"Rain County experiences rain almost every other day. Whenever it rains, people from the nearby Goddess Sect perform rituals. At first, I didn't think much of it, but after two or three days, I found myself suffering from insomnia and frequent nightmares!"
As A Wu spoke, he shivered involuntarily, as if recalling the torment he endured each time the Goddess Sect performed their rituals.
"It would be fine, at least I could sleep. But over time, I realized I was starting to experience hallucinations. I always saw a woman in red beckoning me from not too far away. One night, when I had another nightmare and woke up startled, I almost cut my wrist with a knife!"
A Wu said this, rolling up his sleeve to let Zhong Li examine it. He couldn't help but scratch himself a few times in the process.
Zhong Li lowered her gaze to the wound, which was already beginning to heal. Observing the thick scar tissue, she estimated that A Wu's wrist injury must have been quite deep. Combined with the poor conditions in the forest, this likely caused his wound to itch.
"Then why didn't you leave?" she asked.
A Wu shook his head. "The Duke's medicine hasn't been obtained. Unless I perish here, I will not leave."
Hearing this, Zhong Li recalled Lu Wu Xie's whispered words as they left the inn: "A Wu should be in this Rain County. He hasn't sent me a signal that he's in trouble, so you can contact him if you encounter any danger."
Afterward, Lu Wu Xie had also pressed two items into her hand. One was a few small sachets the size of fingernails. Although she didn't know what was inside, she knew that if she scattered them along the path, A Wu would find her.
As expected, her prediction was correct.
"Zhong Sicheng, you said earlier that this thing you developed can break the control of the Goddess, is there any basis for that?" A Wu hadn't had a proper rest for several days. He urgently needed to know the reason so he could finally sleep with peace of mind.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li took something out of her sleeve and placed it on the table.
"Is this... the bronze bell from the Goddess's waist?"
Zhong Li nodded, looking at the small bell, which was less than an inch in size. She gently nudged it with her index finger, and a crisp sound echoed through the room.
Her brow furrowed as she felt a reflexive pang of pain in her head.
"Ugh!" A Wu clutched his head and let out a muffled groan. It seemed to be more severe for him than for her.
Zhong Li didn't want the bell to ring again, so she forcefully pulled out the metal piece inside.
After a moment to recover, A Wu asked, "So the problem lies with the bell?"
Zhong Li stood up and walked to the window. Using a bamboo pole, she lifted the window to observe the ongoing rain and the slowly rising mist. "The pills in the small bottle I gave you earlier, eat them first. They contain Tian Hua Fen."
A Wu nodded obediently and swallowed one.
Zhong Li began to explain, "The Daoists say that humans respond to the earth, the earth to heaven, heaven to the Dao, and the Dao to humans. All things revolve in a cycle, ceaselessly giving birth.
The deeper understanding is perceived through each person's own enlightenment. On a shallower level, humans are merely one part of all things. Humans live amidst the myriad of creations, and over time, their bodies adapt to their environment.
If one wishes to fundamentally change a person and make them lose their mind in the most imperceptible way, it is by altering their surroundings."
"That's so profound," A Wu scratched his head.
Zhong Li smiled and extended her hand out the window, catching some rain in her palm. "For example, on sunny days, people's moods are better, while on rainy days, people become irritable and easily angered.
The Goddess Sect exploits this. They use the influence of rainy days on people's moods and this bronze bell. The design of the bell should follow the techniques of Qimen Dunjia, controlling people's spirits through the vibration of sound."
"So, hearing the bell makes me hallucinate?" A Wu asked.
Zhong Li pondered for a moment and shook her head. "This is not enough!"
"Not enough?" A Wu was surprised.
Zhong Li continued, "During the day, at the entrance of Rain County, I was given a bowl of water by a wooden plaque Goddess. That water had a strange fragrance. Although I haven't figured out what kind of water it was, based on my reaction and the reactions of other villagers today, that water is definitely problematic."
She recalled the dazed, infatuated expressions on people's faces in the dense forest when they saw the Goddess, and the vacant stares of the surrounding villagers when she was executed. The only difference between her and them was that bowl of clear water.
They drank it, but she didn't.
After she finished speaking, she glanced at the drowsy man beside her. A Wu had not rested for a long time, and his ability to endure for the past half a month was purely by sheer willpower.
Now that he had taken the antidote, sleeping would no longer result in his previous condition.
She got up and went to a corner of the room, found an old piece of clothing, and covered A Wu with it. Then, she took out another item Lu Wu Xie had given her and slowly opened it by the window.
A wisp of faintly scented smoke slowly drifted into the air. Moments later, a white pigeon landed on the windowsill.
Zhong Li hung the bell she had taken from the red-robed Goddess on the pigeon's leg, gently patted its wings, and the pigeon turned and flew back into the forest.
Lu Wu Xie leaned against the window, gazing at the crescent moon hanging in the night sky. An hour ago, the rain had stopped, and the sky began to clear. The inn was crowded again. He wondered if there would be a conflict like three days prior.
But he didn't care. He held the box in his hand, his cold sweat making the box slick.
"Master," Lin Jin suddenly entered from the adjacent room. "It seems the pigeons from Fei Yuan Pavilion have returned."
Lu Wu Xie snapped back to attention and quickly looked into the distance. Indeed, a white pigeon landed on the windowsill from afar.
Lin Jin stepped forward, took the pigeon, and pulled off something from its leg.
"Master, look!"
Lu Wu Xie took the bell and observed it for a while. "Li'er is fine, and she must have met A Wu."
"Then, does that mean A Wu is also fine?" Lin Jin asked.
Lu Wu Xie nodded. "He should be safe for now, but she probably has something to remind us of."
"What is Miss Zhong reminding us of?" Lin Jin asked again.
Lu Wu Xie handed the bell to Lin Jin.
Lin Jin examined it and said, "Master, this bell doesn't have a metal piece inside?"
Lu Wu Xie nodded, walked to a corner, picked up a paper and pen, and began writing rapidly. After a while, he handed a letter to Lin Jin.
Lin Jin quickly attached the letter to the white pigeon's leg and, seeing that no one was around, released the pigeon.
"Master, do you think Lord Lan will thoroughly investigate according to your instructions?"
Lu Wu Xie waved his hand at Lin Jin. "He will. Lan Heng is a man of integrity and fairness. This case involves the authority of the person on the dragon throne; he will definitely investigate."
As he spoke, he walked to the screen, picked up an outer garment, and put it on.
"Master, where are you going?" Lin Jin quickly inquired.
"I'm going into the forest to find Li'er. Based on the information she provided and the scent left by the pigeon along the way, finding her shouldn't be difficult," Lu Wu Xie said, taking out a box from his怀. Upon opening it, a golden cicada quickly flew out and darted into the darkness.
"But Master, your health... perhaps I should accompany you..." Lin Jin tried to stop him.
Lu Wu Xie shook his head. "Lin Jin, you stay. This place needs someone to guard it."
With that, he leaped out the window, and his figure disappeared into the backyard.