Chapter 99: 130

Chapter 125: Stealth

This was the reason why the Jiu Xiao Huan Pei had been hidden by the Ye family for thousands of years. No matter if one looked at its specifications or shape, this instrument could be regarded as a very rare zither, a treasure. There was only one string left, but its sense of aether remained unchanged.

Ye Qingxuan had never played any instrument before, but he could feel that no other instrument could be compared to Jiu Xiao Huan Pei. After all, the Ye family’s reputation of being experts at aether was not just an exaggeration.

With the zither’s ringing, the aether ball began to light up. Then the ball heated up in the young man’s hand like fire. Silver dust rippled violently in the ball.

Like a conductor, Ye Qingxuan used Jiu Xiao Huan Pei as a signal amplifier, magnifying the aether ball’s detection accuracy hundred-fold. Large amounts of information poured into it, practically making the ball explode, but Jiu Xiao Huan Pei cleverly controlled the brink of collapse, maintaining the ball at the junction between overclocking operation and complete collapse, ruthlessly squeezing out each function to work at its peak.

A brilliant light illuminated the room. The ball in Ye Qingxuan’s hand rose up slowly, suspended and revolving in the air. The silver dust inside shook along with Ye Qingxuan’s thoughts, faint images flashed through the ball.

A crack appeared.

The youth sighed. It was a basic piece of equipment after all. It could not manage much. If it was the legendary palace of the sacred city—the biggest aether ball in the world, it could detect the aether tide in any corner of the world. According to rumors, countless scholars would gather in the palace all any given moment to observe every aether movement in the world.

Whenever a musician broke the Barrier of Knowledge and resonated with the world, the aether waves set off would create a rising star in the palace. Each musician’s data was recorded in the star field. All the powerful musicians in the world were under the observation of the sacred city. Even those who had seen some grandeur before would finally realize what ‘divine power’ truly was. It was a point of view that only the gods had.

Compared with this legendary ball, the one in Ye Qingxuan’s hand was nothing. Even so, it was enough to display the entire structure of Ganlu City.

Gradually, more and more fractures appeared on the ball in his hands. Finally, it shattered with a snap, crumbling to dust. This luxury item had cost Ye Qingxuan half a year’s wage, and it burned to ashes with one use.

Ye Qingxuan’s heart hurt. If he could not get the money back from the Indians, this trip would be a total loss! He took out a pen and leaned over to scribble on the paper. The structure of Ganlu City gradually appeared amongst his scrawls.

As the largest brothel downtown, it had hundreds of rooms and countless corridors. There were also dozens of private rooms for distinguished guests, as well as secret doors, secret passages, basements, and more structures needed for dirty work. Most of these structures appeared on the paper as the youth sketched.

“Wow cousin, you’re really good at this. Where did you learn it?” Bai Xi took some sweets from the table.

“My father taught me in a place called Hawaii.”

“…It seems that your dad knows everything!” Bai Xi muttered. “What else did he teach you?”

Ye Qingxuan shrugged, “Too much to count.”

As the girl glared, Ye Qingxuan finally sighed, “Alright, I studied some mechanical engineering by myself. Architectural drawings and mechanical drawings are pretty much the same, so I just learned both at the same time. Done!”

Ye Qingxuan put down his pen and gazed at the map that took up the whole table. He nodded in satisfaction, “The general structure is here. There are still many details I remember, but there’s no time to draw them all.”

Bai Xi’s eyes lit up. “Where’s the treasure?”

Ye Qingxuan pointed at three blanks on the map. “There are total of three places that the Jiu Xiao Huan Pei can’t get through. There’s either something interfering or there is an enchantment covering this area. The treasures should be hidden there.”

“We’re going to go through it all?”

“No, at least one can be ruled out…the most dangerous one.” Ye Qingxuan pointed at the blank in the center, “Of the three, there’s one in the very center of Ganlu City, one in a secluded courtyard in the back, and one in the basement.

“I suspect that the one in the back should be the place where the Puspotkata lives. He is a musician of the Indian School of Asceticism and does not like noise. Besides, he’s old, and probably tries to avoid the prostitutes, so the treasure can’t be here.”

“What if he put those things in his room?”

“Not possible.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head, “The essence of the resonance ceremony is to let the Holy Spirit’s consciousness temporarily enter the body, then break the Barrier of Knowledge.

“So he requires absolute purity, which must be established in absolute silence, isolated from the outer world. There can be no interference before summoning the Holy Spirit.

“During this process, the musician himself must be bathing and fasting to remove all distractions. Puspotkata is probably deep in meditation now. He’s probably not even wearing underpants. For the sake of our eyes and safety, let’s rule out this possibility.”

Ye Qingxuan crossed out the blank on the back of the paper and pointed to the central blank area of the city, “We’re close to this area. We can start here.”

“Awesome!” Bai Xi nodded and looked out the window. “We need to walk on the roof?”

“Not the roof,” Ye Qingxuan shook his head. “That’s the fastest way but it’s also the most heavily guarded. If I had a lair, I’d start with putting beast traps all over the roof, and then have people guard it twenty four hours every day. I’m afraid we’ll be caught within five minutes.”

“So where do we go?”

“The main entrance.” Ye Qingxuan twirled his cane and grinned, “I know how to make them blind to us.”

Thinking of Black Friday, Bai Xi immediately understood.

But just as she was about to leave, Ye Qingxuan stopped her. “Still remember what we agreed on before we came?” he asked gravely. “No matter what, don’t make things more complicated! We take what we need and leave as soon as we can. Don’t touch anything outside of our plan.”

“I know. You’ve said it hundreds of times!” Bai Xi pouted.

“You promise?”

“I promise. I swear.” Her face fell. “You don’t trust me?”

“I trust you more than anyone else.” Ye Qingxuan smiled and pinched her cheeks. “My music score requires full attention to block other people’s senses. If anything happens, I probably won’t even have the ability to fight, you know?” He paused and whispered, “So now my life is yours.”

“…” Bai Xi paused for a second. She looked up at him then lowered her head. Standing on her tiptoes, she patted Ye Qingxuan’s head, “Yeah, I’ll protect you.”

“That’s great.” Ye Qingxuan smiled and opened the door. Soon he heard someone coming through the corridor.

—

In the corridor, the steward Salman paced in worry. He hesitated to knock the door. What if those two brothers were having fun and would blame him for disturbing them? It was rare to have such big spenders, but the two still confused him a little. He had worked here for so many years and had seen a lot, but he had never seen perverts like them. There must be something wrong with them.

After a long time, he gritted his teeth and went to the door. For some reason, his mind went blank when he set foot in the corridor. He vaguely heard a plaintive melody, like a river flowing.

The oil lamp on the wall flickered at just the right moment. He shook his head and could not hear the faint melody anymore. He stood outside the door, ear pressed to the door, eavesdropping on the room.

