Chapter 444: 444
As such, the morning bell and the evening drum were considered to be very important to a monastery . Back then, One Finger Temple had a rundown bell, but it was in such a terrible state that it no longer sounded when being struck . Later on, the System had thrown it away during the renovations . Fangzheng had grumbled back then because a monastery not having a morning bell and evening drum was akin to it not having a Mahavira Hall . The lack of several trademark items ultimately left the monastery lacking .
Now the bell was back . Could the drum be not too far off as well?
And there was something else; the bell was a huge object . It was impossible the System would just give him a bell without a bell tower, right? Fangzheng would be laughing if the System gave only a bell .
"System, is there a bell tower?"
And…
"Of course!"
Fangzheng turned excited as he exclaimed, "There is?"
"No!" The System was indeed pausing in the middle of its sentence again…
Fangzheng rolled his eyes and nearly slapped himself twice . He had nearly forgotten how often the darn System liked to pause mid-sentence .
"However, don't be too sad . The bell I have given you is not an ordinary bell . It used to be one of the main bells in one of the shorter mountain peaks on Mount Numinous . It was taken down and given to you . This bell has a unique characteristic . Every chime it makes enhances the bell tower it is in . If you were to strike it for centuries, the bell tower… would remain intact even if the Earth were to explode . "
Fangzheng grinned . "Don't say that . About the bell tower, though… Do you think I can afford one? You have taken away all the money, so how am I to build a tower?" Fangzheng felt truly resigned . He was poor, but it was fine as long as he was not reminded of it . The moment he was reminded, there was only a sense of bitterness and helplessness left in him . Fangzheng had thought of using a divine power to build one himself, but the monastery had its rules too . This was something he realized from reading the Diamond Sutra which came from Mount Numinous . The best monastery was not built by oneself! Instead, it was best when it was a result of donations from devotees! This would represent the world's affirmation of the monastery . Then it would be able to amass merit, and every strike would benefit the abbot tremendously . If Fangzheng built one himself, it would only be a mortal item, nothing more than a decorative accessory .
Therefore although Fangzheng grumbled, he already had an idea . "Let's wait… Perhaps a wealthy person would one day donate a bell tower?"
But now…
"Cut the crap . Will you accept the morning bell now, or in the future?" asked the System .
After some thought Fangzheng still said, "Now!"
The next moment, a blob of Buddhist light descended . It was merely the size of a palm, and Fangzheng extended his hand to grab it . He saw a tiny bell the size of a finger inside the Buddhist light . It was extremely intricate, and upon a careful look one could see countless scripture texts engraved on its resplendent surface . It was ancient and unadorned . It did not appear like a bell at a glance, but appeared more like a world or a Buddha itself! It had infinite Zen-like properties amid the solemn repression it exuded .
At the same moment, information appeared in Fangzheng's mind: "Yongle Bell (Already augmented) . Cast during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty in the year 1607 . The bell was moved to Wanshou Temple where it enjoyed the incense offerings from the world and the respects from the imperial family . Afterwards it was taken to Mount Numinous by Zen Master Tuoshan . With Mount Numinous' gold and bronze, it was recast, making it bigger and thicker than its original form .
The bell became eight meters tall, and it is not uniform in thickness . Its thickest spot is 235 millimeters, while the thinnest part is 103 millimeters . It weighs 64 tons . The scripture written inside and outside the bell numbers 327,000 characters! All the words were personally written by Bodhisattva with the Dragon Buddha Epithet . It is grand with primitive simplicity and feels formed naturally . The charms engraved in it allow it to have an infective gong and a melodious aesthetic to it .
A light strike lets out a clear and melodious gong which can resonate for less than three minutes . A heavy strike produces a majestic and loud gong which can continue on for as long as eight minutes . It can be heard from hundreds of kilometers away . Its gong can awaken all who seek fame and wealth in the world and summon back those who have lost themselves in the sea of misery . "
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