Midnight Bell 3

Anling is a large border city. Although it is not as exquisite and prosperous as Yidu, it has a large flow of people and is very lively.

After entering the city, Xiao Congzhi found an inn to rest for the night. The next morning, he found a teahouse, sat down, and stayed there.

It's no secret in the martial arts world that the Demonic Sect invited the Martial Arts Alliance to gather in Anling for the Mid-Autumn Festival to exchange gifts. Right now, Anling is filled with all sorts of people from all walks of life, more than twice the usual number.

"Hey, do you think the Demonic Sect will really come to Anling on Mid-Autumn Festival night?"

"A little over a month ago in Xiacheng, the leader of the Demonic Sect personally sent out an invitation. It would be too disgraceful of us not to come, wouldn't it?"

"But I've been thinking about it for over a month and I still can't figure it out. Why invite them, and how do they get into the Central Plains?"

"That's not something we should worry about."

"How could it not be? Are you just going to stand by and watch the Demonic Sect return to the Central Plains? Have you forgotten the catastrophe of a hundred years ago?"

"You weren't even born a hundred years ago, how could you remember your past life? It's all passed down by word of mouth, who knows if it's true or not."

"Exactly. If they were really as brutal as rumored, they would have just wiped out the Martial Alliance. Why bother sending out invitations?"

Yes, yes.

Xiao Congzhi sipped his tea and listened to the conversation below. He suddenly found it interesting. He hadn't expected that these martial arts figures would think this way. No wonder Xie Mowen once said that the only martial arts schools that were truly committed to punishing the Demonic Sect were Shaolin and Wudang.

"Which family's male prostitute has escaped?" A slightly greasy voice rang out beside Xiao Congzhi.

Xiao Congzhi frowned and turned his head. A tall, slightly dark-skinned, and slightly overweight man was standing a few steps away from him. Judging from his clothes, he probably came from a well-off family.

The uninvited guest flippantly looked Xiao Congzhi up and down, disgustingly waving his gaudy fan, his intentions obvious.

Xiao Congzhi was truly shocked. He never expected to be misunderstood like this. Although the people from the border region were tall and strong, making him look small and pitiful in comparison, and he wasn't dressed like a martial arts figure today, but... were the people of Anling really so unruly and rude?!

Seeing Xiao Congzhi's shocked expression, the newcomer was even more pleased, his smile becoming laced with lewdness. He swayed his head and said, "I am..."

Xiao Congzhi raised his hand and urgently called for a halt: "No need for introductions. We've only met by chance, so let's part ways here." With that, he put down his teacup, stood up, and hurriedly prepared to leave.

"Hey~~" This behavior only provoked the lecherous man further. He took a few steps forward, pretending to reach out and touch Xiao Congzhi, his words half teasing and half threatening, "It would be your honor if I were to get to know you. If you displease me, you won't be able to leave Anling."

These words sounded so affected and pretentious that Xiao Congzhi suppressed his urge to vomit. Just as he was about to throw up and teach them a lesson, someone called out to him from the direction of the main gate.

"Brother Xiao!!" Ji Buyu's voice was loud enough to echo throughout the hall and reach the corner where Xiao Congzhi was. He didn't know what had happened there, but seeing that Xiao Congzhi looked unwell, he intervened, fearing that a murder had occurred there.

Xiao Congzhi used the donkey to get off the slope, stood up, and walked towards Ji Buyu without even glancing at Deng Tuzi.

When Deng Tu Zi saw that the troublemaker was a martial arts expert, he became timid, but he was still determined to follow Xiao Congzhi's back. He took a sip of his breath and turned to follow him.

"Greetings, Sect Leader Ji." Xiao Congzhi greeted him politely, but walked quickly, reaching Ji Buyu and pulling him away by the neck.

Ji Buyu quickly tried to backtrack: "I have an appointment here today, so I won't keep Brother Xiao company any longer."

Before Xiao Congzhi could even reply, the lecherous man who had followed him blurted out, "Then why don't you have a cup of tea with me? This Mr. Xiao...?"

Ji Buyu then noticed the others. His eyes darted around, glancing at Xiao Congzhi and then at Deng Tu Zi. He finally understood what had happened. With a flick of his sleeve, he yelled at Deng Tu Zi, "Trying to commit indecent acts in broad daylight! What sect are you from? State your name!"

