Ya She

Chapter 68 The Golden Bell

【one】

In the winter sky, the sun shone weakly, its rays devoid of warmth. In a secluded forest in the Wuling Mountains, a young man walked slowly along a stream.

He didn't seem like a hiker or tourist exploring the mountains; he wasn't carrying a backpack full of food and drink supplies, nor was he using trekking poles to conserve energy. He was simply wearing a thin wool overcoat and even leather shoes, but this didn't hinder his pace at all. The young man had an overly long fringe on one side, beneath which half a silver mask was faintly visible. Although only half his face was exposed, his straight nose, well-proportioned lips, and beautifully shaped jawline were still discernible.

The winter forest looked desolate and barren, with only the howling of the wind through the bare branches and the sound of the young man breaking branches under his feet.

He walked step by step along the half-dried-up stream toward its source.

He didn't know how far he had walked, but the width of the stream beside him had widened from just a step away to a width enough to sail a boat. Suddenly, the man stopped, looked up at the front, and a look of doubt appeared on his face: "Shouldn't the stream be narrow upstream and wide downstream?"

A small, red bird fluttered in, circled a few times in the air with a showy air, and finally landed on his shoulder. Fusu stroked Minghong's head with his gloved hand and noticed a delicate pink peach petal in its beak. It was the dead of winter, several months before the peach blossoms would bloom, but Fusu wasn't surprised.
She took off her gloves, reached out and held the peach petal in her hand, feeling its soft and delicate texture with her fingertips, and then slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Minghong cried out a few times as if to boast, then spread its wings and strutted proudly back and forth on Fusu's shoulder. Fusu patted its head again as a reward, put his gloves back on, and continued on his way.

The stream babbled gently, and after walking for a while, tiny fragments began to float on the surface, shimmering in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, one would discover that these were delicate, fresh pink peach petals.

The deeper he went into the mountains and forests, the denser the peach petals floating on the stream became, creating a beautiful scene of falling flowers.

A rich fragrance of peach blossoms filled his nostrils. When Fusu looked up, he found himself unknowingly in a peach grove in full bloom—the banks of the stream were lined with endless peach trees, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The wind here is much gentler than before, swirling and dancing the petals in the air, creating a dreamlike scene of falling blossoms.

"'Flowers fall and water flows. One longing, two places of sorrow'..." Fusu suddenly recited softly, moved by the scene. He had already crammed on more than two thousand years of history and had recently become obsessed with poetry, finding its imagery magical and ever-changing, captivating him completely.

Minghong loved this place and couldn't resist flying out to chase the falling petals in the air. However, when it flapped its wings, it created gusts of air that blew the petals around it further away. After several attempts, it finally landed dejectedly on a peach tree, pecking at the blooming peach blossoms on the branches as if it had given up.

Fu Su's smile deepened; so this little thing had brought the flower petals in this way.

He looked around for a moment, then continued walking along the stream. Behind him, Minghong followed at a distance, relentlessly chasing after the peach petals.

Before long, the sound of gurgling water could be heard. After passing a few more peach trees, one could see the stream flowing down from the cliff and forming a clear pool at the foot of the mountain. This must be the source of the stream.

The mountain before them was rugged and steep, with no path for anyone to climb. "'At the end of the road, where all seems lost...'" Before Fusu could finish speaking, Minghong cried out, sighing helplessly.

“I know, I know I recited it wrong. The original poem should be ‘The mountains and rivers seem to block the way,’ but wouldn’t ‘The mountains and rivers are exhausted’ be more fitting for this scene?”

Minghong flapped its wings, too lazy to pay attention to Fusu's self-talk, and continued to sulk over the falling peach petals. Fusu chuckled and shook his head; this bird's temper was just like his younger brother's.

He lingered at the foot of the mountain for a long time before finally discovering a cave hidden deep within the foliage. This cave...

