Silent Crown Chapter 135

The world shook. The vast iron city seemed to be stifled. Water rippled across the land and an illusory moon rose up.

Alarms rang throughout the Central Church. The sudden burst of aether released enough danger signals, frightening the surveillance musicians. They looked up in shock and studied the starry sky above them that represented the Sacred City. Amongst the glittering stars, there was a shocking white space.

There was nothing there but it glowed hotly.

“What is that?”

“Why is it blessed by the Bell Tower?”

“It was a request from the Silent Authority one hour ago! Wait…” The worker in charge of recording froze and looked up blankly. “The blessed is…Ye Qingxuan?”

Ye Qingxuan? Who was Ye Qingxuan?

Everyone sank into confusion. This was beyond the range of a grandmaster. The aether waves were practically into the scepter territory…Which school’s representative had stepped out? The name sounded like an Easterner.

“Is it the one who murdered someone at the city gate?” someone murmured in the silence. He made himself laugh before he even finished. But no one around him laughed. He continued awkwardly in the dead silence until finally, he stopped. Everyone stared at each other with pale faces.

“He is only the Disturbance level. This should be impossible. Even with the Bell Tower, he shouldn’t have that ability.”

“Most importantly, what is he doing at this time?” someone muttered. “I remember…isn’t he on the wanted list?”

Dead silence.

“F*ck!” someone yelped. “Alert the Papal Chamber!”

The alarms went off.

Chaos spread.

–

Two minutes ago, the white moon rose up from the ruins of the Judgement Tower and hung in the air. Material objects had a gravitational pull. The Moonlight score was performed with a grandmaster’s power. Integrated with Ye Qingxuan’s sub-originator, it turned into something terrifying. Absorbing the immense amount of aether, it turned into a beast.

Innumerable music theories were born, destroyed, and evolved in the moon at any given second; finally, it turned into a terrifying ‘gravitational pull.’ It distorted reality, pulling all rules toward it.

The territory under the moonlight became uninhabitable. Under the rumbles, Passion and Moonlight clashed. Instantly, it seemed that two large vortexes collided in the aether sea. Thunder, fire, and the earth crashed. At the core, no one knew how many horrible explosions occurred.

Reality was torn apart instantly. Countless strange illusions came out in the turbidity. It seemed to become an absolute vacuum with nothing in it. However, it had a stifling sense of murder.

In the void, something seemed to still be alive. It fought against the white moon without falling back. Terrible waves spread instantly, destroying all aether waves in the proximity. The musicians flying in the air dropped to the ground. They would have turned into ground meat if not for the timely rescues.

The white moon was still rising.

The abominable object was crawling up into the sky. With each inch, its wild attraction multiplied. At this moment, it was trying to push the purple-eyed griffin beneath. The strength of the white moon’s disturbance was heavier than a mountain. If not for Passions’ effect, the griffin would have been squashed long ago!

The music theory changed and under the intense disturbance, the white moon ‘stepped’ on the griffin to rise up into the sky. The immense attraction pulled at the aether sea, transforming it into something tangible. It turned into a sea of moonlight that protected the moon.

It was like a mountain.

In that case, the purple-eyed griffin was like terribly sturdy alloy. No matter if it was blades, lightning, or thousand-time magnified pressure, his self-protection and music theory were still unmoved.

This was extreme self-preservation. No matter how the outside world changed, he could still keep the music theory in order and unaffected. Inside the ‘vacuum,’ the griffin released the grating melody. Flames danced around him.

Under the griffin’s mask, the purple eyes burned with cold light.

Among the countless wails and noise, a hoarse voice began singing. “Rest in peace! Rest your tired body!”

Riding the terrible sound, the griffin guided the solemn melody to the climax. Thus, countless people began roaring in the cacophony.

“Eli, Eli, lama-asabthani!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ye Qingxuan was aghast. Blood trickled from his nose.

“It is…”

The moment Passion was played fully, the still-tangible and solid music theory shot out from the griffin’s limbs and buried themselves in the air. The response came from the Sacred City’s enchantment.

Under the shrill alarms from all the departments, his music theory forcefully entered the enchantment! Just as how Ye Qingxuan had once tried to control Avalon’s enchantment, the griffin was now trying to steal the Sacred City enchantment’s power?

What a madman!

The nature was the same but the difficulty was day and night. One was a failing enchantment that had not been maintained n years. The other was the incomparable weapon and the largest object in the world!

Since its establishment, the Sacred City enchantment had been absorbing the endless power of the aether sea. It continuously adjusted all rules and music theory in the city. At its peak, there had been more than two thousand musicians working for it… Even a scepter would be unable to take a shred of its power without permission!

But Ye Qingxuan began sweating.

A gust of power rose out of thin air and gushed into Passion… It was a success? Such a fast and easy success?

While he was sensing, the territory of the Judgement Tower separated from the Sacred City enchantment and became something individual. The griffin had used some sort of authority and key to snatch the Central Church’s control command. Before they could react, he had used Passion to break into the outer shields and decipher the core music theory, turning it into his own…

Ye Qingxuan clenched his jaw and swore. This was getting bad!

“How dare you!” The auras of countless saints in the wind tunnel above the Papal Chamber raged.

The music theory operating in the air unfurled. Under the control from the other end of the wind tunnel, the attack came. Dozens of blazing light streaked past. The world rumbled and shook as the lights were swept into the duel between the moon and griffin. Light bright enough to burn eyeballs shot out.

In an instant, the enchantment the griffin stole was completely defeated!

Next, the aether density rose. The laws and temperament had already been distorted by the two. Now, they broke apart. This area had become something far more chaotic than a black zone. Countless music theories were born and destroyed, turning it into an absolute zone.

“Take him down!” Wagner’s order rang in the ears of all musicians in the bell towers. Before he finished, countless musicians flew to the sky.

Seeming to use specialized music scores, the one at the front had turned most of his body into a thunderbolt. He galloped in the air and paced, pouncing in an instant.

“Don’t come in!” Ye Qingxuan turned in shock and yelled. “This is—”

Too late.

Ye Qingxuan’s words were swallowed by the chaotic environment. Then, dozens of figures dropped from the sky, pouncing toward Ye Qingxuan and the griffin.

Idiots.

Ye Qingxuan looked away, not bearing to look.

“This is a trap…” Before he finished, pained cries sounded. Around Ye Qingxuan, the grandmasters who whistled past shook and screamed. The air turned into sulfur. Sizzling, it poured into their lungs and attacked them from the inside. Abnormal music theory grew inside them, destroying the equilibrium. In an instant, their flesh was eaten away and skeletons dropped from the sky.

Clenching his jaw, Ye Qingxuan looked at the ground. The griffin had never planned on taking the enchantment. There was no point in a tug-of-war over the control. He had just wanted to distract the saints and completely destroy the enchantment! Now, it had collapsed. The moment everything fell into frenzy, the territory of Passion swelled. It took over the collapsing music theory, regrouping them in the chaotic territory. Now, this was his world! Even the gravitational pull lost effect in this world. Countless broken things floated in the air, blown by the gales of wind. Stones ignited eerily.

Two grandmasters charging toward the griffin died instantly.

A counterblade had slid out of the griffin’s sleeve at some point. He swiped it with a finger and a string of command notes lit up. In the sudden whistle, the blade left his hand. It slashed through several layers of shields.

The first musician stopped abruptly. A hole opened up in his chest. He stared at the griffin’s cold eyes in shock. His mouth opened to speak but his body swelled up like a ball. The music theory inside him had been ignited by the music theory and overloaded.

He exploded!

Before the others could react, a black shadow attacked!

The first to be snapped in half was a semi-elementalized grandmaster. During the exchange, the music theory encroached with nature disturbance. The thunderbolt was turned into a rock. The power turned from Abstinence into Modifications and shot out, turning him into a steel rock.

It shattered and fell to the ground.

The griffin sped up and pounced toward someone else. No one expected the griffin could be so aggressive and violent in the air. No, he probably chose this mask because he specialized in aerial fighting.

“Don’t fight closely!” A musician quickly reacted. Ferocity flashed past his eyes. “Pull out!” But before he could finish, the griffin was before him.

The old grandmaster huffed. His body dissipated into fog and he pounced in return. In the venomous blood fog, his remaining body flew backward without hesitation. It was like a gecko breaking off its tail. But before a satisfied expression could emerge on his face, it froze. Ignoring the terrifying corrosiveness and poisonous of the blood fog, the griffin broke through. He clamped a hand on the musician’s head and clenched. Five steel fingers scraped. Flesh dripped out from between the fingers.

Above his head and outside the chaotic territory, three expressionless musicians from the School of Destruction huddled together. They went into coherence and sang in unison. A black seed fell from their held hands silently.

It was the Hole of Destruction!

This was the trademark score of the School of Modifications. It was a black hole that could destroy everything! The seed fell from the sky. It swelled with each inch it descended. After a few seconds, it had become a black vortex meters in diameter.

In the erratically changing world, only the vortex was pure black. In its path, everything was destroyed as it forcefully opened up a tunnel. It pressed down on the griffin!

The six late grandmasters regrouped with the survivors. Without thinking, they went into coherence and surrounded the griffin. The leading musician activated nature disturbance and entered the ‘vacuum.’ He displayed an unimaginable attainment in the School of Abstinence.

In a blink, an invisible prison crisscrossed in the air. This was the way of discipline from Abstinence!

Music theory from all directions sealed off the griffin’s escape routes, imprisoning him in place. Then the black Hole of Destruction fell from the sky.

The griffin seemed to sigh and raised his head. In that instant, there was a shrill sound.

Wild wind blew from all directions. The sudden burst of aether pierced everyone’s sense. In the ‘blindness,’ Ye Qingxuan could only see the sun-like black hole shake violently. Meters wide, it shook and fell apart as if dissolving.

The wild tide of aether crashed forward, upending everyone. The discipline musician locking the griffin looked aghast.

The next moment, the purple-eyed griffin’s eerie face appeared before his eyes. The counterblade moved and in an instant, a head fell from the shoulders. Blood dyed the burnt griffin mask. The purple eyes under the black and red seemed so menacing.

The griffin reached out. There was a deep echo in the absolute domain. Indescribably pressure crushed all the converged aether and robbed all enemies of the ability to fight back.

Without hesitation, without sympathy, the bloody counterblade was lifted and brought down!

There was a chilling wail.

“Activation keyword: 7984611.”

He seemed to have finally made up his mind. He was tired of the endless waiting and unrealistic dreams. In this absolute domain, a hoarse voice rang out.

He said, “Foreword—thou shall bow and fear God!”

There was a crisp crack.

The griffin suddenly stopped. The bloody counterblade stopped before a musician. The musician paled and stared at the blade before him, unsure if he would survive.

In the silence, something like a sigh came from the purple-eyed griffin’s mask. It was like sadness.

For the first time, he had human emotions.

But in the air, Ye Qingxuan stared at his arm, eyes filling with disappointment and sadness.

“It really is you, Professor.”

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock… The only sound in the dead silence was the ticking of the clock. It came from the purple-eyed griffin’s arm, sharp and clear. Time seemed to race ahead step by step, leaving the present behind.

Everything became unrecognizable.

“Before the principal left, I asked him for your activation password,” Ye Qingxuan said quietly. “Anglo had wronged me so he told me after I asked even though he knew what I wanted to do…I had wanted to take you to an unreliable guy so you could get rid of it.” He paused and laughed at himself. “I didn’t expect that I would read it aloud for the first time in a situation like this.”

The griffin held the sword without saying a word. The intense aether attack had burned his glove, revealing the steel prosthetic under it. With Ye Qingxuan’s recitation, the sleeping timer was activated. The outer shell cracked, revealing the complex machinery that slowly unfolded. The gears spun and the springs pushed the alchemy material from the cooling chamber into the reaction chamber. A beam of blinding electric light lit up from a thumb-sized siliconized crystal tube. If Ye Qingxuan moved his finger, he could free the circuit and release the red liquid inside the reaction chamber.

This was the ‘light of purification’ created by alchemists with an all-purpose solvent as the base. After activation, the liquid would instantly react. It would rush into the flesh through the prepared tube and inject into the heart, brain, and kidneys at the speed of light. A second later, the body would be completely purified and melted without leaving any trace behind. It was the best poison in the world. If overloaded, it could cover an entire street.

Decades ago, it was buried inside the purple-eyed griffin’s body, connecting with his veins and arteries. All tools had a weakness. No matter how powerful it was, it would still be grasped in someone else’s hand. Otherwise, it would be unstoppable if out of control.

This result had been destined from the start. Now, the winner was obvious.

“Surrender, Professor.” Ye Qingxuan walked forward in the pool of blood, his eyes hardening bit by bit.

He had decided.

“It’s too late, Yezi.” An old voice came from under the bloody and scorched mask. As if revealing his weakness to Ye Qingxuan, the griffin sighed. “I taught you how to be decisive but you always make your decision too late.”

He took off his mask, revealing that wooden face. It was so familiar but had a foreign coldness. The coldness seemed to seep out of his bone marrow. Like a missing puzzle piece, it fit perfectly into his features.

He was no longer the professor of the history department of the Royal Academy of Music. He was the purple-eyed griffin, the general of the Dragon Riders. He was an executioner who had killed countless people—Abraham!

“You made the decision too late.” His eyes were regretful and disappointed. “You should have tried it earlier even if you only had a shred of suspicion. But you kept swaying back and forth. You really are the worst class I’ve ever taught, Yezi, even though I’ve only taught one class before.”

Ye Qingxuan never expected that the face behind the mask would be so calm. It was so calm that Ye Qingxuan suddenly felt he was still sitting in the library, listening to his teacher’s patient admonishing. But this was not the academy. This was not the examination room either…

“Professor, why aren’t you explaining yourself?” Ye Qingxuan lowered his eyes tiredly and murmured, “Even if you just say you were forced to, why are you so calm?”

He always thought that he had gone wrong somewhere. He could think of a million excuses for Abraham and each one would work. That was why he did not dare. Because once he tried, he would no longer be able to lie to himself.

In the past, many had called him naïve. They were right. Otherwise, he would not tell Lola to leave the Sacred City, go back to Anglo, and not contact him if she could not find Abraham. Without the answer, he could continue being ignorant.

“I’m sorry for lying to you and disappointing you.” Abraham sighed. He looked down at his mask. “I just wanted to come see you again and let you see me…see the real me.”

He held the bloody griffin’s mask in his hands. The black thing was covered in crimson red. Different from Seton’s horse mask, this was a hundred times more violent and arrogant. It was like a natural carnivore, an undefeatable hunter.

In order to hide their identities, every dragon rider had his own mark. It was the true face that one would choose for oneself. They could not be born with that face but they could choose which face they used to kill and die in.

Ye Qingxuan was silent for a long while before nodding slowly. “It suits you.”

“Thank you.” Abraham seemed to not hear the anger in Ye Qingxuan’s words. Humbly accepting the praise, he did not say anything else and just asked, “I know it’s very cliché but I just want to ask, when did you find out?”

“When someone told me that Constantine was Gaius. But sadly, just as you said, it was too late…” Ye Qingxuan answered indifferently. “The first time I saw you with that mask in the Sacred City, I started suspecting it. But in the end, I was the only one still clueless. Charles once told me that if I saw a purple-eyed musician, I should run immediately and never fight… I always thought that he was scared I would lose and die. It seems that he had realized long ago.”

Ye Qingxuan looked at Abraham. He said hoarsely, “He didn’t want me to fight you. That’s why he became so weak and scared. He even begged me not to face you… These days, he was always scared to face you.”

Abraham listened. After a pause, he hung his head and sighed. “Sorry.”

“Tell that to Charles!” Ye Qingxuan interrupted furiously. “Why don’t you think about Bai Xi? She wishes so badly for you to hold her hand like a father and attend her wedding!”

Abraham lowered his head. His expression was hidden but his voice was still calm. He nodded. “I promised her but it seems like I’ll have to break it. Please apologize to her for me.”

