Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  This time, Bradley was willing to go out for one month to obtain a rare alchemy item—Double Snake Time Meter.

  Of the seven major schools of musicians, the School of Summoning controlled beasts, the School of Choir searched for the meaning of life, the School of Illusions was immersed in the nonexistent, the School of Mind controlled the mind and soul, the School of Revelation thirsted for the future, the School of Abstinence focused on aether. Of these, the most popular school was undeniably the School of Modifications.

  The musicians of this school were experts at controlling all living organism’s nature and changes. This included the crazily powerful and dangerous Battle Musicians and the Alchemist Musicians who could create alchemy equipment and instruments with runes and music. In addition to his own power, this type of musician also needed other items.

  If he had good equipment, an average third level musician could even break through the Barrier of Knowledge and gain the upper hand over a Resonance Level musician. Alchemy equipment had always been considered rare. They were snatched up as soon as they went on the market. Those that could be on the exchange list were considered the best of best. Some of them could help the musician like the wind, or activate different music scores. Others could boost a musician’s power.

  This included the Double Snake Time Meter that Bradley had been pining for recently. The third movement of the Brandenburgische Konzerte was carved onto it.

  One of its features was that the musician’s sense of aether would double within one minute! It was ineffective to musicians above level six, and could only be used once per week, but it was enough to make everyone crazy for it! If someone timed things correctly during a fight, and let his aether sense and control double instantly, even just one minute could turn the fight around completely.

  Such treasured equipment obviously had a price. It costed two thousand points, but it was truly underpriced. Most people would never give up something like this, but the seller had been stuck at the Musician Level for too long and had no hope of enlightenment. He decided to go full out, and saved up his points to exchange for material needed for the Resonance Ceremony and break through the Barrier of Knowledge! Otherwise, he would never sell his treasure at the Musician Union.

  If other people knew, they would definitely fight Bradley for it. But a week had gone by, and the equipment with serial code ST101 still had not appeared on the exchange list.

  —

  Thinking of this, Bradley could not help but smile proudly. He had heard of this news from his friend in the Union the day it had been sent over, and spent a lot of money to find a loophole in the selling process.

  Usually, an item could be exchanged as soon as it was registered with the Union. But it needed a period of verification and storage before it could officially be on the exchange list. According to previous rules, this process could only be one week long. But after simplification in recent years, these two steps would not even take half a day.

  In other words, Bradley had one more week than others to prepare. If he could exchange the item within one week, then no one would even know that this item had existed. No one would know about his secret weapon.

  With uncontrollable ecstasy, Bradley strode to the front desk. He showed his identification card and evidence of his mission.

  Behind the counter, the worker glanced at the thick book beside him. Silver font swam across the first page, displaying Bradley’s information.

  “Congratulations, Mr. Bradley. You now have 2041 contribution points.”

  Hearing this, Bradley could no longer hide his pride. “I would like to exchange ST101, Double Snake Time Meter. Please hurry. I can’t wait any longer.”

  “Okay, just a moment.” The worker flipped open the book and searched for the records and documents of the union. After a moment, shock appeared across his face.

  “My apologies, sir, but the Double Snake Time Meter has already been exchanged.”

  73 Joke

  “What?!” In that moment, Bradley suspected that he had heard incorrectly and was hallucinating. He bent over and stared at the worker. Eyes narrowed, he demanded, “Are you sure? I said I want ST101.”

  “That’s right, sir.” The worker leaned back, slightly afraid. Turning around the book in his hands, he showed Bradley the text. “According to the records, someone with authorization directly searched through the inventory and chose it five minutes before you arrived.”

  “Sh*t!” Someone had beaten him to it! His face practically green, Bradley slammed his fists on the table. “Who? Who? Where did he go?! He can’t be far…” he demanded, grabbing the worker by his collar. But he quickly realized that he had lost his temper. and quietly slid a thick pouch of money to the worker. “My apologies, I was a little excited. Can you check who it is?”

