“Ye Qingxuan, you crossed the line.” An old voice came from the tuning instrument. “At this level, the Secret Keepers can’t keep it down anymore. The Ministry will quickly react.”
“Okay.” Ye Qingxuan lowered his head and trimmed his nails.
The voice paused and quickly grew doubtful. “Are you ready to face the Sacred City’s anger? Even if you took care of the evidence, they will find you one day. Even we would not be able to influence the investigation.”
Ye Qingxuan could not help but laugh. “Grandmaster Heisenberg, are you worrying about my safety or the fact that you paid so much but still could not clean him out?”
Heisenberg did not reply.
Ye Qingxuan folded his small knife and looked up at the tuning instrument. “Don’t worry. Working with me is just like working with the Parliament before. Look, you all need someone to take the blame and I want him to die. I’m sure our cooperation will have a good result.”
“I hope so.”
Heisenberg cut off the call. Ye Qingxuan lowered his head. He coughed violently and blood flew from his fingers.
Lola pressed onto his back. His breathing sounded like an old windbag. “Are you reconstructing the music theory again?” Lola frowned. “You’re too impatient.”
“I know.” He waved. “I’ll be careful.”
“Even with the Philosopher’s Stone, reconstructing the sub-originator will take time. Now, your body is still rubble. It’s already a blessing that the disordered music theory won’t kill you. Yet you’re trying to activate them now?”
“If I wait for the metabolism to complete, it’ll take at least half a year.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head. “I don’t have time.”
“Take a break.” Lola reached out and patted his head. Her voice was uncommonly gentle. “Little Yezi, you’ve already done enough. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
He closed his eyes and leaned back a little, taking advantage of the rare kind treatment to lean in Lola’s arms. After a long while, he said, “Lola, it’s such a heartwarming moment but you secretly used a hint to change a defenseless man’s mind? You ruined the moment.”
Lola’s finger stiffened. Sighing, her hooked pinky went back to normal.
“Don’t worry, I’m clearheaded.” Ye Qingxuan cracked his eyes open and said lightly, “And anyway, it’s not just me who’s under pressure. Maxwell probably can’t handle it anymore now, right?”
–
In the Privy Council under the palace of Anglo, smoke plumed. Maxwell lifted the ashtray and dumped the cigarette butts into the trash.
“Stop before it’s too late, Maxwell.” Under the light, the prime minister looked at him and said quietly, “He’s a little too out of line. The Church is a neutral organization but according to the Fifth Amendment, all churches are under the direct administration of the Church. Things must be carried out under the bible. From a legal perspective, what he did is similar to invading a nation’s territory. The Sacred City won’t just let this go!”
“To be honest, I didn’t think he would really do that.” Maxwell scratched his head and sighed. “But he’s a young man. Who didn’t go crazy when he was young? The older gentlemen should understand him.”
“Go crazy?” After a long pause, the Prime Minister sighed. “I’m just a bit worried that our future sword bearer…isn’t just crazy. To be honest, I am regretting signing the sword bearer appointment. If I knew this would happen, I would protest against him taking over you, even with the Queen’s seal.”
Maxwell rolled his eyes. “Saying that is a bit too late. Furthermore, the Sword is just and they interact well together. Do you still worry that he’ll fall and become a dark musician?”
“It’s not impossible.” The Prime Minister smoked, the fire burning to his fingertip, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Isn’t everything possible for humans? In this crazy world, someone as perfect as a saint may fall, let alone average men like us?”
He looked up at the paintings on the ceiling. It depicted the legendary Battle of Heaven. On the ceiling, knights fought with dragons, dying their clothing red and burning the world and heaven.
This was destruction.
The secret scroll of the bible said that the beast that would bring the world to an end—the Dragon of Destruction—was once an angel beside the throne. It was pure and magnificent; it was known as the most dazzling star, the second leader of heaven. The purer the angel, the more terrifying it could become.
“Maxwell, you can open the demon’s door for him but it won’t be that easy to close.” The prime minister snuffed his cigarette and left.
–
On the path within an uncultivated forest, the driver whipped the frothing horse. It galloped and pulled the hay carriage. Dark red blood dripped from the car, leaving behind a red trail. The driver wore a dirty jacket and hunched over. As the carriage jostled, the wound on the bandaged hand opened again. Fresh blood oozed from the dried blood.
“Grandmaster, we’re almost there.” Colt’s voice was as rough as sandpaper. Half of his hair had been burned. His originally handsome face was now covered with scars and scorch marks as if he had been burned by raging fire. His healing wounds were menacing, making him look like an ugly demon. No one could tell that he was once a proud hero. Now, he looked more like a beast hiding in a dungeon. Children would cry if they saw him. “There’s only a few more hours to the Knights Templar’s camp. That b*stard will pay for what he did!”
There was no reply.
The damp stray was dirty and almost completely dyed red. Grandmaster Philip lay on the straw, panting. One eye was blind. Raspy sounds came from his throat. He closed his eyes, praying. However, even he could not hear his prayer clearly. There was the sound of water inside his lungs. His unclear murmuring sounded like a beastly growl.
His consciousness flickered.
The man-made ignition had caused the underground vein to explode, destroying the entire church. Wild aether had swallowed everything. The team of elites had all died.
No one had expected that b*stard Ye Qingxuan would be so brash! Without caring about the Sacred City’s dignity and anger, he dared to kill dozens of clergymen in a despicable attack. If Grandmaster Philip had not activated the Score of God’s Discipline at that moment, the two would be ashes right now. Regretfully, they were still alive.
Still alive…
They did not choose this path only because it was hidden. It was because…this was the closest route to the camp of the Knights Templar. On their way back to the Sacred City, the Knights Templar stayed here to restock on supplies. It was only a dozen kilometers away from them. If Philip was at optimal health, they could arrive in an instant.
Ye Qingxuan dared to attack the church and slap the Sacred City in the face. But no matter how crazy he was, Anglo would not allow him to attack Knights Templar, even if it was just a portion.
It was a vast entity created by the united strength of the nations. If they received the order for annihilation, they could turn a hundred thousand miles into burnt earth in one night.
No one would hang this sword over their own heads. At that time, Ye Qingxuan would be powerless…
“Haha, hahaha, hahahahaha…” Opening his mouth, he began laughing and cackling. He fell into a fit of violent coughs. Scarlet blood dribbled from his chin to his collar, almost sketching a twisted and sneering face.
Colt froze. “Curse?”
“Curse?” Colt murmured. “How can it be a curse?” On the collar, the menacing face slowly changed. The lip opened as if singing and thus, an eerie laughter sounded in Colt’s ears.
“Oh, Solomon, born on Monday, baptized on Tuesday…married on Wednesday, sick on Thursday…sickness worsened on Friday, died on Saturday…buried into the dirt on Sunday…Oh, Solomon, this is your tragic life…”
Under a sudden bout of dizziness, Colt practically toppled from the carriage. In a daze, he saw a hunched old woman stand before a big pot. She stirred the thick stew with all her effort and tossed in intestines and blood. She laughed as she sang this song from the School of Choir. The curse came from thousands of miles away. Flitting past the water surface, those green eyes seemed to sense Colt’s gaze and became mocking.
“He saw me? He saw me!” The old woman squeezed her withered breasts and snickered, “Oh, my poor child, my poor child worth nine hundred thousand pounds. Don’t fight back, let granny take you away. Your ugly face makes my heart hurt. Before you die, I will be kind and give you a beautiful dream, hohoho!”
Clenching his jaw, Colt took out the anti-tune sword and stabbed himself. The alchemy array on the blade instantly attacked the music theory within him, entangling with the poisonous curse deep inside him. They were both destroyed with a shudder.
Colt screamed, spitting out black blood. The vague perception instantly disappeared. He could hear the pot explode and the old woman’s angry roar, “D*mmit! I won’t let you escape, you b*stard! I won’t—”
Taking out the sword, Colt screamed as he wrapped his wound and continued to drive the carriage, galloping.
The crazy woman who hurt him seriously would not give up. She would definitely continue adding curses.
He must hurry to the Knights Templar! He must make it!
As if sensing his arrival, iron whales soon rose in the distant sky. One, then two, then three… Under the high whale song, the group of iron whales slowly flew toward them. They seemed slow but were instantly above their heads.
“They’re here! Grandmaster, they’re here!” Colt yelled, overjoyed. He jumped off the carriage and waved wildly at the sky, cheering and whooping. “I’m here! I’m here! I’m still alive! Ye Qingxuan, do you see? You can’t kill me, hahaha… You’re dead now! You’re dead!”
The iron whales slowly approached. But something was wrong.
Starting to panic, Colt gaped at them. Why didn’t they slow down?
The iron whales soared through the sky. The whistles rumbled and the whale song filled the air. They gracefully, speedily, elegantly…flew past Colt’s head and into the distance until they were just a hopeless shadow. They had not seen him at all!
Colt’s smile stiffened. Feeling a chill, he was completely enveloped by fear and almost suffocated.
Hysteric, he climbed onto the carriage and used all his might to shake the unconscious Philip, slapping his face. “Send the signal! Send the signal!” he screamed. His voice was as sharp as metal wires. “Tell them I’m here!”
Philip coughed violently. He seemed to have finally woken up. Staring at Colt, he did not know where he was.
Colt pointed at the black shadow in the sky in panic. “The Knights Templar! Send the signal!”
After a long pause, Philip raised a finger with difficulty. He pressed onto the air and a wisp of light slowly lit up on his finger. It was just a flicker but Colt was overjoyed. It was such a beautiful light of hope where all the good things in the world converged…
But then the light was extinguished by an invisible force. The fantasy shattered. The fireplace, feast, and warmth in the light all disappeared like a fairytale. Now, Colt finally realized that a horrible cacophony had somehow covered the entire forest. It lifted the aether like a layer of thick fog and blocked all messages from going out.
This was the special technique of the School of Secret Keepers—the Silent Theater.
Colt felt as if he was thrown into ice.
It was all over.
–
The iron whales flew past. Sitting on the flank of the reconnaissance ship, the observer looked down with binoculars. He could not help but pat his companion and say, “Hey look, there’s actually people in this wilderness.” In his binoculars was the ecstatically dancing Colt.
“I think he’s waving at us!”
The other took a glance. Seeing the face twisted in happiness, he shook his head and laughed. “Probably some ignorant farmer. Seeing the fleet is like seeing a miracle. It’s normal.”
The observer placed the binoculars to the side and sighed. “I was like them when I first saw the fleet back in the day.”
“Yeah.” The companion smoked, his eyes growing nostalgic. “Who wasn’t?”
–
In the morning a few hours ago, a messenger on a gray horse rushed into the camp of the Knights Templar. Finding the one in charge, he sent up the order.
Bann read it and shook his head. “I remember the nation gave us two more days to remain here.”
The messenger looked aghast. “I’m sorry, Your Excellency. I know this request is inhumane but we’ve drawn out another camp for you to rest in. It’s two hundred kilometers away.”
Pausing, he muttered, “Those *ssholes at Water Management. They just get more corrupted! The water factory established just last year has stopped. You can’t get any water from underground and all the water suppliers for the nearby villages have stopped. We can’t even promise you can receive water regularly here.
“We must dig a temporary well for this camp and ensure emergency supplying…I’m sorry, but this is the letter from up above.” He took out the letter and handed it over to Bann.
After reading quickly, Bann nodded. “Please tell Minister Quin that we are guests and for such events, your nation’s matters are top priority. We do not need the other camp. The iron whales are mostly prepared already. We can return to the Sacred City to rest. If we leave soon, we should be back by night.”
The messenger was overjoyed. “Thank you for your understanding.”
With Bann’s command, the silent camp quickly became filled with noise. The knights speedily packed up their belongings and tents, transporting everything onto the ships with order.
A short two hours later, the entire camp was ready to go. The iron whales rose into the sky, filling it with the song of return.
They were going home.
–
While Colt’s light of hope was extinguished, a hoarse voice traveled from a tuning instrument in the distance.
“The ‘silent theater’ is already complete,” Heisenberg said. “Ye Qingxuan, this is the last time the Secret Keepers will help you. I hope you will fulfil our promise next.”
“I’ve already prepared everything. Please don’t worry.”
Behind the long table, Ye Qingxuan held his chin and studied the map. A trail of blood dots slowly extended north toward the Sacred City. He stared at the scraggly trail as if studying a masterpiece and murmured, “There will be no problems.”
“Oh? I would love to hear the details.”
Hearing Ye Qingxuan’s tone, Heisenberg could not help but feel curious. Using the Secret Keepers’ ability, he had naturally kept an eye on Ye Qingxuan’s plans these days. However, Heisenberg could not discover what else he had.
Philip was already sapped dry but a grandmaster who used ‘God’s Discipline’ as a theme for his symphony of predestination would never be easy to fight. Therefore, he was curious as to what Ye Qingxuan had planned.
At this, Ye Qingxuan smiled mysteriously.
–
At the same time, a young hand yanked up the weeds in the wilderness. Not caring about the dirt and bugs, he stuffed a handful into his mouth. He chewed with gusto; green juice dribbled from his lips. The fourteen-year-old looked like a wild child, despite his long gold locks and majestic features.
