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Chapter 54: Chapter 54 The Legend of the Chen Bell Platform
(The author took advice and made some edits to the last Chapter; the child did not take the Chen Bell Platform.)
The clock tower finally quieted down.
Li Qian still preferred to cultivate alone.
Perhaps it’s because he was single for so long in his previous life, he had developed the attributes of a homebody.
Dong Dong Dong...
The clear and distant sound of the bell rang out.
Within the unending bell sounds, Li Qian drew his treasured sword and began his practice.
After a full cycle of practice, Li Qian only felt True Qi surging within him, as if he had installed a high-performance engine, containing a terrifying power that would be immensely astonishing once unleashed.
Whew!
Li Qian let out a breath and checked the information on his system interface.
His cultivation progress had increased slightly.
"Does it take three days to increase just a bit?"
Li Qian murmured to himself.
Nevertheless, it was still acceptable.
This meant that it would take him less than a year to break through to the True Essence Realm.
Within the Innate Realm, this cultivation speed was terrifyingly fast.
Then he began practicing the Soul Chasing Swordsmanship again...
His calm and steady bell-ringing cultivation life continued for the better part of a month.
One day, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Yong ran to the Chen Bell Platform.
"Brother Qian, the selection for True Inheritors is about to start, are you going to watch?"
Chen Yong asked.
This was his first time having the opportunity to witness such an important selection event since entering the Inner Sect, so he was very excited.
"What’s there to watch? I’ve participated in it before."
Li Qian, who was cooking porridge, replied without turning his head.
"Uh..."
Chen Yong scratched his head and curiously asked, "Brother Qian, what’s inside the Sword Grinding Cave?"
Being able to become an Inner Sect Disciple was already beyond his ancestors’ wildest dreams, and as far as the selection for True Inheritors was concerned, it had nothing to do with him, nor had he any ambition towards it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about the Sword Grinding Cave.
"It’s just some murals inside, nothing particularly special,"
Li Qian said offhandedly.
"Brother Qian, then I’ll be off."
Chen Yong said.
He planned to head to the Divine Sword Hall Square early to grab a good spot.
"Since you’re here, finish your breakfast before you leave."
Li Qian said.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yong immediately sat down.
Although he was now an Inner Sect Disciple and could eat medicated meals every day, the medicated porridge Li Qian cooked was different; it was made with better quality herbal ingredients, and most importantly, it was supplemented with a good amount of Exotic Beast Meat Jerky.
This Exotic Beast Meat Jerky was only provided to the ordinary Official Disciples of the Inner Sect in a fixed small quantity each month, never enough to satisfy.
...
In the afternoon, Master Zhou Buping returned from the Inner Sect.
"Tomorrow morning, the Sword Tomb will be opened."
"And... Li Qian, it would be best to add a servant disciple to the Chen Bell Platform."
Zhou Buping remembered something and then said.
"Eh?"
Li Qian was startled.
"The Sect Leader said that many people from the Inner Sect have complained to him that the Chen Bell often doesn’t ring, affecting their judgment of time."
Zhou Buping said.
"It doesn’t often fail to ring, just a few days a year."
Li Qian countered.
"Adding a servant disciple won’t affect you, and having someone help you strike the bell is good, right?"
Zhou Buping was somewhat baffled by his disciple’s train of thought.
"Alright then."
Li Qian agreed, albeit reluctantly.
Actually, he wanted to say that it was his bell, how could he let anyone strike it at will.
However, when he was away on missions and no one struck the bell, it indeed wasn’t ideal.
Every time he returned, he needed to spend some time adjusting the hourglass, which was also quite bothersome.
Right now, he just hoped that after upgrading the Chen Bell, it could be shrunk down for portability. Such a huge bell couldn’t possibly be carried around every day, right?
Unfortunately, this world did not have something like a storage bag, which would be convenient to carry in a storage device.
After the Master left, Li Qian stroked his chin and then turned to go down the mountain to the Chores Hall.
Chores Hall.
"Senior Brother Li, what instructions do you have?"
Hall Master Xu personally served up fragrant tea before respectfully asking.
"Hall Master Xu, help me find a servant disciple for the Chen Bell Platform to strike the bell. Make sure he’s honest and earnest; also... it has to be a male, preferably one who’s only been here for a year."
Li Qian stated.
He didn’t want the cunning type; newly appointed servant disciples who were honest and well-behaved were the easiest to discipline.
"Senior Brother Li, rest assured, I will take care of it immediately."
Manager Xu said hastily.
Because there had been occasional absences at the Chen Bell Platform, the inner sect had made inquiries several times.
