The medicine Ye Qingxuan gave them was made of 99% saltwater and 1% his blood. The blood, rich in stone of sage and purifying music theory, was the best antidote.
Upon entering the human body, the power in the blood would multiply automatically to kill all parasites and supply with the body with energy, Qi, and blood.
Those in good condition would sleep all their problems away after taking the antidote, while those in poor health may have symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. In the worst case, they might get seriously ill due to the rebuilding of their immune system.
For those who had been infected for too long, no cure was possible. For them, there was nothing that Ye Qingxuan could do. The purifying medicine, however, would end their endless nightmare and suffering, and wake them up from the madness for a short time.
They would live their last hours with a clear mind.
And then, they would have to face their death.
"It's cruel. Right?" Ye Qingxuan asked.
"It is redemption," Niven answered from the door. On his fingertip, an organist emblem was spinning swiftly.
"Appropriate manners, neat looks, and free will are the essence of human nature. Maxwell once told us.
"I like it. It is also true to an organist. For us who are always hiding from exposure, this emblem is our only comfort. It is the only glory and consolation for us. It must not be stained or fall into dirty mud."
He paused, and then said gently, "To die with dignity, is better than to live in filth and evil."
…
That afternoon, a simple funeral was held for the dead on the top of the Cloister of Cavern.
Ye Qingxuan, holding the Holy Bible, hosted the funeral. All secret service members were there to mourn the six dead organists. The funeral was so simple that there was not even a flower for the dead.
In the pattering rain, the dead were laid in shabby coffins. The rain dropped onto their faces, making everything wet. It was so sad.
"Audette, Sylvester, Warren…" Looking at the faces of the dead, Ye Qingxuan muttered, "It's a pity that you can't see the beginning and the end of this war, that you can't enjoy the praise of fervent poems and songs, or a glorious death that will be noted in history.
"Today, you will say goodbye to all suffering in the human world and enjoy peace in the realm of death. Your death may not be able to make more people live, but your mission and duty will never die and shall be passed down forever."
Closing his eyes, he lit the fire. The fire rose up from the oil, fierce and wild, evaporating the rain. It devoured the face of the dead and embraced everything in its arms. Pale smoke dispersed slowly, like the souls of the dead rising up to heaven.
"May your souls never die," Ye Qingxuan muttered.
All organists, lowering their heads toward their dead companions, sang in their course and low voice, which lingered in the narrow and dark space between the sky and the earth.
"Long lives the elegy!"
…
After the silent mourning, Ye Qingxuan turned around and looked at the crowd behind him with the light, carefully watching the face of every one of them.
For most of those people, it was the first time that they had met Ye Qingxuan. When they saw his face, they were worried if he could accomplish this mission that was too huge for anyone since he was so young himself.
Ye Qingxuan stepped forward. He refused the umbrella Niven held up for him and let the rain fall onto him. Standing in front of the crowd, Ye Qingxuan let them stare at him.
"I suppose you already know me. I am Ye Qingxuan, temporarily in charge of the Fifth Department after Maxwell went missing. It was I who gave the order to send you here. It might be said that all the suffering you've had these days was because to this."
Facing their eyes full of doubt, Ye Qingxuan remained calm. "I know what you are thinking about. I don't look like a qualified commander or leader, nor am I like Maxwell, who you all have faith in. Your doubt and concern are all understandable. It is normal that you feel upset.
"Yet, nothing can be changed for now. I nor you have another choice. And more unfortunately, more suffering is coming after this short break."
Ye Qingxuan smiled pleasantly. "Perhaps you don't want to hear this from me. Perhaps you've come here for some noble cause. However, I don't like those dignified yet hollow slogans. So, let's get ourselves some other reasons."
Pointing at the lightless sky and the dark sea, he continued, "Dear sirs, we don't know what lies in front of us. It might be death for all of us. What I'm leading you to is a war; a war through which you can reclaim your country from the mist!
"Our enemy is this ocean which devoured Anglo. Compared to it, we are no more powerful than the dirt in the air, nor do we have any real chance of winning. We are going into this mist and back to Anglo, to retake our land and our country from this monstrous world. But before that, I have something to tell you…"
In the eyes full of astonishment, he raised the ancient, unpolished ring. The emblem engraved by the stone sword was awoken, glistening with red-hot light. The light pierced through the air like a sword.
"By the name of the stone sword, what I promise you here shall be honored!" Ye Qingxuan proclaimed solemnly, his voice like thunder, echoing in everyone's ears. "I assure you that every one of you will participate in this war. I assure you that the sacrifice of every death will be meaningful and that everyone who follows me will die with dignity.