It wasn't too deep or secluded; in fact, one could see light shining through the darkness at the end. "Truly, 'after the darkest hour comes the dawn'," Fusu sighed with satisfaction, bending slightly and stepping into the cave. Minghong immediately abandoned the seemingly unattainable peach petals and spread its wings to chase after them.

The cave wasn't deep; Fusu only took a dozen steps before the view suddenly opened up before him.

Just as in the poem he recited, a village actually appeared before him.

Just like outside the cave, as far as the eye could see, there were groves of peach trees in full bloom. Beneath the shadows and blossoms, dozens of rustic wooden houses were scattered in a pleasing, staggered pattern. In the very center of the village stood a gigantic peach tree, more than three times taller than the others, its branches and leaves providing ample shade, its blossoms bursting forth in a breathtakingly beautiful display.

Looking further into the distance, besides peach trees, there are also some mulberry trees and bamboo, and large tracts of farmland are faintly visible, with many figures cultivating the land, and the sounds of laughter and playfulness can be heard intermittently.

This peaceful and serene scene warms one's heart and makes one want to live here forever.

Minghong hadn't expected such a world to exist on the other side of the cave, and couldn't resist spreading its wings to fly and see the scenery. But it hadn't been flying for long when it was spotted by a group of children, who chased after it with slingshots.

Fusu helplessly raised his hand to touch Minghong, which had flown back to his shoulder, and smiled gently at the five or six little boys lined up in front of him. He didn't find the ancient clothes the children were wearing strange at all.

These children had never seen outsiders before, and they were all amazed when they saw Fusu, not daring to approach. Some of the clever ones had already turned around and run back to call for their parents, while the rest stood still, watching the cute little red bird walk back and forth on Fusu's shoulder, and quietly hid their slingshots behind their backs.

Soon a group of people came out to greet them. They were all dressed in ancient clothing, but not in long robes or deep garments. Instead, they wore narrow-sleeved short clothes, belts around their waists, and leather boots.

Fusu looked at them deeply, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

Among the welcoming crowd, the person at the front wore a gray short-sleeved shirt and appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. This young man had an ugly scar on his right cheek, stretching from the corner of his eye to his jaw. Although it had scabbed over and new flesh had grown, the injury must have been extremely dangerous back then, and he must have suffered greatly to survive it. This scar across his right cheek marred the young man's appearance, and despite his gentle expression, it subconsciously aroused a sense of wariness in others.

Fusu touched the mask on his cheek, feeling a sense of shared misfortune towards this man. "The village hasn't had any visitors for a long time; please forgive any neglect," the young man said warmly.

He was not bothered by the fact that Fusu was wearing a mask and did not show his true face. Instead, he smiled sincerely and gently on his scarred face and warmly and politely invited Fusu to come into the village for tea and rest.

Fusu readily agreed and followed the other person as they strolled along.

The village was picturesque, with peach trees in front of and behind the houses and petals gently falling; every corner was a scene for the eyes. Seeing Fusu so engrossed in his observation, the young man smiled and explained, "We have lived in seclusion here for many years. During the Qin Dynasty, amidst the chaos of war..."
"Our ancestor fled here with his wife, relatives, and neighbors, and found this place peaceful, secluded from the world, so he settled here." "Truly a paradise on earth!" Fusu exclaimed sincerely. "These peach trees originated from peach pits that our ancestor brought from his hometown. Longing for his homeland, our ancestor began planting peach trees."

The single peach pit grew into the peach tree in the center of the village. Later, whenever there was a birth, old age, sickness, or death in the village, a peach tree was planted, and over time, a grove of peach trees formed. The young man gave a bitter smile, pointing to the blooming peach trees and sighing, "The scenery is beautiful, but 'peach' sounds like 'escape.' These peach trees represent the guilt our ancestors felt for fleeing their homeland."

This was the first time Fusu had heard such a statement, and he couldn't help but sway in surprise. "Look at me, why did I bring this up?" The young man smiled awkwardly and gestured, "This way, please."

