Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  But then Sam no longer wanted to be Anta’s brother anymore. Anta was an obstacle, the elites told him. And then Anta died. He died in an alley, shot to death by his own brothers’ arrows. Until he died, he had never used his inhuman strength and skill that had given him his status in downtown, winning him the respect of his brothers.

  Anta had been surrounded by those he thought was his family, humiliatingly turned into a porcupine, but he did not die then. Instead, he growled furiously like a true werewolf.

  “Aren’t we brothers?” Anta finally asked Sam, who had planned it all. “We’re family. Why did you do this to me?”

  “We are family.” A little upset, Sam used a dagger to dig out Anta’s heart, “Can’t you sacrifice a little for family?” And so Anta gave up his heart for his family’s success.

  “I will not forgive you,” Anta had said. Then he died, his eyes wide open.

  Later, Sam buried Anta to placate the others, or maybe to placate himself. But Anta’s tomb had been dug up. Some said that homeless men dug up his tomb to steal the burial items. Others said that it was opened from the inside. Everyone who had been there would describe to others how there were countless scratches on the coffin. There was blood and flesh all around. They all formed the same name over and over again:

  “Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam…”

  “I will not forgive you,” the murmur suddenly sounded in his ears again. Sam spun around, blood drained from his face. But there was not a decaying corpse staring at him in the deathly pale moonlight. There was nothing there except for the new members of the Pyramid Scheme. They watched Sam in shock, whispering amongst themselves, unable to hide their fear.

  “Anta? It really is Anta!” Staring into the darkness, scared out of his wits, Sandro stumbled back. “You’re back?! How can you…”

  Crack!

  “Calm down, Sandro.” The Pyramid King’s slap forced Sandro back to reality. Gazing around, he narrowed his hateful eyes, “Someone is messing with us.”

  “Boss, I-I heard his voice.”

  “That is Phantom Voice. Musicians love using it to mess with people.” Sam Luo forced a cold laugh, repressing the fear in his heart. He had interacted with those legendary figures in all his years living in downtown. Those legendary figures would come do dirty work for money too.

  The Pyramid King had hired some before, and had even killed some. No matter how powerful a low-level musician was, he was still a man, and would die when he had lost enough blood.

  “He must be close if he wants to affect us, but there’s nowhere to hide here” he murmured. His hawk eyes locked on his underlings, “He’s hiding within you!”

  The group instantly grew restless. They studied each other in shock. None of them had expected a demon to be hiding amongst them.

  “Everyone here looks familiar,” Sandro said. “There can’t be a musician.”

  Growing sure of this thought, Sam spat out, “For a musician, changing a face is easier than changing his pants!” With his command, the men behind him raised their bows, aiming at the crowd. Stunned, the thugs began yelling. Some gripped the handles of their swords.

  “Sam, what are you doing?!” someone yelled. “We’re here to make a living. How can you do this to us?”

  “No one is allowed to move!” Sam stared coldly at them, “There is a traitor amongst you! No one is allowed to move until we find him! Otherwise, I will be dragging you all to the grave with me. Don’t blame me for being heartless!”

  In the crowd, Bai Xi stepped back subconsciously. She had started to regret being here. She was here because she worried about Ye Qingxuan, but now he was going to get her killed! But what had just happened made her suspicious. Could her gentle and kind cousin really be the one who had fooled all of those thugs? Or was there someone else? Someone even more dangerous…

  She looked around instinctively, observing every terrified face. But there was no trace of Ye Qingxuan. Suddenly, she thought of something. Seeing the surging darkness outside of the area illuminated by torches, she finally knew where Ye Qingxuan was hiding. “That *ss…” she thought.

  At the same time, a vague melody sounded. As if the hate sleeping in the cemetery had finally awoken, the melody resounded in each person’s ears. The melody, containing countless feelings of franticness, turned into a black river, flowing into their hearts. And so the deepest and most painful memories in their hearts were awoken, bringing with it ineffable terror.

  “Monster! There’s a monster!” Bai Xi yelled in a deep voice, helping Ye Qingxuan create panic. “Run, the Pyramid King wants to kill us!”

