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Chapter 628, Why Aren't You Happy
Wu Heng glanced at the ever-repentant 'Magnoro', then at Glenda, whose expression hadn't changed at all.
No matter how infatuated a woman once was, after two attempts on her life, that feeling must have long since faded.
Especially since Glenda wasn't lacking in intelligence—she could clearly see it now.
"Not a single word of truth," Wu Heng said.
Glenda spoke directly, "Let him out."
Wu Heng waved his hand, and the bone cage trapping the ghost vanished.
Regaining his freedom, Magnoro showed joy in his expression and turned to flee through the wall.
The next second, he was seized again by Glenda.
She rushed over and began devouring his soul.
As the two ghosts entangled, Magnoro's soul was continuously consumed.
"Glenda, please! Don't kill me! I was really wrong! Please...!"
Amid terrified begging, his soul was completely devoured and vanished.
Glenda floated back, dazed in the middle of the room.
She looked up at the ceiling, drifting silently in the air.
Wu Heng, not receiving a system prompt, grew a bit concerned about her state.
He called gently, "Glenda?"
Glenda turned around, her expression complex. "Wu Heng!"
"Are you alright?" Wu Heng asked.
Glenda forced a somewhat stiff smile, "I've avenged myself, and I know why he tried to kill me."
"Why?"
Glenda didn't answer directly and instead returned into his body.
...…
The next second, fragmented scenes surfaced in his mind.
In a dim room, a well-dressed middle-aged man sat elegantly at the dining table.
He looked over and spoke gently, "Magnoro, your test has been assigned. Whether you accept it is up to you."
Magnoro bowed respectfully, his face sincere. "As long as I can join the Secret Cult, I'm willing to give everything, including all my possessions."
"Heh," the middle-aged man chuckled. "The Secret Cult has no interest in your belongings. What we want is your loyalty and obedience."
Magnoro bowed even lower, expressing willingness to comply.
The man set down his knife and fork, gazing at him. "I heard you have a gentle and clever wife. I've seen her—young and beautiful indeed."
Magnoro's body trembled, but he said nothing.
The man continued, "The order from the Secret Cult is for you to kill her..."
The scene shifted again.
In a mansion in Rentam City, Magnoro lit a magical incense burner.
The beautiful woman on the bed lost consciousness in her sleep and was dragged into the basement by 'Magnoro'.
He kicked over the oil lamp and watched as she was consumed by flames.
He stood at the door, watching the fire rise below.
Murmuring, he said, "My dear, don't blame me. It's all because you blocked my path upward. If we meet in another life, I'll repay you well."
Another shift in view.
Magnoro told everyone that his wife had been bewitched by mountain spirits and knocked over the lamp, burning herself to death.
The scene ended there—no more memories were shared.
Wu Heng released Glenda again.
"It's kind of funny. All that, just for the Secret Cult," Glenda suddenly laughed.
She had imagined many possible reasons, but never this.
The Secret Cult had been slaughtered batch after batch by Wu Heng and hadn't dared come near the island for a long time.
Yet her husband burned her alive just to join them.
Wu Heng consoled her, "Don't be upset. You got your revenge—that's a good thing."
"You're right."
Wu Heng looked at her and said, "Smile for me. Let me see."
Glenda rolled her eyes at him and forced a smile.
"Let's head back. We'll deal with the rest later," Wu Heng said.
Glenda nodded and slowly faded from view.
Wu Heng stored the corpse, left the room, and walked toward the stairs.
As he passed the coroners' room—
A coroner stepped out and said, "Lord Island Master, Steward said to wait until you're done to examine the body and file a report."
Wu Heng handed over the corpse. "It's yours. Just report the results directly to Sheila Grey."
"Yes, my lord!"
The two coroners worked together to lift the body onto the iron table and began the autopsy.
Wu Heng returned directly to his residence.
...…
At his residence—
The Island Lord's mansion had received even more gifts, now stacked like a small mountain in one corner of the living room.
Judging from the quantity, many had come to pay their respects.
But based on the maids' expressions, they seemed pleased.
Many of the items were things they'd never even seen before.
As dusk approached—
They dined together in the dining hall. Shanaila had sent word back that she received an invitation and went to attend a banquet.
She didn't join them for dinner.
Andviel spoke about the expo and the city hall situation, while Annette discussed the potion side of things.
The visiting merchant guild representatives had mostly left their names and addresses.