“You!” Ye Qingxuan wanted to step forward in rage.

Boom! The counterblade was nailed before him. The blade twanged with a sharp whistle. An invisible barrier blocked his path. In the distance, there was the sound of musicians breaking through the air.

They had been surrounded by dozens of musicians without realizing. Eerie aether waves spread out. In the air behind them, a Valkyrie emerged slowly, eyes full of murderous intent.

“That’s enough, Yezi. Don’t come any closer.” Abraham reached out and snapped the neck of the musician beside him. When the man fell, he stepped on him with ease. The snap of the bone was crisp.

“Professor!” Ye Qingxuan roared.

“Sorry, Yezi.” Abraham’s expression was still dull and his voice was monotone. “I’m not a good teacher. I didn’t teach Bai Xi anything and I couldn’t help Charles. I didn’t have the chance to pass anything real to you either. I am a failure. As you can see, the only thing I’m good at is this hateful thing…” Blood rolled down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes. He studied Ye Qingxuan and could not help but laugh.

“Thank you all for saving me and making me think that my life still held meaning. If possible, I really wish I can spend my entire life with you all. All together in the department… Please tell Bai Xi that I really want to attend her wedding. Truly.”

Boom! Under the explosion, light and shadows intersected. Something whistled past and then stopped. Blood gushed! A body that had been hacked apart fell to the ground. Abraham stood before it with his sword. Half of his body was dyed red. He looked up at the musicians who had grouped here and the solidified Valkyrie.

“Unfortunately,” he murmured, “the realization was too late.”

“You can still turn back, Professor!” Ye Qingxuan roared. He charged forward with all his might. “Professor, please! Don’t keep making mistakes! Surrender now! As long as we catch Gaius, I can extradite you to Anglo and then no one will touch me!”

“Then what about Charles?” Abraham asked. Ye Qingxuan froze.

“You should’ve realized long ago that he’s not normal… The Sacred City won’t let him go even if he’s willing to be imprisoned for life like me. Perhaps God will pity me but the world will not accept him.” Abraham shook his head sadly. “I wanted to forget where he came from and let him live out his life quietly in Anglo but he forced himself down this dead end.

“Before coming here, I thought there was still a possibility but I was wrong. People like me always have unrealistic dreams. We think that we can change our clothes and start over. But now I realize I’ve just been lying to myself. Yezi, I’m sorry… Remember to take care of Bai Xi in the future.”

“Professor, what are you saying?!” Ye Qingxuan yelled. It felt like he had fallen into icy waters. Absolute panic rose up in his heart. “Professor…Charles…weren’t we doing fine? What’s wrong?!”

Lightning flashed and fell from the sky. A terrifying knight with a thunderbolt rode across the sky. Countless spirits sang a song from the kingdom of death.

Behind the Valkyrie, a giant vortex opened up. There, the aether and material world were heavily overlapped. Wagner’s figure emerged. The dying man looked down at the human world. His eyes fell on Abraham and hardened.

“The remaining evil of the Dragon Riders… Gaius had hidden the forbidden waste from the purgatory with you? Do you know what you are doing?”

“I only wanted this world to become better,” a hoarse voice rang out.

The gate of the Judgement Tower fell open. Gaius walked out of the darkness and stared at the saint. He uttered, “Better than before. After tampering with the past and future of humanity, you’ve lost the right to lead the world. Someday, you will choke on your own fruits.”

Boom! In the sky, the vortex was quaking.

A few fissures appeared and expanded from the vortex as if a hammer was beating on the fragile material enchantment. This was the anger of the Saints. Merely their change of mood was difficult for reality to bear.

In the aether vortex, Wagner’s face was livid. “Gaius, you are crazy.”

“Would anyone normal in the world join the Revolutionaries?” Gaius couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve regarded me as a madman for decades. It’s too late to tell me this now.”

“Is that so? Then the time left for your deathbed repentance will end now.” Wagner reached out his hand coldly. “Pay for your sins!”

The illusion of the horrible Valkyrie before him almost condensed into substance. The war was about to begin. She came out from the legend. Galloping on the battlefield to collect the spirits of the dead, the Grim Reaper raised his hand. Then the spear of thunder grew larger.

In a blink, there was only one fiery light left between heaven and earth. The light descended from the sky, connecting the heavens and the earth like a sharp knife chopping off the canvas into left and right. Destruction descended.

The uncontrolled absolute zone was run through. Crisscrossed lightning evaporated the land instantaneously. The storm swept in all directions.

But the next moment after the storm, something stunning happened.

In the middle of the impact, the electric light flowed in the huge depression. They were bound in the air, forced to maintain the original shape and unable to erupt.

Someone was holding the spear, making a sharp sound like metallic friction. The scattered currents illuminated his dull face. It was Abraham!

As he clenched his fist, the thunderbolt spear was shattered. At that moment, almost everyone froze. It never occurred to anyone that Abraham could contend with the saints head-on!

Heat and lightning burned half of his clothes, turning the leather into ashes, revealing the body under the robe and cloak. The body was bronze. Mercury was flowing above it like a serpent, forming something like an alchemy matrix.

At this moment, the matrix bloomed with a glowing light as if Abraham was ignited, bathing in the scary flames. The remnants of the electric light lingered in his body. He raised his eyes which had turned into pure white and roared.

Bang! It seemed that pure silver was melted into liquid and swept in all directions, where everything was crushed to pieces, leaving only the smooth mirror-like earth.

The sky was reflected.

“The Silver Tide?” In the sky, Wagner’s livid face emerged with an irrepressible fury. “Do you dare to violate the taboo? Gaius, have you spared no effort in order to destroy the Scared City?”

“The power of the natural catastrophes is my wings…” said Gaius. “In the beginning, the Dragon Riders was established because the Sacred City wanted to create natural catastrophe for musicians outside the seven schools of musicians, was it not?

“They are all dark musicians made in the name of God. What you see is just the remnants of the fruits of that year.”

The Silver Tide was the most well-known existence of the ‘eight phenomena’. It had no senses or feelings. It was totally a phenomenon but became the purest symbol of destruction among natural catastrophe. It ran through the earth. Where it had passed, everything was completely destroyed. All that remained was tens of thousands of miles of mirror-like land.

As the commander of the Dragon Riders, Abraham was the only one who could harness the Silver Tide. He became the most successful natural catastrophe musician of all the defective ones because of his lack of feelings and unimaginable talent of Abstinence.

After many years, he awakened his own power once again, governing the power of the Silver Tide. Using the way of discipline, he became a human incarnation of natural catastrophes.

At this moment, he had been transformed into something inhuman. His body turned into steel. All emotions were wiped by the brutal force of the natural catastrophe. Only the pure fighting instinct was left.

The purifying light bound to the arm was destroyed in an instant. It was not worth mentioning. Since all shackles were gone, there were no more obstructions. He had regained the power of his peak and had returned to the war machine. However, for some reason, there seemed to be iron tears trickling down on his face.

He roared and growled. The sonorous sound burst like steel colliding.

So, the city trembled. The whole chaotic absolute zone was filled with the burning light of metal.

In his body, the inhuman force grew again at an unimaginable rate. It grew again and again! It erupted endlessly… Even the vortex manifested by the saints in the sky trembled too.

Soon, determination emerged in Wagner’s old face. He waved and the huge enchantment of the Sacred City suddenly started operating. His old body trembled. Blazing light, no less than the stinging light by the natural catastrophe, burst forth despite that it would evaporate his remaining years of life completely.

In a blink, the power of the Silver Tide was suppressed again.

“Listen to me. No one show any mercy…” Wagner stared at Abraham in the iron light with no more emotions in his eyes. “—Kill him!”

In the next moment, the power of the whole Sacred City and the iron light of the Silver Tide collided. The fiery light swallowed up everything, leaving a sonorous sound in the air.

“Professor!” Ye Qingxuan’s hoarse roar was drowned in the loud noise. No more sound was heard after that.

When Abraham had resisted the spear of thunder, he was already caught in a cage. He did not expect Abraham to have a sudden attack at this critical time. He had no precautions.

First, countless perception threads extended from the void and attached to the music theory in his body.

Then, a majestic power came along the threads to easily control the music theory in his body. It exceeded his attainment in interpretation hundreds of times. Immediately after, the heart, respiration, nerve center, arteries, spine, muscle, and all other parts of his body were taken as well.

It conquered so quickly!

Was this Bolero?

Under Abraham’s control, the perception threads that Bolero used to read the aetheric fluctuations turned into the wire for the puppet master to manipulate the doll. Ye Qingxuan was totally controlled.

Then, the alien music theory suddenly changed to lead the music theory in Ye Qingxuan’s body to operate automatically, ignoring his will.

Ye Qingxuan danced like a puppet. It was nature interference!

Just in an instant, the music theory in his body evolved violently into an unimaginable state. Pure nature interference was applied to his body and overlapped tens of thousands of times! Vision, hearing, touch, smell… all senses were distorted and withdrawn. In a trance, Ye Qingxuan felt as if he had become a piece of steel being brutally forged, heated, and finally melted into molten iron.

Molten iron congealed, turned into sand, and crushed into dust. The dust flickered in the air. As the wind blew, it turned into mist and dispersed in the world.

He could not feel himself anymore.

‘Abandonment of oneself.’ This was the path that the School of Abstinence sought of the seven questions for musicians.

At the moment, his consciousness was finally detached from the restrictive human body. His perception of music theory became thousand times more accurate. He felt as if he was a scale. The countless music theories were the counterweights. He was on one side and the other end was a rapidly changing world. Balance had been achieved both inside and outside—an unprecedented perfect equilibrium. Thus, he could feel his body again. But Ye Qingxuan found he had entered the…’vacuum’?

After the thousands of disturbances per second, he experienced the wonderful feeling of being perfectly integrated with the outside world. At the moment he had become an illusion, withdrawn from the physical world. Nothing outside could affect him anymore.

He froze.

What…did the professor want?

He stared at the inhuman Abraham, stunned and fearful, wondering what had happened. But the countless threads that accessed his body never ceased transferring the music theory from Abraham to him.

Constructed with the interpretation, power from the same source gathered at this moment… Ye Qingxuan’s power began to soar. The massive amount of music scores and the application techniques of the School of Abstinence poured into his mind along the perception threads. Abraham’s experiences were imprinted into his instinct, causing unbearable pain and faintness in his head.

In a blink, the music theory in his body collapsed because of excessive expansion but converged again in the chaos… After dozens of bursts and rebirths, the music theory had evolved to a level beyond his understanding.

Looming towers sprang up. The Heaven Ladder was built instantly.

“Professor!” Ye Qingxuan stared at Abraham blankly. “What are you…what are you doing?” Great fear came and caught him by surprise. He almost cried out.

“Goodbye, Yezi.” The hoarse voice sounded from his ear like a whisper from the old man. “This is the last thing I can give to you.”

Boom! Ye Qingxuan’s sound of heart quaked. In the core, a new vacancy appeared between the Philosopher’s Stone, which represented the sub-originator, and Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, which represented the ‘Heaven Ladder’.

Then, a music score called Natural Catastrophes’ Resonance was embedded.

Sub-originator, Heaven Ladder, and Natural Catastrophes’ Resonance were connected with each other and merged into one.

They became a trinity!

A huge impact burst from the core of the sound of heart.

Ye Qingxuan’s vision went black. It was again difficult for him to keep awake. Tiredness submerged him like tides, immobilizing him.

In the end, he exhausted all his strength. He reached out as if to hold onto that burning figure. But such a short distance was so distant for him at this moment.

“Professor…”

He sank into the darkness.

–

In the turbulent zone, Gaius looked at the shattering scene. Behind him, Wolf Flute’s figure emerged from the glow.

“You’re late again,” said Gaius.

“The archive you asked is a little hard to find. It wasted me some time,” Wolf Flute replied. “But I just sent Charles away. You don’t have to worry now.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Wolf flute shook his head indifferently. “The Sacred City’s enchantment is about to be repaired completely. If you need anything else, you’d better tell me now. The rest of my energy is just enough to return there once.”

“I know.” Gaius nodded but looked to the distance, looking at the young man lying on the ground. He was looking at the youth’s white hair and eyes.

Even without consciousness, Ye Qingxuan’s blank eyes still stared at Abraham. The tears in his eyes had dried. The anger was burned out. What remained?

“What’s wrong?” Wolf Flute asked.

“That pair of eyes is…exactly like his father’s,” Gaius murmured. “They once shone bright like the stars but after everything, they became indescribably sad or full of pity. Looking at them is intimidating.”

Wolf Flute was silent and looked away. “You’re afraid too?” he asked.

“Wolf Flute, the man whose heart turns to iron and stone will fear those who are alive.” Gaius lowered his eyes and whispered, “We, as human beings, have suffered and tasted hardships. Now we become cold and merciless to prove that we are made of stone… Once I thought I would be different, but now, I found that I am no exception. I have done so many ugly things. Why shouldn’t I fear his eyes?”

Boom! In the explosion, many cracks emerged on the absolute zone. It was about to fall apart. Immense pressure penetrated from the rifts and crushed Abraham’s body. His bones creaked and he had to kneel.

In the air, the huge vortex behind Wagner had covered half the sky.

The Scepter of the saints was in full swing.

In the darkness of the vortex, countless phantoms of gods loomed. They wielded thunderbolts to send destruction to the world. Had it not been for the Scared City, Wagner would have destroyed the whole neighborhood, turning everything to dust. But the enchantment on the Sacred City was still unable to close.

In the Central Church, hundreds of musicians were called to try their best to repair the enchantment destroyed by Abraham, but there seemed to be an invisible big hand stuck in the rift so that it could not be restored.

It was Abraham. He clamped down on the restoration of the Scared City’s enchantment, preserving the deadly crevice that left the way for Gaius—even if he would be swallowed by the thunder and die.

“Abel, I owe you.” In the midst of the storm and the fire, Gaius reached out and embraced Abraham, even as the flames ignited his body. “You have fulfilled your mission.

“When I’m gone, surrender to them, tell them everything. There is no need to have any more reservations. Ludovic has assured me that he won’t kill you. So please don’t die. Please endure the humiliation. As long as you can live, even you have to betray everyone…”

He continued, “I promised Charles that one day, I would create a world where you and he can live a happy life. So, please wait for me to come back.

“Please take good care of Charles.” In the flames, Abraham said hoarsely, “Will he forgive me?”

“He will.” Gaius nodded. “He definitely will.”

“That would be great.” Relieved, Abraham closed his eyes. “Go. I’m tired. I won’t send you off.”

“Okay.” Gaius glanced at him one last time and turned away.

In Wagner’s roar, Gaius and Wolf Flute vanished into a shining silver glow, silently leaving. The zone collapsed. The silver flames dissipated as if the metal had cooled and dimmed, glowing no more.

Abraham fell to the ground. In his daze, he seemed to see the little girl who often nestled beside him.

She seemed to have grown up. She held a flower in her hand and her husband’s arm while smiling. Her white hair was like snow, floating in the wind with the wedding dress.

Sorry, I can’t attend your wedding.

I am sorry…

–

He seemed to have had a long dream. A long time had passed. He had gone through many things but could not remember the content.

Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes and saw the square before him.

On the fountain pool beside him, short-haired Bai Xi stepped on the narrow edge and hopped. Seeing Ye Qingxuan wake up, she reached out to pinch his face.

“Cousin, what’s wrong with you?”

She blinked and looked at the sluggish Ye Qingxuan. “Didn’t you say you wanted to take the entrance exam of the Royal Academy of Music? How was the exam? Why aren’t you talking?”

“I…took exams?” Ye Qingxuan looked back blankly, looking at the surroundings. It was so familiar as if he had dreamed of it at some point.

“Excuse me, are you Ye Qingxuan?” Behind him, there was an old voice, so familiar to him.

Ye Qingxuan froze.

He looked back and saw the old, dull face. That face looked at him with longing eyes. “Excuse me, my name is Abraham, the teacher of the college. Do you want to come to the department of music history?”

