by Feng Yue
“The technique of the church was really amazing.” Wolf Flute sighed and pointed to the corpse in the sarcophagus, “And this? What is this?”
“Did I not tell you? The secret keeper from the one before the previous generation.”
Bann had no expression. “He was sent a hundred years ago to the north to find the whereabouts of that thing, and he found it in the territory of the ‘dark gaia’.”
“The pope led a crusade against the natural disaster?”
“Yes. It took the secret keeper three years to plan. He sacrificed six of his men to bring that thing back. He himself was eroded by the power of the natural disaster and began to go mad— he turned into this monster and forgot who he was. In order to kill him, the mission dispatched six knights of the Holy Temple. He finally died by the hands of my father…
“He had become a vengeful spirit but he still recognized his own children. He saw my father and relaxed and curled up by the fire, had some food, then fell asleep.
“He might have already known that there was iron sand in the food. The iron sand turned into a blade and stabbed his heart from the inside. In the end he did not resist, preserving his own dignity. “
“…It was a hefty price to pay.”
Wolf flute was silent for a long time and sighed softly.
Father Bann drew a holy emblem on his chest. His eyes were still cold. “It’s just one person’s life and death.”
“The fear of life and death was enough to respect. Why should the numbers matter?” Wolf Flute bent down and held up the black box among the bones respectfully. He blew away the dust and ashes on top.
Under the moonlight, he opened the lock on the box and reached inside. The expressions on his face kept changing. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded, “Yes, it’s the same as what the teacher has described.”
He put away the box and slightly bent over to the priest, “Thanks to the church, my mission is done.”
“This is my mission as well, and I thought I would die here from old age. I did not expect to be free today.” In silence, the priest looked down at the sarcophagus. He stretched out his hand toward the bones and drew a shape of the Holy Emblem in the air, “You are free. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, time to go, no longer stay.”
Then the wind came from the sea, passed by the tips of everyone’s nose, erasing the lingering rotten smell from the cemetery.
In the tender wind, the hideous bones seemed to have calmed down, finding their eternal peace. Under the moonlight, the bronze wing bones reflected a glimmer of silver, sacred and solemn in its own way.
“It’s beautiful.” Wolf Flute took a final look, shoveled the earth on the ground, and covered its body.
18 Choice
On the way back, Wolf Flute carried a crowbar. He hummed the “Ten Little Indians” nursery rhyme. He seemed relaxed and in a happy mood. Stumbling forward, his body twisted like he was drunk.
Father Bann was still silent. His face was cold but showed no emotion, but Wolf Flute’s heart still felt full of sorrow.
“Hey, Father, my mission is done and your mission is done too. Why are you so sad? At this time, shouldn’t we need to have some drinks to celebrate?” Wolf Flute scratched his hair, “You are spacing out. What exactly are you thinking? You have completed the task the Lord and the church assigned you. Soon you can leave here and return to the church as a reincarnation, the glory crown has been kept for you. Are you worried that the crown is too small for you to wear?”
“I was thinking about something. Some things need to be reconsidered,” the priest said coldly.
“What’s the matter?” Wolf Flute pondered for a while then said, “Is it that little guy named Ye? You are training him as an apprentice, right? Now he’s not going to go back to your training. Is that so?”
“Your arrival disrupted all my plans, Mr. Wolf Flute.If you had not come, I could have at least let him replace me and return to the church as the Knight of the Temple,” Father Bann said indifferently.
Wolf Flute felt embarrassed but forced a dry laugh, “You may be right, but you see, he did not want to be a little priest, and you should not force him to go that way.”
“It was better than insisting on an unrealistic dream that would only lead to a dead end.” Father Bann looked up at him. “You rekindled the fire in his heart, Wolf Flute. I underestimated how dedicated he is to becoming a musician.”
“This, you see, kids always have dreams, right? Wolf Flute tried to organize his words and explain, “I do not understand rebelliousness or adolescence, but having a dream is a good thing. You cannot stop his dreaming. Uh…my meaning is that one day he will find it unrealistic.”
Wolf Flute nodded and made a conclusion, “Well, rest assured, he will give up sooner or later.”
Father Bann shook his head. “You do not understand.”
“Ok?”
“A few years ago, the first time I saw him, he was barefoot, walking in the ice and snow. He had nothing, and was accompanied by his only dog, but he said that he wanted to go to Avalon. When I asked him what he was going to do, his eyes lit up.”
Bain recalled the street boy’s appearance and the cold and snow from when he had first met Ye. The white-haired teenager dressed in broken coat, trembling, but speaking with the corners of his mouth tilted, lips open, the kind of eyes…
“… they were shining.”
Wolf Flute was stunned and stopped his walking. “Wow.”
Wolf Flute suddenly understood.
“He is an excellent child, so excellent that I have never seen anyone like him before. I said to him, if he wanted to become a musician, he must have good moral. Then he trained himself in accordance with the standards of the monks. I told him, if he wanted to become a musician, he needed to go through the best education, so he spent a month reading the entire library collection, and learning the advanced mathematical foundation and etiquette in just two months. In order to fight for the place to go to the Sacred City, he taught himself the mechanical structures, helping maintain the town’s lighthouse for three consecutive years.