They clearly valued the potions highly.
Overall, today's expo had gone very smoothly.
...…
"Andviel, we'll open to the public tomorrow as usual. Assign more personnel to avoid problems," Wu Heng instructed.
The people of Gold-Silver Island loved a lively scene.
It was easy to imagine how packed the expo would be tomorrow.
If fighting broke out or a stampede happened, it'd be bad.
Andviel nodded, "Got it, master. Should we keep displaying the enhancement potions on the third floor? I think we should take them down—it'd be safer."
Wu Heng thought about it and agreed.
"Then let's not display the potions for now."
"Alright!"
After chatting a while, they finished dinner.
The maids went off together to the garden flowerbeds.
Wu Heng went upstairs to the study.
...…
Inside the study—
Glenda hovered by the window, gazing out at the garden.
Magnoro was dead.
She had gotten her revenge.
Everything from the past now felt meaningless. Even the world itself felt dull.
Creak~!
The door opened. Wu Heng entered.
He glanced at Xiaoxiao and Beni quietly listening nearby, then looked at Glenda.
Wu Heng asked, "Still haven't let it go?"
"It's nothing," Glenda smiled.
Wu Heng poured himself a glass of water and slowly said, "Have I ever told you about my first steward?"
Glenda looked at him, puzzled.
Wu Heng continued, "Back in Blackstone Town, a steward broke the rules to recruit me into the guild. He explained the rules and took care of me during missions."
"People at the time even said I was his illegitimate child. If we didn't look so different, someone would've filed a report to guild headquarters."
"Back then, I thought he was the most responsible steward I'd ever met. I obeyed his orders seriously."
Glenda frowned. "Then what? Why are you drinking water during a story like this?"
Wu Heng finished his drink and said, "Until one day, he called me into his office. I didn't suspect a thing. He activated a magic formation and tried to seize my body to live in it."
"Only then did I connect all the dots. Everything he'd done was for that goal. Even my transfer to Rentam City was part of his escape plan."
Nearby, Xiaoxiao raised her hand and said, "I remember that! Uncle was terrified back then."
Both Glenda and Beni looked shocked.
They hadn't expected Wu Heng had gone through something like that in Blackstone Town.
Wu Heng looked at Glenda and said, "Glenda, you've read more books than I have and have no less life experience."
"All I want to say is—everyone meets a few rotten people in life. They're rotten to the core and try to drag others down with them."
"What we need to do is break free from them and not let them affect us."
"After leaving Blackstone Town, I met you, Minnie, and later Steward Imiro."
"Most importantly—those scumbags are dead. We're still alive, and things will only get better."
Glenda remained still, unsure of how to respond.
Wu Heng checked the time, stood, and said, "It's getting late. I'll come talk again tomorrow. If you're still upset, go out for a walk. Look at the Gold-Silver Island we've built."
With that, Wu Heng left the study.
Glenda continued to stare out the window.
Yeah... who hasn't met a few rotten people?
...…
Bedroom.
Phew~!
After a bath, Wu Heng lay on the bed and exhaled deeply.
He really wasn't good at comforting people. The words he planned to say felt awkward to get out.
In the end, he told his story from Gold-Silver Island.
He wasn't sure if it worked.
Also—why hadn't [Unfinished Business] unlocked yet?
The man was dead, his soul destroyed.
There had to be some other condition.
Creak~!
The door opened. Minnie and Andviel entered after bathing.
They gently undressed and climbed into bed on either side of him.
Night deepened.
Wu Heng had just closed his eyes, arms wrapped around both women—
Ding~!
A system notification appeared.
[Ghost Unlocked: Unfinished Business.]
His eyes snapped open.
It was unlocked.
Glenda had come to terms with it on her own.
...…
The next day.
After a day of silence, Gold-Silver Island exploded with excitement.
Even more so than when the newspaper was released.
"What? The Island Lord's mansion improved quill pens and produced a kind of fountain pen!"
"The pocket watch really exists. It was displayed at the expo. The story was true!"
"I heard from a coachman that the line of merchants at the Island Lord's mansion stretches to the end of the street."
"The Island Lord is incredible."
With the expo now public, its news spread across the island at lightning speed.
Even those who couldn't read or were uneducated—
Could still understand the usefulness of improved pens and watches.
So many trade caravans had come to exhibit.
Yet none had products better than Gold-Silver Island's own.