Chapter 15: The Golden Bell Speaks

 

Traveling into the night, we found no place to stay and had to make do in the wilderness.

Lu Beiteng had his black-clad warriors tidy up the carriage, intending for me to rest inside while he, Lu Beihan, and the warriors slept outside—chivalry dressed as practicality.

I, of course, couldn't accept this. Even if I wanted Lu Beiteng to like me, it was unreasonable to let an injured person sleep in the wilderness while I enjoyed comfort and warmth. The optics alone would destroy any goodwill I'd built.

I repeatedly refused, leaving Lu Beiteng in the carriage.

But while they could rest, I couldn't. I needed to find a way to contact Chen Yuan as soon as possible and find out if he was plotting anything against me with Qingyang Immortal Lord—paranoia as survival instinct.

So, I lied, saying I needed to find a water source to wash up, and left Lu Beiteng's camp.

I knew Lu Beihan still harbored suspicions about me and would try to monitor me after I left, whether by sending people or using magic. To thwart their plans, I actually found a clear pool—sometimes the best lies are truth with misdirection.

I let my hair down and took off my clothes…

Behind me, there was a rustling of leaves, followed by silence—decision made, retreat executed.

No one must be watching.

The Lu family of Yanfeng is suspicious, but at least the two Lu brothers are decent gentlemen.

I stepped into the water and carefully washed my travel-worn self for a while before examining the red acacia flower mark on the back of my hand by the moonlight.

When Shen Yuan finished drawing the array last time, it was hidden beneath the mark; normally, you couldn't see it at all.

I rotated my hand in the moonlight, examining it closely, and only from certain angles did I see wisps of silver light swirling beneath the acacia flower mark—secrets written in shimmer.

Shen Yuan's array was drawn with exquisite detail and subtlety; I could only see the edges, not the whole picture. To comprehend and modify it myself would be as difficult as ascending to heaven…

As I pondered this, I suddenly noticed a bubble rising from the surface of the clear pool out of the corner of my eye.

I hadn't paid any attention, but then two or three more bubbles rose to the surface...

Was there... something underwater...?

The surface of the pool at night was only illuminated by the shimmering, fragmented moonlight; nothing beneath was visible—darkness hiding whatever lived below.

I lowered my hand, a growing sense of unease creeping in like cold water, and unconsciously pressed myself slightly closer to the rock behind me.

"Glug, glug," bubbles continued to rise from the water, and I could clearly see them getting closer and closer—approach inevitable, purpose unknown...

I braced myself against the rock, just about to slip away, when suddenly! A woman's hand emerged from the water!

Even I!

The fruit of the divine realm!

The messenger of the ancient god!

I was still startled by this thin, slender woman's hand, my legs went weak, and I gasped for breath. I quickly pushed myself up onto the rock behind me and sat on the bank. I pulled at my clothes on the bank, covering my chest, trying to run away, when that hand grabbed my foot!

I gasped for breath, trying to call for help, but the next instant, another hand covered my mouth. I almost choked—panic choking off the scream!

I opened my eyes wide, stunned, staring at the long-haired woman pressing down on me. She was soaking wet, just like me, her hair falling onto my face, constantly dripping water into my eyes—every horror story come to life.

She looked like a legendary water ghost…

"Master," she called me, "I've finally found you."

"…" My shock, fear, and terror gradually turned into confusion after a long pause. "Huh?"

When did I take a female water ghost as my servant?

Seeing that I had calmed down, she released my mouth.

"You…you are?" I asked softly, still catching my breath.

I saw her kneeling respectfully to one side, dressed in wet clothes. She looked at me seriously, her beautiful face devoid of any human emotion, and her voice was the same, cold and indifferent—automation given form: "Hua Chao, the spirit of the Golden Bell."

I was stunned, then hurriedly put on my clothes and walked to her side, looking her up and down with new eyes: "The Golden Bell? The Golden Bell given to me by the Ancient God? And it has a spirit!?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come out when I was in the Nine Heavens?"

"You came to this world from the Divine Realm, and the Ancient God sent me to help you succeed. You did very well in the Nine Heavens, diligently and effectively, and did not need my help." She answered in a measured tone—assessment delivered without praise.

"I mean, why weren't you there when I was pushed down!"

"Like you, Master, the thief came suddenly; I miscalculated." She calmly admitted her mistake, then added with satisfaction, "However, as compensation, I've already struck the culprit dead with eighty-one bolts of heavenly lightning."

Best of all, struck dead…

I rubbed my temples, processing this information. "You…you came here on your own? How did you end up in the water?"

"I followed your scent, Master." Hua Chao stared at me seriously, saying with grave solemnity, "This world…something's wrong."

She spoke so gravely that my heart skipped a beat—dread blooming.

What? Is there some crisis in this world that I'm unaware of?

"In this world, time is haphazardly reversed."

