Silverbell''s bellow actually gave Maron pause, but he wheeled on Frank again. "It was during thest


    blow—Frank released some sort of powder out of his sleeve. I thought I was seeing things, but it''s


    real!"


    "I saw it too!" Elder Huxley bellowed and pulled Frank''s sleeve, knocking off a pile of Passion Dust from


    Frank''s sleeve.


    "What..." Frank was dumbfounded, as he clearly saw Elder Huxley sprinkle the powder on his sleeve


    right then.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Elder Huxley simply leaned close, growling a threat under his breath, "Don''t you dare argue. You know


    what happens if you do."


    "F-Frank? Why.?!" Silvebell was wheezing, sweating buckets as her gaze turned unfocused.


    Frank remained silent—if he maintained his innocence, Maron would retaliate by hurting Helen and the


    others.


    "See? He''s silent because he''s caught red-handed!" Maronughed darkly at Frank and carried


    Silverbell to the infirmary. "Don''t worry—our best healers will cure you soon enough!"


    "So that''s what he''s up to." Frank''s eyes shed violently as he watched them leave, finally realizing


    Maron''s game.


    On the other hand, Elder Huxley grinned, baring his yellowed teeth. "Well done, Frank. Since you''ve


    done this much, we''ll refrain from hurting your women for now."


    "We had an agreement. You''ll release one hostage after I win," Frank said, impassive.


    "Oh, I wouldn''t know about that." Elder Huxley shrugged, his expression smug. "We''ll see what Master


    Maron says after he''s done."


    As the other Sage Lake Sect apprentices left, Frank stood alone at the center of the square, his fists


    clenched in silence.


    He was in a dilemma.


    Should he charge into the infirmary and butcher Maron just because he did not want Silverbell to be


    defiled by that bastard? But he was also afraid of Sage Lake Sect''s cutthroat guild hurting Helen and


    the others in retaliation.


    "Chirp. chirp."


    Just then, a rather big cuckoo perched on a tree branch above Frank, skipping around and chirping


    repeatedly at Frank, its tone somehow anxious.


    "Hmm.?" Frank looked up to find the cuckoo pping its wings at him repeatedly, chirping shrilly and


    seemingly directing Frank toward the shrine.


    "Isn''t that Lady Quinn''s pet?" one of the Sage Lake Sect apprentices suddenly eximed.


    Frank''s eyes lit up at those words, and he started dashing toward the shrine.


    The Sage Lake Sect apprentices promptly gave chase while one ran to Elder Huxley. "Sir, Frank is


    bolting!"


    Elder Huxley remained perfectly calm. "Just keep following him. Let him go wherever he wishes to as


    long as he''s not meddling in Master Maron''s business. If he so much as approaches the infirmary,


    threaten him with our hostages! "


    "Yes, Elder Huxley!"


    Nheless, Frank soon charged into the shrine and found a middle-aged man with ashen hairying


    limply on the floor, barely breathing and clearly near death.


    "Frank!" Quinn leapt out from behind an altar when she saw him, crying anxiously, "He''s Dahok Ocean,


    our sect''s chief. You have to help him—that wretch Maron had him poisoned!"


    Frank said nothing and went to work right away, crouching beside Dahok and checking his eyes.


    "Master Ocean?! What happened?!"


    The Sage Lake Sect apprentices who had been chasing after Frank panicked when they saw Dahok on


    the floor!