“Uncle, uncle.” He tugged at the man’s clothes pitifully. “I’m hungry.”
“Just eat something. Here, take this.” The man pointed at a tree carelessly. The youth opened his mouth. Invisible dragon breath transformed into a gaping mouth that yanked the entire tree up. It disappeared somewhere. There were sounds of wood shattering and being chewed. But the boy’s stomach continued rumbling and grumbling.
The man sighed. He squatted down and looked at his sad nephew, patting his head. “My good nephew, please endure it. It’s rare for Uncle’s friend to come to me for help. He even gave me money!” With that, he raised a finger. “With that money, I can raise you for a long time! I’ll make you steak when we go back, how about that?”
The boy shook his head sadly. “I want five cows.”
“Then, five it is! Deal.”‘Uncle’ clapped his hands happily. Straightening, he gazed at the shambling carriage in the distance and smiled eerily.
“I had a feeling he would contact me but I didn’t think that his first time would be such a big job…”
“Hehe…” In the carriage, the muddled grandmaster Philip suddenly woke up. He widened his burnt eyes. The corners of his eyes tore apart and bloody tears flowed out. As if suddenly recovered from his injured state, he sprang up from the straw. The bloody crusts stuck with straw were ripped. Viscous blood seeped from the wounds.
“Grandmaster?” Colt was overjoyed. He pointed at the black dot in the sky that was about to disappear. “Hurry—”
But Philip heard nothing. His blood-covered empty eyes stared deep into the wilderness, shooting out white light. Where his gaze fell, the golden-hair boy squatted on the ground with a confused expression. He munched happily on half a toad he had dug out from the dirt…
“Uncle, I think he saw me.” He swallowed the other half of the toad.
“Oh.” Naberius squatted on a stump and slowly rolled his tobacco with an indifferent expression. “Then let him look.”
“He’s so ugly.” Mordred wiped his mouth. “I’m a little scared. Can I hit him?”
“Don’t be impatient.” Naberius finished and lit the roll to have a smoke. “Wait a bit more.”
Seeing those blank yet menacing eyes, Mordred suddenly…had a great appetite! Bearing his hunger, he licked his lips.
“How much longer?”
Naberius laughed. Looking back, he glanced at Philip whose eyes were empty yet fierce. “A bit longer,” he said. “That old thing still has strength to make it hard for us.”
At that moment, Philip rasped out, “Colt, run.” His flesh crackled and popped. Dried blood and dust were suddenly hit off by a surge of blood. His body bled everywhere but it represented a shocking vitality. His deteriorated cells were dancing and cheering, quickly healing his wounds.
In an instant, the blood was washed away by light. Philip was no longer old. He had recovered his youth and his mind was clear. His skin was white and unmarred. His white hair seemed to be burning as if he had thrown his soul into the fire—in exchange for strength. A light yet mournful song resounded in his body. His bones were vibrating and his organs were singing. The score of sacrifice from the School of Choir was being played.
“I’ll stop them.”
Philip reached out to Colt’s shoulder. The Choir song sang from thin air and fell onto Colt. It chased away the maggot-like curse and transformed into vague wings in his back. It was sacrificial aid.
“Colt, run.” He looked into the distance at Naberius and grasped his broken sword. “Go toward the Sacred City. Go as far as you can.”
Finally understanding something, Colt paled considerably. He almost collapsed onto the ground but he clenched his jaw and abandoned the carriage. He turned and left without daring to look back.
Under the aid, his speed was incredible. He disappeared in an instant.
“These believers are so narrow-minded. They don’t even care about their lives.” Naberius sighed. “Why don’t they want to live? They don’t see themselves as people and don’t see others as people… So how are they different from us dark musicians?”
No one replied to his taunting.
Staring at him, Philip raised his broken sword and brought it between his brows. “I vow to destroy the demons,” he said.
The score of discipline rumbled. Majestic light emerged behind him. The cracked halo of light burned fervently. The blue fire seemed to come from purgatory; it was terrifying. The cries of countless sinners traveled from it.
In Purgatory, countless sleeping eyes opened. The figures clad in red gazed at the dirty world and cried in unison, “I vow to destroy the demons!” The voices roared like an avalanche, like a hurricane.
In an instant, the silent bell in the Sacred City rang. The stone coffins in the dark corner of the Holy Spirit Hall shook. The sleeping spirits awoke and opened their eyes, looking into this direction.
Thus, holy light fell from the sky. The white-gold light was so hot, so pure, and clean to the point that it could bear no tainting. Everything that touched it was vaporized.
Under the pouring of light, Philip expanded until he was a two-meter tall giant. The halo of power spun behind him. It rumbled, calling for lightning to transform into wings. In an instant, even the sun seemed to dim in comparison.
All that remained in the world was this pure and flawless light.
“F*ck, Holy Spirit transformation…why do you guys keep doing this stuff?” Naberius swore. “No wonder he gave so much money. They’re waiting for me here.” Then the light sliced his head off. The head opened its mouth and sneered.
–
The moment the Sacred City bell rang, the young musician praying in the hall opened his eyes. He quickly walked out of the hall and ran through the Papal Palace. Passing through the doors, he walked along the hall and entered the depths. He knocked on the door.
“Enter,” someone behind the door said.
The musician entered and bowed his head politely. He did not dare look at the bishops sitting around the table. He offered a map. “I found grandmaster Philip! He is not far from the Sacred City, only a few hundred meters away, but he used the Holy Spirit transformation. He may, unfortunately, be…at risk.”
In the dim room, heavy curtains blocked the light. The room was filled with the thick odor of medicine. The priests had been discussing quietly for an emergency meeting. Hearing the musician’s words, they froze and stared at each other.
“I did not expect the situation to be so grave.” An old priest in red nodded and looked into the depth of the room. Behind the drapes was a coughing and frail figure. “Archbishop, let me go.”
Behind the drapes, the figure opened his mouth but quickly started coughing. “This battle is truly difficult,” a hoarse voice came brokenly between coughs. “Through the years, the Ministry of Information has been declining with no hope for rising again. New blood is rare… Father Will, please take them back.”
“Yes, Father.” Will nodded respectfully.
“The others…” The figure hacked and doubled over. He uttered painfully, “The others…just clear them out.”
“Yes, Father.” Nodding, Will rose.
A servant came over with his sword and armor. He rushed out of the palace with his sword. Soon, a ray of light shot into the air and sped toward the distance.
Silence returned to the dim room. The only sound was the coughs behind the drapes.
“Archbishop,” someone asked cautiously, “how should we deal with this?”
“This?” The man did not seem to understand.
Which event? During these past few days, too many things had happened and all were major events… No one would have thought that a new mess would arise before the betrayal of the Romulusians truly ended. The craziness of Anglo’s new sword bearer had shocked everyone.
So many people had gotten up and fought secretly because of this. It had affected so many people and even the Sacred City’s dignity was involved. Some people had definite stances while others were not. The most frustrating fact was that the Papal Chamber did not say anything. Even the Silent Authority had started investigating…
So how should this be dealt with?
The man behind the drapes only coughed.
–
The beam of light flew across the Sacred City with scary speed. Flying in the half-aetheric state, it was comparable to the speed of sound. Within a few minutes, it had crossed the long distance. However, the closer he was, the stronger the sense of danger in Will.
He instantly appeared within the location marked on the map. He was amongst an endless mountain range. There was a large mine under his feet. Machines rumbled and countless people bustled around.
“Here?” Closing his eyes as he sensed, the light descended.
As the people screamed in terror, he brought his sword down. Breaking apart a boulder, he revealed a scrap of red cloth. It was from Philip’s robe.
Will’s face darkened. He closed his eyes and sang a hymn. After a few measures, the prediction score from Revelations sent a sign.
Sixty kilometers to the north.
The light flashed and appeared sixty kilometers away. In the wilderness, a clump of burnt hair hung from a branch. Frowning, Will sang again. The revelation said: thirty kilometers to the east.
Will did not move. He sang once again and another revelation appeared: nineteen kilometers to the south. He continued using the music score to track Philip but they pointed in all directions with dozens of different results.
Boom! In anger, the blade gouged the earth.
Will was livid as he finally realized that someone was using the ‘medium misleading’ of Revelations to disrupt his perceptions. All Revelations music scores would lead to the wrong result!
To strengthen the effect, someone had probably scattered objects with Philip and Colt’s aura all around the Sacred City! If Will put effort in to look deeply, he could sense the differences between the media, but in a hurry, he could not tell. He could only rush in the wrong locations.
And now, someone had probably already isolated him. He was late…
As veins bulged, Will roared in anger.
–
The true battlefield was in the distance.
The wilderness had been scorched. The earth was wounded and turned to singed soil. It was as if giants had been fighting here and destroyed everything. A mountain in the distance collapsed. A tragic crack had opened in the land as well. Deep inside, lava shone vaguely. It was the scar left by the Sword of Judgement. The disordered aether created a turbid mass. The music theory here had become tangled and would not recover for years.
In the center, Naberius with a chest riddled with holes crawled out of the lava. He roared in pain, “This time…really is a loss…”
“Mordy, how many times have I told you that you must be careful with the dragon breath?” Naberius was out of breath. “If Uncle didn’t complete the symphony of predestination two days ago, I would have died from that.”
“Oh…” Mordred nodded, half understanding, creating a gust of wind.
Before Naberius was a menacing beast. It had its back to the sun and cast a terrifying shadow. Countless scales glinted with cold light like blades. When it spoke, it spat out sulfur and fire, creating gales of wind and sparks. It was a giant black dragon!
“Thankfully I just completed the symphony. I really would’ve died.” Naberius raised his mostly-complete left hand and climbed up the dragon from the nose and head. He stabbed himself. Looking at his riddled body, he could not help but feel sad.
“Since when did grandmasters die so easily? Seems like it’s still better to hurry and create ‘Legend.’ Being a scepter is much more reliable. Ah, let’s go. Hurry!” he urged. “Remember to eat all the evidence.”
“Yes, uncle.” Mordred opened his mouth and inhaled. A hole to the Dark World seemed to open up. Everything in sight was swallowed. His dragon breath surged. It swept across the land and the soil overturned, burying everything under. He specialized in killing and setting fire, burning all bodies and traces.
Naberius felt around his scorched pocket. He took out some seeds and scattered them carelessly. He sang a Choir song to urge growth. Soon, a few seeds sprouted. Dots of green appeared on the ground and began growing.
It looked odd upon inspection but at least it was not as much of an eyesore as the original barren land. The wilderness was so large. Even if the Sacred City investigated intensively, it would still take forever to get results.
“Finally finished the task.” Naberius chuckled from the back of the dragon as they soared. “I hope that friend won’t be too naïve.” He looked in Colt’s direction and squinted. He murmured, “Sometimes, the way things develop are not always as one wishes…”
–
After waiting long enough, the priest disguised as a merchant finally found his target. It was the dark saint of Avalon, the controller of more than half of the smuggling between the East and West, the heir of the Shaman, the new sword bearer of Anglo—Ye Qingxuan’s…agent.
In an emptied tavern beside the port, Watson sat at a table and poured a glass for himself. He looked up at the dusty traveler.
“Mr. Watson, I’m sure you know why I am here.” The newcomer lifted his collar, revealing the emblem of the Ministry of Information. His expression was coldly serious. “I request to see Mr. Ye and speak directly to him. This is the last chance. I hope you will value it.”
On the wheelchair, Watson nonchalantly picked up the glass. Without adding any salt or lemon juice, he threw his head back and downed the glass. Then he placed it on the table lightly.
“You don’t qualify,” he stated. “Just tell me. I’m the one in charge of the violent crimes. Does the Ministry have some dirty work for us? I’m pleasantly surprised and flattered.” Despite his words, he was not pleasantly surprised at all. His tone was mocking. Anger flashed past the priest’s face but he forced it down.
He took out a letter and passed it to Watson, who removed the seal. He scanned it over and, seeing the signature at the bottom, his expression grew serious. It was a guarantee from a Papal Chamber’s archbishop.
“We can let go of past wrongdoings,” the priest uttered, studying Watson’s changing expression, “but Colt must live.”
Ever since the Inquisition was divided by the nations, the Ministry of Information began declining, just like the leader’s health. Being pushed to the side and dissolved was just a matter of time. Under this situation, they needed an achievement more than anything.
Now, they finally received new blood in the form of a musician with a bright future close to becoming a saint. Their comeback was so soon. But then Ye Qingxuan slapped them in the face and tore apart their last shred of dignity. What could the furious Ministry do?
“Actually, there’s something I’m curious about…” Watson said in a low and careful voice. “Do you really not know what Colt did before? Or…do you not care?”
“You need not worry about our own matters,” the priest replied indifferently. “No matter what, Colt is the hero who saved the War of Romulus and the only one who passed the trial. He was rewarded by the Pope and is a future saint. We cannot allow him to be treated like so.”
“And you’ll do everything to uphold his image, right?” Watson laughed. “Otherwise, if his image is tarnished, everything you’ve done will become meaningless, right?
