Chapter 44: Golden Bell
Chapter 44: Golden Bell
Bilu startled, then read it closely again. The writing of the four lines were meticulous, very difference than the Liburis in the stone chamber. It appeared to be a work of someone else.
From the meaning of those writing, it seem like a bitter word from a infatuated woman. It was strange of how such thing appeared in Felkin's sacred ground "Blooddrop Cave".
She thought for long time but couldn't find the answer. She shook her head, gave up. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Shaw Danon had already came out of the stone chamber sliently, standing behind her. His expression was weird. Like grieve, like surprised, and also like perplexed. His frowned tightly, muscle twisted, a little hideous.
Bilu was surprised and letted out a scream "Ah", stepped back. The delicate bell softly shook at her waist, letted out clear and pleasant ding-dong sound, echo in the cave.
Shaw Danon heard the bell. His body shocked, it was like he suddenly woke up. His emotion was relaxed, but replaced by puzzle.
He was pondering at the Liburis monument inside the stone chamber, then the fire stick glowed like woke up from sleep. The icy coldness feeling spread through his body. After that, he walked out here subconsciously, until he finally saw the crushed skeleton.
Shaw Danon looked at the fire stick that tied to his left arm. It was still glowing with soft green light to the fallen sketeton, like feeling sorry for an old friend.
Shaw Danon did not know why he will have that thought, but looking at that skeleton, there was also sadness in his heart. Although he clearly knew the person who died here must be a important person of Felkin Bloodforger, probably the Elder Blackheart like Bilu said, he felt friendly to that skeleton.
The light of the fire stick dimmed, returned to the ugly black. Shaw Danon still looked at that skeleton, then, under the eyes of Bilu, he slowly walked to it.
Bilu snorted, then stood before him, smiled coldly: "Although I don't like that blackheart old man, and also different branch. But we are all Holy faction's disciple, we all made an oath before Nether Mother and Heaven Vidyaraja. If you want to do anything impolite to his dead body, I will not allow it."
Shaw Danon looked at her, said: "He is now crushed in pieces, it is all thank to you!"
Bilu flushed, but her word did not step back, said determinedly: "I will repent to mother and vidyaraja, but I will never let you do anything to it!"
Shaw Danon looked at her, suddenly said: "I have no intend to."
Bilu startled, seeing he was calm, no sign of hatred. She felt that Jadeon youngster was much different than the Righteous people who loaded with justice and virtue. At that moment of hesitation, Shaw Danon walked past her. She paused for a moment, then turned and looked at him.
Shaw Danon walked in front of the skeleton. Long time had passed, the pale bones had glowed with light green color. Due to the heavy hit from Bilu, the bones below the chest were all fallen apart, only the skull remain fine. It landed on top of the bones. The hollow eyes was looking at Shaw Danon.
Shaw Danon shivered. He felt the soul was still in there, looking at him. But he still went to it, and slowly drew the scattered bones into a pile. The chill came out from the bone, he did not feel scare.
It was like an old friend!
Shaw Danon was relieved, like he did what he should do and able to relax. It was weird, but he really had that feeling. He thought: This fire stick was too weird. If I get out alive, I have to ask master about it.
He finished. As he was about to rose up, he noticed at place where skeleton was sitting, because he removed bones, there were writing on there. He letted out a "huh".
Bilu was coldly watching Shaw Danon doing weird thing. She suddenly heard Shaw Danon discovered something. She was curious, so she went there and took a look. There were also several of lines written there.
Her heart suffered, hard to return,
regret too late, can't be together.
Sinister misunderstand golden bell,
whole life always.......
At the fourth line, the writing became powerless, especially at the third character "always", it was illegible, almost unreadable. At the end, it was just a line, stopped. Appeared the person had collaspe and no longer able to continue.
In the cave, Shaw Danon and Bilu were in silent. They could feel there was a sad story within the two writings. A lady with a broken heart and dying man's regret.
Shaw Danon was lost in thought. Though he never see the unknow lovers, he felt a little sorrow after seeing writings from thousand years ago.
On the other hand, Bilu frowned tightly. Her eyes stared at the lines, mouth mumbled: "Sinister misunderstand golden bell, sinister misunderstand golden bell......golden bell? Ah! Right, Jingling!"
She thought of something and cheered. Shaw Danon was surprised. He asked: "What golden bell?"
Bilu was excited, and filled with joy, said: "It is Lady Jingling! You don't know?"
