Inside the hall.
A single lantern shone alone, its light and shadows dim and scattered.
A gaunt old man sat in a bamboo chair, with a bamboo basket set beside him.
A kingfisher perched on the old man's shoulder, using its beak to preen its feathers.
"Wang Chonglu pays his respects to Senior."
The instant Wang Chonglu saw the old man, his expression turned solemn as he cupped his hands and bowed.
Night Watchman!
An old antique who had lived for who knew how many years—he could even be called the oldest person above the Bitter Sea!
"No need to be restrained. Sit."
The old man raised a hand and pointed to a chair nearby.
Wang Chonglu nodded. Just as he was about to sit, he saw Su Yi walk to the bamboo basket beside the old man, crouch down, and inspect its contents.
Wang Chonglu froze.
But seeing that the Night Watchman did not object, he ultimately suppressed his inner astonishment and silently took a seat to the side.
"Why is the Fallen Bell gone?"
Su Yi asked without raising his head.
This seemingly ancient and ordinary bamboo basket actually contained a world of its own, filled with the fine treasures the Night Watchman had collected over the years.
"When Cui Longxiang came here back then, he borrowed that treasure."
The old man explained softly, his voice dry and aged.
"So that was it."
Su Yi rose and casually sat in an empty chair. Looking around, he sighed. "This place of yours is just like that Blacksmith Shop of the Night Watchman—nothing has changed at all. For a moment, I thought I had returned to the past."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chonglu nearly laughed.
A youth of seventeen or eighteen was lamenting the passage of time and how things