406 Pray (2/2)

Michel twisted around and glared at him, ready to fight. But then a hoarse voice rang out under the city gates.

”It seems that everyone has just about arrived.” Ye Qingxuan took out of his cigar and said, ”I'm sorry for causing this mess and troubling you all.” He was apologizing but his tone was anything but apologetic. With the help of a music score, his voice rang in everyone's ears.

Behind the barriers, the civilians had been gossiping and making noise. When they heard Ye Qingxuan's voice, they pressed forward in anticipation. The reporters scribbled furiously and tore off the papers to give to their assistants. The assistants then ran toward the news agencies. All of them were drenched in sweat and exhausted.

Ye Qingxuan's voice did not stop. He continued speaking slowly in everyone's ears. The reporters had no time to record.

”As everyone knows, I am Ye Qingxuan, a participant of the Romulusian War. I am a musician with no nationality. I am also the suspect…no, criminal, who planned various attacks on Mr. Colt. I admit that this is my crime and I am willing to be responsible for it.”

By the city gates, Ye Qingxuan looked up and raised his voice, ”I did not come here to attack the Sacred City and disturb all of your peaceful lives. I just…have some questions I would like to ask Mr. Colt in public. Here and now.” He pulled out some shiny silver coins. They rolled on the ground and the music score on them shone. This was a basic Revelations music score with a simple effect: detecting lies.

Seeing this, Michel finally understood what was planned. He growled in anger, ”Ye Qingxuan! You will pay for everything you've done! What are you all waiting for? Someone come and arrest him!”

The Silent Authority musician stopped him, blocking him. There were even faint waves of music theory. He looked into Michel's emerald eyes and asked softly, ”Why don't you want to hear what he has to say? To be honest, I am quite curious…”

Ye Qingxuan seemed to hear Michel's growl. He shook his head with a smile but did not reply. He turned around and studied Colt who he had nailed to the wall. Mind muddled, Colt seemed to have been swallowed by black rain. He trembled and he murmured something vaguely. He struggled endlessly, trying to escape from the hands of hell. He was completely defenseless from the hallucinogen.

”Your name,” Ye Qingxuan said coldly. ”Tell everyone who you are.”

”Colt.” On the wall, Colt looked down blankly. ”Colt Durand. I-I'm a hero, a future saint. I—”

Ye Qingxuan cut him off and asked, ”Colt, why did you join the dark musicians in Auschwitz? Was it to save people?”

”No.”

Colt's answer created a flurry in the crowd. Shocked cries sounded throughout. Ever since the Romulusian War ended, Colt's achievements had been spread through the nations by the Ministry of Information. Everyone knew but now, it was refuted by him personally!

”Then why?” Ye Qingxuan glared coldly.

”I thought everything was over…everyone was going to die. The dark musicians were too powerful and the leader of the perishing praise was fighting personally,” Colt replied dully. ”If I didn't become a dark musician, I could die.”

Ye Qingxuan nodded and continued, ”Then why did you betray them later?”

”I sensed the Lighthouse,” Colt murmured to himself but everyone heard him. ”It told me that Knights Templar was coming. If I didn't separate myself from them, it would be too late…”

”He's lying! Ye Qingxuan, you're playing tricks!” Furious, Michel's eyes blazed. Majestic music score brewed inside his withered body. He was going to act with all his power but someone held onto his shoulder. He turned around in shock and saw an old priest as well as a middle-aged Eastern man.

”Michel, let him continue asking,” the old priest said coolly. ”I would like to hear.”

It felt as if all of Michel's strength left. He trembled and finally lowered his head. ”Yes.”

At the city gates, the youth's purposeful voice rang out again. It was extremely stable and cold. ”Then, Colt, was the situation already unsalvageable when you were the observer for the Knights Templar?”

Colt fell silent. As if instinctively feeling something was wrong, he struggled against Ye Qingxuan's question. His mouth opened but he stuttered and could not answer. The crowd listened in silence; every pair of eyes could see each other's shock. They were terrified by the possible answer of the question and did not dare to continue listening. But they could not wait to know.

”Answer me, Colt!” Ye Qingxuan stepped forward and screamed in his ear, ”Was the situation truly out of control? Answer me!” His scream was like a clap of thunder. It tore at eardrums and resounded in one's soul, ripping apart Colt's last shred of defense.

”No!” Colt cried. The truth climbed out of his throat like a snake and stretched in the air, revealing its ugly appearance. ”I…” he mumbled in confusion. ”I changed the observation records. Yes, I did… It was such a good chance, I couldn't miss it, couldn't miss it…it would be gone! That old thing would rather give the Lighthouse to someone else! I spent all these years trying to make him happy but ended like this! Yes, I did! Even if the Rock Institute isn't willing to give it to me, it's still mine!”

”Just…because of that?” Ye Qingxuan looked at him with pity. ”You lied to the Papal Chamber and forced the Knights Templar to use Heaven's Gate just because of this?”

”I want to be a hero! The only one who can become a hero is me! It has to be me!” Colt said in hysteria. His eyes were wild. ”I'm not wrong, the wrong one…the wrong one…yes, the wrong one is that b*stard! He blocked me, he has to die…he's gonna die…hehe, hehehe…” He laughed, submerged in his dream. He drooled like a wild dog who had dreamed of something lustful. It was disgusting.