Ye Qingxuan could not help but bow his head with tears trickling down his face. “I don’t want to be a musician anymore.” He shook his head and closed his eyes. “Sorry.”

“I see.” The old man forced a smile. “Sorry for disturbing you.” That man gradually went away and disappeared in the story from long ago.

This is better, Professor.

Ye Qingxuan gazed at his figure walking away. He tried to hold his tears but could not help crying like a child.

If I hadn’t met you…

Late at night, the tavern was busy. Smoke lingered in the air. The smell of tobacco, alcohol, and body odor mixed together and rose up. Under the pinkish light, the mandolin player tiredly sang an overplayed song. Everything was just as before. It was an average night in the Sacred City.

For these poor men with nothing in their pockets, there was nothing different tonight. Not even a week after order was reinstated, the blood shed by the pope had been forgotten in a corner.

The big figures were fighting each other, making the situation tense and strange. But to the people here, it was just a faraway tale.

Only the evil plans that had been ruined or tricks that had succeeded would become a legend and spread by itself.

The city garrison had revolted, an important witness from a certain department of the Sacred Amnesty Ministry had his whole family massacred, the pope’s assassination had been planned long ago, the wife of a noble had an affair with the pope, and other rumors spread along with the low-quality alcohol and tobacco.

Within a week, the wind had swept the entire world. Nations everywhere were shaken. So many had died. But to the commoners, it was a simple sentence: the pope died. They still needed to live, even though the storm was about to come.

At midnight, the mood of the tavern was pushed to the max. As the people cheered and yelled, the pinkish light became ambiguous and faint. Under the dim light, a dancer in a thin veil walked onto the stage. She leaned against the pole and danced to the seductive music. She had thick makeup on to cover the yellow spots and wrinkles on her face. She touched herself as she moved, moaning. Her relaxed leg trembled. Taking off a veil, something lustful came in and out of view.

“Strip more! More!” The captivated audience yelled but the dancer ignored them. She grinded on the pole, her moans growing more lustful. Her eyes were filled with need.

In the hot atmosphere, handfuls of money rained down. The dancer’s smile brightened. She undid another veil on her shoulder and tossed it into the air, revealing a breast that jiggled. She danced under the hot and wet air.

Behind the bar, the owner counted the money and smiled happily. Reopening after so many days of the martial law, he needed to get the money back from these deprived guys.

He subtly gestured at the dancer. Don’t strip too fast. Lead them on. Make them pull out their money! Money!

“Strip more!” the audience yelled excitedly. “Strip! B*tch, take your dress off!”

Crumpled bills and copper coins covered the stage. The dancer stepped on the sweaty money and rolled her body. When she sucked on her fingers, her eyelashes fluttered.

The owner was so happy he could not stop smiling. He waved his hands frantically. Go harder! Take out your fatal move! Make these b*stards go bankrupt!

And so, a crack finally appeared in the annoying skirt. The audience’s yells intensified. The dancer lifted the thin skirt with a pinky and wiped it over her body. The thin veil became wet with sweat and turned see-through.

The thirsty men stared.

The dancer grinded and moaned. She lifted her skirt. “Who wants?”

The tavern was silenced. And then it exploded. Everyone rushed forward and fought each other. They reached out, trying to grab the dress that smelled of the dancer and sweat. Their eyes were practically red.

“Five hundred!” a gaunt man yelled. “I’ll pay five hundred! No one can fight with me!”

“Seven hundred!”

A bare-chested muscular man rose and slammed a hand on the table. “Eight hundred!”

“Mine! Mine!” a sharp voice rang out. A bald old man jumped onto the stage. “No one fight with me. It’s all mine!” He was obviously drunk and couldn’t even talk properly. His old limbs shook with excitement like a monkey. Seeing him like that, everyone started laughing.

“Sir, do you want to buy some clothes?” The bartender walked over and studied him while trying to hold back his laughter.

The old man wore a church robe but there were monks all over the Sacred City. It was nothing special. Plus, the robe was so tattered. He probably came from some poor rural place. He probably had not bathed in a long while either. His drunken nauseous smelled made everyone hold their noses.

“You need money to buy it.” The bartender asked, “Do you have money?”

“Money?” After a pause, the old man smiled. “You want money? Tell me earlier! Here, all for you.” He pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket and stuffed it into the bartender’s hand. Then he grabbed the dancer’s dress and danced.

The bartender froze. His expression grew uncomfortable and he could not process this. Was this guy trying to cause trouble? But when he read the paper clearly, his vision went dark. Gasping, his legs weakened and he almost knelt onto the ground.

A money order! They were all money orders from the Sacred City Church! Each one had a giant sum on it. There were so many numbers he couldn’t even count clearly… Crumpled up like waste paper, he could not tell how many were there but even one was enough to buy this tavern, burn it, and hire the best assassins to kill all these poor guys five or six times!

Before anyone could realize, the bartender stuffed it into his pocket and ran out.

“What’s wrong?” The boss looked at his white face and frowned. “Son, did that old guy give you a bag of sh*t?”

“I wish he did.” The bartender’s smile was ugly. He showed the boss what he had.

The boss gaped for a long while before gasping and plopping onto the ground. “Holy f*ck!”

After a long, long time, he looked back in shock. The old guy was entwined with the girl onstage. Like a monkey, he grinded on her shamelessly under the audience’s jeers. The drunk guy even put the dress over himself and tried to dance. His moves were comical and everyone laughed. Some guys who liked drama tossed money onto the stage and called, “Nice, nice! Dance more!”

“Did he really give it?” the boss asked.

“Positive.”

After a moment, the boss narrowed his eyes. “He must have more in his pocket. Tell the kitchen to get ready and tie up this monkey. But be clean. Don’t leave any evidence.”

The bartender froze. “Are you sure? What if he’s a noble… Wouldn’t we be dead?”

“Are you stupid?” The owner slapped him and muttered, “After this, we can leave the city before daybreak. Where can’t we go with the money?”

“You can’t go anywhere.” It was an old and hoarse voice.

The owner looked up in confusion and saw an indifferent old man outside the bar table. He wore a pure black robe. The fabric was excellent and had gold-lining around the sleeves. The tie was flawless. Even though he was old, he still looked imposing. No matter what, he should not be in this d*mn place.

Before the owner could react, the man waved and took the two away without leaving a trace behind. The tavern was still busy and loud. No one realized that these two had disappeared.

Feeling the hot and disgusting air, the comer frowned unhappily. He coughed and sat in the corner. The old man who had been dancing drunkenly onstage was quickly brought over and tossed into the seat before him.

In this overlooked corner, everything was silent behind the sound-proof barrier.

–

“Wagner, it’s you?” The old man studied the one before him for a while before letting out a sigh of relief. “I was so scared! I thought someone was going to steal my dress!”

Wagner involuntarily looked at the vile dress and his features twisted. “The pope had not died long ago. Albert, archbishop of the Church, commander of the Central Church cardinals, is it okay for you to become so lowly?”

“Is it bad to relax a little?” Wagner’s brows knitted.

“There’s nothing bad. Everyone wants to relax. They’ll choose their own basements with the dancers and slaves they keep in their homes. Or they might go to a private club. After closing the door, they’ll play games with the girls prepared just for them.

“Other than you, no one would choose to come to a lowly strip club and use public funds to wear a girl’s dress…” Wagner paused and sighed weakly. “Don’t you ashamed?”

“I’m not like the man I succeeded, f*cking on a wheelchair. What’s so shameful?” Albert said, annoyed. “Anyhow, Hawking told me when he retired that no one who likes dresses is bad!” Wagner’s face twisted and he muttered a curse.

“It’s okay if I want to be so lowly but you’re a saint. Why are you here?” Albert smirked and asked, “Here for the striptease too?”

Emotionless, Wagner said coldly, “You were missing from the Sistine Conference today. The influence was negative.”

The Sistine Conference was a meeting held by the Cardinals and important clergymen in the Sistine Church. Ever since the pope was established, it had been held sixteen times. There was no set date because each time, it meant…a pope had died. The new one would be elected during the conference. No one dared to miss something so important.

In the past, there had even been archbishops close to death who went connected to tubes. They would not allow themselves to die until they voted. As the one in charge of the Central Temple, Albert was eligible for voting and being nominated but he did not even go. Without a doubt, he had started a horrible precedent but he did not care.

“Would the result be different if I went? I’m not interested in scripted plays.” He glanced at Wagner. “But you went so how was it?”

“How do you think?” Wagner said coldly. “Even an idiot can guess. More than eighty percent voted for Ludovic. Under the witness of the holy spirits, the result passed and now the announcement has probably been sent to the nations.”

He paused and told Albert, “By daybreak, everyone will know that two days later, Ludovic would move into the Solomon Temple, see to the Holy Cauldron, and become the new pope.”

“So Ludovic is experiencing his glory days now?” Albert laughed drunkenly. “What a pity I didn’t kiss up to the Ecclesiastical Order in the past. Ah, what a pity.”

“You’ve gone against the Ecclesiastical Order enough times these past years. Now you want to change? You probably don’t even know what ‘going with the flow’ means,” Wagner mocked. “The central temple will take responsibility this time. They’re worried that they won’t have enough powerful positions. There’s no reason to kill you. It’ll be too late if you go suck up to them now. Just get ready to be sent to some monastery in the wilderness.”

“Whatever, there’s no point in staying here.” Albert shrugged and eyed him. “What about you?”

Wagner was silent for a while. Then he answered, “Probably to the Dark World. I’ll die in three years. I should make the most out of it. Mr. Bach has been struggling by himself all these years. He’s worked too hard.”

“Isn’t that good?” Albert laughed. “I went to a poor monastery and you were sent to the Dark World. We all have such a bright future! Glory to the Sacred City!”

“Stop saying that and drink.” Wagner sighed. “Give me a glass too.”

Albert raised his glass. “Cheers to our powerful pope.”

“Which one?”

“Anyone. They’re all the f*cking same anyway.”

Wagner smiled bitterly. “Cheers!”

Bottoms up.

After setting down the cup, the low-quality alcohol made Wagner lose his breath. He started coughing violently as if his lungs would tear apart. He spat out phlegm and could not catch his breath. The air quality was too horrible. It agitated his asthma and lung disease.

Albert shook his head and rose. He pulled an inhaler from his pocket with practiced ease and forced Wagner’s teeth open, shoving it into his mouth. “Inhale!”

Wagner quickly recovered. He sat in the chair limply. The tears and snot were still on his face. His composure was all gone.

Albert shook his head and drank his wine. “You’ve been like this since childhood. So weak. I have to worry about you dying even if I want to take you out for fun. Can’t you let me stop worrying?”

“I’m about to die anyway. No need to worry anymore.” Wagner wiped the dirtiness away and smiled. He rose. “I’m leaving.”

“Hurry and get out.” Albert waved impatiently. “I’m too lazy to send you off when you leave. Take that glass as my farewell.”

Wagner smiled. Without saying anything, he patted Albert’s shoulder and turned to leave. When he reached the door, he heard a hoarse voice behind him.

“Hey, Wagner!”

“Huh?” Wagner turned to look at Albert.

The old man sat under the dim light. His white hair was thin. He laughed dumbly and looked at himself. His eyes were intoxicated. For some reason, Wagner felt something bitter.

“Does my dress look pretty?” Albert suddenly asked, seeming to anticipate a praise.

Wagner froze. He turned in anger and waved his hand. “F*cking idiot!”

Albert was left alone in the tavern, holding his belly with laughter.

He laughed like an idiot.

There was a clang in the prison.

A bowl crashed onto the ground. The food inside spilled out and left an ugly stain on the wall.

“The Sacred City is giving me this sh*t to eat?” The white-haired youth inside the cell looked at the food in disdain. “Get your head over here! What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know the rules?”

With that, he propped his feet on the bed in annoyance. Barely sparing the guard a glance, he said, “What are you waiting for? Go!”

As he spoke, the other prisoners began whistling. The daily show was starting again! Awesome! The duke was stirring trouble again!

The lack of entertainment in prison was unbelievable. There were no books or newspapers to read. The only entertainment was a quick f*ck together while showering or getting f*cked when you drop the soap. Now that someone was stirring trouble, all the bored prisoners were excited.

Since it did not pertain to them, some also joined in, yelling, “Yeah, get out!”

“Yeah, go get the warden for the duke!”

“Lord Ye doesn’t eat this sh*t!”

“Yeah!”

The other guards grew uncomfortable. Even banging on the bars could not make the group of b*stards stop. Instead, it resulted in a new round of insults.

The guards exchanged glances before they all looked at the same person. That person spat onto the ground and cursed. “Me again?” After muttering some complaints, he turned and left.

Soon, a large group of guards rushed into the prison cell. The leader was a fat man with a monocle. Expression dark, he pointed at a few who were yelling the most dramatically. Some strong jailers rushed in, dragged the prisoner out, and beat him up in front of everyone. Even some bones were broken.

Silence finally returned to the prison.

Ye Qingxuan’s cell door was opened.

The fat man with a monocle tugged on his shoulder strap and walked in. Ferocity flashed past his eyes but he quickly replaced it with forced kindness.

“Mr. Ye, what are you doing now?” He studied Ye Qingxuan. Glancing at the plate tossed into the corner, he understood something.

“Does the food not suit your taste?” he asked with a smile. “I’m sure it’s because the lower men don’t understand the rules. You have a high status. The prison warden specifically hired a chef to make food just for you. Apparently, the olive oil in there is imported from Burgundy. I don’t even get to eat that food.”

“Don’t compare me to dogs like you.” Ye Qingxuan’s expression was disdainful and he did not hold back. “I am a duke! Look at this sh*t! Put some pieces of beef and pretend it’s burdock? Throw in some fish and pretend it’s seafood stew? Where’s the wine before the meal? You want me to drink this cheap *ss watery thing?!

“How can you even bring me something so oily? You want me to get indigestion? And look at this sweet pepper fish or whatever it is. You think you just need to throw pepper on a baked fish? You think I’m a beggar?” He raged like this for a full ten minutes, turning this specially designed meal into something even beggars would look down on. The fat man’s expression grew more and more uncomfortable.

Ever since Ye Qingxuan was locked in here, there was not a moment of peace. The orderly prison had become ruined just because of him. He threw giant tantrums every day too. No one knew where his bad temper came from. He never looked anyone in the eye and all his words were horrible. Each sentence burned. If he was a regular prisoner, he would have been sent to get ‘educated’ long ago. But he was here because of something big!

Apparently, he was a troublesome thing who had been locked up in the Judgement Tower. After being free for a few days, he got involved in the pope’s assassination and committed a high-class felony.

Many people had an eye on this case.

But it would be okay if that was it. There were many ways to mess with someone in prison. The jailers could think of dozens easily but this b*stard was a duke!

An Eastern duke!

Someone who would become royalty!

Not many people in the Sacred City had a higher status than him!

A noble with Deva’s blood, the future sword bearer of Anglo, the suspected assassinator of the pope, the sky who was connected with the Revolutionaries…all of these identities were headache-inducing.

Technically, someone so important should not be locked up here. However, the Judgement Tower just so happened to have collapsed. The big figures up there had the great idea to just toss him here without any orders except a document. They were just supposed to look after him.

But look after him? How?!

The prison ward only had a viscount behind him—and even that was bought with money! They did not dare to hit or yell at Ye Qingxuan. They could only clean up a prison cell and give him nice food and drinks, treating him like some lord.

The prison ward had had many heart attacks these past few days. This was a few lifetimes of bad karma! He would definitely not show up for these things so the fat deputy was the one bore the brunt.

It was horrible!

He had been so free before Ye Qingxuan came! None of the prisoners dared to cause trouble before him but ever since Ye Qingxuan appeared, they became harder and harder to control.

Seeing how angry Ye Qingxuan was, all his pent-up anger exploded as well.