Behind him a vague figure frowned and gripped his cane. The second measure of Black Friday—auditory interference.

Salman’s expression suddenly changed. He heard heavy breathing behind the door and the sound of a whip. “These two kids know how to play,” he murmured. Knocking on the door, he called out, “Sirs?”

“Don’t bother us!” came a voice of disgust from behind the door.

“No, no, sir!” Salman pursed his lip and his suspicion dissipated. It seemed that there were all sorts of fetishes these days. He turned to leave, not seeing the two shadows following behind him. They walked toward the atrium under his lead.

On another corridor, Salman saw a dark, sturdy youth on the steps. He rushed over hurriedly with a smile. “Master Po Sinai, long time no see. You’re looking more and more chivalrous.”

The youth covered in gold jewelry hurried past. With no time to bother with Salman, he asked, “Where is my brother?”

“Master Sila is in the atrium room. He has already been waiting for a long time.”

“Tell the servants to not disturb my brother and I. We have important matters to discuss.” Po Sinai went past Salman to the atrium.

After hesitating for a bit, Ye Qingxuan followed after Po Sinai. Soon, he found that Po Sinai was heading toward the atrium that he had planned to go to. But after getting closer, he realized he could not use the rune Blur.

There was heavy aether interference there. It was probably in defense against musician assassins. Notes would go out of control there. Only a more stable measure could work. Ye Qing Xuan motioned at Bai Xi to be cautious, then he woke Jiu Xiao Huan Pei and began to play “Black Friday.”

Soon the black river began to flow through the mind again. A gloomy, despairing melody followed, spreading. The first measure was visual interference.

Ye Qingxuan caught up quickly after making sure that the people around him were influenced by the melody. It seemed that the Indians had really spent a lot for the Puspotkata’s breakthrough. No one was even left to guard Ganlu City’s enchantment. None of the search and defense measures Ye Qingxuan had expected were there.

They passed a few transfixed guards and came to the fortified door, but he heard a faint voice behind the door before he could unlock it.

That strange and shrill voice was full of astonishment. “The Professor is being hunted? Are you sure?”

Chapter 126: The Vengeful Spirit

“The Professor is being hunted? Are you sure?”

Hearing the words, Ye Qingxuan sped up while still keeping watch. He did not directly use the aether to unlock the door from the inside, but used Bai Xi’s hairpin instead. The door opened with a click.

Fortunately, the two in the room were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not notice the small sound.

Ye Qingxuan felt a layer of aether the moment he pushed the door open quietly. It must have been from the enchantment that Puspotkata engraved in the room for defense. When touched by outsiders, it would activate and shred the invader to pieces. The ceiling was covered with dense scriptures. One could vaguely see some music scores. The notes were hid in ceilings, walls, and floors.

Thank god Ye Qingxuan had not used aether to unlock the door, otherwise he would have been caught immediately. In the smoke from the incense, a skinny man in a gorgeous silk robe sat cross-legged on a cushion.

Silo looked at his brother kneeling in front of him. “Are you sure about that, Po Sinai?”

“Yes, brother.” Po Sinai told him everything he had seen. “It’s just like what the robin had told us. Yesterday morning, the Professor was betrayed and attacked when he was meeting his agent. The scene is a mess, but I’m sure he’s hurt. Someone has destroyed an entire building to kill him.”

“An entire building?”

“Right, there were three musicians hidden outside. They performed a symphony,” Po Sinai said. “I saw the whole building crumble and collapse. The bodies did not evaporate, but they turned into mud. You couldn’t tell who’s who. We didn’t find the Professor’s body, but I’m sure he was seriously injured! Robin really did it.”

“Robin…” Silo murmured. “Po Sinai, he’s showing us his power. This is a warning. If we don’t listen to him, we’ll end up like the Professor.”

“He wants us to work for him?” Po Sinai’s expression changed. “He wants to use us? We can’t become his underlings.”

“You think that he just wants to use us?” Silo asked coldly. “He sent the warning to every gang in downtown. We’re just one of them. More than half of the people have pledged their loyalty to him. The rest of them don’t dare to offend him either.”

“That guy…what exactly is he?”

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“Po Sinai, have you heard of the parliament?”

“The Parliament of Avalon?”

“Not the Westminster Palace. There’s a more secretive one.” Silo rubbed the hookah in his hands. His expression was troubled. “It is said that a few decades ago, Anglo elites were dissatisfied with the royal control, and secretly set up a new parliament in which almost all the great elites of Anglo are a part of. Those who govern the military and various departments gathered together. They’re enough to represent half of Anglo.

“Since there is no reason for them to pretend anymore, they use their power to benefit themselves. They enact laws and have many agents outside. The original Pyramid Scheme was one of the groups they had nurtured, but the Pyramid Scheme wasn’t careful enough, so they became angry when they the Pyramid Scheme was discovered.

“Like the thunder of a Shiva, the Pyramid Scheme was destroyed overnight” finishing, Silo sank into silence.

Po Sinai could not believe this. “You mean, this robin belongs to the parliament?”

“Most likely. Other than the parliament, who else could be powerful enough to force the Professor to flee like a street rat? The Professor had practically been in charge of downtown!”

“What do they want?”

“Maybe they are looking for clues about the Blood Path” said Silo, with a low voice. “I suspect that the disturbance a few days ago caused by the Eastern kid may have been provoked by them. Shahrukh, that fool, had thought himself a genius, but ended up without even a body.”

“Does that kid really have the key to Avalon?”

“I’m not sure.” Silo shook his head and began to tell a story from the past.

–

It is said that before the Shaman left Avalon, he spent a lot on asking the Trader three questions. According to their agreement, the Trader could choose not to answer, but could not lie.

Shaman’s first question was: how does one enter Avalon’s Shadow? The Trader told him that the only way was the Blood Path.

His second question was: who has ever entered it? The Trader told him that an Eastern man had.

The third question was: What did he take? The Trader said nothing. The Shaman then changed his question: How did he get in? The Trader still said nothing.

Then the Shaman asked his last question and the Trader answered. No one knew what the question or answer was, but then the Shaman disappeared for nine years.

“When the Shaman decided to return, his first order was to look for a white-haired Eastern kid. The parliament concluded that the clue must come from the kid, but now it seems like that old b*stard Shaman was just trying to confuse people.” Silo flattened the hookah in anger, his eyes cold. “We were tricked by that old b*stard.”

Seeing Silo’s anger, Po Sinai subconsciously shivered. He lowered his head, not daring to say anything.

Finally, Silo calmed down. He leaned back in his chair, seeming to still have some doubts. “And…anything new about that dark musician?”

Po Sinai shook his head. “Nothing new.”

“That vengeful evil spirit. Apparently he challenged the parliament. The robin wants us to track Sherlock Holmes.”

“Understood.” Po Sinai rose. He was about to leave politely, but Silo stopped him.

