Lord of Holy Sound

"Just keep going up from here."

Anita stopped in front of a remote path.

"The principal is already waiting for you."

He Wei Ni Ya stopped as well, her expression a mixture of surprise and hesitation. "The headmaster... lives in here?"

Because in front of He Wei Ni Ya was a rugged path clinging to the mountainside, with a cliff right next to it, and the wooden handrails that clung to the cliff hadn't been repaired for who knows how many years, and you could faintly hear creaking sounds.

To be honest, it's hard to imagine that stepping onto such a road is going to see the principal, rather than to see death.

If Bai Wei hadn't failed to warn her, He Wei Ni Ya would have definitely assumed that Anita had seen through her identity and was therefore trying to seize the score right there.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Anita naturally saw He Wei Ni Ya's worry and said with a smile, "This road only looks a bit dangerous, but in reality... it's not very safe, so be careful when you walk and stay away from the handrail."

"... Why did you have to tell the truth like that!"

"Because that's really the case," Anita said. "If something happens to you on this road, the headmaster will be very sad."

"...Then I'll be careful." He Wei Ni Ya nodded, then asked, "But why would the headmaster live in a place like this? Doesn't he have a better office?"

"There used to be one, but now the principal is no longer in charge of any affairs in the academy and doesn't want to continue occupying the resources he used to have, so he voluntarily moved here," Anita explained. "If the academy hadn't been unable to find a suitable successor, the principal would probably have retired by now."

She paused for a moment, then smiled again.

"This road is indeed quite dangerous, but once you get there, you'll understand why the principal chose to live here. By the way, not just anyone can come here; only students highly regarded by the principal are allowed to traverse this road and have afternoon tea with him."

"I see, I understand now." Seeing that Anita had already put it this way, He Wei Ni Ya pumped her fist in encouragement, "I will definitely get through this safely!"

"There's no need to be so careful," Anita said with a smile. "It's actually quite safe. I've walked this road countless times... well, because it's where I grew up."

He Wei Ni Ya already knew that Anita had been raised by the headmaster, but to appear unaware, she pretended to be puzzled before preparing to ask.

However, Anita didn't give her that chance and spoke again, "Alright, please get going. The headmaster is probably getting impatient... Oh, right, the headmaster is getting old and his health isn't very good. If you find him asleep when you get there, please don't wake him up directly. Please wait patiently, he will wake up slowly."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded as if she understood, and then stepped onto the rugged path.

Just as Anita said, although the path looks dangerous, it's still safe as long as you don't walk right up to the cliff edge. And the higher you go, the more you can feel the uniqueness of this place.

This place is located higher than most of the buildings in the One Academy. The clouds outside the cliff look like floating white snow, which looks very peaceful. But in stark contrast, there is a howling cold wind, which looks like countless sharp knives flying wildly.

Such a contrast truly makes it a spectacular sight.

However, He Wei Ni Ya didn't focus on the scenery, because Bai Wei had warned her before she left that the principal was a very dangerous person and that he might have already possessed a portion of the Lord of Holy Sound's power.

Therefore, as a precaution, Bai Wei will not communicate with He Wei Ni Ya telepathically during this meeting.

At most, I'll just give her some small reminders, like that day on the stairs.

Such a statement naturally made He Wei Ni Ya even more vigilant.

Because Bai Wei rarely uses the word "dangerous" to describe others. You should know that when he faced Xi Ze last time, Bai Wei only said that he was "troublesome".

Principal, what kind of person is the legendary musician Ulysses?

He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but think to herself.

At that moment, she had also climbed the last step of that winding mountain path.

In that instant, it was as if she had stepped into another world, and the sharp sound of the wind in her ears suddenly turned into a beautiful melody.

She looked in the direction of the sound and found that it came from a tree.

Of course, a more accurate description would be the bells hanging on the trees.

With the help of her excellent vision in her left eye, He Wei Ni Ya could see that each bell was decorated with a different musical note. When the wind blew the bells, they did not make a "ding-dong" sound, but rather the sound of the corresponding musical note.

In other words, the beautiful melody that He Wei Ni Ya is hearing now is, in a sense, played by the wind?

This surprised her somewhat.

Then her gaze moved down and she saw a small house under the tree.

She knew that was where she was going, so she took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked towards the cabin.

"Headmaster, I am He Wei Ni Ya."

"Headmaster?"

"Principal, are you there?"

