Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  The moment it swept past him, a blurry thread soundlessly shot through the heavy rain and stuck onto the carriage. The faint melody and thin rippling of aether were covered by the rainwater and condensation. No one could sense it.

  Watching as the carriage went off into the distance, Ye Qingxuan rose and reached out to Bai Xi. “Let’s go.”

  -

  On the carriage, Claude suddenly felt unsettled for some reason. He sat elegantly in his carriage. The soundproof walls blocked out the sounds of the rain. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought.

  A starry sky appeared in his mind. The stars shifted as if reflecting fate. He felt unsettled as he communicated with the aether, but he could not lay a finger on why.

  He subconsciously caressed the bone flute in his hands. It was heavy like gold and iron, looked like bone, but felt sturdy like steel. The coldness spread through his hands and the slight ripple in his heart calmed. All was still. He had entered a state of serenity. He was extremely peaceful, but he could burst out with all his strength at any time. His slightly furrowed brows relaxed.

  “How enviable. This is the Silver Virgo from the twelve zodiacs. It is a famous weapon created from the blueprint left behind by legendary divine artisan. It’s the most suitable for musicians of the School of Revelations. With the Silver Virgo in your hand, you’ll be at the most perfect state for battle at any time. It can remove any disturbances on your mind. There is neither fear nor panic…With it, your ability will increase at least tenfold, would it not, Mr. Claude?”

  At the light voice, Claude furrowed his brows slightly and opened his eyes. Before him was the hovering apparition of the robin.

  “Revelations musicians are naturally unsuitable for battle. As per our agreement, I’ve helped you trace the Professor. But why do I have to join the mission?” Claude huffed angrily. “Can you not find anyone for the dirty work?”

  “This is about the Professor. We must be careful. He has always been mysterious and if we slip up in the slightest, he will escape again. Then it will be even harder to find him,” the robin replied smoothly. “You are the best choice. The Professor is skilled in the Schools of Illusions and Mind, but your Starry Eyes can see through all illusions and influences. He is nothing to fear.”

  “But we’ve agreed that I am only responsible for aid and observation. I will not approach the site at all. If it fails, I’m leaving. Don’t think that I’ll continue slaving for you.”

  “Of course. Musicians are very precious and cannot be compared to assassins. You are even a Royal Musician with a great future.” The robin gazed at the flute and said, “But the Silver Virgo is an invaluably precious instrument. The blueprint and material are all quite expensive. We’ve put in much and you must prove that it was worth the cost.”

  “I will.” Claude nodded and closed his eyes again. He needed to ensure the most perfect conditions before it all began.

  The robin nodded as well and the apparition dissipated.

  —

  Five minutes later, the carriage stopped. The door opened and a thin figure arrived with an umbrella. It was an old woman clad in a black robe that covered her body, but her beautiful curves still caught one’s eye.

  “Mr. Claude? We’ve been expecting you.” She led Claude into an empty room. The only light source was the flame inside an oil bucket.

  A sharp and burly figure beside the fire caught Claude’s eye. He gazed at the scriptures tattooed on the old man’s face and the ring on his finger. There was a skull on the band and it seemed crude and worn.

  “The Chainsaw Fraternity?” he murmured.

  The old man looked up at him, nodded, and pointed at his neck. There was a ring of rust around his neck. It seemed as if something had been implanted into his body, restricting him from speaking.

  Claude thought of something and his eyes flashed. He looked away from the throat and subconsciously moved away.

  He looked at the pale-faced woman beside him. “There’s only two of you?”

  “And I.” A hoarse voice sounded from the corner, causing Claude to stiffen. As an experienced Revelations musician, there were not many who could pass under his radar. He had even broken past the Barrier of Knowledge and resonated with the world, receiving the power that could see through anything—the Starry Eyes! And yet he did not sense that there was another person in this cramped room.