Me: "…"

I remained silent for a long time, finally uttering a soft "Ugh…" I didn't know what to say—anticlimax deflating my concern.

Hua Chao remained serious and earnest, no hint of irony in her delivery:

"I struck the culprit with eighty-one bolts of heavenly lightning and fell into the lower realm's mountains and forests. After my fall, for some reason, I would inexplicably wake up and fall asleep again. At first, I thought it was because the heavenly lightning had depleted my spiritual energy, or it was due to my own physical condition. But I never expected that after I left the mountains and forests, time would begin to repeat itself erratically and chaotically. Only then did I realize that my previous awakenings and falls asleep were not caused by the depletion of spiritual energy, but rather by the continuous, brief repetition of time."

"Hmm..."

"I would inexplicably fall asleep, and upon waking, I would return to a certain point in the past. Time would repeat itself endlessly, sometimes for long periods, sometimes for short periods, sometimes continuously, and sometimes for long periods of calm. Today, the third day of the eighth month, is the first time I have lived to this night."

I nodded and smacked my lips. "Hmm... indeed, it is the first time I have lived tonight..."

A hint of emotion finally appeared on Hua Chao's calm face—curiosity breaking through automation. She looked at me, inquiring, "Is Master also experiencing the chaotic repetition of time?"

"Well, from your perspective, time might indeed seem like a chaotic repetition, because the rules, in fact, are in my…fate."

Being a fellow "fellow townsman" from the Divine Realm, I explained the reason for the repetitive nature of time to her. Hua Chao listened in silence, absorbing information, then asked me after a long while, "Looking for true love?"

I nodded.

"The ancient gods forbid the immortals of this world from falling in love. Master, you can't either. You've been changed by this world."

I rubbed my forehead, exhaustion seeping in. "I'm not talking about falling in love; I just want to use falling in love as a way to return to the Nine Heavens and complete the task given to me by the ancient gods."

Hua Chao thought for a moment, processing logic. "Then what is true love? Has Master found it?"

"I have a goal."

I then told Hua Chao about my and Shen Yuan's plans regarding Lu Beiteng—laying out the strategy like battle plans.

Hua Chao listened attentively, nodding continuously to give me feedback, indicating that she had received all the information I was conveying. But upon hearing the last part, she blurted out with sudden vehemence, "I disagree."

"Huh?"

"Shen Yuan, the culprit. Eighty-one heavenly lightning bolts! It's strange that he wasn't killed! This villain is unacceptable; we cannot conspire with him on important matters!"

"You're absolutely right!" I immediately agreed, enjoying her indignation. "Then tell me, what is true love, and where should I look for it?"

Hua Chao thought for a moment, then declared with conviction: "Don't succumb to the curses of villains! Master, you should cultivate and break through the Nine Heavens!"

"Good." I nodded approvingly. "How long will it take?"

"If a thousand years isn't enough, ten thousand years; if ten thousand years isn't enough, a hundred thousand years."

"Good!" I nodded again, enthusiasm building. "How long will the Ancient God give me?"

Hua Chao was silent for a moment, reality intruding: "Master, you'd better do it before the deadline for all the fruits to ripen."

"Do I have a thousand years?!" I asked her, voice rising. "I haven't even had a year!"

It takes a long time to harvest the Mountain and River Fruits from the Hidden God Tree, but not a thousand or ten thousand years. My brothers and sisters are all ripe, but I'm not.

Everyone else has land, and I'm the only one with no fruit—the last one picked, if picked at all.

Anyone would be anxious in that situation.

Hua Chao thought for a moment, then said earnestly, "I am willing to lend you a hand in your cultivation, Master."

My eyes lit up with hope. "Direct ascension?"

"That won't do. The eighty-one heavenly lightning strikes have exhausted all my spiritual power. You can rely on yourself to absorb more spiritual energy from heaven and earth."

"Then how will you help me?"

"I will give you my blessing."

I looked at Hua Chao, took a deep breath, and then smiled—pragmatism winning over idealism. "Thank you. Let's proceed according to my plan." I held out my hand to Hua Chao. "Hang up here first. We should go back now. If we don't, my target will become suspicious."

Hua Chao didn't say much, accepting defeat gracefully. She stood up, her body turning into smoke, about to transform back into a golden bell, when I suddenly withdrew my hand. "Wait, what if I accidentally summon heavenly lightning again in the mortal realm?"

"My spiritual power is exhausted. You can only rely on yourself, Master. The amount of heavenly lightning you summon depends on your spiritual power. It's impossible for you to accidentally summon it."

Hearing this, I felt relieved and had Hua Chao transform back into a golden bell and hang up—companion becoming accessory once more.

On my way back, the golden bells jingled, and listening to the sound, my steps inexplicably became lighter. I suddenly felt less alone in this world—even judgmental magical artifacts were better than nothing.

At least someone agreed that Shen Yuan deserved eighty-one lightning bolts to the face.

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