Late night, lower town of Avalon, dock area.
In the thick darkness of night, an old man stood in the shadows, smoking his pipe in silence.
This debt collector who was once famous in Xiacheng District and who had kept many people awake at night, Guishou, was now sitting on a broken wooden box, waiting quietly.
Finally, in the silence of the waves, a fishing boat with a fishy smell stopped at the edge of this small pier.
A broken wooden board was set up on the shore, and then a steady stream of sea fish and crabs were carried ashore by dark-skinned fishermen.
Ghost Hands stood silently on the shore, letting the precious cargo pass by. First came the fish and shrimps used to cover the outside, followed by the spirits, weapons, silks and ceramics hidden deep in the cabin.
"Is this all the goods this time?"
He took the cargo list from the boatman, glanced at it twice, and frowned: "Who is the other person who picked up the cargo halfway?"
The boatman hesitated for a moment and whispered: "In Wales, someone boarded the ship through our channels. They seemed to have a lot of background, so we didn't dare to ask more questions."
"Didn't you say that the cargo this time is very important?" Guishou's eyes narrowed, making the boatman start to look frightened: "We have talked about it, but he insisted on getting on the boat, and he also said... He also said... "
"What else did he say?"
The ghost hand took off the pipe from the corner of his mouth, and a gloomy look appeared on his old expression.
"I said, I know you."
In the cabin behind him, a voice sounded: "-Then he brought me here."
Guishou's body suddenly stiffened, his muscles tense, as if facing a powerful enemy.
He didn't feel the presence of anyone in the cabin behind him at all, but there was someone there, standing in the shadows, like a ghost... watching him from beginning to end.
Moreover, the voice is familiar!
"Who is where?"
He turned back stiffly, with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
The sound of leather boots on the deck came, and in the shadow of the cabin, someone stepped onto the shore and walked into the moonlight.
His face was hidden in the shadows under his wide-brimmed hat, but you could vaguely see that the corners of his mouth were curved, as if he were smiling.
Guishou was startled, and the murderous intent in his eyes disappeared. He took a step back and took a deep breath, full of shock and surprise.
"Sir?" He took a step forward and recognized the face of the visitor.
"What? Don't you recognize me?"
The visitor took off his hat. The wrinkles on his face were full of wind and frost, but his eyes were sharp, like a torch:
"After so many years away from here, I thought everything had changed. But seeing that you are still so slow, I suddenly felt relieved."
"Sir... is it really you?"
Guishou came forward and stared at the face carefully, as if looking at an unrealistic hallucination. But when he was sure that the returnee in front of him was not his imagination, he couldn't help but laugh, as if he had encountered the best thing in the world.
"Welcome back, sir."
He strode forward and hugged the man vigorously: "You will never imagine how long I have been waiting for this day."
"Sorry, I have some things to do, so I came back a little late."
The man known as the "shaman" hugged his long-lost friend, raised his head with emotion, and looked into the distance.
In the distance, the moonlight shines in the sky, casting silvery glow. The city built against the mountains and towering into the clouds casts a huge black shadow. The edges of the black shadow are sharp and ferocious, hurting people's eyes.
That's Avalon.
"—Old man, I'm back."
The shaman smiled and murmured softly.
…
…
Amidst the sound of the waves, the dock area was silent.
The shaman took out two copper pipes from his pocket and gave one to Ghost Hand: "Want one?"
Ghost Hand smiled, took it, poured out a cigar from the copper tube, put it under his nose and sniffed, and couldn't help but frown:
"To be honest, your taste has not improved after all these years."
"You have always been so merciless with your words."
The shaman laughed, lit his cigar, took a deep breath, and exhaled the misty smoke.
"After so many years, I have almost forgotten what this place looks like."
He turned back, looked at the messy dock area, and shook his head slowly, "It's a pity... Even though so much has changed, the smell of mud in his bones is still the same."
Ghost Hand shrugged, "This is Avalon, sir."
"Yeah, this is Avalon."
The shaman snapped his fingers and asked, "How are things going lately? Here's some bad news, my friend. You know I need to cheer up!"
Guishou tilted his head, thought for a moment, and shook his head.
"If there's bad news, I'm afraid it's all over the place."
He said bluntly: "To be honest, you have been forgotten by this city, sir. There are no more rules in Avalon. Ever since the mysterious professor appeared, it has become more and more chaotic. Selling is prohibited." Indian medicine dealers, mafia collecting protection fees, Asgardian soldiers who have nowhere to go after the disarmament of the motherland, the Rat Club doing dirty work for some nobles, sea snakes smuggling silk and spices... thanks to that 'professor' 'Provided them with a crime guide, and now more and more people find it easy to serve and live a good life in exchange for other people's lives."
"It doesn't matter, they will know..."
The shaman sighed, as if lamenting the arrangement of fate: "—I'm back, and the long good days have passed."
Guishou's eyes lit up, "Are you ready..."
The shaman raised his hand to block Ghost Hand's next words: "Change the topic, old friend, and talk about something that makes people happy. How is that oriental child I asked you to find?"
"The child's location has been found. He is at the Royal Conservatory of Music. The trader does not want us to touch him. If you are not here, we will not fall out."
"It doesn't matter, we'll just wait and see for the time being."
"I'm afraid the situation does not allow us to continue to wait and see."