"I assure you that if we win, everyone who is dead will be remembered by this country and everyone who survives will become a hero. Alive or dead, you will be forever remembered in the history books of Anglo. If we lose, we will bury ourselves in this lightless sea and reunite with the souls of the heroes in the realm of death!"
In the silence, Ye Qingxuan muttered, "Long lives the elegy for us."
The organists answered him with their hand over their heart. "We will follow your order, sir."
The organists from all over the world lowered their head in front of the young man. They half knelt in the rain to offer their loyalty.
There was no more hesitation.
"Very good." Ye Qingxuan nodded gently, smiling. "Dear sirs, please enjoy this long journey to death with me."
…
Ten minutes later, on the deck of the iron ship.
The realignment of the ship was over, and the engine was warmed up. Everyone was in position and the last batch of supply was moved from the Cloister of Cavern to the ship. Standing at the ship deck, Ye Qingxuan watched the scene quietly.
"The speech just now, to be frank, really sucked." Igor stood beside him with a big cigarette in his mouth, smoke coming out of his nose.
"Is it really that bad?" Ye Qingxuan forced a bitter smile. "I am still not good at this."
"Don't worry. It might've been bad, but it worked." Igor couldn't help but glance at Ye Qingxuan again with an odd stare as if he was checking out something dangerous. "Mr. Ye, has anyone told you that you are really good at dealing with lunatics?"
"Is that a compliment?"
"Sort of." Igor shrugged.
Pretty soon, the last man was on board. The Cloister of Cavern became quiet again; as quiet as a grave. The handling of the supplies was finished, so was the inspection of the ship. Yet, looking at the ship, Ye Qingxuan felt there was something short. He patted on his head and finally remembered the order he had given to Igor.
"Captain, where is our new figurehead?" He said to Igor, "I've been waiting for so long."
"As you commanded, my lord." Igor grinned. "This is the only one of its kind, I assure you." He waved his hand and several sailors went. Pretty soon, the just-finished figurehead was carried out with a thick layer of dust-cloth over it, keeping everyone from seeing what it looked like.
With the assistance of the hoister and pulleys, the new figurehead was installed on the bow of the ship very soon. Inside the dust-cloth, the figurehead was like a living thing, struggling with all its might, which made Ye Qingquan and his crew pleasant.
The rope that tied up the dust-cloth was undone, and the cloth was blown up into the sky by the heavy wind. The thing under it was finally revealed, gasping for air.
Seeing Ye Qingxuan with his blood-red eyes, he shouted desperately in his hoarse voice, "Ye Qingxuan, you will die miserably!!!"
On the bow, Xavier, tied up on the cross, was struggling in an attempt to get out of the chains. But his limbs were merged into iron by some sort of magic of alchemy. Welded on his body like a turtle shell was a sharp iron plate, on which someone wrote with paint: I am a defeatist.
With the iron structure, he replaced the bronze woman statue. As the new figurehead of the ship, he would break the waves and be the first to sail into the dark sea.
"How do you like it?" Patting the new statue, which he considered to be his masterpiece, Igor asked Ye Qingxuan, who nodded in admiration.
"This is like a piece of art, my captain," Ye Qingxuan said.
"Haha. I knew it." Igor laughed heartedly. "I was born to be a f*cking artist!"
"Ye Qingxuan! I curse you! You will be damned! Sooner or later!" Xavier shouted desperately from the bow of the ship. Seeing the dark sea of surging waves, he became aware of his own fate. His face twisted with terror, he screamed with all his strength, "Kill me, you pussy! You pervert! Lunatic! Psychopath! I curse you! Curse you!!!"
"It's so good to see you in such a good health." Looking at Xavier calmly, Ye Qingxuan said, "Enjoy our journey, Mr. Xavier. As I promised, you will witness everything from the best position."
In the midst of the screaming and cursing, Ye Qingxuan turned to Igor with a smile. "Set it off, my captain. I can't wait to go."
Igor nodded and tossed the cigarette under his feet. Stomping on the cigarette butt, he waved to the bridge. "Turn to the North!" To Anglo! To Alderney! Weigh anchor! Set sail!"
The steamer tooted. The iron wheel gave out a loud and sharp sound, tearing apart the eternal silence of the darkness like the roaring of a giant beast. The noise almost deafened everybody's ears.
The iron anchor was raised slowly out of the sea. The shaking of the iron wheel caused turbulence in the sea. Propelled by the engine, the wheel drove out the water and tore up the waves.
They were singing, tweeting and shouting.
They sailed into the deepest part of the lightless sea.
Darkness devoured everything.
