404 A Sword on the Ground (2/2)
”Why?” They grew sad. ”We've been separated for such a long time.”
”Because…because…” Colt stepped back. His features twisted. ”You're all dead.”
”No, Colt.” They shook their heads, smiling. ”We just left you to a faraway place.”
”You're all dead.” Colt gritted his teeth, his eyes darkening. ”I killed all of you personally.”
In that moment, the cheers cut off. Screams and roars began. The rain washed their faces, washing away their skin. Their red flesh and menacing features were revealed. They screamed, clawing with sharp nails.
”It hurts, Colt,” someone cried. ”It's so dark here. Come help us.”
”I'm gonna rip you apart! B*stard, I've been waiting for decades!” someone roared. He tried to rush over but was stopped by an invisible barrier. ”Coward, I'll kill you! Every day! I'll return the pain you gave me thousand-fold!”
”Come here, Colt!” they yelled and laughed hysterically. ”You have nowhere to run to.”
Colt stumbled back but he felt cornered. ”Where…is this?”
”This is hell, Colt,” someone said gently behind him. ”You're dying so you saw hell. Soon, you'll crossover. After all these years, there are so many people waiting for you.”
”I won't die!” Colt spun around and yelled, ”I have such a bright future! How can I die?”
”You will.” The comer lifted his hood, revealing hair as white as bone. Seeing Colt's blank stare, he laughed. He reached out, gripping Colt's neck, and looked down on him. ”I came from there and I'll bring you back.”
His grip was like a vise. Voice like grating metal, he said eerily, ”I swore before that I will find you. The world is so large but you have nowhere to go.”
”Ye…Qingxuan…” A shriek burst from Colt's throat. His eyes widened, staring menacingly at the face before his eyes. ”You won't beat me…I can defeat you once, I can defeat you again!” Using all his might, he yanked out a sword and stabbed the figure's throat. Blood spurted out. Roaring, he cut off the head. Under the black rain, the figure disappeared like a hallucination. The demons and beasts vanished as well. Hell faded into the distance. All that remained was the endless rain.
In the pouring rain, someone murmured, ”You'll return here. You will…”
Colt opened his eyes. He felt liquid fall onto his face. It was blood.
The cave was filled with the pungent and heavy odor of decay. He had taken out a sword without him realizing and stabbed it into the stone wall before him. The blade passed through a venomous green snake. It writhed in pain. Venom dripped from its fangs, only a centimeter away from Colt's neck.
He stared at it coldly, watching it struggle and die bit by bit until it fell silent. Then he tore it apart, skinned it, and devoured the flesh. Blood dripped onto the broken blade. The metal reflected his bedraggled face.
After running wildly during the night, he had hidden inside this cave like a beast. Even his eyes were beastly now.
Weak morning light fell from a crack behind him. It illuminated the name he had carved onto the wall in pain. Of varying sizes, the scraggly names filled the wall. They all came from the same person and had all been scratched away by the sword.
”No one can stop me. I will live on,” Colt murmured as he chewed on the snake bone. He seemed to be reminding himself, to keep himself from forgetting.
As if the snake blood gave him strength, he recovered from the rink of death. His poisoned wounds healed and his fever abated. Reaching out, he yanked down the blood-sucking insects on him one by one. Then he used his sword to trim his unruly hair.
Finally, he crawled out of the cave. He had used all of his strength to shed his outer shell like a snake writhing in pain and stood under the sun again. The sunlight shone on his frail features but could not chase away the darkness in his eyes.
He panted and forged on, crossing the thorns and shrubs. He forged on, fell down, and climbed back up. He traveled across the wilderness, the forest, and the murky waters. He crawled on the ground, past the last quagmire, and onto a slope. Forward, forward…struggling on…
Finally, his eyes were illuminated by the sharp light in the distance. The long and narrow towers pierced the air. They extended deep into the clouds and stood like a forest. Heavy bells rang one after another, seeming to push the falling sky back up.
Pure singing floated down from the highest tower and spread in all directions. It was made of metal; the entire city was made of metal. Even the earth emanated with a metallic scent. It refracted the blazing sun with a burning glow.
Countless people passed by. Carriages rushed past, ships on the river whistled, and iron whales seemed to survey in the air.
The large city that rose up in levels was situated at the center of the world. It controlled the vast aether sea, balancing the aether density of the human world, guarding against the Dark World.
”The Sacred City…” Colt held his breath. This was the immortal city, the city of steel, the city of one thousand spires, the city of the phoenix…It was the center of the world, the peak of everything.
