Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

  The thunder dissipated.

  Everything seemed to imply that nothing had happened.

  The six masters who stood in front of Ye Qingxuan had long since disappeared without a trace.

  At that moment, they didn’t even have time to escape. Under the thunderous wrath of the Saint, all of them turned to ashes. The thunder was like punishment from God. Wherever it passed, everything was all destroyed.

  Their music theory cracked and collapsed, their bodies were destroyed, and even their ashes had evaporated entirely. Even the earth melted and changed into a splatter of grayish-black and scorching red colors, exuding a smell of sulfur that seemed to come from hell.

  As all the bystanders looked on in surprise and shock, Ye Qingxuan was silent for a good while, then couldn’t help but laugh.

  He laughed loudly.

  He finally understood how the Sacred City had commanded Schubert.

  Non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate [1] — The same was true for alchemy.

  Since a better method existed, they need not add a crappy control circuit.

  It had probably been planned from the very beginning?

  A devout believer was to be used as the container to hold the elements and scepter born of the Holy Bible. Then, the Proverbs of the Holy Bible were used as the medium of communication.

  After the original personality was erased by the music theory, the devout heart remaining would become the best way to control the container. As long as one mastered the contents of the Holy Bible, one could control it.

  In simple words, as long as one could recite the entire Holy Bible, one could naturally understand how to communicate with Schubert.

  Meanwhile, Ye Qingxuan’s title as a bishop within the Church provided him with a command authority of minimum level.

  Although some other more covert control circuit was certainly hidden within, the current extent was enough, provided that he simply wanted to use Schubert’s scepter as a deterrent.

  Seeing that Ye Qingxuan had commanded Schubert, in a flash, their surroundings were completely empty. All the musicians had run away completely.

  In the silence, Ye Qingxuan examined the old nun in front of him and his lips curled into a smile.

  The Ultimate was indeed a nice place…

  He thought of a pretty good plan.

  …

  In the dead of the night, fiery glows lit up from time to time in the silent city.

  Under the calm surface situation that resembled stagnant water, turbulent undercurrents prevailed. God knew how many musicians were hiding in the dark, madly fighting and killing each other to seize power.

  There were also musicians who were not interested in the power that could be obtained out of nowhere.

  Some held it in contempt, while others didn’t want to get themselves into trouble — There is no such thing as a free lunch, all the pies that fell from the sky [2] came with their own prices.

  Leaving the risks of engaging in combat aside for the moment, just the unsubstantial power obtained would in itself require one to put in a significant amount of effort just to control it.

  If that was all, it would still be alright. Schools that had been established for some years, even if not for very long, generally had methods designed specifically in relation to such external power, and the methods would allow one to completely master such power.

  However, if one was to accept the music theory of the Ultimate, one’s own music theory would also be altered by the Ultimate.

  Contamination was relative. Human beings were altering the Ultimate, and the Ultimate was also altering human beings.

  When the Ultimate officially finished brewing up and the catastrophe was born, then naturally, the School of the Ultimate that would make use of its music theory would take shape.

  Actually, most of the schools of mankind had originated in similar fashion. By imitating, studying, and exploring catastrophes, they obtained power from catastrophes.

  But the situation they faced at the moment was different. Direct inheriting the music theory of the Ultimate would inevitably cause one to be affected by the Ultimate. After the Ultimate was controlled by the Church, one would also become a lackey of the Church for sure.

  It was just like dark musicians.

  Any musician would hold dark musicians in contempt as long as he had a bit of talent, and why was that so? Wasn’t it precisely because those fellows were controlled and restricted by catastrophes and demons, and didn’t even have freedom?

  Of course, there was no shortage of wackos who were blinded by greed and even dared to scheme against the catastrophe for the sake of power.

  Therefore, other than a large number of people who were ecstatic, there were still a small number of musicians with strong enough foundations and promising futures, who were unwilling to get involved in such trouble.

  Moreover, musicians would never make enemies lightly among themselves. Once enemies were made, the consequence would be nothing short of a fight till death.

  For those who killed other musicians for the sake of power, leaving the issue of whether it was done via a fair showdown aside for the moment, surely they weren’t assuming that the schools the musicians belonged to were dead as well?

  Musicians who could attain the Level of Master were all mainstays of their respective schools, or might even be the very ones in charge of their schools.

  Offending a large group of people for the sake of some power that came with a price would probably result in failure to obtain protection even from one’s own school, and one could only resort to seeking refuge in the Sacred City.

  It was probably the Church’s plan as well?

  In a casino, the one to profit the most would never be the expert of cheating, nor would it be the experienced gambler well-versed in the art of gambling, but the owner of the casino who was acting as dealer.

  The casino would charge both sides, so no matter which side was to win, it would earn a steady profit with no risk of losing.

  It wasn’t that no smart person had figured it out, but people were often powerless to change the environment, and would instead be influenced and changed by the environment.

  When the entire Ultimate became the Colosseum, few people were able to maintain their virtue in solitude.

  One example was Auden from the School of Wan Lei.

