Chunqiu Bell.
After nurturing it with Spiritual Energy for eight years, to finally see its name—Jiang Tong couldn’t help but feel a jolt of realization.
Chunqiu, Chunqiu… Could it be that this bell has something to do with time?
He had thought perhaps there was a remnant soul or an old grandpa inside, but it seemed he had been overthinking things.
Still, the sensation of his Sea of Consciousness filling up again felt wonderful.
He sent out a wisp of Divine Sense, probing into the Chunqiu Bell, but before Jiang Tong could react, his Divine Sense was sucked in and fused completely with the Chunqiu Bell.
His Sea of Consciousness roared like thunder. The Chunqiu Bell seemed to become his very eyes, the scenery before him rippling, gradually settling into clarity.
Jiang Tong looked around with his Divine Sense. He was no longer in his own room but in a dilapidated Broken Wooden Hut.
There was a hole in the corner of the hut’s wall, and the cold wind howled inside. Even though he had no sense of touch, he still felt a chilling cold to the bone.
A young girl, covered in wounds, curled up on a wooden cot. All she had was a thin Quilt, her teeth chattering from the cold, her whole body trembling, her mind dazed and unfocused.
To the right of the cot lay a small bell, identical to the Chunqiu Bell. He guessed he had come from there.
Where is this place?
Jiang Tong instinctively tried to get up and move, but was startled to realize that he was now just a wisp of Divine Sense, and could only investigate within the range of the hut.
So this is what’s inside the Chunqiu Bell…
Jiang Tong was deeply disappointed. He had thought that with his golden finger awakening, he could defy the heavens and change his fate, to have his master stop treating him as a junior.
Never would he have thought that inside was just a destitute young girl, covered in whip marks, breathing faintly, obviously not long for this world.
Tragic, tragic, truly tragic.
Jiang Tong could withdraw his Divine Sense and return to reality at any time. But as he carefully examined the girl’s face, something inside him stirred.
This face seemed familiar, as if he’d seen her somewhere before… extremely familiar…
Delicate and pure, with an immature aura, her expression tugged at the heartstrings—who among those he knew would ever wear such an expression?
Hmm, to start with, he could eliminate that icy block of a person he spent day and night with.
Jiang Tong let out a long sigh.
Forget it, he couldn’t stand to see someone so down and out. If he did nothing, this girl would probably freeze to death here.
Jiang Tong pulled his Divine Sense out of the Chunqiu Bell, looked around, then picked up the Quilt from his bed—only to face a new problem.
This girl was inside the Chunqiu Bell…
If only he could give it to her directly.
Jiang Tong thought regretfully, when he suddenly noticed the Quilt in his hands was gradually vanishing.
At the same time, a small portion of the Spiritual Energy in his Dantian was being drawn away, flowing entirely into the Chunqiu Bell.
Jiang Tong stared in shock for a moment, then hurriedly sent his Divine Sense into the Chunqiu Bell, his eyes filling with understanding.
The girl’s brow gradually relaxed, her body no longer shivering.
The thick Quilt blocked out the cold wind, precisely the one Jiang Tong had just been holding.
So, the Chunqiu Bell had this ability—by expending Spiritual Energy, he could send objects to the girl inside.
Her body temperature rose bit by bit. She unconsciously murmured, her beautiful eyelashes fluttering, on the verge of waking.
She was even a little cute.
While thinking, Jiang Tong swept the girl’s meridians, Dantian, and whole body with his Divine Sense… and felt a pang of pain in his teeth.
Tsk, tsk.
Her internal organs were bleeding so badly—just how hard had she been whipped?
Never mind the Three-lineage Mixed Spiritual Roots, out of one hundred and eight meridians, a hundred were blocked; in the cultivation world, she was practically a cripple.
But the swelling of her chest beneath her clothes—that was truly extraordinary.
For some reason, Jiang Tong suddenly thought of his master, Jiang Yueliu, and the way she always held her sword—her scale was no less impressive…
He quickly stopped that line of thought. Jiang Tong, Jiang Tong, how could you have such wicked thoughts?
