Chen Rui saw Master Kamp walking toward the balcony with two cups of wine. He deliberately smiled at Alice and said, "Your Highness, that's naturally a secret of Master Aldas's. How could a mere apprentice like me know?"
Alice had also spotted Master Kamp. Knowing this wasn't the time or place to talk about it, she immediately coerced Chen Rui into signing an unfair treaty to tell her stories, then took Athena's arm and walked away.
Master Kamp stopped in front of Chen Rui and offered him a cup of wine.
"Thank you, Master. I couldn't possibly accept this." Chen Rui immediately realized Kamp must have an ulterior motive. He took the cup with an air of flattered surprise, and only drank after seeing Kamp take a sip himself.
Kamp was pleased with Chen Rui's attitude and praised him. "Chen Rui, you showed impressive nerve today. If it had been one of my apprentices, he wouldn't have dared drink Sandru's poison."
Chen Rui modestly brushed off the praise, waiting for Kamp to get to the point. As expected, the master began casually asking about Aldas—his usual habits, interests, and so on—before gradually steering the conversation toward today's challenge.
"That Ten-Mile Fragrance really was remarkable. I clearly saw that it was a foul-smelling potion made from ordinary medicinal herbs. How could it have such powerful toxicity? We're both experts here, so don't give me that... fart excuse. That was nothing but Aldas retaliating against Sandru's insult."
Chen Rui took another sip of wine. Kamp was indeed after information about the potion. It certainly couldn't have been Lala Potato. Even the little princess wouldn't fall for that.
"Master Kamp, your eyes are as sharp as ever. Sandru's words and actions angered Master Aldas, so he retaliated that way. In fact, the potion that killed Sandru was that bottle of foul-smelling liquid. Besides the ingredients for the foul-smelling potion, it also contained a few additives Master Aldas had prepared in advance."
Kamp's eyes immediately lit up. "Additives! Do you remember what they were?"
Chen Rui glanced at Kamp warily. "Master Aldas said I must never tell anyone about them. I'm still only an apprentice-in-training. The master won't even let me call him my teacher. I don't want to be thrown out of the laboratory."
"Of course not." Kamp's eyes shifted as he said, "You have excellent talent. All my apprentices together couldn't compare to you. Master Aldas would never give up a disciple as promising as you. It's a pity you're not my apprentice..."
Chen Rui looked surprised. "I really have such good talent? Why does the master always say I'm stupid?"
Not stupid—extremely stupid! Thinking he had the upper hand, Kamp pulled him closer and spoke in a low voice. "If you're willing, you can come back to the Imperial Capital with me. In less than ten years, you could become the finest potion master around."
Chen Rui had only meant to tease Kamp at first, but now the offer genuinely interested him. It wasn't becoming a potion master that appealed to him, of course. He was considering something else.
Judging from Sandru's challenge, Prince Heiyao had begun openly suppressing Princess Shea. Things looked grim in Darkmoon City, and no one knew when war might break out. If Chen Rui could go to the Imperial Capital, he would probably be much safer.
But the poison formula was pure invention, and so was his claim to be a Grandmaster Inheritance successor. Neither would withstand scrutiny over time. Besides, he had signed a Symbiotic Contract with the Poison Dragon. Unless he could help the dragon break its seal, it wouldn't matter where he went.
After thinking it through, Chen Rui answered casually, "The master used additives he'd prepared himself. I think they included melamine and Sudan Red. I only know a few of the ingredients. But I won't leave Master Aldas. I haven't paid all my tuition yet, and he still hasn't allowed me to call him 'teacher.'"
Those two unfamiliar names for additives stirred Kamp's interest. He smiled. "I can help pay your tuition. In return, you'll get me the complete formulas for these additives."
"Really?" Chen Rui's delight showed plainly on his face.
The Servant Demon master continued to tempt the apprentice. "I'm a potion master. I only want to study melamine and Sudan Red from an academic perspective. Potion apprenticeships are very expensive. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for you. If you miss it, you'll never get another."
Were you going to make food with them after you studied them? Chen Rui hesitated for show, then finally nodded.
Kamp looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then took out a small leather pouch and handed it to Chen Rui. "There are fifty Purple Crystal Coins in here. Take them for now. There's also a Magic Communication Stone inside, which can be used ten times. I may have to return to the Imperial Capital right away. Once you get the complete formulas, contact me whenever you like. I'll give you a reward you'll find satisfactory."
Magic Coins came in three grades, from highest to lowest: Black Crystal, Purple Crystal, and White Crystal. Each grade exchanged at a rate of one to a hundred. Renting a Triangle Rhino for one day cost twenty White Crystal Coins. No wonder he was from the Imperial Capital—he was generous. Fifty Purple Crystal Coins... At least for a while, Chen Rui could afford his bus fare to Blue Wave Lake and the cost of a barbecue, even when Athena wasn't around.
Chen Rui thought the Servant Demon's wrinkled face looked as lovable as that of a benevolent philanthropist. He took the pouch with feigned nervousness, tucked it away, then named a few rare, highly toxic ingredients he had read about in a book. Kamp wrote them down as if they were treasures, then warned him not to tell anyone before turning to leave.
Chen Rui didn't take the warning to heart. He was just thinking about what to do next. Holding Kamp's cup of wine, he walked back into the hall, looking for Athena and the others.