The man sneered, "A small sect, it's not under the jurisdiction of your martial arts alliance anyway."

Ji Buyu frowned slightly, his expression righteous: "All martial arts sects, large and small, under the jurisdiction of the Martial Arts Alliance are here to uphold the integrity of the martial arts world. Now, state your name."

"The Martial Alliance can only be arrogant for a short time. The Demonic Sect is about to return to the Central Plains. Your days of ruling the world are coming to an end!"

Xiao Congzhi: ...

He hadn't expected that anyone in the Central Plains martial arts world would have such expectations of the Demonic Sect; he was afraid they would be disappointed soon.

Ji Buyu flicked his whisk, intending to teach the man a lesson without any further discussion, but the person he had arranged to meet had just arrived.

Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu walked in from the doorway, asking as they went, "Sect Leader Ji, what happened?"

Seeing that more and more people were gathering on the other side, Deng Tu Zi sensed something was wrong. He turned around and nimbly slipped away from behind.

In the short time it took Ji Buyu to greet Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu, he turned around again and found that the people he wanted to teach a lesson to had disappeared.

Xiao Congzhi shrugged at Ji Buyu. He was pleased with this scene, since it was better for him to avoid getting into trouble in Anling to prevent unforeseen circumstances from affecting Xie Mowen's plans.

Ji Buyu sighed, pulled Xiao Congzhi over, and introduced Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu: "Young Master Xiao, we've met a few times before in Xiacheng." He then turned to Xiao Congzhi: "Yang Yanshu from the Kongtong Sect, and Jiang Xu from the Qingcheng Sect."

Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu, both taciturn and rarely venturing out of their homes, were not good at small talk. It was Yang Yanshu who first cupped his hands and started the conversation: "It's been many days since we last met. I wonder how Young Hero Xiao's internal injuries are recovering?"

Xiao Congzhi bowed politely: "I am fortunate to have received medicine from the Snow Mountain Sect, and I am now much better."

Ji Buyu swept his whisk aside and said, "Alright, let's not chat here any longer. We've reserved a private room upstairs, please."

After saying that, Ji Buyu turned around and walked upstairs, with Xiao Congzhi following behind, while Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu lagged behind.

Halfway there, Ji Buyu casually remarked, "It's rare to see you alone, Mo... Oh!"

At this point, Ji Buyu seemed to remember who Mo Huan was, and his eyes widened in horror as he covered his mouth.

Fearing that the two people behind him would notice something amiss, Xiao Congzhi quickly reached out and pulled Ji Buyu's hand away. Ji Buyu slowly turned his head and saw Xiao Congzhi staring at him with a half-smile, his eyes hiding a deep meaning that made people dare not say anything.

After they were seated, the waiter served tea and snacks. The four of them ordered tea as recommended and then resumed their conversation.

Yang Yanshu smiled and said, "Young Master Xiao, we should have sent you back to the Martial Alliance that day in the cave, but the leader of the Demonic Sect kept watching us, and we were both seriously injured. I wonder if that person made things difficult for you afterwards?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Buyu pursed his lips, inwardly complaining, "What's so difficult about that? Those two are birds of a feather."

This question reminded Xiao Congzhi of the time in Xiacheng, when he and Xie Mowen's various actions made him wonder how the martial arts alliance was speculating. Now, whether Yang Yanshu was being polite or probing, Xiao Congzhi had a response.

“That day I met him at the entrance of the cave. We acted together and fought the enemy together. Later, I fell into a coma due to severe internal injuries. Fearing that something might happen to me, he stayed by my side for several hours.”

"I see," Yang Yanshu replied, seemingly believing him.

Jiang Xu exclaimed, "I never expected him to be such a kind and compassionate person."

Xiao Congzhi said solemnly, "From my observation, he is not wicked."

Ji Buyu almost snorted, but managed to suppress it by drinking tea.

Yang Yanshu shook his head and said, "It is too early to draw such a conclusion based on this one incident alone. Although the disappearance case in Xiacheng and the murder of the Emei Sect leader are unrelated to the Demonic Sect, the Demonic Sect has always acted cruelly and ruthlessly. For more than ten years, all the disciples that our Kongtong Sect sent to the Demonic Sect have disappeared without a trace, and their safety is in grave danger."

