The most shameless alchemist in history

"Not inside? Then what exactly do you mean? Is it fun to toy with us?" Leopard Tail shouted. He had been prejudiced against Du Lei from the beginning, and even though Du Lei was just a boy much younger than him, he was still aggressive.

“What I mean is, the problem isn’t with the ‘people,’ but with the ‘horse.’” Dure pointed to the white horse pulling the carriage beside him, which was snorting loudly and didn’t seem unusual at first glance, so no one noticed it for a moment.

"The horse's problem? What could possibly be wrong with a horse? What are you talking about?" Leopard Tail was completely bewildered, thinking that Du Lei was just spouting nonsense.

"Horses? Get a veterinarian here immediately and have him check on the horses!" Kotetsu frowned, rested his chin on his hand and thought for a few seconds before suddenly remembering something. He shouted at Leopard Tail.

"What? A veterinarian? I'm telling you, Kotetsu, don't listen to that kid's nonsense, he..." Leopard Tail wanted to say something more.

"I told you to go, so go. What are you nagging about?" Kotetsu had no patience to argue with Leopard Tail and yelled at him again.

"Alright, alright, I understand. I'll go find him, but it'll be no use. That kid is just talking nonsense." Leopard Tail was fearless, but only Tiger Che could subdue him completely. Even though he was unwilling, he still went obediently.

Du Lei and Kotetsu remained where they were, waiting for about seven or eight minutes before Leopard Tail arrived with the veterinarian.

“I’ve found the vet you wanted, but I just don’t understand, what’s the use of finding a vet? If you’re sick, you should see a doctor, not a vet,” Leopard Tail grumbled.

"Of course, we're not calling a veterinarian to treat people, but to treat horses. You'll have to wait a bit." He sarcastically gestured for Leopard Tail to wait.

"What's the point of waiting? No matter how long you wait, the answer will be the same anyway," Leopard Tail scoffed.

"Veterinarian, please take a look at this horse first." Kotetsu ignored Leopard Tail and told the veterinarian to go and check on the horse's condition.

"Understood, let me take a look..." The veterinarian nodded, walked up to the horse, opened its mouth, and sniffed it. Kotetsu, Hyobi, and the others waited quietly for what was to come.

"Veterinarian, have you finished examining this horse? Is there something wrong with it? This is a top-quality steed bought from Breeze Grassland, worth eighty silver coins each. How could there be a problem?" Leopard Tail immediately stepped forward to ask about the situation after the veterinarian finished his examination.

"May I see the feed we gave the horses last night?" The veterinarian, still frowning, didn't answer Leopard Tail's question directly, but instead asked the coachman who was waiting nearby.

"The feed is usually hay mixed with some coarse grains. We finished feeding it last night, so we'll have to wait until tonight to get it some fresh feed," the groom answered truthfully. He didn't have any feed from last night.

"No? It's okay if it doesn't have yesterday's feed. Feces will do too. Feed it this, it will help it defecate quickly." The veterinarian was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get the answer he wanted, but there were other options.

"What? Induce defecation?" Leopard Tail was stunned when he heard what the veterinarian said, because it was too unbelievable to him.

The carriage clearly encountered an accident, so how did it get involved with horse manure? That's quite a leap!

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382 What do you think?

In Leopard Tail's opinion, the kid who came in through some back door was just trying to attract attention and make his presence known. He usually looked down on people like that, so he was highly skeptical of the so-called veterinarian examining feces.

Moreover, it wasn't just suspicion; there was even a hint of absurdity and mockery. After all, going to inspect horse manure for no reason seemed ridiculous and laughable. If it weren't for Kotetsu watching over him, Hyobi would have burst out laughing long ago. This was simply a joke.

Not only Leopard Tail, but everyone else, including Serena, approached the situation with a cautious and scrutinizing attitude. They were unsure whether Dure's proposed method was feasible, and were only waiting patiently for the veterinarian's examination results out of basic courtesy. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long.

The veterinarian, who had quickly finished examining the horse, came over and whispered a few words to Kotetsu. Kotetsu's brows furrowed even more deeply.

"I told you it was pointless! This kid is talking complete nonsense. Kotetsu, why are you listening to him? It's just a waste of time." Seeing Kotetsu's face getting increasingly grim, Leopard Tail started to fan the flames. He knew Kotetsu's temper very well.