The two walked towards the enormous peach tree. When Fusu reached it, he realized just how tall and majestic the tree was. He looked up, and sunlight streamed through the lush peach blossoms, creating patches of pink light that dazzled the eyes.

"It's truly magnificent," Fusu exclaimed, touching the thick tree trunk. The young man smiled with pride.

The villagers dared not approach, but only watched Fusu from a distance, pointing and whispering about his trench coat and mask.

Fusu was led to a wooden cabin for rest. This cabin looked no different from the others in appearance and size; it wasn't large, and all the furniture was made of peach wood. Although simple, it exuded a rustic, pastoral charm. Against the right wall was a row of bookshelves, and the books on them were all scrolls of bamboo slips.

The two sat down as host and guest, and villagers served them tea and pastries. The tea was peach blossom tea, with a dried peach blossom floating on top, bobbing and swaying gracefully on the water.

Minghong, perched on Fusu's shoulder, was bored. It flapped its wings twice, then jumped onto the table and paced around the dessert plate, looking at whether it was safe to eat.

"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Jia, which means 'goodness' or 'beauty'," the young man introduced himself with a slight smile. "May I ask how I should address you, sir?"

Fusu stared down at the cup of peach blossom tea in his hand, his expression unchanged, and said calmly, "Fusu, the Fusu of 'There is a Fusu on the mountain'."

Zhao Jia's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly realized she was overthinking it. Many people like to choose names from the *Classic of Poetry*, and Fusu is a very common name. Of course, this was all before the King of Qin named his eldest son Fusu…

Fusu smiled at Zhao Jia's suspicious gaze but offered no explanation.

Perhaps it's just a coincidence of names... Zhao Jia comforted himself with this thought, and began to ask with a smile about the changes in the world outside Peach Blossom Spring. Fusu didn't hold back either, putting down the peach blossom tea in his hand and casually picking out some things to chat about with him.

The villagers outside the wooden house were drawn over, some standing and some squatting, listening quietly without saying a word, but their faces all showed a look of complete disbelief.

As the world changes, Fusu couldn't help but sigh. When he woke up, he also found it hard to adapt. People who were thousands of miles apart could talk and video chat by phone or the internet. People could sit in iron birds and fly around in the air. Some people could even fly to the moon... Zhao Jia, who had always lived in Peach Blossom Spring, certainly couldn't imagine this either and thought he was talking nonsense.

“Actually, you can also leave Peach Blossom Spring and go out to see the world,” Fusu suggested with a smile, no longer wasting words.

"No, no, no, I'd rather stay in Peach Blossom Spring." Zhao Jia politely declined the suggestion. "Oh? Brother Zhao, do you not want to leave Peach Blossom Spring, or is it simply that you can't leave?" Fu Su asked with a smile. Zhao Jia was taken aback, looking at Fu Su's sincere smile, he felt that there was something more to Fu Su's words.

Fusu didn't give the other party time to think, and said with a faint smile, "Am I not the only guest to come here over the years?"

"What do you mean by that, brother?" Zhao Jia had already sensed that this guest named Fusu had not simply wandered into this place by mistake, and the smile on his face involuntarily faded a little.

“During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a fisherman from Wuling made his living by fishing. He followed a stream, forgetting how far he had gone. Suddenly he came upon a peach grove, stretching for hundreds of paces along both banks, with no other trees, fragrant grasses, and fallen petals in abundance. The fisherman was greatly surprised. He continued forward, wanting to explore the grove to its end…” Fusu recited slowly, his voice gentle and soothing, making it a pleasure to listen to.

Zhao Jia had expected the other party to ask some pointed questions, but to his surprise, the other party started telling stories. At first, he found it somewhat novel, but as Fusu mentioned the peach blossom forest, his expression became somewhat serious.

"'The forest ended at the source of the stream, where a mountain appeared. The mountain had a small opening, seemingly emitting light. They abandoned their boat and entered through the opening. At first, it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious place. The land was flat and wide, with neatly arranged houses, fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, and bamboo groves. The paths crisscrossed, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard. The people there went about their work, and the men and women dressed just like outsiders. The elderly and children alike were all enjoying themselves immensely…'"

Zhao Jia's expression changed inscrutable as he listened, but he did not interrupt.