Jiang Xu then nodded slightly in agreement.

Seeing this, Xiao Congzhi did not intend to linger on the topic: "Indeed, Young Hero Yang is absolutely right. After that day, my internal injuries were too severe, and I went into seclusion to recuperate for many days. I wonder what happened to the Diancang Sect afterward."

Jiang Xu sighed and looked at Yang Yanshu before replying, "After the incident with Sect Leader Qian, the Diancang Sect not only lost its leader, but also lost its reputation. Some of its disciples even petitioned the Martial Alliance to leave the sect."

Xiao Congzhi asked in confusion, "I remember that the Diancang Sect in South China has always been groomed as a successor."

“But it’s always difficult to suddenly take on such a heavy responsibility.” Yang Yanshu seemed quite regretful about this. “Furthermore, Alliance Leader Xu was seriously injured and unable to recover during those days. He was powerless to help the Diancang Sect stabilize the situation. By the time he came to his senses, the Diancang Sect was already in chaos and had suffered a great loss of vitality.”

This was beyond Xiao Congzhi's expectations. Although Qian Lin's practice of evil arts was of a vile nature, Diancang had been passed down for a hundred years and was a major sect in the martial arts world. It shouldn't be implicated too much. Could it be that the Demonic Sect was behind this?

Despite this speculation, Xiao Congzhi sighed, "Truly, life is unpredictable. Did Diancang send anyone to Anling this time?"

Jiang Xu shook his head: "No, the Martial Alliance will represent the Diancang Sect in full."

Xiao Congzhi nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Has the Martial Alliance arrived yet?"

This time, Ji Buyu replied: "If you are referring to Alliance Leader Xu, he has not yet arrived, but Young Hero Yun Shaocheng has."

Xiao Congzhi looked puzzled again.

Fortunately, Ji Buyu had already accepted the fact that he was being tricked into revealing information, and spoke frankly and without reservation: "With Qian Lin's death, the curse on the Alliance Leader's daughter was lifted, and Alliance Leader Xu is not in a hurry to marry off his daughter. However... he is always worried about this important matter of life and death."

Xiao Congzhi tilted his head, not understanding why the topic had suddenly turned to matters of the heart.

"Back then, due to the curse, she could only marry out of the family, but now she can take in a husband."

Xiao Congzhi became more and more confused as he listened.

"Young Master Yun is young and promising, intelligent and brave, and is favored by Alliance Leader Xu, who intends to make him his son-in-law."

Xiao Congzhi almost spat out his tea, rubbing his throat as he lit a candle for Yun Shaocheng.

"The timing is wrong!" Yang Yanshu suddenly said, sounding somewhat indignant.

"Yes, Young Master Yun also repeatedly declined on this basis, so before Alliance Leader Xu even set off, he himself had already set off."

After going around in circles, it turns out that this was the reason why Yun Shaocheng went ahead first.

Xiao Congzhi felt deep sympathy for Yun Shaocheng's plight but didn't really care. He smiled at Ji Buyu and continued to probe, "Since the Martial Alliance is still behind, why don't the three of you go ahead first?"

Ji Buyu rolled his eyes and was about to reply when a familiar voice came from the stairwell.

"Yes, please!"

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Congzhi immediately turned his head to look, and then his eyes lit up as if sparkling with starlight. He raised his hand and beckoned.

Xie Mowen carried a small bundle and walked briskly. In just a few steps, he reached Xiao Congzhi. If there hadn't been outsiders present, he would have rushed over and hugged him long ago. However, because of the outsiders, the two only exchanged a few glances.

It's very ambiguous.

“Mo… thank you… Mo…” Ji Buyu was stunned. You see, he didn’t want to see this person again and cause more trouble, which is why he stayed at home when the two were asking for medicine.

Xie Mowen turned his head to Ji Buyu, pressed down hard on Ji Buyu's shoulders with both hands, and said eagerly, "Brother Ji! It's been a long time, I've missed you terribly."

After saying that, without caring about Ji Buyu's face turning pale and then black, he turned around and sat down, bowed to Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu opposite him, and said cheerfully, "Nice to meet you, Mo Huan."