Once Hu Che gets angry, he'll inevitably give that kid a good scolding. And scolding is the least of his worries. Once, he angered Hu Che and was kicked so badly that he couldn't walk properly for several days. He'd love to see that kid suffer the same treatment.

"Leopard Tail, shut up!" Kotetsu glared fiercely at Leopard Tail and shouted, his eyes so fierce that Leopard Tail was stunned.

"What's going on? Is there really something wrong with the horse?" Bee Sting was good at observing. Since Tiger Che reprimanded Leopard Tail, it must mean that Leopard Tail was wrong.

The fact that Leopard Tail accused young Dure of being absurd and ridiculous is wrong, which means that Dure's suspicions are quite reasonable.

"Veterinarian, you tell them." Kotetsu waved his hand, signaling the veterinarian next to him to tell Bee Sting and the others about the examination results.

“Okay, that’s right. According to my examination, the horse’s fecal residue contained components of *Crimsonweed*.” The veterinarian began to explain.

“Red-light Grass?” Bee Sting frowned, carefully searching her mind for something that could correspond to it.

"This is a fire-element plant that usually grows near volcanoes. It's not very harmful to humans and can often be used as a medicine to treat colds. However, it's toxic to horses and can easily irritate their nerves, causing them to go berserk," the veterinarian continued to explain.

"What? Make the horse go crazy? Then what it did just now..." Bee Sting was taken aback. She recalled how the horse had suddenly galloped wildly towards the river. Wasn't that going crazy?

“It grows near a volcano… There aren’t any volcanoes near Maple City, so it couldn’t have been accidentally eaten.” Although Leopard Tail had a great prejudice against Du Lei and was at odds with him at every turn, he was just as decisive when it came to investigating the truth.

“Since it wasn’t accidentally ingested, then… someone added Red Dew Grass to the horse’s feed, deliberately provoking it to go berserk?” Serena continued, following Leopard Tail’s words, and came to a conclusion that surprised her.

"Damn it, who did this? They haven't even left Maple City yet, and they've already openly attacked Miss Winry?" After realizing this, Leopard Tail slammed his fist heavily against the wall, furious.

“The person who can do this must be someone who has access to the horses and knows our itinerary. Captain, should we…” Bee Sting is very rational; she can always find the right solution in the shortest amount of time.

"What's your opinion?" Kotetsu, as the captain of the guard, did not answer Bee Sting's question.

"In my opinion, we must thoroughly investigate that person and make him pay for his actions..." Leopard Tail said aggressively. He was very proud to be a member of the guard team, but someone was deliberately causing trouble right under his nose.

This was something he simply could not tolerate.

"I wasn't asking you." Kotetsu shook his head, his gaze not lingering on the leopard tail.

"What?" Leopard Tail had always regarded himself as the second most important person in the guard team after Kotetsu. Since Kotetsu wanted to hear opinions, he should naturally listen to him, the second most important person.

But Kotetsu fixed his gaze on the boy next to him. Leopard Tail looked at Kotetsu, then at the boy. He doubted himself several times, because the difference between the two was too great.

"What do you think we should do now?" Kotetsu asked Durei in a deep voice, ignoring Hyo-o's words.

“We should pretend nothing happened, pretend we know nothing, and just keep going,” Dure offered his advice.

"Pretend nothing happened? Why do that? Wouldn't that show weakness to the enemy and embolden them to attack us even more recklessly?" Kotetsu questioned.

“Showing weakness is not true weakness. If we expose their tricks now and start searching recklessly, I think even if we find someone, it will end in an accident. Instead of wasting energy on such a meaningless thing, it’s better to wait and see,” Du Lei continued.

"Should we wait and see?" Kotetsu thought carefully, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

"Kotetsu, why are you bothering with this kid? He has absolutely no experience in handling similar situations. Asking him is like asking the wrong person. Besides, who are we? We represent the Land of Snow and are the envoy's guard. How can we let such a heinous incident go unpunished? That would be too cowardly!"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Leopard Tail immediately voiced his objection. He was a staunch hardliner who advocated for resolving issues through violence.

