The Sect Bell

It gets dark late in summer.

Bai Zhu and his team were also quick enough.

Although there were many people, lamp oil was distributed to almost everyone in line before it got completely dark.

Bai Zhu then told everyone that they would continue distributing lamp oil here at noon the next day, and asked everyone to go back to their villages and help spread the word, to see if there were any people who couldn't come to collect theirs today and could come tomorrow.

Upon hearing this, everyone expressed their gratitude once again.

The eleven new disciples were all very excited as they packed up and headed back.

The older ones were a bit better, but the younger ones couldn't contain their joy at all; they even skipped and hopped as they walked, making it easy to see their inner happiness.

Upon returning to their new disciples' quarters, several younger disciples rushed into the crowd to share with their friends:

I helped someone!

"I'm so happy! Haha!"

Today, an auntie said her child was so pitiful! He cried day and night because of mosquito bites.

Xie Rong rushed to Yin Xiaoxiao in one breath, panting as she excitedly said to her:

"Sister Little Four! I've seen your parents!"

"They came with my parents in a rented carriage! Haha, my dad praised me! He said I'm capable!"

Yin Xiaoxiao glanced at him, handed him the dinner she had prepared for him, and asked casually:

"Oh, what are my parents doing here?"

Upon hearing her ask, Xie Rong seemed to remember something, and took a large bundle from his Storage Bag and stuffed it into her arms.

"They brought you something, such Dayi bundle! Unlike my parents, who just gave me two changes of clothes and a few steamed buns..."

As she spoke, Xie Rong seemed to suddenly remember something amusing and changed the subject:

"By the way, Sister Little Four, did you know? My mother said that Hua Xiao'er wasn't chosen that day, but when his parents heard that we were chosen, his father gave him a beating."

Yin Xiaoxiao, holding the large bundle, nodded somewhat perfunctorily in response to Xie Rong, then lowered her eyes and opened the bundle.

Inside the bundle were brightly colored, finely made clothes that she had never worn before, along with a few fashionable beaded flowers that young girls loved to wear, and two pairs of shoes.

Somewhat dejected, Yin Xiaoxiao closed the bundle and put it into her Storage Bag.

Seeing that she was in a somber mood, Xie Rong then told her about the interesting things she had seen down the mountain that day.

However, Yin Xiaoxiao was unmoved; she glanced at Xie Rong with her almond-shaped eyes:

"So you're free? Have you reviewed Elder Yang's explanations from today's class?"

Xie Rong certainly didn't.

Today he was so busy running around trying to grab tasks, and then he was busy cutting bamboo with everyone to make bamboo tubes and lamp ropes. He had completely forgotten about reviewing the mental cultivation technique.

Now that Yin Xiaoxiao had brought it up, Xie Rong thought of how much faster her Sister Little Four's cultivation had progressed than hers, and immediately forgot what she was going to say, turning her head to quickly review her studies.

Bai Zhu, on the other side, was also very happy, but he felt a little disappointed because the new disciples going down the mountain tomorrow would be replaced, and they would not be able to go down.

He hadn't noticed it while he was busy on the mountain, but when he came down today and saw the old man, he suddenly missed the old beggar.

I wonder how he's been doing lately.

Hopefully, the provisions I delivered weren't stolen.

Then he saw Elder Liu walking towards him.

"Bai Zhu, I won't be going down with you for the next two days. You can take the disciples down tomorrow. Are you free?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhu was extremely surprised, but he reacted quickly and immediately nodded excitedly:

Elder Liu, are you free?

Liu Yunan nodded, took out a talisman, and handed it to him. "This is Sound Transmission Talisman. Use it to tell me if anything happens. Don't worry if you encounter any emergency or danger. Just turn around and enter the Heart-Questioning Road behind you, understand?"

He then gave a few more instructions.

Bai Zhu readily agreed, accepting the Sound Transmission Talisman and conveying Liu Yunan's instructions one by one.

The next day at noon.

It's that time of year again when Lingxian Sect distributes mosquito-repellent lamp oil.

As Bai Zhu walked out of the Heart-Questioning Road, she looked up and saw the hunched figure that had accompanied her for many years standing far away and alone outside the crowd, squinting at her.

Having finally managed to see the person clearly, the old beggar smiled kindly at Bai Zhu, then took out a soft, though cold, multigrain bun from the bundle on his back, found a rock to sit on, and slowly ate it.

Bai Zhu felt relieved.

After seeing off all the people who came to collect lamp oil, Bai Zhu put a portion in a bamboo tube and gave it to the old beggar.

On the third day...

There are hardly any people coming to collect the lamp oil anymore.

Lingxian Sect still has plenty of lamp oil left.

However, this won't be wasted. Liu Yunan stored the items in the sect's warehouse, and they can be distributed again next year.

The people of Xiushui Village and the surrounding villages finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ever since we started using this mosquito-repellent lamp oil at home, I haven't been bitten by mosquitoes at night.

When I woke up the next morning, the ground was covered with dead mosquitoes, which gave me goosebumps.

But compared to the discomfort of being bitten every night, this is nothing.

In an instant, the Lingxian Sect once again became famous in this land.

But these are things that happen down in the mountains.

Even after this incident of distributing mosquito-repellent lamp oil, the people on the mountain continued to be busy every day.

The new disciples, however, were filled with even greater anticipation for their cultivation journey.

They received a lot of thanks from people down the mountain these past few days.

This is not only to express gratitude for the lamp oil provided these past few days, but also for the various good deeds the sect has done in the past.

Some people didn't come for the lamp oil; they just heard that the immortals would be coming down the mountain these days, so they made a special trip to express their gratitude.

The new disciples were all filled with anticipation, hoping to achieve success in their cultivation, inherit the mantle of their sect's predecessors, and go down the mountain to help more people.

Another day has passed since the distribution of lamp oil ended.

The people of Xiushui Village suddenly discovered that a small stone shrine had been erected near the Peach Blossom Road, next to the streetlights that had mosquito-repelling properties.

However, there were no statues of gods inside the stone niche.

Inside, there was only a small, bronze bell hanging on the wall, with a small hammer for striking it next to it.

Outside the stone niche hangs a small plaque with two characters written on it: Sect Bell.

On either side of the stone niche hangs a small, long wooden plaque, each bearing the inscription. "When the people are in distress, the bell may be rung."

The news of the stone niche spread like wildfire among the people who saw it, but that remains to be seen.

This stone niche was made by Liu Yunan in his spare time these past few days.

Although Lin Xiao had locked himself in the small dark room of the Artifact Refining Hall during this time, he was not completely oblivious to what was happening outside.

Liu Yunan would tell him anything special that happened within the sect.

So after hearing about the mosquito infestation, Lin Xiao thought for a moment and then asked Liu Yunan to prepare Sect Bell and place it at the foot of the mountain.