406 Pray (1/2)
In the silence, Colt froze. He stared at the sword before him, shaken. His lips trembled but he could not speak. But aggressive flames soon burned in his unstable eyes. Gritting his teeth, he grasped the hilt and pulled the sword out. Very few people knew that, other than music theory, he was also the unbeatable fighter at the Rock Institute. Even dark musicians had been dealt with by him.
”You'll regret this, Ye Qingxuan.” His eyes were red. ”You will!”
Ye Qingxuan looked at him without speaking. He allowed Colt to bend over and aim the blade at his throat with sharp murderous intent. But then Colt's expression changed. His body trembled and the blade fell to the ground. All his strength had been sapped and he could not move! Colt gaped at Ye Qingxuan in confusion until he discovered the hint on the sword. It finally dawned on him and he roared hysterically, ”Ye Qingxuan!”
”I was just playing with you but you took it seriously.” Shaking his head, Ye Qingxuan walked up and yanked his hair up. Colt wanted to crawl back in despair but he was dragged toward the city gates.
One step, another step. It felt like he was being dragged toward hell.
He went crazy, using all his might to scratch at the ground. He left behind bloody gauges and his nails broke but he was still dragged into the gates.
Then Ye Qingxuan finally stopped and let go.
”According to my promise, I've allowed you back into the Sacred City.” Ye Qingxuan looked down and said gently, ”So now, what happens next will have nothing to do with promises.” He took a long and narrow silver nail from his back. It glinted with dazzling light, piercing Colt's eyes. Reaching out, he pulled Colt's wrist up and made a practice move. In his daze, Colt finally realized what he wanted to do.
He roared, ”Ye Qingxuan, don't you dare!”
His roars turned to pained cries. The silver nail went through his palm, nailing him to the city gate. He screamed and struggled to no avail. The pain in his bone marrow made his writhe but also stimulated his mind.
Painfully, he said, ”Ye Qingxuan, you won! I surrender. Stop now, please.” He tossed away all his dignity. Ignoring the shocked gazes from the onlookers, he practically knelt before Ye Qingxuan.
”What can you get from killing me? Think about it, Ye Qingxuan! You don't have to suffer such consequences because of someone as lowly as me, right? You have more meaningful things to do! You've already proved your abilities, right? I…I can transfer the Pope's blessing to you! You can travel smoothly on the road to the Scepter level!”
Ye Qingxuan paused and stared down at him.
Seeing that he had reacted, Colt's eyes lit up in joy. ”The Lighthouse! There's the Lighthouse too! I can give you the authority! It has all the deep music theory and secrets of the Secret Keepers! Think about it, all the wisdom of the musicians! The treasure so many people dream of! Don't you want to know?” He moved forward on his knees without caring about his tearing palm. He lowered his head to kiss Ye Qingxuan's boots and looked up pleadingly.
”And the way to enter the all-knowing state and even the secrets to creating a legend and becoming a scepter! These can all be yours, Ye Qingxuan, as long as you agree!”
Ye Qingxuan looked at him coldly as if Colt was an awkward clown and the funny play could not make him laugh.
Seeing his indifference, Colt's heart sank. Voice trembling, he begged, ”Stop, Ye Qingxuan! I'm begging you, alright? If you stop now, no one will do anything! Haven't you done enough for that random girl? If you stop now, all the praises are yours and I, the lowly one, will live forever in the shadows so you seem glorious in comparison.
”I can swear on the Originator that I'll be loyal to you for life. Aren't you an Abstinence musician? We can sign a contract! I still have the secret judgement trials from when the Ministry of Science was still the Inquisition! And—ah!!” His other hand was lifted and nailed to the gate.
Expression twisting in pain, Colt was like a fish dropped in a pan of salt. He cried and yelled, ”Are you crazy? Ye Qingxuan, weren't you raised in a church?! God loves! You're a good person. Why must you be so stubbornly hateful? Everything I said is true. I didn't lie at all—”
”I know.” Ye Qingxuan looked down and cut him off. ”I know that you're telling the truth but this has nothing to do with the fact that you're going to die.”
Colt froze.
Ye Qingxuan reached out and grabbed him up by the hair. Ignoring the pained cry when Colt's wound ripped, Ye Qingxuan lifted him to eye level.
”I should thank you, Mr. Colt,” he uttered, staring into Colt's eyes. ”You helped me realize my weakness, my helplessness, and my naivety. You did it better than anyone—flawlessly. Therefore…you must die.”
There seemed to be torrential rain inside those black eyes, reflecting the scenes of Hell. Colt gaped and shuddered in fear, his lips trembling. In his daze, he saw his final resting place—the path to Hell.
He laughed hysterically, twisting his face.
”Then enjoy the products of your revenge,” he murmured in Ye Qingxuan's ears as he cackled. ”But sadly, no matter what you do, that girl's already dead. She won't ever come back…hahaha! I should've known that you and her are both b*stards, oddities, freaks, never able to be understood. Just have fun being crazy, you poor thing!” He opened his mouth and tried to spit out bloody saliva but he could not. The saliva hung from his lips disgustingly.
”So ugly, Colt. You're so ugly.”
Ye Qingxuan's expression was still indifferent as if he had heard nothing. Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped the bloody spit away. The action was gentle but Colt cried out in fear as if something scary was touching him.
”You're a hero, Colt. You should keep you fearless image even until death,” Ye Qingxuan said. ”Those dead priests from the Ministry would be sad if they see you like this, right? And wanting a speedy death now…it's too late.”
Colt froze. A piercing icy feeling spread through his limbs. He could hear clanking armor in the distance. The Knights Templar had finally been called over. The iron whales appeared in the air.
