by Feng Yue
Abraham was speechless. Looking at Ye Qingxuan’s glazed eyes, he felt uncertain. “Is he too happy?”
“For these cases, the most effective is to slap him.” Bai Xi urged Abraham mischievously. “I heard that that’s how they cure Eastern musicians who are too happy from getting into the Tak Lok Department.”
“Really?” Abraham’s eyes brightened. He raised his shiny metallic arm and waved it before finally sighing. “I can’t control my strength. What if I hurt him?”
“Let me, let me. Professor, look!” Bai Xi volunteered herself and moved up. Her hand slammed down, ready to slap happily. Ye Qingxuan was still in a daze. But when the hand was at his face, his hand came up and blocked Bai Xi. The girl froze. Ye Qingxuan had snapped out of his daze too and looked at her in confusion. “Why are you hitting me?”
“…I was worried you were too happy.” Bai Xi smiled caringly. “Cousin, listen to me. You’ll be fine after I hit you. Come on.”
“Wait!” Seeing that she did not give up yet, Ye Qingxuan jumped up in fright. “Put your fork down! You almost stabbed me!”
“Psh.” Bai Xi pouted and put down the fork between her fingers.
“You have worked too hard these past few days and have not rested. You’ll be fine after sleeping.” Assured, Abraham said gently, “Let’s go home earlier after eating.”
Ye Qingxuan shook his head. “I’m alright but—”
“Oh, right, Cousin!” Bai Xi suddenly uttered as she moved closer, curious. “I heard that a bunch of things happened in court! We were listening to livestreams outside but it wasn’t enough. You’re a duke now?”
“Uh.” Ye Qingxuan’s expression grew uncomfortable. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later but now—”
“Cousin! I just thought of something else.” Bai Xi batted her eyes, looking completely innocent and curious. “Are you going back to the East now?”
Ye Qingxuan fell silent. After a long while, he shook his head. “I’m not sure yet.”
“If you’re sure or not is one thing. If you want to go back or not is another.” It seemed that she was going to get to the bottom of things. “Just tell the truth.”
After thinking for a bit, Ye Qingxuan said honestly, “Not really but kind of.”
“…What?” Bai Xi was confused. “Is that a riddle?”
“I never wanted to go back. I thought my white hair is strange but I thought Easterners were all like this. I didn’t know about Deva’s blood or the Nine Dragon Bloodlines. I never thought that the East was my home so I never thought about going there.” Organizing his words, Ye Qingxuan explained, “It’s different now. I feel like I should go back once and clear some things up, so I’m still hesitating.”
“Oh.” Bai Xi nodded, seeming to understand but not really.
“Don’t overthink. Even if I go to the East, I’ll still come back.” Ye Qingxuan smiled and ruffled Bai Xi’s hair. He looked at Abraham and said, “But now—”
“Cousin, try this.” Bai Xi suddenly picked up a lamb chop and tossed it onto Ye Qingxuan’s plate. “It’s fresh and juicy. It’s great!”
Ye Qingxuan stared at the juicy meat. He looked up, saying, “But I want—”
“Don’t talk while you eat. That’s an ancient proverb. Hurry up and eat!” Bai Xi tossed another grilled shrimp onto his plate. “Hurry and eat! You need to eat to have strength to talk.”
Wordless, Ye Qingxuan lowered his eyes. His plate had a big shrimp that Bai Xi had broke, and a sad-looking steak. He looked up. Abraham looked awkward while Bai Xi was serious.
He put down his fork. “Professor, are you trying to keep something from me?” he asked seriously.
Abraham started coughing but Bai Xi got before him and nodded forcefully. “Yeah, yeah…” She paused and put on a surprised look. “I requested to graduate early and passed the test! How is it? Are you surprised?”
“Really?” Ye Qingxuan froze and then smiled. “You passed the test even though you cut class every day? Did you cheat?”
“No, no.” Bai Xi shook her head and patted her chest seriously. “I’m a genius. Cousin, you gotta believe me.”
“Oh.” Ye Qingxuan nodded and glanced at Abraham. “Professor, are you okay?”