The story of "The Peach Blossom Spring" is not long, and Fusu, with his excellent memory, recited it slowly, quickly reaching the last sentence: "...'Liu Ziji of Nanyang, a man of noble character, heard of it and eagerly planned to go. However, he did not succeed, for he soon fell ill and died, and afterwards no one else inquired about the place.'"

"Haha, over the years, many guests have stumbled upon this place by mistake, yet I, Zhao, was unaware that such exquisitely beautiful writings had been passed down through generations." Zhao Jia took a sip of peach blossom tea, his words perfectly measured, his expression returning to calm. Minghong spotted a piece of fragrant peach blossom cake and was about to bend down to taste it when he saw a gloved hand...
It stood blocking its way. "It's only natural that you don't want the fisherman to reveal the location of this place, and you don't want your peaceful life to be disrupted."

Fusu gently lifted Minghong back onto his shoulder and said with a slow, deliberate smile, "However, it's no use what the fisherman said; this place isn't for ordinary people."

Zhao Jia remained silent, but instead put down his teacup and pretended to listen attentively.

“‘It is extremely narrow at the beginning, barely enough for a person to pass through.’ Only tomb passages have this design of being narrow at the front and wide at the back, mainly to facilitate the sealing of the entrance with stone slabs to prevent tomb robbers. Therefore, to avoid this taboo, villages where the living actually live would not have passages that are narrow at the front and wide at the back.”

"As the saying goes, 'Don't plant mulberry trees in front, don't plant willow trees behind, and don't plant executioner trees in the yard.' Mulberry sounds like 'mourning,' so seeing a funeral when you go out is considered unlucky. Willows don't bear fruit, so there will be no descendants in the house, which is also considered unlucky. Executioner trees point to peach trees because peach blossoms, branches, and pits are all red, and legend has it that evil spirits like to live in peach trees, so peach trees should not be planted in the yard, as it is considered very unlucky."

"The clothing of men and women was exactly like that of outsiders." This sentence has always puzzled later generations. Since it was a paradise completely isolated from the outside world, "unaware of the Han Dynasty, let alone the Wei and Jin Dynasties," and unaware of the changing dynasties, how could their clothing be the same as that of the people outside the Peach Blossom Spring?

Fusu paused for a moment, staring at Zhao Jia for a long time. Seeing that the other party had no intention of answering, he slowly continued, "This 'Peach Blossom Spring' was written during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period. The clothing and customs of many regions in the Central Plains had been assimilated by foreign tribes. The phrase 'all like foreigners' here can be interpreted as dressing like the people outside Peach Blossom Spring, or as dressing like foreigners. After King Wuling of Zhao adopted the Hu clothing and cavalry archery, the people of Zhao changed to wearing Hu clothing. The villagers in Peach Blossom Spring are the remnants of the Zhao people from the Warring States period. Am I right, Prince Zhao? Or rather, Prince Jia?"

"This paradise is a place that only the dead can enter."

Zhao Jia had remained calm and composed until Fu Su finished speaking, at which point he finally couldn't help but frown slightly: "Oh? If it's really as Brother Fu Su says, that only the dead can enter this place, then how did you get in, Brother Fu Su?" He raised an eyebrow, and the scar on his right cheek seemed to jump as if it jumped, making it look even more ferocious.

"It's said that only the dead can enter, but that doesn't seem entirely accurate." Fusu glanced at the hands covering his face.

The gloves did not answer Zhao Jia's question, but instead said to itself, "To be precise, it should be said that the tourists who strayed into Peach Blossom Spring became the dead here."

"Oh? If what you say is true, then the fisherman in 'The Peach Blossom Spring' shouldn't exist either." Zhao Jia scoffed at this.