  The man sitting cross-legged in the shadowy corner cracked a smile. There was no warmth in the menacing smile. Like a snake, his mouth opened from ear to ear, and two thin tongues peeked out. “You smell good,” the man murmured to himself.

  The beastly eyes stared at Claude, forcing him to gasp subconsciously. A dark musician! Only a dark musician would betray the musician’s vow and sell himself to the devil for power and forbidden knowledge, turning his body into a demon.

  “You are…Blue Teeth?” Recognizing the man, cold sweat beaded on the back of Claude’s neck.

  Blue Teeth, Yellow Foot, and Red Eye were three dark musician brothers who had entered the wanted list ten years ago. They were known for the missing person’s case of De’a City.

  Half a year after they left the city, the tax official found countless bones in the basement. Apparently, forensics was able to put together more than seventy skeletons, but the amount people that had gone missing was many times that number. The three brothers had used civilians for their mutation experiments. After finishing the last one, they were accepted by Satan.

  Claude had never expected Blue Teeth to have the guts to enter Avalon. He sucked in a cold breath. “The Musician Union watches over the entire city at all times. Are you not afraid of being captured?”

  “No.” Blue Teeth shook his head. “Isn’t there another shameless fellow around nowadays, stealing everyone’s attention? Since the robin said that you’re safe, I’ll need you to cover for me later.”

  Claude’s hand trembled and he managed to look away.

  Under the Starry Eyes, the man was entangled in strings of blood and hate. If not for something that had blocked the enchantment’s sensors, he would have set off the alarm as soon as he neared Avalon’s borders.

  Claude finally knew why the robin had forced him to be here…it was so he could cover up for this d*mned dark musician! Otherwise, the entire military would be alerted!

  “It’s getting late. We must finish before midnight; otherwise it will be difficult to escape.” The pale woman looked at Claude.

  Claude forced himself to ignore the eyeball in Blue Teeth’s mouth and grasped the Silver Virgo, calming his mind. Following the whistling melody of the flute, the aether changed, connecting the souls of those present.

  He played a soundless melody and his body trembled. His pallor changed from dark to red, finally turning ghastly white as if he had lost blood, but his eyes brightened, reflecting the brilliant stars in the sky. Instantaneous casting of his sound of heart!

  His sound of heart, Starry Eyes, had been awoken. Physical boundaries were nothing but thin paper before those eyes. Only walls could blur his vision. All color disappeared, casting him into a world of black and white. What replaced the color was the radiance of the aether.

  Using the connections between their souls, he shared this strange vision with the other three. Blue Teeth whistled, yearning flashing through his eyes. The Eyes of Aether of the School of Revelations was so convenient. Would it still work if he took those eyes?

  “The Professor is hiding in the Rodrigo Church in this area.” Claude waved his hands and the aether formed a reflection of the streets. The image zoomed in, focusing on the church. As the silver light changed, one could faintly see the layers of enchantment alarms. Even if he was in his hiding place, the Professor still did not let down his guard.

  “I can help you block out Avalon’s enchantment, but there is only half an hour. At midnight, the enchantment will begin scanning the streets again. If you are caught at that time, I will not be able to help.” Claude stated.

/>   “With the help of the Eyes of Aether, most alarms won’t be of any threat” he said to Blue Teeth. You can enter easily. I can decipher the Professor’s illusions and mind tricks too. You just have to do the physical work.”

  The pale woman nodded and walked into the rain with the old man, disappearing into the darkness.

  Blue Teeth’s figure writhed and disappeared in a gust of vile wind.

  Claude sat in the empty room, focusing on blocking the enchantment’s scans. Everything was going as planned but for some reason, he grew more and more unsettled.

  —

  A figure stood quietly on a roof in the torrential rain, gazing at the people approaching the church.

  Occasional lightning snaked through the clouds, bringing with it blinding white light. The flash of light illuminated his dark eyes.

  The Vengeful Spirit—Sherlock Holmes.

