by Feng Yue
The simplest was ‘destruction of all.’ One would plant a self-destruction hint beforehand in his own mind. Once a Mind music score entered the brain, his heart would stop automatically, cutting off the oxygen supply to the brain, and disrupting the hormone secretion. He could die happily within seconds.
“It’s useless.” Wolf Flute shook his head and pointed at the back of Constantine’s head. “He’s the deputy general of the Revolutionaries and controls the information web. He probably can’t even count how many dirty secrets he knows. You think he won’t have any safety precautions? You’ll know if you look at his hairline.”
Under the white light, under Constantine’s thin white hair and scalp, one could see faint music notes.
“Made of flesh, do you see?” Wolf Flute said. “It’s hardcore. He had someone turn his skull into alchemy. It’ll be activated if the requirements are met. If I was the guy, I’d recommend he get a double insurance meal with an extra ‘corpus callosum surgery’ to cut the bridge between the left and right halves of the brain. He’d have enough time to kill himself…”
He paused and said indifferently, “Unless he chooses to tell you, don’t think you can dig anything out. Just give up. After daybreak, he’d be handed over to the Judgement Tower. Our mission is over though it was done pretty badly. F*ck, they got off easy.”
In silence, Ye Qingxuan looked to Charles. The man stood dumbly before the window, staring at Constantine.
Seeming to sense the eyes behind the glass, Constantine opened his eyes and snapped out of his thoughts. He looked over. The two stared at each other with troubled eyes from either side of the glass.
“I want to see him.” Charles turned back to Wolf Flute. “Doesn’t he want to see me? Let me see him.” Without waiting for refutation, he said, “It’s the only solution if you want to dig something out of him before daybreak.”
Wolf Flute lit his cigarette in silence. Smoking it all, he snuffed it with his feet. “Let him.” He glanced at the man in charge. “I’ll take responsibility.”
-
Five minutes later, the black door opened. Charles walked into the interrogation room and sat down under Constantine’s gaze.
“Mr. Constantine…” He scratched his head, unsure what to say. After a long while, he said quietly, “I’m here.”
“Long time no see, Charles.” It had only been a few hours but Constantine’s tone made it feel as if a long period had passed. There was no hatred in his voice, despite knowing Charles was a spy. Studying him, Constantine nodded slowly.
“Nice uniform.”
“Thanks.” Charles managed a smile. Before coming, he was worried that Constantine would be tortured and humiliated. He was worried that after Gaius’s heartless chase, he would break down from Charles’s betrayal. Now, it seemed that he was okay. Charles felt relieved for some reason. At least he was still alive.
In silence, Constantine broke the silence first. He said, “You shouldn’t have followed me.”
“Huh?”
Seeing his confusion, Constantine couldn’t help shaking his head. “I mean, if you really wanted to fulfill your orders, you shouldn’t have followed me. Even if you did, you should’ve abandoned ship early on.” His voice was calm as if commenting on Charles’s work with a tinge of sadness and regret.
“You had so many chances. You could have sold me out to Gaius to win his trust. If you wanted to know what he’s planning, you should have done that.”
“…Sorry.” Charles was silent for a long while before asking, “Sir, did you truly never suspect me?”
“Of course I had. I suspect everyone around me.” Constantine laughed casually. He made a smoking gesture. Charles pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it for him. The old man placed his arms on the table and smoked. Spitting out smoke, he seemed to reflect on his life.
“Charles, you’d know if you become the general of the Revolutionaries. There’s no one you can trust in this world. Everyone is an enemy. You shouldn’t leave your back open to anyone. You cannot let your guard down before anyone. Even if he is your decades-long old friend. Even if he is like Gaius…”
Charles did not understand. “Then why did you let me—”
“Because you’re stupid, Charles.” Constantine sighed. “How can there be a spy as stupid as you? I put you by my side because you’re the least threatening even though you have an ulterior motive.”
