Chapter 45 — The Golden Bell
劍問蒼天 · Page 3 of 5
Bili gloated a long while beside him, muttering to herself, "To think Lady Golden Bell would fall for that accursed old devil Blackheart! Hmph, it must be Blackheart who broke her heart — the heartless wretch! Serve him right if he was struck by lightning! Best that he's dead!"
"Nonsense!" Zhang Qingyue suddenly snapped beside her.
Bili was dumbfounded and for a moment could not speak. When she recovered, she stared at him a good while, astonished. "What did you say?"
The words were no sooner out than Zhang Qingyue knew he had blundered. He, a man of the righteous path, had inexplicably spoken up to defend a monstrous villain of the demon cult dead eight hundred years. If this reached the ears of his masters in the Canglan Sect, he would be severely punished at once. But at the time, he knew not why, the heat in his heart had carried the words out of his mouth; and now, faced with Bili's question, he could only stammer and say nothing.
Bili gave him a strange look, then suddenly remembered something. Zhang Qingyue was forgotten in an instant. She snatched up the golden bell at her waist, beside herself with excitement, and cried out laughing, "Ah! Then isn't this Lady Golden Bell's Joyful Union Bell?" As she spoke she quickly turned the bell over and examined it closely — and there, sure enough, on the inner wall of the bell, she saw three small characters.
Joyful Union Bell!
Zhang Qingyue saw Bili's face alight with joy, so delighted she was like to laugh herself breathless. Plainly this was a mighty magical treasure, and she had come by it unawares. A discomfort rose in his heart, and he said coldly, "Have you found a way out?"
Bili's eyes were full of the little bell before her. "No," she answered absently.
Zhang Qingyue turned his head away and said mildly, "Then you may as well hug that golden bell and die in this cave."
Bili was taken aback, and saw that it was true enough. The most important thing now was to find a way out and escape. She asked quickly, "Have you found one?"
Zhang Qingyue shook his head silently. The two exchanged a look. Bili wiped the smile from her face and said gravely, "Then let's find the way first!"
With life and death at hand, Zhang Qingyue nodded silently. The two of them searched the tunnel and cavern together, examining every wall and every crevice with the greatest care. Zhang Qingyue, over Bili's strenuous objections, even went over the two statues of the Holy Mother of the Dark and the Bright King of Heaven's Wrath — but still nothing turned up.
When they met again before the heap of shattered bones and saw each other's dejected faces, their own faces fell.
Bili said hoarsely, "Are we really going to die here?"
Zhang Qingyue lowered his head, his expression hidden. Bili too fell silent. All at once the shadow of death had fallen over these two young lives.
A long while passed in the silence, the two facing each other without a word, when Zhang Qingyue suddenly leaped to his feet and turned away. Bili was startled. "What are you doing?"
Zhang Qingyue clenched his teeth. "I'm going to search again. There must be a way out. We are not going to die here!"
And in his heart there was another sentence he had not spoken, echoing on and on: I must see Senior Sister Ling'er again. Even if I die, I will be buried on Dazhu Peak!
But Bili did not move. She only sat on the platform and watched Zhang Qingyue, his face set hard, as in this hour of life and death a fierce will to live suddenly burst from him and he searched without cease.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Four times.
Bili lost count of how many times Zhang Qingyue went in and out of the stone chamber and the cavern. Each time he came back empty-handed, yet he would not lose heart. She did not know why his temper should be so stubborn, or why his will to live should be so fierce. He searched without cease for a way out — on and on, on and on...