7 The Bell That Ends All (1/2)
Tens of thousands of daotongs were recruited each year to help maintain the two thousand acres of fields owned by the Qing-Yun Sect, and each of them received a Qing-Yun’s Qi Formation manual upon recruitment. They wouldn’t be given any teachings or assistance, but there was always one or two who would manage to cultivate traces of Qi through either their wits or simply sheer luck.
To the rest of the daotongs, these people were considered geniuses favored by the gods.
”My dear brothers, I’m off! Let’s drink again when I come back for a visit!”
In the early morning, Fang Xing had already packed his cloth-bundle and was saying his goodbyes to everyone at their C-Rank herb field.
All five of the daotongs—Wang Zhi, Freckle-Boy, Ghost-Face, Mousy, and Bowlegs—stood at the front of the wooden cabin in quiet admiration. It had been beyond their wildest imaginations that this child they once thought cruel beyond his years would become an outer court disciple, and all within a matter of months of his arrival.
They had seen how Fang Xing worked so hard in meditating and practicing the manual, but this was considered normal—a short-lived phase of enthusiasm. People would eventually accept their fate and give up on the fantasy of becoming a cultivator to settle down as an ordinary person. No one knew Fang Xing had already achieved the first tier of Spirit Stage until the night before, when he announced he would ring the Samsara Bell.
”Boss! I knew you weren’t some ordinary person like us! When you do become an outer court disciple… please don’t forget us, your brothers,” Wang Zhi said sincerely while struggling not to cry. Freckle-Boy, on the other hand, had already burst out into tears.
”Stop being such a crybaby! Your boss isn’t dying; I’m just getting a promotion for god’s sake! You dumbasses just remember what I told you last night about the weed. I worked hard on figuring this all out so you better keep it a secret, but as long as you do as I’ve told you, I’ll be your boss again when you come and join me in the outer court!”
All of them showed disbelief and hesitation when the Hwa’jin method was mentioned. ”But it’s… well, the method you told us… it’s a bit... bizarre. We’ll remember it, though!”
Fang Xing smiled. He’d already told them everything he figured out about using energy from Jing to transform and guide Qi into the meridians and step into Spirit Stage; whether they believed it or not was up to them.
”Alright, my brothers, I’m off now! See all of you later!” After waving his hands, Fang Xing turned his back and walked towards the paved paths leading into the depths of the back mountain.
”Best wishes to you, Boss Fang Xing!” All of the boys had emotional expressions, each of them seeming saddened by Fang Xing’s departure. As Fang Xing’s silhouette disappeared into the distance, however, all of the daotongs straightened their backs in relief and wiped the tears from their eyes. They looked at each other, and a sigh rang out almost in unison.
”That monster is finally gone!”
”I haven’t had a good sleep in the past few months he’s been here….”
”Thank the heavens! Maybe our lives can finally go back to normal again….”
—
Completely unaware of what the daotongs were saying behind his back, Fang Xing walked along the path towards the back mountain of the sect. From here, it was also possible to appreciate just how vast the Qing-Yun Sect really was. Mystical fog cascaded slowly along the mountain, but a gentle blow of wind would cause the fog to disappear and beautiful temples to be revealed.
The fields only went as far as the foot of the mountain, while pine trees and stone stairs led up to the quaint pavilion at its peak. Inside was a large bronze bell covered in moss, and as Fang Xing approached the top of the pavilion, he saw a plaque:
Upon the bell’s toll
A life ends to start anew
Soar up high and far
”I wonder if this is it?” Fang Xing muttered to himself, walking up to the pavilion before gently stroking the moss-covered bell. ”So this must be the Samsara Bell I need to ring in order to become an outer court disciple.”
As soon as Fang Xing confirmed it was the right place, he gave the bell a push.
Nothing.
Confused, Fang Xing concentrated on the bell and activated his Book of Revelation.
‘Samsara Bell. Low-grade spirit tool. Can only be activated through Qi. The sound of its ring extends over three miles….’
”I see how it is now. Qing-Yun and immortality, here I come! And Xiao Jianming, you better watch out; the tenth bandit of Guiyan Valley is finally here!” Taking a deep breath, Fang Xing circulated some Qi into his dantian before releasing it towards the bell all in one go.
HUUUUUUUM….
The bronze bell rang out with a low and deep sound, startling a flock of birds and causing them to fly off.