179 Past Mistakes (1/2)
Ye Qingxuan woke from his nightmare with a start. He climbed out of bed, sweat pouring down his back.
Before him, a bloody conch hovered above a white palm. There were fine veins in the conch, detailed to the point of abnormality. Tiny music notes in the veins formed a vast and mighty music score.
The only sound in the silent sealed room was the youth’s breaths. A faint breeze blew past the conch, producing a faint echo. The echo was like a person murmuring in one’s ear, describing an unspeakably dark secret. As one listened, one could not help but focus on it entirely and become obsessed.
”Failed again?” On the chair, Lola played with the conch, unperturbed. ”You need to get used to it.”
Ye Qingxuan was dazed for a long time. ”I had a nightmare.”
”As expected. I told you to be prepared because it won’t give you good dreams or sleep.” In her hands, the conch-shaped sign shone with the red glimmer of blood. It illuminated her cheeks, adding a shade of seductiveness and magic to the peaceful and mysterious face, making it mesmerizing.
This was one of the sign’s powers. There was an endless amount of hopelessness and wildness crystallized within it, naturally connecting it to the Avalon’s Shadow. It sent the sounds in the darkness to this world. Though it had lost the ability to activate the Blood Path, with some refinement, it was still a rare and perfect instrument.
With this as the medium, it could cast one’s consciousness into the dark side of Avalon, enter other nightmares, and use them for exploration and practice. However, the pressure was a bit too much.
”You can’t take it anymore?” Lola asked lightly. ”Seems like you need to practice your endurance a bit more.”
Ye Qingxuan heard but did not listen. He just thought back to the dream in fear. ”Whose dream did I just see?”
”It could be anyone’s. You’re just a passerby in the dream. Don’t lose yourself in it, otherwise you’ll die from the chaos in your mind.”
”I’m just sad.” Ye Qingxuan raised a finger and wiped his tears. ”Let’s stop for a bit. I want to rest.”
Lola tossed a handkerchief onto his lap. ”Five minutes.”
-
A few days ago in the hidden room under the building. Frost covered everything. Ye Qingxuan was suffocating. Deathly white frost flowered at his feet and snaked up his calves. His frozen blood transformed into icicles, piercing his body. Thousands of frost blades tore at his body bit by bit, pushing his consciousness into endless darkness.
Finally, he woke with a yelp. He found himself sprawled on the ground unharmed. It was as if nothing had happened. Lola rested in the chair before him, looking down at his pathetic state with a mocking expression. In her hands, the silver flute twirled and radiated with the remains of the dispersing melody.
”I told you before. There should be a limit to not knowing your limits,” Lola stated. ”If you’re throwing a fit, can you do it somewhere you have the upper hand?”
Ye Qingxuan straightened out with difficulty and sat on the ground. He rubbed his face, dispelling the drowsiness in his brain. He grit out, ”Again!”
”Okay, any time.” Lola lifted the tea kettle easily and poured another cup for herself. Steam rose from the red tea with a light fragrance. She seemed to not be prepared at all.
Bang! Ye Qingxuan pressed his finger and Jiu Xiao Huan Pei rang out, but it stopped abruptly. He froze and reflexively tried to retreat, but he could not move. He only felt unbearable heat.
It was as if his blood was boiling. Scalding heat rose in his chest, turning into flames. The flames burned his body dry and shot out from his pores, dissipating in the air. He turned into a pile of ashes and scattered in the wind before vanishing.
But in the next moment, he opened his eyes in shock. Before him, Lola was still lifting the tea kettle. The cup was not yet filled with red tea. The fragrance of roses spread from the red liquid.
”Want a cup?” Lola asked softly. She placed the warm cup into his hands and her voice grew gentle and caring. ”You’ll feel better after you drink it.”
Ye Qingxuan looked down at the tea in his cup. He threw his head back and downed it. Placing the teacup on the ground, he grit out, ”Again!”
Lola shook her head and sighed. ”So reckless.”
The sound of a rope tightening came from the darkness behind the youth. Ye Qingxuan spun backward, but a menacing and burly giant threw a sack over his head. In an instant, his vision blurred and there was a rope around his neck. He could vaguely see cruel sunlight through the sack.
”Hang him! Hang him!” an angry crowd roared. ”Hang this d*mn murderer!”