  With that, some men could no longer take the strange tension and ran, but the Pyramid King’s men coldly raised their bows. The arrows whistled through the air, and a giant hole was made in the back of the running figures. The rune Explosion had been carved onto the arrow! Within a few moments, the writhing body on the ground stopped moving. Black blood flowed from the wound, dying the broken tiles on the path, seeping into the dirt.

  “Sam has started already! He wants to kill us all…” Bai Xi yelled in another voice after changing her location. “Get rid of him! He’s crazy…”

  The crowd rustled. Anger flashed through everyone’s eyes as they instinctively grasped their weapons, but they were met with a row of raised bows.

  “I said no one is allowed to move!” Sam roared. His eyes darted around, searching for the source of the melody. “Get the f*ck out! You motherf*cker, I know you’re here!” But the sharp melody continued to echo like swords scraping against each other. It wailed with inexplicable frustration and depression, as if a vengeful ghost had climbed out of its coffin.

  “I said that I will come,” the dark melody echoed in the dark and decaying cemetery. A deep voice sounded. It was polite like a gentleman, but filled with mockery. “Thank you for preparing such an unusual welcoming ceremony. To return the gift, I want to bring you the greeting from…an old friend.” With that, the dark melody grew in intensity, rushing into Sam’s ears like a tidal wave. The chilling sound was like furious roaring, like a demon singing in hell.

  Every note slammed into the weakest part of his heart. Every melody dug at his unspeakable past. The dark melody resounded in his consciousness, unearthing the nightmares entangled in his memories. The Pyramid King saw fresh blood flow from the ground. Before him, the corpse that he had just shot opened its eyes. The soulless eyes ignited with fury. It was raw hate.

  The corpse’s face gradually changed, becoming rough and wild, like a werewolf. His body was filled with arrows. He had been turned into a porcupine, but he refused to die. He stared at the Pyramid King, the man who had once been his brother, “Sam, Sam, Sam…”

  The Pyramid King suddenly remembered the moment before the man had died. Lying in blood, Anta had stared deeply into him and murmured as if he were cursing him, “I will not forgive you, Sam!” It truly was…a lifelong nightmare!

  “It really is you…” The Pyramid King stumbled back. Unable to accept the reality, his face turned ghastly white, “You’re dead! You should be dead!”

  112 Dark Musician

  In the darkness, the youth gripped his cane, manipulating the dark melody with his eyes closed. He was in a place where it was impossible to be disturbed, and he could focus entirely on manipulating the aether. He could feel the music notes flowing with his mind, jumping out of the instrument strings, falling into the omnipresent sea of aether. The notes echoed and the ripple spread in all directions. It was his first time experiencing this sweet feeling.

  Before, precise manipulation had been close to impossible, but now, with the help of Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, it was easy as pie. Maybe this was the ‘feeling’ that Charles always spoke of. The dark music was a link, connecting man with aether. Ye Qingxuan was entirely submerged in this amazing experience. Jiu Xiao Huan Pei was now fully awake, an extension of his right hand.

  For a millennium, this zither had resonated with his ancestors, becoming one with the Ye lineage. Now, it
became Ye Qingxuan’s cane, helping him run down the road to becoming a musician.

  Just as his consciousness expanded with the aether, the melody suddenly stopped. “Bai Xi? Old Phil?” His eyes flew open in shock. “Why are you here?!”

  —

  In the crowd, Bai Xi watched everything in bewilderment.

  Sam went crazy under everyone’s gaze. He screamed at the empty darkness and stumbled back, scared out of his wits.

  Chills went down everyone’s spines. Outside the illuminated area, the darkness surged. The dark melody was like the tragic song of a demon in hell, calling for death.

  “It’s Anta, it’s brother Anta!” A thug with a bow in his hands looked around, his eyes filled with fear. “He’s back! He’s back for revenge!”

  Sandro gaped at his boss’ hysterical reaction. He moved to stop him, but as soon as he touched his shoulder, the Pyramid King screamed.

  He spun around and aimed the bow at Sandro’s head. “Go die!” The Pyramid King’s eyes were blood red. “Die!”

