"Everyone these days seems to think Tacet Discords form at random," Lianfeng said.
"Don't they?" Ling An asked in confusion.
Though he was now a Tacet Discord himself, he had little idea of his own origins.
"That's not all there is to it." Lianfeng shook his head. "The formation of some Tacet Discords is tied to legends, or even actual history."
"You mean this Bell-Ringing Turtle?" Ling An looked toward the enormous ancient bell in the middle of the marsh.
"That's right. Legend has it that the Huanglong army used to ring bronze bells during battle to inspire their soldiers to fight bravely, or to herald their triumphant return."
Ling An recalled the tolling he had heard earlier. Indeed, its sound was ancient and enduring, and it had come from this very Bell-Ringing Turtle.
"Long ago, a Bell Ringer who accompanied the army on its campaigns saved a turtle beside the Green River. It lived and trained alongside the soldiers, becoming a member of the Huanglong army in all but name.
"But after a brutal battle, the Bell Ringer fell on the eve of victory. The bell heralding their triumph should never have rung across that battlefield again..."
Lianfeng gazed toward the center of the marsh as well. Whether he was looking at the ancient bell or the Bell-Ringing Turtle beneath it was unclear. Slowly, he said, "But that day, the bell still rang."
Ling An understood at once. "The turtle took on the duty of ringing the bell?"
Lianfeng nodded. "Exactly. This ancient bell... is identical to the bronze bell the Huanglong army used back then... That turtle vanished, too. All that remained was a giant Tacet Discord bearing an ancient bell, and the old, solemn tolling that still occasionally echoes through the Bell-Ringing Ravine."
Ling An nodded silently