"That fisherman must have been wearing some kind of talisman, or perhaps he had some extraordinary encounter. He ate the food here and didn't become a dead man." Fusu patted Minghong on the shoulder. This little guy actually wanted to eat peach blossom cake just now. Didn't he know that if he ate it, he might have to stay here forever?

"When the fisherman was about to leave, you had no other choice but to tell him not to tell anyone. But how could he possibly keep quiet about such a miraculous encounter? Later, the fisherman brought many people to search for Peach Blossom Spring, but because the yang energy was too strong, they naturally couldn't find it. That Liu Ziji from Nanyang came alone, and I don't know what he saw, but he fell ill and died not long after." Fusu snorted coldly and gestured with his chin towards the peach grove outside the wooden house. Only then did he realize that the villagers who had gathered outside the house had dispersed at some point.

Fusu composed himself and continued, "These peach trees weren't planted by you one by one, were they? Those innocent people who strayed into this place, they never left Peach Blossom Spring, did they? There must be a corpse buried under every peach tree here, which is why these peach blossoms bloom so alluringly, in the depths of winter, in a season when no peach blossoms should be blooming." As Fusu finished speaking, the once clear sky outside instantly darkened, and the peach blossoms on the trees seemed to have suddenly drunk their fill of blood, turning from light pink to deep red, casting a dark red hue on the originally gray sky. The faint rumble of thunder could also be heard from the heavens above.

The atmosphere inside the cabin grew eerie as the sky darkened. The oil lamp on the table flickered uneasily, casting an indistinct glow on Zhao Jia's scarred face.

Minghong became somewhat anxious due to the sudden change in the atmosphere. It flapped its wings, intending to fly out of the wooden house, but was gently yet firmly held in Fusu's palm.

Fusu gently stroked Minghong's feathers and said softly, "Actually, you are not the real Zhao Jia either."

【two】

Tang Yuan quietly opened the door with his key, peeked in, and looked down to see that the doctor's slippers were still in the same way he had left. He breathed a sigh of relief.

He deftly slipped off his shoes and darted into the house, put away the snake basket containing the little white snake, took off his coat and changed into his pajamas, pretending that he hadn't gone out at all. Once he had tidied everything up and sat at the table pretending to read, he began to rack his brains over what to bring to the Tian Guang Market next time.

Ying-ge is so mean! He always likes to keep me in suspense! I really want to know whose name is written on the last chess piece! Tang Yuan opened the drawer, intending to take another look at the eleven chess pieces he had acquired, but was horrified to find that the drawer was completely empty! What... what happened?

Tang Yuan opened all the drawers of his desk and turned them upside down. Everything else was there, but all eleven chess pieces were missing!
Tang Yuan tried hard to recall whether he had ever moved the chess pieces, but he knew that he would remember the exact page and line of a book he had read years ago, let alone something so important!
Did the doctor take it?

No, the uncle wouldn't touch his things without asking.

So, excluding that option, only one possibility remains—a stranger had visited the house! Just as Tang Yuan was filled with doubt and surprise, he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock outside the front door, and the doctor pushed the door open and entered.

"Uh... are you packing your things?" The doctor changed his shoes and came into the room, noticing the mess on Tang Yuan's desk, and asked curiously.

"Uncle, have you seen my chess pieces? They're eleven perfectly square jade tablets," Tang Yuan asked, clinging to his last hope.

"Hmm? What jade pendant? I've never seen one before." The doctor didn't think much of it and went straight into his room. Sure enough… Tang Yuan bit his lip, reached out and lifted the drowsy little white snake from the snake basket, intending to…
Put it in the drawer where the chess pieces are kept, and see what it discovers.

As soon as the little white snake approached the drawer, it immediately woke up, sat up warily, and looked around. It was in trouble!

Perhaps due to his frequent contact with small animals since childhood, Tang Yuan also possessed a keen intuition. He felt as if someone was spying on his every move from the shadows, and he suddenly felt that the whole house was unsafe.

