by Feng Yue
The oily fatty now had a blank expression. He was clearly being controlled by a Mind musician. Staring at the man outside the counter, he said emptily, “You disappeared for so many days and everyone was worried. If you didn’t contact us today, we would’ve thought that you died.”
Charles leaned against the wall dejectedly and smoked a poor quality cigarette. His eyes were bloodshot. Hearing the words, he nodded and muttered an, “Oh.”
The fat man asked dumbly, “Is the plan successful?”
“So-so,” Charles muttered. “Not good or bad.”
Sensing his bad mood, the fat man asked, “Anything else?”
Charles fell silent. After a long while, he replied quietly, “I don’t want to do it anymore.”
“Huh?” The fatty did not hear clearly.
Charles raised his voice and repeated, “I’m not doing it anymore.”
There was a long pause as if the other man could not process it. After a while, the Mind musician made the fatty say, “Charles, are you sure?” The voice was cold like an interrogation. “Have you thought it through? Have you thought of the consequences?”
“How many f*cking times do you need me to say it?!” Furious, Charles’s head snapped up. He glared with red eyes. “I’m done! I’m f*cking done! F*ck the Revolutionaries! F*ck the Silent Authority! Lock me up and let me get a break! Lock me back up!”
He glared at the fat man. In a daze, the fat man became a dead fat man. He instantly decayed. A crude rope hung around his neck. As if he was hanging from somewhere, black blood flowed from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. His mouth opened but when he spoke, maggots and flies crawled out. They crawled…
It was happening again.
Those d*mn feelings were back…
Shocked, Charles stumbled back. Energy sapped, he slid down the wall and thumped onto the ground.
“F*ck…” he muttered, holding his head in pain.
The fat man stared at him coldly for a while before saying, “Okay. If you won’t do it, there are many others. You can go now.”
Charles froze. It could not be so easy.
“Anyway, that’s all your worth for,” the fat man said nonchalantly. “Do you know why Constantine thinks so highly of you? Because you’re a genius? What a joke! It’s because your teacher—”
“What are you saying?” Charles gaped. He climbed up and his eyes grew cruel. “This has nothing to do with my teacher! What do you want?”
“Nothing to do with him?” The fatty laughed emptily. “This is the sin that your teacher, Abraham, committed under Gaius when he was still a Dragon Rider! Now, it is time for him to pay. Charles, did you really think it through? If you don’t want to do it, then fine. We can use Abraham as bait and—”
“Don’t you dare!” Charles grabbed the fat man’s collar and roared.
“This is your choice, Charles,” the fatty said. “No matter how crazy Ye becomes, nothing will change. The Silent Authority doesn’t care about titles. There are quite a few nobles locked up in the Mithril Cellar…You don’t want your friend to be locked up because of you, right?”
Charles’s grasp weakened. Clutching his head in pain, he stumbled back and curled up in the corner, mumbling. He seemed to be cursing someone but it was unclear. After a long silence, he looked up. The capillaries in his eyes were like burning flames. The eyes were emotionless and dull.
“My excuse was to buy medicine.” He reached out. “Give me the stuff on this list.”
The fatty smiled and patted his shoulder. “That’s the way.”
Silent, Charles accepted the medicine and left.
－
At night, the Sacred City was colder than usual. The water vapor frosted on the steel walls. Charles walked out of the secret location of the Silent Authority with his ridiculous medicine. Hanging his head, he walked toward the warehouse that he lived in. But then he heard a sigh behind him.
“You take forever.” It was a bearded Revolutionary with a cigarette—his roommate. He leaned against the lamppost and used the weak light to look at Charles with a strange smile. “Got a cold?” His eyes seemed to knowing; they were chilling.
“How…” Charles stopped, speechless.
Beard Guy stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked up with a smile. Charles was frozen in place. He stared at Beard Guy’s hands, not knowing what was hidden.
