Yes, this was one of the most precious artifacts from the legendary Cortez Treasure: the Pocket of Endless Gold. The Cortez Treasure, alongside the other two legendary hoards—the Fountain of Youth said to grant longevity, and the treasure-laden, perilous island of Isla de Oro—formed the Big Three Legendary Treasures of the Caribbean. It was rumored that the Pocket of Endless Gold generated a fixed amount of gold daily, representing, without a doubt, the pinnacle of alchemical achievement! No alchemist could refuse such a **; no alchemist could see this magical secret treasure without trembling with joy!

"Fulfill my desire, and your desire shall also be fulfilled!"

Lord Clowke’s voice echoed in the empty space, carrying a dead, cool authority. But the alchemist Bacon could no longer afford to care about that now. He opened the chest he’d brought with him at a frantic pace, and astonishingly, the space within the chest seemed boundless. Soon, a crudely assembled, wide workbench appeared, complete with lit spirit lamps, a cluttered test tube rack, and scattered books. After hastily mixing several concoctions, Bacon combined them and heated the mixture over the spirit lamp. Finally, he carefully poured a small test tube of colorless ** onto the lower abdomen of the female corpse, leaned in to observe closely for a moment, and then confidently delivered his first conclusion in a professional tone:

"This lady was assaulted before she died."

The moment these words were spoken, a sharp crack sounded in the air, strikingly similar to the sound of ice breaking apart. Bacon whipped his head around in surprise, only to feel the chill in the air intensify slightly. His questioning gaze swept over the surroundings briefly before returning to the corpse. Lord Clowke, as if struggling to contain something, managed to say through gritted teeth:

"Are you certain?"

Like any master overly proud of his profession, Bacon immediately boomed back in indignation:

"My Lord! I just prepared a reagent by mixing the juice of Sun-grass with squid ink. Besides having great benefits for the male prostate, this substance has an unknown characteristic: it turns vivid red upon contact with even a trace of male **! Look at her lower body yourself!"

Lord Clowke turned his head, and after a long moment, stated flatly:

"And her cause of death?"

Bacon frowned, observed for a while longer, and then, without ceremony, donned gloves to examine the body, delivering his verdict:

"No obvious external wounds; likely suffocation. Oh, look at her neck bones! Even after death, a normal person’s neck would not be contorted like this. She was strangled; the killer used too much force and fractured her cervical vertebrae!"

"Oh, wait." Bacon continued to move the corpse. He pried open the dead woman's palm, and half a necklace slid out, dropping onto the floor with a crisp metallic chime. "She was clutching this tightly in her hand right before death, which suggests it was extremely important to this poor lady. Was it a keepsake from her family?"

Lord Clowke strode forward, snatched up the necklace, and brought it close to his eyes, his voice like a roar echoing in an empty cavern:

"Impossible! This is a cheap brass necklace. How could the necklace she was wearing be so shoddy! Wait, she should have been wearing a Golden Pearl Ring on her finger! That is a unique treasure of the Caribbean—did you notice it?"

"I regret to say I only found this necklace," Bacon replied calmly. "It seems the matter is quite clear now. This lady’s precious valuables drew the covetous attention of a greedy rogue who followed her, waiting for an opportunity. Unfortunately, God turned a blind eye at that moment. This lady was assaulted, robbed, and murdered. In her dying struggle, she managed to pull off the killer's necklace and clutched it tightly in her palm."

"Find him," Lord Clowke shrieked in hysterical fury, his voice causing ice shards to rain down from the ceiling. "Find him, now!!"

"Calm, calm, calm!" Bacon urged quickly. It wasn't that he feared anything else, but Lord Clowke’s left hand, encased in a leather glove, was gripping that very bag—the Pocket of Endless Gold, the symbol of alchemy's ultimate achievement. He continued in a placating tone:

"I promise you I will find him. Just give me ten minutes! Now, please release the Pocket of Endless Gold. Watching you squeeze it so tightly makes my own heart spasm—it severely hampers my efficiency."

