Nightfall

“There are many in the world who have joined the Devil. Do you think that this would bring me, the president of Commandment Yard out of the Xuankong temple? There is only one reason that could make this happen.”

Master Boshu sternly looked at Ning Que as he shouted, “I want to see if you are really the Son of Yama! You are bloody, cruel and have joined the Devil. If you are indeed the Son of Yama, not even the Headmaster can protect you!”

Staring into the eyes of the high monk which were as bright as precious stones, Ning Que remained in silence for a long time.

He had announced his parentage to the world last autumn in front of the Chang’an palace. Even before that, a rumored had surfaced when the Tang military checked on his relationship with the General’s Mansion.

According to the rumors, the Great Divine Priest of Light had seen that Ning Que was the legendary Son of Yama. Quni Madi had mentioned this earlier as well.

Ning Que had once been anxious and at a loss regarding these rumors. After some counseling by the Headmaster, he had grown to accept it. Furthermore, with the Academy behind him, no one dared to bring up the rumor to his face.

Quni Madi had mentioned it earlier, but Ning Que did not care about that because he knew that the old nun was trying to attack him as she was ashamed and angry. It did not affect him whatsoever. However, Master Boshu’s statement made him freeze.

Master Boshu was from the Xuankong Temple and was not dumb. He would not openly accuse a disciple from the Academy of being the Son of Yama just based on rumors. This was one of the most serious accusations in this world.

What worried Ning Que was something else; it was the warning sign he had felt when he saw the Buddhist palanquin on Tile Mountain a few days ago. He had not managed to pinpoint what the sign pointed to until now. Could it be this accusation?

“Is this the typical process when sects seek revenge for personal grudges in the name of the greater good?”

Ning Que looked at Boshu and said sarcastically, “I am glad that the Academy is also a major sect in the world. If I were just an ordinary cultivator, wouldn’t I have been framed and killed by you all and disappeared without a trace?”

Master Boshu said, “I said that you are the Son of Yama because I have proof.”

Ning Que said, “I am curious about what proof you have.”

Of course, Ning Que was not really curious. That was because he was the number one suspect for the position as Son of Yama until today while the second suspect, Prince Long Qing, had disappeared into the Wilderness.

However, at such occasion, he could not show any sign of nervousness.

Master Boshu looked at him silently. He got out a copper bell from his sleeves.

The copper bell has an ordinary copper color. However, its design was unique. It was round and wide, looking more like a tower bell.

Master Qishan looked at the bell, and his expression changed dramatically. He yelled angrily, “Boshu! Put the bell down!”

Boshu obviously held no respect for his own uncle today. He looked at Ning Que indifferently and held the bell in his right hand, saying, “This is called Yue laan. It is also called the cleansing bell.”

Looking at the copper bell, Cheng Ziqing recalled his Senior Brother mentioning a certain Buddhist instrument. His pupils contracted and he said incredulously, “Could this be the legendary Yue laan Bell?”

Master Dongming had already guessed what it was when he saw the copper bell. When he heard the name of the bell, he was shocked speechless. Meanwhile, an expression of shock and delight appeared on Quni Madi’s face.

The autumn breeze entered the temple, jiggling the bronze bell hanging between Boshu’s fingers. It emitted a crisp sound that was not cold, but gentle and compassionate.

The moment the bell sounded, Ning Que recalled that he had heard the bell before he had seen the Buddhist palanquin that day on the mountain path of Tile Mountain. Then, the birds had danced to the sound of the bells, and it was an incredulous sight.

He frowned slightly, feeling as if trouble was approaching.

Master Boshu held the bell in his fingers and said with pity, “The Yue Laan flower grows in pure land in the extreme west. It is well aware of the devil and the dark. The copper that was used to make this bell has laid in the flower fields for tens and thousands of years and is extremely pure. After it was cast as a bell, it accompanied Buddha as he practiced penance in the world for decades and eventually grew to have a Buddhist spirit.”

Ning Que looked at the copper bell between the master’s fingers and suddenly said, “Judging by your introduction and by the reactions of everyone here, I can guess that you are about to say that only this bell can find where the Son of Yama is.”

Master Boshu said solemnly, “Indeed.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “If this bell was really as good as you say, why would the West-Hill Divine Palace killed so many people to find the Son of Yama and why would the Great Divine Priest of Light be imprisoned for decades?”

Master Boshu said, “That is because the Son of Yama had just arrived then, and had not awakened.”

Ning Que asked, “Then how do you know that the Son of Yama has already awakened?”

Master Boshu said, “The skies have warned us that the Son of Yama has awakened. Otherwise, why would the Divine Priest of Light escape from the Peach Mountain to seek you in Chang’an?”

Ning Que said, “You are the one talking. Who knows if that bell in your hand is really the legendary Yue laan Bell? You might have gotten it from one of the meditation rooms in the temple. You’d better return it quickly, or the old monk in the meditation room might wake up at night and be scared to death when he finds the bell attached to his pants gone.”

This was a joke and was extremely disrespectful to the Buddhism Sect. It was a joke that was blasphemous to the Lanke Temple, so no one in the temple laughed. Their expressions grew more complex.