“What a coincidence.” Beard Guy reached out. He was not holding a sword or rope. He just patted Charles’s shoulder and said meaningfully, “I came out to buy cigarettes and heard that you were nearby so I decided to wait for you.” Pausing, he looked in the direction Charles came from. “You were there for so long. Were you thinking of leaving?”
Charles smiled stiffly. “Why would I?”
“Then let’s go.” Beard Guy put a hand over his shoulder. His hand was strong like pincers. “Let’s go back first. We can talk about the other things later.”
Face pale, Charles clenched his jaw and forced out a smile. “Okay.”
－
At the same time, Constantine sat on a chair under the dim yellow light in an abandoned warehouse. Emotionless and wordless, he tapped the table. The other men either sat or stood. Their expressions were dark but they all stared at the table and the document that was being tapped.
Behind Constantine, the examiner lowered his head and sharpened his dagger mindlessly. It grated in everyone’s ears.
When someone knocked on the door, he smiled.
442 Can’t Sleep
When Charles entered, he saw the shadows under the dim yellow light look over with unfriendly gazes. He froze in place. His bad premonition grew heavier.
“What’s wrong?” Beard Guy craned his neck and squeezed past. He nodded at everyone. “Everyone’s here? Charles, don’t just stand there. Mr. Constantine is busy.”
Charles managed a smile and followed Beard Guy. He saw their faces and thought the gazes were all icy.
“Sorry, I came back late. I almost couldn’t find Charles.” Beard Guy patted his pocket. “It’s not my fault. It’s too hard to find a place that sells cigarettes. I could only get this crude tobacco. Does anyone want it?”
Constantine seemed to be deep in thought.
“Cory, you’re back just in time.” The examiner smiled and pointed at the document. “Everyone has finished reading and we’re only missing you two.”
“What’s so urgent?” Cory walked over casually and shook his head. “Everyone knows that I can’t read. Just tell me instead of writing it down.”
No one responded; everyone was silent.
Constantine looked up at the blank young man behind Cory. “Charles, where did you go?”
As if nothing had happened, Charles hid his sweaty palms and shook the bag. “I went to buy—”
Constantine interrupted, “Tell the truth.”
He stopped. All the unfriendly gazes moved onto him. The animosity poured into his lungs like some viscous liquid. It sloshed around, almost suffocating him. Smiling stiffly, he forced on a shocked expression. “What’s wrong with everyone? I just went to buy medicine.”
The examiner took his bag and opened it forcefully. He dumped all the medicine on the table. After examining, he murmured something to Constantine.
Constantine’s expression darkened. He nodded and looked at Charles. “Come look at this and you’ll understand.”
Charles walked over stiffly and accepted the document. Forcing his trembling fingers to still, he opened it. Extreme shock and fear besieged him. He froze in place.
“Hey, what’s so mysterious?” Cory came over and patted his shoulder. “You look scared. What’s wrong? What does it say?”
Charles’s face was ghastly pale. After a long while, he looked up at Cory with fear and…pity.
“It says…” His voice trembled. “You’re the…mole.”
Cory froze. After a long while, he opened his mouth to speak. But the smiling examiner appeared behind him. He reached out, covered Cory’s mouth
, and slit his throat with ease. Fresh blood spurted out, falling onto Charles’s face. It was warm and bitterly sweet. Some fragrance spread through the air. The documents were dyed red. He gaped at the name on the document. Stumbling back, he landed onto the ground with a thump.
Cory fell to his knees. He clutched his throat, struggling in pain. He looked up at Charles but he could not utter any sound. And then he collapsed. Scarlet blood flowed from his body, pooling around him. In the dust, it turned bruised purple. After too long, he stopped moving.
“Sorry. I must have scared you.” Smiling, he pulled Charles up. The young man stared at Cory in shock. After a while, he turned around. His lips trembled but he could not form any words.
“Cory had been bought out by the Sacred City a long time ago. If he didn’t show some signs when he entered the prison this time, we would’ve never suspected him.” The examiner patted his shoulder. “You were with him for such a long time. He didn’t try to brainwash you, did he?”