Abraham nodded and smiled stiffly. “Just how I always am.”
“Then here’s the problem.” Ye Qingxuan’s smile faded. He looked at them and asked, “Where is Charles?”
Abraham and Bai Xi fell silent. One looked down at the plate while the other whistled and looked up at the ceiling.
“How come I haven’t seen Charles this whole time?” Ye Qingxuan asked. “He couldn’t have been locked up just for spitting. Plus, even if he was, he should be out already, right? Why don’t you want me to ask about him? Professor, what happened?”
Bai Xi jumped out again, forcing a mischievous smile onto her face. “Cousin, actually Charles—”
Slap! Ye Qingxuan suddenly slammed a palm down on the table. The plates shook and the loud sound echoed through the restaurant. Everyone looked over in confusion. Bai Xi’s smile stiffened as well.
Ye Qingxuan looked at her, his eyes hardening. “Bai Xi, if you still lie to me, don’t call me ‘cousin’ again. Tell me, what happened to Charles?”
Bai Xi stopped talking. She looked at him with reddening eyes. A glossy film covered her eyes and she bit her lips.
“Yezi, don’t be angry.” Abraham pulled Bai Xi away and said gently, “I told her to keep it from you.”
Ye Qingxuan fell silent. His expressions battled until it became apologetic. “Sorry, my emotions are out of control.” He lowered his eyes. “It’s my fault. But what happened to Charles? Professor, why was he locked up in the Judgement Tower? How come he wasn’t even let out for breaks? I looked for him everywhere but no one had even heard of him. What happened?”
“Let me tell you,” said a familiar voice behind him. Ye Qingxuan turned around and saw Wolf Flute in a black coat. It had been a while. The man seemed to not have slept or shaven in a few days. He looked bedraggled and there were dark circles under his eyes.
“You look like sh*t.”
“Yeah.” Wolf Flute chuckled dryly. “It’s not their fault for not telling. The matter involves many things and the Silent Authority had them sign a non-disclosure agreement. They must keep it secret. Plus, you were still in prison at that time and could not help.
“The Silent Authority?” Ye Qingxuan froze. “What does Charles have to do with them?”
428 Forbidden Technology
The Silent Authority. This secret violent institution was created by the various countries and the Church. It was formed by elite musicians from every field to protect the stability of human society. It was organized by the three kings. They were protected by the countries and could go anywhere. They were basically a spy organization—and the most troublesome one at that.
They were responsible for maintaining the world’s stability and peace, eradicate cults, capture dark musicians, and even arrest musicians who broke the rules. All registered musicians must cooperate with them fully when needed or even make sacrifices at times.
Most of the time, they would not appear in public for secrecy. Even in the Sacred City, they just rented a storefront and have three secretaries visible. Most members were secret and had double identities or more. People would not know their true roles until death.
However, from what Ye Qingxuan knew, the first musician that he had met—Wolf Flute—was one of them. His position was not low either.
“Charles’ matter is a long story…” Wolf Flute sat down, his expression troubled. Before he could speak, a server came over and poured a cup of coffee for him. Seeing it, his face turned green and he pushed it away.
“Sorry, I’ve been staying up for too many nights. Now I want to throw up when I smell coffee…” He paused and looked around. “Want to go drink with me? I know a good place around here. It’s clean, quiet, and has good wine.”
“Okay.” Ye Qingxuan nodded w
ithout hesitation.
Wolf Flute nodded. “Someone will come pick you up later.”
-
After Wolf Flute left, Ye Qingxuan calmed down and realized he made the most fatal mistake. He had somehow gotten the courage to yell at Bai Xi! He begged and pleaded but Bai Xi still ignored him. Helpless, Ye Qingxuan looked toward Abraham. Professor, help.
“How come other teachers only need to teach but I have to take care of children?” Shaking his head, Abraham reached out and helped Bai Xi wipe her tears. Then he waved at Ye Qingxuan to leave. Saved, Ye Qingxuan scurried out.
