by Feng Yue
Boom! In an instant, the black mud exploded. The youth’s figure was finally revealed, as well as the vibrating instrument strings in his hands, and something rising slowly behind him.
It was some sort of solidified power. It grew out of the darkness, but it shone with pure yet terrifying light. Like a lotus, like clear water, like a mirror, like an illusion of one’s heart, like an ancient song, like the convergence of all purity in the world…It was moonlight as pure as white jade!
The melody changed suddenly, transforming from cold and sparse to a surging wave. The resounding melody grouped behind him, lifting the nonexistent moon into the sky. And so, there was radiant light in the darkness!
It was not burning, blazing or wild. It was merely cool and shone selflessly, giving its flawless light to the ceremony filled with evil.
He was only illuminated by it, but Red Eye felt a wave of pain. The eyes of the body he was using suddenly exploded, as if it could not make eye contact with such pure light. The illusion-like moonlight shone through the walls and tunnels, illuminating all that was dark, far and beyond.
The moonlight was like a tidal wave, but there was no thunderous crash. In its path, the black mud began to tremble, toss and turn. It evaporated into strands of black gas and disappeared in the moonlight.
As if a hammer was striking his heart, Red Eye’s single eye went black. If he still had a body, he would have started vomiting. He could feel the walking dead, the twisted humans, start to break apart and break down, swallowed by the moonlight. Even the Royal Musicians who had huddled together and used countless secret treasures and scores to avoid the mud were now immersed in the moonlight-like melody. Their eyes changed dramatically—sometimes ferocious, sometimes wild.
They tried so hard to fight against the moonlight. But in the end, they sat onto the ground soullessly. All that remained in their eyes was serenity. A drunken smile appeared on their faces. They were immersed in the all-consuming moonlight.
Crack! Before Red Eye, the Codex Calixtinus trembled suddenly. A crack appeared on the old lambskin scroll and the words written in blood began to fade. The treasure created from the lives of dozens of musicians had been damaged too, but Red Eye did not have the time to feel sad. He had to worry about himself now.
The frantic hymn began wildly again, fighting against the moonlight melody like a tsunami. It still held the upper hand and still had the absolute advantage, but it still could not eradicate the melody of the moonlight. No, even worse, the moonlight had started to…seep in!
In that moment, the bodies of the countless zombies in the underground palace shook and tremored. With every tremor, Red Eye’s reason would shake. He could barely keep sane. It was a shaking between his body and mind!
The moonlight’s gentle melody seeped into the zombies’ bodies, resounding in the long-dead minds. A crack appeared between the consciousness and bodies that had become one.
The dead bodies and Red Eye’s consciousness had always been two entities. With each shake, the differences between them enlarged. They were close to tearing apart now!
As the consciousness did not belong to the dead, Red Eye felt his manipulation and control grow more difficult with each shudder. Every music note that rang struck his weakest spot, causing his mind to grow heavy. This was so cruel. Holmes was trying to cut off his source!
Red Eye’s broken face twisted. He roared suddenly and broke the connection, giving up on the advantage. During a fight where both sides were entangled, the worst was becoming muddled and confused. Cutting it off now was better than Ye Qingxuan taking over the connection completely and using the walking dead to control him. It would be truly problematic at that point!
His facial muscles twitched violently as sweat beaded on his forehead. It was difficult to breathe, but for some reason, something lit up in his eyes. He froze. Coldness spread through his body…it was the moonlight, the d*mn moonlight!
What was going on? When did it invade his will and plant such a fatal seed in his mind?!
He roared angrily. The Codex Calixtinus before him cracked abruptly and burned without fire. As it burned, the satanic power within it rushed into the remains of his skull. It transformed into horrifying anger and wildness, using his mind as a battlefield to fight the moonlight. But the light was like a tidal wave, drowning the darkness.