”The Sacred City!” Colt laughed uproariously in ecstasy. He danced, almost losing his breath from laughing. ”I'm still alive! Do you see, Ye Qingxuan? You can't kill me! I'm still alive!” He sprawled on the ground and kissed the dust that flew up from the road. Like a lunatic, tears and snot flowed down his face. The passersby glanced over in confusion.
At the end of the long road, a line of armored knights galloped over on his horse. They carried swords and shields. The shields' emblem was two overlapped keys, representing the holy message. The leading priest looked majestic in his black robe.
In their path, the believers knelt and gazed reverently at their backs. But the knights stopped before a seemingly crazy beggar and half-knelt.
The black robed priest walked forward, holding a new robe in both hands. It was pure white with gold designs, radiating power and holiness.
”Lord Colt, under the Bishop's command, you shall be promoted to the Ministry of Information.” He lowered his head and offered the robe. ”I was ordered to welcome you. Please mount the horse.”
After a long, long pause, Colt laughed from the dust. It was a full and hearty laugh. He climbed up and yanked over the robe, covering himself with the pure whiteness. He transformed into someone majestic and stern, up above everyone else. His eyes seemed to burn.
”Let's go.” Mounting the horse, he looked at the city of steel in the distance with blazing eyes. ”To the Sacred City!”
He was still alive and he would live on. He would go to the Sacred City…and take back what belonged to him. No matter the consequences!
He would do anything it took to climb to the top!
-
It was a sweltering afternoon. The city guards were all drenched in sweat.
The mass of people surged; carriages streamed past the city gates. They included wealthy nobles, ragged believers who came by foot, messengers, and diplomats from various nations…
More than one-hundred thousand people passed through the Sacred City gates each day. However, this time, most of the people grouped at the gates and looked into the distance.
The market outside the city instantly became jammed. People pushing against each other took up every high spot. In the corner of the crowd, an old man with his bags and a cane studied them with a look of lament.
”The Sacred City truly is impressive. There are so many people even at the city gates. It's eye-opening.”
”Old man, is it your first time here?” Someone beside him looked at his dustiness and smiled. ”It's rare for this to happen at the Sacred City too. You're lucky.”
”Really?” The old man chuckled. ”I guess my luck is not too bad.”
”Who's coming?” someone asked.
”The hero from the Romulusian revolt. Who else? Of course, it's the star of the new generation of musicians, the future scepter grandmaster!”
”Why did he come so suddenly? No one promoted it. Otherwise, there would be even more people here.”
”Ha, you don't know.” Someone smiled mysteriously. ”Apparently, Grandmaster Colt helped the Ministry of Information wipe out dozens of satanic cult locations after the war. His achievements even shocked the Sacred City. For safety, he traveled secretly and didn't reveal his identity until he almost made it to the Sacred City.”
”I see.” The passersby nodded, impressed.
The old man nodded in agreement, lamenting with them. He was tired from his journey. Setting down his cane, he sat down against the city walls. He started tuning his six-string violin, thrumming the strings. The melody was lost in the hustle bustle.
”Are you preparing an ode?” A little kid with a pinwheel looked at him curiously. ”I heard that when hero's come back, musicians would give odes.”
”Something like that.” The old musician smiled and looked at his instrument. ”I will if I have the chance.”
The crowd's volume increased sharply. Under the clattering of hooves, cheers rang out.
The hero had returned.
-
”That's the new star of the Ministry of Information?” On the high tower, Mr. Hu looked at the rising clouds of dust. Beside him was an old and average-looking cardinal.
Hearing his question, he asked in return, ”What is your opinion?”
Mr. Hu smiled and did not reply. He just looked down and studied the world.
”After being here for so long, you start thinking that many things are not important anymore,” he said quietly. ”Just like in the legends, the Devas in heaven are immortal and know no troubles. The resentment and deaths on the ground do not even deserve to be spoken of in the sky.”
”Is that an Eastern legend?” The old priest sighed. ”Some things are the same, whether Eastern or Western.”
”Yes.” Mr. Hu looked up. He studied the blazing sun and his eyes were covered in a sheen of dazzling gold. ”There are no troubles in heaven. They do not know there is blood, killing, and fighting on the ground. They do not know eagles can assassinate the emperor, that meteorites can attack the sun, that the white rainbow can pierce the sun. So they do not know that…” His hand unconsciously reached to his waist but there was nothing there. His expression darkened and he sighed.
”…There is a sword on the ground.”
In that moment, the sword was pulled out. In the crowd, a hand held a pocket watch. Thus, 'Faust' opened its eyes.
”Time, please stop,” a desolate voice sang, filled with pain and hope. ”Because you are so beautiful.”