On the side of the clock tower of Westminster Abbey, you can hear the rotation of the machine not far away in the office. It is the clear sound of the huge second hand ticking forward.
The firelight of the fireplace shines.
Ye Qingxuan sat on the sofa and looked at the copper seal in his hand.
"Ye Qingxuan, remember, don't trust anyone in Avalon."
Maxwell's voice was still ringing in his ears: "Including me."
"including you?"
Ye Qingxuan murmured softly and rubbed his forehead with a headache.
Don't understand.
What the hell is Maxwell up to
What happened
He pondered for a long time and couldn't find a clue, so he could only focus on the copper seal in his hand.
The thickness of a thumb and the length of one hand, the standard copper seal for secret documents looks like brass, but is actually an alloy material mixed with lapis lazuli. Its hardness and toughness exceed that of diamond. It is used to store secret documents and confidential information.
The special design will be damaged once opened. The special paint on the seal is intact and there is no possibility of anyone peeking.
I don't know why, but the cold copper seal feels vaguely warm when I hold it in my hand, as if it contains live coals. But if you feel it carefully, it's still cold.
The warmth is just an illusion.
No, it's not.
Ye Qingxuan could feel it clearly.
There was some kind of heat that could not be felt by the body seeping out of it, with a stinging sensation like a needle, wisps of it, dim and vague, but the steel was regarded as nothing, passing through his body and the air, dissipating in in the air.
"What exactly is it?"
Ye Qingxuan moved his fingers together and carefully opened the outer casing of the copper seal according to the method he remembered, and removed the self-destruction mechanism inside. After putting it aside, he breathed a sigh of relief and unscrewed the screws of the copper seal.
Contrary to his expectation, what slipped into his hand was a heavy lead pipe inside the copper seal.
What he opened was just the outermost wrapping of the gift.
The lead pipe is heavy, as if it has been processed by alchemy. It is at least several times heavier than similar pipes. After unscrewing the outer layer, the fine interlayer in the middle can be seen through the side wall. Dozens of strange materials are nested together in the middle, carefully sealing the core.
It's like blocking some scourge.
hot.
Under the dim green light shining in the lead cylinder, the illusory heat Ye Qingxuan felt was dozens of times stronger than before. The tingling sensation was like the capillaries all over his body being congested and ruptured after strenuous exercise. When it arrives, it feels uncomfortable, but at the same time, there is a strange sense of longing in the body.
It's like meeting again after a long separation...
Ye Qingxuan held a stone the size of the knuckle of his little finger and looked at it carefully. After a while, he felt dizzy and felt sluggish when moving his fingers. After a moment of silence, he stretched out his hand and peeled off a layer of skin from his suddenly dry palm.
He could feel that the cells in his body were more active than ever before.
It is also weaker than ever before.
Being killed at ten times the speed and regenerated at ten times the speed, some kind of slow... alienation is going on? !
What the hell did Maxwell leave to himself
"—Iron of Decay."
Outside the door, Shi Dong's voice sounded in the distance.
It seemed that through the heavy door, one could feel the doubts in Ye Qingxuan's heart.
He did not push the door open, but said hoarsely: "You'd better put that thing away properly. Except for you, no one here can resist the harm of that thing..."
Ye Qingxuan was stunned, "Is this thing dangerous?"
"very dangerous."
Stone replied: "In terms of pollutant rating, it is even higher than the threat level of the Cup of Hope. According to the results of the counter measurement, the thing on your body is also a dangerous object that is absolutely prohibited from circulation and excavation in the East. It will Killing the cells in your body, destroying people from the tiniest ends. Except for a few pure-blooded celestial beings in the world, anyone else who dares to play with this kind of thing is committing suicide... "
Ye Qingxuan was stunned for a moment, then carefully put the decaying iron back into the lead cylinder.
But the illusory heat and stinging pain are still lingering here, unable to dissipate.
What on earth was Maxwell thinking
"You'd better come out."
Shi Dong sighed: "I will have people seal this place later. Within half a year, it will not be suitable for human habitation."
Even after Ye Qingxuan came out, Shi Dong still maintained a ten-meter distance between the two, as if avoiding a savage beast.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Sir, I want to live a few more years."
Stone carefully put on a strange and thick protective suit for himself: "Actually, you are now a humanoid poison. I suggest that you should not come into contact with others until the things on your body are completely eliminated... Based on your physical signs The speed of replacement can be accelerated to dozens of times higher than that of ordinary people, so you should be fine in one night."
Maxwell, what evil are you trying to do! ! !
Ye Qingxuan rolled his eyes and sighed helplessly:
"Okay, what's the matter with you coming to see me so late?"
Stone pointed to the room: "You must have read my briefing, right?"
"What you wrote is too verbose. I only read the first part."
"It doesn't matter, you just need to be clear about the embarrassing past."
Ye Qingxuan was silent for a long time, covering his face and sighing.
"... Indeed, it's embarrassing."
Leviathan turned out to be the fairy of the lake or something... Is King Arthur's brain really okay
No, history has proven that this bastard’s brain is indeed sick.
And he was still ill.
…
Ye Qingxuan waved to Shi Dong to follow him.
If you can't stay in the room, find a place where you can sit and talk.
Soon, they arrived at the atrium of the church.
