The lights in the evening flickered like sunlight on a cloudy day.
Yu Xie stood outside Gui Zhong's door for a moment, hesitating before finally knocking.
"Coming!" A cheerful voice responded from inside.
As the footsteps approached, the door swung open.
The girl in the white dress looked surprised at first upon seeing Yu Xie, but then her expression brightened with joy.
"Yu Xie!"
"I was passing by and thought I'd stop to say hello," Yu Xie smiled.
"You came at just the right time! Come in, I want to show you something!" Gui Zhong, looking very happy, pulled Yu Xie inside without giving him a chance to refuse.
"Look at this, it's almost finished!"
Gui Zhong led him to the table, where the candlelight was nearly burnt out. Beneath that soft glow lay a finely crafted bell.
Even though Yu Xie wasn't skilled in mechanism arts, he could still sense the intricacies involved.
From the delicate patterns on the bell to the materials and tiny parts, it was clear how much care Gui Zhong had put into making this bell, showcasing her unparalleled talent in mechanics.
"This is an exquisite bell. It must have taken a lot of effort," Yu Xie said, shifting his gaze from the bell to Gui Zhong.
"It's not too bad," she replied, her smile laced with a hint of pride.
"Have you thought of a name for this bell yet?"
"Not yet. I'll decide once it's complete."
"How about 'Purifying Bell'? What do you think?" The name slipped out of Yu Xie's mouth instinctively.
"Purifying Bell…" Gui Zhong paused for a moment, then her light-colored eyes sparkled with excitement. "What a lovely name! Let's call it Purifying Bell. Yu Xie, you're truly a genius!"
"I'm not a genius…"
Before Yu Xie could finish his sentence, a rumbling sound interrupted him.
Gui Zhong gave an embarrassed smile and rubbed her belly.
"I've been so busy making the bell that I forgot to eat dinner… I'll go make something. You should eat too! Taste my cooking."
"I'm fine, really. I'm not hungry."
"Are you sure you don't want anything?"
"Really, it's fine. Don't waste the ingredients."
"Well then… okay. Why don't you sit for a bit? I'll be back quickly."
"I'm not treating myself as a guest. I'll help you start a fire."
Sounds of movement came from the kitchen, and wisps of smoke slowly rose into the night.
Before long, a bowl of noodle soup was placed on the dining table.
In the vibrant broth lay perfectly cooked noodles, garnished with a few slices of vegetables. Though simple, it was fragrant and inviting.
Gui Zhong's face lit up with happiness as she ate the noodles.
She was always like this, finding contentment in the ordinary moments of life, which made her smile bloom.
Yu Xie couldn't help but smile too.
In response to a smile, it should be met with another smile, not regret.
After chatting with Gui Zhong for a while longer, Yu Xie left her home.
He walked alone once more, the streetlights growing dimmer, with many residents already asleep.
Puddles formed in the low-lying areas from the rain, and nameless little insects jumped over the surface, creating faint ripples.
Before he realized it, Yu Xie had arrived at Liu Yun's home.
All the surrounding lights were off, except for the one in Liu Yun's house.
She must be tirelessly studying her latest mechanisms under the light.
She always had many imaginative ideas, producing stunning creations. Yet perhaps due to her lesser natural talent compared to Gui Zhong, many of her designs, while nearly perfect, still fell just short of Gui Zhong's work.
But she never gave up, and this time was no different.
Yu Xie stood outside her door for a long while, contemplating whether to knock and tell Liu Yun it was getting late and she should rest.
However, time slipped by slowly, and as the lights in the distance finally went out, Yu Xie still hadn't knocked.
In the end, he wrapped his coat tightly around himself and turned to head back.
The next day, Yu Xie woke up to find it was raining again.
The misty rain had been falling on and off for an entire week.
Dressed, he went to the window and stared blankly outside.
In the distance, Tianheng Mountain loomed faintly through the fog.
"Cough... cough…" Yu Xie coughed a couple of times.
His heart beat weakly, his lungs felt as though they were twitching, and his blood vessels struggled to circulate blood, yet he still felt dizzy, and darkness threatened to close in.
He placed a hand on the windowsill to steady himself.
After a moment, the world slowly came into focus.
"The old man is half in the grave," he joked to himself.
A little later, Yu Xie went out into the courtyard, holding some fish feed and tossing it into the pond as usual.
The fish swarmed up eagerly.
"Eat slowly, there's plenty," Yu Xie said, "No one's competing with you."
After feeding the fish, Yu Xie returned inside and picked up a long sword that lay horizontally on a rack.
The sword was named "Cloud Cutter."
It was a weapon forged for Yu Xie by Liu Yun, as well as the name she had given it.
Originally, Yu Xie was against using this name, feeling that "Cloud Cutter" and "Liu Yun ( Flowing Clouds )" seemed to form an opposition, perhaps suggesting bad luck.
But Liu Yun insisted, saying, "When you wield this sword in battle, remember that I forged it for you, so you must never lose."
Thus, Yu Xie had no choice but to accept it.
After years of fighting in various battles, "Cloud Cutter" had always been by Yu Xie's side, never leaving him.
He drew the sword halfway, the smooth, shiny blade reflecting his youthful gaze.
After a moment of contemplation, Yu Xie sheathed the sword, fastening it at his waist, and headed out.
At the western entrance of Guili City, which was not accessible to the civilians and was specifically designated for the military to transport supplies, a fast horse awaited him upon his arrival.
The soldier holding the horse immediately greeted Yu Xie with respect.
"General Yu, as you instructed, your horse is ready."
This horse had been with Yu Xie for many years, a rare "Thousand-Mile Horse."
Without saying much, Yu Xie mounted the horse.
"I'm going out for some fresh air. You all should stand guard if it's your turn, and rest if it's not."
"Yes, sir!"
As the sound of hooves echoed, Yu Xie rode away from Guili City.
The soldiers looked at Yu Xie's retreating figure with admiration.
Although he was merely a mortal, one should live life with the vigor of General Yu!
The cold wind was biting, and the misty rain continued to fall.
Riding alone across the fields, Yu Xie was the only figure against the vast landscape, accompanied only by the nearly withered plants of winter.
[Your current condition is not suitable for long periods of horseback riding.]
The system's alert appeared in Yu Xie's mind.
He didn't need the system to remind him; he was more aware of his own condition than anyone else. Yet some things needed to be done now, or there would be no opportunity later.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, the rain gradually eased, and the dim evening sunlight began to break through the dispersing clouds, signaling the approach of twilight.
Yu Xie continued on, and just before darkness fully descended, he caught sight of a sizable settlement in the distance.
Though slightly inferior to Guili City, in this time of unending warfare, such a scale was no small feat.
This was the destination of Yu Xie's journey.
The stronghold of the demon god Eligos.