“I do not know if anyone has taught him the basic theory of the music. He is familiar with all things about musicians. For so many years, he has been walking in that direction.”
The priest’s voice got lower, “He will soon realize he is far away from achieving his dream. So Wolf Flute, could you really let him give up that idea? Otherwise, the unachieved dream will make him drown in his despair one day.”
Wolf Flute kept quiet, but then suddenly burst into a relentless laughter.
“What are you talking about, Father?” Wolf Flute opened his mouth, patting his chest,“The one who died for the dream is the happiest.”
－
The next day in the church reception room.
“Well, my friend, it is the time for you to choose.” In silence, Wolf Flute lied on the couch and spread out his hands to the confused boy, “I need you to make a choice about the agreement between us.”
“Choice? What do you want me to choose?” Ye Qingxuan asked.
“Yes. You see, last night Father Bann and I discussed about you receiving the education to become a musician.”
Wolf Flute coughed a bit, “Well, although you are only seventeen years old, and not eligible to go to the university yet. Father said that you had studied reading, writing and mathematics. The exam should be no problem for you. You will be qualified enough to pass the exam at any time to become a teacher at church, so he has a suggestion. Because of Father’s advice, I have made some changes to my original plan.”
Ye Qingxuan was puzzled to see the priest, but the priest was stood silently with no emotions.
“This is the case because the priest was recently promoted to a big title and received a big fortune so he could do a lot of favors for others.”
Wolf Flute started talking non-stop. After seeing Father Bann’s serious face, he stopped.
“Well, he can recommend you go to the Sacred City as an internal
member of the church. The current Trinity Theological College will enroll you without an entrance exam! This is the chorale musician’s cradle. Once you graduate, your future will be bright. If you perform well, maybe you can also be selected for the Holy Choirs… “
“Holy Choirs?” Ye Qingxuan could not help but give a bitter smile, “You should know that I couldn’t even sing in the regular mass.”
“It is okay. As long as there is a group of people singing, you just need to open your mouth. There is a saying in the East, ‘Be there just to make up the number.’ I used to cheat a lot while going through exams back in the day. You should be flexible…”
The priest coldly glared at him, Wolf Flute shut up, embarrassed.
Ye Qingxuan thought for a moment and suddenly asked, “How about the other one?”
“The top college in the Anglo Kingdom, the Royal Academy of Music in the capital of Avalon—my alma mater. But they probably would not admit you because I dropped out of school.”
Talking about it, Wolf Flute suddenly became enraptured, “The Academy was located in the city of Avalon, only two blocks from the center, green land, native scene, natural view, and luxury area. It is low-key yet high-end.
“If you like astronomy, there is an observatory on the left. If you like art, there is an opera hall on the right. If you like politics, the House of Commons is in the front. If you like crime, the prison is right behind the Academy! How about it? Pretty happy and unexpected, right?”
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
“Haha, just a joke.” Wolf Flute scratched his hair, “But it really is good there because there is a variety of research available, and the academic atmosphere is also very strong. But getting you in will be tough…I am not powerful enough, but I can ask my teacher for help; however, my teacher is very strict, and is never willing to open this back door. So he may only give you a letter of recommendation to take the entrance exam. You can pass the test, but then I have no way to continue to help you…”
“That’s it.” Ye Qingxuan nodded, “The Royal Academy of Music, please. Thank you, Mr. Wolf Flute.”
“Eh? So quick?” Wolf Flute was surprised for a moment as he thought Ye Qingxuan would choose Trinity Theological College, and did not think he would decide to go to Avalon.
In silence, the priest nodded as he had expected Ye’s decision. He got up and left, saying nothing.
Wolf Flute looked at the priest walking away, scratching his head helplessly. “Then I will write a letter to my teacher. Please be aware that my teacher has some power, but you have to get on the road tomorrow or else you will miss the admissions period.”
Ye Qingxuan was stunned for a moment, deep in thought. Then he nodded, “Yes, tomorrow.”
“Good.” Wolf Flute hesitated to ask, “That…”
“Ok?” Ye Qingxuan noticed Wolf Flute’s hesitance.
Wolf Flute took a deep breath and released an irritated sigh. He looked back at the door making sure nobody was there, then lowered his voice and asked, “Why didn’t you choose the Trinity Theological College? Stupid! Do you know that when the priest goes back this time, he will be promoted directly up another three levels! A bishop class member, plus the temple knight! With your special relationship, you could have a bright future, my friend! Why are you deciding to go to Avalon by yourself?
“And in the Sacred city, most of the world’s musicians are gathered there. The the door is willing to open for all believers, even the tuition is free. The money you would save is enough to buy a custom-made instrument. Did you know that after I dropped of college, I sold my pants in order to buy a musical instrument?”
Ye Qingxuan was stunned to hear Wolf Flute’s rant. After a long time he could not help but laughing in a low voice. He shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Wolf Flute, I think you may be wrong from the beginning.”
“Ok?”
“I am not a believer.”
“Ok?” Wolf Flute could not help but exclaimed. He found himself lost, but quickly spoke, “Wait, what did you say?”
