The most shameless alchemist in history

"This was taken from the mayor's house in Spring Breeze Town. Don't you have Camus's memories? What, you don't know that your family has something like this?" Du Lei waved the booklet, revealing the origin of the travel guide.

"Hey, you idiot, didn't you say the matter in Spring Breeze Town was over? Why are you bringing it up again now?" Leopard Tail was a little angry about this.

"Alright, alright, that's settled for now. I won't mention it again, okay? If we go through this canyon, there's an open valley. Harrenhal is a city built in the valley. We should arrive in about two hours." Dure put away the booklet and said.

“Mr. Dure, Mr. Leopard Tail, what are you talking about? You seem to be getting along very well.” Winry walked over from behind.

"Harmony? With him? How could that be? There's no one in this world who could get along with him, right?" Leopard Tail sneered, his prejudice against Du Lei was deeply ingrained.

“Huh? But Mr. Durex is clearly very easy to get along with…” Winry disagreed with Leopard Tail on this point.

"See? Even Miss Winry says I'm easy to get along with, but some people think I'm unapproachable. I'm afraid the real difficult ones are someone else, aren't they?" Du Lei teased, as the distant sky was ablaze with crimson clouds.

"You...do you want to fight?" Leopard Tail was enraged and brandished his claws at Durei.

"You two have such a good relationship, it's truly enviable." Wen Li looked at Du Lei and Leopard Tail with a smile.

“Miss Winry, are you misunderstanding something? How can this be described as a good relationship?” Leopard Tail was shocked and strongly disagreed.

"You two should each shut up a bit. Captain Kotetsu, what's wrong with you? Why have you been so distracted since just now?" Bee Sting rolled her eyes at Du Lei and Leopard Tail. She had been listening to their argument all the way here until her ears were ringing. While scolding the two of them, she looked at Kotetsu.

Hu Che had become taciturn at some point. The closer they got to Herenberg, the less he spoke, and the more somber his expression became.

"It's nothing, let's go. We'll have to spend the night in Harrenhal, that place that reeks of death..." Hu Che shook his head slightly. His expression clearly indicated that something was wrong, but he was unwilling to say, so Fengci and the others naturally couldn't ask.

Soon, Kotetsu walked alone in front, and his back view unusually gave people a sense of loneliness.

"Hey, Bee Sting, what did you say you offended Boss Tiger Che? Why is he acting like that?" Leopard Tail couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"How could I possibly offend Captain Kotetsu? It must have been your two arguing that upset Captain Kotetsu, right?" Bee Sting was unwilling to take the blame. It was clearly the responsibility of Du Lei and the other person, so how could she be blamed?

"Mr. Kotetsu today... he really seems different from usual. He looks like he has something on his mind." Wen Li also noticed that something was wrong, but she didn't say anything before. Now that Bee Sting and Leopard Tail had started talking, she also expressed her opinion.

"Alright, stop making wild guesses. Why did Uncle Kotetsu become like this... we'll find out when we get to Herenburg, won't we?" Dure didn't want to make things up without any basis, so he waved his hand to signal Bee Sting and the others not to speculate.

As night fell and visibility was reduced to almost nothing, in another half hour, they would have to rely on the firelight to move forward.

"You talk as if you're not curious at all. But anyway, you're an outsider, so you probably don't care about Boss Kotetsu's affairs, right?" Leopard Tail remained noncommittal to Du Lei's words.

"If you're so concerned, then go ask him." Du Lei retorted irritably.

"You..." Leopard Tail was speechless after being asked by Du Lei, and rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight him again.

His verbal conflicts with Durei along the way really gave Bee Sting and the others a headache.

At the very front of the group, Kotetsu never looked directly ahead; he calmly gazed at the ground beneath his feet.

"So, we're going back to this place again?" The most shameless alchemist in history.

Chapter 458 Get out of here!

The journey, which was originally expected to take two hours, was completed in just one hour and twenty minutes for Du Lei and his group. However, they were not happy that the journey was shorter than expected and that they would have more time to rest. On the contrary, everyone was on high alert and vigilant about what lay ahead.