No matter if it was heinous hatred, wild murderous intent or uncontrollable anger, nothing could stop the invasion on the deepest part of his soul. Under the moon, hatred was smoothed, murderous intent dissipated and anger vanished. All will and emotions were assimilated under the moonlight. Even terror had disappeared without a trace.
Like water, the moonlight seeped into his soul. It was not cruel, but it washed away the dark memories in his mind like a god. All despair and darkness were washed away, transforming everything into tranquility and peace. All was pure.
Red Eye had never felt so relaxed and unrestrained before. He had become free of Satan’s control, as well as the evil thoughts and greed in his mind.
The redness in his eyes dissipated, gradually clearing. The clear eyes stared at the moonlight, shedding tears of repentance.
“It’s so beautiful,” Red Eye mumbled, drunk from the beauty of the flawless moonlight.
Like that, he bathed in the moonlight and took his last breath. Eternal peace fell upon him. He was dead.
“Beautiful?!” the robin muttered hoarsely, curled up in the corner.
No, he did not see any beauty. The satanic blood within him had practically burst into flames. It pierced into his heart, burning his consciousness, torturing his soul. He felt uncontrollable anger and…pure terror!
“This is the moon of purity! The moon of purity!” He bit his lower lip and thought of the strange rumor passed between the dark musicians. And the man who was like the Grim Reaper…
172 It’s Only Moonligh
A faint hymn resounded in the sky outside the hospital. Heavy rain covered the world, extinguishing the flames in downtown. With the last bit of fire put out, the world fell into darkness.
Occasionally, there was a flash of lightning. It would illuminate the menacing silhouette of the Arkham Asylum. Jerome stood in the downpour, studying the asylum quietly with dark eyes.
The aether ball in his hands shone dimly. Dozens of dim light spots shone within. They represented the Royal musicians swallowed by the darkness. The spots floated, sometimes converging and fighting against the darkness. They were like candles flickering in the wind. Some of the spots had already been completely extinguished.
Jerome’s brows furrowed. He held onto the leather case beside him. As an experienced commander, he did not move brashly. If he were outside, he would be able to detect changes at any given time and could provide help when needed. If he had charged in brashly and something changed, the entire group would be destroyed.
But if things did not improve in three minutes, he would use the secret royal order to open this leather case and take out what was sealed within. It was an instrument made from a saint’s bones. Once it was awoken, he would have the scepter temporarily.
But everyone who used it would be corroded by its strength. Those who could not withstand it would die on the spot. If he used it once, he might fall down one level and never be able to return in his life. This price was too much to pay.
As the seconds ticked by, the darkness surged and the hymn grew even wilder. He could not wait anymore and finally made his decision, but then the aether ball in his hand changed.
In an instant, the lights, like fragile flames shivering, suddenly extinguished. All light disappeared. As if they had been devoured by beasts, their connection was completely broken. Nothing he tried could reconnect them.
Jerome froze, horror flashing past his eyes. What had just happened?
Then something pierced his eyes. It was the brilliant light shining from the aether ball. He saw a giant tidal wave of aether appear from the darkness. The wave disturbed all the other aether fluctuati
ons and muted all other noise. An abnormally angry wave surged in the sea of aether.
In an instant, the complex changes had passed the limits of the aether ball. It went in overload and overheated. Even the raindrops that fell on the ball steamed and evaporated. Jerome’s expression changed and he tossed it away.
In the air, the metallic aether ball suddenly exploded, but Jerome did not have the time to worry about the object. In the downpour of rain, he raised his head in shock and looked into the surging darkness.
“What…the f*ck is this?”
-
Above the Arkham Asylum, the crazed darkness suddenly froze. As if it was a dying snake, it writhed in pain and slowly expanded. The hymn stopped abruptly and turned into the dying cries of the huge beast.
The screams filled with despair and wildness shook the sleeping city awake. The terrified men crawled out of bed in fear. Some people opened the windows carefully and stared in the direction of the screams.
They saw the darkness twist like a living thing, struggle and expand. Finally, it exploded! It had been killed. The destruction from the inside out dissipated with the wail.