“Warn our people to be careful. Do not provoke him, understand?” Silo was full of prudence. “Sherlock Holmes is the dark musician that even Puspotkata thinks is a tough enemy. Just let the parliament deal with him. You don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night and see something standing in front of your bed, do you?”

Imagining it, Po Sinai shivered. He cautiously shook his head.

“Then go ahead.”

With the parliament and the robin in his mind, Ye Qingxuan quietly closed the door, and urged Bai Xi to leave.

–

“Vengeful evil spirit?” Once they were in a quiet place, Bai Xi finally could not help but speak, “Cousin, that’s a cool nickname!”

“Those are just rumors. Don’t mind them.” Ye Qingxuan shrugged. He was concentrating on controlling the melody and blocking the eyes around them, but in his mind, he was contemplating. Should he leave a note behind after taking the stuff, seeing as they had given him a nice nickname? He could not wait to plaster the warning onto Silo’s face! Those b*stards…

–

“Should be here.” Ye Qingxuan gazed at the entrance in the distance and frowned. Those Indians really sacrificed a lot in order to help Puspotkata break through!

Flames lit up the darkness like huge bonfire before the door. More than twenty brawny men with white turbans sat outside the door. They kept a sharp eye in all directions, preventing anyone from getting close. There were also a number of stout and fierce dogs looking around with their red eyes. They were some rare mixed breed. Maybe some strange creature’s blood flowed in them.

And in the middle, there was a very strange-looking man. Clad in rags, he looked like a beggar. The only decent thing on him was something that might be underwear, covering his crotch. His bare skin was rough and scarred.

He sat cross-legged on the ground. His smooth, rippling muscles were like twisted wire. It made him look as if he was made from scrap metal and iron pieces, his edges were sharp. His head was bare and his beard was scruffy. There was lice in there too. He was disgusting!

Ye Qingxuan put up his guard. This guy…could he be an ascetic monk? According to rumors, those monks were known for their extreme training and tribulations, and often had unbelievable powers.

Physical prowess was nothing to them. Some were even musicians at the Student level, and were experts in the mysterious Seven Note Chanting. When they became musicians, they would become Mahiraga, a mix of the School of Modifications and Choir. Really difficult to fight!

Ye Qingxuan could not tell just how powerful the man was, but the situation seemed tricky. Fortunately, the man was not a musician yet.

Ye Qingxuan took a deep breath and warned Bai Xi to be careful. He activated Jiu Xiao Huan Pei.

Even though Ye Qingxuan had improved after the last run-in, it was still tough to use Black Friday on forty people. Luckily, he had his trump card: the Double Snake Time Meter.

He whispered gently, “All is dark. Only the Tree of Life is forever green.” With a small click, the second hand began to move. One minute.

—

In the stillness, the ascetic monk, sitting cross-legged on the stone steps, suddenly became alert. Amidst the messy breathing sounds, a faint melody suddenly rang. It sounded like a wail. It was hard to distinguish it from the moans coming from the brothel. It was like a black river from the bottom of the heart. The feeling of desolation surged in his heart. He could not help but sighed, feeling great loneliness.

A few decades ago, he had killed his junior fellow in order to be chosen. If that child was still alive, he might be beside him now. Having a companion would make the ascetic journey less lonely.

Recalling that boy’s smile, he became sad. But he quickly recovered, thanks to his training.

He looked up, as if nothing had happened, as if the illusionary melody had never existed. Beside him, the few drops of sweat on the stone steps gradually disappeared, leaving nothing behind.

–

In the tunnel, Ye Qingxuan staggered when he finally finished playing, and almost fell down. Bai Xi caught him and handed him a tube of the potion to restore his energy.

Ye waved it away. He rested for a few seconds and felt much better thanks to Jiu Xiao Huan Pei. Without it, he would have been sapped.

Cold wind blew in the tunnel. He looked up at the door up above. His expression turned serious.

At the end of the tunnel was a brass door. It was covered with engraved notes and music scores. It seemed to be high quality alchemy equipment. At a glance, he could see that it was reinforced, had an alarm and more. It would take a lot of effort to open it. But the door that should have been closed was now opened, revealing the faint shadow behind the door. A gleam of scarlet seeped out.

Chapter 127: Despicable and Shameless

The two stood frozen in place in the silence. They gazed at the door that should have been closed, and exchanged glances.

Considering the situation for a moment, Ye Qingxuan turned around without hesitating and gestured for Bai Xi to leave. The situation was too weird. It was best to avoid risks.

But Bai Xi would not budge. She grabbed Ye Qingxuan’s sleeve, shaking her head.

Ye Qingxuan stared at Bai Xi and chuckled dryly. When did he become less brave than a little girl? Had he really been scared out of his mind by the chase a few days ago?

Sighing silently, he gestured for Bai Xi to get her weapon ready. He activated Jiu Xiao Huan Pei too. He was ready to grab Bai Xi and run at the slightest sign of trouble. One was in charge of fighting, the other in charge of escaping. They had distinctive roles which slightly overlapped.

In the stillness, they padded soundlessly to the open door. There was a vast space behind the door. Countless torches illuminated the mighty formation of mercury, gold, ancient silver, gems, and other alchemy material on the ground. It was the Resonance Ring that required invaluable material.

Amid the complex music score and notes, each node had a prayer flag. The flags were filled with runes and holy figures. They fluttered in the nonexistent wind, radiating aether like alchemy equipment from a school of music. They formed a structure with the Resonance Ring below. Huge amounts of aether flowed through the material, brewing power and radiating gloriously.

The glow illuminated the script on the flags. Countless runes floated in the air, transforming the world into something holy. But in this holy room there was a corpse with a slit throat.

All Ye Qingxuan felt was delayed fear.

The corpse was the musician who was supposed to guard this place and perform the ritual, but he had been attacked and his throat had been slit before he could fight back. Blood flowed.

In the stillness, Bai Xi tugged the corner of Ye Qingxuan’s shirt and pointed to the back of the Resonance Formation.

When the Resonance Ring broke apart, it would not self-destroy when outside forces entered. The material inside could be taken out too. That included the object all musicians were crazy for—the saint’s relic!

Maybe because of his absolute confidence in his plan, Ye Qingxuan was focused entirely on breaking through the formation and undoing the runes. He did not sense the two newcomers on the other side of the rippling aether. But when he saw them, he felt that they were extremely familiar.

Bai Xi pulled her bow out wordlessly. She mimed slicing one’s throat, as if asking for his opinion. “Cousin, his posture is so perfect. Should I give him some arrows?”

Before Ye Qingxuan could reply, his expression changed.

In the silence, even the slightest crinkling of clothing could be heard. The figure flinched and raised his head, looking over. His eyes were dark and sharp like an icicle in the darkness. They were filled with hair-raising coldness.

When he saw Ye Qingxuan’s outfit, he remembered something and shock appeared in his eyes. “…Holmes?” A hoarse voice came from the shadow under the hood, “The dark musician?”