The medicine Ye Qingxuan gave them was made of 99% saltwater and 1% his blood. The blood, rich in stone of sage and purifying music theory, was the best antidote.
Upon entering the human body, the power in the blood would multiply automatically to kill all parasites and supply with the body with energy, Qi, and blood.
Those in good condition would sleep all their problems away after taking the antidote, while those in poor health may have symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. In the worst case, they might get seriously ill due to the rebuilding of their immune system.
For those who had been infected for too long, no cure was possible. For them, there was nothing that Ye Qingxuan could do. The purifying medicine, however, would end their endless nightmare and suffering, and wake them up from the madness for a short time.
They would live their last hours with a clear mind.
And then, they would have to face their death.
"It's cruel. Right?" Ye Qingxuan asked.
"It is redemption," Niven answered from the door. On his fingertip, an organist emblem was spinning swiftly.
"Appropriate manners, neat looks, and free will are the essence of human nature. Maxwell once told us.
"I like it. It is also true to an organist. For us who are always hiding from exposure, this emblem is our only comfort. It is the only glory and consolation for us. It must not be stained or fall into dirty mud."
He paused, and then said gently, "To die with dignity, is better than to live in filth and evil."
…
That afternoon, a simple funeral was held for the dead on the top of the Cloister of Cavern.
Ye Qingxuan, holding the Holy Bible, hosted the funeral. All secret service members were there to mourn the six dead organists. The funeral was so simple that there was not even a flower for the dead.
In the pattering rain, the dead were laid in shabby coffins. The rain dropped onto their faces, making everything wet. It was so sad.
"Audette, Sylvester, Warren…" Looking at the faces of the dead, Ye Qingxuan muttered, "It's a pity that you can't see the beginning and the end of this war, that you can't enjoy the praise of fervent poems and songs, or a glorious death that will be noted in history.
"Today, you will say goodbye to all suffering in the human world and enjoy peace in the realm of death. Your death may not be able to make more people live, but your mission and duty will never die and shall be passed down forever."
Closing his eyes, he lit the fire. The fire rose up from the oil, fierce and wild, evaporating the rain. It devoured the face of the dead and embraced everything in its arms. Pale smoke dispersed slowly, like the souls of the dead rising up to heaven.
"May your souls never die," Ye Qingxuan muttered.
All organists, lowering their heads toward their dead companions, sang in their course and low voice, which lingered in the narrow and dark space between the sky and the earth.
"Long lives the elegy!"
…
After the silent mourning, Ye Qingxuan turned around and looked at the crowd behind him with the light, carefully watching the face of every one of them.
For most of those people, it was the first time that they had met Ye Qingxuan. When they saw his face, they were worried if he could accomplish this mission that was too huge for anyone since he was so young himself.
Ye Qingxuan stepped forward. He refused the umbrella Niven held up for him and let the rain fall onto him. Standing in front of the crowd, Ye Qingxuan let them stare at him.
"I suppose you already know me. I am Ye Qingxuan, temporarily in charge of the Fifth Department after Maxwell went missing. It was I who gave the order to send you here. It might be said that all the suffering you've had these days was because to this."
Facing their eyes full of doubt, Ye Qingxuan remained calm. "I know what you are thinking about. I don't look like a qualified commander or leader, nor am I like Maxwell, who you all have faith in. Your doubt and concern are all understandable. It is normal that you feel upset.
"Yet, nothing can be changed for now. I nor you have another choice. And more unfortunately, more suffering is coming after this short break."
Ye Qingxuan smiled pleasantly. "Perhaps you don't want to hear this from me. Perhaps you've come here for some noble cause. However, I don't like those dignified yet hollow slogans. So, let's get ourselves some other reasons."
Pointing at the lightless sky and the dark sea, he continued, "Dear sirs, we don't know what lies in front of us. It might be death for all of us. What I'm leading you to is a war; a war through which you can reclaim your country from the mist!
"Our enemy is this ocean which devoured Anglo. Compared to it, we are no more powerful than the dirt in the air, nor do we have any real chance of winning. We are going into this mist and back to Anglo, to retake our land and our country from this monstrous world. But before that, I have something to tell you…"
In the eyes full of astonishment, he raised the ancient, unpolished ring. The emblem engraved by the stone sword was awoken, glistening with red-hot light. The light pierced through the air like a sword.
"By the name of the stone sword, what I promise you here shall be honored!" Ye Qingxuan proclaimed solemnly, his voice like thunder, echoing in everyone's ears. "I assure you that every one of you will participate in this war. I assure you that the sacrifice of every death will be meaningful and that everyone who follows me will die with dignity.
