583 The Chime of a Bell (2/2)
”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.
...
...
...