”Last question.” Ye Qingxuan stared at him, the pause stretching on. Finally, he uttered, ”Why did you kill Elsa?”

”Elsa?” Colt asked back. ”Who's that?”

In silence, Ye Qingxuan practically shook from anger!

”Is it…that little girl?” Colt gaped at him, his expression becoming troubled. ”She was going to die anyway. Why should I give the accomplishment to other people? Killing a natural catastrophe is great political capital. Only an idiot would let it go. I let her die easily. She should be grateful. If someone else got her, they would—”

”Enough.” Lowering his head, Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes in sadness. ”Enough, Colt, shut up. I…don't want to keep listening.”

In the dead silence, everyone looked over, barely even breathing. Only Colt continued saying random things and laughing. Ye Qingxuan turned around. He gazed at the crowd with troubled sadness.

”Do you all see this?” He pointed at Colt's blank smile and said hoarsely, ”This is the hero that you all look up to. This is the idol you all worship…” He roared, ”Do you all see this?! This is the world you've all created with those f*cking 'survival of the fittest' beliefs, only caring about the result and the so-called big picture!”

No one replied.

”In this f*cking world, if you try to follow the rules and be a good person, people will think you're an idiot, a joke, someone weak enough to bully. You can put in so much, endure everything, but just become a sacrifice to be buried under this hero's feet!”

Ye Qingxuan demanded, ”Doesn't anyone think this is wrong?”

The crowd rustled; a low commotion sounded. Now, they finally realized what this crazed man before them wanted to do. Their expressions grew troubled and their eyes filled with fear and pity.

”Yes, like this…” Ye Qingxuan stared at the numb eyes and smiled bitterly. ”You all suffer through this but no one dares to stand out and say that this world is wrong!”

He paused. Using all of his strength, he yelled at the silent people, ”So let me tell you that this is wrong!” He said, ”This! Is! Wrong!” He raised a hand and moonlight transformed into a sword. The cold and sharp blade landed on Colt's neck. The light was blinding and illuminated the murky soul.

Colt woke up from his pretty dream. He gaped at the unfamiliar man before him. The black rain seemed to come out of his nightmare and truly announce the coming of judgement.

”I'm…going to die?” he murmured. Raw terror rose from his heart. It controlled his mind and he shook, unable to speak.

”Ye Qingxuan, no!” A familiar voice rang out—it was Wolf Flute. He had finally arrived. Trying to move past the guards, he yelled, ”Put down the sword! Don't kill him! You'll—”

Ye Qingxuan did not listen. He just stared at Colt's pale face. ”Pray.”

”…Pray?” Colt's lips quivered. His eyes pleaded.

”You should pray but it'll be useless.” Ye Qingxuan looked down. His eyes were as cold as metal. ”All karma is well deserved.”

The cold moonlight flashed. In silence, Colt's head rolled from his shoulders. The pleading in his eyes extinguished under the moonlight. There was no more light in those blank eyes.

He was dead.

Fresh blood sprayed onto Ye Qingxuan's face, adding a sheen of red to his steely eyes. Under the shocked cries and angry roars, he turned around. Studying the confused and furious faces, he suddenly wanted to laugh. He wiped away the blood on his face. ”So this is what blood feels like…”

Majestic bells rang in the air. The bell echoed under the sunset, within the vast iron city. It seemed to be announcing the falling of the sun of the coming of night. In the chaos, Ye Qingxuan looked up at the setting sun.

He allowed the soldiers to rush over and tackle him, putting on layers of shackles. They pushed him toward the prisoner's car.

Amongst the crowd, he saw the Eastern scholar. Sensing his gaze, Mr. Hu's eyes grew troubled and sympathetic. ”This is not all…”

Seeming to hear his voice, Ye Qingxuan laughed. For some reason, he remembered what Mr. Hu had asked him before.

”Ye Qingxuan, what would you do if, one day, you realized that the world was not the same as you thought?”

Yes, Ye Qingxuan. What would you do if you realized that the world is not the same as you had imagined? The world is not as beautiful as you thought. It is cruel, scary, cold, and heartless.

The kindness and gentleness is just an occasional ornament. Everywhere else, there is darkness. Most of the time, justice and truth are just a beautiful fantasy.

Those things from fairy tales are all lies.

What would you do?

”It's simple, Mr. Hu,” he replied softly. ”I'll just change the world to how I imagined.”

Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes. In an instant, everyone seemed to hear a hallucination. It was like a dragon roaring under the sea, like an illusory instrument…Before the music, the Barrier of Knowledge shattered. The long-awaited cold moonlight rose from his chest.

His heart was transforming into something beautiful after it had fused with the Philosopher's Stone. It beat, creating tiny ripples in the aether sea. In that moment, it went past the levels of the sea and became one with the Originator under the guidance of the Heaven Ladder.

Under everyone's scrutiny, it rose into the sky and shone. It fused into the serene and cold moon.

Moonlight fell down, illuminating Ye Qingxuan's white hair and eyes.

I give my worried heart to the moon. I give this heart to the moon.

Even in a pitch black world, there would be moonlight in the darkness.

Moonlight…