Chapter 6 One Tower, One Bell, One Wooden Fish

Two days ago.

"He's gone, stop staring blankly."

"ah."

"If you can't bear to part with it, then hurry up and chase after it. Don't dawdle."

"ah."

"You're not chasing me, you're not moving, you're just standing there staring blankly. What are you trying to do? Outlast me?"

"ah……"

"Forget it, it's exhausting talking to a mute like you. Hurry up and send me back to that prison. If your senior sisters find out, you'll be fine, but I'll have to cut off one of my arms."

"Ah ah..."

"What? You're asking me if he's really alright? Heh, little girl, you can question my character, but don't question my medical skills. This kid's injuries have healed; he's just experiencing temporary amnesia after waking up. He'll recover once he sees some familiar things. I was just teasing the mad monk a bit earlier."

"You're smart to come to me so quickly this time, knowing that my medical skills are ten thousand times better than those Yuqing Taoists from Gezao Mountain..."

"ah……"

"What? You mean you only contacted me because you're closer?"

"..."

The air in the underground palace was quiet for a while.

"Hmph! Next time something happens, go to the Jade Purity Sect and beg for a Golden Elixir. See if they're willing to give it to you. Besides, I don't like scholars' lineages. If you come to me for this brat's sake... Ha, do you know what this dilapidated mural on the wall behind me is about?"

"Forget it, it's pointless to ask. This is a Jataka tale, telling the story of 'King Kui Mu' giving away his eyes' from the 'Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish.' You probably haven't heard of it, but you'll understand if there's a next time."

"I am a humble Taoist priest who does not practice medicine but only trade. I do not talk about feelings. One item is exchanged for one life. I do not cheat the young or the old."

"I'm making an exception to repay your favor this time. Next time, if I save him again, I'll take your eyes."

The old Taoist priest, covered in poisonous sores, waved his sleeves and sneered, but immediately saw the mute girl with a sword on her back standing in the center of the underground palace nod without hesitation.

She clutched a used sheepskin water pouch tightly between her nine fingers, like an unbreakable lock. Her clear eyes, which seemed to hold the gentle flow of white clouds, gazed into the distance, but the vast blue sky remained untouched.

"I despise scholars even more now."

...

Ouyang Rong felt as if he had arrived at the South Heavenly Gate, standing above a sea of ​​clouds in a clear sky.

Looking around, all around were swirling platinum clouds, as dense as clouds and as ethereal as mist.

A golden sun seems to be hidden deep within the clouds, causing the entire sea of ​​clouds to gradually change from white to pale gold to golden as it moves from near to far and from shallow to deep.

What caught Ouyang Rong's eye the most was an ancient pagoda covered in the dust of history, half-hidden and half-revealed by golden clouds at the very center of his field of vision, with two large purple-gold characters on the plaque: "Merit and Virtue".

At this moment, the gate slowly opened, and Ouyang Rong, somewhat expectant, wandered in. However, the scene that came into view was very simple, the familiar layout of "one bell and one wooden fish".

That's all.

Apart from that, there was nothing else; everything was filled with white mist.

Ouyang Rong tried to compare it with the poorly made Merit Tower APP in his memory.

They are not exactly the same, but completely identical.

Just like the cheap, low-quality stickers that programmers seem to have found out of nowhere in mini-apps, the "one bell and one wooden fish" inside the ancient pagoda are also quite ordinary.

"Good heavens, the outside of the tower is so magnificent, but the inside is just a shoddy job. It's like they outsourced some kind of cheat code, right? Be careful, or Buddha might deduct your merits!" Ouyang Rong muttered.

"But that's possible. The merit pagoda I didn't see when I went to Donglin Temple that day was just as ordinary as this place... I just wonder if this blessing bell is as effective as rumored, and if ringing it can really make your wishes come true and bring you blessings... Doesn't that mean I have hope of going home?"

Ouyang Rong's gaze was immediately drawn to it, and he looked up to examine the ancient bronze bell.

The latter remained as silent as ever. Suddenly, a fragmented message came to mind.

Ouyang Rong was taken aback. He stood still for a while, and soon he had roughly digested the divine thought. He lowered his head and pondered.