  The worker weighed the pouch and nodded in satisfaction, his furrowed brows smoothed out. But as soon as he searched, they furrowed again. “Sir, this is a transregional exchange.” The worker seemed confused too. “It’s an exchange request that came directly from Sacred City. I don’t know why he asked specifically for this item, but it has already been verified with the administrator’s signature.”

  Bradley froze in shock. Were they sure? Most musicians came personally to the exchange center so they could test out the item in the experiment room. And how had this person known about an item that was only in the records, and not even on the exchange list? “He’s from Sacred City?” Bradley murmured, angry and confused. “When did he take it?!”

  “Uh, according to the message, the item will be kept here, and someone will come to pick it up.”

  Upon hearing this, Bradley’s eyes lit up, something sinister flashing in them. He stretched over the counter and stuffed another pouch of money into the worker’s arms. Quietly, he said, “Tell me his name. I’m sure he’ll know how to treat my family.”

  The worker hesitated, but could not resist the temptation of money. “Let me see. His name is…” he flipped through the record and made a double take. He sounded out the name, “Ye Qingxuan?”

  Edmund was shocked too. “What?” He gazed around the hall subconsciously. In the corner of his eye, he saw someone’s backside at another counter. That familiar, annoying white hair…Gritting his teeth, he tugged at Bradley’s shirt corner. “Uncle, look!”

  —

  Ye Qingxuan and Charles looked around the Musician Union, praising the three stone tablets. It was already August 17th and according to his promise with Wolf Flute, the reward money from Rain Artist would arrive soon. He only needed to take a holy emblem to any church to withdraw it.

  From what he knew, Wolf Flute was sometimes unreliable, and the money might be a few days late, but he had been unexpectedly quick, and transferred the money early.

  Faced with three-hundred thousand, Charles was stunned. If they found a good agent, they could probably buy a house in uptown with this money. If used for tuition, they would not have to worry for about five years. But if they calculated their expenses on the safe side, they had enough for at least three years. Besides everyday costs, they still needed money for materials for practice and exploration. If they added in Bai Xi, it was enough for two years. Ye Qingxuan’s plan did not rely entirely on Wolf Flute’s help. With his speed, he could achieve Rhythm Level in two years, apply for an internship outside the academy, and take on his own missions.

  But he did not know that other than money, Wolf Flute had also mentioned their promise: if he was accepted by the academy, Wolf Flute would give him a gift. Ye Qingxuan had forgotten about this, and was surprised that Wolf Flute had remembered. They were not far from the Musician Union, so he decided to come and see what the mysterious surprise was.

  Standing before the counter at the other side, he bowed his head at the old woman. “Hello, madam, excuse me.”

  “Is this your first time here?” The woman gazed at the nervous youth and smiled. “Relax a bit. What can I help you with?”

  Seeing that it was not as serio
us as he had thought, Ye Qingxuan relaxed and smiled. “I’m here to pick something up. It should be kept here by a Mr. Wolf Flute.”

  “What is it?” The worker flipped through the book, searching.

  “I don’t know,” Ye Qingxuan replied helplessly. “It should be a gift. Something mysterious…”

  “Do you have any vouchers?”

  “Is this okay?” He handed over his identification card and holy emblem.

  After a while, the worker nodded. “Code ST101? It is stored here indeed. Let me go find it for you.”

  Soon, she returned, holding a box sealed with wax. “Please check for any damages and sign here. The paperwork for the first time is very complex and I don’t want to trouble you.”

  Ye Qingxuan froze a little and smiled awkwardly.

  —

  “What is it?” Waiting on the side, Charles was more excited than Ye Qingxuan. “It’s time to make a splash. Don’t hesitate, junior!”

  “Let me see.” Ye Qingxuan used a paper cutter to remove the wax, and opened the metal box carefully. The box was the size of his palm, and was padded with foam on all sides. There was a piece of white silk in the middle, as if it were holding treasured jewelry. But there was not any jewelry in it, only a plain pocket watch. The steel gray watch seemed old and felt heavy in his hand. It did not have gems embedded in it like recent trends, and only had a detailed carving as decoration.

