Chapter 10: The Bell of Old Clock

Jiang Hao sat in the chair, swirling his cup of water, his gaze fixed on Old Clock. He whispered, "You keep talking about destroying cities and powers, have you hidden enough yet?" He placed the cup down, leaning back in the chair, his tone calm but sharp. "Speak clearly, don't make us guess."

Lin Yao stood by the window, holding an ancient book, leaning against the frame. She shifted her gaze from the pages to Old Clock, whispering, "You've seen the destruction of cities by the Destruction faction, but how did your partner die? Don't brush it off." She turned a page, her tone cold but resolute, unwilling to back down.

Old Clock stood by the counter, trembling as he wiped a piece of porcelain. His movements froze for a moment, and the porcelain made a faint clinking sound. He whispered, "You really want to know?" He put down the cloth, clenched his fingers, bowed his head, and after a long silence, spoke in a low voice that seemed to come from deep in his throat, "Fine, I'll tell you about what happened 30 years ago."

Jiang Hao stopped tapping the table, whispering, "Finally, you're willing to speak." Lin Yao closed the ancient book, leaning against the window frame. "We're listening," she whispered.

Old Clock took a deep breath, his eyes drifting to the wooden door before he began speaking.

"30 years ago, I was just an antique dealer in a small town in Xiangxi. The town wasn't big, just a few streets, and people lived off corpse driving and witchcraft. I worked with my partner, Zhang Lao Liu. He was a corpse driver, skilled and straightforward. That year, someone sent us a bell—iron, rusty as hell. They said it was used for corpse driving. It rang all night, and the next day, the delivery man was dead."

Old Clock paused for a moment, his fingers trembling even more. "We didn't take it seriously, just kept the bell and planned to fix it and sell it. But that night, the bell rang again, low, as if it came from underground."

Jiang Hao furrowed his brow, whispering, "Just like the iron bell?" He tried using his Soul-Gazing ability, and faintly, a low bell sound seemed to emanate from Old Clock's body. He growled, "The sound—it's coming from you!"

Old Clock froze, his eyes flickering with a complex expression. He whispered, "You heard it?"

Lin Yao squinted, activating her Curse-Gazing ability. She saw a blurry vision—a ruined city, the bell ringing, blood flowing in the streets, and a figure in a red robe standing cold and indifferent. She whispered, "I saw it—blood, the city's gone." She turned to Old Clock, "Keep going."

Old Clock gave a bitter smile. "Your abilities are truly creepy. That bell rang for three days. People in the town started going mad, the corpses no longer listened, running all over the streets, blood dripping from their mouths. My partner and I were sucked into a wooden door, just like you. It was an archive. The gray-robed Archivists told me to file the records, while the red-robed Destruction faction mocked and said, 'Useless ones can be destroyed.' We didn't understand, we just wanted to survive."

He paused, his voice lowering. "Zhang Lao Liu tried to file the records, shook the bell to calm the anger, but the bell lost control. The corpses surrounded us, and blood splattered everywhere. Then, the Destruction faction struck. The red-robed man waved his hand, and the bell exploded, like lightning. Zhang Lao Liu was right in front of me. His soul was torn out, scattered to dust, without even a sound. I was stunned and ran back to the altar, begging the Archivists to save him. The gray-robed one coldly said, 'Useless ones do not need to be preserved, the Destruction faction has decided.' That night, the bell rang all night, and by morning, the town was gone—it was flattened."

Jiang Hao whispered, "Destroyed by the Destruction faction?" Old Clock nodded. "The red-robed one said, 'The city is also useless, all traces should be destroyed.' I ran out, but my soul was locked in this shop for 30 years, unable to escape." He looked at them. "Your abilities, I've had them too. The Destruction faction gave me 'Blood Listening,' which allows me to find the source of resentment. The Archivists didn't care. After the city was destroyed, the red-robed one said, 'Useless ones have no strength,' and took it back."

Lin Yao furrowed her brows, whispering, "Blood Listening? Is it like my Curse-Gazing ability?" She tried using her power again, and the vision became clearer—Old Clock holding the bell, blood guiding the resentment, and the red-robed man coldly collecting it. She whispered, "They gave it to you, then took it back. Why?"

Jiang Hao clenched his fist, whispering, "Just like my Soul-Gazing ability. What are they betting on?"

Old Clock whispered, "They're betting on whether you can survive. I didn't make it, my soul's trapped here, turned into a tool. Zhang Lao Liu was worse—his soul's gone, not even a trace left." He paused, his gaze complex. "That town was called Yongning—just a few streets, a hundred or so families living off corpse driving and witchcraft. The Destruction faction thought it was too chaotic, and that the resentment disturbed the order. They destroyed it completely—not even a tree was left."

Jiang Hao whispered, "Yongning? Blood flowing through the streets, just for resentment?" He used his Soul-Gazing ability again, hearing the bell mixed with screams, growling, "This bell, it's like it's alive!"

Old Clock gave a bitter smile. "Alive? It destroyed half the town, and my partner was blown to pieces."

Lin Yao whispered, "The Destruction faction wants rebirth, the Archivists want order. They've been using us as pawns." She looked at Old Clock. "You've been trapped here for 30 years. Why didn't you run?"

Old Clock whispered, "I can't run. My soul's bound to the Archive. Be careful, your abilities are chains, and they're also explosives."

Jiang Hao tapped the table, whispering, "Chains? Explosives? Make it clearer."

Old Clock whispered, "Chains are the soul, explosives are life. If the Destruction faction is unhappy, they'll destroy you, just like Zhang Lao Liu."

He paused, his tone softening. "Don't blame me for not warning you."

Lin Yao looked at the wooden door, whispering, "They gave us powers, then tested whether we survive."

Jiang Hao furrowed his brows, whispering, "Old Clock, your story's even more bizarre than the case." He leaned back in his chair. "But it sounds like a warning."

Old Clock turned, whispering, "Whether it's a warning or a lesson, you'll have to figure that out for yourselves." He picked up his cup of water, his back hunched as he walked back to the counter.