This bell is the core of the entire merit pagoda... When it senses a certain impending 'karma', it can consume stored merit points to ring the bell once, capturing this fleeting and easily missed 'karma' and immediately granting the recipient a blessing.

The amount of merit required varies depending on the magnitude of the blessings received; naturally, the greater the blessings, the more merit is required.

The types of blessings and attainments are particularly extensive. The incomplete information briefly listed some, including the expected fortuitous encounters with treasures and sudden enlightenment of profound skills, as well as the blessing of romantic encounters and winning the heart and favor of beautiful women... Something's not right here. However, the merit pagoda in the temple in his previous life did seem to serve the general public, and it did have services for seeking marriage, so it makes sense.

In addition to these, there is also a way to ward off disasters and misfortunes, and a way to offset bad karma with good fortune. The former sounds pretty good, as it can save a dog's life in a critical moment.

But the latter phrase, "offsetting karmic obstacles," made Ouyang Rong frown slightly. What did these karmic obstacles refer to? Did they refer to acts of wrongdoing, such as violating human ethics, betraying one's ancestors, or corrupting filial piety? He certainly couldn't use that; he was a principled and upright gentleman! This was a bit redundant. The Buddha really didn't understand him at all…

After roughly understanding the information, Ouyang Rong discovered that this "good fortune and positive results" is actually a kind of wish fulfillment, but it requires an external direct or indirect cause, like "elemental awareness" to awaken the blessing bell, and then it can be exchanged for with merit points!

"Then where does merit come from... Right, strike the wooden fish!"

Ouyang Rong's spirits lifted, and he was eager to try.

"It's okay if it's a bit broken, as long as it's usable for knocking. This time, we'll definitely knock it properly."

However, when he approached the wooden fish with high expectations and took a look...

"Damn it, why is my account still banned?!"

Seeing the little wooden fish marked with a red cross, Ouyang Rong felt dizzy and almost got sent away.

He took a deep breath and checked it several times before he could barely accept the reality.

He had a stern face.

You're permanently banned from all realms, right? Even if I reincarnate and change my account, the ban won't be lifted, right? You're really going to mess with me, aren't you? Tell me, are you a sore loser?

"I thought no one in this world could wait for me forever, but I didn't expect you to be the one who missed out - you titled scumbag."

Ouyang Rong sighed deeply, feeling that Buddha was being a bit too petty.

What angered him even more was that the huge amount of merit points he had accumulated before his account was banned hadn't come along with it.

So this is after deducting illegal gains? Could it be that he pushed Buddha to second place on the list that night? Or is his current merit count inherited from this world?

Ouyang Rong glanced again at the line of cyan-gold seal script above the wooden fish bearing the title:

[Merit: 101]

"I have lived a life of good deeds and have always been a virtuous and upright person. How could I have ended up like this?"

However, he was not one to complain or blame others, and he quickly rallied.

Ouyang Rong nodded: "But thinking about it carefully, the original owner was able to force his way all the way to Longcheng County... It's good that I have this much left, I should be glad it's not negative... Speaking of which, can merit points be negative? Will I have bad luck?"

He smiled.

"Calm down, calm down, there's always a way out..."

Ouyang Rong circled the wooden fish inside the tower a few times, looked around at the empty, bright space, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up:

"Since the title can't be sealed, then where did the wooden fish sound in the Sanhui Courtyard come from? The Merit Pagoda was also awakened at that time... It seems that the merit points increased."

"And what was I doing at the time? I was saved by my aunt's magnanimity... no, cough, I mean by easing the tense doctor-patient relationship and saving my hair and my hosting skills."

Ouyang Rong suddenly realized: "I understand, it's very simple, do good deeds and accumulate 'virtue'!"

...

————

(PS: Just a quick explanation, this cheat is not the system, and I personally don't really like the system.)

Those familiar with Xiao Rong's previous works should know that Xiao Rong is a perfectionist when it comes to logic and details, so even her special abilities must be explainable within the world's framework and will be revealed later in the story. This isn't an endorsement of Buddhism; it's just a small borrowing of elements, with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all written equally.

If I had to describe it, that cheat ability would be similar to the Gray Mist in Lord of Mysteries.

Thanks to my good brother "Civet Cat Jiang" for joining the guild! *sobs* I'll add an extra chapter for you when it goes live early next month! (Waves a big hand)

(End of this chapter)