“Mr. Ye, you are still a criminal. Don’t cross the line!” The fat man paused and his expression turned cold. “Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” Ye Qingxuan laughed. He rose and walked to the fat man. Bending down, he looked down at him. “I’m an important criminal. Important, you understand?” He pointed at his face, his expression arrogant. “If anything happens to me, can you take responsibility? Otherwise? What can you do to me? Am I a criminal? No sh*t! Otherwise, dogs like you will never have the right to even stand before me.” His words practically gave the fat man a stroke. His expression was as dark as the bottom of a charred pot. His facial muscles convulsed and his eyes turned bloodshot.

“Hit him! Hit him!” The other prisoners were excited again. “Wild pig, hit him! What you scared of?”

“Don’t be scared! Hit him! He’s just a duke!”

“Are you even a man?”

The man shook in anger. He pointed at Ye Qingxuan. “You! You-”

“Sir, don’t act rashly. Please don’t act brashly!” The other guards ran over to stop him. “You can’t hit him! We-we…we’re a civilized prison!”

“Civilized my *ss!” the fat man roared as he struggled. “Let go! I’m gonna kill him today!”

He used too much power in his anger. The guards could not hold on to him! He rushed forward but then froze. He looked back in frustration, his eyes saying, stop me! You b*stards! Why aren’t you stopping me?

The guards were mindblown. They all thought you want to struggle, huh? Why didn’t you just let us stop you?

In the awkward silence, the sound was the prisoners guffawing. The fat man’s expression kept changing but he was frozen in place.

This was the most awkward moment in his life!

Thankfully, someone ran over and murmured something in his ear. The fat man stared at the newcomer as if he was a ghost and nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Then the fat man sighed deeply. He massaged his face and put his face down. A fawning smile appeared miraculously. The smile was so strange that Ye Qingxuan, who was purposely making drama, knitted his brow and felt a chill.

“Mr. Ye…” The fat man rubbed his hands enthusiastically like an old man. “That was a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding?” Ye Qingxuan frowned. “I don’t think so. I was purposely yelling at you stupid fatty. Are you a man? If you are, take me on yourself!”

“A misunderstanding! It must be!” The fat man stuck his face forward. “Those dogs are bad at taking care of you but someone like me would never dare to even touch a strand of your hair! If you’re angry, hit me! Please don’t keep it in.”

What the f*ck? It was Ye Qingxuan’s turn to be mindblown.

“What is wrong with you all? How can you make Mr. Ye eat this sh*t?” The fat man started yelling at the guards.

Then he plastered a smile on and turned around. “What would you like to eat? You can tell me any of your requests and I’ll do my best to satisfy them. You won’t be mistreated at all!”

Ye Qingxuan was utterly confused. Was he this guy’s dad? No, he probably would not even treat his own dad this well. Ye Qingxuan studied the man for a while but he could not guess what the man was thinking.

But since he said that, Ye Qingxuan decided to not hold back. He waved. “Don’t bring your chef out for humiliation. For the main course, I want truffle burdock cooked rare and with pepper sauce from the White Pine Restaurant. For the appetizer, I want smoked squid. Then I want red wine and cheese baked oysters and caviar. I want…”

He recited all the trademark dishes of the Sacred City’s famous restaurants in one breath. Ye Qingxuan did not care if they could actually get him the dishes that even archbishops needed to preorder. Finally, he waved his hand.

“Oh, and for the soup, I’d like vegetable broth from the south to help with my digestion.” Done speaking, he side-eyed the fat man. “Did you memorize it all?”

“Yes.” The fat man smiled earnestly without any hint of annoyance. He looked as if Ye Qingxuan was his father. “Don’t worry, we will get it settled for you!”

“Wait!” Ye Qingxuan called out. “I am in a bad mood these days. I don’t have a good appetite. Hire some musicians to play music for me so I can relax.”

“Okay!” The fat man nodded. “No problem!”

Ye Qingxuan was taken aback. Things felt even weirder so he decided to keep going. Waving a hand, he said, “The lighting is bad and it’s damp so my appetite is even worse. Bring me somewhere with better lighting and air circulation.”

“Okay!” The fat man nodded without complaint. “Where would you like?”

Ye Qingxuan huffed. “I think the prison warden’s office is pretty nice. Why don’t you let me go there?”

“No problem! Please wait a few minutes and we’ll clean it out for you immediately!” This fat guy was so agreeable that he definitely had problems!

Nearing the end, he was even worried he did not do enough and asked, “Do you have any other requests?”

Ye Qingxuan was speechless. It felt more and weirder. What was wrong with these guys? Why did they act like he was their father?! Was this an illusion?

No way!

Speechless, Ye Qingxuan glared at the fat man. “Are you messing with me?”

The man smiled.

–

A few minutes later, the guards took care of him as if he was his father and helped him out of the cell. They undid all shackles and even took off the musician restraints on his wrists and legs. Then they politely brought him to the prison warden’s office.

On the way there, Ye Qingxuan saw the prison gate in the distance open. Dozens of carriages raced in. Dozens of people began carrying in cooking equipment. The room beside the prison warden’s office had been emptied and turned into a kitchen. It was a lively scene.

A dozen top-class chefs who usually did not care for any nobles were now nervously creating the dishes Ye Qingxuan had ordered. Someone else brought over the vegetable broth made from the main restaurant. The entire way to the prison, it simmered over a small stove so that it would not cool at all. When it was poured into the bowl, the smell was mouthwatering.

Ye Qingxuan was even more suspicious that he was in some weird illusion. When he walked into the prison warden’s office, he was completely shocked.

The original office desk and even an entire wall had been removed. The floor was covered in a thick handwoven Caucus rug. The wall had been knocked out within a few minutes and replaced with a floor-to-ceiling window. There was a piano in the corner. A robed musician nodded politely to Ye Qingxuan and sat down to play a gentle melody. The warm afternoon sunlight shone in, falling onto the white tablecloth. The silver utensils radiated with gentle light.

A bottle of high-quality red wine covered in condensation was in an ice bucket. The thick red wine in the decanter had a rosy and beautiful glow. The chair before the table was made of ebony. It had been maintained perfectly with a well-oiled shine.

Everything was ready. It was all waiting for Ye Qingxuan to sit down.

However, there was someone unexpected sitting behind the table.

“Ye Qingxuan, does this treatment satisfy you?” The old man sipped his red wine with an elegant poise. The afternoon sunlight fell onto him, giving him a sacred halo.

“You?” Ye Qingxuan was starting to think there was something wrong with his eyes.

The man was the head of the Sacred City nobles, the leader of the Ecclesiastical Order, the current controller of the Sacred City, the future pope…Ludovic!

It had been a week.

Ye Qingxuan had sat in jail, waiting for news all this time.

Perhaps one day late at night, someone from the Scared City would bring him out, stick him into a black carriage and let him disappear from this world. Maybe he would be brought to trial in front of all countries and be executed according to the results. Or, he would just spend the rest of his life here in obscurity.

He would age here until he would be thrown out because of some political interests, live a difficult life, and die somewhere.

Although Ye Qingxuan had imagined all kinds of accidents, he had made up his mind to break out immediately after collecting enough information in a few days. But never did he think of this situation. In a way, it could be said to be the worst.

Ye Qingxuan did not think that Ludovic just came here to have a lunch with him.

“Take a seat, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic pointed to the chair before him. “It’s not proper to have a guest stand up for dinner.”

Ye Qingxuan did not restrain himself. He unabashedly pulled the chair to sit down, calmly gazing at the old man across. “You talk about courtesy here in a prison? Is the nobility so detailed?”

“The details are embodied in every aspect, child.” Ludovic was like a kindly old man with a mild tone. Compared to him, Ye Qingxuan was indeed a kid. Ludovic was more than five times older than him.

Ye Qingxuan frowned without replying.

Ludovic casually raised the glass. “For example, eating is an art.”

“Is it?” Ye Qingxuan lightly asked, “It can help you eat better?”

Ludovic heard his sarcasm but shook his head. “You are too young. Young people always eat and drink too much but have no idea about the collocations of food.”

The waiter came up and poured the red wine for the two. Ye Qingxuan frowned. This was not the Fontainebleau that he ordered.

“You know what?” Ludovic lightly said, “Actually, the most precious thing about smoked salmon is the succulent fragrance. Fontainebleau is good just because of its rareness. Otherwise, the taste will be destroyed.

“Taste it. I’ve helped you pair it with the best wine from the Anglo Royal Winery wine, the most suitable for the table. The brewers call it the knight because it smells like a knight, escorting without affecting the taste of the food.”

He cut a piece of salmon and put it in his mouth. He was graceful while dining and even when drinking.

“It’s so good. The last time I tasted it was sixteen years ago. I didn’t expect that I can still taste such delicious food after so long. Please deliver my thanks to Mr. Plan, whose craft has made me taste the essence of food.” The second half was said to the waiter. The waiter nodded and left. The chef must be ecstatic to receive praise from Ludovic.

But Ye Qingxuan didn’t care. “Aren’t you an ascetic monk?” he asked, “I’m afraid it’s not good to be so indulgent.”

Ludovic smiled, slowly shaking his head. “Child, you are not well-informed. My ascetic career ended yesterday. There is nothing else in this world worth my penance.”

A newspaper was put before Ye Qingxuan. It was just printed this morning. On the front page was the biggest news. Archbishop Ludovic would be the next Pope. After the next day, he would be the new Kind of Red, the shepherd of all sentient beings, the agent of God in the world.

That was the worst news. Ye Qingxuan glanced at it and tossed it aside.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Ludovic lowered his head, tasting the dishes, and said lightly, “Abraham was rescued but he still can’t leave the emergency room yet. Don’t worry, I won’t let him die. Now he has been put into the Mithril Cellar to be frozen. You can expect him to live a long time, maybe longer than you.”

The Mithril Cellar was a grim prison or a depository for all musicians. The musicians who committed a felony but could not be killed for a variety of reasons were sent there, frozen up after many processes. Then they would fall into slumber and in the coffin until the day the Sacred City found a way for them to redeem themselves and be woken up again. But most people would die quietly in the long sleep and disappear silently.

“Bai Xi is with Hermes, rest assured.” When talking about Bai Xi, Ludovic couldn’t help sighing. “She is really a clever little girl. The slightest action could drive her away. I wanted to bring her here today to meet you.”

Ye Qingxuan was silent but his eyes turned cold and dangerous.

Ludovic did not perceive this. He just picked up the raw oysters and oyster knife that had just been served and said enthusiastically, “Don’t let the food down. Enjoy the lunch, Ye Qingxuan.”

With a snap, the oyster’s shell was pried open, exposing the white soft meat inside. It filled one’s mouth with luscious sweet juice.

The taste of life was delicious.

–

This was perhaps the most exquisite meal Ye Qingxuan had ever had. But he could taste nothing.

Ludovic seemed to really have come here to enjoy lunch. He chatted about what had happened in the Sacred City these days with humor and occasionally told small jokes. No hostility or malice could be seen from him. Instead, it was a pleasure.

Ye Qingxuan could not refrain from thinking that maybe Ludovic could still earn a lot if he just accompanied dinners.

Soon, the lunch was finally finished. The table was cleaned up. The pianist finished, saluted, and departed.

The waiter served a box of cigar and a knife with matches.

Ye Qingxuan did not wait for Ludovic’s enthusiasm. He picked one up directly and cut it open casually. He did not care that the way he was spoiling the treasure would distress many smokers. He was too lazy to even use a match. Putting a finger to the cigar, a flame lit up. The smoke swirled in the air.

Ludovic just smiled. He did not comment on his rude behavior but slowly struck a match to heat the cigar.

After two matches, the cigar was lit. The smoke curled up and blurred his face.

“Let’s get down to the business, Ye Qingxuan. I think you may not be able to wait any longer.”

“No, I like chatting with you.” Ye Qingxuan chuckled. “I am not anxious at all, really. It’ll be better if you take me to take a hot bath and sauna. We can talk to each other frankly and finally go to drink in your private club and chose some beautiful girls together to spend your last day before the throne, leaving a precious memory.”

“Really?” Ludovic smiled. “Then I want to thank you.”

“You are welcome.” Ye Qingxuan humbly shook his head. “This is what I should do. I always cherish good times since they’re always so short.”

“I can give you such kind of life if you like.” Ludovic threw up his hands and said warm-heartedly, “How about I help you rebuild this prison into a holiday destination? As long as you don’t leave here, you can have whatever you want. Food, sauna, beauties? No problem at all, even if you want to see the little girls in the choir do a striptease, I can satisfy you.

“I must say, some girls now are really hot and bold after taking off their church robes. You’ll be shocked.”

After a silence, Ye Qingxuan clenched his teeth and said, “That sounds great.”

“But you don’t want that, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic sighed. “Don’t lie to an old man, especially to someone so good at telling lies like me. It’s meaningless.

“Why can’t you see how things are? You think I’m going to use negotiation skills on you? You want to take the initiative but it doesn’t matter because I don’t even want to negotiate with you.

“You have tried your best. Now the initiative is in your hands but what can you change? Relax, Ye Qingxuan. I’ve already said, be honest with each other. It’s good for both you and me.”

Ye Qingxuan was silent. His expression became gloomy. Ludovic was right. Ye Qingxuan would be unable to resist if Ludovic wanted to something to him.

One was the pope, the other was a prisoner.

There had never been a bigger gap in the world.

The next day, the whole world would be in Ludovic’s hands. Would his ideas and thoughts change if Ye Qingxuan took the initiative of the conversation?

“It seems you have learned to be humble, child. That’s good.” Ludovic nodded, taking a cigar. He said, “Maxwell is now going crazy, you know?”

“Because of me?”

“Not just because of you. To tell the truth, if the sword bearer is gone, he could find another. It’s difficult to find a sword bearer but it’s possible. Your business is a political dilemma for Anglo. However, there are always solutions in politics. But what Anglo worries about now is a big trouble. Elizabeth’s condition is getting worse.”

Ludovic shook his head and sighed. “That little girl has held on for so many years but the Dragon Blood curse has infiltrated the marrow. Nothing can save her… For so many years, Archbishop Mephistopheles has tried his best to cure her but there is no way.

“I’m afraid there is only one month left for her. To make matters worse, there’s Leviathan. A few months ago, the transformation of the Ultimate formed a chain reaction in the aetheric world. One of the results was that the resurrection time of Leviathan was accelerated. It is expected that six months later, it will completely awaken.

“Now, affected by the breath of Leviathan, the ships of various countries have been subjected to different levels of attack, and the monsters in the sea have begun to change and evolve. Their reproduction has increased to a staggering degree. I’m afraid it won’t be long before the number of monsters in the ocean soars at a dramatic rate. By then, humans would not possess the ocean anymore.

“Now, Anglo has launched war plans and mobilized the whole nation. Once the war begins, Anglo would first lose half of its territory and two-thirds of its population.

“The most optimistic result is that after paying the heavy price, the new emperor can kill it again. The worst result for Anglo is to start the destruction of the Holy Grail and die together with the Leviathan.”

Ye Qingxuan was silent.

“This is the best result, Ye Qingxuan. The Sacred City paid a heavy price in order to capture Hecatoncheir, which is as dangerous as the Leviathan. Now facing the four living creatures at their strongest point, how can Anglo not pay a little price?”

Ludovic coolly continued, “Even so, facing the domestic strife and foreign aggression, Maxwell still didn’t give you up. His determination is admirable. Unfortunately, the new emperor has not yet come to the power. Anglo is in such a mess. He doesn’t even dare to leave Avalon.

“Anglo’s diplomats are protesting every day before the Sacred Court, but the new head of the Amnesty Department has not entered office yet. It will be along while for your case.

“But the East’s attitude towards the matter is quite bizarre. On the official side, it’s as if nothing had happened. The ambassador claimed he has bad health conditions and refuses to see anyone. It has been one week and there has been no response at all.

“But many people from the east have seen several key figures secretly. Unfortunately, they all want you to die…” Ludovic sighed. “You have been a thorn in many people’s sides, Ye Qingxuan. Bai Heng will never allow the Ye family to exist and he will not give you the opportunity to return to the East alive.”