Seeing those eyes and hearing that voice, Ye Qingxuan realized who the man was and sighed. “I can’t believe I’d run into you here…” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Mr. Professor.”

Behind the formation, the Professor rose slowly. He sighed at fate’s arrangement. “And I to you, Mr. Vengeful Spirit.”

—

One was downtown’s criminal mastermind; the other was the new infamous dark musician. Neither had expected to meet under this situation, in the Indians’ cellar…

As if old friends had met coincidentally, they made small talk through the formation’s barrier.

“I heard you were injured?” Ye Qingxuan asked casually, leaning on his cane. “It doesn’t feel good to be chased after, right? Have you become weak without the Butcher’s help?”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but those worthless pieces of trash can’t hurt me. As for you though…” The Professor did not laugh, but his voice was full of mockery. “You used some low tricks on the Pyramid Scheme. You seemed to get cocky after fooling those idiots.”

“The human heart is a beautifully mysterious thing. No matter how many times you explore it, you still find something new.” Ye Qingxuan laughed with a hoarse voice as if he had not enjoyed enough. Staring at the Professor, his eyes hardened. “If I have the chance, I’d love to test your limits.”

“Oh? And I’d love to see how it feels to kill a dark musician.”

Both smiled at the same time. As if finding their soulmate, they began laughing loudly. But in the next moment, a silver flute dropped from the Professor’s sleeve and began to play a vague and chilling melody. He had attacked!

Ye Qingxuan moved too. He pressed the cane against the Resonance Formation, ready to attack. “If you’re not afraid of me activating the formation’s self-destruction, then we can die together or get the people outside to come fight too,” Ye Qingxuan thought.

The flute music stopped instantly. The Professor’s face darkened under the hood. He did not put down the silver flute, but instead repressed one of the melodies.

“Despicable!” he squeezed out between clenched teeth.

“Shameless!” Ye Qingxuan retorted without guilt. “You’re the one who moved first. Why are you yelling at me?” His hands were still on Jiu Xiao Huan Pei, ready to attack. Faint music hummed from the instrument. There was a hair’s breadth between it and the Resonance Formation.

Seeing him close to touching it, the Professor’s eyes became even colder. “You better stop…”

Ye Qingxuan scoffed, “Why don’t you let go?”

The Professor paused and finally gave up on fighting the youth here. He suggested, “I’ll count to three and we let go together.”

“Okay.” Ye Qingxuan nodded.

In the stillness, the two stared at each other and said in unison, “One, two…three!”

The next moment, the Professor stopped the melody brewing in the flute. Ye Qingxuan retracted his cane as well. Good. They had both followed the rules and were true to their words. Very good.

But then a murderous glint flashed past the Professor’s eyes. The cold flute melody sounded again. He was going to take this opportunity to kill the d*mn b*stard! But he did not expect that after Ye Qingxuan put his cane away, that his agile partner would aim her bow at the formation! Like an experienced assassin, she pulled the bow back half an inch!

In the next moment, there would either be a shattering explosion or a fight to the death, but they halted once again. The flute music dissipated and the hand on the bow relaxed slowly.

“…”

“…”

The deadly silence was awkward as h*ll.

“Despicable!” the Professor cursed under his breath.

“Low-class!” Bai Xi had found the chance to cut in. If this were an insult competition, the points would be 1:2 now!

“Yay, we won!” Ye Qingxuan and Bai Xi high-fived each other, whistling, their eyes bright with joy.

For some reason, the Professor suddenly felt weak. It was an insult to his intelligence to fight with these two idiots.

“…” The stalemate continued.

The Professor finally broke the silence, “We can’t keep wasting time. Puspotkata might come back any time.”

“Right.” Ye Qingxuan nodded, not without mockery. “You make so much sense. I’m in awe.”

“How about we let go at the same time?” the Professor suggested.

Ye Qingxuan shook his head. He jutted his chin at the formation between them. “It’s easy to let go, but what about the stuff? How do we split it?”

The Professor sighed. “Undo the formation first…Whoever does it first gets the stuff.”

“I agree.” Ye Qingxuan nodded politely. “I have a partner. Do you mind if she helps me?”

The Professor glanced at Bai Xi. Seeing that she was just a student, he nodded.

“One, two…three!” both of them let go. But at the same time, they reflexively raised their hands. Sensing the other’s guard, they lowered their hands in regret again.

“He will be a strong opponent in the future.” For some reason, the thought appeared in both Ye Qingxuan’s and the Professor’s mind. They retreated in unison, showing that they had no bad intentions.

Watching them exchange glances and their troubled expressions, Bai Xi could not help but shake her head. “…You’re both so boring.”

—

When both were certain that the other would uphold the agreement, and that they themselves had no chance to make the first move, they gave up on attacking. The most important task at hand was to get the treasure. Everything would be lost if they did all the work and someone else took the reward.

The Professor was focused on breaking through the formation on his side. He did not think about helping Ye Qingxuan at all. Sometimes he would glance over to observe what Ye Qingxuan was doing, as if trying to calculate his mysterious enemy’s skill and technique…

But Ye Qingxuan obviously could not let that happen. It was just breaking through a formation under a spell. He just had to reverse the steps and create it again. It should be easy with the deciphering method…yeah right!

If Abraham, who could perform the Requiem enchantment, could do it, breathing through the Resonance Ring would be easy as pie. But Ye Qingxuan had only studied for a little over a month! He had not even finished the book! He could only manage to decipher single notes. He was completely at a loss when faced with a measure…

But no problem. He did not have the skills…but he had Bai Xi!

He glanced at the girl, his eyes saying, “Cousin, it’s your time to shine!”

“Watch me!” Excited, Bai Xi moved over. Rolling up her sleeves, she pointed and looked at a point in the distance. Right before her finger, the aether above the Resonance Ring instantly scattered. Talent: Zhaodang!

At its full power, Zhaodang could create a dark zone where the aether would be uncontrollably powerful, but when it was on her finger, it was like a knife that could slice through all enchantments and aether structures!

Under Hermes’s guidance, she had learned how to control the terrifying power within her a few days ago. She no longer had to worry about using up all her energy.

The little girl who loved to show off had performed it for Ye Qingxuan, winning the youth’s praise and satisfying herself. She had also erased all help from Hermes and credited the huge success to her own talent.

As for the Professor on the other side of the formation, his eyes practically fell out of their sockets. He rubbed his eyes, scared that he had gone crazy. “What the f*ck?!”

Chapter 128: An Arrow to the Clouds

In all these years, the Professor had seen monsters, geniuses, and strange creatures but he had never seen…an illusion like this. Holmes and his assistant worked together using a method he could not understand, undoing the Resonance Ring at an unprecedented speed!