Master Boshu looked at him and said, “If it is just an ordinary copper bell, why don’t you listen to it?”

Ning Que said, “Why should I listen to it? Don’t you think it looks dumb?”

Master Boshu said calmly, “If the cleansing bell doesn’t affect you, then you are naturally not the Son of Yama. The Xuankong Temple will make amends to you then, naturally.”

Ning Que smiled and shook his head. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and looked at Master Boshu seriously, “This is the Academy’s precious Escape-proof Net. It can capture all evils on earth. And now, I highly suspect that Buddha is the Son of Yama. Do you want to dig his ashes up and let me fan him with this handkerchief?”

Despite Ning Que’s ridicule, Master Boshu was not affected. He said calmly, “I can let you try.”

Ning Que shook his head and said, “I did not suspect that you are the Son of Yama. I suspect Buddha is.”

Master Boshu suddenly smiled and said, “Mr. Thirteen, you are afraid.”

He was not afraid but vigilant. He had grown leery of the Buddhist palanquin after hearing the bell chime on the mountain path.

Ning Que thought to himself that, and then he had to admit that he was indeed afraid. Because his biggest fear was the rumor that he was the Son of Yama.

He glanced at Sangsang.

Master Boshu said softly, “Do you wish to leave?”

Ning Que was about to reply when he suddenly heard a tired and soft voice.

“Don’t let that copper bell ring.”

He heard that it was Master Qishan, and he could not help but stiffen.

Master Qishan sat on the futon and was hunched over. His dry lips murmured, saying something only Ning Que could hear. He said, “Even if you have to kill Boshu, don’t let that copper bell ring.”

Ning Que felt a shiver run down his back. The cleansing bell must be something extraordinary to make Master Qishan so anxious about it. The crux was that he remembered the conversation between them that night by the stream.

“So… we have to kill the Son of Yama to save the world?”

“There is another way apart from killing him.”

“What is it?”

“For example, having him cultivate in the Buddhist heart of peace, and then cleansing him with light?”

“Master… why do I feel like you’re talking about me.”

Could he really be the Son of Yama? Even though Ning Que bickered with Boshu with a smile on his face, deep down, he did not feel like smiling at all. He was cold beyond compare and was somewhat distracted.

He looked at Master Boshu and asked, “Since shaking the bell can determine who the Son of Yama is, then why didn’t you shake it all these days until this moment?”

Master Boshu said, “The cleansing bell is a Buddhist instrument and there are many strict conditions for its use. One has to be within a short distance of the person listening to the bell and one has to read scriptures to cleanse his heart.”

Ning Que said, “Then I just need to move a little further away from the bell and you won’t be able to do anything to me.”

Master Boshu said, “If you do not dare to listen to it, it is also a kind of proof. Would you be able to leave the Lanke Temple today?”

Ning Que suddenly smiled and said, “Is that so? I would like to see who would dare to stop me.”

With that, he placed his hands behind his back casually.

In actuality, he was prepared to catch something.

Sangsang, who was blocked by him, removed the quiver from her back and prepared to assemble the bow.

“Of course, to remove suspicion from the Academy, I agree to listen to the bell.”

Ning Que looked at Boshu and said with a smile, “Master, please recite the scriptures and cleanse your heart. I would like to find out what’s so special about the bell.”

He was prepared.

When Sangsang place the iron bow in his hand, he would shoot at Boshu. Perhaps an arrow or two wouldn’t kill him, but he would use up all thirteen of his iron arrows and flee with Sangsang, never to return.

Then, Master Boshu seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. He smiled and said, “Even though I have not cultivated in Silent Meditation with Qi Nian, I do know some ways to read scriptures silently.”

Ning Que grew worried when he heard that.

Silent ways of reading scriptures meant that the master did not need to read scriptures aloud for them to work. Master Boshu could have already been silently reading the scripture to activate the bell while he was distracted.

Ning Que knew that he had to act.

The iron bow had yet to reach him, so he could only grab hold of the hilt of his blade.

His wrist turned, and the heavy podao carried Haotian Divine Light and cut toward Master Boshu.

He extended his left index finger at the same time and drew a line before him in the air.

Master Boshu’s expression did not change. He placed his left hand in a prayer position and a strong Buddhist aura appeared, transforming into a hazy gesture which caught hold of the terrifying blade.

The gesture disappeared without a trace once the blade was stopped.

The little bronze bell in Master Boshu’s right hand had already begun to shake.

A crisp ringing sounded in the Buddhist Temple.

It was different from the bell sound he heard on the mountain path.

It was also benevolent but not as gentle. Instead, it was solemn and felt as if it was about to wash off all the filth in the world.

The chiming of the bell spread out of the Buddhist temple and throughout the Lanke Temple.

There were 17 ancient bells in the Lanke Temple spread across pavillions; behind the temple, in some corridors, and beside plum trees.

The 17 bells started to chime almost simultaneously.

The heavy bright sound of the bells reverberated through the cornices of the temple.

But they could not hide the crisp sound of the single bell.

The single bell sounded in reply.

The sound of the bell flew to the peak of Tile Mountain.

The Buddha stone statue quietly emitted a solemn light among the clouds.

…