“That sucks.” Ye Qingxuan looked indifferent but pretended to cry. “What should I do? Sir Ludovic! You are a merciful and kind-hearted gentleman with great sympathy. Please help me!”

“Is that genuine, Ye Qingxuan?” Ludovic smiled and looked at him. “Aren’t you planning to escape? As far as I know, you seemed to be interested in the boiler room for two days. Do you want to get out of here through the hot water pipes? That’s a good idea, but if you want to get out of here, you don’t have to bother. I can let you go out of the gate fair and square and guarantee that there will be no trouble.”

“What’s the price?” Ye Qingxuan asked indifferently. “From the beginning until now, you’ve beat around the bush enough. You have been waiting for this moment, right? Now you’re finally getting down to the business.”

“You are a rational man, Ye Qingxuan. More rational than your father.” Ludovic shook his head and exclaimed, “Over ten years ago, your father and I had the same conversation. Unfortunately, he refused me even before knowing the conditions. I thought I was going to fail today.”

“I’m not him.” Ye Qingxuan coldly said, “Just clearing my name is not enough. Be generous, Pope, what else can you offer?”

“Ye Qingxuan, is there anything in the world that you want and I can’t offer?” Ludovic laughed. He laid down his cigar and gazed at Ye Qingxuan. “Child, I am able to endorse your purity in the name of God, and I can even honor you as an innocent saint and make you a genuine Saint! You will be the embodiment of purity and integrity! I can make your future path a smooth road so that all your desire can be fulfilled.

“You want to go back to Anglo? The Sacred City will help you solve the problem of Leviathan just as we solved the Hecatoncheir. I can even help you rise above the royalty of Anglo and make you become the uncrowned king! Do you want to help avenge your mother? As long as you agree, your mother’s deeds will immediately appear in the church’s scripture of the good. I can release your teacher, help him erase all the records, and let him live in the world without shame. Even if you want to go back to the East, I will help you to re-establish the Ye family. If necessary, the Sacred City can even make you the second Bai Heng!

“Think about it, you would be the second to only one…”

He paused, revealing a benevolent smile. “Of course, it would be better if you would stay in the Sacred City. I can baptize you again, Ye Qingxuan. From then on, you would be my godson. The Sforza family can be entrusted to you to inherit.

“Within two years, you will become a bishop and return after five years. Then you will be given a red robe and a parish in charge. When you are thirty years old, you will enter the Cardinals at the youngest age ever. You can sit on my right side and become the vice-ruler of the Sacred City.

“After I die, you are the new Pope!”

Dead silence.

After the silence, Ye Qingxuan snuffed out the cigar and lightly asked, “Am I your son?”

“I’m old enough to be your grandfather, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic shrugged. “When I was young, I had countless lovers, but none of them were from the east. Neither man nor woman. So you don’t have to worry.”

“Then why should I trust you?” Ye Qingxuan asked in return. “Believe a lying politician? I’m not that crazy.”

“I’ve told you, Ye Qingxuan. Why do I need to lie to you?” Ludovic gazed at him with compassion and mercy. “As long as you bow down to me, as long as you surrender to me, everything in this world is at your fingertips. I can give you everything you want.”

“After you took everything from me?” Ye Qingxuan raised his eyes and looked at him.

His eyes were pure black. Reflecting the sunshine from the window, they smoldered like black iron burned red.

“Mr. Ludovic, I don’t know what about me is worth you paying so much. My Mind movement tells me you’re not lying. Everything you say is true. Unfortunately, you are doomed to fail today.”

Ye Qingxuan slowly shook his head and got up. When looking down at the dignified old man, he could not help revealing a look of derision. “Because you don’t deserve it.” He took his eyes away from Ludovic, pushed his chair, and turned away.

Ludovic looked at him silently with neither anger nor fury. He just smiled.

But coming to the door, Ye Qingxuan froze. The door had disappeared.

Ye Qingxuan was standing before a smooth and flat wall. On the wall was a carefully depicted drawing of the original door. The pattern was so vivid it seemed real.

All that remained was an iron doorknob inlaid in the wall. No matter how violently Ye Qingxuan turned it, he couldn’t open the door. It was like a bad joke, a tricky game.

But Ye Qingxuan turned pale because all sound had disappeared. In his perception, all the people had disappeared. The whole prison was empty… No, the world on the other side of the wall had vanished. He could only feel the emptiness of chaos.

“I don’t deserve it?” Ludovic’s voice came from behind the table. “No, Ye Qingxuan, you’re wrong.”

Ye Qingxuan stiffly turned back and saw his meaningful smile. As if proclaiming the truth, he uttered, “The only one who deserves your allegiance in the world is me.”

Then he saw outside the big window behind Ludovic, the sun quickly fell from the sky, fell to the ground, and became a glowing red glass ball. He saw the moon rise from the horizon, dissipate in the air and turn into endless frost.

The earth was moving, mountains and rivers were being rebuilt, and the endless river submerged everything; the world outside the window was turned into an ocean. Strange and huge fish swam silently in the depths of the ocean. On the other side of the glass, a pair of horrible meters-long eyes was curiously peeping at the scene inside. Then the fish was devoured by a larger and stranger fish. Blood gushed and dyed everything red. The red turned into flames then the world became a Purgatory.

Finally, everything was shattered.

In the chaos, the world was recreated. Everything began to grow… Everything was chimerical like a dream.

But Ye Qingxuan could perceive every detail and every tiny change. Because of this, he felt fear from the depth of his heart!

He didn’t even know what exactly happened!

In the end, his sight was set on the man near the window. His gaze sharpened as if he wanted to tear the man’s disguise to see what monster was hidden under the flesh and blood!

But even if he used up all the power, he still could not find anything wrong. All this seemed to have nothing to do with Ludovic. There were no aether waves around him. He was just an ordinary old man.

Ye Qingxuan looked at him, drenched with sweat.

Nothing could be sensed but there was great invisible pressure surrounding and swallowing him. His heart beat rapidly and his hands trembled. He almost stopped breathing in the dead silence.

“What the h*ll are you…?”

“Let me introduce myself again, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic sat in his chair and stared at the teenager. “I am the president of the Ecclesiastical Oder of the Sacred City, the family leader of the Sforza family. I am also the ruler of the Sacred City…”

He paused, with a strange smile. “I represent the only real God in the world and the masters of all evil thoughts. I am the true agent of Hyakume in this world. Along with the Origin of Evil, the Dark Sovereign, the King of Destruction and Killing, and the Cunning Spider, I am also one of the nine incarnations.

“You can call me Ludovic… the Original Dark Pope!”

Ye Qingxuan thought he was dreaming.

First, Ludovic, the pope who would be crowned tomorrow, had come to eat lunch with him. He had treated Ye Qingxuan like a filial son and then gave him titles and wishes. He wanted to help Ye Qingxuan create a great world and future where he would become rich and powerful.

Then, the future pope had confessed that he was the incarnate of Hyakume…

Was this a f*cking joke?

“Ahaha, so funny.” Ye Qingxuan plastered on a trembling smile. “That’s a good joke. I’ll give you ten points.” And I’ll keep the remaining ninety points so you don’t get too proud, he thought.

“Try making sure your legs aren’t shaking when you say you don’t believe me, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic shook his head and looked at him with pity. “Or do I have to take you to the abyss for you to believe me?”

The scenery outside the window became the dark abyss to suit the conversation.

Ye Qingxuan fell silent.

Hyakume—the source of all evil, the most powerful of the natural catastrophes, and one of the three pillars. Different from the Holy Cauldron and Silent Moon, it was the only one that had a true conscience and tangible existence. He had countless natural catastrophes under it, known as the dark followers. He controlled the uppermost core of the aether world and used the abyss to control the entire Dark World.

He was too big to easily pass through the aether world and descend into the material world. Otherwise, there would be no room for humanity in this world. Now, one of his nine incarnates was right before Ye Qingxuan? And it had the face of Ludovic?

Ye Qingxuan’s head hurt. It did not seem right but one of the countless strands of thoughts had somehow connected and pointed to the truth. But he still could not believe it. He had once seen one of Hyakume’s incarnates. It was the Dark Sovereign who had descended into Avalon. The sight was earth-shattering. Ye Qingxuan could barely fight back against the terrifying aura, even using the enchantment of Avalon’s Shadow.

Ye Lanzhou was the most well-versed of the demons and natural catastrophes of the world. After being modified by moonlight, Deva’s blood had become extremely sensitive to auras from the abyss. Even if Hyakume’s incarnation had come, he would not be able to hide his identity. The moonlight should be able to feel the aura even from thousands of miles away.

But now, Ludovic was right in front of Ye Qingxuan and yet he could feel nothing.

This was the most terrifying part.

To Hyakume, the incarnation was a part of his existence. It was even more important than his body; it was a projection of the source. They were like different images observed from different angles. Some were large, some were odd, some were eerie, some were terrifying, some were wild… They all contained a characteristic of Hyakume. That was why there were nicknames like the Dark Sovereign, the Source of all Evil, and the Cunning Spider. They were all parts of Hyakume but could operate individually.

To Hyakume, these nine incarnations were his most important limbs. If one was hurt, it would affect the entirety.

Hadn’t he prepared for so many years in Anglo just so he could pull Anglo into his control after letting the Dark Sovereign descend? For this, he had made an elaborate plan and used more than a century but still failed at the last moment.

He had been hurt gravely.

According to calculations, he would not be able to affect the material world within seventy years. However, Ludovic was now right before him in his glory.

What it signified went without saying!

This meant that not only was Hyakume able to cast his power into material world at any time, he could even personally come through the aether world with his abyss? In the past, the abyss was just a legend to humans.

But now this terrible legend was about to become reality… The entire world would be upended.

“Don’t be scared, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic smiled mockingly. “This incarnate was once just a regular human. As you can see, you’re still okay.”

Hyakume’s incarnate expressed the true essence of the deep abyss. It was a terrifying reality that humanity could not understand. Merely witnessing it would make someone break down and die. However, Ye Qingxuan was still alive. He did not feel any discomfort or hurt and did not discover the abyss from Ludovic.

“See, I’m just a regular person.” Ludovic shrugged and smiled. “Are you shocked? How can Hyakume transform into a man?”

“Man?” Ye Qingxuan sneered. “You’re just a demon with human skin.”

“Oh?” Ludovic’s mocking smile deepened. “Then, please tell me what the requirements for a human are? What counts as a human? Let’s chat, Ye Qingxuan. Tell me, a natural catastrophe and Satan, what exactly a human is.” His eyes were curious.

“According to biology, humans are just something close to apes. Sure, you aren’t covered in hair and have ten agile fingers. You walk on the ground and have great intelligence. Now, you can even communicate with aether… But if I find a hairless monkey, give it intelligence, make it speak a human tongue, and even help turn it into a musician, does it count as a human?”

“Do you think that’s possible?” Ye Qingxuan retorted. “Monkeys are monkeys. No matter how similar it is to a man, it’s still a monkey. If you think monkeys would work, why don’t you turn yourself into one?”

“Then what is the nature of a man?” Ludovic’s expression grew more taunting. “I’ve heard that there’s a foolish natural catastrophe who wanted to become a man and have a human’s soul. He abandoned his power, status, and even his immortality. He willingly fell from the heavens… Does he count as a man?”

Ye Qingxuan was silent.

“No, right?” Ludovic answered his own question. “Just as how monkeys would never turn into a man, he is different from men as well. Then, what is that difference? Awareness? Cognition? Or that nonexistent twenty-one gram soul? Ye Qingxuan, answer my question. What counts as being a human?”

Ye Qingxuan remained silent. There had never been an accepted answer for this question. Countless people had pondered this question throughout history but there had never been a perfect answer. Even if there was one, it was just the wishful thinking of some crazy person.

To nobles, only those who had a good education, graceful movements, noble lineage, and an attractive face could count as a human. To them, the beggars in the dirty alleys were no different from cockroaches.

To the lower class, the lords up above were nothing but organisms obsessed with their own interest, zombies who chased after money and face, and idiots who could not even explain why they were noble.

But what exactly was a human?

There had never been a standard that qualified to rate humanity.

By skin color? Black, white, or yellow people?

By bloodline? Deva’s blood, descendants of glory, or the common men?

In India, life was divided into six stages. Which stage counted as being a human? Those lowly ones who should not even be mentioned or the elite lords?

Or should humanity be rated by morals? Kind men were men and the evil ones were not? Patriotic men were men while the traitors were not? The noblemen were men while the shameful were not?

By beliefs? Deciding by asking if one liked sweet or salty tofu? If they liked cats or not? Or maybe by gender where men were humans and women were not?

Gays were not human, bisexuals were not human… Were answers like this correct?

Ye Qingxuan’s mind spun uncontrollably. Under Ludovic’s guidance, his mind was like a derailed train. It charged forward without any control. In an instant, he was drenched with his sweat and his head pounded. However, he could find an answer.

“Ye Qingxuan, what is humanity?” Ludovic tapped the table with his finger and said indifferently, “Humans are just an organism. Humans, beasts, birds, fish, and those things you call demons actually aren’t too different. They are all just organisms. You may even have more flaws.

“You fear cold, heat, hunger, night, fire…you even fear yourself… So why do you think it’s so hard to become a human? Where do you all get the confidence to be the soul and spirit of all, the unique existence of this world? You do not even belong to this world…”

Ye Qingxuan’s headache intensified until he could not even speak.

“Sadly, I thought you would say something constructive but it seems that I had expected too much.” Ludovic sighed. “It would be great if I could have a nice and long chat with Ye Lanzhou. I’m sure he would give me the answer I want. After all, he helped me so much. I should thank him. If not for his research material, I wouldn’t be able to humanize my thoughts so quickly and come to the material world.”

With that, he reached out and patted Ye Qingxuan’s shoulder like an encouraging senior. He said benevolently, “Your father was a great man. Ye Qingxuan, you should look up to him.”

Ye Qingxuan froze. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Even among the upper level of the natural catastrophes, not many had human characteristics. The three wise men were known as such because of their human-like characteristics. However, Hyakume was the convergence of all darkness in the Originator. He was the source and true nature of all evil. He was a terrifying entity that humans could not understand. Even his appearance could drive someone crazy. Communicating with him would cause one’s mind to become muddled and tainted. When one met eyes with him, the man would fall into the abyss.

Hyakume’s mere existence created the abyss. Compared to it, humanity’s mind was as insignificant as dust.

He had a strong attractive force. He could distort, assimilate, and encroach anything close to it… Thus, the dark musicians who interacted with him were all somewhat inhuman. Those who received strength from him would become something nightmarish.

He had a vast yet turbid consciousness but it did not contain the so-called insignificant ‘humanity.’ One hundred people saw him in one hundred different lights.

Humans could only see the tiny part that they could interact with. No one had ever seen Hyakume’s true and complete form. How terrifying would it become if such turbid darkness was controlled and manipulated by a single human personality?

Ye Qingxuan processed this in an instant. To Hyakume, it was meaningless to have a human personality. No personality could control and contain such darkness. Hyakume had just created his own personality and transformed it into the core of this incarnation.

This meant…

A light bulb went off in his mind. This meant that Ludovic was the product of Hyakume becoming humanized?

This made much more sense but now there were more questions. Humanizing natural catastrophes was a technique Ye Lanzhou created through the Sacred City’s secret research. How did it fall into Hyakume’s hands?

He froze.

Looking up, he stared at Hyakume and uttered, “Was the natural catastrophe experiment…your idea from the start?”

And so Ludovic smiled. “Good job.”

No one had ever thought that the ‘natural catastrophe plan,’ designed to fight natural catastrophes, had actually been suggested and encouraged by a natural catastrophe. This was the biggest irony. The natural catastrophe gave humans the path to power. The humans stepped onto this path, even though it led to death.

“What can I say? It was by chance.” Ludovic sighed. “I just chose some dying idiots and told them to search for the immortality that belonged to natural catastrophes. They gave me such a nice surprise.