“Back then, you accepted Colt’s request without asking the Papal Chamber’s opinion and now you realize he’s a hot potato but you can’t toss him away… If you admit defeat now, your reputation will be ruined completely.
“I’m sure you’ve been hesitating these past few days, right? Otherwise, you would have come the first day my boss went crazy.”
The priest did not reply. His expression grew livid until he finally said, “I believe that my presence and the promise in the letter is enough to express our sincerity. I hope you will stop before it’s too late. Stop the personal fight now. Otherwise, no one will win.”
“Personal…fight?” Watson scoffed. “Just move your lips and the result is set, as simple as when you convicted criminals back in the day. Sadly, I don’t take that. The Papal Chamber hasn’t released a statement yet. What are you so impatient over?”
“If you stop now, things can still be salvaged. You should know that you’ve already attacked a church and killed a reverent priest! We can let this go but if you take advantage of our kindness, Anglo will be unable to report to the Sacred City!” The priest raised his voice, “How will you end things at that time? Not even the royal family can save you!” He paused, his eyes growing meaningful. “Or do you think Anglo will still support you?”
Watson frowned. He sensed something strange and had a bad premonition. “Be straightforward, sir,” Watson said coldly. “Don’t just come with a mild letter of apology. Show me your true cards.”
The priest smiled mysteriously. “You’ll see,” he said.
Soon, someone hurried into the tavern. He bent over to whisper in Watson’s ears. His expression darkened immediately. “Are those his original words?” he asked.
“Yes.” The follower lowered his head. “He wants you to stop.”
“Is he crazy?” Watson raged, glaring at the man. “If Colt makes it to the Sacred City alive, the consequences will be endless. Doesn’t he understand?”
Stared at by those furious eyes, the follower paled. Watson quickly pushed down his anger and waved him away.
“How is it?” the priest asked with a half-smile.
Watson glared coldly. He pointed at the door. “You’ve won, sir. Scram now.” He said indifferently, “Colt will reach the Sacred City alive. Those are that idiot’s original words. I don’t know what you used to convince him but if that is his decision, I will follow it.”
Thus, the priest smiled. He rose and extended a hand. “Then, we shall cooperate happily.”
Without looking at him, Watson turned his wheelchair and left.
–
Ten minutes ago, Ye Qingxuan sat in a secret room and glared at Maxwell. “Why?” he asked.
Maxwell sighed. “St. George’s spear. The archbishop of the Ministry promised the royal family that he’ll retrieve the lost St. George’s spear from the ruins.”
“Just for that?” Ye Qingxuan sneered. “Maxwell, I see I didn’t wrong you. You are a qualified merchant. I’m impressed at how easily you reaped in the profits.”
“Ye Qingxuan, Anglo has never needed that weapon as much as now. We can only have the possibility to defeat Leviathan with it,” Maxwell said seriously. “This isn’t just for me! Do you know how many people will die without that weapon?”
“So you’ll overlook ‘justice’?” Ye Qingxuan gazed at him in disappointment. “You’ll just pretend Colt never did those things?”
“Ye Qingxuan…” Maxwell looked at him with troubled eyes. After a while, he sighed weakly. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. You only compete about beauty in a child’s world. In the adult word, we compete for dirtiness.
“I’m begging you, alright? So what if you let him go now? You are the sword bearer of Anglo, the inheritor of the sword that chooses the king, the next minister of Anglo! You’ll have so many chances to kill him! Why must you insist on it now?”
There was long, long silence.
Ye Qingxuan laughed. Lowering his head, he seemed to be laughing at himself. “I understand.” He closed his eyes. “Tell Watson to stop and let Colt return to the Sacred City.”
Maxwell managed a smile but there was no joy. There were so many things he wanted to say but didn’t. Finally, he rose and said, “I owe you.”
Without replying, Ye Qingxuan pointed at the door. Maxwell sighed and left.
The door closed. In the dim light, Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes.
–
“Please give me the courage to fly.”
Black rain fell from the sky. Colt saw a girl in a white dress walk in the rain. She dragged her small bag as if it contained her entire world. She sang in the rain and walked to somewhere far away.
“Test my heart, don’t say you regret it… The old house is shining, sighing…” The song lingered in his ears gently. However, in this silent world, it was terrifying. Colt reached out to stop her but he could not catch up.
“There is only silence for eternity…”
The torrent of rain isolated everything. The dark rain seemed to want to dye the entire world black and wash away all disguises. The world shook. The towering buildings became scarlet red. Dust fell from the majestic palace. The layers of carvings on the walls seemed like a web of blood vessels. They were breathing. The towers shook and laughed in the rain. The steps scraped like gnashing teeth. Bits of flesh and bone remained as if the beast did not finish eating.
“Colt, Colt, you’re finally here,” someone cheered happily with a smile. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
The crowd waiting in the rain cheered. They rushed over enthusiastically and waved. “Hurry! Come! We’ve been waiting!”
Colt looked at them in confusion. “Who…are you?”
“Colt, it’s me.” In the distance, a man waved and said gently, “Ah, you’ve forgotten me. I’m the friend who brought you into the Rock Institute.”
“And me, I’m your senior. I was the best to you, Colt. Do you still remember me?”
“I was your first teacher, Colt. I knew that you would make a name for yourself.”
“Colt, I’m your younger brother. Did you forget?” The child under a raincoat hugged his arms and pleaded, “It’s so cold here and it’s raining. Let’s not stand here anymore and go inside to the fireplace.”
“Please come.”
“Yes, we’ve been waiting.”
They waved warmly and called for Colt but he involuntarily stepped back with a pale face. “I can’t.”
“Why?” They grew sad. “We’ve been separated for such a long time.”
“Because…because…” Colt stepped back. His features twisted. “You’re all dead.”
“No, Colt.” They shook their heads, smiling. “We just left you to a faraway place.”
“You’re all dead.” Colt gritted his teeth, his eyes darkening. “I killed all of you personally.”
In that moment, the cheers cut off. Screams and roars began. The rain washed their faces, washing away their skin. Their red flesh and menacing features were revealed. They screamed, clawing with sharp nails.
“It hurts, Colt,” someone cried. “It’s so dark here. Come help us.”
“I’m gonna rip you apart! B*stard, I’ve been waiting for decades!” someone roared. He tried to rush over but was stopped by an invisible barrier. “Coward, I’ll kill you! Every day! I’ll return the pain you gave me thousand-fold!”
“Come here, Colt!” they yelled and laughed hysterically. “You have nowhere to run to.”
Colt stumbled back but he felt cornered. “Where…is this?”
“This is hell, Colt,” someone said gently behind him. “You’re dying so you saw hell. Soon, you’ll crossover. After all these years, there are so many people waiting for you.”
“I won’t die!” Colt spun around and yelled, “I have such a bright future! How can I die?”
“You will.” The comer lifted his hood, revealing hair as white as bone. Seeing Colt’s blank stare, he laughed. He reached out, gripping Colt’s neck, and looked down on him. “I came from there and I’ll bring you back.”
His grip was like a vise. Voice like grating metal, he said eerily, “I swore before that I will find you. The world is so large but you have nowhere to go.”
“Ye…Qingxuan…” A shriek burst from Colt’s throat. His eyes widened, staring menacingly at the face before his eyes. “You won’t beat me…I can defeat you once, I can defeat you again!” Using all his might, he yanked out a sword and stabbed the figure’s throat. Blood spurted out. Roaring, he cut off the head. Under the black rain, the figure disappeared like a hallucination. The demons and beasts vanished as well. Hell faded into the distance. All that remained was the endless rain.
In the pouring rain, someone murmured, “You’ll return here. You will…”
Colt opened his eyes. He felt liquid fall onto his face. It was blood.
The cave was filled with the pungent and heavy odor of decay. He had taken out a sword without him realizing and stabbed it into the stone wall before him. The blade passed through a venomous green snake. It writhed in pain. Venom dripped from its fangs, only a centimeter away from Colt’s neck.
He stared at it coldly, watching it struggle and die bit by bit until it fell silent. Then he tore it apart, skinned it, and devoured the flesh. Blood dripped onto the broken blade. The metal reflected his bedraggled face.
After running wildly during the night, he had hidden inside this cave like a beast. Even his eyes were beastly now.
Weak morning light fell from a crack behind him. It illuminated the name he had carved onto the wall in pain. Of varying sizes, the scraggly names filled the wall. They all came from the same person and had all been scratched away by the sword.
“No one can stop me. I will live on,” Colt murmured as he chewed on the snake bone. He seemed to be reminding himself, to keep himself from forgetting.
As if the snake blood gave him strength, he recovered from the rink of death. His poisoned wounds healed and his fever abated. Reaching out, he yanked down the blood-sucking insects on him one by one. Then he used his sword to trim his unruly hair.
Finally, he crawled out of the cave. He had used all of his strength to shed his outer shell like a snake writhing in pain and stood under the sun again. The sunlight shone on his frail features but could not chase away the darkness in his eyes.
He panted and forged on, crossing the thorns and shrubs. He forged on, fell down, and climbed back up. He traveled across the wilderness, the forest, and the murky waters. He crawled on the ground, past the last quagmire, and onto a slope. Forward, forward…struggling on…
Finally, his eyes were illuminated by the sharp light in the distance. The long and narrow towers pierced the air. They extended deep into the clouds and stood like a forest. Heavy bells rang one after another, seeming to push the falling sky back up.
Pure singing floated down from the highest tower and spread in all directions. It was made of metal; the entire city was made of metal. Even the earth emanated with a metallic scent. It refracted the blazing sun with a burning glow.
Countless people passed by. Carriages rushed past, ships on the river whistled, and iron whales seemed to survey in the air.
The large city that rose up in levels was situated at the center of the world. It controlled the vast aether sea, balancing the aether density of the human world, guarding against the Dark World.
“The Sacred City…” Colt held his breath. This was the immortal city, the city of steel, the city of one thousand spires, the city of the phoenix…It was the center of the world, the peak of everything.
“The Sacred City!” Colt laughed uproariously in ecstasy. He danced, almost losing his breath from laughing. “I’m still alive! Do you see, Ye Qingxuan? You can’t kill me! I’m still alive!” He sprawled on the ground and kissed the dust that flew up from the road. Like a lunatic, tears and snot flowed down his face. The passersby glanced over in confusion.
At the end of the long road, a line of armored knights galloped over on his horse. They carried swords and shields. The shields’ emblem was two overlapped keys, representing the holy message. The leading priest looked majestic in his black robe.
In their path, the believers knelt and gazed reverently at their backs. But the knights stopped before a seemingly crazy beggar and half-knelt.
The black robed priest walked forward, holding a new robe in both hands. It was pure white with gold designs, radiating power and holiness.
“Lord Colt, under the Bishop’s command, you shall be promoted to the Ministry of Information.” He lowered his head and offered the robe. “I was ordered to welcome you. Please mount the horse.”
After a long, long pause, Colt laughed from the dust. It was a full and hearty laugh. He climbed up and yanked over the robe, covering himself with the pure whiteness. He transformed into someone majestic and stern, up above everyone else. His eyes seemed to burn.
“Let’s go.” Mounting the horse, he looked at the city of steel in the distance with blazing eyes. “To the Sacred City!”
He was still alive and he would live on. He would go to the Sacred City…and take back what belonged to him. No matter the consequences!
He would do anything it took to climb to the top!
–
It was a sweltering afternoon. The city guards were all drenched in sweat.
The mass of people surged; carriages streamed past the city gates. They included wealthy nobles, ragged believers who came by foot, messengers, and diplomats from various nations…
More than one-hundred thousand people passed through the Sacred City gates each day. However, this time, most of the people grouped at the gates and looked into the distance.
The market outside the city instantly became jammed. People pushing against each other took up every high spot. In the corner of the crowd, an old man with his bags and a cane studied them with a look of lament.
“The Sacred City truly is impressive. There are so many people even at the city gates. It’s eye-opening.”
“Old man, is it your first time here?” Someone beside him looked at his dustiness and smiled. “It’s rare for this to happen at the Sacred City too. You’re lucky.”
“Really?” The old man chuckled. “I guess my luck is not too bad.”
“Who’s coming?” someone asked.
“The hero from the Romulusian revolt. Who else? Of course, it’s the star of the new generation of musicians, the future scepter grandmaster!”
“Why did he come so suddenly? No one promoted it. Otherwise, there would be even more people here.”
“Ha, you don’t know.” Someone smiled mysteriously. “Apparently, Grandmaster Colt helped the Ministry of Information wipe out dozens of satanic cult locations after the war. His achievements even shocked the Sacred City. For safety, he traveled secretly and didn’t reveal his identity until he almost made it to the Sacred City.”
“I see.” The passersby nodded, impressed.
The old man nodded in agreement, lamenting with them. He was tired from his journey. Setting down his cane, he sat down against the city walls. He started tuning his six-string violin, thrumming the strings. The melody was lost in the hustle bustle.
“Are you preparing an ode?” A little kid with a pinwheel looked at him curiously. “I heard that when hero’s come back, musicians would give odes.”
