Chapter 96: Lovers’ Bells, Her Genuine Smile of Love

Everything was unfolding slowly. Perhaps this was the beginning of a revenge plan, or maybe it was another trick of fate—unpredictable, and one had to submit to it.

Liu Yi saw many familiar faces among the crowd. Of course, there were also a few particularly eye-catching ones. The familiar faces were, as Liu Yi guessed, A Jiu, Shui Er, Shi Jie Yi, and Da Dao Wang, wandering around this bustling street. But Liu Yi didn’t want to approach them, because with his current status, he could only bring more trouble to their ordinary lives. It was enough for him to see his friends living happily…

As for those eye-catching figures, there were three of them: an old man with white hair and beard, not very tall. Liu Yi knew he was the Dragon God. Beside him was the red-haired girl, holding a long sword, dressed in fiery red combat attire, her bare white arms fully exposed. The long slit in her dress reached all the way to her thighs. With such an outfit, she could even rival July in beauty…

Thinking of July, Liu Yi’s heart panicked for a moment. Then, his attention was drawn to another person’s attire—a woman in blue, appearing in her twenties, with nearly perfect figures. She held two short knives in her hands, had black curly hair, and eyes that were unforgettable—deep blue. In those eyes, Liu Yi saw endless killing intent. It was this murderous gaze that made him pay special attention to her. Who was she? What was her identity? In those deep blue eyes, it seemed she wanted to kill everyone in front of her.

Liu Yi said to the Wolf King beside him, “Teacher, if you could help me sign up, it would be best if I could be paired with Wei Feng. Qi and Lin will just stroll around here.”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Yes, Lord Demon.”

Liu Yi, Qi, and Lin continued walking forward. This place was indeed larger and more bustling than a town.

It turned out that the Three Realms Martial Competition was structured as a knockout tournament. After signing up, participants drew lots. For example, if sixteen people competed on the first day, only eight would remain on the second day, and four on the third day—eliminating them one by one. Generally, the competition lasted a month, but not necessarily; if there were too many participants, the timeline might be extended.

Liu Yi wandered carelessly along the wide road, looking at the stalls on both sides. Suddenly, he was attracted by something sold at one stall—a vendor specializing in items from ethnic minorities. There, Liu Yi saw familiar headbands, handkerchiefs, and some other small items.

He stepped forward and examined them one by one. Suddenly, he saw a purple bell—very beautiful. It consisted of six bells in a row, three rows in total, eighteen bells in all. Each bell was carved with flowers, each one different. Liu Yi picked it up and shook it. Looking at this exquisitely crafted trinket, amidst its ringing, he seemed to see Jili’s face, her smile. Only now did Liu Yi realize that her smile might be his greatest longing in this life…

The vendor’s boss was clearly not from the Central Plains either. Seeing Liu Yi holding the bell, he hurriedly recommended it, saying, “Honorable guest, you really know how to choose. This is our tribe’s ‘Lover’s Bell.’ There’s an ancient story behind this bell as well.”

Liu Yi gave the vendor’s boss a cold look, realizing he wasn’t making things up, and asked, “What story? Tell me.”

The vendor’s boss smiled and said, “The Lover’s Bell is something everyone in our tribe has. Legend has it that a fairy in the heavens fell in love with a demon on earth. That bell was their token of love. No matter how far apart they were, no matter whether they were at the ends of the earth or in heaven or on earth, as long as they gently shook the bell, the person they loved most would appear before them. But it had to be a true love—otherwise, even if the bell was shattered, nothing would happen.”

Liu Yi nodded…

Just then, a voice came through, “Boss, do you still have this bell? Sell one to me.”

Liu Yi turned slightly. It was a woman, dressed in white, with an ordinary appearance yet an air of elegance. She wasn’t very tall—Jillian? No, it was that talented girl who resembled Jillian, Jillian’s sister she had never met.

The vendor’s boss nodded repeatedly and bowed, saying, “I’m truly sorry, sir. This is the last bell I have. There are none left.”

Liu Yi glanced at the talented girl, threw the bell in his hand onto the counter, and said, “If you like it, take it.” Then he turned and walked away in another direction.

The talented girl watched Liu Yi walk away, picked up the purple bell on the counter, and gently shook it. The exquisite bell emitted a clear, pleasant sound. Amidst the ringing, she saw a dark figure—her face was invisible, but she could see only those sad and weathered eyes. A single sentence from the dark figure was deeply engraved in her heart: “If there’s an afterlife, I hope I never meet her again, and never fall in love with her. That way, she won’t suffer anymore—only happiness will remain…”

Meanwhile, Liu Yi arrived at an inn. He looked up at its name: “Number One Under Heaven.” He couldn’t help but shake his head. What did “Number One Under Heaven” mean? Even an inn used such a name. Was it really that important?

At that moment, the Wolf King came up from behind and said, “Demon Lord.”

Liu Yi turned and asked, “How did it go?”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “It’s all taken care of. The Demon Lord will compete on the Sword Abandonment Platform tomorrow, in the fourth match, against Wind God, one of the elders from the Divine Gate.”

Liu Yi nodded, recalling the scene ten years ago when he met Wind, Water, Fire, and Thunder, the four guards of the Divine Gate. He felt emotional. If it weren’t for the help of Cold Sword, who knew what would have happened to him? Thinking of this, Liu Yi asked, “Master, have you seen who Cold Sword is competing against?”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “It seems Cold Sword hasn’t shown up. He hasn’t appeared in ten years, nor has he participated in the Tri-Realm Martial Competition. It seems he’s disappeared from this world.”

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “That won’t happen. He definitely won’t disappear. Perhaps his sword mastery has reached another level, or maybe he thinks that no one in the Three Realms is worthy enough to draw their swords in front of him. Leng Jian is a proud man…”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Although Leng Jian didn’t come, his top disciple, Tie Xiao, did. Tie Xiao now controls the entire Leng Jian Sect. You should know that ten years ago, his ‘True Martial Sword Intent’ was already ranked second in the world. With the help of the divine sword ‘Xuan Guang’, his cultivation over these ten years must have caught up to Leng Jian’s level from thirty years ago.”

Liu Yi shook his head again and said, “Leng Jian’s obsession with swords is beyond anyone’s reach. Even though Tie Xiao is known as a sword fanatic, he will never be able to surpass his master, Leng Jian.”

The Wolf King continued, “The Wolf King increasingly admires the Demon Lord. Compared to ten years ago, the Demon Lord is much calmer and more mature now. One day, we will carry out our revenge and reunify the Demon Realm.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Let’s go in. Please ask the teacher to bring the prepared blood to my room in a while.”

The Wolf King nodded and said, “Yes, Demon Lord.”