“Yeah.” Charles laughed at himself. “I can’t even become a musician, let alone something as difficult as a spy. Actually, if I have the chance—”
“Charles,” Constantine interrupted, looking at him. “Stop.”
Those eyes were complex yet full of pity as if looking at someone about to die, standing at the edge of a cliff.
“Charles, being a spy is hard work, just like a prisoner who chose to enter prison. When you stand in the middle, you start to doubt where you are. The feeling of your soul being split into two makes you want to go crazy, making you into…what you’re feeling right now.”
He put out his cigarette and stared at the painful capillaries in Charles’s eyes. He shot up and grasped Charles’s wrist, making it impossible for him to move away.
The old man looked at the young man and said haltingly, “If you can’t find a solution to face them, I’ll teach you one, Charles. Drink some wine, find some medicine, find a good doctor, a reliable Mind musician, and turn everything into a dream. Forget it all.”
“Forget it?” Charles laughed emptily.
“Remember the joke I told you yesterday?” Under the alarm and warnings, Constantine let go and returned to his seat. “The young should not be depressed by temporary pain because there are many more painful days to come…”
462 Pendan
“All pain will pass, Charles,” Constantine repeated what he had said yesterday as if repeating the truth. “Everything will pass.”
Charles looked at him. After a long time, he shook his head. “Mr. Constantine, give up. Are you planning on waiting another few decades for someone to save you?”
Constantine shrugged. “To be honest, the Judgement Tower might be a good retirement home.”
“Then what about the Revolutionaries?” Charles asked. “The war between the Revolutionaries and Sacred City will be inevitable if they release the Dragon of Destruction after a few days. No matter how far away the New World Colony is, the nations won’t allow it to exist anymore…
“Are you okay with that, Mr. Constantine? Are you okay with that crazy Gaius burying what you’ve spent your entire life on? Yesterday, you told me that you must decide but no matter what, many people will die. Why can’t you let those innocent people survive?”
Constantine looked at him with a mocking gaze. “Are you hoping I will turn to the Sacred City?”
“Yes.” Charles nodded. “This is the best for both you and the Revolutionaries. Mr. Constantine, it’s not too late to stop everything.”
Constantine fell silent. Suddenly, he burst into laughter full of self-mockery. “Charles, it’s great to hear you say these words to me.” He patted Charles’s shoulder. His finger that touched Charles’s neck was ice cold.
“If someone told me this before, I would kill him. Unfortunately, I’m old now.” He retracted his finger. Looking dully at Charles, he chuckled weakly and waved. “You can go, Charles.” Looking at the one-way glass, he said, “Now, give me someone actually important.” Charles was confused. “I won’t speak unless the man’s clothes have a gold band.”
In the Sacred City, robes with one gold band were for bishops. They were big figures who controlled an entire parish and were the upper level of the Church. Two gold bands were for the main bishops or ‘archbishops.’ Like Mephistopheles, they controlled the church of a nation, including dozens of parishes.
Half an hour later, the entire underground building became heavily guarded. All unrelated persons were isolated. Two giants in gospel armor stood by the door. Two red-clothed priests walked into the interrogat
ion room. There were no gold bands on their clothing or any ornamentation. However, no one dared to doubt their qualifications.
They were cardinals.
Unexpectedly, two cardinals had come, representing the entire Cardinal Church. This meant that, if the Church was a solid object, it would be here right now. This immense entity had lowered itself to come and talk with Constantine.
-
The isolation room was crowded with the irrelevant people. Ye Qingxuan, Charles, and Wolf Flute squatted in a corner, staring at each other.
“I thought only someone who isn’t even in the system would count as irrelevant.” Ye Qingxuan glanced at Wolf Flute. “You count too?”
“The Silent Authority sounds impressive but it’s just for the Sacred City’s dirty work. We’re irrelevant no matter where we go.” Wolf Flute huffed and eyed him.