What should we do? Should he be transferred? But what about the doctor if he leaves? He can't leave the doctor alone!
Just as Tang Yuan was pacing anxiously, he noticed the doctor come out and pull a suitcase from the top of the shoe cabinet. "Oh? Uncle, are you going on a business trip?"

"Oh, no." The doctor took a rag and wiped the dust off the suitcase. "You should also pack your things. We're going to stay at a friend's house for a while."

"Huh?" Tang Yuan certainly didn't think the doctor was a prophet who knew there was danger and avoided it, but was it really such a coincidence?
"Oh, speaking of which, you know him too." The doctor said casually and cheerfully as he unpacked his suitcase and laid it on the floor. "It's your senior's place. We're moving to the Silent Abode for a while."

"what?"

【Three】

The Peach Blossom Spring is no longer as peaceful and serene as before. The laughter and play of children can no longer be heard. The vast village is deserted, with only a gloomy sky and blood-red peach blossoms remaining.

Blood-red peach petals danced in the air, scattering to the ground like drops of blood. "Actually, you're not the real Zhao Jia either."

The oil lamp flickered in the wooden hut. Fusu stared at the young man's ever-changing face, lost in memories. Historically, Zhao Jia was the last ruler of the Zhao state. He was originally the crown prince, but was deposed by his father, and the throne was taken by...
The throne was passed to his half-brother, Zhao Qian. Although Zhao Jia did not inherit the throne, he declared himself King of Dai after the fall of Zhao. Zhao was not truly destroyed until Wang Ben conquered Dai and captured King Jia. However, there are also rumors that Zhao Jia was not captured by Wang Ben but escaped, which is why historical records do not mention Qin Shi Huang's punishment of Zhao Jia.

Fusu had once seen the past through the Candle Dragon Eyes; the real Zhao Jia was secretly executed by his father when the Zhao capital, Handan, fell. The later King Jia of Dai was merely a substitute chosen by other Zhao nobles, a puppet symbolizing the continued existence of Zhao's royal power.

Clearly, this puppet underwent a mutation back then, and after escaping from Dai County, it built this outwardly beautiful but actually terrifying and gloomy Peach Blossom Spring.

"Of course I am the real Zhao Jia, I am Young Master Jia!" The young man who claimed to be Zhao Jia had an extremely gloomy expression. "And you, you are not Young Master Fusu at all!"

Fusu lowered his head and touched the cold mask on his face, giving a slight bitter smile.

That's true. He has now changed his body and is no longer a prince of Qin... In every respect, he is no longer the Prince Fusu of yesteryear.

Zhao Jia steadied himself, slowly revealed a smile, stood up and walked to the door of the wooden house. Looking at the scenery outside, he said slowly, "This is Peach Blossom Spring, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Are you here to accuse me of trapping them here?"

Fusu looked over Zhao Jia's shoulder and saw a hazy, translucent illusion forming on the blood-red peach blossoms outside. These pink illusions were like miniature worlds, with tiny figures indulging in unbridled joy.

Zhao Jia walked out of the wooden house triumphantly, spreading his arms wide like a monarch displaying his territory: "Everyone who comes to Peach Blossom Spring is disgusted with the present world and has come to escape. It is not Peach Blossom Spring that finds them, but they who find Peach Blossom Spring."

Fusu followed him out of the wooden house and found that the pink illusionary scenes on the trees were all different, but each one had a figure surrounded in the center. Those must be the travelers trapped in Peach Blossom Spring.

However, looking at the satisfied smiles on their faces, it's hard to say whether the word "tired" is the right word to describe it...

Zhao Jia turned around and saw Fu Su's slightly wavering expression. He smiled mysteriously and said, "Come on, stay in Peach Blossom Spring. This place will give you everything you want."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless peach petals fell from the peach tree in the very center of Peach Blossom Spring, swirling around Fusu like a tornado and enveloping him from head to toe.