Although the Chen Bell Platform was under the jurisdiction of the Chores Hall, he truly had no control over it.
Now that Senior Brother Li had taken the initiative to request servant disciples, he finally felt relieved.
....
After Li Qian left the Chores Hall, Manager Xu immediately convened the vice managers and servants of the Chores Hall.
Although he was only a vice manager, he had gradually become the top vice manager of the Chores Hall due to his ability to speak with Li Qian of the Chen Bell Platform.
Moreover, the hall master was old and rarely managed affairs, mostly living in Lijian City and seldom visiting the Chores Hall, so it was basically Manager Xu who called the shots.
Once the old hall master stepped down, he was almost certain to be the uncontested choice for hall master.
"You guys, pick out a group of honest and well-behaved disciples from all servant disciples who joined last year... remember, they must be honest and well-behaved, don’t try to deceive me. If you offend that person, nobody can handle the consequences."
Manager Xu said sternly.
Those present all felt a chill in their hearts.
In the Chores Hall, the only person who could make Manager Xu take it so seriously was probably that person from the Chen Bell Platform.
The many vice managers and servants began to bustle about.
Soon, the news spread quickly among the servant disciples.
If it were the old Chen Bell Platform... with no benefits at all, it was a place even dogs would not go to.
But now it was different.
Privately, there were many legends about the Chen Bell Platform.
Especially Chen Yong, the unrivaled figure of the Chores Hall who had held the top spot on the strength rankings for three consecutive years, was said to have risen rapidly from obscurity due to his intricate connection with that person from the Chen Bell Platform.
Even some astute servant disciples wanted to try their luck by going up the mountain, but Manager Xu, who had anticipated this, had already issued a prohibition in advance, strictly forbidding servant disciples from approaching the Chen Bell Platform.
Manager Xu didn’t want the disciple ascents to disturb that person’s cultivation; should any blame come down, it would be troublesome.
Hundred Herbs Garden.
Here, a large number of herbal and spiritual medicines were cultivated, and there were numerous servant disciples.
The Medicinal Plant Masters of the Hundred Herbs Garden possessed professional herbal cultivation skills. Although they were not part of the inner sect, their status was much higher than that of servant disciples.
In addition, there were the Alchemists at the pill workshops, Breeders at the Exotic Beast Breeding Farm... and so on.
Within the Divine Sword Sect’s system, aside from the martial arts inheritances of the inner sect’s nine main peaks, the transmissions of medicinal plant cultivation, alchemy, exotic beast breeding, precious sword forging, and so on... were also very important.
These important institutions each had an independent selection mechanism.
The career paths of servant disciples were not limited to martial arts; they could also choose to develop in the fields of medicinal plant cultivation, alchemy, exotic beast breeding, and others.
However, these professions had certain talent requirements.
If one could become a Medicinal Plant Master, Alchemist... and so on, one could fundamentally change their life’s destiny.
Moreover, these professions had greater opportunities to practice martial arts.
Therefore, in the communities of Medicinal Plant Masters, Alchemists, Exotic Beast Breeders, there were also many who were masters in martial arts.
"Who is Liu Ming?"
A servant responsible for managing the servant disciples in the Hundred Herbs Garden asked as he looked at the gathered disciples.
"Respected servant, I am..."
A slightly thin and dark-skinned youth stepped forward.
"You go report to the Chores Hall now."
The servant nodded and instructed.
"Me?"
The youth Liu Ming was taken aback.
"Yes, hurry up now, perform well, and perhaps you’ll be selected for the Chen Bell Platform."
The servant said with a smile.
Amidst the envious looks of other servant disciples, the thin and dark-skinned youth Liu Ming quickly left the group and ran towards the Chores Hall.
"Alright, disperse and get back to work."
The servant waved his hand.
"Respected servant, just him?... Don’t we have a chance?"
Someone couldn’t help but ask.
"This is the list selected by the Chores Hall. If you also want to go, you can apply at the Chores Hall..."
The servant shrugged his shoulders and said.
After speaking, he turned and left.
"Ah, how come Liu Ming is so lucky?"
"Indeed, usually he couldn’t even fart, and now he’s stumbled upon good fortune."
"Why are you jealous? He might not even get selected."
"That’s true too, ah, why couldn’t it be me..."
Many servant disciples chattered among themselves, filled with longing for the Chen Bell Platform.
After all, Chen Yong’s example was there to see.
Who wouldn’t want such an opportunity?
Among the crowd, Song Yingying pursed her lips, her emotions complex.
The boy from those years had become an existence she could not hope to reach.
If she had been more proactive back then, perhaps her fate would have taken a completely different turn.
....