“Leopard Tail makes a lot of sense. If we back down here, then there may be more and more attacks.” On this point, Bee Sting is on Leopard Tail’s side. Even though she and Leopard Tail often have disagreements, they are always about the issues, not the people.

"What do you think of their views?" Kotetsu asked Durei, his face still stern.

“An enemy lurking in the shadows is certainly frightening, but wouldn’t it be even more terrifying if we didn’t even know who the enemy was? I have a suggestion that might help resolve our current situation,” Du Lei said earnestly after thinking for a moment.

"What other valuable suggestions do you have? Don't make a fool of yourself." Leopard Tail scoffed at Du Lei's words.

"Tell me first," Kotetsu said, much more patient than Hyobi, gesturing for Dure to continue.

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383 Message Leak

The incident of the carriage being startled in Maple City may not seem like a big deal on its own; people and horses can make mistakes, which is only natural. However, if we analyze the deeper reasons, there is a lot to learn, because this was the carriage of an envoy from the Snow Kingdom.

Envoys usually represent the face of a country. Attacking the envoy is tantamount to openly slapping the face of the country. Moreover, they are currently within the sphere of influence of Maple City. If it weren't for Hu Che's timely reaction, the carriage might have already fallen into the river.

The people of Maple City somehow heard the rumors and gathered around to watch the spectacle. Some were simply there for the excitement, while others were indignant and came to protest, as there were many rumors circulating in Maple City.

One of the most shocking claims is that the envoy went to Rock Castle to cede land and sue for peace. This angered the residents, who stormed to the scene of the incident, intending to surround the envoy and demand an explanation. There were quite a few of them, numbering in the hundreds.

"We, the people of the Snow Kingdom, are the most resilient and unyielding. We will never compromise with those brutes from the Mountain Kingdom. We will fight to the end. Seeking peace is a disgraceful act of betrayal. Who gave such an order? This person is a traitor!" the residents shouted.

"We absolutely cannot let this traitorous envoy leave our borders! How could Her Majesty of Frost City make such a decision? She must have been bewitched and deceived! Where is the envoy's convoy? We must find him and demand an explanation!" The people were agitated.

"It's just ahead, the carriage was just parked there, everyone come with me... wait, where's the carriage? Where did it go? Where are they?" someone shouted, leading a large group of people to rush over, but when they arrived at the riverbank where the incident had occurred, they found it empty.

The carriage that had nearly plunged into the river earlier was gone, as were the escorting guards. People looked at each other in bewilderment. No matter how high their emotions were, they couldn't find anyone, and there was nowhere to vent their great patriotism!

The carriage couldn't have disappeared into thin air for no reason. It was because Kotetsu and his men had left Maple City first. By the time the residents rushed over, they had already left the city and were traveling on the road toward the border. The afternoon sun was pleasant, and the shade of the trees filtered through the dappled leaves.

"This was truly my mistake. We never made the matter of the envoy public. How did the whole city find out? Luckily, we left quickly, or we would have been stuck in Maple City and unable to get out." Serena recalled the scene with lingering fear.

At that time, while they were dealing with the unexpected incident involving the carriage in Maple City, someone informed her that a large number of residents were rushing over aggressively. At first, she was a little puzzled as to what these residents were doing there, until someone reminded her that the residents were definitely there to cause trouble, and only then did she take action.

When they left the gates of Maple City, they saw a large number of residents who had gone to seek justice from the envoy. Fortunately, Serena had sent her subordinates away so they weren't too conspicuous, otherwise they would definitely not have been able to leave Maple City by now.

"It must be someone with ulterior motives who deliberately spread the news and incited the residents to surround the area, which caused this commotion." The speaker was Dure, who was also the one who suggested that Serena send her subordinates away to act separately, although his suggestion to split up the operation was met with opposition.

However, in hindsight, his advice was correct, since having a fully armed guard escorting such a target was far too conspicuous.

"But what's their purpose in doing this? Inciting the residents will only cause us some trouble and delay our journey at most." Serena really couldn't understand why they would go to such lengths to do something like this; it seemed completely unnecessary.

"All they want is to create chaos. Once the residents flood in and create chaos, we will inevitably be distracted by them. We will be exhausted from trying to persuade them, which will give them an opportunity. All actions before the beast actually bites off the prey's neck are just probing."