The two *ssholes seemed to have planned this out beforehand. Instead of trying to undo the spell, they were ‘digging a hole’ directly on the ring. They went straight for the core rune, then stuffed the material on top into their pockets without hesitation.

First they grabbed important rune stones, then the most expensive gold and precious gems. “Cousin, what kind of bone is this? Let’s bring it back for Old Phil…” Like two starved souls rushing into a restaurant, they did not leave anything that had any sort of value. They broke off anything they could carry and stuffed it in their pocket them. They broke things they could not carry either, crushing them after breaking them off!

The big and small b*stards were like robbers, happily stealing the Indians’ treasures. Material goods worth hundreds of thousands of pounds had been taken in just a few minutes! Everything good would be gone if they continued like this!

Clenching his jaw, the Professor gave up on trying to hurt Holmes, and began focusing on speeding up. Using his original process and proper methods, he caught up to Ye Qingxuan and Bai Xi even though they were cheating! He was not hesitant either. He took anything that could help him recover from his injuries, and everything else he could get his hands on.

In the tense atmosphere, the two would nervously look up every now and then to see the other’s progress, and they would feel the same sense of bitterness. “That’s supposed to be mine!” The same pain filled their eyes…

As they decoded nervously, Ye Qingxuan exchanged glances with Bai Xi. They jumped over what they had undone to the center of the formation. Hovering in the air amongst the aether glow shrouding the formation was the most important material—the saint’s relic!

Sensing their movement, the Professor looked up in shock. He reached out to stop them, but Ye Qingxuan was faster. Grasping the small fist-sized ball, Ye pulled it from the formation.

With the ball in his hands, Ye Qingxuan’s palm went numb. His hair sizzled too. But holding it, his mind woke up. The weakness that he had tried to disguise went away too. He was spirited now, as if well rested. Shocked by the electricity, his body radiated with energy! This was undoubtedly a good object.

On the other side of the formation, the Professor said eerily, “I wouldn’t take it if I were you.”

Ye Qingxuan shrugged. “If I don’t take the saint’s relic when it’s right in front of me, wouldn’t that make me stupid?”

The Professor scoffed. “That is a relic from an Indian saint, but it’s also a giant bomb. If you aren’t able to perform precise manipulation, it’ll kill you when it’s activated. Hot potatoes aren’t that easy to use.”

Precise manipulation? Ye Qingxuan glanced at the Jiu Xiao Pei Huan in his hands and grinned. “I love potatoes. The hotter the better.”

The Professor glared at him and then looked away.

Both sides sped up. Soon, they had undone the entire formation. Nothing was left behind as if a tornado had swept through the entire place. If the Indians saw this, they would probably shed tears of blood.

As if he felt bad, Ye Qingxuan stopped at the last portion, giving away the material. The Professor took it without hesitation.

“Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s time to say goodbye now.” Pulling Bai Xi, Ye Qingxuan took a giant step backward. His expression was unwilling, but his feet retreated quickly. “Meeting you here today, we should have a great talk together, but sadly there is no wine here. But the days are long and we might meet again. At that time, we shall drink together and discuss the heroes of the world…” He ran as he spouted farewells.

Unfortunately, the Professor was still close behind. “Friend, you can just see me off. You don’t have to follow me!” Ye Qingxuan waved, wishing that the man would stop.

The Professor sneered. “You seemed to have forgotten something, Mr. Holmes.” His eyes flashed murderously. “The formation has been completely undone. What are you going to use as a shield?” He gripped his silver flute as he spoke and sighed, “What a pity. You would have become a great opponent if you had more time to develop…”

Ye Qingxuan froze, but he began laughing quickly. “Oh, Professor, but do you know something?” Puffing up his chest, he stepped in front of Bai Xi. “We have something you’ll never be able to guess! Don’t underestimate us!”

“Oh?” The Professor scoffed as he closed in. “Then tell me. Is it the spirit of justice? Is it hot blood?”

“No.” Shaking his head, Ye Qingxuan said with a smile, “It’s calling for help.’”

The Professor’s expression darkened immediately. Before he could move, Ye Qingxuan and Bai Xi began screaming in an Indian dialect as if someone had murdered their child, “Help! The Professor is here!!”

The Professor quickly began playing his flute, cutting off their screams, but the brawny guards at the entrance instantly moved in.

The ascetic monk sitting on the steps suddenly opened his eyes. They were bloodshot and full of murderous intent. He sprang from the ground and rushed down, leaving behind damp footprints on the steps. If one looked closely, one would realize that the footsteps had been imprinted deeply into the stone. They were covered in pores, as if they had been pierced by millions of silver needles.

“Mou!” The monk yelled a sacred rune that represented realization. His body transformed from a withered old man to a three meter tall giant with green skin. He ran down with thunderous steps.

A black river rushed out from thin air. It was not an attack nor was it defense. It was the turn of victory and escape!

“Goodbye to you!” Ye Qingxuan thought as he waved at the figure. He saw the Professor’s angry face. Fury filled his eyes, as well as a flash of…confusion?

—

When Ye Qingxuan and Bai Xi brushed shoulders with the dark giant, the strong Indian men wielding swords and countless canines, they finally relaxed a little. Then, exchanging glances, they began sprinting.

Running for their lives, they finally returned to their original room in the brothel before the effect of Black Friday ended. But they did not stop there. First, they stuffed everything they had stolen into their bags. Then they put on their disguises—the robe, wig and turban. Finally, they pulled out a small container and applied the dark oil onto each other’s skin. The oil dried quickly, leaving behind a dark color that appeared natural. Then, they finally rolled the fat unconscious ball onto the bed, and messed up the blankets as if they had been working at it all night.

Bang! The door was kicked open. The two brothers walked out, arms around each other. Whispering amongst themselves, they walked quickly toward the main entrance.

In the lobby, Salman watched as they came forward. Shocked, he ran over. “It’s only been half an hour and they’re already done?” he thought. “Who would’ve thought that two people together were faster than one!”

“Sirs, sirs, are you done?” Salman rubbed his hands together. “Are you leaving? Are you not satisfied with our service?”

“Your people are too weak. They faint with just a touch,” Ye Qingxuan said in the Indian lingua franca. Throwing a wad of cash into Salman’s arms, he pushed the man aside. “Move. We need to go to the bathroom.”

“You go to the bathroom together too?” Salman asked, taken aback.

“We are brothers. We eat together, drink together, get pleasured together, and go to the bathroom together. Do you have a problem with that?” They walked through the lobby and toward the main entrance without stopping.

“But the bathroom—the bathroom is inside…”

“We like to piss outside. What’s it to you?!” Ye Qingxuan waved his hand impatiently. “Move, move, move…”

Pushed aside, Salman was stunned. Feeling that his shirt was damp, he touched it. His hand came away with dark oil. How come these sirs lost color as they walked?

While he was still in a daze, Ye Qingxuan and Bai Xi made their way out of Ganlu City. Ye Qingxuan was finally able to smile. It had been such a fruitful harvest! One million pounds worth of rune stones, gold, and the priceless saint’s relic were all his now! His!