“First, so many saints died without me doing anything. Then, they turned Hecatoncheir, the most troublesome natural catastrophe, into an experiment… Finally, they came up with something that even I was surprised by.

“It was a great show, Ye Qingxuan. I even knew about the Sacred City’s research results earlier than the pope. Your secrecy procedures were transparent to me. The Ecclesiastical Order would enthusiastically show me everything without me even asking so I would point them to immortality.

“Starting then, I could not help but participate in this elaborate play…”

“But then you realized that if you wanted to go onstage, you needed a human body first,” Ye Qingxuan said expressionlessly.

“Correct.” Ludovic nodded and praised, “As expected from Mr. Holmes of Avalon. Such wonderful deduction. Please continue.”

Thus, Ye Qingxuan’s gaze fell upon his body. “Ludovic should have died twenty years ago but he was brought back to life through some technique…It must have been you, right?”

“No, this was the result that ‘Ludovic’ had worked hard for, if you call ‘me’ from decades ago Ludovic.” The old man reached out, showing his body to Ye Qingxuan. “Look, using the flesh of a natural catastrophe to lengthen one’s life works. He truly did return to his youth.

“This body can survive more than five-hundred years. Even though it may seem to age, its vitality is still incredible. At any time, I can feel my incredible spirit, endless ambition, and the thirst of having the entire world in my hand.

“Humans become such terrifying creatures after breaking through the limits of cellular reproduction.”

Ye Qingxuan had no expression. “Then when did Ludovic become ‘you’?”

Thus, Ludovic’s smile grew more mysterious. “Ye Qingxuan, I like the human philosophers. I appreciate your logic and thoughts because no thoughts or logic can avoid entering the territory I control.

“I once invited a few scholars and philosophers who thirsted for knowledge into the abyss so they could observe my true appearance. Sadly, they all went crazy. Now…they’ve become the wise men of the abyss? Oh, that is not a bad name. I like it. See, this is the creativity of humans. At the very least, you’re good at naming things.”

Unmoved, Ye Qingxuan coldly reminded him, “You’re off topic.”

“Sorry. It’s because the questions they posed were too fun,” Ludovic said with interest. “For example, the brain in the jar, the white horse dialogue, and the cat inside the box. Some also say that one can take half of a meter every day forever… Of course, these are all technicalities.”

He paused and mused, “Of all these, the one I like most is called the Ship of Theseus.”

Ye Qingxuan narrowed his eyes. He finally understood what Ludovic was trying to say.

“If you start repairing a ship continuously from the start and change every broken piece until every piece has been changed, is it still the same ship from before? Following the same logic, if I replace Ludovic’s personality bit by bit with the personality I created, covering his views with my own…when does Ludovic stop being known as Ludovic?”

Ye Qingxuan was silent.

The old man before him smiled cheerily and opened his arms. “The answer is that Ludovic is still Ludovic. The only difference is that Ludovic, the ascetic monk, has become Ludovic, the incarnate of Hyakume. Ye Qingxuan, I’m still Ludovic, aren’t I?

“I received the personality that humans recognize from Ye Lanzhou’s technology. From Ludovic’s contributions, I received a body that can walk on this earth. I am still me but I am also Hyakume. I am a human but also the incarnation of a natural catastrophe.

“Even the best musicians are unable to find any flaw in me. Even the most sensitive investigator is unable to detect the aura of natural catastrophes and demons on me. Over the decade, I’ve gradually replaced myself and also gradually replaced the core of the Sacred City until now…both the city and I are complete.

“I have stepped into the throne of humanity. I’ve become the leader of your spirits and the shepherd of your souls. And you all have willingly placed your souls into my hands so I can guide you through the dark canyon. I am the pope, Ye Qingxuan. I am the Original Dark Pope, Ludovic!”

“No, you’re not,” Ye Qingxuan retorted coldly. “Even if you become the pope, can you learn how to play Fate?”

“So what if I can’t?” Ludovic asked in return, stunning Ye Qingxuan. “Don’t be stupid. The pope is just an identity and Fate is just his clothing, a trademark! The pope can choose the clothing but the clothing cannot choose the pope. A naked pope and a clothed clown…who do you think the believers will kneel before? In addition…I’m the agent of God, am I not?”

Ludovic sneered. “Isn’t it logical for the agent of God to become the pope? Or do you think I’m not as good as the insubstantial belief you have and am unable to create miracles? No, I can give you more!

“The things that the past popes could do are easy as pie for me. And the things that they couldn’t do are also nothing for me. For example…”

He uttered the word that many would go crazy over, “Resurrection!”

At that moment, sudden panic swallowed Ye Qingxuan. He thought of something that he had overlooked because it was terrifying. However, he was not willing to continue imagining. He forced himself to stop the horrible thought.

He just glared at Ludovic as if he could see the true nature of the god of evil inside. “You put so much thought into this…for what?”

“Don’t let me look down on you, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic shook his head and sighed. He pointed at his head. “Use your brain and think. I value you because of your ability to think. Think, Ye Qingxuan. Think: humans are like ants to me. What is there that deserves me to work so hard? What makes me disguise myself to enter to the core of the Sacred City and make such sacrifices to become the king of the ants?”

“The sacred blood…” Ye Qingxuan uttered. The confusion in his mind was suddenly hacked apart by an ax. He could finally see the truth behind the layers of clues. “No, not the sacred blood… Is it the Holy Cauldron?”

Silence.

Ludovic murmured thoughtfully, “Sadly, it was so close but it doesn’t matter anymore. Humanity’s shallow thinking will never understand my intention.”

Ye Qingxuan clenched his jaw. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell the others about your true identity?”

“Who’ll believe you?” Ludovic sneered. He walked over and put an arm around Ye Qingxuan’s shoulder. He pointed at the door behind them. “How about we play a game? Later, I’ll call the guards over. We both accuse the other of being the physical incarnate of a natural catastrophe and see who they’ll believe.”

Ye Qingxuan stopped speaking. As if the last bit of his strength was sucked out, he had no other solutions.

“Give up, Ye Qingxuan,” Ludovic said. “I know you’ve been trying to use Heaven Ladder to send the message. I also know you’ve been thinking of how to kill my incarnation, even if it means sacrificing yourself. I know your fighting spirit has not extinguished, even if you can’t tell.

“None of this matters, really. This will only make the game more interesting. If you’re interested, you can pretend to side with me. So what if you sacrifice a bit of your dignity? In the future, we’ll have so much time to continue this game…” He walked behind Ye Qingxuan and held down his shoulder, making him sit in the chair. Then he pointed out the window. The barren wilderness had changed into a dark red river.

The river flowed like fog. Its source was unknown, just like its end. It was hard to see its true nature and impossible to know why it existed. It was something that should not appear in this world.

“Do you see it, Ye Qingxuan? This is the Styx I pulled from the Originator,” Ludovic murmured in his ear. “You’ve been considering this already, haven’t you? The price of resurrecting your mother—siding with me.”

Ye Qingxuan stared at the dark red river blankly. In his eyes, the river reflected countless shattered lights. Under his stare, a blurry figure appeared within the flashing reflections. Finally, it formed the silhouette locked in his memories. Her back was to Ye Qingxuan and seemed to be standing in the water, facing the distance. It was all so familiar.

Ye Qingxuan’s lips trembled but he could not speak.

“Imagination and reality are different, aren’t they?” Ludovic sighed. “Determination that hasn’t encountered temptations yet is just a sand castle built by a child. When faced with true desire, who has the courage to reject it? Ye Qingxuan, this isn’t your fault. Anyone would do it. Anyone.

“Now, what you thirst for is right before you. She’s been waiting for many years. Don’t let her continue waiting…”

“No.” Ye Qingxuan gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. “It’s not her.”

“It is her, Ye Qingxuan. Don’t lie to yourself.” Ludovic’s voice was so cold and cruel. “Is your mother not worth that shallow dignity and insignificant persistence? Isn’t this your dream, Ye Qingxuan? My benevolence has been used up, child. After this chance, you will regret this for your entire life!”

“Then let me regret it for my entire life.” Ye Qingxuan’s voice suddenly calmed down. “Even the Originator is unable to turn back time, Ludovic. She’s already dead. You can’t lie to me. There is no heaven or hell in this world… Weren’t you just making fun of how intangible ‘souls’ are? Then what meaning is there to the so-called Styx?”

The old hand on the young man’s shoulder tightened. It seemed to want to shatter the bone. Ye Qingxuan had crossed the line, he didn’t know his place; Ludovic was furious because of this mortal’s rebellion and wildness!

But Ye Qingxuan laughed out loud. He howled and cried with tears of laughter.

“Ludovic, you’ve been attacking me, shaking me, fooling me since the start just for this moment, right?” He opened his eyes. He studied the large window before him and Ludovic’s dark face reflected in the glass.

“You wanted me to bow down to you because of my mother. “Your so-called resurrection and Styx are all fake! A meaningless lie after being seen through!”

Ludovic was silent. He fell silent for the first time.

“The so-called Styx is a ‘record’ pulled from the Originator, right?” Ye Qingxuan asked hoarsely. “This river is probably just a river left in this world by a dead man! What you have is just a library. How can you control humanity’s souls under the name of God? Don’t you feel shame from the reverence you receive from copying?”

Ludovic did not reply. He lowered his eyes but could not hide the darkness and menace in those pupils. Ye Qingxuan was still laughing happily.

“What’s wrong? Your embarrassment turned to anger? Where’s your benevolent expression? Your advising tone? Ludovic, aren’t you a fancy noble? Where’s your elegance and grace?”

Ye Qingxuan asked softly, “You’re not talking? But I have a lot to tell you. Didn’t you ask me what humanity is? I don’t know what humanity is but I can tell you that the so-called humanity is definitely not this!

“My mother is already dead. Even if you use her memories to recreate her, I would only have a puppet, a hallucination you created! I won’t call something so fake my mother just as I would never call you a human!

“You’re just a creature with a human’s skin! Even if you become a pope, it won’t change anything!”

In the dead silence, someone started clapping. Behind Ye Qingxuan, crisp claps sounded in the distorted black shadows. Ludovic’s old face appeared once again. He still looked elegant and full of grace. After hiding his anger and cruelty in the darkness, he regained the composure of a pope.

“Very good, Ye Qingxuan. Very good.” He patted the boy’s shoulder and mused, “You’re beyond my expectations, truly. You’ve successfully resisted the temptation. You did better than I expected, even better than your father. But you didn’t think of one thing…”

He bent over and studied Ye Qingxuan’s face. He uttered, “Even if she is just a puppet after resurrection like you said, I will resurrect her for you. That puppet with your mother’s face, your mother’s memories, and your mother’s personality, who even thinks that she’s your mother, will appear in every brothel in the world.

“She’ll be played by those disgusting men for free, raped by those who had once looked up to her, be impregnated and continue to accept clients. She’ll become a cheap whore but…she’ll still remember you, Ye Qingxuan. She’ll still love you deeply even as she falls lower every day until she becomes a pile of rotting meat that even a beggar looks down on. What do you think?”

Ye Qingxuan looked at him indifferently. He was not angry or furious. He just stared at Ludovic with his dark eyes.

“You won’t dare.” Ye Qingxuan stuck his face closer and told him, “Ludovic, your words have successfully angered me but you won’t dare. You won’t even dare to let something like this happen. Your humanity has allowed you to understand the weaknesses of humans but sadly, he won’t give you the courage. You. Won’t. Dare.”

In the silence, Ludovic laughed. “Why won’t I?”

“Then why did you put in so much to persuade me?” Ye Qingxuan asked back. “I’m not your father, Ludovic. Yes, I’m a prodigy and I have Deva’s blood. I’m the sword bearer of Anglo and the youngest demi-grandmaster in the world. But so what? So what?

“I’m not worth enough for you to pay so much, sacrifice everything, and do those lowly things to make me surrender. Ludovic, answer me. You paid such large costs to solicit me. Why?”

“Do you think you can understand my intentions with your human thoughts?” Ludovic looked at him with disdain. “No matter what, you’re just an ant limited by your mortal body. You can’t even imagine what my original shape is like.”

“Stop using the logic of being unable to understand a deity,” Ye Qingxuan scoffed and shook his head. “If humans can’t understand deities and are meaningless, then why are you here? You sacrificed so much to come to this world so why do you use such laughable logic to disguise your intention? Why don’t you just say that you were in a good mood and wanted to satisfy our wishes?”

He paused and sneered. “But since you’re hiding yourself, then let me guess. You said you value my thinking abilities. So are you trying to solicit me because…” Ye Qingxuan paused then said, “Ye Lanzhou is still alive, right?”

“Just that?” Ludovic snickered. “Interesting thought. Very clever.”

He did not receive an answer but Ye Qingxuan could not hold his laughter in. He was so happy, like an old wolf who had stolen a chicken from the butcher. He was almost crying from laughter.

Ludovic froze. His smile stiffened and fell apart, becoming menacing. He squeezed out from his teeth, “You’re fooling me?”

“What a disappointment for the incarnation of humanity, Ludovic.” Ye Qingxuan wiped away some tears. He was so happy he could barely speak. “Had anyone told you that a good Mind musician will instinctively sketch anyone around them, even if that person is the pope?

“Congratulations, you are a very successful ‘human’ but your only flaw is that you talk too much! You’ve spent so much time pretending and taking advantage of how you can read minds that you probably never thought of this, right?

“You see Ye Lanzhou as someone you’re grateful to but do you truly understand him? Analyzing personality through micro-expressions and sketches is his best skill! Okay, now you can start lying to yourself. You actually lost to Ye Lanzhou. This has nothing to do with the ant before you. You totally aren’t trying to win over his son to act as a shield because you’re scared of him…”

He rudely stared at Ludovic’s twisted face and sighed, shaking his head. “I’m really curious how many of your weaknesses and secrets he knows that makes you so scared.”

“Scared? Me?” Ludovic’s expression trembled like a pile of furious mud. At the same time, he was trying to plaster on expressions of anger, mockery, and menace. If his face was a pot, these expressions were all stirred into a mess that made one nauseous.

This was the deity that humans could not understand trying to show his fury to Ye Qingxuan through his human incarnate.

“I’m scared of Ye Lanzhou?! Stop joking, you idiot! You don’t understand how far I am from you insignificant things! Even if he knows my weakness, so what? No matter what he does, I won’t be hurt at all! At most I’ll just sleep for one hundred years!”

“Just sleep for one hundred years?” Ye Qingxuan scoffed. “You’re the one joking, aren’t you? You know you can’t bear the cost of that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so careful.”

Ludovic did not reply. He did not even spare Ye Qingxuan a glance. The writhing expressions quickly recovered. Once again, he looked intelligent and composed.

“I underestimated your arrogance and wildness, Ye Qingxuan. It seems that this conversation cannot continue today.” He sighed with mock sadness. “Congratulations, you won this round. You have intelligence rare in humans. Sadly, it can’t save you. You’re still a prisoner. Ye Qingxuan, there are many ways to control someone. Since you rejected the best one, there won’t be such nice actions waiting for your now.”

He returned to his seat and knocked on the table. All strange sights disappeared. The setting sun returned outside the window, casting down dusky light.

The door opened. Two figures with black smoke walked in.

“Give him to Samuel.” Ludovic waved.

Samuel. Hearing this familiar name, Ye Qingxuan frowned. He quickly remembered that Samuel was the grandmaster who had failed his scepter sublimation and turned into a beast…

Sneering, Ludovic ordered, “Tell Samuel that I’m giving him a descendant of the Blood Tribe. I’d like to see if Mr. Ye, who has such a bright future, will still be so adamant after becoming a beast that is addicted to blood…”

The shackles tightened. Ye Qingxuan could not struggle. He was yanked up from the chair and dragged outside. But before the door, he stopped. Ignoring the pulling, he looked back to behind the table.

“Hey, Ludovic—or rather, that thing.”

“Huh?” Ludovic looked up. He saw Ye Qingxuan’s genuine smile.