The reason is simple: in their perception, Harrenhal, which should have been a dead city, suddenly had lights appearing, and as night fell, more and more lights appeared, which not only puzzled people but also gave them a creepy feeling.

"Hey, hey, are you kidding me? Didn't everyone in Harrenhal die out years ago? How... how can there still be so many lights?" Leopard Tail swallowed hard. They hesitated, still hundreds of meters away from the ruins of Harrenhal.

“I’ve heard a rumor that after the dead die, some don’t go to the Land of the Dead immediately, but wander around the human world. It’s said that you can often see will-o’-the-wisps in mass graves at night… Didn’t we experience that once before?” Bee Sting frowned.

When she said she "experienced it once," she was naturally referring to the time in Spring Breeze Town. When they first arrived in Spring Breeze Town, they were taken to a so-called "camp" by Siegel. When Dure exposed his lie, they came to their senses and found that they were in a mass grave!

"Don't talk about those creepy things, okay? I still get goosebumps from what happened in Spring Breeze Town," Leopard Tail complained. They had experienced too many bizarre things along the way, and now that they had finally arrived in Helenburg, they thought they could finally rest, but it seemed that strange things were happening one after another.

"These aren't will-o'-the-wisps at night, they're just the light from candles lit by normal people. Let's go." Kotetsu, walking at the front of the group, didn't seem to care. He walked silently, and it was very quiet around him. Looking ahead, he could see the outline of a magnificent city.

Even though all you can see are vast ruins, you can still tell how glorious it once was just by looking at these broken walls and remnants.

"Boss Kotetsu... what's wrong with him? He seems so preoccupied. This is nothing like his usual self." Leopard Tail was suspicious. He wanted to ask Kotetsu what was wrong several times on the way, but knowing Kotetsu's personality, he didn't dare to ask.

“It might be related to Harrenhal,” Dure thought for a moment and gave an answer.

“I also know it’s related to Harrenhal. Aren’t we in Harrenhal right now? What you’re saying is as good as saying nothing at all.” Leopard Tail rolled his eyes at him.

“Not with Harrenhal now.” Dure emphasized the word “now.”

"What did you say?" Leopard Tail didn't quite understand what Du Lei meant.

"Why do you talk so much? If you want to know the answer, just follow me. But be careful though." Du Lei quickened his pace to catch up.

"Hey, what kind of tone is that? How dare you talk to your senior like that? Don't get cocky just because you did something clever on the way. I'm still your senior... Hey, wait for me!" Leopard Tail knew that Du Lei had done a lot for them along the way.

Without Dure's help, they probably wouldn't have been able to reach Harrenhal smoothly. Even so, Leopard Tail was still very stubborn and wanted to show off his senior's prestige, but the other party was unwilling to pay attention to him at all. Not only him, but Bailing and Wenli also walked very fast, leaving him behind.

"How come even Bee Sting...you too...sigh!" Leopard Tail originally thought that Bee Sting was at least on his side, but even Bee Sting had left him behind. After sighing helplessly, he could only slink along.

After Leopard Tail caught up with Dure and his group, he saw the true nature of the lights. In the ruins of Harrenhal, he could see lights coming from many dilapidated houses, and people were coming and going on the street. At first, Leopard Tail thought these people were assassins who came to kill him.

However, after observing them for a while, it was discovered that these people were just ordinary people. Most of them wore black robes that covered most of their bodies. They came and went in a hurry. When they saw Du Lei and these strangers, they cast surprised glances at them, but left quickly without stopping.

"Excuse me..." Dure originally wanted to inquire about some information about Harrenhal. He saw someone walking past in front of him, so he stopped them to ask.

But the other party completely ignored him and left in a hurry, leaving Du Lei empty-handed.

