Chapter 190 The Yellow Bell of Heaven and Earth: "Murder and theft of medicine, a heinous crime..."

On the high city walls, the guards muttered curses under their breath about the awful weather.

It was drizzling in the morning and afternoon, which made the peonies under the eaves wilt. They were so scared that they quickly went to protect them from the rain. But then, inexplicably, the sun came out again.

"This is unbelievable! I've lived in Luoyang for decades and have never seen such a view in winter."

Another person rubbed his hands together: "And in the city, the flowers are inexplicably wilted today, it's very strange. Could it be under some kind of spell?"

Since it concerned the peony, which was the Empress's favorite flower, no one dared to neglect it.

After a moment of contemplation, the guards looked at the lone cultivator from the Star Domain who was standing to the side. They originally wanted to go forward and ask him something, but seeing that he was staring intently at the outside of the city with his brows furrowing more and more, they couldn't help but ask.

"Master, you've been standing here for almost a day. Is someone watching you?"

The cultivator glanced at him distractedly, rubbed his sore eyes, raised the magical artifact in his hand, and the crane's head turned around rhythmically.

He said with some unease, “You have come at the right time. I was ordered to keep watch here and prevent a certain person from entering the city. As soon as he gets close, this treasure will make a move.”

The group exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't it move? Could that person be nearby?"

The cultivator held his head in his hands, looking agitated: "That's how it should be, but it's been spinning for half an hour now. He's clearly nearby, but he hasn't shown up yet. I don't even know if he's entered the city or not. Should I go and report back?"

He's torturing me, he must be torturing me!

The guard captain pondered for a moment before speaking, "My lord, please don't be hasty. There is a detection array at the city wall; even the most powerful cultivator cannot hide from it. Order them to be on alert!"

The cultivator was overjoyed, as if seeing a savior: "So there was a magic array! This magic array must have originated from the palace! Oh dear, I should have told you sooner!"

He stepped forward in a few strides and saw the team leader take out a scroll with a rotating magic array on it. He then put the crane-shaped spiritual treasure into the scroll, and a celestial wheel immediately appeared in the scroll, which settled in one place in no time.

The team leader said, "I've got it! It's ten miles east of the White Tiger point at the Kan River!"

The cultivator immediately turned his head to look, and in the dim sunlight, there was a slightly low hill about ten miles to the east.

The guard asked in confusion, "Has this person been there the whole time? Is there some kind of ambush?"

These words startled the cultivator. If he calculated, Ru Xian had been there for at least half an hour, but he had clearly gone far away before, so why did he suddenly turn back?

The cultivator grew increasingly uneasy. Hesitantly, he drew his longsword and said to the others, "That person has a special identity. I'm afraid he might want to harm Luoyang City, so I'm going to investigate first. You can keep this spiritual treasure here to monitor his location at all times."

After saying this, he sent a messenger bird to his fellow disciples in the Star Domain, and then gritted his teeth and got up.

The mountain was indeed not far away; it only took a few moments to fly there on a sword. The cultivator quietly landed at the top of the mountain, hiding behind a boulder, and peered out into the distance.

With just one glance, his pupils constricted and his heart pounded like a drum.

What should have been a flat mountaintop covered with pine trees was now as if it had been swept away by some sharp object, all collapsed and broken, with only sharp half-truncations protruding abruptly, and a strong pine scent filled the air.

However, among these scattered branches lay countless corpses, their blood staining the ground. This pungent, sweet scent mingled with the pine resin, growing ever stronger, a scent that shook the mind and intoxicated the senses.

But what is most chilling is not the mountain of corpses and the sea of ​​blood, but the figure standing on it.

On the mountain of corpses, a man stood holding a gun.

The sleeve of her left robe fluttered slightly in the wind, while her right hand moved with remarkable agility. Her waist was bound with supple gold thread, and red marks splattered at the hem, the varying shades of blood spreading out like a painting of searching for plum blossoms in the snow.

He looked down, his hair slightly disheveled, a few strands falling onto his eyelashes, making his emerald eyes appear even deeper green.

However, a strange blush appeared on his cheeks, carrying a hint of satisfied enjoyment.