  Sometimes even though one made no attempt to kill others, others would still attempt to kill one…

  “Orlando, I have never offended you!” After being forced into a dead end, Auden’s expression was twisted with rage. “Are you not afraid of the revenge of the School of Wan Lei that will follow if you kill me!”

  Behind layers of stone-like fluorescence, Auden was already extremely flustered. A big half of his beard had been cut off, and his robe was in tatters. If it hadn’t been for the alchemy equipment, he would have died and gone to the underworld in the first round of sneak attacks.

  The School of Wan Lei derived from the school of modifications and was known for its manipulation of stone and iron. Its forte was defense. Once the core music theory was unfolded, it was as if the musician had carried a fortress on him, and ordinary musicians were unable to break through the defenses at all.

  But it must also be considered from a relative perspective, especially when the opponent had advanced to the Level of Scepter. The fortress became a coffin, and one couldn’t even escape.

  Orlando’s figure was like a materialized ghost, swaying fleetingly, and produced a sharp cackle.

  After a musician of the school of magic attained the Level of Scepter, he could control reality and illusion. Even his own existence was so fleeting that it was difficult to detect.

  Furthermore, Orlando’s forte was eroding reality via illusions. Under the distortion of music theory, the illusion of nothingness continuously eroded Auden’s defenses, disintegrating it bit by bit.

  He was bent on killing Auden, and his attacks became more decisive, not even giving Auden a
ny chance to take a breathe. His own existence was transformed in the sharp melody, and dreamlike streams of light were blown out of his flute, making Auden’s face turn pale.

  “You won’t have it easy even after I die.” Auden gritted his teeth and made up his mind. As if his blood was ignited, his face turned red. Turbulent music theory permeated from his defenses, and surprisingly turned the illusions into dust.

  Assimilation.

  Different types of Symphonies of Predestination would produce different effects once they blew themselves up. Most musicians of the school of modifications were good at destruction, but masters of alchemy like Auden were better at altering the nature of matter.

  Once his Symphony of Predestination erupted, despite the suppression of the Ultimate, everything within a few hundred meters would all be transformed into dust.

  Then, Orlando would definitely not have it easy. Moreover, he couldn’t even obtain the Symphony of Predestination, and could only return empty-handed.

  “Will I give you a chance?” Orlando sneered, and the flute played a sharp melody. In the shrill sound, Auden’s vision blurred, and he actually lost the ability to sense his Symphony of Predestination. After the confrontation that had lasted for a long time, the illusions had quietly seeped into Auden’s consciousness.

  Even Orlando himself had become a fulcrum of the illusions.

  As long as one looked directly at him, one would be eroded by his illusions and get trapped deeply within without realizing it.

  Seeing the vague figure that Orlando had turned into walk towards him, Auden felt utter despair in his heart. Only then did he understand that the reason why the other person had dragged things on with him for such a long time was just to make him deeply trapped and unable to escape.

  But at the very moment, a hoarse sigh sounded.

  “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.” The young man who walked out of the shadows recited the Holy Bible, clapped his hands deftly, and proclaimed, “— And it was so.”

  Smack!

  [1] The principle of Occam’s Razor that translates as ‘Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity.’

  [2] The author is referring to a Chinese proverb that literally translates as “A pie fell from the sky.” It means that one gets to enjoy benefits without putting in effort.

  648 Even the Dark Musician would not have Tolerated

 

“Therefore, God created the atmosphere and separated the water above and underneath it.” The young man that has just stepped out of the shadows was chanting the Holy Bible and clapping his hands lightly, “This is how it all happened.”

Smack!

Terrifying power exploded behind him. The exquisite music theory, that surpassed even the level of Scepters, appeared out of nowhere, passed by two people in the blink of an eye and wrested over the control of everything within a circumference of a few hundred meters. Soon after, the music theories of both parties were immaculately dismantled and were forced to stop fighting. Orlando was trembling with rage that the duck he had finally managed to catch was flying away. He stared furiously at that young man but his anger dissipated instantly, and was quickly replaced by shock and fear.

It was at this moment that he could finally see clearly the old nun that was standing behind that white-haired young man.

Schubert!

Anger was the last thing on his mind right now. Instead, he was considering if he should retreat. His savior might have descended from the skies but Auden was not relieved. Instead, his heart sank. He had just escaped the tiger’s jaws, only to find himself in the wolf’s den. He never considered that Ye Qingxuan was helping him out of goodwill. He presumed that Ye Qingxuan probably just wanted to kill two birds with one stone.

Therefore, it was beyond his expectation to find that the white-haired young man, the Chief Inquisitor, was not wielding any weapons nor seem to harbor any intent to kill. Instead, he squatted down to look at Auden with a smile on his face.

“Hi, friend.” He took out a fresh piece of covenant and waved it in front of Auden, “Are you interested in a transaction?”

When Auden replied with a confused look on his face, Ye Qingxuan explained the terms and conditions with a smile on his face, “Right now, you have two choices. One, I leave and you die. Two, seek help from me and I will save you and bring you out of the Ultimate in one piece. In exchange, you have to sign your name. Look, it’s right here.”