“I am not a believer,” Ye Qingxuan repeated.
“I thought you were a clerk, but in the end you are not even a believer. Do you believe in the gods of the East?”
“No.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head. “I have never been to the East, nor do believe in God. I learned about him through reading and writing from the Father. The Father tried to baptize me many times, but I had rejected him.”
“Why don’t you believe it?” Wolf Flute’s face was twitching a little.
Ye Qingxuan suddenly pondered as he had never thought about this question before. After a long time, he finally understood a little. He softly replied, “Probably…because God never saved my mother?”
19 The Future
When Ye Qingxuan came down from the reception room, he saw the priest sitting in the chair of the library, going through the holy command which Ye had started copying some days ago. The priest did not seem be concerned, yet one could see the sadness in him.
Ye Qingxuan came to his side and whispered an apology, “Sorry, Father. I have disappointed you.”
“I knew you’re troublesome…” Father Bann shook his head, “But you’ve really troubled me this time.”
“It has always been tough, Father,” Ye Qingxuan laughed. “Putting up with me for so many years, it must have been hard on you.”
“Yes. As stubborn and vengeful as you were as a child, you’d give anyone a headache wherever you went.” The priest said coolly, “Now I don’t have to worry anymore, it will be so much easier.”
Ye Qingxuan smiled, and after a long silence he asked, “Father, why, why did you let me be the scribe here?”
“Because you were a child who could read and write,” the priest answered without hesitation. “You did not need food or accommodation to be arranged for you, and you worked for half of the wage. You also seemed helpless. I thought I would give you a hand.”
“That’s it?” Ye Qingxuan said in disbelief.
“Is that not enough?”
Ye Qingxuan was silent for a moment and laughed softly, “Father, you really are a good man.”
“Which is why I was good to you.” The priest got up and patted his shoulder. “Congratulations, Ye, you are fired. This is your farewell gift.”
He threw something at Ye Qingxuan who caught it. It was a three-ring holy emblem, about the size of a coin. It was a dark gold color, like some kind of token. It was engraved with a line of coding on the edge, but it was so smooth so you could hardly feel the engraving with your hands.
“What is this?”
“The Holy emblem. It means you are accepted by the church. It has been given to you ahead of schedule. I will help you with all the paperwork once I return to the Sacred City.” The priest said with ease, “With this, you can take a small loan with no interest, and get unlimited help from any church, so at least you won’t end up on the streets in the future.”
“Thank you so much.” Ye Qingxuan tossed the holy emblem into the air, caught it, and put into his pocket. His big eyes were wide and hopeful, “Anything else? Aren’t you supposed to give me a super weapon or a book with roadmaps to a super power?”
“I do not have the things you said, but there is an ax in the backyard, do you want it?”
Ye Qingxuan did not dare taking it. He was not sure if that ax would end up splitting his own skull.
“You can go and pack now. When you leave for Avalon, I will not see you off.” The priest waved and signaled for him to leave.
Ye Qingxuan stood there with his mouth open, not sure of what to say.
He looked at the slightly aged man in front of him, always cold and stubborn. Father Bann had never been good with words, or ever tolerated anyone’s mistakes, but was always an exemplary yet strange priest.
Five years ago the priest opened the door of this church, saw Ye in the snow and reached out to him. It was not charity, but a rescue. Five years later he was about to leave the church, but as he
looked at the man in front of him, he was suddenly reluctant to go.
He still did not know how to say goodbye at the end, so he just silently nodded his head, turned around, and closed the door behind him. His footsteps showed how hesitant he was to leave.
Ye Qingxuan looked back, and saw the priest praying. He suddenly felt an overcoming sadness inside him. He could not stay here anymore—he needed to escape.
“Father, until now, I still think…that I was glad to be saved by you.”
As he was praying, the priest suddenly heard the young man’s farewell words. He was surprised. He looked up in time to see the white-haired boy run out into the sunshine.
The sun in the afternoon was intense and dazzling. It swallowed his shadow as if he had walked into his own future.
Five years. That kid was no longer a child.
Father Bann’s lips trembled for a moment, but he did not call out to the young man. He only watched him run farther and farther until he disappeared.
In the long silence, the priest’s mouth slightly curved up—like a smile.
-
The next day at noon, Ye waited at the dock. He carried a huge suitcase, squatting in a chair. He was waiting for the boat that had departed from Yanan, and would soon pass through his location in fifteen minutes. Its final destination was Avalon.
The Titan, the newest ship model, was made in the church’s shipyard and purchased by the East India Company. It was rumored that compared to the first generation of cargo ships, the Titan was like a small boat in terms of its weight capacity and speed.
These kinds of big ships usually did not pass through such a small pier because the water was too shallow. But when the ships did come, they would send a small boat to deliver mail from all over the world, as well as merchandises the town had ordered. Ye could get on the boat by using the holy emblem and pay the fare afterwards.
This was the fastest way to Avalon, which was the least the priest could do to help Ye Qingxuan. Wolf Flute was leaving on the same day, but by carriage. Wolf Flute was not leaving until the afternoon, so he and Victor came to send Ye off.