Lord Clowke gave a muffled groan, took several deep breaths, and finally managed to suppress the rage boiling inside him. Bacon then pulled a crucible from his chest and rapidly constructed a makeshift furnace on the floor. He placed some ** in the pot, set it on the furnace, and lit the firewood underneath. Bright yellow flames cheerfully licked the bottom of the pot, and the dry pine occasionally snapped with a clear crackle. The wisps of burning resin mixed with the acrid odor from the pot created an indescribably bizarre sensation. Then, everything went quiet. Bacon stared fixedly at the crucible. Despite the intense fire below, the ** seemed frozen, showing no movement whatsoever. Lord Clowke paced back and forth like a caged beast, sinking into a long, anxious wait.

…………………………

By this time, Fang Senyan had arrived at the tavern in Tortuga Port closest to the castle. If his earlier arrangements showed any flaw, staying on the pirate ship would merely offer his pursuers the chance to catch him like a turtle in a jar. The island where Tortuga Port was situated was not massive, but not small either; the undeveloped regions had complex terrain, offering ample hiding spots for a short while.

Fang Senyan positioned himself on the second floor of the bar, at a table near the street. He paid an extra one-pound tip for the view, which allowed him constant surveillance of any movement at Tortuga Castle. The moment he saw those perverted guards swarm out like disturbed ants, Fang Senyan planned to flee immediately towards the island's interior—Kri’s team had already proven that while the Tortuga guards were formidable when grouped together, they were somewhat powerless and unable to reach contractors who escaped deep into the island.

While he was focused on the outside, the bartender suddenly came upstairs and placed a cocktail with a fiery hue in front of Fang Senyan. This drink was called "Blazing Red Lips," the bar's signature cocktail, and it was unsurprisingly expensive. Fang Senyan looked up, a hint of confusion on his face:

"Pardon me, I think you brought that to the wrong table."

The bartender shook his head.

"This drink has already been paid for."

Fang Senyan paused slightly, quickly filtering through possibilities in his mind, but couldn't place who might have bought him a drink. However, when he looked up, he saw a man with a red turban wrapped around his head and a pair of fine, small mustaches walking up the stairs, who elegantly smiled, nodded, and raised his glass towards him. Fang Senyan’s heart clenched, but he took a deep breath, smiled back, and returned the gesture:

"Good morning, Captain Jack Sparrow."

Upon hearing this, Jack showed a look of surprise, then shrugged and smiled wryly:

"I don't recall when I got promoted, but I suppose that must be the inevitable truth."

Fang Senyan, feeling guilty over his earlier action of sabotaging the lover of Jack Sparrow—the protagonist—had momentarily forgotten that Jack’s father was still alive and not yet retired. This led him to make the blunder of addressing him as 'Captain.' However, he quickly regained his composure and began conversing with Jack.

It had to be admitted that Jack Sparrow was a charismatic figure. His speech and demeanor were often accompanied by exaggerated gestures and expressions; he was truly a master of witty repartee, and engaging with him felt like basking in a spring breeze. Unconsciously, one could become engrossed. After talking for a while, they found they got along quite well. Taking advantage of the excellent atmosphere, Jack Sparrow revealed his true purpose: to poach Fang Senyan, inviting him to serve aboard the Black Pearl.

By this time, Fang Senyan’s reputation among the pirates had reached 913/3000 Friendly. He was certainly no unknown figure. Furthermore, during that night when the storm hit, Fang Senyan took charge of directing the mobilization, managing to elicit astonishing efficiency from a crew of drunken louts, getting the Bell and Goblet out to sea first. This capability had been observed by everyone aboard the Black Pearl, leading to this poaching attempt after some inquiries.

Of course, Fang Senyan’s seniority was still a bit lacking; if he joined now, he would only be a low-ranking sailor on the Black Pearl. However, Jack Sparrow sincerely promised that once the Third Mate retired after one more job, Fang Senyan’s position would be elevated. Logically, Fang Senyan should have immediately accepted such a fortunate offer, but his current plans were already fully deployed. Joining the Black Pearl now would certainly fulfill the mission objective, but it would also mean giving up too many other things.

More importantly, Fang Senyan had done something malicious behind Jack Sparrow’s back against this handsome and charming man. Although the chance of exposure was low, there was still considerable psychological pressure—this world might lack lie detectors and psychological tests, but it possessed alchemy, Voodoo, and dark magic. Even the dead might not keep secrets. Therefore, Fang Senyan artfully replied that he needed to consider the offer, displaying a look of temptation mingled with the reluctance of not wanting to accept immediately out of propriety.