Chapter 108: The Bell

When Zhu Zhu asked this question, outside the window, the ghost that was waiting for its “big meal” had already received its “big meal,” a full table of food that was no different from the food in the world of the living. It was now grabbing a piece of “barbecue” and eating it with gusto, not forgetting to take a sip of wine while munching.

In this lonely, desperate, chaotic new city, how many souls can resist such temptation?

“Do you have to eat it in the inn? Is it to make everything the same as in the world of the living?” I didn’t answer Zhu Zhuo’s question, but instead looked out the window and asked.

“Yes, the adults in the inner city say that everything here will be as close as possible to the world of the living. Although I don’t know why, it is precisely because of this that the new city is more attractive than the old city. Even the yin energy that Master Hongren gave away looked like food in the world of the living, which sometimes made me feel that I was still alive.” At this time, Zhu Zhuo’s expression was a little sad and a little satisfied.

All of this made me sigh. Yes, everything is made to look like the human world, which naturally has a great attraction for ghosts. And through such rules and methods, it will also cultivate a group of powerful beings for itself, right?

What exactly does the owner of this city want to do? And is the “owner” of this city really a demon? What role does Yucui play in all of this? In fact, I have no doubt in my heart that a demon actually has the ability to make a soul’s dreams come true… if it is a very powerful demon.

Thinking of this, I looked at Zhu Zhuo apologetically and said, “Maybe we won’t live here because we’re in a hurry, and I won’t tell you why. However, you can trust this Master Jueyuan. He said that you can get a good transcendence, and you will.”

Zhu Zhuo’s face showed a hint of sadness, and more disappointment. However, in this city, under such cruel circumstances, everyone has secrets, and it’s not necessarily a good thing to ask about them.

Zhu Zhu’s lips moved, but in the end he didn’t ask why we were here. He just asked in a low voice, “How tight is the schedule?”

The time I had agreed with Ji Feng was three days. I thought that Hucun would not last more than five days. If we were to enter this ghost town on the third day, we would already be on the second day. If we were to enter this ghost town on the fifth day, we would not have more than three days.

So I said to Zhu Zhuo, “We only have two or three days, I mean time in the world of the living.”

Zhu Zhuo said, “The time in the world of the living is different from here. Time passes much faster here. Staying here for two days is equivalent to one day in the world of the living.”

I can understand this. It’s just like the ghost market back then, isn’t it? I felt like I had been here for a long time, but when I came out, it was only a short time. You can’t equate the time in a dream with the time in reality.

“How do you confirm the time here?” I looked out the window. The sky outside was a kind of grayish, with a few streaks of pale red, and the sky on the outside of the lake was very different from the kind of purple-red sky. I don’t think I can tell the difference between day and night with this kind of sky.

“It’s daytime now, so the sky is grayish red. At night, the sky will turn dark, just like the mortal world, and all the lights on the city walls will be lit up. When there are only eight large lights left on the city walls, it will be a new day again, and the sky will turn grayish red again.” Zhu Zhuo said this with a tone of resignation. He must have seen many days like this, with the lights coming on and off.

“When will Master Hongren appear next time?” I asked again. Through my understanding of this new city, I had already sorted out a general direction for my future actions, which was to enter the inner city.

We don’t have time to wait for some test and then enter the inner city. According to Zhu Zhuo, it would take several years to achieve that according to the time in the city.

So, through these conversations, I had two directions. The first was the most direct way, to break into the inner city directly.

The second method is to meet the Master Hongren. He can perform the work of liberating the dead and preaching the Dharma here, so he must know something.

According to the time here, and the reality of the time 2 to 1 contrast, we can stay here for about 6 days, but if we can only wait for Master Hongren in the last two days, it will be meaningless for us, because I can’t estimate what kind of battle we will experience, and we also have to find clues left by the master, and if we wait for him at the end, there will not be enough time.