Dure was very clear about the enemy's purpose lurking in the shadows, and he always kept a cool head.

"I see. Their intentions are truly sinister." Serena thought about it carefully and agreed with Dure's reasoning. She also looked at Dure with new respect.

"Thank you all for your hard work just now. I really don't know what I would have done without you all here." Not far behind Dure, someone walked over. She was wearing a red hooded cloak. She took off her hood, revealing herself to be Wenli, the envoy sent to the Mountain Kingdom.

“Protecting Miss Winry is my duty, but it was my dereliction of duty to frighten her in Maple City.” Serena still felt lingering fear when she recalled the terrifying scene by the river. If anything had happened to Winry, she would have felt guilty for the rest of her life.

“It’s alright, Miss Serena, you don’t need to blame yourself. Nobody wants this to happen, and I’m fine now, aren’t I?” Winry smiled, not blaming Serena for this.

“General Serena, you’ve taken us this far enough. We should part ways here.” Kotetsu pointed to the fork in the road ahead.

"But do you really not need me to escort her? At least let me escort Miss Winry to the border." Serena was a little unsure.

“Our whereabouts have been exposed. Escorting them down may seem safe, but in reality, it's fraught with danger. It would be better to split into two groups. General Serena, you continue to escort the carriage, pretending that Miss Winry is still in the carriage, while we cross the border quietly.” Kotetsu said calmly.

“I understand. I will continue as planned. Mr. Kotetsu, please be careful.” Serena nodded. Although she was worried about Winry’s safety, she knew that Kotetsu was right and this was the best course of action for the moment.

"In that case, let's go. We must cross Nightmare Mountain before dark, or we'll be in trouble." Kotetsu called to his men to escort Winry forward. Compared to the large number of guards they had escorted before, there were only a few people now.

"Understood, understood. But Kotetsu, are you sure you want to bring this guy along? I think it's better for him to stay with Serena and the others." Leopard Tail pointed at Durei. He didn't like Durei at all and didn't want to be with him.

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384 Night is Coming

Leopard Tail harbored a great prejudice against Du Lei. This prejudice did not disappear when Du Lei's prediction that the carriage nearly falling into the river was not an accident but rather something someone had sabotaged was made. In fact, quite the opposite, it was precisely because Du Lei discovered this that Leopard Tail felt even more indignant.

Fortunately, Hyo-o wasn't the one who could make the final decision; Winry was. However, due to personality and other reasons, Kotetsu was the one who could decide who stayed and who left. Since Kotetsu didn't speak, Hyo-o's words became just one-sided complaints and had no effect.

After parting ways with Serena, the lightly equipped caravan headed towards the border. The convoy, which had originally been traveling in carriages and escorted by dozens of fully armed men, now consisted of less than ten people. Winry also abandoned the carriage and walked through the forest as the light in the sky gradually dimmed.

"Ouch." Just as everyone was moving forward, someone shouted, and everyone stopped. The one who made the sound was none other than Wenli, the most important person in the group. She seemed to have twisted her ankle and stopped to rub it.

"What's going on?" Hu Che frowned and turned around to ask. He was always on high alert about his surroundings, a vigilance that came from his long career as a mercenary. His sharp eyes scanned his surroundings. The surroundings were a deep jungle, and the light was getting dimmer, which made him uneasy.

"I'm so sorry for delaying everyone's journey. I'm fine, let's continue." Although Wenli was an envoy from the capital, and everyone here revolved around her, making her the center of attention, she had no airs at all. Instead, she apologized to Kotetsu and the others.

"Your feet are so swollen, and you still say you're fine? You need to stop and rest for a while." Dure, who was closest to Wenli, squatted down to check on her condition. He found that there was a large red and swollen area near Wenli's ankle. For someone like him who had been traveling in the mountains for a long time, crossing mountains and valleys was as easy as walking on flat ground.

But it's different for a noblewoman like Winry from the capital; she doesn't have to travel this far in the capital.

"Huh? Mr. Dure, what are you doing..." Winry was startled by Dure's actions. Her face turned bright red, and she stood there in a panic for a moment, because Dure was clearly holding her ankle. This was too unexpected for her.