482 Path of No Return (1/2)

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock… The only sound in the dead silence was the ticking of the clock. It came from the purple-eyed griffin's arm, sharp and clear. Time seemed to race ahead step by step, leaving the present behind.

Everything became unrecognizable.

”Before the principal left, I asked him for your activation password,” Ye Qingxuan said quietly. ”Anglo had wronged me so he told me after I asked even though he knew what I wanted to do…I had wanted to take you to an unreliable guy so you could get rid of it.” He paused and laughed at himself. ”I didn't expect that I would read it aloud for the first time in a situation like this.”

The griffin held the sword without saying a word. The intense aether attack had burned his glove, revealing the steel prosthetic under it. With Ye Qingxuan's recitation, the sleeping timer was activated. The outer shell cracked, revealing the complex machinery that slowly unfolded. The gears spun and the springs pushed the alchemy material from the cooling chamber into the reaction chamber. A beam of blinding electric light lit up from a thumb-sized siliconized crystal tube. If Ye Qingxuan moved his finger, he could free the circuit and release the red liquid inside the reaction chamber.

This was the 'light of purification' created by alchemists with an all-purpose solvent as the base. After activation, the liquid would instantly react. It would rush into the flesh through the prepared tube and inject into the heart, brain, and kidneys at the speed of light. A second later, the body would be completely purified and melted without leaving any trace behind. It was the best poison in the world. If overloaded, it could cover an entire street.

Decades ago, it was buried inside the purple-eyed griffin's body, connecting with his veins and arteries. All tools had a weakness. No matter how powerful it was, it would still be grasped in someone else's hand. Otherwise, it would be unstoppable if out of control.

This result had been destined from the start. Now, the winner was obvious.

”Surrender, Professor.” Ye Qingxuan walked forward in the pool of blood, his eyes hardening bit by bit.

He had decided.

”It's too late, Yezi.” An old voice came from under the bloody and scorched mask. As if revealing his weakness to Ye Qingxuan, the griffin sighed. ”I taught you how to be decisive but you always make your decision too late.”

He took off his mask, revealing that wooden face. It was so familiar but had a foreign coldness. The coldness seemed to seep out of his bone marrow. Like a missing puzzle piece, it fit perfectly into his features.

He was no longer the professor of the history department of the Royal Academy of Music. He was the purple-eyed griffin, the general of the Dragon Riders. He was an executioner who had killed countless people—Abraham!

”You made the decision too late.” His eyes were regretful and disappointed. ”You should have tried it earlier even if you only had a shred of suspicion. But you kept swaying back and forth. You really are the worst class I've ever taught, Yezi, even though I've only taught one class before.”

Ye Qingxuan never expected that the face behind the mask would be so calm. It was so calm that Ye Qingxuan suddenly felt he was still sitting in the library, listening to his teacher's patient admonishing. But this was not the academy. This was not the examination room either…

”Professor, why aren't you explaining yourself?” Ye Qingxuan lowered his eyes tiredly and murmured, ”Even if you just say you were forced to, why are you so calm?”

He always thought that he had gone wrong somewhere. He could think of a million excuses for Abraham and each one would work. That was why he did not dare. Because once he tried, he would no longer be able to lie to himself.

In the past, many had called him naïve. They were right. Otherwise, he would not tell Lola to leave the Sacred City, go back to Anglo, and not contact him if she could not find Abraham. Without the answer, he could continue being ignorant.

”I'm sorry for lying to you and disappointing you.” Abraham sighed. He looked down at his mask. ”I just wanted to come see you again and let you see me…see the real me.”

He held the bloody griffin's mask in his hands. The black thing was covered in crimson red. Different from Seton's horse mask, this was a hundred times more violent and arrogant. It was like a natural carnivore, an undefeatable hunter.

In order to hide their identities, every dragon rider had his own mark. It was the true face that one would choose for oneself. They could not be born with that face but they could choose which face they used to kill and die in.

Ye Qingxuan was silent for a long while before nodding slowly. ”It suits you.”

”Thank you.” Abraham seemed to not hear the anger in Ye Qingxuan's words. Humbly accepting the praise, he did not say anything else and just asked, ”I know it's very cliché but I just want to ask, when did you find out?”

”When someone told me that Constantine was Gaius. But sadly, just as you said, it was too late…” Ye Qingxuan answered indifferently. ”The first time I saw you with that mask in the Sacred City, I started suspecting it. But in the end, I was the only one still clueless. Charles once told me that if I saw a purple-eyed musician, I should run immediately and never fight… I always thought that he was scared I would lose and die. It seems that he had realized long ago.”