Give him everything he wants? Fusu was momentarily stunned. What did he want? The throne he never inherited? The long-destroyed Qin dynasty? Or a life of freedom and unbridled indulgence?
Many deliberately forgotten images flashed through his mind, and Fusu paused for a moment as he tried to break free from the peach petals.

In that split second of hesitation, the peach petals, which had previously left gaps, now densely enveloped Fusu's entire body. Zhao Jia's face broke into a smug smile, but this smile quickly turned to suspicion and uncertainty. Suddenly, a flash of fire appeared within the increasingly thick layer of peach petals, and in an instant, it spread...
Come, the peach petals licked by the flames instantly turned to ashes and scattered on the ground.

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhao Jia quickly turned around and ran into the peach blossom forest, disappearing into the woods.

Standing on Fusu's shoulder, Minghong let out an angry shriek, and a crimson flame shot out from its sharp beak, instantly engulfing the largest peach tree in front of it.

A faint cry of anguish could be heard, and the fire suddenly grew larger, sweeping towards the other peach trees. Soon, Peach Blossom Spring was turned into a sea of ​​fire.

"The most fleeting things in life are beauty and youth, like flowers falling from trees." As Fusu spoke these words with a touch of melancholy, the peach blossoms on the tree...
Thousands upon thousands of blood-red peach blossoms fell suddenly, disappearing into the sea of ​​fire.

With a series of sighs that sounded like relief, the pink illusion shattered and vanished like bubbles. Minghong stared in disbelief, unconsciously tightening its claws and gripping Fusu's clothes tightly.

Gazing at the sea of ​​fire before him, Fusu removed his mask, revealing burn marks and faint signs of lividity on his handsome face. He could no longer stay by Bi Zhi's side, nor could he accompany him to open the treasure vault to search for the artifacts to fight Zhao Gao. But there was still something he could do.

In the game of Liubo, both sides need six players and six antiques that serve as pieces. While selecting the antiques is important, choosing the players is equally crucial. Therefore, he only needs to eliminate any players Zhao Gao might choose.

Clearly, the "Zhao Jia" in Peach Blossom Spring is the top candidate.

The Candle Dragon Eye's left eye can see the past, and its right eye can see the future. The yellow jade ball, used to see the future, only reveals fragments or scenes, while the black jade ball, used to see the past, provides a detailed and immersive experience. On that night of the new moon, before giving the doctor the black jade ball that allowed him to see the past, Fusu himself had held it and examined it for a long time. He too had seen the past of Peach Blossom Spring through the Candle Dragon Eye.

Speaking of which, he still regrets giving the doctor the Candle Dragon Eye that allows him to see the past so early!
Minghong suddenly called out a few times to remind Fusu to be careful.

Fusu looked closely and saw that the largest peach tree in front of him was crackling from the flames, and a crack had appeared in the trunk, revealing a golden object.

Minghong flew over curiously. Naturally, it was not afraid of the flames it spewed out. With a slight nudge, it picked up the golden object in its beak.

"Ding-ling-ling—" The golden object made a crisp sound, startling Minghong so much that it almost dropped it. Fearing the object was too hot, it flew in the air for a long time before finally handing it to Fusu.

This is a gold-cast object, half of which is a circle with a hollowed-out phoenix pattern, and the other half is a narrow trapezoid, much like a handheld mini fan that is popular now. The bell is emitted from the circular side, which contains a moving gold ball that rolls around in the disc, making a crisp sound.

“This is a Luan…” Fusu stared intently at the object in his hand. He hadn’t expected to find such a treasure in Peach Blossom Spring. “To be precise, this is the Golden Luan Bell.”

The Shuowen Jiezi (a Chinese dictionary) says: "Luan (銮) is the carriage of the emperor, with four horse bridles and eight luan bells, resembling the sound of a phoenix, signifying harmony and respect." Luan bells were originally decorations reserved for the emperor's carriage, later coming to refer to the emperor's chariot or the emperor himself. In later generations, the emperor...