Charles shook his head dumbly. He could feel the tears spilling out. Almost breaking down, he choked out, “I-I…you aren’t going to kill me?”
“Don’t worry. Everyone knows you. How could someone so dumb be a spy?” The examiner chuckled. “You might not know yet, but Constantine has already decided to make you his secretary. You must be cautious against those who want to use you. Thankfully, we discovered him early on. If Cory used you to learn some secrets, it would be troublesome.”
He paused and pointed at Cory. “After a bit, I’ll have someone check on you. You might not know but that guy is a Mind musician. It’ll be bad if he planted a hint.”
Charles nodded stiffly. It finally dawned on him and he felt a chill. He finally understood why the Silent Authority was okay with him entering the Revolutionaries as a spy. His upper figure was hidden right beside him, keeping an eye on him at all times. He had used a Mind music score to control the fat illegal drug trader and remotely controlled Charles to help him find information. When needed, he would throw Charles away to save himself.
That was how it was…
Seeing his expression, Constantine sighed. He patted his shoulder lightly. “Sorry, kid. I didn’t think you would be this scared. It was my mistake.”
“N-no.” Charles managed a smile and wiped his snot with his sleeves. “I was just scared by Cory.” After a pause, he pointed at the medicine piled on the table. “My stuff.”
Constantine quickly smiled and placed the items in Charles’s hand. “Very good. Charles, you are a good kid.”
The good kid managed a smile but then his face paled. Covering his mouth, he rushed out the door. They quickly cleaned up the body and everyone left.
Constantine looked at the examiner. “You found the mole and killed him. Are you satisfied now?”
The examiner’s smile was still mysterious. He just nodded slightly and looked in Charles’ direction. “I hope I am just overly sensitive…”
－
After countless days, Charles was in a dilapidated alley in the corner of the Sacred City. He leaned against the wall and smoked, looking like he was just basking in the sun lazily.
A faint voice traveled to his ears, “According to the information from the Silent Authority, ever since the Revolutionaries began more than a decade ago, Constantine was an important figure. He was always mysterious and not many people saw him before.
“If he wasn’t captured this time, probably even the Silent Authority wouldn’t know he existed. His relationship with Gaius is extremely close and compatible. He stayed in the shadows and traveled the nations for Gaius. He apparently has many hidden followers and the high officials of many countries all have contact with him.
“The Revolutionaries rely on his information network to operate for all these years. This time, Constantine’s arrest not only made the Sacred City lose a lot of spies. They also stole a lot of important information regarding the Winter Festival.
“You only need to find some tiny things from Constantine to be free. Don’t get too into it, Charles. You don’t have to sacrifice too much for the Sacred City.”
“I know, Yezi. Don’t worry.” He smiled confidently. “You know me. I run faster than anyone if there’s the slightest bit of danger. Even the paparazzi can’t catch me.”
A thin water vapor thread extended from the sewer and latched onto him. They were in coherence. A hoarse voice sounded in his ear. “Stop saying those stupid things now, Charles.” Ye Qingxuan sighed. “If anything happens, don’t be stubborn. If you have to sell out the Silent Authority to live, it’s fine. Charles, as long as you’re alive, I can save you, understand?”
“Don’t worry. Do I look like someone who has morals? If I have to, I’ll even betray the Sacred City.” Charles smiled and waved. “Stop worrying about me. I’m really successful. Constantine trusts me a lot. I’m already his secretary and help him deal with messages. After a while, he’ll take me to see Gaius.”
After a pause, Ye Qingxuan sighed. “Take care.”
“It’s against the rules for you to contact me behind the Silent Authority, right? Don’t contact me if you don’t have to,” Charles said quietly. “There are some people keeping an eye on me too. It’ll suck if they find anything.”
“…Powerful people?”
“Yes, very.” Charles fell silent. He remembered the figure he saw in prison and his pupils trembled. “One of the Revolutionaries’ spies has purple eyes. Be careful of him, Yezi. You have to be careful…If you see him, run away. Don’t fight him at all, okay?”