Shaw Danon shook his head confusingly. Bilu snorted, glared at him, then happily said: "Lady Jingling is a important figure of our Holy faction thousand years ago. She was extermely intelligent, highly cultivated, and fully understood our holy script Liburis. She found "Lupin" alone in the Holy faction. She is the top female figure in our faction!"
Shaw Danon lost interest in it. According to her, it seem like Lady Jingling was a very power person thousand years ago in Felkin. But when he heard that she found a branch call "Lupin", he knew that old woman wasn't a good person. Bilu seem really admired that Lady Jingling.
Shaw Danon snorted, did not reply to her. Then he turned back and fixed the skeleton because they ruined it to read the writing. There was a strange idea appeared in his mind: Seem like you are also a infatuated person, probably died for that woman!
Of'course the dead did not answer him. It was just Shaw Danon's thinking. He felt more friendly to the skeleton.
Bilu was happily talking to herself: "Can believe Lady Jingling had love toward that damn Elder Blackheart. Hmph, must be blackheart old man betrayed her. Heartless man, should be killed by thunder! Best to die!"
"Nonsense!" Shaw Danon suddenly shouted.
Bilu was stunned. After a while of staring at him, she said curiously: "What did you said?"
Shaw Danon realized it was not right. He was from the Righteous, but help defend a savage Felkin killer from eight hundreds years ago. If the Jadeon masters hear it, it will result in harsh punishment. But he did not know why he would let that out from his mouth. Now he was asked by Bilu, he couldn't find an answer.
Bilu looked at him strangely, then she suddenly thought of one thing and forgot about Shaw Danon. She picked up the golden bell tied to her waist, very excited, she laughed loudly: "Ah! Isn't this Lady Jingling's 'Lupin Bell'!" Then she quickly turned the golden bell and looked inside. There were three small characters.
Lupin Bell!
Shaw Danon saw Bilu was so happy and almost going get killed by laughter, it appeared she had obtained a powerful esper by chance. He wasn't comfortable. He said coldly: "You find the exit yet?"
There was only the little bell in her eyes, she answered casually: "Nope!"
Shaw Danon turned his head away, lightly said: "Then you better die with this golden bell in this cave."
Bilu startled, then realized the most important thing now was to look for an exit, hurried asked: "You find it?"
Shaw Danon shook his head silently. They look at each other. Bilu took away her smile, said solemnly: "Then we should find the way first!"
With death in front of them, Shaw Danon quietly nodded. They searched the tunnels and caves together. Closely examined every single wall, every single rift. Shaw Danon ignored Bilu's strong objection, he even examined the two statues of Nether Mother and Heaven Vidyaraja, but still couldn't find anything.
When they regroup in front of the crashed skeleton, seeing other's depressed look, their faces dimmed.
Bilu said sadly: "Are we going to die here?"
Shaw Danon lowered his head, couldn't see his face. Bilu was also silence. Suddenly, the shadow of death engulfed the two young life.
After a long while, in the silent as two of them did not say anything, Shaw Danon suddenly jumped up and went away. Bilu was surprised, said: "What are you doing?"
Shaw Danon gritted his teeth, said: "I am going to search one more time. There must be a way out. We are not going to die here!"
In his heart, there was still a sentence he did not say and sounding inside him: I must see Ling'Er Shijie again, even if I die, I need to bury at Bamboo Peak!
Bilu did not do anything, just sat on the platform, watching Shaw Danon continue searching with his strong desire of wanting to live.
One time.
Two times.
Three times.
Four times.
Bilu could not remember how many time Shaw Danon had went through the stone chambers and caves. Each time he returned with nothing. But he still did not give up. Maybe it was his stubborn nature, or maybe it was his strong desire to live, he kept continuing searching for a way out, continuing, continuing.......
Until his feet began to shake, until he ran out of strength, until he went next to Bilu, swung to the side and fell. He landed heavily on the ground and passed out.
Bilu gazed at him. Hesitated for a moment, then walked to him and turned his body over. It seem nothing serious, just over exhausted plus hunger and thrist, so he fainted. She gave a sigh of relieved.
Then she startled, asked herself in deep of her heart: "Why I relieve, he is fine why I need to sigh?"
That idea flashed through her mind like lighting.
She deeply looked at him. On that young man's face, it was languish due to injuries and hunger. His lips were cracked from dryness.
Bilu softly putted him down. Gazed at him for a moment, then said: "Since we are meant to die here together, I don't want to be alone too soon. It is better to have someone with me."