The palace where the emperor ascended the throne or held political discussions was called the Golden Palace.

This golden bell was the very one his father had been searching for.

Among the seven Warring States, the rise of the Zhao state has always been intriguing. The Zhao family was originally a powerful clan in the Jin state, but they were once massacred. Only one Zhao orphan managed to rebuild the entire family, and later participated in the division of Jin into three states, establishing the Zhao state itself. Afterwards, King Wuling of Zhao adopted the nomadic style of cavalry and archery, and the Zhao state prospered to unprecedented heights. Even when King Wuling secretly went to the Qin state to investigate, he was able to escape unscathed.

Therefore, the Qin state had long suspected that the Zhao state possessed a treasure powerful enough to turn the tide, but they had never known its exact nature. Later, diviners even divined that an imperial star would be born in the Zhao state, which was the most secretive reason for Qin's initiation of the Battle of Changping. Subsequent events proved that the imperial star referred to his father, the king born in the Zhao state.

However, this oracle inscription troubled his father for half his life, ultimately becoming the real reason for Zhao Jia's assassination. Fusu stroked the golden bell in his hand, recalling the history of the Zhao state.

The ancestors of the Zhao state can be traced back to Zaofu, a trusted confidant of King Mu of Zhou. Zaofu was skilled in hunting and collecting the finest horses in the land. He found eight exceptionally fine horses for King Mu when he entered the Peach Forest. King Mu was overjoyed and appointed Zaofu as the Imperial Horse Officer, in charge of the emperor's carriages.

Speaking of which... Zhao Gao initially served under his father, the emperor, in charge of the imperial carriages.

Fusu's lips curled into a cold smile. It seemed that the bloodline of the Zhao royal family was truly born with a talent for driving horses.

Later, Zaofu drove King Mu of Zhou on a hunt, allowing King Mu to meet the Queen Mother of the West, creating a legendary tale. This golden bell is said to have been a gift from the Queen Mother of the West to King Mu. When King Mu arrived at Yaochi for their meeting, even from a great distance, the Queen Mother of the West could hear the sound of the bell from his chariot.

After King Mu passed away, the imperial chariot passed into the hands of Zao Fu. Since the succeeding King Gong of Zhou was unaware of the origin of this golden bell, it was passed down as a family heirloom by Zao Fu, generation after generation. It is said that the orphan of the Zhao family survived by the hand of this golden bell. And since this golden bell originally belonged to the emperor, the Zhao family gradually rose to power and became kings.

Unfortunately, although the State of Zhao possessed a divine object, King Wuling of Zhao almost unified the six states. However, for some reason, he abdicated early and made a fatal mistake in choosing an heir, ultimately starving to death in Shaqiu.

Fusu, holding the golden bell, was lost in thought when he suddenly heard Minghong's panicked cry—perhaps Fusu was standing too close, for the blazing flames greedily climbed onto the hem of his overcoat and quickly engulfed him.

Fusu had lost his sense of taste and smell for some time, and recently even his sense of touch had become dulled. If it weren't for Minghong's scream, he might not have realized that he had gotten himself into trouble.

Ah, I can still feel a little warmth; it's a feeling I haven't had in a long time.

Minghong's flames only burn filth, indicating that his body has already begun to decay...

Because he had lost the ability to feel pain, Fusu's reactions became very slow. But Minghong on his shoulder could no longer hold back and opened its mouth to suck all the flames back in one go.

Concern can cloud judgment, and Minghong took a deep breath. Fusu had no time to stop him and could only watch helplessly as the enormous peach tree in front of him vanished the moment the flames were absorbed.

"Burp..." Minghong let out a burp, exhaled a puff of smoke, and blinked his small eyes helplessly.

Fusu was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Well, perhaps it was fate. He was not destined to die. I wonder where he will choose to settle down again. From now on, those who travel alone should be careful of peach blossom forests they may suddenly encounter deep in the mountains."

That might not be a paradise on earth, but rather an entrance to another world.

(End of this chapter)