Ye Qingxuan sat on the bench and pondered for a long time. He couldn't help but scratch his hair: "I know what you have always asked... But with the current situation, there is no way to start."
Shi Dong was not surprised by this, he just nodded and suggested calmly: "Then go over it again, don't forget your purpose. What is the purpose of coming here?"
"Of course it's to save Angel."
Ye Qingxuan answered, but Shi Dong still looked at him again and asked: "What else?"
Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but smile bitterly: "While saving Angel, save Maxwell at the same time."
Shi Dong remained indifferent, like an old fool, unfazed by the fall of the sky. He just scratched his chin for a long time and commented lightly: "This will be difficult."
"Of course I know." Ye Qingxuan asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"
"I?"
Shi Dong pondered, scratching his steel skull, and sighed: "According to my experience in previous years, if you don't know how to defeat the enemy, then clean up the inside first... Anyway, idle time is idle."
"Huh?" Ye Qingxuan was stunned.
Shi Dong repeated: "Purge the interior, I mean... you don't understand what I mean, do you?"
"I know what you're talking about, but why this?"
"This is the consistent style of the Inquisition."
Shi Dong replied matter-of-factly: "There's nothing to do anyway, so let's clean up the inside first. To deal with external forces, we must first settle the internal affairs. Necessary cleaning and purification are the foundation for an organization to be able to stand for a long time. At any time, it is necessary to ensure that the organization of purity. At least, we must first understand who is impure."
"What happens after you figure it out?"
Shi Dong spread his hands, "Of course it is included in the list of 'reserve firewood'. Demons can still be used after death, but troublesome things like heretics can only be used as firewood. Fortunately, they can be burned even if they are dead or alive. Why is it so big? Mr. Presiding Judge, why are you so slow in this area? I thought you would be very good at this."
“…”
Ye Qingxuan was speechless, "Shi Dong, can you say something useful?"
"I think I've hinted quite explicitly, right?"
Stone looked at him with serious eyes: "You know what I'm reminding you, right? If you want to save this country, you shouldn't care so much, and don't be tied down by insignificant things. In this world, others are always there. It's unreliable. If you want something, you have to do it yourself, Your Excellency. As long as you nod, the scaffold can be erected on Queen's Road tomorrow. Those who have been holding secret meetings these days, trying to dictate to you, want to separate Power, empty-handed politicians, as well as those aristocratic rot maggot parasites who think they are noble but have no use to this country, will line up in a long line, one after another, go up, clean and pollution-free. Into a pile of soot. From now on, you are no longer bound and can show off your skills... What else can you expect from this group of people?"
silence.
A long silence.
Ye Qingxuan smoked his pipe, exhaled depressing smoke, and asked in a low voice: "In your opinion, is there no one worthy of trust?"
"Trust? What a luxurious term."
Stone sneered, "Your Excellency, even the Inquisition has irresistible temptations, let alone other people? I don't hate those nobles, and I understand their stupid actions. After all, this is the nature of the powerful class. There may be many of them who can be called kind, but their origin and position determine their stance. As long as you are willing to think about these boring things, you can always understand them. Show off your devilish style, Your Excellency, the Great Judge. Who do you think will not betray you?"
Ye Qingxuan pondered for a long time and asked tentatively:
"Maxwell?"
Shi Dong shook his head: "He loves you, I can see it, but he loves you even more."
"Lancelot?"
Shi Dong shook his head again: "He loves you too, but... you know."
"Okay, what about Mephistopheles?"
Stone sneered: "I wonder if you have ever heard of the saying: If a priest can be relied on, a sow can climb a tree. Do you really believe that he will keep secret what he heard in the confessional?"
Ye Qingxuan sighed and shook his head.
A long silence.
Ye Qingxuan's eyes suddenly lit up: "I probably thought of one."
"Oh?" Shi Dong raised his eyebrows.
"The one I trust most in Avalon, who won't betray me, and can also help... I probably know who it is. Unfortunately, it's gone somewhere, and I can't find it."
"Wait... you mean 'it'?"
"Well, 'it'."
“…”
Shi Dong was silent, and after a long time, he sighed: "To a certain extent, maybe this trust can really withstand the test..."
He was a little helpless about Ye Qingxuan's lack of integrity.
Shi Dong didn't waste any more words. Anyway, in his opinion, the reality was that the situation would force Ye Qingxuan to make a choice, sooner or later.
So he got up to say goodbye and went back to sleep.
Ye Qingxuan was left alone, leaning on the bench and smoking his pipe, looking helplessly at the gloomy night sky above his head, searching his guts and thinking of a solution.
"It's really troublesome."
He rubbed his forehead and sighed.
Then, a rustling sound was heard.
Among the dead branches and leaves, something walked lightly with four paws. The golden hair was already stained with mud and stains. It had not been combed for a long time and had become knotted and tangled.
But its eyes were still stern, aloof and arrogant.
He easily jumped onto the bench and sat next to Ye Qingxuan. With his disbelieving expression on his face, he snorted disdainfully from his nostrils.
Then, he shook his body and skillfully threw all the mud spots on Ye Qingxuan's clothes.
"Hey, Lao Fei!"
Ye Qingxuan finally came to his senses, jumped up from his chair, ecstatically laughed, and hugged his most trusted person in Avalon: "It's been so long!"