Something brewed in the darkness and broke through the various locks, rising to the sky! In its path, all darkness was forced back, and the crazed hymn disappeared. Even Satan’s anger could not restrain it and was instead forced back into the abyss by it.
It was the pure moonlight!
Under everyone’s gaze, the pure white moon rose from the ground to the sky. Where its light reached, the storm stopped and the black clouds covering the sky retreated as well. Even the unsettled ocean calmed down.
The moon shone. All chaos became serene in this moment. The commotion and unrest disappeared and everyone’s hearts settled down. This was never seen before. There was no longer any fear or confusion. They were intoxicated by the moon and the pure gentleness of the light.
Under the moon’s light, sweat rolled down Jerome’s back. He struggled against the moonlight’s power, but his mind was a mess.
“Whose music score is this? Just resonating with the Originator is enough to form a Scepter in the aether world…” he murmured, trying to recall this familiar power.
A name paced between his memories, but he just could not remember. This was his first time experiencing this situation. Then why was his hand shaking?!
That person, that person…Who was it?!
Clang! A cold noise sounded behind him. It was the sound of a sword pulled out of its sheath. The blade and the sheath rubbed against each other and vibrated without stop! The whistle of the sword was like a lion’s roar. It sank into his mind and shook him from his thoughts.
The nightmare was finally over.
Jerome stumbled back and panted heavily. He did not dare to gaze at the moon’s radiance anymore. Behind him, someone pressed down on his shoulder. He looked back and saw a thin armored knight.
The knight was enveloped in a huge armor, hiding his face. The heavy armor covered his entire body and seemed majestic yet grave. Under the moonlight, the ridges were menacing. Jerome did not dare to make eye contact.
The knight’s other hand held a strange sword. This was the sword that had yanked Jerome out of his shaken thoughts. Its design was just like a large cross and looked as if it was forged by two steel bars. It was heavy and crude, but in the knight’s hand, it seemed to radiate with power.
Seeing him, Jerome no longer panicked.
Thud! Under his ardent gaze, the knight wielded his sword, stepped forward in the moonlight and thrusted the blade into the stone ground.
“In the name of the knights, eradicate all sorcery and evil!” The stern and majestic voice that came from the visor was a woman’s, but there was nothing gentle about it. Instead, it made one feel solemn.
Then, a heavy and regal bell rang in the distance. The enchantment that enveloped Avalon had been awoken. Shapeless power converged like a flood. Brilliant light fell from the sky!
The light shone onto the long sword and pierced into the darkness underground. This was the resonance with Avalon’s enchantment directly from the heart of the Westminster Palace—the strength from god attracted by the Elizabeth Tower. Any power that came from outside the enchantment would be forced away, regardless of whether it was a natural catastrophe or Satan!
The moment the light fell onto the blade, the sword roared like a dragon. The roar resounded in the moonlight, awakening everyone in the underground palace with the Royal Musician’s emblem from their stupor. The dazed men finally regained their sanity.
Drenched in sweat, they gaped at each other. No one knew what had just happened. They could only remember that they were sleeping in peace and could have slept for eternity.
Soon, the search began once again. This time, there was no more struggle. The demons were still dreaming and were killed one at a time. The power in the blood ritual was completely eradicated. It would never be an obstacle again.
Finally, they broke through the door of the final laboratory to search for the culprit, but the room was empty. The prepared Royal Musicians exchanged glances awkwardly, not knowing what had happened. Holmes, the Professor, and the illusionary music…had all disappeared.
…
The pure white moon hung in the sky, radiating with cool light and illuminating the world. The abnormal strength had vanished, but it was still so beautiful and dazzling.
“If this is the case, its power will be isolated outside the enchantment. A phenomenon from resonating with the Originator won’t last for long. It’ll dissipate in a short while. There’s no need to worry,” the Round Table Knight said as she sheathed her sword, but Jerome was still worried.
