Chapter Forty-Five: Silence

The wind in the jungle rustled, sweeping up a pervasive sense of killing intent.

Heinz stared at Pierre's corpse with a cold expression for a long while before he finally spoke. "Cross, you shouldn't have killed him."

"Alchemists spend their lives in the laboratory, surrounded by poisons and various materials—their bodies are easily corrupted. It seems you've overlooked that." Cross opened his mouth, wanting to say he hadn't overlooked it, but in the end, he said nothing.

Avril, who had just finished crying, burst into a furious shout. "Heinz, you finally came out to see me? And you still think Cross shouldn't have killed Pierre? You're right, that's what I think, too—because he deserved to die ten thousand times over!"

"He tried to violate the Imperial Princess!" Avril was nearly hysterical.

With Gong Hao by her side, she was usually gentle, but now Gong Hao had been gravely injured for her, she herself had narrowly escaped disaster, and her heartache was so intense that, for the first time, she spoke words of murder.

Heinz's face darkened. He wasn't afraid of Avril, despite her being an Imperial Princess; he didn't necessarily put her above himself. But the fact that Pierre would attempt such a thing was intolerable, especially since Heinz knew Pierre's proclivities well; his habits weren't merely ordinary...

The worst part was, his habits weren't known only to him.

Avril's chief guard, the eighth-level earth warrior Alexander Paget, knew a few things about Pierre. The danger the princess had just faced made him furious. "Master Heinz, if I recall correctly, more than twenty years ago, Pierre did something similar. My friend Rashel caught that bastard in the act; he had raped and killed at least six young girls."

"Oh, my heavens," Avril exclaimed. "If that's the case, why was he never punished?"

Paget replied helplessly, "Because Pierre was extraordinarily talented in alchemy. Master Heinz pleaded for him personally, and that's why he was spared. Then he followed the master here. I thought he'd never dare lay a hand on the princess, but I was wrong—he did it anyway."

Cross sighed, "Long-term repression can sometimes cause a person's desires to break through reason. It's not uncommon."

Heinz was confused. "But that's what I don't understand. Your Highness, why did you come to this forest at night? How did Pierre know you were here? And you, Hugh, what's your story—why are you here?"

Gong Hao answered slowly, "Master, you know that during the princess's stay on Purgatory Island, my main job was to keep her happy. So I arranged a little event—a bonfire party in the jungle, to let her enjoy the beauty of nature. The princess enjoyed it very much."

"It could have been my most wonderful night... if that villain hadn't appeared," Avril said angrily.

She was still wearing the apprentice robe Gong Hao had given her, and the torn clothes on the ground fully testified to Pierre's actions. Heinz, who hadn't arrived in time, had seen everything clearly through his crystal ball, but now he pretended ignorance.

"When Pierre hit you, why didn't you fight back?"

"Because he was my superior—I'm not allowed to strike an elder. Even if he was violating the princess, I could only try to block him, not attack him."

Gong Hao's 'humility' made everyone sigh; this child was too bound by duty.

"Then how did Pierre know you were here?" Heinz pressed.

Gong Hao shook his head. "I don't know, but it seems he was prepared—he had his eyes on the princess for some time."

Heinz commented, "I noticed you were wearing a maid's outfit, Your Highness. Perhaps Pierre's initial target wasn't you?"

"Oh, the maid's outfit was just for fun. If you're saying Pierre mistook me for someone else, then why, after seeing my face, did he still attack me?" Avril shouted.

Heinz sighed softly; he'd seen that himself. He wasn't unmoved by Pierre's vile act, but Pierre's death brought a loss to Purgatory Island that was hard to estimate.

Thus he could only say, "Yes, Your Highness, I understand. Whatever the case, Pierre's actions are unforgivable. But I hope the matter ends here. Pierre is dead; when you return to Wellington, I suggest you don't publicize this."

Avril stared at Heinz in disbelief. "Oh my heavens, Heinz, you old fool! Your student broke Imperial law and you covered for him; he tried to violate an Imperial Princess, and you turned a blind eye, then interrogated me endlessly. Now the crime is proven, and you want it all to just end? By the gods, you want me not to tell my father what happened? You really are an old bastard!"

It was the first time in Heinz's life he'd been called an old bastard. His face flushed and paled, unable to explain himself.