He said, “Thank you.” But he did not say what he was thankful for because they both knew.

Thank you for the misery, thank you for telling the truth, thank you for telling me you designed all of this… It was hard to tell whether he was genuinely grateful or if it was an almost tangible hatred and thirst for bloodshed.

“You’re welcome.” Ludovic chuckled coldly.

Ye Qingxuan still did not move. Ignoring the bloody marks from the shadows pulling on his chains, he looked at Ludovic curiously. “What kind of thank you gift would you like?”

Ludovic gave him one last glance and waved impatiently. “If you think you still have the chance… I’ll be waiting for whatever you prepare.”

Ye Qingxuan was dragged out. His footsteps faded at the end of the hall. Ludovic stood before the window. He watched indifferently as Ye Qingxuan was shoved into the prison car. Then, a black-clothed priest with a sword walked in. He unsheathed his sword and cleaned out everything that was still alive.

He destroyed the last marks.

“In the end, still incapable…”

Ludovic narrowed his eyes and turned away. All that remained was silence. Under the setting sun, there was no more sound in the office behind the window. There were only a table and three chairs, refracting the dying light.

–

At dusk, someone entered the antique store. Bai Xi was shocked by the bell.

“Is anyone here?” It was an unfamiliar voice.

These days, Bai Xi rarely slept soundly. She was always awakened by nightmares. Now, she had sprawled on the counter and finally slept well. Hearing the voice, her temper came. She angrily picked up whatever was next to her, felt the weight, and hurled it!

“Shut up!”

The heavy candelabra tore through the air with a whistle. Totally shocked, the intruder caught it. The sharp points almost stabbed his eyes.

“Uh…sorry, I guess I’m in the wrong place.” The man awkwardly set the candelabra down and smiled. He walked out, looked at the sign, and pushed the door open cautiously. Sticking his head in, he asked, “Hey, I don’t think this is wrong. Is Hermes here?”

Bai Xi could not fall asleep anymore. She climbed up, wiped away her drool, and sat blankly for a while before her mind was running. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the intruder. It was a dusty man wearing a dirty jacket that seemed to have gone unwashed for years. The original color was hard to see. His face was hidden by a wide brim hat. Despite being hidden in the darkness, he still felt attractive.

“Who are you?” Bai Xi asked in confusion.

“Just an old customer.” He chuckled and tossed his ragged backpack onto the ground. Rubbing his hands, he scooted toward the fireplace. “I haven’t been here in a long while. I can’t believe the Sacred City turned into this mess. I was lost for a while and I’m freezing… Ah, right, you’re Bai Xi, right?”

Bai Xi cocked her head. “You know me?”

The customer smiled. He reached out his dirty hand to ruffle her hair. Like a senior seeing a cute kid, he was gentle and loving. “I’ve heard of you. You’re a good girl.”

For some reason, Bai Xi felt happy instead of disgust. Even the depression from these past few days disappeared.

“Is Hermes upstairs?” the customer asked. “Please tell him that his old friend is here to take something I deposited.”

“What thing?” Bai Xi glanced upstairs and pursed her lips. “If I call him down, he’ll just talk nonsense with you and then scam you out of a bunch of money. He probably won’t even give you the thing. Tell me and if I know what it is, I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you so much.” The customer smiled, seemingly embarrassed. He gestured with his hand. “Probably this big inside a jar. It’s not that rare of a thing and you can find them anywhere but it’s important to me. Simply put, uh…” He paused and said seriously, “It’s just a head.”

After being “enthusiastically” pushed into the carriage, Ye Qingxuan was treated like a felon.

First, someone injected a tranquilizer into his neck, his eyes were covered with a blindfold, and a bag was pulled over his head. Then, he was forced to wear handcuffs and legcuffs. Finally, his clavicles, arms, and neck were all shackled with the shackles of Aether. His sense with the musician was totally cut off.

Because of the strong magnetic field, all the shackles were firmly fixed on an iron plate. Suddenly, the iron box was closed, and Ye Qingxuan was in complete darkness.

He could not hear anything.

Ye Qingxuan was lying in a coffin made specifically for him. He could feel a tremble beneath him from time to time and knew that the carriage was still moving.

Occasionally, the carriage turned left, then right. Sometimes, it moved upward and then downward.

In the pure darkness, Ye Qingxuan was counting the time with his fingers, and he almost fell asleep. After a long while, the carriage finally stopped.

“Ask someone… to send him to…”

“…is dead already… won’t go…”

“It should be… turn to…”

Ye Qingxuan could vaguely hear people arguing and the sound of a lifter as the iron coffin was pulled forward. The wind was blowing into the air vent, Ye Qingxuan was feeling colder and colder. He thought that he had probably been brought either to a refrigeration house or a basement.

At last, the coffin stopped.

After a long while, Ye Qingxuan heard people talking.

“Let Lord Samuel deal with him… that’s what Lord Ludovic has said.”

“There is no need to bother Lord Samuel,” someone said in a low voice. “I will deal with this man.”

“You want to use this blood slave to your advantage? Aren’t you afraid that you will be burnt into ashes under the sun once Lord Ludovic knows?”

“Come on, Quintus, I know you are starving too,” he sneered. “Judging from the smell, the man inside the coffin must be a musician. The quality of the blood of a musician is very good, and besides, someone told me that this man is a big figure. I want him to be my own blood slave, and I am willing to give half of his blood to you only if you agree to cover for me.”

Outside of the coffin, Ye Qingxuan could hear that one was chewing something, while the other was sucking something. After a long while, the other replied, “…fine, let’s do it then.”

The two lifted the iron box and put it on a table.

They opened the box with a key, then removed the blindfold and the bag that covered Ye Qingxuan’s head. Because of the strong magnetic field, Ye Qingxuan could not move, but he was happy to finally see the light.

He felt a bit dazzled.

The light of the shadowless lamp in the operating room was cold and dazzling.

He could smell the disinfectant and the blood.

Two men who were wearing aristocratic clothing were watching him. They looked rather pale and had very sharp canine teeth. Watching Ye Qingxuan, they could not help swallowing their saliva.

Ye Qingxuan squinted his eyes and smiled.

“Hey, are you two ready to eat your meal now?”

The two men were surprised and backed away two steps. After making sure that all the shackles were still there, they were relieved. The slim man squinted his eyes and said, “You are still awake?”

“Yes.” Ye Qingxuan nodded. “The tranquilizer you guys gave me is not that effective, I just took a short nap. It seems that I have come to at the right time for you to eat your meal.”

Ye Qingxuan curiously looked around and asked: “What do you plan to eat? What’s so delicious that makes you keep swallowing your saliva?”

He saw there was a dry corpse on the operating table next to him. The stiff body had bite marks everywhere, and one of its arms was gone.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan frowned.

“Quick-frozen food? It seems that the living conditions here are less than ideal. You guys can’t even afford something fresh?”

“Shut up!”

The slim man slapped him. Ye Qingxuan still smiled at him. “I guess you two are going to eat your meal. You should pay attention to your health and eat something that has been cooked. Eating raw food is bad for you. I suggest you either roast it or fry it, and it will taste better if you add some pepper salt.”

The two musicians who had become vampires looked at each other and turned gloomy. One of them said, “You know you are going to die, how can you still be so chatty? Be quiet! We will grant you the blood of glory later, and you should thank us for giving you this opportunity.”

“Can you be gentle?” Ye Qingxuan looked at his two sharp teeth. “I fear pain… why not set me free?”

Hearing this, the two men become very gloomy.

“Ninuo, we should give him a tranquilizer injection,” Quintus suggested. “Don’t ever give him any chance to run away, his eyes look rather strange…”

“Good idea,” Ninuo replied after hesitating a while.

He walked to the operating table and extracted around five times of the usual amount of the strong anesthetics. He put the needle against Ye Qingxuan’s neck and sneered, “Don’t try to run away, you may have a nice dream instead.”

“Sounds good.” Ye Qingxuan nodded and quietly watched them while blinking his big eyes.

A minute passed, two minutes passed, ten minutes passed…

Ye Qingxuan was still blinking his eyes and watching them. Gradually, Ninuo stopped laughing and grew more gloomy.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan couldn’t help tittering.

After going through the sub-originator transformation, both his hormones and organs were no longer the same as an ordinary person’s. Besides, with the help of the Stone of Sage, his body successfully mutated. The anesthetics wouldn’t do any harm to him; even if he ate poisonous potions, he’d just get diarrhea.

For him, the anesthetics that would cause an ordinary person brain death were just no big deal.

“Hurry up! The clock is ticking,” Ye Qingxuan said. “How about eating me alive? The last thing I want to do is to starve you two. I promise I will be quiet from now on, okay? I do sympathize with you two, since you are locked under the ground all the time and don’t even have the chance to enjoy the sunlight. I will just pretend I am doing a favor for you two…”

Slap!

Hearing this, Ninuo’s face was convulsed with rage. He heavily slapped Ye Qingxuan and said, “B*stard!”

Since Lord Samuel failed to upgrade his Scepter, all the students of the School of (Music) Theory turned into vampires. Although they had not been eradicated yet, they had to stay underground and scramble for the few bodies of wanderers. If they made any complaints, they would be thrown above ground by Samuel, and burnt to ashes by the sunlight.

Therefore, they didn’t dare to contradict to Samuel. Seeing Ye Qingxuan, who was just a “blood bag,” mocking him, Ninuo was furious and took out a scalpel.

“You are proving to us that you are so articulate, right? Why not let me cut the corners of your mouth and make it bigger, so you can talk louder!”

Ninuo cruelly cut Ye Qingxuan’s mouth. An extremely big and bloody crack crawled to his jaws.

The blood spurted out.

Ye Qingxuan didn’t scream at all. Instead, he put a bigger “smile” on his face and watched the two men. Immediately, the two men’s eyes turned red.

After they became vampires, blood was something they could never resist, especially the blood of a musician. For them, the blood of an ordinary person was food, but the blood of a musician was a panacea that could greatly enhance their power. Ye Qingxuan’s blood was the blood of Deva. It was something even the Elder Hydrargyrum Lola would crave for.

Quintus’ eyes were bloody red. He instantly crawled onto Ye Qingxuan, bit his neck, and began to suck Ye Qingxuan’s blood.

“There is no need to hurry, take it slow,” Ye Qingxuan said gently. “Don’t choke yourself.”

Ninuo was furious, and when he tried to drag Quintus away, Quintus began to scream.

Quintus quickly stood up, backed away, staggered, and began to release piercing screams, as if what he had drank was not Ye Qingxuan’s blood, but scorching liquid iron.

The blood on Quintus’ face was shining, the light as gentle as the moonlight. His face was burning, and quickly rotted, dehydrated, and turned into charcoal at last.

The blood in his stomach began to spread into all over his body. Quintus felt something burning inside his body. He was in great pain and tore his body apart with his sharp claws, trying to get the blood out of his system. But all his organs were being corroded by the poisonous blood. They soon withered and turned into ashes.

“Ninuo, help me! Help me!”

Quintus screamed, scratched his body while rolling on the ground as if insane. Ninuo was terrified by this scene and quickly backed away. After a short while, Quintus stopped moving and became a scorched, dry corpse.

“I never thought you would have such a small appetite.”

Ye Qingxuan coldly looked at Quintus, and whistled. “You shouldn’t have drunk this much, see? You died from overeating.”

You wanted to drink my blood?

Don’t be ridiculous!

The blood of Deva contained the music theory itself, besides, it had absorbed the energy of the Seal of the Moonlight and the Stone of Sage. Thus, it could cause huge damage to any evil spirit.

Ye Qingxuan’s blood was undrinkable unless he dedicated his blood of his own free will and got rid of the moonlight contained in his blood, just like other musicians did when they dedicated their blood to Lola. Besides, the one who drank the blood should be able to decipher the same music theory. Otherwise, anyone who drank Ye Qingxuan’s blood would die.

If someone wanted to drink Ye Qingxuan’s blood without his consent, he’d be better off to kill himself by drinking rat poison and have a clean death.

Ye Qingxuan’s wound quickly healed. Soon, there was only a tiny crack left.

Bang!

The door of the operating room opened.

“What’s going on!”

An old man appeared, accompanied by a few alarmed and bewildered young men. The old man saw Quintus lying on the ground, dead. Then he grew extremely angry.

Soon, they laid their eyes on Ye Qingxuan who was lying on the operation desk.

The young men smelled the blood and their eyes immediately got very red. They desperately wanted to go forward and drink Ye Qingxuan’s blood, but they were afraid of Samuel, so they didn’t dare to make a move.

Seeing Quintus’ dead body and Ninuo’s alarmed face, Samuel understood what had transpired. His eyes became very cold.

“Teacher, I have nothing to do with this!” Ninuo exclaimed. “It was Quintus! He wanted to privately take possession of the blood slave that is supposed to be dedicated to you by Lord Ludovic!”

“Ninuo, you are already quite something…”

Samuel coldly stared at Ninuo and sneered, “How dare you possess the blood slave given to me by Lord Ludovic.”

Hearing this, Ninuo was so frightened that his face twisted. He dashed to the door, trying to run away. Samuel coldly humphed, then Ninuo fell onto the ground, groaned, and rolled around in pain. He scratched his body so hard that his bones were revealed.

All his veins started to shine. A scarlet liquid flew from his heart to Samuel’s hand, taking away all the purified blood in his body.

Ninuo was lying on the ground, motionless and dying.

The few young men standing behind Samuel were terrified by this scene and didn’t dare to make a move.

“You are Ye Qingxuan?”

Samuel stood in front of the operation desk and stared at Ye Qingxuan. He began to laugh in a very strange and terrifying way. Then he said, “I have heard a lot about you. It seems that you are really powerful, since you have managed to kill two of my disciples.”

“Hey, I only killed one of your disciples,” Ye Qingxuan coldly replied. “Besides, you can’t possibly blame me for this, he was the one who crawled on me and sucked my blood.”

“You have got a sharp tongue. It is such a waste to make someone who has got a sharp tongue a blood slave.” Samuel laughed. “Don’t worry. I will make you my best disciple. With the help of the music theory and the blood of Deva in your body, my Scepter will be more powerful.”

“You guys get out.” Samuel turned to his disciples and said, “No one is allowed to come in without my permission.”

Soon, the operating room was back in silence.

Samuel held the blood liquid extracted from Ninuo in his hand. The blood liquid shone and lighted Ye Qingxuan’s face. Samuel laughed. “Ninuo was such a sh*t. Now I can cultivate you with the Blood of Element.”

Ye Qingxuan asked, “You are not thinking that I would agree to be one of your loyal disciples after I turned into a blood-sucking monster like you, aren’t you?”

“Don’t worry, you will be my disciple.”

Instantly, the blood liquid in Samuel’s hand began to wriggle like a snake and crawled into Ye Qingxuan’s neck through the wound. The blood of element quickly spread to all over his body.

The music theory contained in the blood of element activated and tried to change Ye Qingxuan’s corporeality and body. But before it worked, Samuel realized that something was not right and his facial expression changed.

Samuel couldn’t feel the existence of the blood of element, as if it had vanished.

In the sheer silence, Ye Qingxuan farted.

“Excuse me.” Ye Qingxuan laughed, embarrassed. “It’s just indigestion.”

“…I see.”

Samuel coldly stared at him and said, “It is the music theory contained in the blood of Deva that you are counting on, right? I miscalculated.”

Ye Qingxuan laughed and gave no reply.

Samuel then stabbed right at Ye Qingxuan’s heart with a sharp knife. The blood spurted out and fell on Samuel’s body. It was making a sound and tried to corrode Samuel’s body, but its effect was offset by the music theory contained inside Samuel’s body.

The blood of Deva, poisonous to vampires, was spurting out like a fountain.

Looking at Ye Qingxuan’s face, which was becoming extremely pale due to the loss of blood, Samuel laughed aloud. “Don’t worry, when the last drop of blood in your body is dried up, I will refill your body with new blood and bring you back to life.”