Ye Qingxuan froze. For the first time, he could feel fear from Charles. It was undisguised weakness and fear.
“Charles, even—”
Charles shook his head, interrupting him. “Yezi, I’m begging you.”
After a while, Ye Qingxuan nodded slowly. “Okay, I promise you.”
“Great.” Charles forced a smile. He looked down at his cigarette. He tossed it down and ground it under his foot. “I’m leaving now. Don’t worry about me. I sleep and eat well and every other day, I get to drink good wine. The days are so nice that I almost forget I’m a spy.”
But he hesitated, and before cutting off the resonance, he asked softly, “Mr. Newton…is there still no news?”
“He’s still MIA.” Ye Qingxuan’s voice was dark. “You care about him?”
“It’s good that there’s no news. At least he’s still alive.” Charles shook his head. “He lied to me to trade with the Revolutionaries but I’ve never hated him. He taught me a lot. I should thank him for not looking down on a failure like me. I’m sorry, Yezi. I experimented with your data without your permission. I owe you.”
“If you come back alive, let me beat you up.” Ye Qingxuan sighed. “Hurry and scram. Otherwise, you’ll get hit.”
“Thanks.” Charles smiled, waved, and left.
In the distance, Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes in a peaceful café. After a long while, he could not help but sigh. “Lola, help me,” he murmured. “Protect Charles. Don’t let him get hurt.”
A complaint came from the air around him. “What sin did I commit in my past life to meet someone like you…” The sigh quickly dissipated. It seemed that nothing had happened.
“Thanks.” Ye Qingxuan smiled. He raised the cup and drank the bitter espresso in one gulp. His lowered eyes were red. He had not slept in ten days.
443 Trade
Late at night, the room was a mess as if it hadn’t been cleaned up in a long time. Those precious movements and profound music theories that so many people were eager for were scattered around, blown randomly by the night wind from the window, and noticed by nobody.
Ye Qingxuan lay amongst the books with a full ashtray before him. He put out the last cigarette and closed his eyes, but could not fall asleep. He just had no way to fall asleep.
A few days ago, he had not slept because of his concern of Charles. Fortunately, there was the Philosopher’s Stone music theory in his body which made his physical condition stronger
than normal people. He just needed to have a rest after thirty days of not sleeping, let alone ten days. He would not be at risk of a sudden death like others. However, with Charles safe, he found that he couldn’t fall asleep.
These days, he was so bored that he planned to compose. He took so many precious music theories and movements from the Silent Authority that his music theory had been improved by leaps and bounds. But now, it evolved too much…
Once his consciousness was slightly blurred, the body’s music theory would lose control. It would operate spontaneously like weeds after the spring rain and horses on the moors. Once out of control, they would run wildly.
It was too strong for him to master himself. It was like hundreds of hands pulling his sanity. He had to suppress that power at every moment.
This was not good. If there was no way for him to grasp this excessive part of music theory, Ye Qingxuan may need to find a few discipline musicians to seal him.
“I’ve told you earlier that it’s not about the music theory. It’s your problem.” Lola’s voice came from the moonlight as if right in his ear. “Ye Qingxuan, you were already a Dreamweaver since you riveted your source and stepped into resonance. But until now, you still have no idea what a real Dreamweaver should do with his power… “
Ye Qingxuan got a sudden headache. He scratched his hair.
“It’s no use blaming me.” He said, “Blame it on Ye Lanzhou, okay? He was the one who abandoned his wife as well as his conscience. For so many years, nobody knew whether he was dead or alive. He didn’t even leave any last words.
“Now, I am the only one left in Ye family. I don’t even know where to go to visit that group of wandering ghosts, let alone how to be a Dreamweaver, okay?”
Lola was speechless.
Ye Qingxuan couldn’t help sighing, scratching his hair. “Dreamweaver… What a nuisance.”