A chill flashed in Guishou's eyes: "Last night, overnight, the kid's story had spread throughout Avalon. Now all the leaders in the lower city know that he has something in his hand that can find the blood path and enter. 'Shadow of Avalon', get the treasure left by King Arthur."
"...treasure?"
The shaman was stunned: "Who would think that the Mad King would leave a treasure?"
"People who are greedy for profit will. They say that the reason why you left was to find clues to enter the Shadow of Avalon. Now, many people are frantically looking for him. The professor has already spoken out, that kid, he is bound to win. .”
"How funny."
The shaman understood what he meant and couldn't help but want to laugh: "There are always people who think that there are treasures, artifacts, fingers made of gold, legendary musical scores and secret books in this world, which can help them to reach the sky and become famous... It's a pity that reality is so cruel that it will always shatter their dreams. You know, the East is not just silk, porcelain and spices... there are more terrifying monsters there."
"You mean that kid?"
"You won't forget, will you?"
The shaman lowered his eyes as if reminiscing: "How much trouble did the last Easterner who was favored by Hermes make?"
Ghost Hand's expression changed, as if he had recalled something, and he subconsciously held down his right hand - it seemed that the phantom pain from the past still lingered there.
"So, leave the young people's affairs to the young people. We old men who are greedy for profit have more important things to do."
The shaman threw the cigar into the mud at his feet. Watching it squeaking in the mud, his eyes became dark:
"Look, the city that I cleaned up and was spotless has now turned into a muddy pond, with a stench everywhere and the smell of rotting corpses. Someone has to stand up and restore the forgotten rules. Get it back. Let those lost hungry dogs know who is their leader. Who is the original owner of this muddy pond... "
"As you wish, sir."
Ghost Hand responded softly, but the rickety and thin figure suddenly changed.
Because those old eyes lit up, as if reflecting the flames of the sun.
In this thin old body, something is slowly awakening and burning vigorously. That kind of thing made him young, cold, and crazy again.
He turned back into the beast walking in the darkness, grinding his teeth and sucking blood, waiting for the real hunt.
Staring at the dark city, Ghost Hands opened his mouth and laughed heartily:
"—Those guys who forget the rules will know who is the real master here."
…
…
It was also late at night, in the silent basement of the Royal Academy of Music.
The sharp sound of the piano, like the friction of iron pieces, jumped in the silence, like a screaming soul swimming around. But the sound that was supposed to be like a tsunami now seemed a bit fragmented.
In front of the old piano, Ye Qingxuan was playing music almost with difficulty, but behind him, someone interrupted his performance mercilessly.
"Wrong again! Have you lost your sense of rhythm?"
Charles held a slender bamboo whip and struck the back of Ye Qingxuan's hand with a cold look: "Rhythm! Pay attention to the rhythm! Do you think the faster you play, the more rhythmic you will have? Start again!"
Ye Qingxuan looked at his numb hands and sighed: "Senior brother..."
"Shut up, you loser has no right to speak. Hurry up and practice!"
Charles was fully immersed in the role of the devil coach, waving his bamboo whip excitedly: "Otherwise I will make you look good! Cry, scream! No one will save you..."
"No, I mean..."
Before he finished speaking, Charles hit him on the shoulder with a whip and said with a ferocious expression: "Your forehand is weak, your backhand is not precise, your fingering is loose, your rhythm is slow, and none of your movements are decent! You want to play the piano? Do you? Your sweet dream! Hurry up and practice, otherwise you will be forced to stand until tomorrow morning."
"Listen to me..."
"Don't even think about asking for mercy! There is no weakness here, this is a cruel classroom! A place where students are allowed to use blood and tears in exchange for lessons!"
"...the teacher is behind you."
"Even if the teacher is here...what?"
Before Charles could finish his words, he was stunned.
In awkward silence, he turned back stiffly and saw the expressionless Abraham behind him. Abraham stared at his disciple with anger in his eyes.
"Well… "
Charles' arrogant expression collapsed. He looked back at Ye Qingxuan for the last time, with tears in his eyes: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I told you so."
Ye Qingxuan shrugged: "You don't give me a chance."
In the frightened silence of Charles, Abraham finally spoke, his voice without emotion or anger: "Cruel classroom? Exchange blood and tears for lessons? Charles, are these what I taught you?"
"I, I..." Ciel was on the verge of crying, "I taught myself."
"You are very good at self-study. I asked you to guide Ye Zi to practice, and you realized so many truths. I am really impressed."
He took the small bamboo whip that Charles found out from somewhere and hit him on the head: "Now, go to the penalty stand."
He paused and squeezed out a few words through his teeth: "Stand until tomorrow morning."
With tears in his eyes, Charles leaned against the wall silently, holding the Angelus Encyclopedia on his head, and began to stand in pain...
After dealing with Ciel, Abraham sighed and looked at Ye Qingxuan: "You have just started learning musical notes less than a month ago. I think it is too early to start learning how to play plural notes now. Notes, phrases, sections and Movements should always be performed step by step. Playing a section composed of measures is already a 'rhythm-level' technique."
"It's always right to learn early."
Ye Qingxuan laughed and played the piano in front of him skillfully: "Teacher, didn't you tell me? The rules of playing are always the same, it's just that multiple notes are used at the same time... Besides, I also found a good one 'Practice song'."
"Black Friday?"
When this was mentioned, Abraham couldn't help but sigh.