Silent Crown

Even if the actual Holy Caldron and Hyakume were to clash with each other, Quiet Moon would have been able to balance the powers of both sides and turn them into nothingness, so what more the battle between Schubert and Poisonous Black Branch?

After being so used to gambling with high stakes, this was the first time Ye Qingxuan felt that the Distortion level could be so powerless. The moonlight only lasted for a moment before going out but it was exactly the right moment.

It was as if everything froze at the exact moment before two speeding wagons were about to crash into each other. The resultant hurricane was insignificant but the moment it arrived, it also meant that it was time for the drivers of the wagons to pay the price for speeding. Besides, Ye Qingxuan was also trying to influence the whole situation…

If both parties were living things, Ye Qingxuan would not have dared to play this way. But the situation was different now. No matter how repetitive a music theory might be, it would still lose its flexibility if no one was controlling it. Besides, Ye Qingxuan still possessed a major killing weapon in the Balance music theory of the Quiet Moon…

In the split second that he withdrew, the sudden and forced stop triggered a chain reaction that brought about a terrifying counter reaction. Violent trembles spread out from the elements of both sides. Within a moment, forceful countering forces were produced from every branch of the music theory.

The Staff of Fate was pressed downwards and was striking with force. Every music theory was roaring and trembling, as if they were on the brink of being dismantled. In a split second, Poisonous Black Tree was forced out of its shell and landed on the ground. On the black branches that looked as if they were a concentration of the former dark universe, flowers were wilting and falling. When they dried branches fell, it was the sound of iron. Amidst the echo, it could no longer keep up its form, crumbling into a heap of dust.

Ye Qingxuan did not have time to feel anguished. Soon after, he heard a deep echo coming from the shell of the old nun. It was the sound of reins breaking and the cry of the driver being crushed under the wheels. In an instant, the black patterns on the old nun’s shell, that were formed by countless alchemy formations, collapsed and blood gushed out from every pore.

The shackles that have been put in place by the Church were completely shattered in this crash. Once the shackles were gone, Schubert’s scepter seemed to lose the strength to continue. Light was dimming rapidly and the final sliver of light swept through the remains of the nun’s shell, simultaneously healing the body that has been pierced with plenty of holes.

Soon after, it sank slowly into the flame of consciousness before vanishing. Despite being in a daze, Ye Qingxuan could sense the flame of consciousness burning once again, slowly but surely. Under the continuation of the Heaven Ladder, he could almost see countless illusions flashing past him.

Church, Holy Bible, children, nun, children, icon, prayers, children… Countless memories that have been mixed up together were flashing across his eyes before they returned back to that flame of consciousness in an instant. Within such a short moment, it was as if Ye Qingxuan had seen the old nun’s entire life. Even so, it passed him by so quickly that he was unable to see anything clearly. After a long period of silence, Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes and looked at the old nun, who remained unconscious. He could not help but sigh. This was a huge loss.

He carefully collected the dusts of the Poisonous Branch and kept them in a small paper bag, making sure that not a single particle was left behind. Even if they have been completely crushed, they were still the perfect medium for curses and a single particle was all it would take to turn a harmless curse into a torturous nightmare.

All the cursed, who have been lingering in the negative regions of the School of Choir and School of Revelation, would have loved its potential for inducing insanity. In fact, that was not all to its power. Even maximizing the use of its least important parts could still be very valuable. Even so, what was lost would still greatly overwhelm what was gained.

In the end, a Poisonous Branch that could kill the Pope with a single stab, and the price of risking his life were both used in exchange for an old nun, who has lost all her powers. Now that the protection of Schubert has been lost for the time-being, there was no longer a talisman to ensure survival in the Ultimate.

Due to his own scheming ploys, Schuber’s Scepter was severely injured. Even if it could be extracted from the old nun’s consciousness, it would require a lot of effort and risks and unexpected changes. Who knew what else would happen next…

It was as if he had thrown almost all of his possessions into a risky investment and the chances of high returns were just as likely as losing every single cent. At this thought, Ye Qingxuan could not help but laugh self-deprecatingly, “I must be crazy…”

Beside him, Auden sighed and patted him on his shoulder, “You are a good person.”

Ye Qingxuan stayed silent for a long time. He had no idea if he was indeed considered a good person or not. Perhaps he was only a wolf in sheep’s clothing… but even so, there was nothing wrong with that. At least he had a clear conscience.

“I’m going to sleep first. Let me know when she wakes up.” He shook his head as he could feel a terrible headache coming. It was exactly midnight now. The night was going to be long. He only wished that his dreams would not be as long.

In the darkness, Ye Qingxuan could hear the sounds of a thunderstorm and the crying of children. Amidst the sniveling, there also seemed to be the sounds of water trickling down the wall and landing in puddles. The cold wind blew in through the cracks in the wall and sounded like a soft teasing laughter.

—

“Granny, I’m cold.” The voice seemed to come from a child that was sniveling softly.

“Children, let us pray.” In the darkness, someone was holding them tight and caressing their wet hair, “All suffering will eventually pass. As long as we pray, there will be a day when the Gods will have mercy on us and save us from hopelessness.”

Faint sounds of prayer could be heard. But the sounds of breathing only grew weaker, as if they might stop anytime. After a long silence, someone asked quietly, “Granny, does God… really love us?”

No one replied. A water droplet landed on the ground and trickled into the puddle but its temperature was vastly different from the rest of the water droplets.

—

Ye Qingxuan opened his eyes and saw the ceiling that has been cracked open. The fire at the corner was burning brightly but for some unknown reason, the chill in his dream seemed to have entered the real world and as a result, he could no longer go back to sleep.

After a long time, Mable knocked on the door, “Something is up.”

Ye Qingxuan got up from the ground, “I’ll go over now.”

In the corner of the hall, there was a simple bed made of rock with the old nun lying on it. She was breathing rapidly and sweat was dripping down from her forehead.

“What’s going on?” Ye Qingxuan put on an outer robe and squeezed his way in.

The Master of the School of Choir inspected her body and replied calmly, “This is normal. Her consciousness is regrouping… It is just like someone trying to climb out of a quagmire. It will take some time and energy.”

“What if she doesn’t manage to climb out?” Ye Qingxuan asked.

“In that case, she will continue to sleep like this.” The Master shook his head and looked at the scars on both her hands, “I think she may not necessarily be happy when she wakes up.”

“Staying alive is always better than dying.” Ye Qingxuan shook his head, “Whatever medications we have, just give it to her. Taking care of a paralyzed person in the Ultimate will be much more troublesome compared to taking care of a normal person.”

The Master from the School of Choir looked beside him and saw the one-legged man shaking his head, “When it comes to consciousness, no medications are going to be of any use. She can only do it herself.”

After the Master from the School of Heart made such a definitive statement, Ye Qingxuan could feel his head aching, “Can you help?”

“It will be difficult.” The one-legged man hesitated, “Her consciousness is too weak. If I interfere, she will be influenced by my music theory… I am capable of remolding a person from a blank sheet, but as a result, there is nothing you will be able to gain from it.”