Starting today, he could live the luxurious life of using rune stones to learn music notes, and exchanging gold for music scores! He decided to first use thirty-thousand pounds to make Charles wash his underwear for one week! Yes, then he would toss out his old underwear and buy silk ones!

Ye Qingxuan was deep in his dreams and fantasies of hitting the gold mine, but then he heard a painful cry from the backyard.

“The relic! Where’s the relic?” the scratchy voice screamed. “Where’s my relic?” People who knew the situation would know that the saint’s relic had been stolen. Outsiders probably thought that a ghost had climbed out of its grave!

Ye Qingxuan sped up, but felt a ripple spread from the backyard and brush past him. The ball in his arms vibrated, responding to the ripple. F*ck! He had forgotten to undo the tracking rune!

Behind him, it sounded as if a wall had crashed. In the next moment, a holy-looking old man burst through the wall. Mighty drum beats radiated from him. It was awe-inspiring. Or would have been if he was not naked, of course.

This was Puspotkata. He had broken through as soon as he had heard the news! “You cannot leave!” Furious, he glared at the youth at the entrance with red eyes. “Give me back my relic! My relic!”

What other reaction could Ye Qingxuan have? There was only solution before him…Run!

Before anyone could react, Ye Qingxuan picked up Bai Xi and bolted. With the support of the steel structure inside the robe, he flew. A single step carried him more than five meters, and he quickly disappeared into the night. All that he left behind was an annoying cackle and his last words, “Catch me if you can!”

In the lobby, Puspotkata’s face turned from green to red, red to black, and finally settled on a bruised green. He had thought that the musician who had stolen his relic would say something after being discovered. He had planned on distracting the musician to awaken his drum and perform the movement of god’s wrath from “Mahabharata,” but he never imagined that the two b*stards would run without saying anything!

When he finally processed this, he roared in anger. Without waiting for his instrument to wake, he jumped into the darkness and chased after them!

Chapter 129: The Eye of Indrah

In the night, two gangs were caught in a fierce fight on the chaotic streets in downtown. But suddenly, a giggling shadow passed through the scene like the wind, disappearing before anyone could react. Both sides paused at the same time. The two bosses could not help but exchange glances. “Was that a…hallucination?”

While both were still stunned. Then another shadow flashed by. This time, they were both prepared and saw it clearly…It was a naked white-bearded old man?!

In that short moment, one could see clearly his two rows of lean ribs, his naked body passing through the wind in a sultry posture, as well as that vague thing dangling between his legs. The whole picture was carved into the eyes of the two, scarring them for life. In the bizarre silence, the two looked to each other. They could see grievance and disgust in each other’s eyes.

After a long silence, one tentatively asked, “Then…Shall we continue?”

“F*ck! Let’s just stop here.” The other man threw his weapon down. He spat and covered his eyes saying, “Today is absolutely cursed!”

The two gangs nodded violently, their hearts beat wildly. That night, the two sides decided to give up the fight and have a drink to calm down. They coincidentally met at the same pub.

After getting drunk, the two bosses who had been fighting fiercely hours ago began talking about the naked old man. They ended up crying in fear. Finally, they felt the beauty of peace. They beheaded a rooster and burned some yellow papers to become sworn brothers…but that was just a legend.

Now, on the streets of downtown, Mr. Holmes was facing the greatest crisis he had ever met since his debut!

–

On Ye Qingxuan’s shoulder, Bai Xi looked back as they ran. Seeing that the ferocious old man was still chasing them, her face immediately clouded. “Cousin, you were too obnoxious when we left!” She turned Ye Qingxuan’s face to make him look behind them. “That old turtle is catching up! What do we do?”

Ye Qingxuan broke out in goosebumps as he looked back. He immediately sped up and comforted Bai XI, “Don’t be afraid! An old man like that can’t catch up with us. After a few kilometers, he’ll be exhausted to death!”

The boy’s vicious curse turned Puspotkata’s face green. “You bastard! I…I won’t let you slip through my fingers!”

Ferocity flashed past Puspotkata’s face. He crossed his hands in front of his chest in a heart-like seal. As he thumped his hands, the ‘heart’ started beating quickly like a faint drum! That heart seal seemed to drive his heart, and his energy rebounded. He began to sing with the drumming, “God is like the moon gazing at the sun, showering light! The flames kindled by his energy are like the occasional lightning in the clouds and thousands of suns above the clear sky!

“He sits above the bull, brilliant and bright …” As he spoke, a golden halo appeared behind the old man, like sunshine. He sped up again as if he were driving an invisible chariot!

It was a hymn about Shiva’s divinity extracted from the Mahabharata. Puspotkata was reciting it quickly while rushing, but his rapid breathing did not disturb the effect. He had also sacrificed much of his remaining energy to keep up the intensity as well. It seemed that the years he had spent before the Barrier of Knowledge had not gone to waste. At least now he could recite all of the music scores smoothly, regardless of what else he was doing.

When Ye Qingxuan turned and saw that Puspotkata was getting closer and closer, he freaked out. He tried to speed up again by slapping Flow runes onto his body without any hesitation.

Suddenly, the old man rose up in the sky like a beam of light and jumped, and landed before them. Illuminated by the halo, his old face seemed majestic and great.

“What a pity he’s a naked freak,” Ye Qingxuan sighed, shaking his head. Bai Xi nodded.

Puspotkata practically spat out blood. His face was full of ferocity, furious like an angry Buddha. He could not wait to end their lives! “Sherlock Holmes!” he spat out the name, one word at a time. He roared, “I’m going to rip you to shreds!”

Just as he was about to recite the music and chant to call forth divine fire, electric arrows, and even God’s dung to fight the d*mned dark musician, he saw Ye Qingxuan jump back with the saint’s relic raised high above his head.

“Back off!” Ye Qingxuan cried. He stomped with his right foot, crushing the sewer’s rotten wooden lid. “Or else I’ll throw your relic into the sewer!”

One could hear the ceaseless flow of the Thames River. Puspotkata’s expression faltered.

“No!” Puspotkata’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s. The aether in his hand dispersed, and he stepped back frantically. “Calm down! If it’s gone, I will kill you!” He stared at the relic with worry, fearing that Ye Qingxuan would actually throw his last thread of hope into the sewer. He had put in so much effort in convincing Silo to help him get this holy relic! If it was thrown into the sewer, everything would be over!

“You give me the Eye of Indrah and I will let you go!” Puspotkata said through clenched teeth, “It is a holy item from my religion. It’s no use to you.”

“So this is the Eye of Indrah?” Ye Qingxuan looked at the relic and suddenly, everything became clear. This relic belonged to Indrah, an Indian saint also known as the king of thunder. No wonder there was an electric shock!

