At that moment, Roderick laid all the blame on Pearl. He was convinced that she had not poisoned Jared. Otherwise, Jared wouldn’t have performed so well today!
Pearl collapsed onto the ground, gazing at Roderick with disbelief. It was hard for her to fathom that the man she had shared an intimate moment with just the previous night would now forcefully push her aside, spin around, and depart without a trace of hesitation. But he told me he loved me!
Observing Roderick’s callous demeanor, Pearl. instantly burst into tears. A moment later, however, a mixture of anger and bitterness shone in her eyes. Suddenly, she sprung to her feet and charged at Roderick, her grip locking around his thighs.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me like this! Explain yourself! You manipulated me, and now you’re just going to leave me behind?” Pearl’s grasp on his thighs tightened as she shouted. “You handed me the poison and told me to use it on my master, and now you’re acting as if you have nothing to do with it? If it weren’t for me, would you have even won the third round of the competition? How can you be so heartless?”
Roderick’s face drained of color when he heard that. “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever ask you to poison others? Don’t you dare accuse me!”
After uttering those words, he lifted his hand, poised to strike her head, completely disregarding the passionate night they once shared. Anyone harboring dishonest intentions during the Alchemist Fair held in Jipsdale would face grave consequences for their cheating.
Roderick was prepared to kill Pearl right then and there, all to prevent her from divulging anything. However, just as Roderick was on the verge of ending Pearl’s life, Gregory abruptly intervened, effectively blocking his action.
“Roderick, do you truly intend to commit murder in front of so many people? You better explain yourself. Otherwise, don’t think you can leave here unscathed!” Gregory’s voice was stern and unwavering as he addressed Roderick.
“What is there for me to explain? I didn’t do anything! It’s your disciple who’s making baseless accusations,” Roderick retorted. “She seduced me, but I didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Are you Solaris Sect folks trying to push me into marrying her?” Roderick was determined to insist he had nothing to do with the matter..
Shooting daggers at Roderick, Pearl sank into despair. She sobbed uncontrollably as she laid out the full truth. “Master, I’m so sorry. Roderick gave me a packet of poison and instructed me to brew coffee for all of you. It was the poison’s influence that clouded your judgment earlier as it damages one’s spiritual sense. He promised that if I did as he asked, he would take me away with him.”
Upon hearing the revelation, the crowd looked upon Roderick with a mix of disdain and disgust, shaking their heads and gossiping about his terrible acts.
There was nothing scary about losing in the Alchemist Fair. After all, disparities in power among contestants were inevitable. Yet, stooping to deceitful tactics for victory was nothing short of shameful.
Upon hearing that, the elderly judge leaped forward to confront Roderick. “Roderick, how dare you cheat using such dishonorable tactics at the Alchemist Fair? You’ve gone overboard!”
Confronted by the elder’s wrathful glare and the furious expressions of Gregory and the rest, Roderick found himself breaking out in a cold sweat.
“I’m innocent! She’s accusing me of something I didn’t do! I never asked her to do anything! I’ve been framed!” Roderick desperately shook his head while explaining.
“We just need to do a search on your body to know if you’re innocent,” Jared proposed. “After all, if you did do it, you must still have the poison with you!”
“Yes. Search him!” Ghaylen concurred. Gregory advanced toward Roderick to conduct the search. However, with a swift move, Roderick dispersed a white mist and vanished into the distance. The elderly judge snorted and said, “Do you think you can run away?”
Following that, he flicked his sleeve, prompting a startled scream from the fleeing Roderick. In a shocking turn of events, Roderick’s body swelled up before exploding into a mist of blood.
As the crowd witnessed Roderick’s gruesome demise, a somber silence enveloped the scene. Everyone present understood the gravity of upholding Jipsdale’s rules. Transgressing them would lead to such a fate.
There was no discernible emotion on Pearl’s face at Roderick’s horrible death. Then, she knelt before Gregory and pleaded, “Master, I know I’ve committed a grave mistake. Please forgive me.”