As soon as he left, the pitiful Bai Xi raised her head. Her complexion looked bad. “Why did that b*stard leave? I’m so pissed!” She angrily took Ye Qingxuan’s plate and hacked at the steak and lobster. “He dared to yell at me! Yell! At me! I cried and he still ran! So I can’t call him ‘cousin’? So what? I don’t care!”
Abraham looked up to the sky and sighed. These kids used to be so nice and cute but after they grew up, they all became so troublesome. This world was too hard to understand…
-
Ten minutes later, Ye Qingxuan got off a carriage. Under the cold and wet fog, he pushed open a door and saw Wolf Flute. And his expression grew strange. “This is the place you said is good?”
Wolf Flute cocked his head. “Is it not good?”
A dim light was lit in the empty and old warehouse. Wolf Flute sat on a ragged sofa, clutching a box of snacks. There were many bottles of beer beside him. Clothes were strewn on the ground and there was a weird smell. This was basically the home of a street urchin.
Ye Qingxuan sighed. “How can you describe it as clean, quiet, and with good wine?!”
“Sh!” While munching on snacks, Wolf Flute put a finger to his lips and hushed Ye Qingxuan. “If you don’t like this place, people will be unhappy.”
Ye Qingxuan felt an eerie breeze behind him. Getting goosebumps, he spun around but could only see a fleeting shadow. Under the dim light, there were various shadows projected onto the wall. He could sense faint breaths in the air.
They were wolves. Somehow…he had fallen into a pack of wolves.
“This is my home.” Wolf Flute gestured for Ye Qingxuan to sit anywhere.
“You’re a Scepter already, right? Even if you’re not a saint, you’re still a powerful man. Why must you live in a place like this?”
Wolf Flute sighed. “It’s hard to find a place in the Sacred City where I can let them out. Don’t be so picky. Just get some beer and I’ll eat something first.”
Chuckling dryly, Ye Qingxuan picked up a dusty glass. He glanced at the dirty bucket of beer in the distance and put his glass down.
After a bit, Wolf Flute had finally finished eating. He drank half a glass of beer in one breath. Sighing, he sprawled onto the sofa. “I can finally rest now. I was so busy these past two days that I couldn’t even go to your first trial. Didn’t think you’d come out so quickly. Should I call your Marquess now?”
Ye Qingxuan rolled his eyes. “Can we get to the point?”
“Fine.” Wolf Flute straightened. He sat for a bit as if organizing his thoughts. Then he let it drop, “Newton disappeared.”
“Huh?!” Ye Qingxuan froze. “Newton? The one from the Anglo Royal Research Institute?”
“Would I care about any Newtons other than him?” Wolf Flute sighed. “Even more troublesome, before he disappeared, people reported him for being involved in forbidden research.”
“Forbidden research? He’s not a dark musician. Would he be researching on human bodies?”
“…Why do you think that only dark musicians do forbidden research?” Wolf Flute rolled his eyes. “Have you forgotten about the steam crisis a century ago?”
Ye Qingxuan fell silent. A century ago, when Anglo’s queen was still Victoria, the arts had developed rapidly. Technology had made great innovations as well. The steam engine was seen as the technology that represented the future’s hope. Because of it, coal had become a hot item.
But when thousands of steam engines operated at the same time, it led to disruptions in the aether and created horrible consequences. That was when humanity realized that it was a dead end.
The losses that resulted could not be calculated. The aether eruptions in the borders due to the steam engines had become a terrifying legend. The machine led to Hell. The Grim Reaper would climb out of the engine along with the steam according to the various myths.
The steam engine was still a painful sore for all mechanics and engineers. As someone who had studied mechanics before, Ye Qingxuan understood this. Forbidden technologies always had temporary benefits but would definitely bring terrible consequences.
For example, decades ago, Choir musicians mutated some bacteria from the Dark World and invented a cure for people to regenerate limbs. However, they did not expect that there would be strong side effects and sudden changes. After it combined with rabies, it became a new mutation. Within a night, the entire city became wild zombies.
The Silent Authority burned the entire city down and killed all those who were infected. More than ten cities were involved, including one-hundred thousand people, and it took half a year. They poured thousands of tons of sulfur onto the land and even now, nothing could grow there.
