265 Sudden Happiness

The eagle soared into the sky and disappeared in the night. The Robin looked up into the night sky, not looking away until a long while later. He scoffed.

"He’s gone?" A figure walked silently out of the shadow of a tree behind him. He gazed in the direction Malpas disappeared with mock interest. "The demon transformed from his shell and was given an aetheric body by the natural catastrophe. From a certain aspect, ‘omnipresent’ is not an empty word. It’ll be more convenient now that you have this. Ring the bell and he’ll immediately descend from thousands of miles away. Fast and speedy. Seems like the lord truly trusts and loves you, my priest."

The Robin glanced at him. "Naberius, you’re late."

Naberius was a middle-aged man. The hair on his temples was graying and his hands were stuffed in his sleeve cuffs. He looked like bookish scholar—not a bit like a dark musician.

Hearing the Robin’s accusation, he just chuckled. "I was actually early, but Malpas is still a messenger who represents the natural catastrophe. I do not dare approach him. After all, I’m not the type of person who likes to play around with contracts. It’s one thing to take advantage. It’s another to hang around a god and annoy them."

"Whose fault is it that you thought yourself clever and found a loophole while exchanging with a natural catastrophe? You were locked in the Resonance level for eighty years by the god. I thought you’d learn after that punishment."

Naberius was not angry. He just shook his head and sighed. "That’s how I am. I can’t help it. Taking advantage of a natural catastrophe is difficult. I ought to suffer some losses too."

"Next I will start preparing to explore Elizabeth’s Tower." The Robin handed him a blood-colored conch. "The Vengeful Spirit is for you."

"That’s a small matter."

"Small matters should be done seriously, shouldn’t they?" The Robin glanced at him coldly. "You’ve slaved for so many years for your crime. You don’t want to have done it all in vain, right?"

"Of course." Naberius glanced casually at the holy symbol before the Robin’s chest. The Eye Within the Eye seemed to be staring at him. One was smiling lightly, the other was cold and shrouded in darkness. "With your blessing." Naberius bowed politely and left, disappearing into the darkness.

-

The Royal Academy of Music was bright and sunny in the afternoon. The warm sunlight passed through the window and shone on Old Phil, covering him with a layer of gold. He looked so holy, so stalwart, so…majestic. Passing him, the sunlight shone on the bowl of aromatic ribs and the youth prostrated before it.

"Boss, I’m relying on you this time." Ye Qingxuan grasped its front paws with anticipating eyes. "You have to help me! Please just guide the path. I really need to get into Avalon’s Shadow. Oh, and can you come take me out again when I give you the signal?"

"…" Old Phil did not reply. Of course, dogs could not speak. However, its disdainful eyes seemed to be reprimanding the failure before him.

"Yes, yes, yes, you’re right!" Ye Qingxuan scooted over shamelessly and petted his fur. "I’m so weak. I can’t be compared to you, Boss! Right? Humans are stupid, so can you please be kind and merciful and show me the way? I’ll give you anything! Ribs, lobsters."

Old Phil glanced at him and then looked away coldly.

As Ye Qingxuan was still lying on the ground awkwardly, he heard a confused voice behind him. "Cousin, what are you doing?"

"Uh…" Ye Qingxuan froze. He squeezed out a smile and chuckled. "Aha, I thought the weather was nice today. I want Old Phil to take me out."

"It’s walking the dog but why does it look like Old Phil’s walking you?" Bai Xi’s lips curled. "Oh, and you looked really stupid."

"All geniuses are mad," Ye Qingxuan said, trying to keep his pride. "My intelligence has already exceeded the limit, so just stop talking if you don’t understand."

"Ha." It was rare to have a chance to make fun of Ye Qingxuan, so Bai Xi obviously would not let it go easily. After munching on baked seeds for a while, she petted Old Phil. "It’s rare to see him so pathetic. Can’t you just help him? Take us out later to play, please?"

Old Phil glanced at Ye Qingxuan. Finally, he nodded unwillingly.

For some reason, Ye Qingxuan had the urge to cry. Times were changing and Old Phil’s top follower had somehow turned into Bai Xi. No wonder his words were useless. All those years of hardships together were nothing compared to a few words from a little girl. Ye Qingxuan felt wronged and dejected. Seeing him like that, Bai Xi snorted proudly and patted Old Phil.

"I’m going upstairs to get something. Wait for me."