”Don't be impatient.”
Ye Qingxuan opened a small metal box. There were cold glass tubes, metal needles, and a small vial filled with icy blue liquid. He prepared the injection with practice, drawing the blue liquid in. He aimed at Colt's vein. The tip of the needle was cold as hell.
In that moment, Colt seemed to hear a murmur from the underworld.
”Before dying, you must pay for what you have done!”
-
At the same time, the archbishop of the Ministry of Information coughed violently. He yelled, ”Ye Qingxuan! Is Anglo crazy?!”
Someone sped into the room with a pale face. ”Archbishop, Anglo sent out an urgent message half an hour ago. Ye Qingxuan announced that he had given up the Sword in the Stone. Anything that happens now is unrelated to Anglo.”
”What about the Silent Authority?” He studied the surveillance of the aether ball and roared, ”Six grandmasters had died! Why didn't Nibelungenlied give any reactions or reports? Why hasn't the Sacred City Garrison acted yet?!”
”The Silent Authority…has not responded.” The subordinate looked helpless. ”Nibelungenlied and the Sacred City Garrison have not responded either. I do not know why.”
The archbishop yanked him over. He breathed heavily with the thick smell of medicine. His emerald eyes widened like ghost fire. ”Then report to the Papal Chamber!”
Letting go, he coughed out scarlet blood. ”Hurry and use the Sacred City's alarm! Now!”
”Lord, without the Papal Chamber's signed order, we-”
”I said now!” the archbishop roared. ”This is an emergency, don't you understand? If Colt dies outside the city gates, the Ministry will forever be a laughingstock!”
He had sent out the order but lying on the bed, his expression was still dark. Soon, he made up his mind and uttered, ”Come, help me change.”
The subordinate wanted to say something but seeing those eyes, he intelligently shut his mouth.
A servant washed his body with a hot towel and pulled out the tubes one by one. He gradually weakened. The smell coming from his body grew stronger. Finally, the servant helped him put on a blood red robe. It was lined with green gold and seemed serious and majestic.
Outside, the Witch Hammer had finished grouping. The priests lowered onto one knee. ”Father Michel, we await your order.”
”Since Ye Qingxuan killed Colt, we'll make him pay for it!” the old man uttered coldly. He grasped his ivory cane. ”Let the Papal Chamber remain silent. After all, our Holiness will continue to sit on his throne like a puppet.
”The Silent Authority…they probably dream that someone will sweep us into the trash, right? However, I hope you all will remember that the Ministry of Information will never fall. The deaths of Will and the others will not be in vain!
”Even if I will pay for what we do today or even die, the crusade of fate will never end like this! Understand?”
All members of the Witch Hammer pressed their swords to between their brows in salute. They answered in unison, ”We vow to eradicate the treacherous!”
”Good.” Michel nodded in satisfaction. ”Come with me. Show them the dignity of the Ministry!” He exited.
Outside the door, a messenger sprinted over. Out of breath, he knelt down. ”Lord, Ye Qingxuan stopped! He did not kill Lord Colt!”
Michel froze; his face turned red. His determination had somehow turned into a vile metallic odor that almost spewed from his lungs.
”What happened?” he asked through clenched teeth. ”He was stopped?”
”No!” the messenger stuttered, ”After he captured Lord Colt, he remained at the city gates and did not leave… He-he even purposely set off the Sacred City's alarm! Now all the lords had rushed over. Even the ambassadors were alerted. Now—”
”Go!” Without waiting for him to finish, Michel instinctively felt something was wrong. Leaning on his cane, he walked toward the city gates. When he arrived, he was already too late.
The civilians were kept away but it was still crowded with a sea of people. Even with the Garrison's protection, the carriage still traveled with difficulty. When Michael saw the people protected by lines of soldiers, his blood chilled.
With just a glance, he could see that people from countless departments had come from the various colors and designs of robes. There was the Papal Chamber, the Amnesty Institute, the Sacred Court, the Trinity College, the Ministry of Sacrament, the Ministry of Evangelisms, the Ministry of Religion, the Holy Spirit Temple… There were even ambassador musicians from the various nations.
Surrounded by all these people, Ye Qingxuan leaned against the city walls as if he was sunbathing. There was a half-smoked cigarette in his hand. The thin smoke scattered like a wandering ghost. Under the smoke, Colt was nailed to the gate. His head hung and drool dripped from his mouth. He did not respond no matter how the others called.
The commander was an unfortunate soul pushed out by the others. He was powerless in this situation. One side was the new treasure of Anglo, the other was a new hero… Neither side was dead but he personally wanted to die.
Hearing that Michael was here, he quickly ran over and bowed. ”Father, the criminal has captured Colt from your ministry and is refusing to cooperate with the Sacred City's arrest.” Pausing, he suggested quietly, ”What if we form a team to attack and first protect Lord Colt, then—”
”No need!” Michel rasped out. Veins bulged from his hand on the cane. ”Kill him now! Don't worry about Colt. The Ministry of Information will never bow down to criminals. I will not agree to anything he says!”
The commander froze, his expression awkward. He really wanted to die. ”Really?”
A low voice traveled from the side. A man dressed as a musician cut in, ”Since the criminal had made such risks and is holding a captive, why don't we see what he wants? Every priest is valuable to the Sacred City and should not be sacrificed easily.”
The commander stared at him. ”And you are?”
”Silent Authority,” the musician replied. ”Killing so easily damages the harmony of the world. This is the Ministry of Information's problem but if needed, the Silent Authority is willing to act.”