"Kid, you can't do it like this. Let the senior demonstrate for you. Hey, you stop right there. You think you can slip away? You stop right there!" Leopard Tail gloated when he saw Du Lei get turned away. He walked forward triumphantly and initially tried to stop and question Du Lei, just like Du Lei had done.

But the other person also turned to leave, but Leopard Tail wasn't as easy to talk to as Du Lei. He simply reached out and grabbed the other person.

"Let me go, let me go now!" The other person struggled desperately. Judging from her voice, she was a very young girl, only fourteen or fifteen years old.

“Mr. Leopard Tail, please don’t do this, it will frighten her… Hello, we are not bad people, we are just passing by and want to ask some information, we mean no harm.” Even Wen Li couldn’t stand Leopard Tail’s behavior, so she took the initiative to go up and talk to him.

Compared to the fierce leopard tail, Winry is undoubtedly much gentler.

"Yes, he's just a brute. Please don't mind him. Are there any hotels or similar places around here where we can stay?" Du Lei also stepped forward and spoke softly. His and Wen Li's friendly attitude greatly increased people's goodwill towards them.

"Hey, who are you calling a brute?" Leopard Tail was not happy with Du Lei's comment. He glared at Du Lei. If Winry hadn't been there, he would have definitely punched him.

"We don't welcome outsiders here, get out of here, get out of here!" Even though Wenli and Dure were easy to talk to, they still harbored strong hostility towards the other party. She struggled desperately, and with Wenli by her side, Leopard Tail couldn't hold her any longer, after all, the other party was also a girl.

After breaking free of his restraints, the other party shouted at Du Lei and the others, then turned and left.

“This…” Du Lei watched her leave and tried to call out to her, but he quickly realized that it was impossible to do so.

"What's wrong with these people? And this place... it just has a weird vibe." Leopard Tail had a bad temper, and he snorted coldly. They were being treated like thieves!

"It seems like this place is very hostile to outsiders. Oh well, let's just find somewhere to stay and leave first thing tomorrow morning," Du Lei said helplessly. The most shameless alchemist in history.

Chapter 459 Spending the Night in the Ruins

Harrenhal, which should have been a dead zone, suddenly became inhabited by many people, all of whom were dressed in black robes and avoided or resisted outsiders. This puzzled Dure and his companions greatly, but they had encountered far too many strange things on their journey.

Arriving here, they were not surprised by anything. After the girl caught by the leopard tail hurriedly escaped, they headed to the west side of the ruins and eventually found an abandoned temple. Although the place had been abandoned for a long time and was very dilapidated, it could still provide shelter from the wind and rain.

“Then let’s make do here for the night and set off after dawn. Is there any problem, Uncle Kotetsu?” Dure looked at Kotetsu. Ever since arriving in Herenberg, Kotetsu had seemed preoccupied. Dure would never believe that Kotetsu had nothing to do with this place.

However, since Kotetsu didn't say anything, he couldn't ask. Even though he encountered many suspicious-looking men in black robes on the way, Kotetsu remained silent.

"Let's do it this way. It's good to leave here sooner. You're all tired, so get some rest." Hu Che nodded in agreement with Du Lei's suggestion. He then went to rest against a pillar not far away. Although Herenburg was located further south than Maple City.

Moreover, due to the presence of the Lieyang Mountains, the cold air moving northward is blocked, and the weather on the north and south sides of the mountains is completely different. However, it is still early spring and not yet midsummer, so only a strong physique like Kotetsu can withstand the chill of the night.

"Understood, Leopard Tail. I'll take turns keeping watch with you. I'll keep watch for the first half of the night, and you keep watch for the second half." Du Lei knew that Kotetsu was not in good condition, so he arranged for him to keep watch. In terms of seniority, he was definitely not qualified. He was the youngest in the team, about the same age as Winry.

However, his contributions along the way are obvious to all. Even Leopard Tail can only use the term "senior" to suppress him, rather than anything else, which speaks volumes.

"Why should you be on guard for the first half of the night and I be on guard for the second half? Why shouldn't you be on guard for the second half?" Leopard Tail objected. It wasn't that he was particularly enlightened or could offer any constructive suggestions, but rather that he disliked Du Lei and would reject anything Du Lei suggested.