"I assure you that if we win, everyone who is dead will be remembered by this country and everyone who survives will become a hero. Alive or dead, you will be forever remembered in the history books of Anglo. If we lose, we will bury ourselves in this lightless sea and reunite with the souls of the heroes in the realm of death!"
In the silence, Ye Qingxuan muttered, "Long lives the elegy for us."
The organists answered him with their hand over their heart. "We will follow your order, sir."
The organists from all over the world lowered their head in front of the young man. They half knelt in the rain to offer their loyalty.
There was no more hesitation.
"Very good." Ye Qingxuan nodded gently, smiling. "Dear sirs, please enjoy this long journey to death with me."
…
Ten minutes later, on the deck of the iron ship.
The realignment of the ship was over, and the engine was warmed up. Everyone was in position and the last batch of supply was moved from the Cloister of Cavern to the ship. Standing at the ship deck, Ye Qingxuan watched the scene quietly.
"The speech just now, to be frank, really sucked." Igor stood beside him with a big cigarette in his mouth, smoke coming out of his nose.
"Is it really that bad?" Ye Qingxuan forced a bitter smile. "I am still not good at this."
"Don't worry. It might've been bad, but it worked." Igor couldn't help but glance at Ye Qingxuan again with an odd stare as if he was checking out something dangerous. "Mr. Ye, has anyone told you that you are really good at dealing with lunatics?"
"Is that a compliment?"
"Sort of." Igor shrugged.
Pretty soon, the last man was on board. The Cloister of Cavern became quiet again; as quiet as a grave. The handling of the supplies was finished, so was the inspection of the ship. Yet, looking at the ship, Ye Qingxuan felt there was something short. He patted on his head and finally remembered the order he had given to Igor.
"Captain, where is our new figurehead?" He said to Igor, "I've been waiting for so long."
"As you commanded, my lord." Igor grinned. "This is the only one of its kind, I assure you." He waved his hand and several sailors went. Pretty soon, the just-finished figurehead was carried out with a thick layer of dust-cloth over it, keeping everyone from seeing what it looked like.
With the assistance of the hoister and pulleys, the new figurehead was installed on the bow of the ship very soon. Inside the dust-cloth, the figurehead was like a living thing, struggling with all its might, which made Ye Qingquan and his crew pleasant.
The rope that tied up the dust-cloth was undone, and the cloth was blown up into the sky by the heavy wind. The thing under it was finally revealed, gasping for air.
Seeing Ye Qingxuan with his blood-red eyes, he shouted desperately in his hoarse voice, "Ye Qingxuan, you will die miserably!!!"
On the bow, Xavier, tied up on the cross, was struggling in an attempt to get out of the chains. But his limbs were merged into iron by some sort of magic of alchemy. Welded on his body like a turtle shell was a sharp iron plate, on which someone wrote with paint: I am a defeatist.
With the iron structure, he replaced the bronze woman statue. As the new figurehead of the ship, he would break the waves and be the first to sail into the dark sea.
"How do you like it?" Patting the new statue, which he considered to be his masterpiece, Igor asked Ye Qingxuan, who nodded in admiration.
"This is like a piece of art, my captain," Ye Qingxuan said.
"Haha. I knew it." Igor laughed heartedly. "I was born to be a f*cking artist!"
"Ye Qingxuan! I curse you! You will be damned! Sooner or later!" Xavier shouted desperately from the bow of the ship. Seeing the dark sea of surging waves, he became aware of his own fate. His face twisted with terror, he screamed with all his strength, "Kill me, you pussy! You pervert! Lunatic! Psychopath! I curse you! Curse you!!!"
"It's so good to see you in such a good health." Looking at Xavier calmly, Ye Qingxuan said, "Enjoy our journey, Mr. Xavier. As I promised, you will witness everything from the best position."
In the midst of the screaming and cursing, Ye Qingxuan turned to Igor with a smile. "Set it off, my captain. I can't wait to go."
Igor nodded and tossed the cigarette under his feet. Stomping on the cigarette butt, he waved to the bridge. "Turn to the North!" To Anglo! To Alderney! Weigh anchor! Set sail!"
The steamer tooted. The iron wheel gave out a loud and sharp sound, tearing apart the eternal silence of the darkness like the roaring of a giant beast. The noise almost deafened everybody's ears.
The iron anchor was raised slowly out of the sea. The shaking of the iron wheel caused turbulence in the sea. Propelled by the engine, the wheel drove out the water and tore up the waves.
They were singing, tweeting and shouting.
They sailed into the deepest part of the lightless sea.
Darkness devoured everything.