  Sandro froze, “Boss, I…”

  Crack! His head exploded and he fell.

  Amidst the spray of blood, the Pyramid King stood atop of the corpse, bellowing with laughter. With his face covered in blood, he continued kicking the body. “Dead, he’s dead! Haha, Anta, you died again! You died again. If I can kill you once, I can kill you again!” Stepping on Sandro’s corpse, he shot arrow after arrow. The hysterical laughter did not fade until Sandro became a porcupine.

  Finally, his reason won against his fear. He woke from his daze and touched the blood on his face, not knowing what had just happened. “Sandro? Sandro?!” The Pyramid King called his underling’s name, not knowing that he had just shot his most trusted man’s head open.

  Everyone stared at him in horror, stepping back as if watching a lunatic.

  In the silence, the Pyramid King seemed to understand. He screamed, “Get the f*ck out of here!” He stared at the crowd with dead and dark eyes, trying to see which face hid the demon. He continued screaming, “Get out of here! I’m going to kill you, you son of a b*tch!”

  “D-dark musician!” someone in the crowd yelped. “Run, that guy is a dark musician!” Dark musician! In an instant, everyone was suddenly “enlightened,” having realized the true nature of the monster, and the fear came soon after.

  Yes, only a creature like a dark musician could manipulate such an eerie melody, play with a man’s mind so easily, and turn someone into a lunatic. All dark musicians were either wanted by secret authorities for exploring forbidden areas, or joined Satan, aiding in natural catastrophes. No matter what, dark musicians were synonymous with fear and monsters. No matter what, they had so much blood on their hands! Just like the Rain Artist who had given his hometown to Satan without hesitation, these things were monsters unable to be measured by morals or common knowledge. An indescribable panic radiated from everyone with the murmurs and whispers.

  —

  “Dark musician?” Ye Qingxuan’s expression changed in the darkness, “Am I really like that?” He was troubled. All he had done was make a plan. First, he had learned of the Pyramid King’s past from multiple people, getting the information he needed. Then by attacking Kruger, he was able to make the Pyramid King angry. Then he guided the man to discover the tombstone he had prepared, instilling fear. Finally, Sandro uttered the name “Anta” in panic, successfully touching on the deepest fear in the Pyramid King’s heart. Thus, the Pyramid King was submerged in his nightmare since the beginning. Black Friday had just been the bait. It weakened his guard, leading him to hallucinate on his own until he lost all control. The process was just much more successful than Ye Qingxuan had anticipated.

  When Ye Qingxuan first hatched the plan, he had thought it would be difficult, but had never expected for the whole thing to be so…natural? It seemed logical, as if fear was supposed to be pulled out like that. It was so easy. How many sins must one commit for their heart to be filled with so much poison? A poisonous snake would kill itself in the end. Forgotten dark pasts would remain in one’s heart, trapped in the body like a ghost haunting the soul. One day, they would have to face their sins and pay for it all.

  Ye Qingxuan had no pity. They should have known that this day would come; the day they started down their evil path!

  —

  “Come out! Out!” The Pyramid King was still yelling hysterically under the torchlight. “You’re here…I know you’re here!” He pulled something out, his eyes becoming cruel, “I’m going to count to three. If you still don’t come out, then you’ll be sorry.” The object in his hands shone coldly under the moon. It was a mirror. But a menacing face was carved on the back of the mirror. It was covered with scales, and the hair was made of writhing snakes. The lively forked tongues moved—the Mirror of Medusa!

  In the crowd, Bai Xi recognized the item and her heart skipped a beat. It was alchemy equipment from the School of Summoning. The Summoning musician could release the demon sealed in the mirror through “Song of the Exiled.” After the seal was broken, the reflection of Medusa would be summoned. This was rare equipment that could be used without any musical skills. The only requirement was to fulfill Medusa’s thirst for blood.