  Two snakes intertwined—one calm and cold, the other wild. They were tangled together, killing each other. The carving produced heart-stopping tension, making one want to hold their breath.

  “You can tell it’s good just by the decorations,” Charles praised. “Come on, let me see it.”

  “No way.” Ye Qingxuan dodged his hand. Using his knowledge from working in the clock shop, he flipped open the lid and studied the rotary table inside. The needle was still ticking steadily. Ye Qingxuan looked up at the clock and saw that the time was accurate.

  He thought that perhaps someone at the union adjusted the time, but then he realized that there was no knob to adjust. If one wanted to, he would have the open the entire thing and adjust the core. But the seam was still wound tight, and it was clear that no one had opened it. Not even a speck of dust could get through the seam. Ye Qingxuan could only use the reflection to see that it was there. So it had never been adjusted since its creation, but it had the exact time.

  “Amazing precision.” Ye Qingxuan clutched the watch. Feeling the faint vibrations in his palm, he could not imagine how the machine’s core worked.

  “I doubt it’s that simple.” Charles touched the pocket watch with a finger and his expression changed. “There’s…”

  A voice sounded from the side, cutting Charles off. “Sir, can I have a moment with you?” A well-dressed middle-aged man had appeared beside him. His smile was warm and his voice was soft and deep, but not far away was Edmund, his expression much uglier.

  Seeing Edmund, Ye Qingxuan furrowed his brows, not wanting to deal with him. “I’m sorry, but I’m a bit short on time.” He glanced at Bradley. “What’s the matter?”

  Although seeing that the youth did not want to talk to him, Bradley’s expression was still gentle and warm. Putting his hand to his chest in apology, he said, “I’m sorry for bothering you. The thing is, the Double Snake Time Meter in your hands is very important to me. Would you be able to part with it?” Bradley looked him up and down, taking in his old jacket. A sense of understanding appeared in his eyes. He took out a check. “I can buy it from you for fifty thousand pounds…”

  “Tch, did you forget a zero?” Charles could not help but laugh. He nudged the youth’s shoulder. “Junior, sell it to me. I’ll give you sixty thousand!”

  “You!” Anger flashed through Bradley’s eyes, but it disappeared quickly.

  “It’s called Double Snake Time Meter? Sounds nice.” Ye Qingxuan studied the watch in his hands. “And sir, isn’t your price a little low?”

  “Fifty thousand for a stupid watch is good enough for you,” Edmund said coldly. “Just see it as our charity.” When he finished, he felt the glare from his uncle. His expression instantly changed and he shut up obediently.

  “Hah, really?” Ye Qingxuan laughed and held up his hand. “The shell looks like metal, but it’s actually ancient silver. The most obvious sign is the rare spots. Lapis like this isn’t mined often. One gram should be around 700 pounds. This watch is around fifty grams, so the price should be at least thirty five thousand. I didn’t check, but the watch core for an ancient silver shell should at least be made by the top mechanic in the West. Let’s add twenty-thousand for now.” Ye Qingxuan hooked his forefinger on the chain, twirling the watch beautifully around his wrist, letting it land in his palm. His finger slid down and opened the watch.

  He felt around and his finger stopped at the edge of the lid. His smile instantly became mocking. “It should be at least ninety years old. If we ignore everything else and just look at the wear and use on the surface, it’s clearly an antique. Using the price of items from the same time period at auctions as reference, it’s easily one hundred thousand. If the watch core is marked by a famous craftsman, the price can soar even more.”

  As the youth spoke quietly, Bradley’s features twisted more and more. Finally, Ye Qingxuan raised his head and asked calmly, “Are you sure fifty thousand isn’t a joke?”