Perhaps seeing Heinz's embarrassment, Gong Hao gently took Avril's hand. "You don't need to be so angry. I believe Master Heinz means well."

"You dare speak for him?" Avril's beautiful eyes widened.

Gong Hao calmly spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

Avril's heart softened immediately. "Oh, Hugh, your injuries are serious. What are you all doing? Bring the medicine, quickly!"

A crowd rushed forward to treat Gong Hao, pouring the best healing potions down his throat as if they cost nothing.

Gong Hao unceremoniously pocketed all the potions, then gazed at Avril with deep affection. "Avril, you know you're the person I care about most, right?"

"Yes, Hugh. I saw you risk your life to protect me. You truly care for me."

"Then I hope you'll forgive and understand Master Heinz. Don't be angry, alright?"

"Why? That bastard covered for his student—Pierre deserved to die. Now he's trying to excuse himself, shift blame, even cover it up."

"He was only trying to get the facts straight, and keeping this quiet is actually more reasonable."

"I don't understand, Hugh. What's reasonable about it? Pierre should be condemned by the Empire and judged by the courts!"

"In fact, I doubt you'd want the near-violation of the Imperial Princess to become the talk of Lance Empire's tea tables, would you?"

Avril hesitated.

If the whole country knew she'd nearly been assaulted by a wretched old man, the scandal would seriously harm her and bring shame to the royal family.

Cross and Paget exchanged glances; honestly, they didn't want the matter spread, either.

If the princess was nearly violated, those responsible for her protection would be the first to suffer. Even if she snuck out on her own, people wouldn't see it that way—they'd blame the guards.

Gong Hao continued, "Besides, if people learn you sneaked out with an apprentice, what would they think? Those who know understand I was just letting you enjoy moonlight, bonfire, and a beautiful night, but those who don't? They'd think we were having a tryst. Rumors would spread everywhere. His Majesty might rage and order my execution. Your guards would be dismissed, Master Heinz punished, everyone would suffer. Is that really what you want, Avril?"

"Oh no, Hugh, I won't let them do that to you."

"Then listen to me—accept Master Heinz's suggestion and let this matter end here. Never mention Pierre again; he's dead, no one knows how he died. Just say... he died of illness."

Avril gazed at Gong Hao with deep emotion and finally nodded. "Alright, Hugh, I'll do as you say. You know I don't want you implicated—everything you do is to make me happy."

Avril finally agreed to Heinz's request, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Gong Hao with gratitude, no longer caring about the fact he'd taken the princess out at night.

As for Gong Hao, his greatest purpose was to please Heinz and to give Bailey an explanation. If Bailey learned that two months ago he'd given Gong Hao information on Pierre, and now Pierre died for attempting to violate the princess with Gong Hao present, Bailey would certainly suspect something.

But now, with Pierre dying of illness, Bailey couldn't suspect Gong Hao.

To Bailey, Gong Hao was just a pitiful creature who had discovered the secret deaths on Purgatory Island, worked desperately, tried to please his masters, and hoped to live a little longer. Bailey only wanted to use this pitiful creature to gain enough benefits.

If Bailey realized that this "pitiful creature" had been thinking of counterattack all along, he'd never dare make a move, even for a mountain of gold.

Of course, another benefit was that such a quiet resolution meant the Imperial Law Bureau would not get involved in an investigation. After all, a violation against the princess would certainly attract those hounds' attention, and they were no strangers to intrigue and calculation.

Those hounds were not to be fooled; just from Pierre's cause of death, they'd discover plenty.

Fortunately, this was not the mainland; the Law Bureau's reach wouldn't extend here easily.

Pierre's body was handed over to the servants for disposal. Avril, still fuming, walked up to Heinz. "Old man, you'd better remember this—your student is rotten enough to destroy you. If not for your other promising apprentice, I can guarantee my father's wrath would burn Purgatory Island to ashes!"

Heinz, utterly ashamed, could only slink away.

Faced with the arrogant and now furious Imperial Princess, even the great alchemist whom the Emperor relied on could only yield.

