263 Bad News (2/2)

Ye Qingxuan felt as if a weight had been lifted after solving all these problems at once. Autumn was ending soon and winter was coming but he felt the comfort of spring warmth. What was that Eastern saying?

It was the best season if there were no worries.

He sprawled on the bed and closed his eyes. There was nothing tomorrow so he would just sleep now!

Soon, cruel reality slapped him in the face, shocking him awake. Old Phil pushed the door open and tossed a letter onto his face.

It looked like an unimportant bill from the Church bank; however, Ye Qingxuan swore at the content after decoding the message hidden in the numbers. He felt chills all over. He hurriedly tossed his clothes on and ran out.

The letter said:

The Shaman has been attacked. Life status unknown.

-

Half an hour later, Ye Qingxuan pushed open the door to a hidden room and saw the old man on the bed. Resting against the headboard, the Shaman was reading the newest paper with his glasses on. Seeing Ye Qingxuan enter, he looked up and motioned for the youth to sit.

Ye Qingxuan pulled a chair over and sat across from him. The Shaman had all his limbs intact. It seemed to have been nothing but a fright.

”I heard that you got killed.”

”It’s not that bad but also not that good.” The Shaman chuckled and tossed the newspaper to the side. ”As you can see, I’m…hanging onto life.” There was a gaping hole on the chest of his white patient’s shift. Ye Qingxuan could see the bloody bedsheet behind him through the hole. He could also see the quivering lungs; the heart was missing. Choir musicians had implanted various auxiliary organs to keep him alive. Keeping him alive was the extent of their abilities.

Ye Qingxuan’s eyes twitched and he looked away. ”How unfortunate.”

”Yeah.” The Shaman nodded in agreement.

In the silence, Ye Qingxuan asked, ”How did you fall to this state?”

”Last night, at dawn, a man with an eagle head descended from the sky. All my guards died. The six musicians that tried to stop it were torn apart like paper bags. Finally, it clawed at my chest and my heart was gone. If Ghosthand hadn’t helped me escape, you’d probably be looking at pieces of the Shaman now.”

Ye Qingxuan fell silent. He had seen this creature with a man’s body and eagle’s head last night in Avalon’s Shadow. Hyakume’s priest had transformed into that too.

”An eagle’s head and man’s body is the characteristic of the natural catastrophe Eagle Wing Mother. It’s one of the lower gods of Hyakume. Dark musicians that sign a contract with it will turn into it. It seems that the parliament had fully joined Hyakume.”

”As expected,” the Shaman said. ”The true background controller of the parliament has always had something to do with Hyakume. But you came here for something else, right? Good or bad?”

”Bad,” Ye Qingxuan said. ”The parliament had started entering Avalon’s Shadow.”

The Shaman did not show any shock or anger. He just nodded. ”I know.” He pointed at the newspaper he had tossed away, motioning for Ye Qingxuan to look. The youth froze when he opened it.

The first headline of the second article: Mysterious damages have been caused to the building of the Royal Musician Division. The banquet hall is in ruins. May have been caused by activists.

There were also a few blurry pictures. Ye Qingxuan did not need the pictures. He had seen it with his own eyes! But he had seen it in Avalon’s Shadow…