Sacrificial Artifact System: From Bell-ringer to the Ancestral Patriarch of the Sect-Chapter 9: Old Song’s Letter

Dusk, the hour of the Goat.

Bell Tower.

Li Qian assumed his stance, steadying the striking pole, his expression grave.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, hearing the last grains of sand in the hourglass about to run out.

He took a deep breath and abruptly twisted his waist and legs, initiating the move of Sword Stabbing Fist, pushing the striking pole forward with a relentless thrust straight towards the Chen Bell.

A clear and resonant bell sound echoed through the mountains.

Then, the second sound rang out.

After five tolls, the bell sound lingered long in the air.

Li Qian felt the blood and Inner Strength in his body boiling.

This was triggered by the characteristics contained in the bell sound.

Right there on the Bell Tower Platform, he practiced Sword Stabbing Fist, the whooshing sound faintly spreading, continuous and unending.

Suddenly... a voice arose from beneath the Bell Tower.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

Hearing the voice, Li Qian stopped practicing his fist technique, walked to the edge of the platform and looked down, seeing a young boy standing there.

"Are you Li Qian?"

The boy asked.

"Yes, what is it?"

Li Qian nodded and responded.

"I am a servant disciple, a woman, claiming to be your family member, urgently needs to see you."

The boy said.

"Family member?"

Li Qian was stunned.

What family member?

No, wait, this body indeed had a family, even originating from a prominent household.

But his mother died early, his father has always disliked him, additionally being covertly bullied by his stepmother, leading a rather miserable life, so he secretly ran away from home to attend the Divine Sword Sect's entrance exam.

After rebirthing into this body, Li Qian felt even less attachment to that family.

All this time, he had almost forgotten that this body had a family.

Wait a minute.

He came to the Divine Sword Sect to be a servant disciple and never contacted that family, right?

With confusion, Li Qian hurriedly followed the boy down the mountain to the Chores Hall.

Inside the Chores Hall, a slightly distressed girl sat restlessly; when she saw Li Qian, she asked, "Are you Li Qian?"

"Yes, who are you?"

Li Qian nodded, then inquired.

In the memories of his predecessor, he didn't seem to recall this girl, right?

"How often is the hourglass adjusted?"

The girl suddenly asked an unrelated question.

Li Qian was initially startled, then realized this girl definitely wasn't sent by his family.

Instead, she must be related to Elder Song.

Otherwise, she wouldn't ask such a question.

Clearly, it was a test of Li Qian's identity.

This stirred his mind, could it be that something happened to Elder Song?

Otherwise, why would this girl be so cautious?

"Every thirteen days."

Li Qian answered.

That was taught to him by Elder Song.

"Li Qian, this is something grandfather asked me to give you."

The girl took out a crumpled letter and handed it to Li Qian.

Grandfather?

Li Qian became even more puzzled.

Wasn't Elder Song without wife or children?

How did a granddaughter suddenly appear?

He took the letter but did not open it and instead asked: "Where is Elder Song?"

"Grandfather... has passed away."

The girl's face showed a trace of sadness, but soon returned to calm.

Song Lao is dead?

Li Qian was shocked.

Although Song Lao was nearly eighty years old, he had practiced martial arts for many years and was still in good health. How could he have died suddenly?

He looked at the letter in his hand, took a deep breath, and carefully opened it, revealing its contents.

"Li Qian, this is my own granddaughter, Song Yingying, how about I betroth her to you as your wife?"

Li Qian was dumbfounded.

The girl sitting opposite, Song Yingying, seemed to have known the contents of the letter already and lowered her head with a blush on her cheeks when she saw Li Qian's expression.

"Of course, if you are unwilling, it doesn't matter.... In consideration of my old face, I hope you can take care of Yingying. I grant you an opportunity, when the hourglass on the Bell Tower Platform runs out and Chen Bell rings twice, it's worth a fortune, comprehend it on your own."

"Remember, as a servant disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, you must be careful of certain people in the Chores Hall. Until you become an Official Disciple, trust no one and try not to leave the Divine Sword Sect. Even if you must leave, be extremely cautious."

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"Ah, if only I could live a few more years."

....

After reading the letter that was sent, Li Qian's face showed contemplation.

This was Song Lao's handwriting.

He had seen Song Lao write before.

Song Lao even specifically reminded him to recognize this handwriting.

From this, it can be seen that even at that time, Song Lao was already preparing for today.

"How did Song Lao die?"

Li Qian looked up at the girl Song Yingying and quickly asked.

However, Song Yingying just shook her head, seemingly unwilling to speak.

"Song Lao asked me to take care of you.....you....."

Li Qian then did not ask further and changed the topic.

"Grandfather has exchanged an unregistered Identity Card for a servant disciple for me, and I hope.... Brother Li will take good care of me in the future."

Her cheeks were slightly red as she spoke.

There are two ways to become a servant disciple, one is to participate in the assessments, which have much lower requirements than for an Official Disciple.

The other is to use sect Contribution Value to exchange for an unregistered Identity Card of a servant disciple.

This unregistered Identity Card means that the Chores Hall of the Divine Sword Sect only recognizes the card, not the person.

As long as you register in the Chores Hall with the unregistered servant disciple Identity Card, you can smoothly become a servant disciple.

"Song Yingying, since you have come to me as a family member... then our relationship in public shall be... as cousins."

Li Qian pondered and said.

Since Song Lao sent Song Yingying to him as a member of his family, it indicates that there must be some risks in the Chores Hall that he was unaware of.

Moreover, Song Lao also mentioned in the letter the need for him to be careful of certain people in the Chores Hall.

This inevitably made him wonder if Song Lao's death could involve someone from the Chores Hall?

"I also have the same intention."

Song Yingying said, lowering her head.

Grandfather had told her that if Li Qian was willing, she should assume the identity of Li Qian's fiancée in the Chores Hall.

Now that Li Qian has mentioned being cousins, she understood his intention.

She also felt a sigh of relief in her heart.

After all, it was her first time meeting Li Qian and she knew nothing about him. If she were betrothed to Li Qian just because of her grandfather's words, she felt somewhat uneasy.

But she was a filial person and wouldn't go against her grandfather's decision.

And she knew her grandfather had good intentions.

After all, her grandfather told her that Li Qian had great martial arts talent and a very high chance of becoming an Official Disciple of the Divine Sword Sect.

As for her...using her grandfather's words, her talent was too mediocre.

Otherwise, her grandfather would have sent her to the Divine Sword Sect long ago.

Exchanging for an Identity Card of a servant disciple of the Divine Sword Sect was just a precaution.

"Then I will call you cousin from now on."

"Cousin."

Song Yingying nodded and said.

Li Qian took another look at the letter, remembered all the contents, then crumpled it into a ball, activated his Inner Strength, and crushed it with force. The shock of the Inner Strength turned the paper ball to dust.

The contents of this letter must not be leaked out.

Otherwise, it could cause trouble.

With no additional copies of this letter, no one else except him knows the true identity of Song Yingying now.

......