He spotted Athena and Alice standing beside Princess Shea. Chen Rui hesitated over whether to approach them, then met two icy stares. They came from the first beauty herself, Princess Shea, standing in the distance.
Shea's cold gaze swept over him. Its chill nearly made Chen Rui shiver. Fortunately, she had only glanced at him before looking away. The princess was as beautiful as could be, but just as cold. Forget it. He'd better not go over.
After the banquet, the guests from the Imperial Capital had no desire to linger and, as expected, took their leave immediately. Chen Rui was about to return to the laboratory when Kagulon stopped him at the inner courtyard entrance, saying the Eldest Princess wanted to see him alone.
Was it a reward? Chen Rui's eyes lit up. Shea knew about his plan, and he had just accomplished a great feat. Given her fair-minded approach to rewards and punishments, he was sure to get something out of it.
Shea had summoned him not to the Council Hall but to the garden in the inner courtyard. Chen Rui followed Kagulon inside. It was his first time entering the residential area of the inner courtyard, and it was far more heavily guarded than the outer courtyard. Still, the "royal garden" was only a humble little pond with a small patch of flowers and grass beside it. It couldn't compare to the leisure grounds of emperors and nobles he had imagined.
Princess Shea stood by the pond, gazing silently at the water. A gentle breeze stirred her white dress. Even just looking at her tall, slender figure from behind, Chen Rui could see her elegant grace.
Beneath the Demon Realm's deep violet moonlight, she seemed like a beautiful painting, radiating a faint loneliness amid the stillness.
Kagulon bowed. "Your Highness, Chen Rui is here."
Kagulon's choice of words left Chen Rui conflicted. There it was again: "is here." He was a hero now, not a prisoner!
"Kagulon, you may leave."
After Kagulon left, Shea slowly turned around. It was the first time Chen Rui had been alone with the mature, beautiful princess at such close quarters. His heart sped up a little. Her beauty struck straight to his soul—but so did her icy aura. He hurriedly bowed. "May I ask what the Eldest Princess wishes of me?"
"At the arena today... Although you were a little reckless, your quick thinking and ability to adapt surprised me." A trace of admiration slipped into Shea's cold voice. "I want to know why Sandru was poisoned to death. As far as I know, Aldas hasn't developed a poison of that strength. Did you learn something new from the Grandmaster Inheritance?"
The Monkey King story was made up, after all. Chen Rui didn't want to drag too many people into it and risk exposing himself, so he explained, "Sandru was actually killed by his own potion. When I drank the last bottle of poison, I used a special method to keep a little in my mouth. Then, while mixing that bottle of foul-smelling potion, I deliberately spat some into it. The poison turned out to be incredibly potent, and Sandru was poisoned until he turned into smoke. As they say, use your opponent's methods against him."
In fact, Chen Rui was still lying. The real poison that killed Sandru was the poison he had gotten from the Poison Dragon Pagliu yesterday, which he had put in an inconspicuous bottle. He had originally just wanted to be prepared, but Sandru's viciousness had stirred his killing intent, so he used his trump card. All his earlier theatrics had been to hide the poison's existence.
Apart from Chen Rui, who had the Super System, even a physically powerful Dragon couldn't withstand Pagliu's poison, let alone Sandru.
"Use your opponent's methods against him? Well said. You're very clever." Shea nodded.
Chen Rui added, "Actually, the master came up with the idea. I only added a few little touches on the fly. How could I compare with the Eldest Princess's wisdom?"
"No need to be modest. I know Aldas's abilities better than anyone." Shea sighed. "You haven't been in the Demon Realm for long, yet after this duel, you've completely won Aldas's gratitude and trust. Athena has always had high standards, but she already considers you a true friend. Even my eccentric little sister has said plenty of good things about you to me... I admit I've overlooked your intelligence."
The little princess had said good things about him behind his back? Chen Rui was greatly surprised. At least the girl had a conscience.
"At the banquet today, did Master Kamp try to win you over?" Shea asked calmly, her gaze settling on Chen Rui's surprised face. "Given how shrewd you are, you must have already learned from Athena or someone else how dangerous things are in the Darkmoon Territory. Wasn't Master Kamp's offer a golden opportunity?"
Chen Rui felt as if she had seen right through him. Shea hadn't let victory cloud her judgment. Instead, she had accurately deduced so much. She was a frighteningly levelheaded woman!
"I value talent. If you were simply a researcher like Aldas, that would be ideal." Shea shook her head regretfully. "But just from the intelligence and cunning you've shown, I already feel I can't keep you under control."
The pond's still water began to churn. Scattered flower petals and leaves rose slowly into the air and spun under the influence of some kind of force. Shea was at the force's center. In an instant, Chen Rui felt the moonlight across the whole garden dim, while bone-chilling cold closed in around him from every direction. He could barely move. Clearly, the Eldest Princess was far more powerful than Athena!
Chen Rui was horrified and called out, "Eldest Princess, please believe me!"
The chill in Shea's voice grew even sharper. "You're human. You have no roots or attachments in Darkmoon City. I can't think of any reason you'd remain loyal! I'm sorry, but I'd rather have a truly loyal apprentice than a future Grandmaster who might defect to Heiyao at any moment!"
Chen Rui panicked. Damn it, is this really how unlucky I am? The Super System hasn't even activated yet!
Before you continue