He raised his finger to wipe away the warmth on his chin and whispered, "Have you seen enough?"

The cultivator dared not think about why he was making a move here, dared not think about what he was going to do, and his first reaction was to run away.

He had only taken one step when a turquoise spear descended from the sky, blocking his path. The cultivator's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, his throat tightening as he gripped his sword tightly.

Ru Xian did not approach, but instead stepped down, slowly took off her outer robe, and burned it in the ghostly blue flames. She then changed into another robe with silver patterns and jade color. Her movements were fluid and graceful, as if she were in a high pavilion rather than in a mountain of corpses.

In this critical moment, under immense pressure, the cultivator had a momentary lapse of judgment and actually looked behind him.

He counted ten, twenty... and mourned for these disciples, whose sects he did not know.

But right now he should be mourning his own arrogance!

"You, how did you get back!" He paused for a moment, then immediately slapped himself. "No, no, I just wandered in by accident. I didn't mean to disturb you. Please forgive me, senior!"

As if the flush on his face had not yet faded and his breathing still carried a barely perceptible panting, he did not even have the intention of replying. Now that the afterglow was still lingering, he simply raised his hand and casually tightened it, and the cultivator was as if he had been choked, and began to sob in broken voices.

He thought to himself that he had never left, let alone returned.

He left the city simply because he was worried about the rain and the incense burning in front of the grave getting wet, so he went to the outskirts. But he stumbled upon some interesting things, so he decided to stay outside the city and clean up before returning.

But some people just had to come here.

A sharp cracking sound rang out—the sound of a throat bone splitting. Just as the man thought he was about to die, he suddenly heard a resounding bell toll, like the cry of a phoenix and the roar of a dragon, yet also very dignified and solemn.

This is the sound of the Yellow Bell of Heaven and Earth.

"The traitor Lin Feiran has infiltrated the palace to assassinate the Holy Empress. His crime deserves death! A warrant is hereby issued for his capture. We urge all those with a sense of justice to join us in bringing him to justice!"

The bell-ringer's voice was majestic and solemn. With just that one bell, the imperial edict was instantly transmitted throughout the land, echoing in every breeze, so that everyone in the world would know this shocking news.

The city of Luoyang alone was already like a pot of boiling water, filled with doubt, surprise, anger, and sighs... a cacophony of voices echoed, resonating with the sound of the bell, creating a great cacophony.

Even this cultivator, facing a life-or-death crisis, gasped upon hearing this and immediately began to cough.

Ru Xian's hand paused slightly, then he looked towards Luoyang City, his face relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips as he faced the rosy dawn, whether it was praise or helplessness was hard to tell.

"This has really caused a big incident."

In that case, won't we be stuck in the demon realm from now on?

Having said that, he no longer paid attention to what was in front of him. He picked up the Golden Wave Umbrella, leaped up, and disappeared in an instant.

The monk collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily, overjoyed that he had finally escaped with his life.

Out of friendship, he stepped forward to see which sect the disciple belonged to so that he could inform their master. However, he searched high and low but could not find any token, only identical, wet, red cloud-patterned robes.

...

There are five Heavenly Bells in the human realm, located in the Central State Royal Palace, the Great Pine Mountain in the Eastern Yu State, the Bishui Spring in the Southern Ping State, the Western Sha'ou, and the Northern Snow Peak. They were forged by talented individuals from various states during the war between the human and demon realms. They do not require hand seals or incantations; a single strike can transmit a message to the world.

Today, the Yellow Bell has become a symbol.

Lin Feiran had lived for nineteen years and had never heard the sound of bells and chimes before. Today, he was able to hear them, and they were actually ringing for him.

They cried out in protest against her "murder to steal medicine, a heinous crime."

She found it amusing, yet even more absurd, so she simply pursed her lips and watched the solemn sound carry far away, a sense of inexplicable anger rising within her.

Such a strange illness as the cold disease came from the north, and now some clues can be seen in Luoyang. This should be a matter to be spread throughout the world, not just for their own scheme.

She stood in the center of the square surrounded by people, staring directly at the Emperor. Her gaze was fixed on him. When she saw his face suddenly turn pale, she seemed to sense something and lowered her eyes to look at the person in her arms.

