Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 80 Zodiac Bell

As dawn broke, the morning light swept away the bloodshed of the night.

"Aunt Si, I never thought I wouldn't be able to see you one last time."

The young girl, dressed in a white dress, stood before the grave, wiping away tears. "I'm not worthy to wear mourning clothes for you, but you won't be angry with me, will you? Do you remember when we were little, you made osmanthus cakes for me and..."

Before the girl could finish speaking, she felt a chill on her neck; a scythe was pressed against it. A cold voice came from behind, "Are you human or a ghost? What are you doing at my mother's grave?"

The voice was both incredibly familiar and incredibly strange. It had once been as melodious as a clear spring, but now, as autumn deepened and the spring took on a desolate air.

Without hesitation, the girl turned around and threw herself into the man's arms, crying, "Brother Xiaofan, Brother Xiaofan, sob sob..."

Lin Fan shoved the girl in his arms away. Even her familiar face, with its red eyes, couldn't stop him. He pointed his scythe at her, "Who are you? Lin Yue'er, she clearly died in the Ma family. Who are you? Are you the curse she left behind? No, it's already dawn. You're not the curse. Who are you in disguise?"

Lin Yue'er looked at Lin Fan and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! Is this pale-faced middle-aged man with a large scar on his face really Lin Fan?"

However, Lin Yue'er quickly recognized him, because she saw him in his eyes and brows. Lin Yue'er burst into tears, feeling wronged, "Brother Xiao Fan, it's me! It's me, it's Yue'er! I didn't go to the Ma family at all..."

Lin Yue'er cried as she rambled on about her ordeal: the wedding procession had encountered a mudslide on the way, gotten lost in the mountains, and then run into some villains. Everyone scattered, including her. Lin Yue'er wandered from place to place; a young girl alone in the world, she naturally encountered many dangerous situations. She finally managed to escape back to Bailin Village, only to hear the devastating news of the Ma family's massacre, realizing she had escaped death.

Lin Fan looked into her clear, watery eyes and saw her blank expression. He also put down the sickle in his hand.

Lin Yue'er threw herself into Lin Fan's arms and burst into tears again.

Feeling the delicate and soft touch in his arms, Lin Fan was completely stunned. Everything that had happened before had made him extremely tense and hard as iron, but at this moment he suddenly softened.

He didn't know where to put his hands, and he had many questions in his mind, but he didn't know where to start.

In the end, all I could do was place one hand on her head and gently stroke it, saying, "It's good that you're alright."

As soon as Lin Fan returned to the village, he heard about his mother from Sanpang. Even though the effects of the gray pill were almost worn off, he didn't bother to take another one and rushed here without stopping.

"How did my mother get into this mess?" Lin Fan had already asked Sanpang this question once, but he trusted Lin Yue'er more.

Lin Yue'er shook her head, her tear-streaked face rubbing against Lin Fan's blood-stained clothes. "Brother Fan, I don't know, I didn't make it either."

Lin Fan put her aside and silently knelt before his mother's grave. He took an ear out of his pocket.

Swish.

Lin Yue'er suddenly tore open her white dress, revealing a section of smooth and straight calves.

Lin Fan was taken aback. What was she doing?

Lin Yue'er straightened the white strips of cloth into two, picked up one and tied it on Lin Fan's head, "Brother Fan, don't mind, we couldn't find any linen for the time being, so we'll just use this for now."

Lin Fan did not resist, letting her small hands gently tie the white ribbon around her head.

"I feel like I've suffered a lot along the way, which is why I acted like that just now. But compared to Brother Xiaofan, I think what I've been through is nothing."

Although Lin Fan didn't mention his experiences, Lin Yue'er could tell at a glance that he had suffered countless hardships, given how much he had aged in just a few days.

After tying the white cloth around her head, Lin Yue'er began tying a second cloth around Lin Fan's arm.

Lin Fan briefly recounted his own story, mentioning that he thought Lin Yue'er had died at the Ma family's house, so he investigated it, but unfortunately, the real culprit escaped in the end.

Lin Yue'er's heart skipped a beat. Lin Fan spoke as if it were nothing, yet his body was in this state. Was it because of me? Did Brother Fan become like this while searching for the murderer who killed 'me'?

Xiao Fan has changed a lot. The Xiao Fan of the past was gentle, but now he's a little scary. But the Xiao Fan of the past would never have done something so risky; she knew he wasn't that brave.

Lin Yue'er didn't know whether this change was good or bad. She was a little lost in thought, and before she knew it, the white cloth on her hands was already tied.

Lin Fan finally looked like he was making a proper offering, banging his head three times on the ground and placing Jia Zhubu's ear in front of the grave. "Mother, I came in a hurry and didn't bring enough offerings. I don't know if this offering is to your liking?"

In Lin Fan's memory, his mother would mutter about her dead husband at least dozens of times a day. This was his mother's biggest unresolved issue for more than ten years.

I wonder what she thinks from heaven now that she knows Lin Fan has settled this matter. Is she filled with emotion? Relief? Surprise? Or utter boredom?

Boom! A thunderclap exploded in Lin Fan's mind.

Lin Fan glanced at the clear sky, and he and Lin Yue'er, who was silently wiping away tears beside him, paused for a moment. They immediately realized what was happening.

The thunder subsided, and a voice echoed in my mind.

"When you meet an old friend in a foreign land, old grudges and hatreds are forgotten in an instant, long-cherished wishes are fulfilled, punishments are given and merits are rewarded, the Yellow Bell is bestowed, fate is defied and reversed, the universe is turned upside down, you can transcend cause and effect and seek the true Tao."

It turns out that this was not only Lin Shuixiu's knot in her heart, but also the original owner's knot in her heart.

Lin Fan touched the hourglass, which was now the size of a thumb, in his pocket. The moment he touched it, he immediately understood its wonderful use.

The Zodiac Bell can reverse time three times, but its activation requires Lin Fan's death. Like the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, it takes effect as long as it touches any part of Lin Fan's body. Furthermore, like the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, it doesn't recognize a master; whoever holds it will experience the same effect. After three uses, it will disappear. The only special treatment Lin Fan receives is that he understands its wondrous uses the instant he touches it. Others, even if they possess it, will only perceive it as a delicate work of art.

Simply put, as long as Lin Fan keeps letting it touch his skin, in any life-or-death situation, Lin Fan will return to a point in time with his memories intact. Regardless of how powerful the laws this thing possesses, this miraculous effect alone could save Lin Fan from three life-or-death crises.

It now seems that the advantages I gained from my time travel are of extremely high quality, but unfortunately I cannot truly control their power.

Lin Fan slowly stood up, his thoughts still unsettled, when he suddenly felt dizzy.

Oh no, could it be that the gray pill's effects have completely worn off, causing all the problems in my body to erupt at once?

Lin Fan was still holding the Zodiac Clock in his hand. His last thought was that it seemed like such a waste to use his ability to rewind time just like that.

"Brother Xiaofan!"

Lin Yue'er gasped in shock, for just a moment ago she had seen Lin Fan perfectly fine, and the next moment his clothes were stained crimson with blood as he collapsed to the ground. Without the suppression of the gray pill, several of Lin Fan's unhealed wounds burst open, instantly turning him into a blood-soaked figure.