Chapter 202

Being able to make the vice-chairman come forward overnight to directly seal the rune workshop is not something an ordinary person can do.

In the conversation Gao De had with He Xi before advancing, He Xi had already pointed out the name Xie Er En.

Without a doubt, combining the two, he could almost confirm the identity of the mastermind.

It's just that Gao De didn't know that behind this matter, it actually involved the struggle for the throne of the entire Saint Xi En Principality and the biggest power struggle in the principality.

Of course, this didn't make much difference to him.

Whether in front of the academy's upper echelons or the ruling class of the Saint Xi En Principality, he was just a small person at this time.

But small people have their own persistence, and small people have their own anger.

He could give his Spirit-Ascension Water to Mage La Er because the arm cannot twist the thigh.

But he would not give what He Xi left behind to others, even if the arm cannot twist the thigh.

Why?

Gao De could say many reasons.

Such as "Repaying the king's intention on the golden platform, carrying the jade dragon to die for the king," "You gave me a peach, I repay you with a jade," "The king treats me as a national scholar, I naturally repay him as a national scholar"... but actually, there is no need for so many reasons.

One "not willing" is enough.

Since the old man regarded him as his last disciple, gave him absolute trust and heavy responsibility, and left all his inheritance to him.

Then as a small person, he had no other way but to repay it with absolute persistence.

There are always some things that must be persisted in.

Not to mention that the data in the rune workshop is the result of He Xi's genius, enough to make the name "He Xi Aokenli" shine eternally in the history of rune studies.

Even if the data in the workshop were just a few sheets of waste paper, Gao De would not be willing to let it be snatched away.

Gao De went to the rune workshop again.

This time, besides the academy mages guarding there, he also met the vice-chairman and Tang Ni Kunxi Ese.

And some people who did not belong to the academy.

They were outside rune masters.

They were trying to "decipher" the rune workshop's array.

But unfortunately, this array was personally constructed by He Xi, and he was a third-rank rune master.

At least in the Saint Xi En Principality, third-rank rune masters are very rare.

These rune masters, who don't know who invited them, were all far below the third rank.

The task of "deciphering" the rune workshop array was very difficult for them.

Of course, there was a faster way—violent cracking.

It's just that the academy didn't want to use this method yet.

Compared to when he was at the infirmary, the vice-chairman's face had become very calm.

This was because he was confident of success.

He looked at Gao De, who was trying to enter the rune workshop, with a smile on his face that he considered very appropriate and victorious:

"The rune workshop is temporarily sealed; idlers are not allowed to enter."

Gao De did not try to argue or prove that he was not an idler, but the owner of this rune workshop.

Because he knew it wouldn't have any effect.

"Student Gao De, I know there might be some misunderstandings, but I still want to advise you: some things are not for you to possess."

"Instead of trying to grasp something that you can never grasp, it's better to trade it for some practical benefits," the vice-chairman said earnestly.

"Just like when you entered the school and gave the Spirit-Ascension Water to Committee Member La Er."

"Give me the secret command, and I can take the initiative to give you some compensation."

Listening to the other party's "earnest" words, Gao De sighed in his heart.

He did not answer the vice-chairman's words, just remained silent.

"Tomorrow, the asset recovery contract drafted by the academy will come down. At that time, in name, the rune workshop will also return to the academy's possession..." The vice-chairman still wanted to persuade Gao De.

"Committee Member, why waste words with him?"

"Later, Master Kunxi will come personally to help decipher the array."

"Although Master Kunxi's achievements in rune studies are not as good as Director He Xi's, after all, the array is dead. If we spend more time, the array will be broken."

Compared to the vice-chairman's "earnestness," Tang Ni Kunxi Ese on the side interjected arrogantly.

His face only had a high-and-mighty indifference, and no other expression.

Because Tang Ni Kunxi Ese had never taken Gao De seriously from beginning to end, even though Gao De advanced to a first-circle mage at the age of fourteen, it did not change Tang Ni Kunxi Ese's view of Gao De.

Gao De looked calmly at Tang Ni Kunxi Ese.

He was angry in his heart, but the angrier he was, the calmer he became.

He Xi was dead, that respectable old man was dead, and these big shots wanted to seize things that didn't belong to them.

He did not agree. Gao De glanced at Tang Ni Kunxi Ese, then turned and left.

Tang Ni Kunxi Ese watched Gao De's back disappear with a sneer.

He hated He Xi, hated He Xi's "high-and-mighty" attitude, although this hatred was essentially a fig leaf to cover up his own lack of ability.

And after He Xi died, part of this hatred dissipated.

Another part naturally transferred to Gao De, who inherited He Xi's legacy.

Tang Ni, who thought he had already suppressed this small person until he couldn't breathe, didn't notice that just as Gao De turned around, a tiny midge quietly appeared on his arm, almost invisible.

The midge's slender body gently touched the skin, like a soft feather, piercing its mouthparts into the skin and starting to suck blood.

And another tick appeared on Tang Ni Kunxi Ese's ankle, starting to burrow into the skin, the whole process equally hidden.

Tang Ni was in high spirits and feeling smug; how could he notice this tiny change? 【Insect Infestation+】: You can cause parasitic insects such as midges, gnats, horseflies, and ticks to permanently appear on a creature you can see within range (30 feet) that are difficult to detect.

Thereby causing the creature to randomly contract various diseases, including hemorrhagic fever, typhus, and tick-borne encephalitis.

Leaving the Jia Wen Building.

Gao De returned to his room.

The little ancestor was already awake.

"Lady Flora seems very sleepy?" Gao De said to the little person with a smile.

He didn't bring the bad mood he got outside back home.

"Not really, Lady Flora doesn't have to sleep."

"Then why?"

"Because there's nothing to do, so I can only sleep."

"There are so many things to do."

"Lady Flora only wants to plant trees."

"Then if I have something to ask Lady Flora for help, is that okay?"

"If it's the Mage, it's okay."

"Thank you, Lady Flora."

"No need to thank me, the Mage will also help me plant trees, right?"

"That's right."

While talking to Flora, Gao De took out a fingernail-sized piece of lacquer jade paper from his pocket.

On the lacquer jade paper, there were densely packed, fine runes that were difficult to see with the naked eye.

The number of runes was definitely not something Gao De could draw at the moment.

The fact was also so.

This was also something He Xi left for him.

A "key" to control the rune workshop's array.

The rune workshop's array was essentially a protective system, or a security system.

In movies or novels from his past life, one could often see technical personnel intentionally leaving a backdoor when developing and setting up security systems, allowing specific personnel to bypass the program to do some unauthorized things.

This was essentially an immoral and illegal act.

He Xi also belonged to a type of "technical personnel."

But he had always been a person with a strong moral bottom line.

Therefore, He Xi would not do such a thing.

But the rune workshop was his asset.

Leaving a backdoor when setting up a "security system" in one's own asset was undoubtedly very reasonable.

And He Xi did indeed do so.

And among all the backdoors, a "self-destruct" system was undoubtedly a very common design.

The rune workshop's array possessed this design.

The main entrance was sealed by the academy, but Gao De still had a "backdoor" to take.

"I'll have to trouble Lady Flora to learn how to activate this key first." Gao De said.

Flora widened her eyes and looked at the lacquer jade paper.

To Gao De, it was only the size of a fingernail, but in Flora's eyes, it was as big as a pancake.

Those complicated lines looked like ghost symbols from a heavenly book to Flora.

But after looking for a moment, Flora nodded stubbornly and said: "I am very smart."

Gao De savored it carefully before understanding that the meaning of Flora's sentence was actually "not a trouble."

(End of chapter)