She went outside and back to the cave entrance to take some water from the pond. Then she took some food and tried to feed Shaw Danon.
Perhaps because Shaw Danon was unconscious, he could not eat any food, only drank some water from Bilu's water bag. He still hadn't wake up.
After a day of work, Bilu was also tired. Shaw Danon's situation seem fine. She closed her eys and fell asleep.
After a while of sleep, Bilu woke up. Her first action was immediately looked at Shaw Danon. Shaw Danon was peacefully laying there, not moving. He was sleeping. She relieved, couldn't help but scolded quietly: "Why sleep like a dead pig!"
As she spoke, she herself smiled. It was like watching this young man, her mood got better, she even forgot the death in near future.
She suddenly realized that although Shaw Danon was sleeping, his face flushed with redness. A bit not right. She quickly reach out her hand and checked. His forehead was burning hot. She was surprised, did not expected Shaw Danon to have a high fever at this critical moment.
Normally, cultivators had strong body, hardly get ill for hundreds years. But Shaw Danon was heavily injuried for the past several days, mentally and physically exhausted, the body was damaged badly. At the end, without caring his body condition, he used all his strength to search for an exit in Blooddrop Cave. After passed out, he had a high fever.
This sickness was not light, after long time his fever did not get lower (in the cave, Bilu did not know how many days). Bilu couldn't do anything. She could only help him get some water to lower his temperature, but it was useless.
Later, Shaw Danon's fever was still not gone, he began to say random stuff. Bilu was extremely worried and anxious. When she thought of she need to wait for death in this cave alone, she was terrified. So even something Shaw Danon said, even a gasp, it was like heaven compared to the horrible days later.
No matter what Bilu tried, she could only bring some water. In the cave, there was no doctor or herbs. How could she help. Shaw Danon's sickness was getting worse day by day. The random words was getting more frequent.
That day, Bilu stayed anxiously next to the unconscious Shaw Danon. He suddenly turned over and curled up, cried: "Ghost, ghost, ghost......." Then suddenly said angrily: "You killed my parents, killed all villagers, I am going to kill you!"
Bilu was surprised, quickly held him, kept saying: "No, no! There is no ghost here!"
Perhaps her words worked, Shaw Danon calmed down. The fear on his face was also settled, but then it changed to a sad expression.
His eyes were close, said quietly: "Shijie, shijie, don't abandon me, I, I want to.....don't abandon me......"
Bilu startled, sorrow passed through her heart, but courage came out from her, she gently said: "Never! Your Shijie is here, she won't abandon you."
Smile immediately appeared on Shaw Danon's face, it was like this was Shaw Danon happiest moment. His mouth kept mumbling: "Shijie, shijie......."
Bilu saw his peace within the suffer face, the was pain sliced through her heart.
The girl who he care so much about, the shijie that he still remember even when he is unconscious, how is she like?
She remembered that day under Forsaken Abyss, the Jadeon female disciple with blue sword that Shaw Danon tried hard to protect. Can it be, her?
Bilu frowned. She could remember that lady had a extremely beautiful face. Even saying she could enchant the entire country was not too over. No wonder Shaw Danon would fall for her! But no matter how smart Bilu is, she would not know the one that Shaw Danon obsessed with was Hidi who was still at Mount Jadeon Bamboo Peak.
For the following days, Bilu always stayed next to Shaw Danon. She learned more about Shaw Danon from his sleep talk. She found out he borned in the place call "Grasstemple Village"; she found out that village's tragic event; she also found out the lady he obsessed with was his Shijie at Bamboo Peak, but she could not be sure is that Shijie the one who held blue sword that day.
Only, from these days of taking care of Shaw Danon, Bilu could feel she had a strange feeling toward that young man. Every day gazed at his depressed face seem to be the only way to spend the boring time.
She often stared at him like that for long time, long time. But she never thought of, at the stone chamber next to him, the Felkin's holy script "Liburis".
Sometime, when Shaw Danon settled, she would slowly walked to the writing left by Lady Jingling. Gazed at it for a moment, then softly said: "Lady, you had left a warning that, all men of this world are heartless. But you can see, this Shaw Danon is very infatuated!"
But there was no one answered her in this empty cave. Only when she turned, the little golden bell letted out a clear pleasing ring, at her side, in this cave, softly echo, seem like saying something.
Like there was a pair of gentle eyes, and a lingering soul, watching them, surrounding them.