Steadying his mind, he continued to check the girl’s condition.
Hmm?
Jiang Tong’s heart was moved.
Deep within the girl’s Dantian, a quail-egg-sized orb floated, radiating cold and sharpness.
Jian Tai!
This person was actually born with a Jian Tai!
How did he recognize it? Simple—he himself had one, already grown to the size of a goose egg.
On closer inspection, the Jian Tai was being fiercely suppressed by cold air in the Dantian, yet the Jian Tai was fighting back, releasing sharp energy to resist the cold.
The two sides were at a standoff, swords drawn, the girl’s pitiful meridians on the verge of shattering.
Jiang Tong was at a loss for words. To have both a Jian Tai and a Hanpo Jade Body—
Either one alone, and the Three-lineage Mixed Spiritual Roots would mean nothing. She’d be a once-in-ten-thousand genius.
Yet the two positive buffs were fighting each other so fiercely they’d turned into a debuff, making progress in cultivation nearly impossible, turning the girl into a “waste” in others’ eyes, and leaving her with lasting injuries.
Wait a second.
Jiang Tong counted on his fingers.
Top-tier talent, trash background, tragic beginning… all that was missing was an “old grandpa in a ring.”
Jiang Tong’s mouth twitched. Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
What had he come here for…?
……
“Your mother owes Zui Xian Lou thirty superior-grade Spirit Stones in gambling debt. I hear you’re at Shangyuan Sect, so you must have a way to pay it back?”
“I’ve already joined Shangyuan Sect. I have nothing more to do with her. Please leave.”
That stubborn voice was his own.
“I came all this way to speak politely, but don’t think you can ignore me. Don’t assume that just because you’re in Shangyuan Sect, you can rest easy.”
“……”
“If you can’t pay, I’ll give you another way.”
The man in black’s eyes were sinister. He slowly reached out, about to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away and glared coldly.
“You’re useless at cultivation, but you do have a good-looking face.”
“I’ll give you three days. Either repay the debt, or come with me to Zui Xian Lou. I guarantee you’ll become Head Courtesan, never wanting for food or clothing again.”
“If not… I have plenty of ways to make you suffer.”
Unwilling, full of unwillingness.
A single movement brought stabbing pain.
The whips from the Disciplinary Hall had smashed her beautiful dreams of the immortal sect to pieces.
Why wouldn’t they listen to her, but just declare her guilty with empty words?
Those servant disciples had no grudge against her—why did they slander her?
Ugly faces loomed one after another, like vengeful ghosts coming for her soul.
“Go… Go away!”
Gu Xianyu’s eyes snapped open. Her face was pale, her eyes full of panic.
The cold wind howled, but realizing she was in her own room, she let out a long sigh and lowered her head, letting out a soft “Eh?”
This is…?
She stared blankly for a moment, then pinched a corner of the Quilt.
It felt smooth to the touch, the fabric light, and…
The girl lowered her head and sniffed lightly. A faint, clean scent wafted to her nose, comforting and pleasant.
Not off-putting at all. In fact, it made her feel a bit at ease.
Jiang Tong watched, his eyelid twitching. Of course the scent was from the Jade Cleanser he used, and as for that other faint trace… everyone had a little unique scent to them. He’d slept with this Quilt for a while now.
Gu Xianyu was surprised. This wasn’t her Quilt. She couldn’t afford such a high-quality Quilt.
The only possibility was that someone had covered her with it while she was half-conscious.
Who could it be?
The girl struggled to sit up, looking around the room.
The lock on the decaying wooden door was still hanging as it should, meaning no one had come in that way.
Impossible… How could this Quilt just appear out of nowhere on her bed?
She was bewildered, but deeply grateful. Holding the Quilt in her hands, a warmth crept quietly into her heart.
“Pretty warm, isn’t it?”
A voice suddenly rang out in the room, startling Gu Xianyu. She turned her head, searching for the source.
“Look down. Right in front of you.”
The voice came again. The girl looked toward the side of her bed, her heartbeat racing, her eyes widening.
There, within her line of sight, was a small bell.
The bell… the bell was talking?!
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