  74 Charles

  “Hey, don’t…” Edmund wanted to say something, but Bradley raised a hand, telling him it was unnecessary.

  “The energy of young people is always so impressive.” He maintained his gentle smile and wrote a new check. “I can give you twenty…”

  “Sorry, but I’m not selling,” Ye Qingxuan interrupted.

  Bradley’s smile froze. In the silence, his spirit crumbled bit by bit until all that remained was gloom. “Young man, this isn’t the place for you to joke,” he said quietly, running a thumb over the family emblem on his sleeve cuff. “Check who you are talking to. If I were you, I’d take the money before it’s too late.”

  He looked down at the youth and ripped off the check from the book. Holding it between two fingers, he held it out to him. “Would you like to reconsider? Even if you are brave, you should think about the others.”

  “Uncle, there’s also a little girl…” Edmund whispered to Bradley, his eyes evil.

  Hearing this, Charles’ expression changed, fury in his eyes. He moved forward, but Ye Qingxuan stopped him.

  Ye Qingxuan put back the watch silently and straightened his collar. Looking up at Bradley, his eyes were cold and full of disdain, as if it were snowing in his eyes, and there was a black vortex under the snow. “Important figures are so ugly. They can make everything sound like a blessing.” He lifted a finger and flicked the check away, glancing at Edmund. “If anything happens to Bai Xi, you’ll regret what you said today. I swear on it.”

  At this, Edmund’s features twisted, as if angry. But being looked at by those eyes made him feel scared for some reason.

  “Let’s go, senior. There’s no point in talking to these wild dogs.” Ye Qingxuan looked away and turned to leave.

  —

  “Who does he think he is?” Behind him, Bradley’s stared at his backside, his expression turned menacing. He pressed down on the flute in his robe and opened his mouth, chanting an activation spell.

  Suddenly, the faint and graceful sound from a flute entered Ye Qingxuan and Charles’ ears. The low sound was like eerie whispering, wrapping around their brains and growing quickly like mutated seeds. It was like poisonous fungus growing under the spring sun, sucking on the tree’s nutrients.

  Ye Qingxuan suddenly felt dazed. His legs weakened until he almost tripped. His body stiffened as if something had sapped his energy, and his body was no longer under his control.

  This was Telemann’s Flute Concerto Op. 68—Marionette. It was the most commonly played piece by the School of Mind. By entering one’s consciousness, the rune would live like a parasite
. Then it would wipe out the victim’s consciousness, turning him into a puppet of the cruel music.

  Under the control of the melody, the stiff youth turned slowly. Like a broken puppet, it tried to walk back.

  Bradley looked at the returning youth, satisfaction flashing through his sinister eyes. He reached out a hand. “Give me the Double Snake Time Meter.”

  Ye Qingxuan’s moves were stiff, but he did not reach out.

  Bradley’s eyes turned furious. He played the flute again, the music sharp and becoming higher pitched until it suddenly stopped. It was as if it had been caught in his throat and died.

  “Hey, Mr. Bradley, long time no see.” Bradley’s expression froze because a hand reached out from before and rested on his shoulder.

  The man who seemed to be wandering casually hung onto Bradley like he had no bones and whispered, “I know you have been out for a long time, but you haven’t forgotten about the rules, right?”

  The deep voice sent a chill down Bradley’s spine and his arm trembled.

  A hand was on the flute in his arms, and eether radiated from that palm. It had the ability of rust and could destroy his beloved instrument in a second! There were many rules in the Musician Union, but not many were really that important. Of the few that had punishments, the gravest was that no matter the circumstances, one may not fight in the Musician Union!

  “Mr. A-administrator.” He turned stiffly and said quietly, “I believe this is a misunderstanding.”

  “Perhaps. Should we speak somewhere else?” The administrator smiled and pulled him to the side. Bradley instinctively tried to struggle, but he could not get free. The hand was like iron.

  The administrator turned to look at him. “I said, let’s speak somewhere else. Did you not hear me?”