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墨書 Inktalez
【Broadcast】Follow "Reading" to get the first-hand news about the 515 Red Envelope. For those who haven't grabbed a Red Envelope since the New Year, now is your chance to show your skills.
Without any transition, the beautiful melody suddenly changed, and the music went out of tune. The melody became dark and blurry, scattered, as if trapped in boundless darkness. A creaking sound suddenly came from the ceiling of the stage, resembling the sound of some animal fighting. A woman screamed, shouting: "Darling, should you be satisfied now? I can no longer endure this confinement."
The Janitor still couldn't understand what was happening because he had not yet awakened from his trance.
In every corner of the empty concert hall, there were frantic screams and angry laughter. The Janitor looked on in terror at everything, standing there dazed as if struck by lightning, his face turning pale.
Then he saw the most horrifying scene: Eric was being pulled up from his seat by some unknown force, his body convulsing uncontrollably. He was surrounded by a mass of translucent mist that coiled around Eric like a snake, seemingly ready to swallow him whole.
Within this tall column of mist, the Janitor clearly saw the figure of a tall young woman and a large circular ring. The woman's face was deathly pale, with a large hole in her chest where her heart should be, and her bright red heart was oddly placed at the center of that ring.
In this thick mist, Eric's convulsions intensified, his face contorting as if resembling a legendary demon. Meanwhile, various sounds filled the concert hall.
There were piercing screams, long sobs, and low growls of rage. With a loud crash accompanying the woman's most sorrowful cry, that bright red heart suddenly burst apart, blood splattering everywhere.
The Janitor was instantly terrified and wanted to scream but could not make a sound; he was frozen in place. He could only watch helplessly as this horrifying event unfolded.
Everything calmed down; all illusions vanished. Only the musician lay dead before the piano, curled up in an unnatural position, with the ring tightly constricting his neck...
After listening to Officer Li's account, Qiluo Ling remained silent for a long time, seemingly deep in thought.
"Eric's mysterious death seems to be related to two things," Officer Li summarized.
"What are those two things?"
"One is the Bronze Ring that Eric never parted with; the other is that mysterious Sheet Music."
Qiluo Ling nodded and said: "That makes sense; the reasoning seems to follow."
"Generally speaking, piano performers must remove rings while performing because wearing them can affect finger technique and performance quality. However, Eric insisted on wearing that large and heavy Bronze Ring every time he played the piano, which seems strange. One of his staff members mentioned that once Eric accidentally left the ring at the hotel right before a performance; he became distracted and would rather delay the show and upset the audience than start playing without putting on that ring first. This seems somewhat unreasonable."
She pondered for a few seconds and said: "This doesn't seem to align with his pursuit of perfection. Can we infer that the terrifying spirit seen by Janitor is closely related to that ring?"
"That should be the case," Officer Li replied affirmatively.
"Oh, you seem so sure. You must have done some undercover investigation," Qiluo Ling glanced at him.
"Actually, I'm not that certain either. I've only heard some rumors that are hard to pin down. After all, it happened in Paris."
"Oh, who is that terrifying soul mentioned in the rumors?"
"It was his wife's," he said casually.
"Ah? His wife's?" She could hardly believe it.
"Yes. It is said that before he became famous, his wife died mysteriously, in a terrifying and bizarre manner."
"Terrifying and bizarre?"
"Yes, the crime scene indicated that his wife's heart had been removed after her death, but..."
"But what?"
"Her expression was very peaceful, as if she felt no pain at all. The police have never found the murderer, but some speculate that Eric killed her. The police suspected him too, but they had no evidence and had to drop the case."
"Then why would Eric kill his own wife?"
"This is related to a superstition about black arts. Some people doubt his god-like piano skills, and there are even those who believe that Eric's incredible supernatural talent is borrowed from a supernatural force. This superstition dates back to the dark medieval era."
"What legend?"
"A legend of black arts claims that one can use a spell to lock the soul of a deeply loved woman into a ring. When playing the piano while wearing that ring, the piano will produce sounds rich in emotion, like gentle whispers, angry roars, sobs of pain, etc., making the music more compelling."
"Why remove her heart?"
"In order to lock the soul into that ring, a part of the person's physical body must be taken. So Eric removed his wife's heart, processed it specially, and then embedded it in the ring. Of course, not everyone's soul is useful; it must be a soul that loves him deeply and has a spirit of selfless devotion to help him."
Qiluo Ling was stunned, unable to speak.
Officer Li took a sip of water and sighed, "If this rumor is true, then Eric's exceptional skills may not solely depend on his talent. Perhaps this explains why he wasn't famous until after his wife died, while those with musical talent often gain recognition earlier."
"If that's the case, Eric's art is not honorable; it was neither acquired through learning nor granted by talent. That mysterious Sheet Music seems to wield the power of justice. So where is that mysterious Sheet Music now?" After going in circles, she finally brought up the question that concerned her the most.
Officer Li did not notice her subtle change in expression and remained absorbed in the incident surrounding Eric's death.
He shook his head and said, "That's unclear. In the chaotic scene of his death, no one would have paid attention to the Sheet Music. I heard that it also vanished without a trace."
The two finished their meal in silence. Qiluo Ling felt a bit confused in her mind because of the story he told and the missing Sheet Music.
"I can't tell if you're telling a story or speaking the truth," she said as she looked at him.
"Yes," Officer Li smiled thoughtfully. "It's precisely because I don't believe this is a real event that I've fabricated a plausible cause of death for the musician: a sudden heart attack."
"However," he said regretfully, "I really want to know what kind of Piano Piece the musician played that could release a trapped soul. What kind of music possesses such a powerful impact! I firmly believe it must have been an extraordinarily beautiful piece."
Qiluo Ling remained silent, lowering her head to eat.
ps. For those following along, are there still free appreciation votes and coins available? The countdown for the 515 Red Envelope list is on; I'm here to ask for votes and appreciation tickets for one last push!
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