The next moment, the blood began to flow backwards into Ye Qingxuan’s chest. His face become rosy and radiant again.

Samuel was stunned by this. He pulled his knife and stabbed Ye Qingxuan again.

The blood spurted out, then flew backwards and disappeared into Ye Qingxuan’s chest again.

Samuel stabbed again and again… no matter how many times he stabbed, the blood still flew backwards to Ye Qingxuan’s chest.

Samuel was very embarrassed and his face turned livid with rage.

Ye Qingxuan looked at him and felt very sorry for him. “It seems that my blood doesn’t want to leave my body. Why not try other ways?”

“Shut up!”

A terrifying Aether wave was suddenly activated and almost suffocated Ye Qingxuan.

The bizarre scepter was floating above Samuel’s head and shining in a thick scarlet light. Ye Qingxuan felt a bit of pain as if his skin was being stung by the light.

Although Samuel failed to upgrade his scepter and turned into a blood-sucking monster, he had finished the process of transformation and become much more powerful than any ordinary master. He had got used to the terrifying power of his scepter.

Ye Qingxuan didn’t resist. Instead, he raised his head and revealed his neck. He then said, “How about sucking the blood by yourself?”

Via the wound on his neck, Samuel could see the blood was shining as bright as the hydrargyrum.

Samuel was a bit afraid of Ye Qingxuan’s blood. He sneered and said, “You are wrong if you think I don’t know how to deal with you. Let’s do this in a more simple way, shall we?”

Suddenly, the shadow of the scepter shone with a dazzling scarlet light. The light penetrated Ye Qingxuan’s head. At the same time, thick blood flowed out of Samuel’s mouth and nose and quickly crawled into Ye Qingxuan’s mouth, nose, eyes, and ears like earthworms.

Both Samuel’s blood of element and Ye Qingxuan’s blood of Deva contained the music theory, but the blood of element could change the host into a blood-sucking monster like Samuel.

Since I couldn’t suck his blood or corrode him with the blood of element, I shall force him to change him via the music theory contained in my blood!

In just a few minutes, Samuel was studden by the powerful potential of Ye Qingxuan.

He is just like a precious jade!

The purifying music theory in Ye Qingxuan’s blood was indeed scary. Even so, the vitality and the energy contained in it could not only greatly enhance Samuel’s power, but also repair his mutated scepter. There was a chance that Samuel could suppress his urge to suck blood and walk under the sun again.

Thinking of this, Samuel was determined to transform Ye Qingxuan, even if it consumed his ultimate source of energy. Once the process of transformation was over, Samuel could use Ye Qingxuan’s body as his new shelter.

Since Ye Qingxuan was shackled with the Aether shackles, he could not defend himself. Samuel’s music theory was pouring into his body.

Ye Qingxuan sighed and said, “What a pity. If I were you, I would never do such a stupid thing.”

Suddenly, Samuel was astonished. He felt the energy inside Ye Qingxuan’s body getting stronger and stronger. In the blink of an eye, the energy appeared from the Nothingness, then it quickly got strong enough to brake the limit of Resonance. Soon, it crossed the Intervene, continue to grow stronger, and broke the limit of the Intervene, until at last, it reached the Distortion level.

The magnificent movement of the sound of heart started, the viscera trembling in the same beat and creating a melody. The heaven ladder appeared in the air, and crossed the seven systems. Accompanied by the melody, the energy in Ye Qingxuan’s body got stronger.

The sub-originator in the Sea of Aether resonated with this melody and instilled a powerful energy into Ye Qingxuan. The physical form of the Sea of Aether revealed itself around Ye Qingxuan.

Soon, the energy inside Ye Qingxuan’s body broke the limit of the Distortion level and reached the level of the Master!

Seeing this, Samuel was so astonished that his eyes almost fell out.

Impossible! F*cking impossible!

I remember that he just reached the level of Resonance a month ago!

In a short month, he already managed to brake the limit of Resonance, Intervene, and Distortion, and reached the level of the Master?

In a f*cking short month!

Samuel was extremely terrified by this scene, and he didn’t even realize that Ye Qingxuan managed to summon the Sea of Aether while he was still shackled by the shackle of Aether.

Crack! Ye Qingxuan got up from the operating desk.

All the shackles had been unclenched!

Ye Qingxuan moved his wrist, and a silver fork that he had hidden in his sleeve fell onto his hand. The next moment, he stabbed right into Samuel’s bald head with great strength.

Samuel groaned.

The music theory of both sides were corroding each other. Against the scarlet light, Ye Qingxuan laughed coldly.

“Let me brainwash you first!”

At dawn, an unusual customer came to the Yujing Shan Mountain.

A young man with white hair and blue eyes stood in front of the Jie Jian Stone and gave a salute. “I am Jingming Zhangsun, the third son in the Zhangsun Family. I want to pay a visit to the head of the Yuan Family.”

The disciple who guarded the entrance of the mountain checked his identity, and quickly went up the mountain.

He stepped on the stone steps, walked through the Blue Stone Memorial Archway and the Copper Smelting Hall. When he saw He Yuan, the eldest son of the Yuan Family, he told him there was a man waiting at the bottom of the mountain who wanted to see the head of the Yuan Family.

He Yuan nodded and said, “I will lead him to see our Master.” He waved his hand and ordered the disciples in front of the hall to continue with the pair exercise. Then he changed his clothes and hurriedly rushed to the rear of the mountain. Soon, he arrived at the bottom of the mountain.

“I am He Yuan.”

He cupped one hand in the other before his chest and said, “My friend who comes from the Zhangsun Family, this way please.”

Jingming Zhangsun did the fist-palm salute in return. Then he followed behind He Yuan and went up to the mountain.

It was at early dawn. In the dim light, the disciples of the Yuan Family were already having their early lessons in front of the Copper Smelting Hall. In the distance, the warriors were holding edgeless swords and doing pair exercises in the square. Still, Jingming Zhangsun could hear the sound of swords colliding with each other.

Tens of strangely-designed long swords cut through the air, accompanied by crisp sounds as loud as the trembling strings of a Zither. The sounds overlapped, which made Jingming Zhangsun unable to judge the distance. After listening for a while, he felt bewildered and awed by the sound.

In particular, just like one could not see the whole body of a dragon hiding among the clouds, he couldn’t see the whole picture of the music theory contained in the sound. Even so, he felt threatened by this sound.

As for the swordsmanship, Jingming Zhangsun could feel that it was very powerful, but he couldn’t get a complete picture of it either.

He stood in front of the hall, looking into the distance, and sighed deeply.

“The swordsmanship is indeed powerful! I am honored to be able to see it on this journey.”

Hearing this, He Yuan smiled and didn’t say anything.

The two crossed the Copper Smelting Hall and headed straight to the rear of the mountain.

In the front of the mountain, there were many green cypress and pine trees, and an old path leading deep into the mountain. It was really a good and quiet place for one to practice Taoism. The deeper Jingming Zhangsun went, the more desolated it became. He couldn’t see any trees or grass or creeks, and felt very cold while walking among the bizarre stones.

As he walked, Jingming Zhangsun could feel the heat in the ground and was stunned by it.

Is the Yujing Shan Mountain a volcano?

Soon, he noticed the Aether permeating the air. At the same time, he vaguely felt there was some cold light lurking around and steering the Aether. As if there was someone brandishing an invisible sword and controlling all this with his mind.

Jingming Zhangsun felt that if he took one step wrong, he would be cut to pieces by the invisible sword.

He Yuan noticed that Jingming Zhangsun was feeling rather cautious. He smiled and explained. “All the predecessors of the Yuan Family practice the sword in the rear of the mountain. The third uncle of my father is practicing the swordsmanship of Messy Cave these days. He is in the critical moment and is about to break the limit. That’s why you feel there is someone brandishing an invisible sword. This swordsmanship is just a bit dangerous and belongs to the level of Resonate, so it isn’t a good choice for pair exercise. One wrong step and you are dead.”

Hearing this, Jingming Zhangsun knew what was going on at last. Then he asked, “So, the heat in the ground also…?”

He Yuan shook his head and replied, “Previously, when the first, second, and third generations of my ancestors escaped by execution, they cut through the earth plate by accident and caused the hellfire. So the heat is not caused by the third uncle of my father, sorry about that.”

Hearing this, Jingming Zhangsun was startled.

Among the Nine Families, everyone in the Ye Family was slut; the Liu Family had many offspring, but they were too feeble; everyone in the Bai Family was too stubborn… from time to time, an offspring of the Bai Family might appear to not be a stubborn person, but he was still the same as his peers.

The Yuan Family had retreated into the deep mountain and cut connection with the outside world. They never joined in conflicts among the Nine Families, thus the Yuan Family was not that famous. However, the members of this family were famous for being paranoid, and the music theories contained in the swordsmanship they practiced were about killing.

The musicians who were practicing the sword all looked very normal, but after talking to them for a short period, one would find they were very paranoid and eccentric. Jingming Zhangsun would never make fun of anyone before he knew his personality.

The two were walking deeper into the forest. The deeper Jingming Zhangsun went, the more intense he felt the cold Aether wave.

When he closed his eyes, he felt like an intruder, as if there were many people coldly staring at him.

However, what he saw were just the ancient swords inserted in the stones.

Against the sunlight, the swords shone in a cold light. Jingming Zhangsun couldn’t help looking at these swords, then he asked in curiously: “Could the sword be…?”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but He Yuan already knew what he meant and shook his head.

“There are many rumors in this world, and most of them are not true. I consider you a wise man, and the so-called ‘making a sword with the bone ashes’ is all b*llshit.”

Jingming Zhangsun realized he had been wrong, and nodded to show his approval.

He Yuan continued, “The blood of our Yuan Family is different from that of the other Nine Families. Our blood can only work with the help of a certain object. All our ancestors would make a sword with their own souls before they died…”

Jingming Zhangsun laughed a bit and didn’t reply.

Making a sword with a soul?

Put frankly, the so-called “making a sword with a soul” meant “making a sword by consuming a human’s life.” This was much more cruel than “making a sword with the bone ashes.” A human had to jump into a smelter during the process of making a sword, his bone would be the blade, and his blood and soul… at last, he vanished from this world as if he had never come into it.

Jingming Zhangsun looked at the sword hanging on He Yuan’s waist and asked, “Could it be possible that your sword is also…?”

He Yuan looked at his sword, which was called “Wenling,” and smiled without answering.

“Here it is.”

He Yuan suddenly stopped.

In front of them, there was dark cave. Seeing this, Jingming Zhangsun was stunned and looked at He Yuan in surprise.

He Yuan said, “Just walk straight, and you shall see the head of the Yuan Family. He has finished his morning lessons by this time, so you won’t be a nuisance.”

Then He Yuan left.

Jingming Zhangsun was in a daze and stood in front of the cave for a while. He forced a smile and walked into the cave.

The cold wind blew towards him, and he felt very cold and as if he was being cut by a knife. The temperature in the cave kept getting lower and lower, and after a while, Jingming Zhangsun saw that everything around him was covered with at least two inches of ice.

Although he was wearing a winter coat, he still felt so cold that he couldn’t help shaking. He wanted to warm himself by activating a music movement, but he immediately gave up this idea when he realized that he was now in the rear of the mountain of the Yuan Family. If he activated a movement, he was afraid that he might activate the alchemy array here and be cut to pieces.

He continued to walk deeper into the cave. After a long while, he glimpsed a figure sitting in the middle of boiling lava.

The pungent and poisonous sulphur air swirled around the boiling lava and the dancing fire. Right in the middle of the lava, there sat a man with an ancient sword in front of him. The ancient sword was ringing, and it gave off an infinitely cold air. The cold air spread and froze the lava around him.

Jingming Zhangsun was awed by this scene.

He was totally bewildered and worried, as if there was a big rock on his chest.

“I have been waiting for you for such a long time, ‘Hu’ of the Zhangsun Family.”

The fire and the cold air collided with each other and created a ball of gray fog. As soon as the man began to talk, the fog dispersed to both sides. Then a slim figure showed himself.

Among the Nine Families, the Zhangsun Family was the only one that lived in the border area. Since their eyes were blue, someone called them “blue eyes.” Sometimes, they were also called “Hu,” which was a bit insulting.

Normally, if someone directly called Jingming Zhangsun “Hu,” Jingming would have fought him hard. This slim figure, Changqing Yuan, was the powerful head of the Yuan Family, and even dared to call his father “Hu.” So Jingming Zhangsun didn’t show any disapproval, and carefully took out a letter.

“My father asked me to give you this letter.”

Changqing Yuan made a gesture, then the letter floated and fell into his hand.

He read the letter and kept silent for a long while. Then he sighed and threw the letter into the lava.

The letter was burnt to ashes. Blue smoke rose from the lava, and a vague figure formed in the blue smoke and bowed to Changqing Yuan.

“You are too impatient,” Changqing Yuan said in a very low voice. “The whole world is going to be very chaotic, and a huge change that has never been seen before will take place soon. This strangeness can already be seen in the west. Zhendan may not be the place to hide from this disaster. In this critical moment, we need to calm down. Go and tell your father to wait patiently.”

“Wait patiently?” Jingming Zhangsun was stunned by this answer. Since he had come this far from the border area to the Yujing Shan Mountain, he had never thought he would receive a simple sentence in reply.

“Have a look.”

Changqing Yuan gently touched his long sword and said, “Everywhere is the same, no matter if it is in the East or the West.”

“Just have a look first.”

The sword was shining, and Jingming Zhangsun felt his soul was going to be pulled out by this light. He shivered and swallowed back the words he meant to say. After he bowed to Changqing Yuan, he left.

Soon, He Yuan appeared in the cave and respectfully reported, “Uncle, I have been told that Baiheng has indeed left the capital. Indeed, the Zhangsun Family is not to be blamed, even the acting King is too anxious to wait patiently any longer.”

Changqing Yuan laughed. “Fine. I have been sitting in this cave for almost thirty years. I just said that young man’s father is being too anxious, but now I am also becoming anxious. After all, the Pontifex Maximus is going to ascend to throne; I should also go and have a look.”

“I will come back as soon as this business is over.”

“Take care.” He Yuan lowered his head and heard the ringing of Changqing Yuan’s sword.

The ancient Chun Jun Sword was vibrating and ringing.

The sound was just like a bird’s chirping, low and deep. He Yuan felt as if there was a cold spring pouring into his head and his soul was going to flee away from his body—the soul fleeing swordsmanship!

A vague figure suddenly arose from Changqing Yuan’s old and slim body. The figure took the sword, turned into a light, and flew away.

Jingming Zhangsun had just arrived at the foot of the mountain. He suddenly had a strange feeling, and he raised his head to see a cold light flying to the west.

The light was flying quickly and didn’t leave any trace behind it, not even an air wave or tornado.

Jingming Zhangsun was awed by this scene.

Thirty years ago, Changqing Yuan had already arrived at the Imperial Nine World and was at the same level as the Saints in the west.

The music theory inside his body was constantly in conflict with the physical world around him, and he had also inherited the blood of Deva. This had made him unable to escape from the punishment of the God. Since then, he had been practicing Taoism in the rear of the Yujing Shan Mountain.

Judging from the speed of this light, Changqing Yuan had greatly enhanced his power, and even surpassed his ancestors to reach to a new level.

Watching the light flying into the distance, Jingming Zhangsun recalled that he had been very confident about his skills of persuasion when he left his home, and felt a bit ridiculous about himself.

Thinking of this, he forced out a smile.

“The world is just like a game of chess, and one can only have the chance to be a player if he has reached the same level as Changqing Yuan…”

In just ten minutes, the light had traveled thousands of miles. During the journey, it crossed the Northern Plain, the Misty Hill, one hundred thousand mountains, and the magnificent desert. Then it passed the Commonwealth of Caucasus, and the Kingdom of Asgard.

Far away, there was the City of Iron and Steel.

Judging from the energy arising from this Holy City, Changqing Yuan felt that about ten people were there already. He then exclaimed, “I never thought that so many people would come here.”