Seeing me ask this, Zhu Zhuo thought for a moment with his chin in his hand, then said, “As I said before, Master Hong Ren appears every five days, basically rain or shine, with very few exceptions. But you will probably have to wait four days to meet Master Hong Ren, because he appeared once the day before yesterday…”

When I heard this, my face changed. This situation was slightly better than the worst case scenario I had expected, which was that Master Hongren had only appeared once the day before.

It seems that we and Master Hongren are not destined to meet. I sighed when I thought of this.

We had already been in Zhu Zhuo’s place for nearly an hour and a half, and we couldn’t delay any longer. Thinking about this, I said to Zhu Zhuo, “We are unfamiliar with this city and have already gotten lost. Can you take us around the city, just a route from here to the inner city?”

I was embarrassed to say this because I had nothing to offer Zhu Zhu.

Zhu Zhu hesitated for a moment before saying, “It’s no problem to take you around, but as you know, I’m not very capable. I don’t usually go beyond this street, except when Master Hongren appears, then I’ll go a little further. I also have to rely on the protection of others (other ghosts) and pay them protection fees. If I take you there, I won’t be able to come back alone.”

Xiao Chengqian was delighted to hear this and said, “Kid, we don’t need protection money.”

I said gently, “We’ll bring you back, don’t worry.” With my memory, I would never forget a road like this once I’ve walked it. It wouldn’t be a problem to bring Zhu Zhu back, and I didn’t mind spending a little time sharpening my blade.

Since we had already decided to break into the inner city, we had plenty of time.

Zhu Zhuo nodded and said, “That’s fine. I’ll go out with you. Some people here know that I have a powerful bodyguard, so they won’t dare bully me. I don’t have to cut meat anymore…”

“What do you mean by ‘cutting meat’?” Ruyue asked curiously.

“It’s a protection fee. Cutting flesh means cutting off a part of your soul power and giving it to them, or getting a lot of alms from Master Hongren and giving them a large portion of it. But it’s okay, after all, this is a ghost town, full of negative energy. After cutting flesh, you can always recover after a few days, and Master Hongren can also soothe the pain when he passes you over.” Zhu Zhuo said it lightly.

I felt pity for Zhu Zhuo. It was not being devoured, but was being kept as a cow by the so-called strong people here, exploited in a slow and steady manner. It was not easy for it to live here.

Or, this is already a rule of survival for the weak here.

I patted Zhu Zhu’s shoulder and said, “Believe me, this will not last long. You will be freed soon.”

Zhu Zhu looked at me with a doubtful expression, his eyes not saying anything. Obviously, he didn’t believe what I said. Human souls are also human, and human nature is like this. After being desperate for so long, even if hope really appears, he won’t believe it. He would rather maintain an ostrich spirit and continue to be numb.

It is obviously more difficult to live a life full of hope than a life of constant pain and despair. Every day full of hope is also a kind of spiritual training. Unfortunately, how many people understand this?

So, I didn’t explain anything, just smiled at Zhu Zhuo and said, “Let’s go, then we’ll set off.”

Perhaps our presence gave Zhu Zhu a great sense of security, and he didn’t object. He naturally took us out of the house. After following him out the door, Zhu Zhu was still rambling, “How did I just follow you guys out of the house? If you leave me behind, who will I go to? But I’m still willing to take a chance. I still believe in you guys a little bit.”

How rare is this kind of trust in this new city? Looking at the lunatics on the streets, I think the trust Zhu Zhuo has given us is precious. At least in Zhu Zhuo’s body, this city has not completely degenerated, hopeless…

Walking down the street, we surrounded Zhu Zhu in the middle, treating it with the utmost respect, not for anything else, but so that it would have an easier time in the days to come.

Zhu Zhu was aware of our behavior and looked at us with gratitude in his eyes.

In this way, we walked silently for more than ten minutes. When we were about to leave the street, a distant, ancient, and resounding bell suddenly sounded in the distance…

Zhu Zhu suddenly became excited!

What does this bell mean? I frowned slightly and was stunned for a moment.