In the portrait from the past, Bai Lu should have been a more aloof and otherworldly person, but now she has closed her eyes and her brows are relaxed, showing no trace of resilience, only the relief after being tormented.

That's just how people are.

The love of the past was real, as was the hatred and numbness that followed; the cruelty of the past was real, as was the repentance and sorrow that followed.

Every moment of experience is real, interwoven together, trapping oneself within it, and thus pain arises.

Lin Feiran sighed, not for her, nor for anyone else.

Gradually, Bai Lu's body began to dissipate. Cultivators at their level would turn into spiritual energy after death and return to the world. Thus, the person in her hand began to feel lighter.

She looked up at the sky. Today was indeed a good day for the welcoming banquet. In winter, Luoyang rarely saw the sun, let alone such a rosy glow. She had encountered such a rare and wonderful sight.

"Sometimes I think, if I could be a heartless bamboo or a wildflower growing in the corner of a wall, I wouldn't have to suffer like this anymore."

But we are human, and since we can't avoid it, we can only face it.

She opened her clenched right hand, revealing a sky-blue pill inside. Upon seeing the stunned expression on the Emperor's face, she slowly crushed it.

"Then, defeat it."

The Emperor stood among the crowd, his expression strange. Amidst his shock, the first thing that arose in his heart was a sense of bewilderment.

Bai Lu did not take the pill.

Even if Lin Feiran is a young genius, he would never emerge unscathed from a fight with her.

Therefore, the only possibility is that she did not take it.

She chose death herself.

Why?

A sense of bewilderment rose in the Emperor's heart. Having witnessed countless deaths among his relatives, he was so numb that he failed to react to Bailu's passing immediately. He simply stood there, staring blankly.

Ding Yi glanced at him, already having made his calculations, then sighed inwardly and raised his voice, "Disciples of the Star Domain, listen to my command! Capture Lin Feiran here and subject her to punishment. Under no circumstances should she be allowed to escape back to the Demon Realm!"

Thump.

Another bell rang, making Shen Qi's head spin. Wei Changzai, however, turned his gaze to Lin Feiran with a calm and collected expression. After scanning the crowd, he quietly focused his attention on Lin Feiran.

In the next instant, before he could react, he had already moved to stand in front of her and blocked a gleaming dagger.

Facing hardship and embracing joy, the words he had just heard kept echoing in his ears, and he finally gained some enlightenment.

Instead of dwelling on the pain of her departure, we should face it head-on and try to bring her back.

Just like the sage Genqian seeking jade and Bailu writing a book, as long as one perseveres, things will not fail. As long as he follows for a long time, Lin Feiran will also return.

"Manman, do you want to go to the demon realm?" He turned to look at Lin Feiran.

Seeing her expression, he already knew the answer, so he slightly lowered his eyes and drew his Kunwu sword half an inch from its sheath.

"good."

A faint chill emanated from the sword, its sharp light piercing. He then asked, "What else do you intend to do today?"

He had already seen the anger hidden in Lin Feiran's eyes, and he knew she would do something.

She raised her hand, intending to draw the shimmering sword, but a faster sword cry pierced the air. So she twitched her brow, leaped up, and took the more suitable longsword, Jinlan.

She looked back and saw a silver-white figure standing on the roof ridge, like a hailstone holding a golden umbrella, its face hidden in the shadows, its expression unreadable.

Lin Feiran gripped the hilt of the sword, ran her fingers along the blade, pursed her lips slightly, and then exhaled a breath of fresh air.

In an instant, the sword spirit's figure flashed by, emerging from the umbrella and standing beside the sword. She looked back, paused slightly when she saw Bai Lu, and then turned her head towards Lin Feiran.

The spirit of the Golden Wave Sword was startled and its body paused slightly, but it quickly transformed into the sword, and a sharp light appeared on the Golden Wave Sword.

"I see."

Wei Changzai lowered his eyes, drew his Kunwu sword, and took a step. Snow spread out from under his feet, and a chilling coldness spread out, instantly reaching every place.

"Whatever you want to do, I will help you."

Author's note: Ahhh, I really want to write the end of this volume right away! It's been dangling the carrot in my mouth for so long!