“Knight Galahad, thank you for your aid.” He saluted the knight.
“It is my duty.” The knight known as Galahad returned the salute. “Even if I didn’t act, you wouldn’t be afraid, right?”
Jerome shook his head with a bitter smile. He did not know how to start. Looking up at the heart-stopping beautiful moon, he asked quietly, “Do you know what this strange moonlight is?”
“Moonlight?” Galahad was silent for a while, as if she had sighed. “It’s just moonlight.”
It was moonlight from the past.
-
“The moon above the ocean, long time no see.” In the cemetery, the Shaman gazed up at the sky. He did not fear the demonic power at all. “Ye Lanzhou’s symphony of predestination…After a decade, it’s still so impressive.”
“Is this really only the overture?” Ghosthand gazed blankly at the moon. He felt as if his soul would assimilate with the moonlight, and quickly tore his gaze away.
“Yes, it’s only the overture. He had used this to break through the Distortion level and possess the Scepter of the School of Mind. He had this unmatched instrument and shook the world with his charm. If not for his sensitive status, he could’ve placed amongst the saints.”
The Shaman lowered his eyes and gazed at the dirt under his feet. Seeing the moonlight shine onto the dirt, his eyes grew melancholy.
“Sadly, he trusted the wrong person…”
-
Under the same moon, some were melancholic while others cheered in excitement.
“As expected of the moon above the ocean! You didn’t let me down!” In the clock shop, Hermes gazed at the moon contently. His expression was spirited as he watched the drama without caring for the consequences. “And so, months of riots can finally end with a beautiful period tonight. Congratulations!”
Hermes was so happy he wanted to celebrate with a bottle of champagne—no, he really did open a bottle. The fragrant smell of wine burst into the air. It must have been a name brand. But unfortunately, Bai Xi was not into it. She looked at Hermes with doubtful eyes.
“Is everything really over?” she asked.
“Of course.” Hermes nodded. “The Shaman won, the parliament lost, and the Blood Path’s sign is shattered. Even the ‘moon above the ocean’ was brought out. Are there still any problems left
unsolved?”
“Yeah, there is.” Bai Xi gazed at him and asked coldly, “Who was the one that said he has the key to the Blood Path and got everyone on his trail?”
“Of course it’s me!” Hermes pointed at himself and praised himself matter-of-factly. “Think about it. Other than me, the Trader who never lies, who else in Avalon could make everyone believe that the Shaman came back for the Blood Path and that the key was on that kid?”
And so the coldness in Bai Xi’s eyes intensified. “You want to kill him?”
“No, of course not! Bai Xi, you’ve wronged me. Why do you always think of me as the bad guy? How can you be like this to your teacher?” Hermes shook his head sadly and pretended to sigh, but there was no sadness in his eyes. Instead, he propped a foot on the counter and downed half his bottle of champagne. Wine trickled from the corner of his mouth and stained his collar, but he did not care.
Wiping his mouth, he continued, “To be honest, I think of highly of that kid! After all, I was friends with his dad. I’ve watched him grow up all these years. Even if he was thousands of miles away in Luther, I was still caring for him…
“Don’t think that I’m always so crazy. I just wish he could wake up one day and break through the Barrier of Knowledge, perform his symphony of predestination, raise his soul, become a saint, defeat Bach and become the best musician in the world!
“But he’s slow and never improves. It was making me impatient, so I had to give him some pressure.” Hermes shrugged, his face innocent. “Look, everyone has to be forced. Look how powerful he is now. He’s almost Avalon’s new legend!”
Bai Xi gazed at him blankly. Disgust was in her face. “You just do this for fun, right?”
“Aha, I can’t believe I’m like that in your mind. It makes me so sad. I’m the Trader, the one who never lies.” Hermes burst into laughter. He tossed his head back and finished the champagne in one shot. However, he did not say the second half of his sentence: After all, hasn’t the key to the Blood Path always been in his hands?