Old Liu contemplated then answered, “In a dry well behind the mountain. According to the old people in our village, a family lived behind the mountain a long time ago, but nobody’s living there now. The house collapsed, which left nothing but a dry well. My third son wasn’t a hard-working man, and he always wanted to become rich without putting in any effort. He thought he could dig up some treasure there, and I could do nothing to stop him. He went there with some tools, and he found that clock…” Old Liu’s face looked both loving and hateful. “If it weren’t for that clock, my third son would be still alive.” 

Then, he began to cry. 

The death of one’s children was the most sorrowful experience to get over in this world. Old Liu was drunk and soon blacked out. Li Mazi helped me to carry him to the bed and made him comfortable. I wrapped the clock and left Old Liu’s house. We decided to stay in the car tonight. Tomorrow, we would go to the dry well to see if we could get any clues. 

The village was dead silent at night, and we didn’t even hear the crickets singing or the toads croaking. The sky looked gloomy as the moon was behind a big mass of dark clouds. Li Mazi was bored and said, “It seems the sky is upset tonight. It’s about to rain.” 

When we got into the car, Old Gang was still sleeping. Li Mazi gritted his teeth while I glanced at the clock. I didn’t hear the ticking sound; the clock wasn’t working at this moment.

It seemed my assumption was correct. Old Gang’s time was stopped by the clock. That was why he had been sleeping the entire time. 

Although it was a spacious Jeep, it wasn’t that comfortable. Li Mazi and I squeezed in the seats and closed our eyes. I was tired, so I fell asleep rather easily. 

But then, I had a strange dream. I saw some events, which were like the scenes of a movie. The scenes flashed before my eyes. Soon after, the scenes and images started flashing very quickly, which made me gasp for my breath. 

I woke up with sweat all over my face.

I smelled a strange stench, and I was frightened to discover that mud had filled the car. It reached my neck. I didn’t need to think twice and tried to open the door. 

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t kick it open. I hurried to pull Li Mazi to my side, finding that the mud had covered his face. 

If things continue this way, everybody will die here!

I made my way through the mud but couldn’t find anything to hold onto.

I forced myself to clear my head. Then, I remembered the clock. The time turbulence happened after Old Gang had dropped the clock. I hurried to find the clock and threw it against the windshield. 

The impact created a loud noise, like a sharp twinge in my head. I felt as if I was inside a vast sea. I felt so small, and my body was slowly sinking. Eventually, I was submerged in the mud. 

When I regained consciousness, I saw that I was in a dark space, and the horrid smell of the muddy water permeated my nasal cavity. 

I instinctively opened my mouth to breathe and thought I would have to swallow mud, but it was actually fresh air. 

I was no longer in the car. 

I carefully cleaned the mud in my nostrils and moved around. The space around me was empty. Cautiously, I took a few steps and sensed a damp wall. 

The wall was curved, and moss had occupied the surface of the bricks. 

It was a dry well, and I was inside it.

I tried to calm down and moved around to see if I had anything that could create light. 

However, it was unfortunate that I had nothing except the clock. My Sirius Whip, my Yin and Yang Umbrella, and the Peach Soul Plant were left in the car. 

I felt that I would learn the truth tonight. 

I took the clock and carefully unwrapped the plastic bag. Then, I removed the red fabric. A dazzling light bloomed from the dent in the clock. 

The ticking sounds became clear and loud as if it was right in my ears. I even heard the mechanic gears inside the clock moving. I also saw the clock’s hands rewinding fast. 

Then, the image in front of my eyes changed! 

It was a bright and sunny summer day. A man wearing a queue was rummaging through his pocket for a key. He was wearing popular clothes from the Qing dynasty and wanted to open a remote courtyard.

He didn’t look ugly. However, lust had occupied his face. At first glance, I knew he wasn’t a good person. 

Soon after, the door was unlocked. An attractive woman was inside the house. She was watching herself in a mirror. He rushed toward her and hugged her from behind. “Dear, guess what I got for your birthday.” 

The woman’s pretty eyes sparkled. “What is it? Show me.” 

The man held the red fabric bag high but didn’t give it to her. The woman didn’t want to wait and snatched the bag from him. She opened it and saw a brand-new western chiming clock.  

“Wow, it’s an item from those foreigners. It’s really rare. How did you get this?” 

The man sounded content. “It took a lot of effort. But now that I see your smile, I can bear more hardships.” 

Then, his hand groped under her clothes. The woman blushed instantly. “You’re a married man, and you’re secretly keeping me here. Aren’t you afraid that your wife will figure it out?” 

“Dear, hold on for a while. After a few months, I will divorce that tigress and marry you. Then, I can proudly take you home.” The woman was angry, but the man charged forward. His moves were bolder as he started to untie the knots on her clothes. 

It seemed I was invisible. No one could see me. I took a deep breath and went closer. However, as soon as I started to approach them, the image changed.

It was a scorching summer day again, but the sky looked heavy, and people found it hard to breathe. It seemed it was about to rain. 

The woman was sitting in the courtyard. Her long, black hair flew in the wind. She mumbled, “It’s been three months, and he hasn’t come to see me. Did he forget about me? No, no, he said he would marry me…” 

I knew this woman hadn’t showered in many days. She didn’t even comb her hair and just let it hang loosely onto the ground. A sour, moldy stench emitted from her. 

She seemed to have lost her mind and hugged the chiming western clock. She gently stroked it.

Her movements were gentle and accompanied the ticking sounds from the clock. 

All of a sudden, the courtyard gate was kicked open. 

A well-dressed, fat woman stormed in. She was accompanied by a group of strong, malicious-looking servants. When she saw the young woman, she was so angry that her eyes bulged. “Dong Xiaowan, you dared to seduce my husband! I’ve got you now.” 

The woman was flustered and tried to find her man from the crowd. 

“Sir, help me!” 

But the man was shaking as he hid behind the fat woman. He didn’t dare to answer. 

“This toyboy eats in my house, stays in my house, and even stole money to keep you as his mistress. Last month, I didn’t give him any money to use. As such, he knelt in front of me and begged for mercy. He sold you to me. Haha! Look, is this the man you love?” The fat woman laughed. “Guys, this slut likes to seduce other people’s husbands. Today, I’m going to let her serve some husbands!” 

The servants behind her sneered despicably. They stormed toward the young woman like a pack of hungry wolves. 

“Honey, it’s not good to treat Miss Dong like this.” The man couldn’t bear to see it. 

“If you dare to stop them today, leave my house. I won’t give you a dime!” scolded the fat woman. 

The man was scared and turned his head around as if he didn’t see anything. 

At first, the woman screamed for help. But when she saw that the man she loved had turned his face away from her, she was desperate. She no longer screamed and just let the servants tear her clothes. 

The courtyard was quiet, which set off the ticking noises of the clock.