  143 Alarm

  The rain from the sky fell endlessly as the sound covered everything. In the midst of the storm, the white-faced woman and old man walked down the street as the rain splashed on their black clothes.

  The woman lowered her head as she walked and tore off the ribbon wrapped around her waist. The large black robe slipped off, and as it fell, her naked body was exposed to the storm. Rain washed over her pale skin. Raindrops rolled down her slender neck and onto her chest, following a faint scar down her slender legs to the puddles on the ground.The wind picked up the black robe, and it tossed and turned before finally flying up to the sky.

  The bare woman drew two slender steel objects from the lining of the flying black robe. One was short, the other long. The set of double swords seemed to come to life in her hands. They easily cut through the rain, setting off a wave of water vapor.

  The blades had a strange design. There were many upturned pieces like the scales of a cold-blooded creature. As her blood flowed into the blade, the scales vibrated slightly. The spitting of snakes cut through the wind—Alchemy double swords: Snake Scales

  This was a weapon of alchemy, forged by the bones of a famous assassin from a century ago. It contained the assassin’s soul and murderous intent. The ashes of the deceased gave life to the blades, making them extremely sharp and the possessor of incredible power.

  In the pouring rain, the white-faced woman’s figure suddenly dimmed and disappeared. At first, one could still see a faint outline, but as the two swords danced, even the vague shadow disappeared. Then there was no trace of the white-faced woman in the heavy rain anymore.

  “Pay attention to the Eyes of Aether searching, be careful when decoding the alarms, and do not disturb the Professor,” Claude warned through the soul line.

  In the storm, the old man halted. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the building before him. Like the entire street, the church in the Rodrigo district was dark. All was asleep.

  The white-faced woman walked quietly and flipped over the fence without disturbing the alarm above.

  The old man stopped in front of the door. Under the Eyes of Aether, the lock on the door was wrapped in a complicated seal. Both using a key and opening it regularly would raise the alarm.

  The two began to act after exchanging a few sentences telepathically. Soon, the heavy door trembled and fell forward entirely. The sword Snake Scales had cut the door off its hinges and separated it from the building.

  The old man walked forward and grasped the heavy door. A strange power was brewing in his burly body. Then he gently and slowly pulled the whole door out as if it was light as straw and tossed it onto the grass. The two entered.

  Behind the door, the night watchman was shocked when he saw the door collapse without a sound. Eyes widening, he opened his mouth to shout something, only to be met with a sharp blade slitting his throat, blood spewing out. The blood gathered in the rain and seeped into the grass.

  The man crossed over the body and walked straight towards the church behind the courtyard. Along the way, the hidden woman unlocked the alarms and traps one by one under Claude’s guidance.

  Sometimes, the grass flipped over after some small crackles. Other times, the stone beast on the wall split into two.

  “D*mmit! What school does the Professor even belong to?” Even Claude, a Revelations musician who was an expert at insight, was forced to put his all into dealing with the Professor’s traps. This interlocking trap needed a long time to figure out, even for him. Without extreme caution, they would be caught easily.

  Fortunately, the white-faced woman’s Snake Scales double swords were the best dismantling tool. These two alchemy weapons were designed to decode and kill.

  In silence, the two quietly approached the door, their sounds covered by the rain. With the Eyes of Aether, they were able to see dozens of figures inside the church’s hall, guarding it from all directions.

  Gathering in the church at this time and guarding all entrances…They obviously were not religious believers who came to pray before bed.

  “They are all Professor’s men. Be careful of them,” Claude said.

  He paused and instantly became shocked. “Wait, don’t do it yet!” He squinted, his Starry Eyes penetrated the wall and focused on a red light that represented danger. As he continued to probe, more and more red lights lit up from inside the hall. Practically the entire hall was covered in the light!

  “Be careful… there’s a trap.”