“Why is it useless?” Ye Qingxuan shrugged nonchalantly. “My chair broke a few days ago. It looks about the right size for padding. How about you let me keep it as a gift? Oh, and I’ve just calculated that this thing is my toilet’s reincarnation, and it’s destiny for me to have stumbled across it. Just let me have it.”

Puspotkata’s face turned beet red. His lips opened and closed, at a loss for words. At last, he crossed his hands before his chest, and the drum beats sounded again. “Holmes, you are courting death!”

“Be nice or I will throw it!” Ye Qingxuan lowered his hand an inch while Puspotkata licked his lips, his eyes ruthless. “I dare you!”

“Okay.” Ye Qingxuan nodded and loosened his grip.

Puspotkata’s features twisted, his eyes opened wide. As if it were in slow motion, his face distorted into a look of shock, then anger, then extreme grief. He really threw it? The b*stard seriously threw it?! It was a f*cking sacred relic!

“No!” Forgetting what he had said, Puspotkata dove at the relic without even caring about the aether. But it was too late.

A few meters away, the ball spun in the air, then fell into the muddy drain. Puspotkata could not bear to look. His eyes were full of despair.

At the last moment, a small, delicate hand stretched out from the side, and caught the Eye of Indrah.

“Yay!” Bai Xi made a peace sign with her hand and threw the relic to Ye Qingxuan. The youth posed as well, and glanced at Puspotkata who was on the ground, close to tears.

“You b*stard! You son of a b*tch!”

“It was just a joke. Take it easy!” Ye Qingxuan teased in high spirits. “I don’t think you’ve had enough fun. Why don’t we try again?”

“Good idea!” Bai Xi clapped. “I promise I will catch it again. Old man, you have to trust me!”

“Trust you? No way!” Puspotkata stood up in resentment and shame, his eyes hardened. He had finally calmed down enough to understand that the two b*stards were just playing a trick on him. But if one wanted to play with fire…one needed to be prepared to get burned.

“What do you want?” Puspotkata asked coldly.

“That’s right, let’s have a talk. Talking is better than anything.” Ye Qingxuan slowly retracted the Eye of Indrah and demanded, “Now you have an idea of what it’s like for a man to be hunted when he can’t even explain himself, right?”

Puspotkata was furious but he repressed his anger. “You can have the Eye. All you have to do is promise me one thing, and I’ll tell you the spell to activate it.”

Ye Qingxuan paused for a second with his eyebrow arched. Suddenly understanding something, he chuckled. “What promise?” he asked in a bargaining tone. “Tell me.”

“Kill the Shaman.” Something murderous flashed through Puspotkata’s eyes. “Join us, kill the Shaman, then I’ll voluntarily give this to you. We can even ask Silo to hire you as our sacrifice master. You can enjoy Ganlu City’s yearly profits too…”

“Are you kidding?” Ye Qingxuan scoffed. “You think too highly of me. I’m just a nameless musician. How can I kill the Dark King?”

“I don’t know about others, but it shouldn’t be too hard for a dark musician who could stay under the radar for so long,” Puspotkata said seriously. “Mr. Holmes, I suppose that you must be here for the Blood Path. The Shaman will not allow you to find it. When he was here nine years ago, all those who dared to look for it were killed.

“Now that the Shaman had made a comeback, he’ll go after you first. If you join us, it’s a win-win situation. Besides, don’t dark musicians always pursue power?”

“Well, that makes sense.” Ye Qingxuan frowned slightly. “However, you’re really not too sincere if you’re just using something ornamental to lure me in.”

Puspotkata kept silence for a moment before setting down his determination. “As long as you promise to deal with the Shaman, I’ll tell you the spell like I said before.”

Ye Qingxuan smiled as if he had expected it. “Since you’re so sincere, it’s a deal!”

Beside him, Bai Xi tugged at his sleeve, warning him that this old man was not reliable!

The youth waved, telling her to be patient. He gazed at the Eye of Indrah happily. “What’s the spell?”

Puspotkata’s face twisted again. After hesitating, he recited a paragraph in an Indian dialect. Ye Qingxuan was surprised, but he immediately processed it after repeating it mentally. “Do not turn three realms into ashes?”

Puspotkata was shocked, his eyes showed a hint of fear. Who would have guessed that this guy could understand Indian dialects as well?

Chapter 130: Who is the Most Hateful?

In Indian legends, the demons created three metallic cities—gold, silver, and iron. Melded together, they created immense strength and an indescribable image. The gods were furious at this, and shot three arrows at the cities. Where the arrows fell, gold rusted, silver crumbled, and iron melted. The destructive fire killed all demons. Coldly watching as the earth burned to ash, the gods finally extinguished their destructive fire.

The phrase had been left behind by the God of Destruction. Using this to awaken the Eye of Indrah proved it to be an important treasure of the School of Modifications!

With this thought in mind, Ye Qingxuan tightened his hold on the orb. He was oblivious to Puspotkata’s faint sneer. “Then let me try it. Who knows if you’re lying?” As Puspotkata had expected, Ye Qingxuan grasped the Eye of Indrah and chanted, “Do not turn the three realms into ashes!”

The moment the words left Ye Qingxuan’s mouth, his palm went numb, and the Eye crackled with a bolt of lightning. As if a layer of dust had been wiped off, a crack appeared in the carved orb, revealing angry light. It shed layers of rock until it looked like a gemstone. Within it, eternal lightning flashed.

Faint rumbling of thunder came from the rock. Ye Qingxuan’s vision spun as a tidal wave of aether rushed from all direction into his control. Then, sapping Ye Qingxuan’s energy, it began to move on its own accord like a group of horses out of control. Countless silver light spots appeared around the youth.

For a moment, all color disappeared from Ye Qingxuan’s world. All that remained was the black and white of aether. As if it was the end of the world, the clean air above the crack fell and putrid gas from hell rose. Two types of ineffable power existed in one spot. They rubbed and crashed against each other, sparking destructive light.

“It—it’s moving on its own…” Under the light, Ye Qingxuan began to panic. He frantically tried to control the music score that was way beyond his abilities.

The Eye of Indrah suddenly shook and blood seeped into the gem. Ye Qingxuan’s panic intensified. “Help! It’s taking my blood…the power…I’m gonna…”

Stunned, Bai Xi tried to take the d*mned thing from Ye Qingxuan, forgetting that the electricity would burn her to ashes.

Puspotkata cackled. “Go die, Holmes!”

The drum beats sounded once again. Manipulating the aether, he created the shadow of Vidyā-rāja, the God of Light. The god opened his eyes, furious!

Puspotkata had said everything before to trick Holmes into reciting the spell. There was nothing wrong with the spell, but not everyone could use the power of the Eye! It was a destructive item that called forth the power of the Indrah, the God of Thunder! Otherwise, he would not use this relic as the medium to call forth the Holy Spirit.

