Chapter 60: The Bell Rings

The builder returned to the western edge of Central Blackstone the next morning.

The four stakes from yesterday still marked the site of the lookout platform.

He set down his tools and looked at Lin Yuan.

"Still building it?"

"Yes."

The man glanced toward the western road.

"Good."

That was apparently all the encouragement he needed.

The design was straightforward: four thick posts, cross-bracing, a raised wooden deck, and a staircase with a railing.

Nothing elaborate.

It only needed to give whoever stood above the roofs a clear view down the road.

Construction began while Blackstone woke around them.

Across the settlement, the Merchant Association route station was already busy.

Wu Jian had arrived before breakfast.

Two new reports had been added to the board.

One caravan that had arrived before dawn reported crossing the damaged section near Red Cliff the previous afternoon without further trouble.

Another traveler reported feeling a weak tremor farther west.

Neither report mentioned another collapse or a beast attack, and there was still no sign of the mysterious treasure Qiao seemed determined to find.

Lin Yuan was perfectly satisfied with that.

He returned to Wandering Cloud Tavern.

The morning became busy quickly.

More travelers than usual were still waiting in Blackstone, and several westbound groups had chosen not to leave until the road situation became clearer.

Su Mei handled the dining hall while Xiao Lan moved between the kitchen and tables.

Lin Yuan had just finished a pot of noodles when Qiao appeared at the kitchen entrance.

"I found your bell."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"You actually did?"

"I said I would."

"That doesn’t mean much."

Qiao stepped aside.

A young porter stood outside holding a bronze bell with both hands.

It was a little wider than a man’s head, with darkened metal around the edges and a thick iron clapper hanging inside.

Lin Yuan wiped his hands and walked out.

Qiao tapped it.

Dong.

The sound carried farther than Lin Yuan expected.

Several customers inside the tavern looked toward the door.

"Where did you get it?"

"A caravan sold it."

"Why?"

Qiao stared at him.

"Do you want the bell or its life story?"

"Depends on the price."

Qiao named one.

Lin Yuan stared at him.

Qiao lowered it.

Lin Yuan continued staring.

"You enjoy this too much."

"A little."

They eventually settled on a price.

By midday, the lookout platform had begun to rise above the nearby roofs.

Once the builder finished securing the deck, Lin Yuan climbed the stairs.

The difference was immediate.

From ground level, buildings blocked much of the western view.

From the platform, the road stretched much farther into the wasteland.

Central Blackstone spread behind him: Wandering Cloud Tavern and its stable, Blackstone Inn, Qiao’s General Goods, Duan He’s Beast Materials, Gao Rui’s completed storage shed, and the market ground beyond them.

Farther out, the land opened into dry wasteland.

Lin Yuan turned west again.

The road remained visible until it became a thin line in the distance.

The wider view alone justified building it.

The builder climbed up behind him.

"Bell goes here?"

He pointed toward one of the western posts.

"Yes."

They fixed the bronze bell beneath a short beam beside the railing.

A rope hung from the clapper within easy reach.

Lin Yuan pulled it once.

Dong!

The sound rolled across Central Blackstone.

Fang Yu appeared outside Blackstone Inn.

"What happened?"

"Testing!"

She stared at him.

"Warn people first."

"Fair."

The builder laughed quietly.

Wu Jian walked over from the route station.

He looked up at the platform.

"Useful."

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because they’re right."

Qiao arrived beside him.

"We need signals."

Lin Yuan immediately disliked where this was going.

"One ring for travelers."

"No."

"Two for beasts."

"No."

"Three for disaster."

"Definitely no."

Wu Jian rubbed his forehead.

"One alarm is enough. If whoever is watching sees something that needs attention, ring until people notice."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Good."

Qiao looked disappointed.

"Boring."

"Better."

The builder completed the final braces shortly afterward.

Lin Yuan paid him, then rested one hand against one of the support posts.

A faint response came from the Territory Core.

He paused.

The structure had been recognized.

Lin Yuan almost called up the interface.

"Lin Yuan!"

Su Mei’s voice came from the tavern.

Lunch had started.

He looked toward the building.

Later.

Lin Yuan returned to work.

He never got the chance to check the Core.

The bell rang.

Dong!

Lin Yuan stopped in the kitchen.

Dong!

Dong!

Then again.

Customers turned toward the entrance.

Su Mei looked at him.

"That was fast."

Lin Yuan was already moving.

Outside, people emerged from the inn and nearby shops.

One of Wu Jian’s association men stood on the lookout platform, pulling the bell rope.

He pointed west.

"Wagons!"

Lin Yuan climbed the stairs.

Wu Jian reached the base almost at the same time.

From the platform, Lin Yuan saw them.

Three wagons were approaching from the west.

They were still distant, but they were moving faster than normal.

Dust trailed behind them.

One wagon leaned slightly to one side.

Several people walked beside the others.

Ahead of the first wagon, a lone figure in dark-blue robes moved along the road.

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.

He recognized the narrow sword at the man’s waist.

"The stranger."

Wu Jian looked up.

"You know him?"

"Not his name."

Wu Jian gave him a strange look.

Lin Yuan ignored it.

They descended.

The blue-robed man reached Central Blackstone before the wagons.