Watching Bai Xi leave, Old Phil rose lazily. He slapped the youth with his tail, telling him to follow.

After twists and turns, they left from the school’s back door and entered a deserted alley. Old Phil squatted on the floor and eyed Ye Qingxuan. He barked like a hooligan driver looking at his client, asking where to go.

"As long as it’s in Avalon’s Shadow." Ye Qingxuan rubbed his hands with a fawning smile. "If possible, I’d like there to be demons nearby."

Old Phil nodded. It offhandedly pushed aside a manhole and barked. This time, the meaning was much simpler. It was just one word: Jump!

"Uh…" Ye Qingxuan looked at the heavy smoke somehow rising from the sewer. There was also the pungent odor that just felt unreliable. "Is this okay?"

Woof! Old Phil was starting to get impatient. It meant, Jump if you want but don’t waste my time.

"Fine, fine, I’ll jump! I’ll jump!" Ye Qingxuan sighed inwardly. Old Phil’s temper was getting worse and worse but what could Ye Qingxuan do? Would he have to act so servile whenever he wanted to get in and out of Avalon’s Shadow in the future? The nice and cooperative Old Phil had changed.

Crying silently, Ye Qingxuan gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, closed his eyes, and jumped.

Plop. And no more sound.

Old Phil quietly gazed at the fog that had swallowed the youth for a long time. Then it nodded, put the manhole back, and left with its tail wagging. The alley was quiet once again.

-

Plop. Ye Qingxuan felt like he had jumped into some messed up pool. His surroundings were suddenly covered with something sticky. As he struggled wildly, he suddenly lost balance and crashed against the wall. In the darkness, he lit a lantern. The fog dissipated slowly.

The Blood Path flowed forward in this deserted and deadly still sewage tunnel. It was like blood rushing in a vessel, guiding him to an unknown place.

"I really got in?"

Ye Qingxuan froze. He quickly tossed his heavy bag to the ground. He put on the heavy coat and various equipment from the bag and folded it, hanging it to his waist, after checking everything. He snapped out his cane and carefully walked forward. Avalon’s Shadow was creepy. Who knew what he would run into this time?

As he walked silently, his steps suddenly halted and he looked in all directions. The boy’s singing had started again. Maybe it was because he was wearing the hat, but this time, it was clearer. The boy was practically singing into his ear. He could even feel the singer’s cold breaths. He spun around but there was nothing there.

"The king and his helpers kidnapped the queen, imprisoning her in dreams…" It was this song again. It haunted the city’s shadow like a curse. Every corner, every inch, was filled with this chilling hatred and evil.

After a long, long time, it was still there. It was just lingering in the ear, in the wind, and the broken sounds. If one listened, one would sense it.

Ye Qingxuan sucked in a breath and ignored it.

The Blood Path had disappeared.

He had re-entered Avalon’s Shadow.

-

When he finally pushed aside the manhole cover and climbed out of the sewer, the first thing he saw was a thick layer of cotton. The dusty cotton and thread was scattered all over the large room.

One could vaguely make out that this was a large mansion. However, it was filled with strange eggs for some reason. Giant eggs the size of children were piled in the dust and cotton. He could see hundreds upon thousands at a glance. It was as if he had walked into an egg market.

He stepped back instinctively. The sticky glue-like feeling underfoot finally made him think something was wrong.

This was not cotton! The thing crisscrossing all over the large room was a giant spider web!

Thud! A sound came from midair. Something like a giant cocoon fell down.

Ye Qingxuan expressionlessly brushed away the webs on it and saw a corpse that had been sucked dry. He could vaguely make out the painful expression as it had died.

Cracks and pops sounded above. Things in the dark seemed to have awoken and climbed down the webs, waving their bones. Ye Qingxuan looked up and saw the green ‘stars’ that filled the sky. Those were the compound eyes of countless spiders. They were staring at Ye Qingxuan with open mouths secreting liquid that represented their hunger.

"Old Phil, you really understand me. You’re my soulmate!"

The youth suddenly wanted to cry. When Old Phil had asked him where he wanted to go, he had said somewhere with many demons. So then Old Phil opened the door and…as expected, Old Phil never disappointed him. Indeed, there were many demons here…because Old Phil had led him to the demons’ nest!

He was so happy to have such a caring friend. The demons looked happy too. They had been sleeping for so long that the bones had lost flavor. Today, something meaty had given himself up and he looked fresh.

Anyway, everyone was happy, but this happiness was a bit too sudden.