“Something like that.” The old musician smiled and looked at his instrument. “I will if I have the chance.”
The crowd’s volume increased sharply. Under the clattering of hooves, cheers rang out.
The hero had returned.
–
“That’s the new star of the Ministry of Information?” On the high tower, Mr. Hu looked at the rising clouds of dust. Beside him was an old and average-looking cardinal.
Hearing his question, he asked in return, “What is your opinion?”
Mr. Hu smiled and did not reply. He just looked down and studied the world.
“After being here for so long, you start thinking that many things are not important anymore,” he said quietly. “Just like in the legends, the Devas in heaven are immortal and know no troubles. The resentment and deaths on the ground do not even deserve to be spoken of in the sky.”
“Is that an Eastern legend?” The old priest sighed. “Some things are the same, whether Eastern or Western.”
“Yes.” Mr. Hu looked up. He studied the blazing sun and his eyes were covered in a sheen of dazzling gold. “There are no troubles in heaven. They do not know there is blood, killing, and fighting on the ground. They do not know eagles can assassinate the emperor, that meteorites can attack the sun, that the white rainbow can pierce the sun. So they do not know that…” His hand unconsciously reached to his waist but there was nothing there. His expression darkened and he sighed.
“…There is a sword on the ground.”
In that moment, the sword was pulled out. In the crowd, a hand held a pocket watch. Thus, ‘Faust’ opened its eyes.
“Time, please stop,” a desolate voice sang, filled with pain and hope. “Because you are so beautiful.”
“Time, please stop because you are so beautiful.” Under the distant song, the climax of Faust was activated. Time turned, burning red-hot, and almost self-destructed. The time flowing through the aether sea suddenly stopped. All music score changes were forcefully frozen.
This time, the melody had followed the music theory of Abstinence, rather than targeting the ‘stopping’ of the material world. Instead, it acted directly upon the aether, forcing the aether sea to stop changing and reacting to the world. It cut off the path for musicians to resonate with the sea and forced all musicians below the Resonance level.
At that moment, an overlooked knight in the procession suddenly raised a finger. His armor shook and countless music notes flowed from his fingertip. It sketched out a vast structure, going toward the frozen aether sea. The surrounding air warped as if tugged at by a strong attractive force. The mature music theory was disturbing the materials, distorting reality.
It was the Distortion level! There was a musician only one step away from becoming a grandmaster hidden in the knights!
Endless changes were put into the music theory. The multileveled formulas operated instantly, measure by measure. They transformed into a burning hammer that shattered the ice.
Boom! Music theories collided. The piercing noise made everyone’s vision go black.
The expression of the ‘knight’ changed. His raised finger shook and splintered like a segment of bamboo. Fresh blood flew out. The droplets evaporated in the disordered music theory, froze, or disappeared. From his fingertip to his arms, the armor twisted like dried seaweed. It cracked apart, revealing mangled flesh.
“How…” he murmured blankly. Something broke inside of him and his organs shattered. He fell off the horse.
The aether sea froze completely.
In the crowd, many people paled. It felt like they had suddenly lost an important sensory organ, as if they had gone blind, deaf, mute, or could not touch anymore. Resonance musicians co-existed with the aether sea at every second. They rose up in levels and developed due to it. As the aether sea froze and their resonance with the source disappeared, they instantly fell from the Resonance level.
People yelped in shock belatedly. Riot spread through the crowd. Controlled by the hidden Mind score, terror, and panic burst. The crowd scattered and chaos formed outside the city gates.
“Ye Qingxuan…” Within the mess, Colt stared at the musician’s broken face. He looked up in all directions, yelling, “Come out, Ye Qingxuan! I know you’re here!”
No one replied.
In this afternoon, under the hot sunlight and among the flying dust, a hoarse song traveled from the distance.
“The final judgment will arrive; fire will spread through the graves, burning the organs. The souls will wander from the underworld.”
Under the city gates, the old musician strummed his instrument. He sang quietly to bless the hero, “Oh, Lazarus, how will you repay your debt? Oh, Lazarus, are you panicking?”
Colt’s head shot up and looked through the crowd. In the back of the crowd, the musician sang with his head lowered. As if a switch was turned on, the eyes of the black-robed priest behind Colt suddenly went blank. He raised his hand subconsciously and pulled a crossbow out of his robes.
As if he had practiced this thousands of times, he pressed it to the back of Colt’s head and pressed the trigger. The springs let go, and a poisonous dart shot out. That moment, Colt lowered his head and rolled off the horse. The arrow scraped past his messy hair and nicked the shoulder of the lead knight. Only scraping the skin, the knight instantly fell off. Half of his body went numb, and his lips quickly turned dark blue, his face bloating.
This was not toxic poison. It was something more terrifying—blood clotting agent. Choir musicians used it to stop gravely wounded soldiers from bleeding. If the decimal of the density level was changed, it could turn the wounded into a rubber toy. All the blood would coagulate, and nothing could fix it.
“There is no way to break the curse, to medicine to heal you, nowhere to go. To where else can you go to plead?” the musician sang. “Oh, Lazarus, how will you repay your debt? Oh, Lazarus, are you panicking?”
Missing the first one, the priest aimed his crossbow again and pulled the trigger. Colt grabbed a knight’s shield and blocked the arrow. Whistles and crashes sounded continuously. Arrows landed on the shields, caving them in and shattering them. The shields were pulverized by the frightened horses.
Behind a shield, Colt pulled out his sword and stabbed the neck of the priest’s horse. The stallion screamed and stood up. The blank priest fell off, and the panicking horse quickly trampled him into ground meat.
However, until death, the priest’s eyes were still blank, and his mouth was open, murmuring something silently.
“Ye Qingxuan…” Colt spun around. He glared at the musician menacingly. “I knew it was you!”
“Time is short, and death is rushing,” the musician sang hoarsely as he played his instrument. “Look, fire is burning my body. It’s burning my soul, seeping into my bones. There is nowhere to hide, no way to run. There is nowhere to run to!”
“Capture the attacker!” Colt roared to the knights. “No, kill him! Kill him now!”
Controlling his horse, he studied Ye Qingxuan’s face coldly. “Stop dreaming, Ye Qingxuan,” he murmured. “You can’t kill me in Hell, and you can’t kill me here! I’m the winner, and it’ll be like that forever!”
If he had been terrified before, he was no longer scared now. Ye Qingxuan had gone completely crazy… This was the Sacred City! There were so many different schools, grandmasters, and musicians here. The world’s largest enchantment enveloped this city day and night. The Starry Temple controlled the aether waves of the human world. This was the most guarded place in the world!
Even the Secret Keepers could not protect him here. The moment he chose to act, he already became the enemy of the entire Sacred City!
No one could save him anymore!
But for some reason, Colt felt a tinge of panic. Why…didn’t the Sacred City do anything yet? He glanced at the city gates with his peripheral vision. The bustling streets were still the same; nothing had happened. No one had realized that there had been an assassination attempt right before the city gates!
With every second that passed, the unrest grew. What was happening?
Clenching his jaw, he gripped the reins until his knuckles turned white.
The knights unsheathed their swords; the stallions panted, and the metal hooves sounded like a thunderstorm. Dozens of knights urged their horses over, galloping and dragging their heavy swords, gouging the ground.
Besides Colt, the knights took off their helmets. They performed a music score, gathering the aether. Though they were no longer at the Resonance level, they could still perform countless restraining scores under coherence.
The earth rumbled, fire brewed, and the air condensed… Dozens of music scores shot out at once, sealing off everywhere the enemy could hide.
The clattering hooves arrived. The knights cast black shadows from above the horses. They raised their long swords and brought them down on the musician!
At that moment, the wind lifted the musician’s hood, revealing bone-white hair.
“Can’t you see my regret? I will make your life worth it…” he sang with his head down. “Greed and lust, death and dust, can you see my smile within?” Under the gales of wind, his long hair danced like electric silver. Beside him, the cane leaned on the wall suddenly erupted with blazing electricity. It flooded out!
Thunder and lightning cracked. Electric light moved like a cobra, leaving black scorch marks in its path. Like an angry whip, it tore apart all music scores! Surging forward, it jumped between the armor and long swords. The metal melted into red-hot liquid, the horses fell with screams, and the knights vaporized.
The countless wild lightning bolts seemed to weave into a vague yet awesome image—it was the god of thunder, Indrah! Everyone, including Colt, was shocked.
With the aether sea frozen, it was hard for anyone to resonate. Restricted like this, they could only rely on the free aether in the air. No one expected that someone could so easily complete such a vast music score and fight enemies that outnumbered him. He could even recreate a fallen saint’s spirit!
“This is definitely not the musician level…” A middle-aged priest stared at Ye Qingxuan. Studying his chest, he tried to find the heart of sound. However, no matter how he probed, the chest cavity was empty. There was no response or any resonance! It seemed to be an empty hole. There was no music theory or aether. All that existed in a shocking void that swallowed all noise…
Sensing his probing, something started brewing in the darkness. It was like the sapling of destruction, showing the tip of the iceberg. In an instant, the priest’s eyes filled with blood. The corners cracked, and tears of blood streamed down his white face.
He screamed, “Wha-what are you?!”
Behind the flying dust, the man kept his head lowered as he played the six-stringed instrument. His hoarse voice spread throughout.
“Lazarus, do you see the wildfire burning so richly? Do you see the hellhound, staring so intimidatingly? Are you panicking now? But Lazarus, how will you repay the debts?”
Under the low song, lightning burned and danced wildly. On the cane, the cracked gem shattered completely. In its place, the fallen Holy Spirit was reborn in the lightning. Unprecedented, it opened its eyes.
The world roared! As the land shook, the iron walls reflected the blinding electric light. The song transformed into a judgment from the underworld. It filled the air.
“Lazarus, the wildfire is burning,” he sang. “It is burning, fire shooting into the sky. The faraway stars will not be able to guide you… I will write my name with blood. Lazarus, wash blood with blood and write thy name! Wash blood with blood and create thy name!”
The instrument strings snapped. The weathered six-stringed instrument broke apart. Lightning poured from it.
The world was so dark.
Lightning solidified in his hands. With the apparition of Indrah, he aimed at his enemy, locking onto Colt. Pained by the lightning, Colt’s face reddened. All the blood seemed to collect on his face.
“Ye Qingxuan!” Roaring, he pulled out the anti-tune and sliced down at the music theory composed of countless lightning bolts.
Boom! The anti-tune sword shattered and melted in the air. Then the lightning passed through all the protection, crushing the defense. No matter if it was water, mud, shields, or legendary phantom beasts, they all became fragile bubbles before the lightning.
Everything broke apart! Instantly, dozens of musicians turned to dust. The lightning surged forward like a dragon. It swallowed Colt’s arm.
And then there was an angry roar in the air, “Presumptuous!”
The majestic bells rang one after another. With pure, saintly light, Will descended from the sky. The glorious Score of God’s Punishment sounded. It collided with the shackles of Faust. The Double Snake Time Meter shook; the red-hot needle trembled and sped up. It could not continue for much longer.
In an instant, six beams of light flew from the Sacred City. They carried immense power, slamming against Faust’s territory like falling stars. They still carried echoes of the bells of the Sacred City!
Every ring of the bell represented reinforcement of the Sacred City. Their power surpassed that of the Distortion level, moving close to the level of grandmasters. Under the attack of six grandmasters, a hole appeared in the frozen aether sea.
Under the glow of God’s Punishment, Will descended and shielded Colt. He brought his sword down on the wild lightning.
At the same time, the priests in the beam of light went into coherence. The forced the frozen aether sea apart, absorbing the immense power. Countless complex music theories were constructed, releasing a pure and ethereal hymn.
“Holy! Holy! Holy! The Holy King! Light fills the world! All praise belongs to the almighty lord!”
It was “Requiem – Holy.”
An unyielding barrier was constructed, protecting Colt. In an instant, the devastating lightning flooded onto it. Soil melted into red-hot liquid like sulfur.
Faced with the terrifying attack, the light around Will trembled. He stumbled back. Half of his armor had been vaporized. His holy sword was practically melted.
“Ye Qingxuan!” Will narrowed his eyes at the young man darkly. “You truly have gone crazy. Destroying a church, attacking the Witch Hammer, killing a Sacred City priest, committing such an atrocity before the city gates…” He raised a sword and coldly declared, “Death does not suffice!”
In the stillness, someone laughed.
Though protected by the territory of Holy, Colt still stepped back involuntarily because the white-haired man finally looked up.
Black rain seemed to fall from a nightmare, bone-chillingly eerie. Those eyes stared at Colt, seeming to reflect the dead. They stood in the underworld, looking into the world through those eyes, and smiled.
“Colt, are you ready?” the man asked, gripping his cane. “I’m here to kill you.”
Will’s expression changed. The red-hot Double Snake Time Meter in Ye Qingxuan’s open left hand started shaking. Light shot out of it, and it shattered! Along with it, the territory of Faust was destroyed as well. The music theories frozen in the aether sea erupted. The absolute silence instantly became absolute activity.
The aether sea was tossing!