Dust marked the bottom of his robes, but otherwise he looked much the same as when he had left.

Lin Yuan folded his arms.

"That was quick."

The man looked at him.

"You sound disappointed."

"You said maybe next time."

"This is next time."

Lin Yuan studied him.

"Then what’s your name?"

The man was silent for a moment.

"Jiang Heng."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Finally."

"You survived without it."

"With difficulty."

Jiang Heng ignored that.

The first wagon entered the market area.

Its Ironhoof Beast was breathing hard but remained on its feet.

The second wagon had lost part of its side railing.

The third carried several travelers instead of cargo.

Nobody appeared seriously injured.

Wu Jian moved toward the driver.

"What happened?"

The man climbed down.

"The road shifted again."

Nearby conversations quieted.

"Near Red Cliff?" Wu Jian asked.

"Yes."

"Same damaged section?"

Jiang Heng answered before the driver could.

"The original crack widened. Another section collapsed farther west."

Lin Yuan looked at him.

"Can wagons pass?"

"For now?"

Jiang Heng shook his head.

"Not safely."

That was different.

Every earlier report had said the road remained usable with caution.

Wu Jian took out a notebook.

"What about foot travel?"

"Possible," Jiang Heng said. "If someone is careful. A light mount might cross too."

The driver pointed toward the damaged railing.

"We tried taking the wagon through."

Jiang Heng glanced at him.

"Against advice."

The driver looked away.

Lin Yuan understood enough.

"Anyone hurt?"

"Nothing serious."

Good.

Wu Jian continued.

"Another tremor?"

"Two."

"Strong?"

"Stronger near Red Cliff than what reached Blackstone."

Lin Yuan looked at Jiang Heng.

"You went north?"

"Not far."

"What stopped you?"

Jiang Heng’s expression lost some of its amusement.

"The ground."

"Unstable?"

"Enough that continuing didn’t seem useful."

Lin Yuan took note of that.

Jiang Heng had gone west despite everything he’d heard, yet even he had decided not to continue north across unstable ground.

Jiang Heng noticed his expression.

"Don’t make it dramatic."

"You came back."

"I enjoy having solid ground beneath my feet."

"Reasonable."

Wu Jian closed his notebook halfway.

"Did you find anything that explains the tremors?"

"No."

"Beasts?"

"Mostly signs that they left."

"Anything following them?"

"Nothing I saw."

Wu Jian waited.

Jiang Heng looked toward the western road.

"The spiritual Qi below the area isn’t flowing normally."

Wu Jian frowned.

"Earth vein?"

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

"I couldn’t tell from the surface."

Jiang Heng crossed his arms.

"It could be an earth vein shifting. It could be an old formation affecting the ground below. It could be a natural collapse disturbing the local spiritual flow."

He paused.

"Or something else."

Wu Jian looked dissatisfied.

"Which one do you think?"

"If I knew, I would’ve said so."

Lin Yuan appreciated that answer.

Wu Jian clearly did not.

Jiang Heng continued.

"What I do know is that I wouldn’t send loaded wagons toward Red Cliff until someone checks the route properly."

Wu Jian nodded.

"Neither will we."

He turned toward one of his people.

"Change the notice."

The association worker hurried toward the route station.

Nearby merchants began talking among themselves.

Nobody shouted or ran, but the mood around the market changed immediately.

Until now, the western road had been uncertain.

Now normal caravans could no longer use it safely.

For now, westbound wagons stopped at Blackstone.

The new notice appeared before sunset.

WESTERN ROUTE UPDATE

Wagon passage near Red Cliff is currently unsafe.

Foot travel remains possible, but caution is strongly advised.

Loaded caravans should wait for further reports before continuing west.

A crowd gathered around it.

Lin Yuan read the notice once and stepped away.

Jiang Heng stood near Wandering Cloud Tavern.

"Room?" Lin Yuan asked.

"Do you have one?"

"No."

Jiang Heng looked at him.

"Then why ask?"

"Professional habit."

"Blackstone Inn?"

"Full."

Jiang Heng glanced toward the wagons.

"I’ll sleep outside."

"You’re surprisingly easy to serve."

"I’ll remember you said that."

Lin Yuan started toward the tavern.

Then stopped.

"Jiang Heng."

The man looked over.

Lin Yuan tested the name once.

"Better than blue robes."

Jiang Heng stared at him.

"You were calling me that?"

"Not aloud."

"That doesn’t help."

Lin Yuan went inside.

Dinner ran late.

More travelers stayed than left.

Several westbound merchants canceled their planned departure.

The Merchant Association table remained open after dark.

Nobody rang the lookout bell again.

Lin Yuan preferred it that way.

Near midnight, the tavern finally emptied.

Su Mei went upstairs.

Xiao Lan finished wiping the last table.

Lin Yuan stepped outside.

The new lookout platform stood at the western edge of Central Blackstone.

He walked over and placed a hand against one of the posts.

This time, he let the Territory Core respond.

A translucent interface appeared.

Territory Structure Recognized

Watch Platform

Quality: Ordinary

Purpose: Observation and Early Warning

Territory Enhancement Available

Lin Yuan read the final line twice.

The western road had become more dangerous.

He couldn’t control what was happening beyond Blackstone, but he could improve how early they saw it coming.