Cross patted Gong Hao's shoulder. "I should have scolded you for sneaking the princess out, but thinking about it, it wasn't your fault. You were just trying to make her happy. In fact, you defended her honor with your own life. But what I truly want to thank you for is persuading Her Highness not to report the matter. Well done, boy. For this, if you have any questions about magic, ask me directly—no need to go through the princess. This time, I'll answer everything."

Earth warrior Paget glanced coldly at distant Lancelot, who had watched the drama silently, then said to Gong Hao, "I hear that fellow taught you some warrior training, but apparently he's not a good teacher, or you wouldn't have been beaten so badly by Pierre. You should know that knowledge and teaching ability aren't always the same. A student taught by a Saint-level warrior isn't necessarily the strongest. What matters is how much the teacher can pass on. That stingy, selfish fellow nearly got you killed because of his miserliness. If you wish, you can ask me for guidance. Like Cross, I'll answer everything."

A high-level mage and a high-level warrior both extended a friendly olive branch—not just because Gong Hao had persuaded Avril, but because they realized this golden boy had unparalleled influence over the princess.

With Avril's temperament, after such an ordeal, not even her most revered mother could easily persuade her not to report it. That she agreed was likely because Gong Hao said, "I would suffer, too." To avoid implicating him, Avril finally swallowed her anger. As a result, Gong Hao escaped disaster, Cross and Paget were spared, and Heinz was equally fortunate.

For Cross and Paget, if they couldn't see the importance of befriending Hugh Glare, they might as well leave the treacherous world of politics.

Those who survive in politics always know not to make enemies of the powerful, but to befriend them.

Here, power wasn't just military might, but other forms as well. For example, Hugh Glare—he was now a "strong man" in a certain sense.

Lancelot, hearing Paget's words, snorted coldly and drifted away. In terms of teaching ability, the long-reclusive Lancelot couldn't compare to the famous Paget. Even if three or five Pagets together couldn't defeat him, teaching requires different skills from personal strength.

With Paget guiding Gong Hao, Gong Hao would no longer worry about making mistakes in his warrior training.

Avril's entourage were all busy currying favor with Gong Hao. Andrew, after glancing at Pierre's corpse with a complicated look, sighed deeply. That sigh was for Pierre, and also for himself. For years, Pierre had pressed him down, never letting him rise.

Now Pierre was dead, Heinz had lost his best assistant, and Andrew would become the true second master of Purgatory Island. This made him happy, but also melancholy.

He was glad his status had risen, but sad that he hadn't earned it through his own efforts.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Gong Hao. This boy, barring accidents, seemed poised to take his place.

He had shown remarkable prowess—within two years, he had risen from the lowest servant to the princess's favorite, soon to be the third most important person on Purgatory Island.

Thinking of the spirit seed in Gong Hao's body, Andrew felt conflicted.

Should he try to research a way to remove the spirit seed and let Hugh Glare truly escape death? But if Hugh learned the truth about the spirit seed, would he still support Andrew and the master as before?

Without the spirit seed, they'd lose their greatest hold over him—would that unleash a terrible opponent?

Yet if he could accept it and become the master's apprentice, with his intelligence, he might soon solve the mysteries of alchemy, and Andrew's day of leaving Purgatory Island wouldn't be far off.

Survival, or death?

Andrew felt like Hamlet, unable to find an answer.

As for Isadora, when she saw the maid's clothes scattered across the ground, she was perhaps the only one suspicious of everything. But when she saw Avril gazing lovingly at Gong Hao, and Gong Hao sending her a cold, warning look, she immediately realized that silence was probably her best choice.

In truth, she had no evidence to prove anything was a conspiracy; even she couldn't be sure what had happened. Pointing out that Pierre might have targeted her wouldn't prove anything, but would certainly bring trouble.

Her wisdom was rewarded.

Afterwards, Gong Hao gave her several bottles of charm potion. Not long after returning to Wellington, the girl married a count and became a countess. Pierre's matter was thoroughly forgotten by the countess.

Two things: One, I overslept again today, so the update is late. Apologies.

Two: Ma Beitian, are you there? I went to Dragon's Nest, saw the thread and your post—I have no opinion about your articles or any other statements about me. The problem is that damned Dragon's Nest and its evil reply system—I can't reply.

So I've dragged it out and now greet you here in the book.

So... for now, I'll continue to remain silent, as the theme of this chapter suggests. Sigh.