He Wei Ni Ya knocked on the door but received no response. Remembering Anita's earlier instructions, she gently pushed the door open.

Sure enough, the door wasn't locked, and she walked straight into the house.

The house isn't very big; it only has two rooms: a living room and a bedroom.

That principal does indeed live here.

There was no one in the living room, only a desk and some personal belongings.

The bedroom door was half-open.

He Wei Ni Ya said softly, "Headmaster, I am He Wei Ni Ya," as she walked towards her bedroom.

Through the half-open gap, He Wei Ni Ya saw an old man lying on a recliner with his back to her.

That must be the principal.

So he's sleeping.

He Wei Ni Ya remembered Anita's instructions, so she didn't wake him. Instead, she slowly retreated, looking around the things in the living room while waiting.

The living room is filled with books and sheet music.

Rows of stacks, and sheets of paper still in progress, were casually placed on the table. Just by leaning over there slightly, one could tell what kind of music the greatest living composer of the Holy Sound was composing.

But He Wei Ni Ya's gaze didn't linger on that for long; soon, her attention was drawn to a cane next to the office chair.

This is an unremarkable wooden walking stick.

The piece of wood looked much like the rotten handrail on the road that had previously clung to the cliff.

The only thing that might catch the eye is a dark-colored gem at the top of the cane.

The gemstone was only about half the size of a hand, and its color was terrible. It would be an eyesore if it were thrown into the pool at the Hai Luo Family.

But for some reason, He Wei Ni Ya couldn't take her eyes off the gem.

She stared blankly, feeling as if time had stopped, and the only living things left in the world were her and the gem.

Yes, she thought it was a living thing.

No, it's not that I think it is; it was clearly a living thing.

It is breathing, listening, speaking, and attracting.

It drew He Wei Ni Ya unconsciously closer to it, and then, without realizing it, she cautiously reached out her hand towards the gem.

The instant her fingertips touched the gemstone.

The static world began to flow once again.

And it's flowing at a rapid speed.

The original stillness was gone, replaced by noise.

All sorts of sounds flooded into my ears at the same time.

The sound of bells outside.

The sound of the wind blowing the bells.

At the academy below the cliff, the various musicians resonated together in preparation for the Grand Ceremony.

All the melodies came together and intertwined to form a Grand Ceremony musical movement!

This is a hymn dedicated to God!

He Wei Ni Ya was overwhelmed with emotion.

This should be a hymn dedicated to God!

Only...

She was somewhat puzzled.

I always felt that this piece of music wasn't perfect enough, as if something was missing.

What's missing...?

He Wei Ni Ya lowered her head, deep in thought.

Then she found the answer.

The answer was indeed what she was looking down at... herself.

At that moment, He Wei Ni Ya suddenly realized.

It turns out that I am the one who should be dedicated to God.

Thinking of this, she suddenly realized something and reached out her hand towards her neck.

Then, she heard a soft "tsk".

In an instant, everything began to change again. The commotion and noise quickly faded away, replaced by the simplest sound of the wind. The wind blew through the branches, but it was not a gale, and there were no bells on the branches.

A gentle breeze plucked away the withered leaves, and new buds sprouted beneath the towering ancient trees.

Beneath the ancient tree stood a man whose youth and age seemed to intertwine.

He Wei Ni Ya didn't recognize him, but she felt a strange sense of familiarity with him, especially his eyes.

He said to He Wei Ni Ya.

"It was my mistake, but thankfully there's still a chance to make amends."

Then he snapped his fingers.

"Wake up, and don't let anyone steal your mind."

Even if the other party is a god.

The words were spoken, and the snap of fingers ended the conversation.

He Wei Ni Ya blinked.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of the cane. The gem that her hand had touched was unresponsive, as if it were dead.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss He Wei Ni Ya."

Before He Wei Ni Ya could figure anything out, a weathered voice sounded from behind her.

He Wei Ni Ya immediately turned around and saw a kind-faced old man standing behind her.

She quickly bowed and said, "Good morning, Principal Ulysses."

"Hehe, no need to be so formal." Ulysses slowly walked behind He Wei Ni Ya, glanced down at the cane, and then said with a smile, "It seems you are quite interested in my Sound Amplifying Cane."

"Sound Amplifying Cane?"