"Young Master Mo, you're too kind," Yang Yanshu replied.

Jiang Xu returned the greeting and said with concern, "Young Master Mo doesn't seem to be in good spirits."

"It's alright, I'm just tired from traveling day and night."

"Young Master Mo, did you come to Anling to fight against the Demonic Sect?"

Xie Mowen raised an eyebrow and asked meaningfully, "Did you all come to Anling to punish the Demonic Sect? Weren't you here to attend a banquet to congratulate the Demonic Sect on its return to the Central Plains?"

Ji Buyu's face paled, and he suddenly turned to look at Xie Mowen, seemingly shocked by the man's bluntness. He then looked at Xiao Congzhi, only to find that the man remained calm.

Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu did not notice anything amiss, but their faces showed anger.

Jiang Xu stated bluntly: "We certainly cannot allow them to return to the Central Plains."

Xie Mowen nodded earnestly, then said, "I'm not rushing on this, but I'm anxious to see Brother Xiao."

Xiao Congzhi coughed twice, signaling Xie Mowen to be more reserved.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yanshu was the first to understand. He lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and said with a smile, "So that's how it is. I thought Lady Xu was gentle and beautiful, so why is Young Master Mo not moved at all?"

Jiang Xu was already puzzled, and hearing Yang Yanshu's words only made him more confused, but he didn't delve into it, assuming that Mo Huan and Xiao Congzhi were in cahoots.

"What were you talking about just now?" Xie Mo asked, taking a sip from Xiao Congzhi's teacup.

“Oh…we were interrupted.” Yang Yanshu put down his teacup, looking ready to explain. “The three of us came to Anling ahead of schedule because of a strange thing that has happened in Anling recently.”

It is said that at midnight, a bell will occasionally ring in Anling City. The ringing will be continuous and audible throughout the city. If the bell rings, a male corpse will appear on the Ziwu Bridge west of Anling the next day. The corpses are all dead because their essence and blood have dried up.

Xiao Congzhi's expression grew increasingly serious. He looked at Xie Mowen, but Xie Mowen didn't seem to know about this either, so his brows furrowed even more.

"Some say it's the work of a fox spirit, while others suspect it's related to the Demonic Sect. We had nothing to do in Xiacheng, so we came here ahead of time to see if we could find out the truth."

“This matter is really strange.” Xiao Congzhi touched the rim of his cup and pondered, “Anling is not small, what kind of bell sound can resonate throughout the entire city?”

"Yes, we just arrived here yesterday and haven't started the investigation yet, but we've talked to the locals a few times. Some of them who haven't slept have heard the bell and said it was extremely clear, but there's nothing else special about it."

"How many times will it make a sound?" Xie Mowen asked.

"Two sounds."

Xie Mowen tapped the edge of the table with his fingers. Some time ago, he told his followers in Yidu not to report anything unless it was important. After returning to the Demonic Sect, he was busy with affairs and did not pay attention to these trivial matters. But this midnight bell sounded like a variable.

Xie Mowen raised his head and said with righteous indignation, "This matter is strange. If it is related to the Demonic Sect, it may endanger the martial arts world of the Central Plains. Since I am here, I am willing to lend you a hand."

Jiang Xu's face lit up with joy. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "That's wonderful. We were just worried about not having enough manpower."

Yang Yanshu smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Young Hero Mo."

"No need to be polite, it's our duty."

With just a few words, the matter was settled amicably.

Ji Buyu was a beat slow to react, and when he realized what was happening, he was dumbfounded. Even if he trained for another ten years, he still couldn't replicate Xie Mowen's fluent and amazing acting skills.

Xiao Congzhi gently patted Ji Buyu's back, afraid that the man would lose his temper and reveal his true colors.

Ji Buyu was even more speechless.

"But why do you say there aren't enough people?"

Yang Yanshu explained: "The story of the midnight bell was told to Xiacheng as a ghost story, but there were no details. We only found out when we arrived that the incident had occurred more than three months ago, and a total of twenty-three men had been murdered. We don't have enough manpower just to investigate these dead."

Xie Mowen's expression gradually became serious. Twenty-three was not a small number, and more than three months was also a long time. How could the local government do nothing?