Within this, an instrument string that passed through the material and aether world emerged. Controlling the frantic and absolutely destructive power, it forcefully reigned over the raging sea. The aether sea poured into the thunder and transformed into lightning.
Everyone formed a bizarre hallucination: everything in the world dissipated like a dream. All that remained was this bolt of lightning. The wild electricity surged from all directions, joining into a boundless sea. It filled the world, burning the sky and earth. It had become the physical incarnate of destruction. The temperament was upended; all rules were broken.
The complex music theory that had become lightning distorted reality and transformed into a tangible sea. And above that wild sea, a broken moon appeared, casting down silvery light.
It was the moon above the sea!
The moon in the mirror, the flower on the sea.
The electric sea raged, but the moonlight was serene. The two combined into one body with ineffable poetic beauty. It was so illusory yet so real.
Between the illusory and the real, amidst the cool moonlight and destructive lightning, Jiu Xiao Huan Pei developed into complex music theory. It transformed into the Heaven Ladder, connecting the axes. Guiding the immense power, controlling under the consciousness of the performer, and converging in…Ye Qingxuan’s hands!
Music notes clanged. The sea of lightning pressed down, suffocating the musicians! The changes were like turning stars. The shockingly vast and beautiful music score unfolded in Ye Qingxuan’s hands. They overlapped, knotted, and formed layers of complex structures.
A holy city of white jade seemed to rise. It was an impeccable control and was shocking. The music theory broke free from the Resonance level and instantly surpassed Distortion. The aether and material world overlapped, transforming into a terrifying protection.
The overture ended, the fifth section of the large movement, the first chapter of the main section…It was followed by Call, Go, Practice, Meditation, Soul Return, Loot, Crown, Rainbow, Wind, Fury…until the sixteenth Light, seventeenth Fall, and eighteenth Sword… It was all completed in one breath. The melody did not show any decline until it reached the third measure of the tenth section. At that time, the blazing sun had disappeared. All that remained was a pure moon hanging in the sky.
As Ye Qingxuan raised his hands, cool moonlight fell. Everyone’s faces were stark white under it.
It was “Moonlight!”
“This is…impossible…” Gritting his teeth, Will felt the common knowledge and music theory break apart in his heart. He stared at the moon; his pupils dilated, and his eyes grew bloody. He had checked all of Ye Qingxuan’s files. He knew everything the youth could do! Not even the sub-originator could contain such large music theory!
How could a man’s mind and will control such a terrifying score that could disturb reality, distort material nature, and perform a natural phenomenon?
Even destroying the Double Snake Time Meter and Indrah’s Eye to absorb the strength within… How could someone who was barely even an official musician maintain such terrifying power?!
The next moment, Ye Qingxuan lowered his finger. With the help of the Philosopher’s Stone, Jiu Xiao Huan Pei finished the last note. Moonlight shone on the ground, swallowing everything. Countless odd figures appeared.
Perhaps it was the meteorite attacking the moon, or the white rainbow piercing the sun, or the eagle assassinating the emperor… In the end, everything returned to the pure white moon.
There was a sword on the ground, and it was moonlight.
The bells rang, and Will roared. The light around the six grandmasters swelled. Under their coherence, they pushed the Score of God’s Punishment, creating the illusion of the Holy Spirit of punishment. The bells continued ringing.
Will raised his sword. With the vast power, he swung at the moonlight!
The pure white light and the music of punishment collided silently.
It disappeared.
As if it was a hallucination, as if nothing had happened, everything was still the same. But the fire of God’s Punishment had disappeared.
Gripping his cane, Ye Qingxuan walked forward step by step. As if he had used up all his energy, his steps were slow and seemed difficult. But he walked past Grandmaster Will, who had a raised sword and menacing face.
Crack. Everyone screamed. Will’s blade shattered and scattered like metal sand. As the hot wind blew, Will turned to dust and disappeared. Face stark white, Colt stumbled back.
From the other side of the Holy territory, the countless grandmasters beside him gave him some sense of security. He managed to squeeze out a taunting smile to protect his dignity. He opened his mouth to speak.
But then Ye Qingxuan looked up. Seeing Colt’s stiff smile, he raised a hand and knocked the barrier that was known as ultimate protection. “The Sacred City isn’t as powerful as you thought,” he said quietly. “You were happy too soon.”
Something shattered quietly. The holy singing cut off. It was as if countless pieces of glass cracked, shattered, melted, and disappeared under the hot sun. In the territory, five grandmasters who still maintained their original poses shook and turned to dust like Will.
In the dust, Colt’s stiff smile shattered. His features twitching, he stumbled back. “I…” Expressions battling, his mouth dropped open. “I…you…no…Ye-Ye Qingxuan…it can still be salvaged! Yes, it can still be salvaged! Don’t be brash. I can—”
All that replied to him was a sword.
Ye Qingxuan tossed out a half-melted but cooled sword. It stabbed into the ground before Colt.
“Come, Colt. Haven’t you always been waiting for this moment?” Ye Qingxuan said indifferently, “I’ll give you the chance for a fair fight. If you’re a man, pick up the sword. You can do anything. Just stop talking.”
In the silence, Colt froze.
In the silence, Colt froze. He stared at the sword before him, shaken. His lips trembled but he could not speak. But aggressive flames soon burned in his unstable eyes. Gritting his teeth, he grasped the hilt and pulled the sword out. Very few people knew that, other than music theory, he was also the unbeatable fighter at the Rock Institute. Even dark musicians had been dealt with by him.
“You’ll regret this, Ye Qingxuan.” His eyes were red. “You will!”
Ye Qingxuan looked at him without speaking. He allowed Colt to bend over and aim the blade at his throat with sharp murderous intent. But then Colt’s expression changed. His body trembled and the blade fell to the ground. All his strength had been sapped and he could not move! Colt gaped at Ye Qingxuan in confusion until he discovered the hint on the sword. It finally dawned on him and he roared hysterically, “Ye Qingxuan!”
“I was just playing with you but you took it seriously.” Shaking his head, Ye Qingxuan walked up and yanked his hair up. Colt wanted to crawl back in despair but he was dragged toward the city gates.
One step, another step. It felt like he was being dragged toward hell.
He went crazy, using all his might to scratch at the ground. He left behind bloody gauges and his nails broke but he was still dragged into the gates.
Then Ye Qingxuan finally stopped and let go.
“According to my promise, I’ve allowed you back into the Sacred City.” Ye Qingxuan looked down and said gently, “So now, what happens next will have nothing to do with promises.” He took a long and narrow silver nail from his back. It glinted with dazzling light, piercing Colt’s eyes. Reaching out, he pulled Colt’s wrist up and made a practice move. In his daze, Colt finally realized what he wanted to do.
He roared, “Ye Qingxuan, don’t you dare!”
His roars turned to pained cries. The silver nail went through his palm, nailing him to the city gate. He screamed and struggled to no avail. The pain in his bone marrow made his writhe but also stimulated his mind.
Painfully, he said, “Ye Qingxuan, you won! I surrender. Stop now, please.” He tossed away all his dignity. Ignoring the shocked gazes from the onlookers, he practically knelt before Ye Qingxuan.
“What can you get from killing me? Think about it, Ye Qingxuan! You don’t have to suffer such consequences because of someone as lowly as me, right? You have more meaningful things to do! You’ve already proved your abilities, right? I…I can transfer the Pope’s blessing to you! You can travel smoothly on the road to the Scepter level!”
Ye Qingxuan paused and stared down at him.
Seeing that he had reacted, Colt’s eyes lit up in joy. “The Lighthouse! There’s the Lighthouse too! I can give you the authority! It has all the deep music theory and secrets of the Secret Keepers! Think about it, all the wisdom of the musicians! The treasure so many people dream of! Don’t you want to know?” He moved forward on his knees without caring about his tearing palm. He lowered his head to kiss Ye Qingxuan’s boots and looked up pleadingly.
“And the way to enter the all-knowing state and even the secrets to creating a legend and becoming a scepter! These can all be yours, Ye Qingxuan, as long as you agree!”
Ye Qingxuan looked at him coldly as if Colt was an awkward clown and the funny play could not make him laugh.
Seeing his indifference, Colt’s heart sank. Voice trembling, he begged, “Stop, Ye Qingxuan! I’m begging you, alright? If you stop now, no one will do anything! Haven’t you done enough for that random girl? If you stop now, all the praises are yours and I, the lowly one, will live forever in the shadows so you seem glorious in comparison.
“I can swear on the Originator that I’ll be loyal to you for life. Aren’t you an Abstinence musician? We can sign a contract! I still have the secret judgement trials from when the Ministry of Science was still the Inquisition! And—ah!!” His other hand was lifted and nailed to the gate.
Expression twisting in pain, Colt was like a fish dropped in a pan of salt. He cried and yelled, “Are you crazy? Ye Qingxuan, weren’t you raised in a church?! God loves! You’re a good person. Why must you be so stubbornly hateful? Everything I said is true. I didn’t lie at all—”
“I know.” Ye Qingxuan looked down and cut him off. “I know that you’re telling the truth but this has nothing to do with the fact that you’re going to die.”
Colt froze.
Ye Qingxuan reached out and grabbed him up by the hair. Ignoring the pained cry when Colt’s wound ripped, Ye Qingxuan lifted him to eye level.
“I should thank you, Mr. Colt,” he uttered, staring into Colt’s eyes. “You helped me realize my weakness, my helplessness, and my naivety. You did it better than anyone—flawlessly. Therefore…you must die.”
There seemed to be torrential rain inside those black eyes, reflecting the scenes of Hell. Colt gaped and shuddered in fear, his lips trembling. In his daze, he saw his final resting place—the path to Hell.
He laughed hysterically, twisting his face.
“Then enjoy the products of your revenge,” he murmured in Ye Qingxuan’s ears as he cackled. “But sadly, no matter what you do, that girl’s already dead. She won’t ever come back…hahaha! I should’ve known that you and her are both b*stards, oddities, freaks, never able to be understood. Just have fun being crazy, you poor thing!” He opened his mouth and tried to spit out bloody saliva but he could not. The saliva hung from his lips disgustingly.
“So ugly, Colt. You’re so ugly.”
Ye Qingxuan’s expression was still indifferent as if he had heard nothing. Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped the bloody spit away. The action was gentle but Colt cried out in fear as if something scary was touching him.
“You’re a hero, Colt. You should keep you fearless image even until death,” Ye Qingxuan said. “Those dead priests from the Ministry would be sad if they see you like this, right? And wanting a speedy death now…it’s too late.”
Colt froze. A piercing icy feeling spread through his limbs. He could hear clanking armor in the distance. The Knights Templar had finally been called over. The iron whales appeared in the air.
“Don’t be impatient.”
Ye Qingxuan opened a small metal box. There were cold glass tubes, metal needles, and a small vial filled with icy blue liquid. He prepared the injection with practice, drawing the blue liquid in. He aimed at Colt’s vein. The tip of the needle was cold as hell.
In that moment, Colt seemed to hear a murmur from the underworld.
“Before dying, you must pay for what you have done!”
–
At the same time, the archbishop of the Ministry of Information coughed violently. He yelled, “Ye Qingxuan! Is Anglo crazy?!”
Someone sped into the room with a pale face. “Archbishop, Anglo sent out an urgent message half an hour ago. Ye Qingxuan announced that he had given up the Sword in the Stone. Anything that happens now is unrelated to Anglo.”
“What about the Silent Authority?” He studied the surveillance of the aether ball and roared, “Six grandmasters had died! Why didn’t Nibelungenlied give any reactions or reports? Why hasn’t the Sacred City Garrison acted yet?!”
“The Silent Authority…has not responded.” The subordinate looked helpless. “Nibelungenlied and the Sacred City Garrison have not responded either. I do not know why.”
The archbishop yanked him over. He breathed heavily with the thick smell of medicine. His emerald eyes widened like ghost fire. “Then report to the Papal Chamber!”
Letting go, he coughed out scarlet blood. “Hurry and use the Sacred City’s alarm! Now!”
“Lord, without the Papal Chamber’s signed order, we-”
“I said now!” the archbishop roared. “This is an emergency, don’t you understand? If Colt dies outside the city gates, the Ministry will forever be a laughingstock!”
He had sent out the order but lying on the bed, his expression was still dark. Soon, he made up his mind and uttered, “Come, help me change.”
The subordinate wanted to say something but seeing those eyes, he intelligently shut his mouth.
A servant washed his body with a hot towel and pulled out the tubes one by one. He gradually weakened. The smell coming from his body grew stronger. Finally, the servant helped him put on a blood red robe. It was lined with green gold and seemed serious and majestic.
Outside, the Witch Hammer had finished grouping. The priests lowered onto one knee. “Father Michel, we await your order.”
“Since Ye Qingxuan killed Colt, we’ll make him pay for it!” the old man uttered coldly. He grasped his ivory cane. “Let the Papal Chamber remain silent. After all, our Holiness will continue to sit on his throne like a puppet.
“The Silent Authority…they probably dream that someone will sweep us into the trash, right? However, I hope you all will remember that the Ministry of Information will never fall. The deaths of Will and the others will not be in vain!