“Now do you know how high and mighty the church position you looked down before is? If you came to the Sacred City back then with Father Bann’s recommendation and your talent, you could be a Papal Chamber secretary now. After three years of being sent out, you can come back and study further after five years and become an archbishop.
“Father Bann is powerful now. With his support, you could be close to the cardinals when you’re forty. Then when one of them dies, you can take their place. If you have some f*cking good luck, you might even be chosen to be the pope!”
Ye Qingxuan scoffed. “If I’m not even a musician at that time, how could I become the King of Red?”
“You think all the cardinals are musicians? You think they need to duel when choosing the pope? Of those who become a cardinal, nine out of ten are full-time priests. They probably aren’t even at the Student level.” Wolf Flute looked at him with a vague smile. “The King of Red is the representative of humanity. Everything he says is law. It’s hard to say if rebirth after death is real but the others might be true.
“Before the sixth pope became the pope, he were just an ascetic archbishop. There are so many cases like that. Even if you’re not a musician, you’ll naturally have the crown added when you become the King of Red.”
Before Ye Qingxuan could reply, Wolf Flute raised a finger to his mouth. “Shush! They’re getting to the critical point…they’re discussing the cost.”
“Huh?” Ye Qingxuan was taken aback. “You’re eavesdropping?”
“No sh*t. It’s the first talk between the deputy general of the Revolutionaries and the Cardinals. Why wouldn’t I?” Before Wolf Flute finished, he gasped.
“What happened?”
“The cardinal…” Wolf Flute lowered his voice. “A cardinal’s title! A pardon signed by the pope! Why is the Sacred City so easygoing this time?” But then he froze again and his expression changed. “Constantine is starting to recite the name list now.”
“Name list?”
“He only said six names and stopped,” Wolf Flute said. “He wants the Sacred City to consider his value… The cardinal title now has true power and there are six pardons… The cardinals promised he’ll have his own department with men to use…” He did not dare to keep listening. Two saints of the Sacred City had already arrived. If he continued listening, he would probably be discovered.
“But no matter what, if the negotiations are successful, Constantine will really earn a lot.” Wolf Flute smoked and said casually, “Charles found a nice leg to hug.”
“Huh?” Ye Qingxuan was confused.
“Constantine just requested that Charles should join the church and act as his important secretary and assistant. Your senior will become a new noble of the Sacred City in a few days.”
Charles stared at the food the Silent Authority gave in confusion. “Huh?”
-
Ten minutes later, the cardinals left quickly with the list of names from Constantine. The list was very long. Everyone was kept there until the morning of the next day. That was when they realized what had happened in the Sacred City during the night. Snow and blood had fallen all over the Sacred City.
The winter thunder rumbled. The explosions that built up during the night still echoed through the city. Of the church, hundreds were involved, including those with important positions and bright futures. For several continuous days, black-clothed priests brought the garrison through every corner of the Sacred City to arrest the beggars.
During the second night, there was a boom in the east of the city. Blinding light exploded. The fight between saints and four musicians ended quickly. Under the saints’ control, there were no casualties. All traitors were defeated. Unfortunately, Gaius escaped.
Two days later, Constantine held the Sacred City’s pardon and walked out of prison. Under everyone’s eyes, he stepped into the Papal Chamber. The overall situation was set.
The Winter Festival was five days later and thousands would join in the Sacred City square. The Sacred City had already released word that after the pope announced the coming of the new year, Constantine would be given the red robe before everyone’s eyes. After that, he would be an undeniable force in the Sacred City.
The aftershocks were still rippling through the nations. With this attack, the Revolutionaries had regressed ten years and lost thousands of members. Stepping on the corpse of the Revolutionaries, Constantine had climbed to the peak of power. And on his leg, was a pendant named Charles…
463 Lock
Everything finished successfully. Ye Qingxuan was preparing to return to Anglo as well. However, no matter how much they rushed, they would probably not make it in time for the Winter Festival. Therefore, everyone decided to stay in the Sacred City for the holiday. With Charles here, they could even get front row seats to watch the pope announce the new year. They could brag about that when they go home. With the Winter Festival arriving, the new year would come as well.
