464 Holy Cauldron (1/2)
In the quiet restaurant, gentle piano music hung in the air.
Ever since Ye Qingxuan saw Yunlou Qingshu come to the Sacred City, he felt unsettled. He did not know what would happen.
While he was deep in thought, someone hobbled over on a cane and tapped the table. Ye Qingxuan looked up to see someone with a head of white hair. He was dressed in formalwear and seemed unable to walk easily. His face was serious and his eyes were strict. He looked familiar.
Handel.
Ye Qingxuan was stunned. He never thought he would meet one of the saints staying the Sacred City and one of the controllers of the Silent Authority here.
”Can I sit here?” Handel glanced at Bai Xi's seat.
Ye Qingxuan squinted. After a pause, he shook his head and rejected him directly. ”No, someone's sitting there.”
The simple word 'no' had never been said to a saint before. If someone witnessed his impoliteness, his reputation would be ruined again. No one ever dared to reject a saint's request, especially a seemingly well-intentioned one. However, Handel did not lose his temper.
He nodded. ”There is still some time before she returns.”
Without waiting for Ye Qingxuan's reaction, he sat on Bai Xi's seat. Placing his cane to the side, he slid a document packet across the table.
”Take a look.”
”What is this?” Ye Qingxuan lifted the flap and looked at the thick stack of papers.
”Merely a contract for you.” Handel took off the copper enamel pen from his collar and placed it before Ye Qingxuan. ”Sign it and you'll become the manager of the Anglo branch of the Silent Authority. When necessary, you can use one-third of the organization's resources. Six grandmasters will follow your orders at any time. You will only have to answer to me. This is the best treatment I can give you.”
Ye Qingxuan was stunned into silence. He had never thought that such a large piece of cake would fall from the sky and land before him with the tempting smell.
The manager of the Anglo branch of the Silent Authority…in a way, this position represented unimaginable power and richness. If he signed it, he would have six grandmasters, countless musicians, and the Silent Authority's money and power…
Seeing his shock, satisfaction flashed through Handel's eyes. No one could overlook the power and influence that came with this position. Musician or not, everyone on Earth knew the importance of power—and this document was the path to that power.
Ye Qingxuan seemed scared. He stared at the tempting pen but did not move. After a long while, he shook his head and sighed. ”Sorry, but I will turn you down.”
The second rejection. Within a few minutes, the shockingly arrogant rejection had happened twice.
The smile stiffened on Handel's face. ”Ye Qingxuan, are you sure?” he asked quietly after a while. ”I know we have had an unhappy encounter before but I hope you understand the importance of this. Once you miss this opportunity, you probably will not get a second chance in your entire life.”
Seeing him like that, Ye Qingxuan smiled and shook his head. ”This must be your first time experiencing this. Who would've thought that the high and mighty alms would be looked down on?”
”Are you dissatisfied by this contract?” Handel frowned. ”If you have your own conditions, we can revise the specific terms. However, I do not like your clashing attitude.”
”Everyone knows that, other than a musician and noble, I was originally a scholar of ancient academia.” Ye Qingxuan smiled. He sipped at his wine and said something unrelated, ”When I was reading ancient texts, I once saw a phrase. An author described a stupid woman saying, 'at that time, she was still too young. She didn't know that every gift given by fate had already been secretly marked with a price'.”
Ye Qingxuan set down his glass and stared deeply at Handel. ”May I ask, how much do I have to pay for this gift from the skies?”
Handel studied him quietly. After a long while, he said, ”Ye Qingxuan, I hope you understand that, to me, there's nothing worth coveting on you. This position requires you to work when needed but compared to what you receive, you won't give much.”
Ye Qingxuan nodded and asked, ”For example, selling Charles to you? Or, when needed, become something you threaten Charles with? Constantine's uncontrolled rise is probably threatening to many, right? You need something to balance his existence. I believe that before Charles agreed to become Constantine's secretary, this contract never existed…”
”You're overthinking.” Handel's voice turned frigid. ”Ye Qingxuan, everyone must sacrifice for this world when necessary.”
”Do you still remember what I've said?” Ye Qingxuan looked at him. ”Charles has nothing to do with you anymore and I hope you'll stop getting ideas about him. Mr. Handel, you are saint. You are above tens of thousands. Logically, I should respect you. However, don't think I don't know what you said to Charles…” His tone was calm and he said to this old man, almost indifferently, ”If I have the chance, I will make you experience what he had felt.”
They were undisguised words.
The atmosphere quickly turned cold.
Handel looked at him without any anger. Instead, his eyes grew disappointed, filled with regret. ”Ye Qingxuan, the Sacred City has not treated you badly. Why do you fight back against it? Or do you still think Ye Lanzhou was innocent?”
Ye Qingxuan furrowed his brows.
”Don't underestimate the Sacred City. When Bann returned to the Sacred City and registered you as his student, the City had already became clear about your identity,” Handel said coldly. ”All this time, the Sacred City has been tolerated you and never looked too deep, instead rewarding you. What right do you have to think the Sacred City has wronged you?”
Ye Qingxuan laughed. He looked at Handel with a familiar gaze. It was like looking down at dust. With this gaze, it was as if everything in the world was under his control and had to sacrifice for him. There was no care about the dust's sadness and hatred.
”What Ye Lanzhou did has nothing to do with me,” Ye Qingxuan said. ”If not wiping out a sinner like me is the Sacred City's tolerance and blessing to me, then I'm sorry. I will have to disappoint you. You think everyone must make sacrifices but sadly, I never thought that I owe anything to the world. Instead, it's the opposite…”
Looking at the man with a dark expression, he said, emphasizing each word, ”Mr. Handel, this world owes me too much.”
-
When Bai Xi returned, more than ten minutes had passed. Ye Qingxuan and Handel's quick meeting had ended unhappily long ago.
”Where did you go to play?” Ye Qingxuan sighed and petted her messy hair. Without realizing, her hair was down to her waist now. If she did not take care of it, it would turn into a mangled bird nest. She allowed Ye Qingxuan to mess with her hair and then comb it again. Feeling the warmth of his hands, she could not help but giggle.
”When I went out, I saw an old beggar. I felt bad and gave him some coins.”
”Why is your shirt torn?” Ye Qingxuan glanced at the small hole in her sleeve.