With that, Ye Qingxuan took out a pen and stuffed it into Auden’s hand, before pointing at the blank that could be found at the end of the covenant, “Sign here and you will be saved! How? Worth it right?”

Auden briefly glanced through the covenant. He had only read the opening paragraph and he was already tempted to vomit blood at Ye Qingxuan’s face.

Worth it? My foot! Which b*stard came up with these terms and conditions? Even the Dark Musician would not have tolerated this!

For the next 30 years, he would have to serve the Religious Court of Inquiry without any compensation. He would also have to help the Religious Court of Inquiry to groom and develop musician apprentices. It would still have been acceptable if that was all. However, he was also expected to comply with all of Ye Qingxuan’s plans and orders unconditionally…

And this was only the beginning!

There were so many terms and conditions that they left Auden feeling giddy. How was this a covenant that would save his life? It would be an understatement to say that this covenant basically required him to sell his life!

To be fair, it was clearly mentioned that he would not be expected to work for free and that he would be paid according to the top-tier of the market rate. However, once a musician reached the level of a Master, finding jobs would not be a problem at all. To think that they intend to use money in exchange for the services of a Master for not once or twice, but for 30 years… Dream on!

All Masters would have their own topics to research on, how could they possibly have the time to work for Ye Qingxuan! Not only would he have to sacrifice his youth and almost his entire life, he would also have to sacrifice his apprentices! This contract was so ridiculous that it was almost like hiring other employers to work in his company, on top of signing such an unfair contract. Once this contract was signed, all his musicians would have to wok for the Religious Court of Inquiry! Who would be so free to be owned by someone else as a dog?

Besides, this covenant was created with the path of commandment of the School of Abstinence, so it was an enforcement covenant of the highest quality and was not cheap at all. The oddities of the real of aether have been used to ensure that dire consequences would befall on him should he choose to go against the covenant.

By the time Auden has finished reading the entire covenant, he raised his head to look at Ye Qingxuan again. Looking at this white-haired fellow was like looking at a demon in human skin. This b*stard! He made it sound as if there were really two choices, when one of them meant immediate death. Who knew what else he could have up his sleeves?

But if Auden did not refuse… he would be living a life that was not much of an improvement over death! Who knew how he would end up if he was to work for this fellow? The Religious Court of Inquiry has always been notorious and even Naberius, the Dark Musician, has said that anyone with half a brain would never associate themselves with the Religious Court of Inquiry…

“Have you decided?” Ye Qingxuan grinned before beginning to check the time, “I don’t have much time left. It is perfectly fine if you don’t wish to accept the covenant.”

With that, he casually gave Orlando a glance. The moment Orlando heard that Ye Qingxuan was leaving, his eyes lit up.

“No! I’ll sign! I’ll sign!” Auden shouted. Before he could even finish his sentence, he already saw the expression of joy on Ye Qingxuan’s face. “Damned it, I have been cheated…” Auden was struggling internally. Under Ye Qingxuan’s gaze, he controlled his tears and stamped the Symphony of Predestination on the covenant. From here on, all his musicians would be sold to the Religious Court of Inquiry.

“Welcome!” Ye Qingxuan smiled and helped him up from the ground. “Although this might have been a little unorthodox, the benefit
s that we offer are top-notch. All the music theories of the Religious Court of Inquiry are open to you. Don’t worry, you will not be unfairly treated. From now on, we are family!”

“Who the hell wants to be family with you!” Auden kept quiet. What else could he say? Since he has already jumped into a fire pit, he might as well think about how he could make himself comfortable in there. At this thought, he stared at Orlando viciously. If not for him, Auden would never be in such a state where he would have to pay such a heavy price.

Ye Qingxuan pretended to blow at the signature on the covenant, as if he was trying to dry the non-existent ink, before keeping the covenant very slowly. Then, he turned back and looked at Orlando, who seemed prepared to make a run for it. “Hi friend, it’s your turn now.”

Orlando was taken aback when he saw Ye Qingxuan taking out a new covenant, “I don’t need to plead with you!”

“Is that so?” Ye Qingxuan grinned and pointed behind him, “Now you do!”

Orlando’s face turned pale when he saw the murderous look on Auden’s face. He could not help but curse. Alright, perhaps he really needed it now. If he chose not to sign it, who knew if Ye Qingxuan would kill him immediately to take revenge for Auden?

There was a cunning smile on Auden’s face. He has finally figured out how he was going to torture this b*stard! There was no reason that he should be the only unlucky one. Of course, he must drag more people down with him! If not for this as*hole, Auden would still have been perfectly fine! Although Auden might still be pissed with Ye Qingxuan for taking advantage of his misfortune, he was filled with much more hatred for Orlando!

“Mr Ye, there are two clauses in the covenant that can be further adjusted,” he reminded Ye Qingxuan, pointing out the third clause. “The definition of ‘rights and obligations’ here is too broad. We must not give others a chance to take advantage of any loopholes. And here, for the price of going against the covenant, we must retain the right to pursue responsibility. He may be able to escape, but not his entire School…” Auden did not mind seeing others worse off than him, now that he has landed himself in such a situation.