“Even if I will pay for what we do today or even die, the crusade of fate will never end like this! Understand?”
All members of the Witch Hammer pressed their swords to between their brows in salute. They answered in unison, “We vow to eradicate the treacherous!”
“Good.” Michel nodded in satisfaction. “Come with me. Show them the dignity of the Ministry!” He exited.
Outside the door, a messenger sprinted over. Out of breath, he knelt down. “Lord, Ye Qingxuan stopped! He did not kill Lord Colt!”
Michel froze; his face turned red. His determination had somehow turned into a vile metallic odor that almost spewed from his lungs.
“What happened?” he asked through clenched teeth. “He was stopped?”
“No!” the messenger stuttered, “After he captured Lord Colt, he remained at the city gates and did not leave… He-he even purposely set off the Sacred City’s alarm! Now all the lords had rushed over. Even the ambassadors were alerted. Now—”
“Go!” Without waiting for him to finish, Michel instinctively felt something was wrong. Leaning on his cane, he walked toward the city gates. When he arrived, he was already too late.
The civilians were kept away but it was still crowded with a sea of people. Even with the Garrison’s protection, the carriage still traveled with difficulty. When Michael saw the people protected by lines of soldiers, his blood chilled.
With just a glance, he could see that people from countless departments had come from the various colors and designs of robes. There was the Papal Chamber, the Amnesty Institute, the Sacred Court, the Trinity College, the Ministry of Sacrament, the Ministry of Evangelisms, the Ministry of Religion, the Holy Spirit Temple… There were even ambassador musicians from the various nations.
Surrounded by all these people, Ye Qingxuan leaned against the city walls as if he was sunbathing. There was a half-smoked cigarette in his hand. The thin smoke scattered like a wandering ghost. Under the smoke, Colt was nailed to the gate. His head hung and drool dripped from his mouth. He did not respond no matter how the others called.
The commander was an unfortunate soul pushed out by the others. He was powerless in this situation. One side was the new treasure of Anglo, the other was a new hero… Neither side was dead but he personally wanted to die.
Hearing that Michael was here, he quickly ran over and bowed. “Father, the criminal has captured Colt from your ministry and is refusing to cooperate with the Sacred City’s arrest.” Pausing, he suggested quietly, “What if we form a team to attack and first protect Lord Colt, then—”
“No need!” Michel rasped out. Veins bulged from his hand on the cane. “Kill him now! Don’t worry about Colt. The Ministry of Information will never bow down to criminals. I will not agree to anything he says!”
The commander froze, his expression awkward. He really wanted to die. “Really?”
A low voice traveled from the side. A man dressed as a musician cut in, “Since the criminal had made such risks and is holding a captive, why don’t we see what he wants? Every priest is valuable to the Sacred City and should not be sacrificed easily.”
The commander stared at him. “And you are?”
“Silent Authority,” the musician replied. “Killing so easily damages the harmony of the world. This is the Ministry of Information’s problem but if needed, the Silent Authority is willing to act.”
Michel twisted around and glared at him, ready to fight. But then a hoarse voice rang out under the city gates.
“It seems that everyone has just about arrived.” Ye Qingxuan took out of his cigar and said, “I’m sorry for causing this mess and troubling you all.” He was apologizing but his tone was anything but apologetic. With the help of a music score, his voice rang in everyone’s ears.
Behind the barriers, the civilians had been gossiping and making noise. When they heard Ye Qingxuan’s voice, they pressed forward in anticipation. The reporters scribbled furiously and tore off the papers to give to their assistants. The assistants then ran toward the news agencies. All of them were drenched in sweat and exhausted.
Ye Qingxuan’s voice did not stop. He continued speaking slowly in everyone’s ears. The reporters had no time to record.
“As everyone knows, I am Ye Qingxuan, a participant of the Romulusian War. I am a musician with no nationality. I am also the suspect…no, criminal, who planned various attacks on Mr. Colt. I admit that this is my crime and I am willing to be responsible for it.”
By the city gates, Ye Qingxuan looked up and raised his voice, “I did not come here to attack the Sacred City and disturb all of your peaceful lives. I just…have some questions I would like to ask Mr. Colt in public. Here and now.” He pulled out some shiny silver coins. They rolled on the ground and the music score on them shone. This was a basic Revelations music score with a simple effect: detecting lies.
Seeing this, Michel finally understood what was planned. He growled in anger, “Ye Qingxuan! You will pay for everything you’ve done! What are you all waiting for? Someone come and arrest him!”
The Silent Authority musician stopped him, blocking him. There were even faint waves of music theory. He looked into Michel’s emerald eyes and asked softly, “Why don’t you want to hear what he has to say? To be honest, I am quite curious…”
Ye Qingxuan seemed to hear Michel’s growl. He shook his head with a smile but did not reply. He turned around and studied Colt who he had nailed to the wall. Mind muddled, Colt seemed to have been swallowed by black rain. He trembled and he murmured something vaguely. He struggled endlessly, trying to escape from the hands of hell. He was completely defenseless from the hallucinogen.
“Your name,” Ye Qingxuan said coldly. “Tell everyone who you are.”
“Colt.” On the wall, Colt looked down blankly. “Colt Durand. I-I’m a hero, a future saint. I—”
Ye Qingxuan cut him off and asked, “Colt, why did you join the dark musicians in Auschwitz? Was it to save people?”
“No.”
Colt’s answer created a flurry in the crowd. Shocked cries sounded throughout. Ever since the Romulusian War ended, Colt’s achievements had been spread through the nations by the Ministry of Information. Everyone knew but now, it was refuted by him personally!
“Then why?” Ye Qingxuan glared coldly.
“I thought everything was over…everyone was going to die. The dark musicians were too powerful and the leader of the perishing praise was fighting personally,” Colt replied dully. “If I didn’t become a dark musician, I could die.”
Ye Qingxuan nodded and continued, “Then why did you betray them later?”
“I sensed the Lighthouse,” Colt murmured to himself but everyone heard him. “It told me that Knights Templar was coming. If I didn’t separate myself from them, it would be too late…”
“He’s lying! Ye Qingxuan, you’re playing tricks!” Furious, Michel’s eyes blazed. Majestic music score brewed inside his withered body. He was going to act with all his power but someone held onto his shoulder. He turned around in shock and saw an old priest as well as a middle-aged Eastern man.
“Michel, let him continue asking,” the old priest said coolly. “I would like to hear.”
It felt as if all of Michel’s strength left. He trembled and finally lowered his head. “Yes.”
At the city gates, the youth’s purposeful voice rang out again. It was extremely stable and cold. “Then, Colt, was the situation already unsalvageable when you were the observer for the Knights Templar?”
Colt fell silent. As if instinctively feeling something was wrong, he struggled against Ye Qingxuan’s question. His mouth opened but he stuttered and could not answer. The crowd listened in silence; every pair of eyes could see each other’s shock. They were terrified by the possible answer of the question and did not dare to continue listening. But they could not wait to know.
“Answer me, Colt!” Ye Qingxuan stepped forward and screamed in his ear, “Was the situation truly out of control? Answer me!” His scream was like a clap of thunder. It tore at eardrums and resounded in one’s soul, ripping apart Colt’s last shred of defense.
“No!” Colt cried. The truth climbed out of his throat like a snake and stretched in the air, revealing its ugly appearance. “I…” he mumbled in confusion. “I changed the observation records. Yes, I did… It was such a good chance, I couldn’t miss it, couldn’t miss it…it would be gone! That old thing would rather give the Lighthouse to someone else! I spent all these years trying to make him happy but ended like this! Yes, I did! Even if the Rock Institute isn’t willing to give it to me, it’s still mine!”
“Just…because of that?” Ye Qingxuan looked at him with pity. “You lied to the Papal Chamber and forced the Knights Templar to use Heaven’s Gate just because of this?”
“I want to be a hero! The only one who can become a hero is me! It has to be me!” Colt said in hysteria. His eyes were wild. “I’m not wrong, the wrong one…the wrong one…yes, the wrong one is that b*stard! He blocked me, he has to die…he’s gonna die…hehe, hehehe…” He laughed, submerged in his dream. He drooled like a wild dog who had dreamed of something lustful. It was disgusting.
“Last question.” Ye Qingxuan stared at him, the pause stretching on. Finally, he uttered, “Why did you kill Elsa?”
“Elsa?” Colt asked back. “Who’s that?”
In silence, Ye Qingxuan practically shook from anger!
“Is it…that little girl?” Colt gaped at him, his expression becoming troubled. “She was going to die anyway. Why should I give the accomplishment to other people? Killing a natural catastrophe is great political capital. Only an idiot would let it go. I let her die easily. She should be grateful. If someone else got her, they would—”
“Enough.” Lowering his head, Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes in sadness. “Enough, Colt, shut up. I…don’t want to keep listening.”
In the dead silence, everyone looked over, barely even breathing. Only Colt continued saying random things and laughing. Ye Qingxuan turned around. He gazed at the crowd with troubled sadness.
“Do you all see this?” He pointed at Colt’s blank smile and said hoarsely, “This is the hero that you all look up to. This is the idol you all worship…” He roared, “Do you all see this?! This is the world you’ve all created with those f*cking ‘survival of the fittest’ beliefs, only caring about the result and the so-called big picture!”
No one replied.
“In this f*cking world, if you try to follow the rules and be a good person, people will think you’re an idiot, a joke, someone weak enough to bully. You can put in so much, endure everything, but just become a sacrifice to be buried under this hero’s feet!”
Ye Qingxuan demanded, “Doesn’t anyone think this is wrong?”
The crowd rustled; a low commotion sounded. Now, they finally realized what this crazed man before them wanted to do. Their expressions grew troubled and their eyes filled with fear and pity.
“Yes, like this…” Ye Qingxuan stared at the numb eyes and smiled bitterly. “You all suffer through this but no one dares to stand out and say that this world is wrong!”
He paused. Using all of his strength, he yelled at the silent people, “So let me tell you that this is wrong!” He said, “This! Is! Wrong!” He raised a hand and moonlight transformed into a sword. The cold and sharp blade landed on Colt’s neck. The light was blinding and illuminated the murky soul.
Colt woke up from his pretty dream. He gaped at the unfamiliar man before him. The black rain seemed to come out of his nightmare and truly announce the coming of judgement.
“I’m…going to die?” he murmured. Raw terror rose from his heart. It controlled his mind and he shook, unable to speak.
“Ye Qingxuan, no!” A familiar voice rang out—it was Wolf Flute. He had finally arrived. Trying to move past the guards, he yelled, “Put down the sword! Don’t kill him! You’ll—”
Ye Qingxuan did not listen. He just stared at Colt’s pale face. “Pray.”
“…Pray?” Colt’s lips quivered. His eyes pleaded.
“You should pray but it’ll be useless.” Ye Qingxuan looked down. His eyes were as cold as metal. “All karma is well deserved.”
The cold moonlight flashed. In silence, Colt’s head rolled from his shoulders. The pleading in his eyes extinguished under the moonlight. There was no more light in those blank eyes.
He was dead.
Fresh blood sprayed onto Ye Qingxuan’s face, adding a sheen of red to his steely eyes. Under the shocked cries and angry roars, he turned around. Studying the confused and furious faces, he suddenly wanted to laugh. He wiped away the blood on his face. “So this is what blood feels like…”
Majestic bells rang in the air. The bell echoed under the sunset, within the vast iron city. It seemed to be announcing the falling of the sun of the coming of night. In the chaos, Ye Qingxuan looked up at the setting sun.
He allowed the soldiers to rush over and tackle him, putting on layers of shackles. They pushed him toward the prisoner’s car.
Amongst the crowd, he saw the Eastern scholar. Sensing his gaze, Mr. Hu’s eyes grew troubled and sympathetic. “This is not all…”
Seeming to hear his voice, Ye Qingxuan laughed. For some reason, he remembered what Mr. Hu had asked him before.
“Ye Qingxuan, what would you do if, one day, you realized that the world was not the same as you thought?”
Yes, Ye Qingxuan. What would you do if you realized that the world is not the same as you had imagined? The world is not as beautiful as you thought. It is cruel, scary, cold, and heartless.
The kindness and gentleness is just an occasional ornament. Everywhere else, there is darkness. Most of the time, justice and truth are just a beautiful fantasy.
Those things from fairy tales are all lies.
What would you do?
“It’s simple, Mr. Hu,” he replied softly. “I’ll just change the world to how I imagined.”
Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes. In an instant, everyone seemed to hear a hallucination. It was like a dragon roaring under the sea, like an illusory instrument…Before the music, the Barrier of Knowledge shattered. The long-awaited cold moonlight rose from his chest.
His heart was transforming into something beautiful after it had fused with the Philosopher’s Stone. It beat, creating tiny ripples in the aether sea. In that moment, it went past the levels of the sea and became one with the Originator under the guidance of the Heaven Ladder.
Under everyone’s scrutiny, it rose into the sky and shone. It fused into the serene and cold moon.
Moonlight fell down, illuminating Ye Qingxuan’s white hair and eyes.
I give my worried heart to the moon. I give this heart to the moon.