Another example was when a Modifications scholar created an elemental separation impact channel dozens of kilometers long for superheavy elements. A fortune was spent, but the end result was a giant bomb that destroyed half of the mountain outside the school. After three years, the poisonous dust still hovered above, polluting the water. Six cities were evacuated. Countless people became infected with a strange disease and were tormented to death.
All forbidden technology was dangerous and untouchable. However, from what Ye Qingxuan knew about those fervent researchers, once it was related to their goal, they would not care if it was legal or not. Otherwise, why would there be so many dark musicians?
After pondering, Ye Qingxuan asked, “Did Mr. Newton study the legendary intelligent machinery that goes against humanity?”
“You’re overthinking.” Wolf Flute glanced at him. “But the thing he did isn’t any better. All these years, he scammed Anglo of all this money to secretly research man-made musicians.”
“That’s impossible.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head resolutely. “Anglo’s research in the human body is only average and Newton is a grandmaster in mechanics. Crossover research like this is difficult and not worth it.”
Wolf Flute chuckled dryly. He drank half a bottle of beer and sighed. “Who told you that the musician must be human?”
Ye Qingxuan froze.
“Get it now?” Wolf Flute found a moldy pack of tobacco from under the sofa. He tore it apart and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he rasped out, “He wanted to create machines that can replace musicians. According to the clues we received, he almost succeeded.
“This is good. There’s nothing bad about it. Man-made musicians are musicians too. Machines can become even better… However, this will completely destroy the structure of human society.
“A total shuffling of the cards? With the looming threat of natural catastrophes, no one can bear it. Can you imagine how many wars will happen because of this? How much blood will be shed?
“Newton knew that no one would allow him to continue researching so he did it secretly. When we discovered it, it was already too late. He just suddenly, mysteriously…” Wolf Flute inhaled and blew the smoke away. “He just disappeared.”
It suddenly dawned on Ye Qingxuan. “Charles was involved because of this?”
“…You think too lowly of your senior.” Wolf Flute’s expression grew strange as if he had just woken up and realized he had f*cked up. “Ye Qingxuan, he’s the main designer.”
429 “One Hundred Ways to F*ck Yourself Up”
“Ye Qingxuan, he’s the main planner.”
The moment Wolf Flute finished, Ye Qingxuan’s expression grew as troubled as his. “Are you…joking?” he asked instinctiv
ely.
Wolf Flute looked at him seriously, giving him a headache. He thought that maybe Wolf Flute was telling the truth. Charles was annoying, horrible, and unreliable but his skills… It made Ye Qingxuan angry but Charles was definitely a one-of-a-kind genius. Yeah, a bit more talented than Ye Qingxuan too. If Charles could become a musician, he would probably already be a world-famous grandmaster. Therefore, Ye Qingxuan did not find it strange that this matter had something to do with Charles.
Before joining the Royal Research Institute, he had messed around and created so many things in the basement. He had even used trash to create a suit of armor. Now that he had Newton as an accomplice, it was not strange that he could make even bigger messes. However, even so, Ye Qingxuan had truly underestimated Charles’ abilities if he had made such a world-changing thing within a few months.
Ye Qingxuan shook his head bitterly and sighed. “Okay, that’s probably something he could do.”
“Your senior is a genius.” Wolf Flute patted his shoulder. “According to our investigation, he doesn’t only have a deep understanding of mechanics and music theory. Newton solved the problem with the mechanical principle and he solved the obstacle to communicating with aether. We don’t know where he found a bunch of music note experiment records and other data related to music theory. That is why we suspect there is someone else hidden—the true background controller!
“This person is obviously a grandmaster who could supply them with music records and data. Machines cannot sense aether, yet he found a stable structure within the changing music theory and simplified the bulky music notes, creating a new structure… He was able to use non-aether sensing machines to stimulate the aether using standard music and create the needed effect…
“According to our research, there are only a few grandmasters who can reach that level and none had gone to Anglo. I have flipped through all the archives and researched the people he had interacted with but other than dark circles under my eyes, I’ve found nothing.”