The destructive thunder was definitely powerful, but not even a Resonance level musician could control unless he was very careful. The smallest distraction would cause the musician to burn to a crisp.

Now, Holmes was standing at the edge of the cliff. Puspotkata no longer had to battle with this d*mn dark musician. He just had to give the man a light shove, and he would fall down the bottomless abyss.

“Do you feel the cost of greed now?” Puspotkata cackled, focusing the God of Light’s image at Ye Qingxuan. “Die from Indrah’s uncontrollable greed!” The God of Light attacked, but then someone snickered.

Puspotkata froze. Behind the God of Light, he saw the dark musician raise his head, his eyes full of mockery.

With a smile, Holmes said, “…I was lying.” He opened his hand. The ruby stone that seemed to be embedded in his hand lit up with destructive light! The wild electric current transformed into a dragon. It leapt into the night, and roared with mighty power. The electricity instantly shattered the God of Light’s image and landed on Puspotkata, swallowing him whole.

With a painful cry, the charred Puspotkata collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. The holy-looking white hair and beard were all burnt now. His skin had cracked, and his body was numb.

Ye Qingxuan walked over slowly and looked down at him.

“Why?” Puspotkata sputtered his eyes lost. “Why…can you control…”

“Yeah, why?” The youth shrugged. Slowly, he put the Eye of Indrah into a groove on his cane. It fit snugly onto Jiu Xiao Huan Pei with a click. Without a doubt, this thing was his from now on.

Ye Qingxuan bet that Puspotkata had never thought there would be an instrument that could control Indrah’s thunder, or that Holmes had such an instrument.

He had guessed Puspotkata’s dirty trick the moment he was willing to hand the Eye over. At first, he was worried that Puspotkata would keep chasing him. He had planned on parting with his beloved, and throwing the Eye in the other direction while he and Bai Xi ran for their lives in the sewer. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. But who knew that this b*stard had ran out without bringing his instrument or defensive weapons and was struck by lightning?

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan was unharmed, Puspotkata’s eyes filled with anger. If not for his own injuries, he would do anything to kill the man, even willing to tear him up with his own teeth. “I-I won’t give up!” he howled. “That’s supposed to be mine!”

“Yeah,” Ye Qingxuan snickered. “And I’m not supposed to be chased by you all for no reason. If the world operated on ‘supposed to be’s,’ there would be no market for the medicine of regret. Oh, you’re a monk, right?” With that, he put the cane on Puspotkata’s head. “Have you counted how many sins you’ve committed after going against the creeds of your religion?”

Puspotkata froze, his eyes filled with despair. “Don’t kill me! I can give you the secrets of our School. I have six movements of Mahabharata. You can have them all! My uncle has the right Eye of Indrah too! I can trick him into giving it to you!”

Ye Qingxuan just laughed. “Since you believe in reincarnation, try to be a better person in your next life.”

Puspotkata tried to say something but his words were caught in his throat. A wailing melody sounded in his ear. The despair and frustration dug into his brain, and transformed into a dark river that practically drove him crazy.

“Sinful, sinful, sinful!” He seemed to hear Asura’s welcoming cheers from Hell. Painful wails sounded in his memory as faces flashed by, drowning him in the dark river. They drowned him bit by bit. He struggled with all his might, but ultimately drowned in his own evil doings. Under the cane, Puspotaka trembled and then stopped.

“Is he dead?” Bai Xi asked, stunned.

“Of course not.” Ye Qingxuan knocked the side of her head. “I may be underage, but I don’t break laws.” He paused, and gazed at Puspotkata’s blank eyes without pity. “I’m just sending him to the Arkham Asylum so he can make more friends.”

With that, he turned to leave, but his legs wobbled and he fell, almost landing beside Puspotkata. Bai Xi quickly caught him. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I lost too much blood.” His face as white as paper, Ye Qingxuan looked at the stone in his hands. “This stupid thing really does use the musician’s blood for electricity…I can’t use this too much.”

Bai Xi pursed her lips. “He should be glad he’s from the dragon bloodline,” she thought. “Otherwise, he’d be sapped dry.”

With Bai Xi supporting Ye Qingxuan, they started on the way home. But when they left the alley, Ye Qingxuan halted. He looked up at the end of the street…A figure stood under the cold moonlight—The Professor.

He did not seem to be waiting to attack Ye Qingxuan. He just watched them silently. Seeing Ye Qingxuan, he scoffed. “Listen, I don’t care who you are, but stay away from the Blood Path,” he warned. “Or else you’ll regret it.”

Ye Qingxuan laughed and shrugged carelessly. “To be honest, I don’t want to get into the mess…but sadly, I’ve been forced into it.”

The Professor did not reply. As if too tired to fight, he gave one last glance and turned around.

Ye Qingxuan watched him leave, and turned in the opposite direction.

Bai Xi looked at his eyes, then turned to look at the Professor’s silhouette. For some reason, her eyes became confused. “Hey, Cousin, you two are really similar.”

“Really?” Ye Qingxuan was taken aback.

“Yeah.” The girl nodded, her expression troubled. “You said you’ll follow me. Don’t run off with that guy, alright?”

Ye Qingxuan could not help but laugh and hit her lightly. “Bai Xi, you know who we all hate the most?”

Bai Xi shook her head after thinking for a bit.

“Ourselves.” Ye Qingxuan looked back in the darkness. “The more similar they are to ourselves, the more we hate them.”

—

In the backyard of Ganlu City, Silo looked at the charred old man on the rack, his eyes cold. The servants and slaves knelt on the ground, too scared to even breathe.

“He’s a retard now.” The choir musician checked Puspotkata’s vitals and shook his head. “His physical injuries aren’t too bad. They can heal with treatment, but his brain is unfortunately gone. Even if he wakes, he’ll be a lunatic.”

“Is there still hope?”

The musician shrugged. “It’s harder than creating a new body. You can’t afford it.”

Silo fell silent. After a long time, he waved. A servant cautiously pulled out three bars of gold for the musician and led him out.

Po Sinai stumbled from the basement, face pale. He shook his head at Silo. “They’re all dead.”

“How did they die?”

Hesitating, Po Sinai replied quietly, “They’ve all turned into shriveled up corpses, as if mummified by wind. The martial monks that Puspotkata had invited from India died too. All that remains is bones.”

“Isn’t the Professor also injured?” Silo asked coldly. “They deserved to die if they couldn’t fight against an injured man.”

“Yes.” Po Sinai could only lower his head.

“Get rid of all guards tonight. There’s no point in keeping these failures,” Silo ordered. “Doesn’t the opiate factory need slaves? Send them all there. The dead ones can be used as fertilizer.”

Po Sinai lowered his head, sweat rolling down. “Yes.”

“Contact the robin,” Silo said as he turned. “Tell him about the Professor and the Vengeful Spirit. Tell him that if he wants us to work for him, to bring us Moriarty and Holmes’ heads!”