  Claude swallowed heavily. Cold sweat seeped out from his forehead. “This hall is full of traps, and the Professor used his men as bait. There are no musicians, but there are two pieces of alchemy equipment. Wait for me to cast the silent enchantment and then…”

  “Why so complicated?” Blue Teeth muttered impatiently. The dark musician walked out of the shadows and pressed his hands onto the heavy gates of the church hall. Two tongues poked out from his mouth and he began singing a very different melody.

  The hoarse tune loomed in the rain, calling up a puff of gray air. The puff spread from his hands and fell upon the heavy iron gates. The intricate patterns, the iron-cast Virgin Mary and the golden grains on the gates blurred. As if a millennium of weather had occurred in one moment, the iron gates crumbled to dust and were blown into the hall by the humid wind.

  Blue Teeth strode into the hall and looked around at the stunned thugs. His mouth cracked open and the melody changed. Suddenly, black smoke spewed out.

  The black smoke quickly spread as soon as it had left his mouth, engulfing the hall in a flash. Wherever the black smoke passed, everything was cast into absolute darkness. Even the sound of the alarm had disappeared. The hall was completely isolated from the outside world.

  Claude’s expression changed, fear in his eyes. This was the nightmare fog that dark musicians commonly used. Using Satan’s power to transform the aether, it could devour all light and sound to suppress the enemy’s actions.

  The white-faced woman and old man stepped into the fog. The black smoke rolled turbulently without stop, but there was no sound. Everything inside was unclear.

  Soon, the black smoke dissipated, revealing the blood and mutilated limbs scattered on the ground. The burly old man stood in the blood. His palms reached out from his heavy rain cloak, grasping the head of a survivor.

  The lucky survivor stared at him in great horror. He tried to scream but could make no sound. Then the old man clasped his fingers and the skull exploded! Boom!

  “What a waste,” Blue Teeth said as he glanced at the old man. “Does the Chainsaw Fraternity not know to treasure these materials?”

  The old man remained silent and just glanced at him.

  “Hurry up! Let’s get out of here. The trap could be triggered at any time!” Claude urged, gazing in the Professor’s direction. “Kill him while he’s still unprepared. He has begun his treatment, and a great deal of aether is gathering in the prayer room!” His complexion suddenly changed before he finished his words. “Be careful!”

  A shrill scream burst out. The alarm had been triggered! Under the Starry Eyes,
the entire hall quivered. The glowing red light began moving, trembling, and then it exploded!

  A piercing ray of aether light burst through the entire hall—dozens of traps were being triggered at the same time! In an instant, an invisible force attacked the mind.

  The little doll at Claude’s waist shattered. Blood drained from his face and oozed out from his nostrils, dripping onto the ground. He had taken all the psychological pain for the others!

  “F*ck, I told you to be careful!” Claude looked at his precious secret treasure and exploded in rage. “Which b*stard triggered the trap?”

  -

  Bai Xi stood on the rooftop outside the church. As the shrill alarm rang, she lowered the crossbow in her hand and whistled proudly.

  “Sneaking in is too boring, so let me help you make it more interesting,” Ye Qingxuan thought.

  Seeing the chaotic aether in the church, he gloated. How could he enjoy being the mastermind if he did not take the initiative to make a mess? He must admit that it felt really d*mn good.

  -

  In the hall, a piercing melody suddenly sounded in the air. The fiery and manic music echoed between the pillars, creating tidal waves in the still aether. Notes flashed on the walls, stone carvings, and columns. It was the grand movement that described the image of Hell!

  A gust of crazed wind blew violently for no reason. The burning air was like a blade, sweeping through the wind. Seemingly out of nowhere, a strong wind blew ferociously like a blade with a burning breath. It was just an instant sweep, and the hair curled up.

  “Foehn wind!” Claude cried. He stared blankly at the trap, a chill running down his spine. “This is…Fire Cellar!”

  The next moment, a crack appeared in in the air. A drop of red light fell down like water. What followed was an incredible red tide. It was molten iron and lava. The red tide swept through like a tsunami, easily turning all ornaments in the hall to ash.