Sister Siwei nodded, then turned to look at me before asking, “So you mean… if we could replicate an identical display screen, it would significantly reduce Hero’s workload?”
“Yes,” Brother Gu Yu nodded. “The idea is good, but after talking to many people in ‘Dao City,’ no one knows how that display screen operates. In their memories, it seems the screen has been standing there since ancient times.”
“A display that can ‘hear’ superpowers from others…” Sister Siwei narrowed her eyes, deep in thought for a while before saying, “It sounds simple in theory… but actually making it would be incredibly difficult. How does it capture sound? And how does it display the results? Is it powered by electricity?”
“That…” Brother Gu Yu pondered for a moment. “It really doesn’t seem like something created by ‘Qingxiang.’ Could it be some kind of ‘technology’?”
“Technology…?” Sister Siwei paused. “Gu Yu, you just said… there’s a huge bronze bell hanging above the display, right?”
“Yes.”
“Just how big is the display? And how big is the bell?”
“The display is about the size of one side of a massive shipping container, fixed between two pillars. Above those pillars hangs an enormous bell—about the size of those found in temples.”
“What…?” Sister Siwei looked baffled. “Gu Yu, based on your description, this thing doesn’t seem like it was built with technology… It feels… it feels…”
“Crude,” Brother Gu Yu nodded. “Yes, it’s very crude.”
“Besides, if it were truly made with ‘technology,’ logically, they wouldn’t use something as ancient as a ‘bronze bell’… Whoever could create such a display could surely make other sound-amplifying devices, right? No matter how you think about it, using a ‘bell’ to warn people isn’t the most efficient method…”
“That’s exactly why I’m so curious about how it works…”
Brother Gu Yu raised his hands—one below, mimicking the display, and the other above, mimicking the bell, keeping them apart with no physical connection.
“Logically, a massive bronze bell like that can’t be powered by electricity. It needs an external force to strike it. So how does it synchronize with the display?”
Only then did I realize the real mystery wasn’t just the display’s ability to reveal ‘Qingxiang,’ but the fact that these two completely unrelated objects moved in sync.
“This is clearly not normal,” Sister Siwei said. “Their power source must be ‘Qingxiang.’ The person who came up with this was very clever. Even if we gather all the ability users, we still can’t replicate the device because we lack their ‘idea.'”
“You make a good point,” Brother Gu Yu agreed solemnly. “I should’ve stayed longer to meet their leader, Wen Qiaoyun. She could’ve told me how the bell works.”
Sister Siwei nodded. “But we can still try our best. If we can really build something like this… Hero will be completely freed. Even if we can’t replicate the display, just making a ‘bell’ that can warn people would be enough.”
“Right,” Brother Gu Yu agreed. “Siwei, starting tomorrow, let’s thoroughly screen everyone in the family for ‘Qingxiang’ abilities and see if anyone can achieve a similar effect.”
“Mm. The situation is getting more dangerous by the day. Freeing Hero sooner would be for the best.”
Listening to them go back and forth, I still felt like a useless kid who couldn’t do anything.
I really wanted to help them, to help our family, but… what could I actually do?
I sighed softly—too softly, I thought—but Sister Siwei still noticed.
“Hero,” she called. “I’ve been forgetting to ask you—do you have any ideas about building this device?”
“Huh?” I looked up at her. “Me?”
“Yes. Gu Yu and I have shared our thoughts. Now it’s your turn.” She crouched in front of me. “You’re the pillar of our team. Do you have any ideas?”
I think I finally understood why I liked Sister Siwei so much—she never treated me like a clueless child.
“I…”
“It’s okay. You can say anything that comes to mind.” She patted my shoulder. “Hero, even though you’re younger than us, you’re an experienced ‘Qingxiang’ user. Your suggestions might give us unexpected insights.”
I did have an idea, but I was afraid it would sound ridiculous. Still, Sister Siwei always made it easy to speak my mind.
“Um… Sister Siwei, Brother Gu Yu, have you noticed… that when people die by accident, their bodies stay here?”
I struggled to articulate my thoughts—my vocabulary was too limited.
“I think I get it,” Sister Siwei said. “You mean if someone dies accidentally, their body doesn’t disappear, and they return in the next cycle.”
“Yes, yes!” I nodded eagerly. “Exactly! That means there could be two of me… I don’t know if I’m making sense… One of me wouldn’t have to die… and the other would come back…”
The more I spoke, the messier my words became, and my voice trailed off. Even though Sister Siwei had given me countless chances to share my thoughts, I still felt so stupid.
“Hero, don’t worry. Just tell us what you want to do.”
“What if… I could become the ‘bell’?” I said.
“What…?” Sister Siwei and Brother Gu Yu froze, their scents telling me they’d never considered this before.
“Even if I turn into a ‘bell’… I’d still come back in the next cycle,” I said with a smile. “So I wouldn’t really die, and I could keep helping everyone. It’s just… my ‘Qingxiang’ is ‘Spiritual Scent,’ not ‘Turn Into a Bell’… Otherwise…”
Seeing their silence, I realized I’d probably said something foolish again and my voice faded.
“Sorry… Brother, Sister, you guys talk… I’ll just listen.”
“Truly a ‘seasoned Qingxiang user’…” Sister Siwei murmured, her eyes wide. “I think this might be the answer…”
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