  Medusa was also known as the “spirit of vengeance.” The moment she was summoned, she would exact revenge on anyone who had hurt the summoner. Even if it was just a melody to awaken the darkness inside his heart. It was not the worst in terms of destruction. This reflection of Medusa could only attack with its snake hair, and was not much for a third level musician, but it was infamous for its resilience. It was extremely difficult to win against it. If one made eye contact with it, they were sure to suffer the Stone Curse. This infamous curse would turn a man into stone, and they could not be turned back. Only a few music scores could protect against the curse, and most musicians were terrified of it, not to mention Ye Qingxuan, who had been a student up until a few days ago.

  —

  Bai Xi furrowed her brows, trying to think of a solution, but before she could think of anything, a desolate melody spread from the ancient mirror. Desolation filled the melody, resounding under the moon. It was the melody carved into the mirror—Song of the Exiled!

  Reflecting the moonlight, a shadow flew from the mirror. It dove into the corpse on the ground, eating its fill. In an instant, the corpse turned to blood. Medusa’s reflection appeared slowly. Her snake hair danced. The venom on her teeth dripped onto the ground, sizzling.

  “Go,” Sam growled, “find the musician.”

  The summoned demon gazed around, studying each face before her. Her vertical pupils were filled with cruelty. She sniffed each breath in the air. Sensing the ripple of aether until she finally found a trace.

  In the darkness, Ye Qingxuan could feel the coldness closing in. The Jiu Xiao Huan Pei vibrated in his hands, warning him of approaching danger. He focused, preparing to fight back.

  Beside the Pyramid King, Medusa’s red eyes brightened and she hissed. Using a beastly sense of smell and her sense of aether, she found the direction of the enemy. The snakes danced crazily. The glow of the Stone Curse lit up.

  “There’s no way this time,” Bai Xi sighed in the crowd. “Cousin, you’re really going to get me killed this time…” she murmured. “I just came for the show. Why do I have to do this for you? And for a pretty girl like me, shouldn’t everything be solved by using my beauty?”

  Murmuring something, Bai Xi stepped forward, out of the crowd. Under the dancing flames and everyone’s eyes, she took off her mask. Bai Xi revealed her delicate face.

  Sam spun around. Seeing her, confusion flashed through his eyes.

  “Oh, good evening, my friend.” The girl raised an arm. The silver bracelet around her wrist tinkled like a chime. Every movement created a crisp sound. Ding

  “Who are you?” Sam roared, raising the bow in his hand.

  “I’m a messenger of justice, just passing by,” Bai Xi stated, raising both hands. She had put on black glo
ves at some point. Fingers clasped, drum beats echoed faintly in the air. Faced with the bow aimed at her, the girl raised her arms obediently.

  “Don’t kill me, I surrender…” She paused, grinning, “Just kidding!” And so thunder boomed!

  113 Pomp and Circumstance

  As the girl clasped her fingers, the black gloves pulled tight. Instantly, deafening drum beats burst in the air like frantic thunder. The explosion tugged at everyone’s hearts, turning into an irresistible rhythm. The bells on Bai Xi’s wrists shook, the broken yet crisp sounds joined together into the whistle of furious winds.

  In an instant, there was thunder and wind, transforming into a melody with the rhythm. There was no overture, no buildup, and it surged from all directions without any warning. It was powerful like a thousand war stallions charging forward, majestic like a royal procession. The mousy girl seemed to have suddenly stepped before the throne. Her eyes were arrogant yet stern. Her expression was no longer playful but…pompous! School of Modifications: Pomp and Circumstance March, Movement One!

  The preparations and guidance of countless musicians were needed to reach the climax. But without warning, the climax came, along with the brute strength known as ‘Zhaodang.’ Like a coronation, it was grave yet majestic, and destroyed all attempts at resistance!

  For a second, terrifying light shone from the girl’s eyes. This piece composed by Saint Elgar symbolized the coronation of King Arthur when he first established the kingdom. Working as the messenger of God, the Pope placed a halo over Arthur’s head, representing that he had become an apostle and controlled divine power to rid the world of all evil. All musicians who performed this piece would receive the halo, temporarily having this divine power.

  This symbol was the halo above the girl’s head. It radiated thunder and electricity, feeding her with unimaginable strength. Even if it was a rushed performance, she possessed an inhuman strength by using her talent to forcefully perform this melody from another level.