"Nightmare Bell?"
Li Ang hesitated imperceptibly for a moment before taking the bell Cheng Juxiu handed him.
The bell was made of bronze, ancient and old, covered with verdigris. He had thought the mottled rust would flake off easily upon touch. However, upon handling it, he discovered the bronze bell was quite heavy and solid, as if an invisible force were pulling it toward the ground.
Mutated Objects. Li Ang, of course, knew what they were.
The Academic Palace classified all Evil into four types: the 'Demon' of animals and plants, the humanoid 'Devil,' the lifeless-looking 'Alien,' and the ambiguous 'Mystery.'
The Academic Palace and the garrison would collect information on, clear out, and hunt down these four types of Evil.
During this process, some aliens were difficult to destroy, or their destruction might cause tremendous damage. Others were simply of practical value. These would be retained by the Academic Palace and garrison and kept in proper containment.
When necessary, the Academic Palace and the garrison could even use these known Mutated Objects to deal with unknown aliens.
The nightmare bell's code was Alien—Five—Six Seven Four. "Alien" represented its category, "Five" its level, and "Six Seven Four" its serial number.
Below this, a detailed description of the nightmare bell was written on the paper.
[Containment Measures]: Alien—Five—Six Seven Four Nightmare Bell must be placed inside a locked iron box with a diameter of ten inches and stored inside the secret vault of the Yizhou Town Governor's Office. The use of the nightmare bell must be approved by a Training Commander or a Deputy Commander. In emergencies where neither the Training Commander nor the Deputy Commander can exercise their authority, approval may be escalated to a Judge, but not to anyone of lower rank.
[Description]: The nightmare bell has a structure similar to a bronze bell and is made of a copper, tin, and lead alloy. This Mutated Object remains dormant under normal conditions. However, when held by a humanoid, its top pressed, and shaken continuously six times, it activates. This causes the humanoid nearest to the user to become rigid and immobile.
Continuous shaking will maintain the rigidity effect.
The specific duration of the rigidity depends on the physical strength and mental resilience of both the user and the subject, the distance between them, and any acoustic interference in the surrounding environment.
The weaker the subject's physique and resolve, the closer the distance, and the less interference from surrounding sound waves, the longer the nightmare bell's effect will last, with the longest recorded duration being three hours.
According to the subjects (all of whom were death-row inmates), while in the rigid state, they heard ethereal bronze bell sounds seemingly from afar. Their mood shifted to one of indescribable peace and joy. Sometimes, subjects even requested the nightmare bell be used on them again to re-immerse themselves in these tranquil and serene emotions.
Multiple experiments have proven that the nightmare bell's rigidity effect does not cause irreversible negative impacts on the subjects.
Nor is it affected by other contained items, such as Alien—Four—Nine Two Eight Feast Bell, or Demon—Four—Thirteen Silent Reading Tong.
Once its nature is fully understood, it might be incorporated into long-term treatment plans for individuals suffering from psychological trauma or conditions of profound listlessness or disassociation.
[Note]: The nightmare bell was discovered in the second year of Taiping, in the home of Dong Fengmao, the temple master in charge of the City God Temple in Chongzhou City. All five members of Dong Fengmao's household died due to the nightmare bell's effect; no signs of struggle or alien aura were found at the scene.
It is speculated that the nightmare bell might be connected to the Wuyue Temple, a Demon Sect institution that disappeared during the chaotic Late Sui Dynasty. It was possibly one of the implements used by the temple for certain special rituals.
Further investigation is still required.
That was all the information on the nightmare bell.
It really is a Mutated Object.
Li Ang held the bronze bell and swallowed unconsciously, both because it was his first encounter with a Mutated Object and because of the record of the previous owner Dong Fengmao's family's death.
"If used properly, and with a set of fitted Light Armor, you should be able to handle most threats," Cheng Juxiu said nonchalantly. "The Compass shows that the demonic aura in Sha Tao Village isn't very strong; it's also Level 5."
"A garrison team of fully armored soldiers, plus myself, along with dozens or even hundreds of requisitioned farmers and hunters, will be more than enough to handle it. You just need to follow me and treat the wounded in Sha Tao Village."
"No problem." Li Ang nodded. "I've brought the medical box too."
"That's good." Cheng Juxiu picked up the iron box. "Judge Niu, let's set off."
Niu Wenshu nodded. Adhering to garrison regulations, he requisitioned Crossbow Arrows, soldiers, horses, and tracking hounds, leaving behind the necessary documentation. Finally, he led a forty-strong cavalry troop out of the city.
Riding a warhorse at full gallop was not a pleasant experience. The constant jolting and shaking, the relentless wind battering his face—it was nothing like the effortless ride Li Ang had imagined.
Li Ang gripped the reins, struggling to recall the riding techniques learned at the State School, and barely managed to keep up with the troop.
The fifteen-mile journey was neither particularly short nor long. After crossing bridges and navigating mountain roads, the garrison troop successfully reached the entrance of Sha Tao Village by mid-morning, when the sun was well up.
Finally.
Li Ang breathed a long sigh of relief. He dismounted from the saddle, silently congratulating himself for not having fallen off his horse earlier.
Cheng Juxiu and Niu Wenshu jumped down from their horses, their movements crisp and efficient. As soon as the soldiers dismounted, they began to secure the perimeter, observe the road and terrain, and dispatch a Scout on horseback into Sha Tao Village.
"So this is Sha Tao Village..."
Cheng Juxiu stood in the middle of the dirt country road, his brow slightly furrowed as he observed the ordinary-looking village built against the mountainside.
It was noon, yet there wasn't much smoke from cooking fires in the village. The fields, too, were devoid of working farmers.
After a moment, the Scout returned. He reported that Zhou Pingchun, the village chief of Sha Tao Village, had gathered the injured villagers and was awaiting the rescue team's arrival.
"Let's go."
The country path was rugged. Cheng Juxiu, a Longsword tied at his waist, led the way as they entered Sha Tao Village.
Hundreds of villagers stood by the well in the center of the village, panic etched on every face.
Beside the well lay seven bamboo mats, each bearing a sick or injured person.
As the garrison troop approached, a middle-aged man of average build with a goatee hurriedly squeezed out from the crowd. He was dressed in silk clothes adorned with a coin pattern, a stark contrast to the worn attire of the surrounding villagers.
Cheng Juxiu asked casually, "Are you the village chief of Sha Tao Village?"
"Yes, that's me. My surname is Zhou, first name Pingchun." Zhou Pingchun's face contorted into a sycophantic smile as he eagerly sought to ingratiate himself. "Following the Shangguan's orders, I have gathered all the villagers here. Now that you are here, Judge, Sha Tao Village will be at peace! With your arrival, Judge, justice has come!"
"I am not the Judge; he is." Cheng Juxiu, long accustomed to such fawning local gentry, paid him little mind. Instead, he turned to Li Ang. "Risheng, can these wounded be treated?"