"Is the government doing nothing?" Xiao Congzhi asked.

“No.” Jiang Xu shook his head. “The Anling government is quite diligent. Every time a death occurs, they investigate it thoroughly. Yesterday, after we went to explain our purpose, we were even allowed to look through the case files, but we didn’t find a single useful clue. To this day, there has been no progress.”

Xiao Congzhi hurriedly asked, "Have you read the case files?"

"Yes." Ji Buyu, having recovered, answered the question. "Yesterday, we each reviewed two or three case files, but found nothing. I reviewed two cases; both victims were from Anling, both in their early twenties, and both unmarried. One family was in the cloth business and was quite well-off, while the other made a living by farming. According to people around them, they were both people who didn't make enemies. So far, we haven't found any suspects with a motive."

Jiang Xu continued, "I've reviewed three cases. These three victims are worlds apart. One was a spoiled brat who was always arguing with people, but none of them could be considered to have a motive for murder. Another came from an extremely poor family and was a diligent student who had studied hard for years. I heard he was going to take the imperial examination next year. He was usually quiet and it was impossible for him to have any conflicts with anyone. The last one was a traveler from Jiangnan who came to Anling for sightseeing. He was elegant and charming, and he had only been in Anling for a few days without having any conflicts with anyone."

Yang Yanshu also said: "These victims have absolutely nothing in common except for the cause of death and the midnight bell. The key point is that it is almost impossible to find any suspects who had major conflicts with the victims."

Xiao Congzhi felt there were many suspicious points and didn't know where to start, so he could only ask, "They were all found at the Meridian Bridge. Are there any differences in the time and circumstances of their discovery?"

“Exactly the same,” Yang Yanshu replied. “They were all discovered at dawn, and the bodies were all found under the first stone statue on the south side of the Meridian Bridge, lying flat.”

"How could they all be discovered at 5 AM?"

"I'm not very clear about the previous cases, but it has become a pattern that a bell rings at midnight and a body will appear on the Ziwu Bridge. Many people will rush to the Ziwu Bridge overnight and wait by the bridge. But what's strange is that there are no bodies before 5 a.m., but after 5 a.m., the bodies appear."

"A corpse appeared out of thin air?" Xie Mowen felt increasingly suspicious.

"Yes, as it's written in the case file."

Xiao Congzhi slowly closed his eyes, and after a few breaths, he said, "Today, Brother Mo and I will also go to the yamen to try to go through all the case files. If we find anything, we will contact you. If we find nothing, we will probably have to wait for the next bell to ring."

Yang Yanshu stood up and bowed respectfully: "I am truly grateful to you both, but I really cannot keep you here to look at the case files. We have nothing to do, so why don't we go to the yamen together today?"

Xiao Congzhi also stood up, politely returned the greeting, and then said, "It's not that we're doing nothing. Since you've already looked at the case files, perhaps you could go to the victim's home and see if you can find anything that wasn't recorded in the case files."

"That's very true." Yang Yanshu suddenly realized, and patted Jiang Xu beside him. "Then we shouldn't delay, let's set off first. What does Sect Leader Ji mean?"

Ji Buyu slowly took a sip of tea and replied wearily, "I'll talk to Brother Xiao for a few more minutes, then I'll be there."

After Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu left, Xiao Congzhi rushed to check the case files and no longer maintained formalities with Ji Buyu, asking, "What? Do you still have something to say to each other?"

Ji Buyu waved his hand. "It's not a private conversation. I just want to ask you one question." He turned to Xie Mowen. "If you want to succeed, what do you want to gain from me?"

Xie Mowen first gestured for Xiao Congzhi to calm down, then looked at Ji Buyi and said, "It's possible, but it's not."

Ji Buyu pursed his lips and said without hesitation, "You can ask if you need anything, but I can't guarantee I'll do it."

Xie Mowen laughed and patted Ji Buyu on the shoulder: "What? Brother Ji, have you figured it out?"

"Rather than saying I've come to a realization, I'd rather take a gamble and trust your character this once. My Snow Mountain Sect is located in a remote area. If we really let wolves into our house, it won't be difficult for me to keep the sect safe and sound."

Xie Mowen stood up, his smile fading considerably. He said calmly and solemnly, "It won't come to that."