
I asked, "Whose residence is that?"
The driver looked at me strangely and said, "Where are you from? That's the residence of Tsugio Inoue!"
As soon as I heard Tsugio Inoue's name, my heart raced. I asked, "The nationally renowned tycoon?"
The truck driver said, "That's right, he's the wealthiest man in the country, but at night, he can only sleep in one bed, just like me, haha!"
The truck driver was a very optimistic person; he didn't feel any less worthy compared to Tsugio Inoue.
In that moment, my mind raced as I remembered my promise to Mr. Nelson to pursue the hard metal box and uncover its secrets.
Now that I learned from the precision instrument manufacturing plant that the hard metal box was commissioned by Tsugio Inoue, he must naturally know what was inside it!
Returning to Tokyo at this time, I had two reasons: firstly, to evade the pursuit of spies from a certain country's embassy, and secondly, I had nothing else to do. Why not take this opportunity to visit Tsugio Inoue?
At that moment, the truck happened to reach a fork in the road. There was a smooth asphalt road leading to the top of the mountain. I reached out and tapped the driver's shoulder, saying, "Please stop here!"
The driver stopped the car, but he spoke in a strangely concerned tone, "It's still quite far from Tokyo here."
I nodded and said, "I know. I suddenly remembered that I have something to attend to at Tsugio Inoue's."
At first, the driver was puzzled, but then his expression turned fearful, and he said, "Friend... you... Tsugio's family... doesn't have any cash..."