After the temporary desolation, the Sacred City began thriving again. Under the cheery atmosphere, everyone was doing shopping sprees. Wolf Flute had more and more missions though and could rarely be seen.
During the rare break, Charles ran between the various institutions of the Sacred City to register and was extremely busy. Abraham wanted to help but, due to his identity, he was rarely allowed out of the embassy.
Therefore, Bai Xi, bored out of her mind, decided to focus on Ye Qingxuan. Finally, Ye Qingxuan could no longer endure her clinging and was dragged onto the streets to go shopping with her. Of course, the money came from the embassy’s budget… Ye Qingxuan felt slightly bad.
-
The flurries of snow did not stop during these days. Under the snow, everyone seemed to be smiling and enjoying the festivity. Even Bai Xi was happy as a regular kid. She seemed to truly be a kid. Even though she had suddenly grown and was close to Ye Qingxuan’s height, she still had a kid’s…bad humor. This included buying a bunch of candy to tease kids and then double over with laughter when the kids cried to their parents for their own candy.
Ye Qingxuan shook his head and sighed. He could not help feeling slightly guilty. They had not played together ever since he went to Auschwitz.
Before, Bai Xi would follow behind him too. Sometimes, she would get angry for some reason and stop talking to him. But when he looked back, he would see the white-haired girl following him docilely with her hands behind her back and humming a tune. Sometimes, she would turn and her white dress would float up like a flower in the wind. Ye Qingxuan could not help but reach out and ruffle her hair.
“What?” Bai Xi shook his hand off and side-eyed him. “Cousin, what are you planning now?”
“Oh, I just thought that you suddenly grew up.” Ye Qingxuan held in his laughter. Bai Xi kicked him angrily. After two steps, she decided it was not enough. She came back to kick him again and then marched forward.
Ye Qingxuan quietly followed where she could find him if she turned around.
“Stop being so slow.” Bai Xi turned to glance at him. “If you can’t catch up, I won’t wait for you.”
“Alright, alright.” Ye Qingxuan smile
d lazily and caught up.
-
Thankfully, one would get tired after shopping. For lunch, Bai Xi weighed Ye Qingxuan’s wallet and happily chose the most expensive restaurant. Sitting near a window on the third floor, they could look down at the bustling streets. Ye Qingxuan studied the falling snow. The restaurant’s music was the only sound in the quiet and beautiful world.
Bai Xi hugged the things she had bought and lazily drank her juice. Seeing Ye Qingxuan space out, she pouted. “Cousin, what are you thinking about now?”
He shook his head. “I wonder how Old Phil is now. No one’s in Anglo. Would he be lonely?”
“Old Phil?” Bai Xi sighed. “Don’t worry about him. After you left, he became so successful…”
“Huh?” Ye Qingxuan was confused.
“He’s the school dog of the Royal Academy of Music!” Bai Xi pursed her lips. “I don’t know what the principal was thinking but he even gave us an extra budget to buy things for Old Phil. He made it into our school’s mascot with a bunch of merchandise to give to people.
“Cousin, while you were having a hard time, Old Phil is living the life of scaring children and biting teachers whenever he wants. He’s the most successful dog now.”
“Really?”
Bai Xi took a letter out. “I was worried when I left and had the principal’s secretary send me pictures every few days. Look for yourself…”
In the picture, Old Phil’s gold fur was dazzling and radiant. It was almost blinding. Plump and oily, it looked nothing like the dog from before.
“He’d gained at least five kilograms!” Ye Qingxuan exclaimed quietly.
“If you just eat and sleep every day and occasionally get fed by a mysterious woman, like caviar, acorn ham, lobster…eating like it’s all free, you’d get fat like this too.” Pausing, Bai Xi’s eyebrow raised. “But speaking of that, the woman always comes and goes with the royal family’s carriage. Do you know who she is?”