The wooden boards under his feet were opened and his body fell abruptly, but the noose around his neck tightened, pulling him up harshly.
Crack. Was this the sound of his neck cracking? An endless period of suffocation followed…
When Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes again, he had practically forgotten how to breathe.
”Continue?” Lola’s smile was cheerful.
Ye Qingxuan had almost lost the strength to grit his teeth. ”Yes.”
-
When he woke up for the last time, it was already light out. As morning birds chirped, he wore the robe of a housekeeper and knelt before Lola in the living room of the old building. He enthusiastically recited a poem that would make even traveling poets blush. His entire body was sore.
-
”What is wrong with me?” He looked around blankly and realized that the living room was clean as if it had been washed with water. He could see his reflection on the shiny floor. Lola smiled without saying anything. Beside him, the Pyramid King handed him a crystal prism to show him the recorded video.
The youth sang drunkenly under the moonlight. He took off his clothes as he ran around the building. Then he started to fetch water, chop firewood, wash dishes and clean the entire building. Finally, he changed into the housekeeper’s uniform and allowed himself to be ordered around like a loyal dog. He enthusiastically served the noble lady Lola, pouring tea and taking care of all details…
After watching all this, Ye Qingxuan felt weak. He fell into a chair and shook his head. ”I surrender. I give up.”
”Oh? What a pity.” Lola tasted the breakfast that Ye Qingxuan had made and nodded in satisfaction. ”Your breakfast is quite good. I’d planned for you to make lunch.”
”Do you lack cooks?!”
”What’s that saying again?” Lola thought for a moment and revealed an elegant and charming smile. ”It makes me happy.”
This f*cking woman…Ye Qingxuan glared at her and swore in his mind.
”Someday, I’ll make you massage me and play the harp while singing…” Lola said out loud as if she could read his mind. ”Should I praise you for your impressive goal or tell you that you’re too weak?” She gazed at the awkward Ye Qingxuan and shook her head in pity. ”Are you too scared to think about something excessive?” She paused meaningfully. A flirty smile appeared on her white and lovely face, making one feel the heat.
”…” Ye Qingxuan cleared his mind, killing the growing thought in his mind. He did not dare to think about it.
This story proved that you should never think about weird things in front of a musician from the School of Mind. You would be eavesdropped on without even knowing it.
But it was crazy! When she was still the Professor, Ye Qingxuan had control no matter what. He could fight when he wanted to and escape when he wanted, but now that she had revealed her true identity, he became the one that was eating dust. This made no sense!
”Give up?” Lola asked. ”I thought the same trick wouldn’t work on you twice. It really scared me.” She patted her chest dramatically, pretending to be relieved.
”Stop patting. Your chest is so flat already. What if it disappears now?” Ye Qingxuan retorted. ”You just beat me. What’s there to be proud of?”
”But it makes me happy to beat the dark musician Holmes.” Lola shook her head in mocking pity. ”But it’s a pity that you’re so weak and were just getting beat up by me. I couldn’t even get serious.”
Ye Qingxuan almost spat out blood. ”You’re at least a fourth level Resonance musician. You’re a whole realm and two levels away, alright? And I can’t even use any equipment. If you can’t beat me like this, then you shouldn’t even be a musician. Just go back and be your noble lady in peace.”
”Really?” Lola giggled. ”If I told you that everything I used was from the Musician level, only one level above you, and didn’t even use my sound of heart or other powers…would you think that the problem lies in you?”
”…” Ye Qingxuan was stunned. He thought back to the process of their duel and furrowed his brows in the end. ”Are you joking?”
His answer was the glow of the aether ball. The ball with gold thread and jade embedded in it shone in Lola’s hand, flashing slightly. This was the easiest way for musicians to measure their levels. Their skill level could be measured with the aether ball’s sophisticated sensing capability after projecting their spirits into it.
The nine levels of musicians were all different. The indications were all different for each school as well, but it was enough for a basic diagnosis. But now, Ye Qingxuan was already shocked.
”What…is this?”
-
Light shone within the aether ball. The light was unstable, like a candle flickering in the wind. It was worse than Ye Qingxuan! In fact, it was quickly weakening, until it fell into the Student level, and then went even lower than that. One could only say that it was better than nothing. The sight simply made one speechless.