"How about this, you go keep watch now, I'll go get some sleep and come back to relieve you later, okay? Yawn... Anyway, I've been traveling for so long, I'm already incredibly sleepy." Du Lei chuckled at this and, following Leopard Tail's lead, offered another solution.

"Well... let's do it the way we just said. You'd better pay close attention and don't even think about slacking off. I'm going to sleep." Leopard Tail paused for a moment, then carefully compared the options and decided that it was more worthwhile to go to sleep now. He immediately turned around and went to find a place to sleep.

"Mmm mmm mmm." The ape arm next to him pointed at himself and gestured. In the past, Du Lei would not have understood what the ape arm was talking about, but after spending some time together, Du Lei understood that the ape arm meant for him to keep watch at night and for Du Lei to rest.

"It's alright. You're injured and need to rest, but I'm fine. Go to sleep without worry. Once you've recovered, I'll slack off without you even having to say anything." Du Lei smiled and gently patted the ape-like arm and shoulder before sitting alone on the outside of the temple.

"Hey." Just as Du Lei was walking down the stairs, someone called out to him.

"Bailing? What's wrong?" Du Lei was taken aback when Bailing ran over by herself.

"Here, take this." Bailing handed Du Lei a piece of bread.

“This is…” Du Lei did not take it.

"Miss Winry made this using flour she found on the train," Bailing explained.

“I know, but there’s not much food left, and I’m not hungry, so why give it to me?” Dure shook his head.

“It was given to you by Miss Wenli. Anyway, just accept it. What, do you want me to be unable to complete my mission?” Bailing asked him back.

"Well... not really." Du Lei wasn't very good at dealing with girls like Bai Ling, and he was starting to worry.

"Alright, go keep watch. Let me know if anything happens. Harrenhal isn't exactly safe, so it's best to be careful." After saying that, Bailing reminded Dure again before turning to leave.

"Then please thank Miss Winry for me." Dure nodded and continued down the stairs.

"Wait," Bailing called out to him again.

"Is there anything else?" Du Lei stopped and turned to look at Bai Ling.

By this time, he had already descended several steps. Tonight was a full moon, and the moonlight poured down, illuminating Bailing's profile. Although she usually had a stern face, upon closer inspection, one could see that she possessed an exceptional temperament and a very beautiful face.

"Have we met before?" Bailing suddenly asked out of the blue.

"What? We're from the same school, of course we've met." Du Lei was puzzled by Bai Ling's words. Although he and Bai Ling had never spoken when they were in the academy, they were both well-known figures among the freshmen and had met each other more than once.

“I’m not talking about inside the academy, but before the academy, when we met, right?” Bailing narrowed down the scope.

"Really? After leaving my hometown, I went straight to Maple City and didn't go anywhere else along the way. You mean..." Du Lei recalled carefully. Within his life's radius, he had done quite a few things in Maple City. For example, he had even caused a scene at an auction with Nuonuo.

"Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything. Maybe I remembered wrong." Bai Ling shook her head and walked away without looking back.

"Why would she suddenly ask that? But thinking about it carefully, her eyes... do seem familiar, but where exactly?" Du Lei pondered, resting his chin on his hand, but couldn't figure it out for a moment.

"Forget it, if I can't figure it out, I'm too lazy to think about it anymore, so as not to get a headache." Du Lei finally gave up on this plan.

Soon he was standing guard outside the temple, leaning against a statue.

At the same time, Bailing walked towards Wenli's location. After all, Wenli also needed someone to protect her. It wasn't that Hu Che and the others weren't powerful enough, but Wenli was a girl, so it was naturally more convenient for her, who was also a girl.

"I feel like I've seen that person before. Who was it that saved me outside the academy the night before the freshman test?" Bai Ling touched her back, where there was a huge wound that still ached.

"I will definitely find you!" The most shameless alchemist in history