"Yes." Ulysses leaned on his cane, sat down in his office chair, and said with a smile, "As you can see, I am very old, and all the functions of my body are declining. Even listening to the Holy Sound is difficult for me, so I can only try to find a way... After all, I probably still have a long time to live, and if I can't hear any sounds in the last few years of my life, I think I will go crazy."

"Is that so?" He Wei Ni Ya looked at Ulysses' cane. "So, this cane can help you regain your hearing?"

"No." Ulysses smiled and shook his head. "There is no way to directly restore my hearing, but rather to listen to the most authentic sounds of this world through another medium."

"... the most authentic voice?"

"Yes, Miss He Wei Ni Ya," Ulysses said with a smile. "You touched it just now, didn't you hear anything?"

"Well..." He Wei Ni Ya hesitated, "I don't know if that counts as hearing it."

"Don't be nervous, just say what you hear." Ulysses looked at He Wei Ni Ya with encouraging eyes. "No one will blame you."

He Wei Ni Ya hesitated for a moment, and just then, she felt her palm being gently scratched twice.

Then she pretended to muster up her courage and said, "I heard many, many voices, all kinds of voices."

She then told Ulysses what she had heard earlier.

Of course, the parts related to Bai Wei have been omitted.

Ulysses listened and nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with He Wei Ni Ya's answer.

After He Wei Ni Ya finished speaking, he immediately applauded He Wei Ni Ya.

"Very good, very good, Miss He Wei Ni Ya," Ulysses said with a smile. "You have seen the truth of the world."

"The... truth of the world?"

"Yes, the truth of the world," Ulysses said. "We are all melodies, we are all notes, and notes are meant to..."

He paused for a moment, then asked with a smile.

"Miss He Wei Ni Ya, in the very end, what are your thoughts?"

He Wei Ni Ya gently bit her chin and answered softly, "I feel like I'm part of it too, and I want to... be a part of it."

"Clap clap clap".

Ulysses clapped even louder, and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes," he said. "That's it, Miss He Wei Ni Ya, that's it. Music is created by people, and it's meant to give back to people. When it's composed, its greatest significance is to be played... the most magnificent playing."

"It's like we create the musical score, and the Lord... created us."

"Miss He Wei Ni Ya, I am so happy, so very happy. I have rarely met a student as spiritual as you."

"From now on, no matter when, what you encounter, what confusion you have, or what trouble you are in, you can come here to find me."

Ulysses said with a smile.

"My doors will always be open for you until the end of the Grand Ceremony."

This afternoon tea between teachers and students started suddenly and ended just as suddenly.

Not long after, Ulysses personally saw He Wei Ni Ya off, like a grandfather and granddaughter, watching He Wei Ni Ya's figure gradually disappear from sight.

Until Anita returned to his side.

"It's even better than I expected."

He chuckled as he spoke to Anita.

Anita placed her hand on her chest and bowed, then said slowly and deliberately, "Then I will help you accomplish everything."

He Wei Ni Ya quickly walked to a secluded corner.

Her heart was pounding.

"Mr. Visas," He Wei Ni Ya asked immediately after confirming that no one was playing music nearby, "What's going on?"

"Double attraction".

"...double?"

"Yes," Bai Wei said with a smile. "You should have realized by now that that guy set a trap for you today. That cane is meant to attract you because it is the power of the Lord of Holy Sound. And the sound and the spectrum on your body are also the property of the Lord of Holy Sound, so it's hard for you to refuse."

"And what about the other one?"

"My body parts."

He Wei Ni Ya's pupils narrowed slightly. "Is there any part of your body inside that gem?"

"No, it's just a small part of the power from my body parts," Bai Wei said. "But even so, it will still attract you because your body contains too much of me."

He Wei Ni Ya felt that Bai Wei's statement was strange.

What puzzled her even more was what Ulysses called "the truth of the world."

"You have indeed glimpsed the truth of the world, but not the one he spoke of," Bai Wei said calmly. "It is what Ulysses has shown. He Wei Ni Ya, I should have told you before, the closer one gets to God, the more one will be assimilated by God. So when you look at the qualities in Ulysses, you can see some of the characteristics of the Holy Sound."

"Ulysses's special qualities?" He Wei Ni Ya frowned slightly. "Is there anything special about him? Aside from his hearing impairment, which requires..."

He Wei Ni Ya suddenly froze.

Bai Wei laughed, "Heh, you're the fastest-reacting of my three former partners."

He paused for a moment, then said.

"The Lord of Holy Sound has no five senses."

"He simply listens to the world through my ears."