Even in a pitch black world, there would be moonlight in the darkness.
Moonlight…
The Holy Spirit Temple was silent. Serene moonlight fell from the stained glass windows, shining onto the various stone coffins. It illuminated the ancient and distinguished names. Dust floated in the air, dancing with the faint hymn. Singing from the distant church hung in the stillness, complementing the graveness of the coffins. At the front of the coffins, a lonely figure stood before the large altar. He wore the crown of utmost authority and a pure red robe. It seemed to have been dyed by blood but rather than feeling like ‘death,’ it represented the reverent ‘life.’
This was the red that encompassed all meaning. This was the King of Red.
In the stillness, he looked at the altar and asked, “Is that what Hermes said?”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Nibelungenlied’s voice was respectful. “He chose this path and did his best.”
“I see.” The King of Red nodded. “He has always been clever though this is especially laughable for him. I am sure he knows my thoughts if he made this choice. Let him enjoy his ‘life.’ From now on, these matters will have nothing to do with him.”
Nibelungenlied said, “He wanted me to thank you for him.”
“…He even predicted my words?” The King of Red laughed. “He truly is clever, is he not?”
Rather than replying, Nibelungenlied said, “The Ministry of Information told Anglo the location of the Ultimate Well’s appearance this year… How should we punish what Archbishop Michael did?”
“He’s already dying. Do you want me to lock him up?” The King said, “Just let him retire with the Ministry. The Inquisition’s era is over. The shattered dream of a crusade is the best punishment for him.”
“He will fall apart.”
“He won’t.” The King shook his head. “He will continue waiting. Even if he died, he would find someone to wait for another crusade for him and fight with the natural catastrophe… He has endless hope. These things won’t crush him.”
“Understood.” Nibelungenlied asked, “Leviathan’s awakening is fated. The Cardinal will continue fighting with Anglo.”
“Has the Anglo royal family not always been determined?” The King of Red said lightly, “Sovereignty of the nations is the core of the second amendment. Leave Arthur’s matters to his descendants. It began with them so let it end with them. Haven’t they already taken back St. George’s spear to prepare for everything? If the Cardinals still wish to show the majesty and necessity of the Sacred City, tell the Knights Templar to prepare and be ready to take over in the worst situation.”
“Yes.” Finishing recording, Nibelungenlied said, “Commander Bann requested to be punished for the Romulusian War. He is awaiting the result now.”
“I am the one who ordered him to not harm any Romulusians. I am also the one who hindered him. We had decided too late. The result has nothing to do with him and Knights Templar.”
The King of Red ordered lightly, “Let him go repair the western desert defense line. With his abilities, it will be hard but may not be impossible. The descendants of the past Semites are still there. Tell him to bring the flag and that the Sacred City will give him all the needed equipment.”
After a long silence, Nibelungenlied asked, “Do you mean…for him to rebuild the Knights Hospitaller?”
“For the hundred years since the desert defense line was defeated, the Sixth Legion has been vacant for too long.”
The King of Red looked up. His face was cold as if he never had any expressions. He looked down on the human world emotionlessly. “The most painful thing for well-prepared people is that time does not wait. I do not wish to realize that the Knights Hospitaller has disappeared for too long when we need it.”
“Your Excellency is far-sighted,” Nibelungenlied replied respectfully.
The King of Red fell silent. After a stretch of silence, the midnight bell rang.
“Let us end here today.” The King waved a hand. “Hand everything else over to the Cardinals. They need something to argue over.”
“Yes.” Nibelungenlied asked, “Then what about the event at the city gates this evening? It involves the sword bearer of Anglo. The Cardinals are much divided over this.”
The King looked up at the moon. The light fell into eyes like a silent sigh. “He is someone as unwilling to be lonely as Ye Lanzhou.”
“Does Your Excellency sympathize with him?”
“No,” the King said. “Let the Cardinals decide on this. He made a choice and therefore must take responsibility. Since he wants justice, then give him justice. It is that simple.”
“…Perhaps.” It was rare for Nibelungenlied to be indecisive. “To many people, this type of simplicity is difficult. The lawyers of the Sacred City will argue until they spit out blood.”
“A long, long time ago, someone told me that the meaningless arguing is a necessary experience before coming to a conclusion. Even if the arguing is meaningless to both parties. Just let them find the result that they want.” The King of Red said indifferently, “I am just the pope. I cannot give them what the lord promised them.”
“I will notify them.”
“Good. You can go.” The King waved.
“And you?” Nibelungenlied asked. “Will you return to your room or eat dinner first?”
“Me?” The King of Red looked up. He gazed at the moon in the sky. “I suddenly want some silence…to experience what that coward wanted. It must feel nice. Otherwise, that guy would not miss it so.”
After a pause, Nibelungenlied said, “Perhaps the King of Yellow just wanted to rest. Your Excellency need not be so gloomy.”
“Perhaps.” He did not seem too convinced and just studied the moonlight. “After all, he has already escaped to somewhere far away. Even if he doesn’t come back, the people left behind has to worry about the future. Nibelungenlied, no matter what is lost, the world will keep spinning.”
No one replied. Nibelungenlied seemed to have already gone.
In the silence, the King of Red stood before the altar and looked up at the moonlight. His vision went past the night and into the endless sky. His eyes went up, up, and up.
There was a vast ring of moonlight in the darkest corner of the universe, far above the world. At some time…an unnoticeable speck had appeared before it. It bent the iron radiance, fighting against the gravitational pull of the Earth, and hovered on the stars’ orbit. It did not get closer or further. It just watched the land and sky, forever running in the silent void.
There, someone finally woke up from his dream. In the seemingly eternal silence, he opened his eyes and stared at the moon outside the window. His eyes grew peaceful and happy.
It was such good moonlight.
She woke from her dream. Opening her eyes, she saw the flame. In the sacred hall, the Sacred Flame was still lit. It shone in all directions. Majestic music theory burst behind her. The Sacred Flame flowed like large wings of fire. It created a gust of wind in the hall.
The light that passed through the material and aether world flowed. Countless hallucinations flowed as well. In the fleeting moment, mysterious scenes flashed by. Some were powerful and beautiful; others were dark and cold… The world joined inside the flame and became real. This seemed to be the true nature and expression of aether. Thus, she was reborn.
She did not feel any joy from being reborn. Instead, she looked up at the beautiful ceiling in silence. After a long while, she looked back and said quietly, “Caligula, I had a long dream.”
The old and withered man leaned on his cane and studied her. He smiled pleasantly. “Was it a good dream?”
“It was very long. I don’t remember.” She thought back and her eyes brightened. “But I remember that someone came back to find me and I was not scared anymore.”
“That is a good dream.” Caligula nodded. “When you become old, you’ll think that in this world, you’re apart more than you’re together. The moments without loneliness are like dreams. But there are no regrets if you can have a dream like this.”
“I see…” She nodded and asked, “Will I see him again?”
“He has left,” Caligula answered. “He has probably already found somewhere he needed to return to, just like you. From now on, fate will care for him.”
“So I can’t see him again?” she asked. “I want to see him.”
Caligula fell silent. The light in her eyes faded.
“You are the descendant of Romulus, the child of the powerful god.” Caligula lowered his head and urged humbly, “You sacrificed yourself and became the host of the Flame. After being reborn with the enlightenment, you will be the emperor of the empire, the Augustus of utmost power… You are not the same as before.”
“So I can’t have friends?”
“Your Majesty, you are the emperor. You can have as many friends as you wish.”
“But those aren’t my friends, Caligula.” She shook her head. “I’m the emperor. They will all fear me.”
The old man studied her and wanted to say something but stopped himself. His eyes grew sad.
“I don’t understand but an emperor should be like this, right?” Seeing Caligula’s sadness, she smiled. “I’ll try to get used to it. Don’t worry, Caligula. There is someone in my heart so I won’t be afraid no matter what.”
After a long while, Caligula lowered his head. His expression was pleased yet troubled. “Your Majesty, you’ve grown up.”
“Kids always grow up.” She reached out and a flicker of firelight glowed in the air. A bronze mirror grew out of the fire. The material was refined here and came into existence as logically as breathing. She studied herself. The girl in the reflection smiled. It seemed as if she had aged ten years in one night. Her hair was dark red from the fire and she no longer looked child-like. Spinning around, she jumped up in excitement.
“Caligula, look, I grew taller!”
Caligula looked up at the girl on the steps. Her hair danced in the wind like flames and her eyes were powerful. He looked down. Suddenly, he did not dare to look anymore.
On the steps, the girl walked out of the fire. The flames lay on her skin like clothing, forming a majestic and sacred purple robe. The door opened before her, revealing the dazzling sky of the aether world.
In the sky, clusters of stars moved. They lit up this territory between existence and nonexistence. The large city broke apart the turbidity and hovered between lightness and darkness.
Countless people who had broken through the cocoons rushed over. They grouped outside the palace and knelt on the steps, gazing at the girl who exited. The crown of fire on her head represented power. The cane in her hands represented authority and the jewels represented the world. Two wings fluttered and she walked in the air. She looked down at the city, her kingdom. She was like the sun hanging in the sky.
“Emperor! Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!” The people gazed at the dazzling radiance and called out her name enthusiastically as if she was a god. When she raised her hand, the people fell silent. They bowed reverently, waiting for their emperor’s command. The girl in the sky studied her territory and people.
After a long while, she announced gravely, “My good citizens, since there is no place for us on the land, then let us go to the sky! From now on, Romulus and the Romulusians no longer exist. We have been reborn. From now on, we are the Winged Folk!”
The crowd rustled and called to the emperor in the sun, “The truth! The truth! The truth!” There were no more signs of beastliness on them.
That night, the Sacred Flame had absorbed all the strength to wipe away demonic blood. It had also catalyzed the King of Yellow’s scepter in them, allowing them to transform and be born again. Now, the aether grouped behind them and unfurled like wings! They cheered for their emperor and their wings flapped, flying to the sky. Countless wings created gusts of wind and grouped beside the sun.
“Then, follow me to the sky.” Inside the sun, the new emperor raised the jewel. Under the jewel’s glow, the void transformed and the turbidity shook. A hole gaped inside the void of the city. It broke apart the barriers and instantly went through the aether sea, ‘falling’ back into the material world.
The shockingly large city now hung in the air. Under the strong wind, the city swallowed and spat out aether. It consumed an impossible amount of power every second, distorting the temperament and rejecting the attraction of the earth.
At the top of the city, the emperor raised the scepter. Countless music theories wove inside her wings, transforming into a music score that covered the sky and land. One could hear the crashing of waves in that melody, above the nine skies.
Far, far away, a glimmer of starlight shone. Then it rushed into the city as if the galaxy had surged in. It was the Star Ring.
The Star Ring that had been still for so long now turned with a rumble. It adjusted its orbit and angle, twisting in the night sky. All astrologists gaped as the solid aether flow became one with the city. They fused seamlessly as if they had been one since the beginning of time.
Enveloped by the Star Ring, the city seemed to have blood. The blood flowed through and it came to life. The entire city rumbled and shook. Like a metal lotus, it bloomed with a bang in the sky. Finally, it transformed into a large archipelago in the air!
That night, the Star Ring changed. The Winged Folk were reborn from the fire. They returned from the aether world with their own territory and their emperor!
Late at night in Avalon, sickly white light illuminated the Privy Council. Lancelot took a deep breath and pushed open the metal box before him. Inside it, the ‘creature’ ate the light and tore apart the darkness. Cold and sharp light shot out from it. It appeared in the air for a moment and even breathing became painful.
The sharp light filled the air, turning the air into needles that pierced at the lung. One could see vaguely that the blade was carved with a fine and ancient music score. However, it was covered by dried blood and had become blurry and faint. It was so serene when it was not drinking blood. It was terrifyingly serene.
Lancelot picked it up and caressed the broken body of the spear and the seemingly dull tip. He seemed to hear a dragon’s heavy breathing and sweat poured from his back.
“The dragon slayer, the fallen steel, the spear of purification…this is it.” Lancelot carefully put the weapon back into the box and sighed. “St. George’s Spear.”
“The map from the Ministry of Information was accurate.”‘Tristan,’ still in his armor, sat before Lancelot. He had not yet washed after the travel. His eyes were tired and his hair messy. There was a crack in his armor as well. There was no sign of his prestige as the deputy of the Round Table Knights. Studying the spear inside the box, his eyes grew respectful. “We found it in the Well of the Ultimate. Unfortunately, the cost was high.”
“Did no one else return?”
After a long silence, Tristan shook his head. “They all died.”
Lancelot fell silent for a long while as well. He reached out for the cigar box but lowered his hand after hesitating. “Tell me, Tristan.” He coughed and he rasped out, “What happened?”
“We prepared the best ship. Within six short days, we experienced being stranded, submerged reefs, and sea creatures born from Leviathan’s awakening. When we arrived, we had already lost six men. Then we finally entered the ghost city. When we opened the lava dungeon, we finally witnessed the true appearance of the Well.”
Tristan paused. Pain flashed past his eyes. “The Well of the Ultimate is something humans should not go into, Lancelot. It is not just a rumor. I wanted to go down personally but Maleagant stopped me. He, Harris, and Galehaut jumped in. We waited outside for three days but only Galehaut climbed back out…
“When he came out, he had already been lit by the aether of destruction. Half of his body was already turned to dust. He was like a demon. This entire way back, I kept thinking that he had probably already gone crazy when he was down there.
“He remembered to bring the spear back but could not remember who I was. Sixteen men died to stop him. Holding the spear, he almost killed me.” He looked down and pointed at the armor on his chest. “Only an inch away.”
Lancelot could vaguely see the messy wound under the horrible crack in the armor. His heart was still beating painfully in the broken chest. It was covered in cracks as if it was wrapped with blood-red thread. It was flesh but somehow looked like metal.
Tristan murmured, “Only an inch and I wouldn’t be sitting here anymore. I am only fortunate that he did not waken the dragon soul…”
After a pause, Lancelot asked, “Is he still alive?”
“Until the moment the ship returned to Avalon.” Tristan sighed. “He always grasped the spear when he was still alive and wouldn’t let anyone touch it. When he arrived, he knew that his mission was about to end and died. Perhaps he could not put down his worries and wanted to go home.”
“To…return his soul?” Lancelot studied the ‘beast’ in the box, his eyes filling with troubled respect. Then he closed it so he would not have to look any more. Closing his eyes, he prayed, “May the Lord have mercy.”
–
The midnight bell rang. The watcher of the Westminster Abbey cemetery pushed the door open. He began surveying it as always, walking between the rows of tombstones. But halfway through, he stopped. Under the swaying lantern, cold wind blew from the sea and he felt a bad premonition.
Pat, pat, pat… The dim light illuminated the silent building in the near distance. It was the bell tower where the bodies of heroes were put before being buried. A coffin had been transported there hurriedly last evening to await the grand state funeral. But in the silence, there was a faint knocking sound as if the dead was knocking the door of the underworld. It followed a rhythm that matched the beating of his heart and echoed in his ears.
“Look here…” a voice seemed to murmur. “Look here and listen to this voice…”
The knocking had a strange magnetic pull. The grave keeper looked over in fright. His eyes slowly turned blank. The light in them dimmed.
“Come…come here.”
Guided by the voice in his heart, he walked forward blankly. He stepped into the darkness. The door opened slowly, the hinges grating and creaking. Moonlight flowed in as he moved, illuminating the cold statue hanging on the wall. The saint’s figure looked down on the world with cold eyes like bolts of lightning.
Under the statue, the room was empty save for the coffin. The knocking sounds came from there. It was as if the body inside the coffin was rapping against the ‘door’ with his knuckle, waiting for it to open from hell.
“Come! Come here! Open it…find the meaning of your life…”
Under the voice’s calling, the grave keeper walked forward dumbly. He pulled out a dagger and started prying at the nails on the coffin. They fell to the ground one by one, with crisp sounds like a demon stretching and cracking his joints. When the last nail fell, a sigh came out of thin air. With blank eyes, the man pushed the coffin, letting out the demon within.
Boom! The lid fell with a muffled thud and shattered on the ground.
The smell of flowers and rot came from the darkness. Under the moonlight, the dead Round Table Knight opened his eyes. He rose slowly, casting a large and menacing shadow on the ground.
It had three heads and hundreds of limbs. It looked like a bird, a beast, a human, hundreds of arms holding axes, white bone, a bottle and a thunderbolt… The fierce shadow disappeared without a trace in an instant. The knight finally walked out of the cage that had imprisoned him for such a long time. He returned from the world of the dead to the world of the living.
In that moment, the birds of Avalon all flew up in shock, cried out, and died. The beast with a human’s skin stood under the moonlight. His gaze seemed to pierce into the distance and fall on the sacred city made of metal. It smiled mockingly.
“I…am coming.”
–
Far away, the Well of the Ultimate burned like a silver vortex. Under it was bottomless darkness. But in the depths, there was an iron coffin—a broken iron coffin. There were shards of something menacing there as if something had broken out. Around it were three withered bodies. They had been killed in an instant and the corpses knelt on the ground as if praying and repenting for their sins.
May the Lord have mercy…
In the narrow room with gray walls, there was only one table with chairs on both sides. A cold light shone from above, illuminating the prisoner sitting behind the table. Under the dim light, someone across the table asked, “Name?”
“Maxwell.”
“Age?”
The prisoner paused for a moment, thinking with a cocked head. “Fifty or seventy? Well, you can take the median, sixty.”
“Occupation?”
“The principal of the Royal Academy of Music and many other part-time jobs.” The white-haired prisoner said gravely, “All in all, I’m a big man. Be full of awe! Remember, when you write, you must recite and praise the Queen in your mind. ”
“Be serious! Ye Qingxuan! This is for your own good…” The interrogator pounded angrily at the table. “Do you want to stay here for the rest of your life? If you want to have a trial at the earliest possible time, just cooperate!”
“Come on, if you’re serious, we won’t have to repeat that for so many days.” Behind the table, Ye Qingxuan raised his little finger to clean his ear. “Besides, if you really want to hear my words, it won’t be you here.”
“I am enough!” In the gloom, the interrogator turned pale and his voice went manic. “Who do you think you are?”
“Oh?” Ye Qingxuan narrowed his eyes, looking into the dark, gazing at the man behind the table. When his eyes narrowed, there was sharpness as if his eyes could sting one’s skin, making people want to look away.
“Come, let me see.” He murmured, “There are thick calluses on the wrist and fingers; your shirt is good, but the cuff’s seam has split from much washing. You must wash your shirt often, right? You also add bleach so the cloth is hardened… The shirt should be often contaminated with stains. It’s ink, right? Or perhaps the inkpad?”
Speaking of this, he stooped to look under the table and whistled. “Good leather shoes, no dirt, fine maintenance, so you seldom walk. But the shoes are not the high-grade kind… You’re a clerk who sits in the office all day? Your daily work is probably copying, recording, stamping and being the scapegoat for your boss, right? It’s not easy for you.”
“Shut up!” With a snap, the pen was shattered.
Ye Qingxuan smiled, leaning forward slightly. “I mean, although I killed people, at the very least, this is a serious case no matter from plot or influence. Can you ask a more reliable person to do this work? You probably don’t even know how to use a vise.”
After that, he heard angry breathing in the darkness. Just as he was ready to meet the expected fury, somebody suddenly knocked the on the door.
Against the light, someone came in and whispered a few words in the interrogator’s ear. The man froze. He quickly got up, put away the meaningless records, and departed. Before leaving, he glanced indignantly at Ye Qingxuan. Another layer of handcuffs were snapped around Ye Qingxuan’s wrists.
Ye Qingxuan sighed and raised his feet. “Isn’t it enough to isolate the aether with this thing? The handcuffs are so heavy.”
Soon, he found that he had not come back to the road he came from but turned and set foot on a path which he had never been to. “Where are we going?” He frowned.
“Someone wants to see you.” The guard looked back at him indifferently. The door opened and he was pushed in. The other end of the chain was locked in the pipe.
Before the guard left, he said, “You only have five minutes.”
Ye Qingxuan was stunned. He looked around but found himself in a narrow cubicle. This was the prison visiting room, which was separated into many compartments.
It was like a bank teller station for secret business but the glass was covered with a dark curtain. He could not see who was on the other side. When he sat down in his chair, the curtain rolled up, revealing a familiar face.
Ye Qingxuan blanched.
“What’s the matter?” said the man, sitting in his chair, smoking his cigar and puffing out smoke. “You just used my name to fool the interrogator a few minutes ago. You didn’t expect that karma would hit so soon, right?”
“Uh…” Ye Qingxuan’s expression was troubled and embarrassed. “I did not expect that you would come to the Sacred City to see me.”
“I arrived here two days ago. It’s not easy to see you. I needed to get through many hurdles,” Maxwell smoked and said lightly. “The examiners of the Amnesty Hall have been quarreling about your business but you are still so relaxed. Are you planning to stay here for the rest of your life?”
“Maybe.” Ye Qingxuan settled into a comfortable posture and slowly nodded. “Killers should be killed and debts should be paid. If I have sinned, I will accept the consequences, even if I will be imprisoned for life. I just didn’t expect that Anglo was willing to pull me out.”
“It’s not about whether we are willing but whether we can.” Maxwell glanced at him. “Today, the time is limited. I don’t want to judge what you have done. After all, you’ve already done it. You have enough time to think over the whole thing. I will look for someone to clear your name and pull you out. We will talk of other things only after that.
“But I ask one thing of you. If you do such things next time… Don’t say pretty nonsense like killers should be killed anymore.” He got up and put on his hat, sighing with complex look. “Ye Qingxuan, having courage and determination is commendable. But there are many people in the world who care about you. Because of them, you shouldn’t confess to die so easily.
“This is how an adult becomes filthy. One day you will understand. As for the rest of the time, I’ll leave it to you all…” After saying this, he turned away, leaving Ye Qingxuan rooted to his spot.
A familiar smiley face emerged on the edge of the glass barrier before he can figure out what the old man meant by “you all.”
“Hey Cousin, long time no see!” The girl shook her head of long silver hair and looked at him with strange smile. “You left me hanging for the Winter Festival, but thanks to your blessing, I got the ticket to the Sacred City to play!”
“Bai Xi?” Ye Qingxuan only felt shocked. “Why are you here?”
“Not just me, but our professor…” Bai Xi reached out to pull over the person next to her. “Look, the principal used military connections so the professor could come to the Sacred City for academic exchanges on behalf of the academy!”
Abraham’s wooden face appeared from the side. He looked at Ye Qingxuan with a complex and sorry expression. His mouth opened for a while then said in muffled voice, “Yezi, it’s good to see you are all right. Don’t worry about the department.”
For the first time, Ye Qingxuan felt unspeakable shame and embarrassment. He looked at the two. After a long silence, he couldn’t help but sigh. “Sorry, Professor, I must have made a lot of trouble for you, haven’t I?”
“Nothing to be sorry for.” Abraham shook his head. He thought for a while and said, “To tell the truth, I’m relieved. I don’t need to worry about you and think that you might not be alive anymore. You just killed people, don’t worry. The prison seems to be good to you. They didn’t hit you. I’m so happy to see you are okay. Don’t feel any pressure. Bai Xi and I will strive to see you regularly…”
Abraham’s words made Ye Qingxuan feel that his ears might not be working. He was suspicious of his own perception. Then he realized that his teacher did not care about this kind of stuff at all!
Who was Abraham? He was a former member of the Dragon Riders who had been licensed by the state to kill and had killed countless people for the first half of his life… What Ye Qingxuan had done seemed to be serious but meant nothing to him! He might have even committed assassinations in the Sacred City, let alone outside the gates…
Ye Qingxuan really didn’t know whether it was good or bad thing to have a professor who lacked common sense like this. But what Abraham had just said was probably to comfort him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so worried that he even came here all the way from Anglo.
Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan could not help but sigh. But he suddenly remembered something. “Why is it just you two?” he asked. “Where’s Charles? Is he watching the house?”
Hearing him ask, Abraham and Bai Xi suddenly became awkward and hesitant.
“No need to explain.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head helplessly. “I know he’s a heartless guy. I bet he was too lazy to walk. He would rather stay in Anglo, unwilling to go out.”
“…Junior, I’m so sad to hear you say so.” In the cubicle beside Ye Qingxuan, there was a sad voice. “You think I’m like that?”
For the third time, Ye Qingxuan was shocked to blindness.
“Charles!” He jumped off his chair and looked at the wall blankly. “You, you, you… Why are you here?”
“Why?” The sound of shackles sounded in the next room. “I was also imprisoned. I had a good chat with them before you came. Hey, by the way, have you used the soap here? It is really the Sacred City. Even the soap in the prison is better than that cheap stuff in our academy. It smells like jasmine…”
“Wait a moment!” Ye Qingxuan was confused. He thought he had seen much in the world, but did not think that Charles could become even dumber. It suddenly shattered his world views.
“You, you …” He organized his thoughts for a long while. “What have you done to be imprisoned here?”
“I also want to know why!” Charles’s voice was full of grief. “Hell, I just entered the Sacred City and spat and then dozens of people rushed to me and pressed me down. I was immediately handcuffed and stuffed into a sack! Then I was here. No one has told me what the hell is going on!
“Is it because I was so good-looking that the priests feared that when I went into the city, the ladies would be blushing and unable to stand up?”
“Shut up!” Ye Qingxuan kicked the wall of the next cubicle and looked to Abraham.
Abraham was also very helpless. He just nodded. “Not having been to the Sacred City for many years, I did not expect that the laws here have become strict to this extent.”
Ye Qingxuan almost spat out blood. Professor, you don’t really think that Charles was arrested just because of spitting, right? he wanted to say.
“Rest assured, it’s possible that Charles may get lost and somehow run out of the prison. Don’t worry,” Bai Xi comforted him seriously but Ye Qingxuan did not feel comforted. Within a few minutes, his worldviews had become distorted. He felt like his recovered IQ had fallen into the abyss again.
