The most shameless alchemist in history

“But…” Dure thought of something else.

"But what?" Leopard Tail immediately pressed.

"Haven't you noticed something strange?" Dure suddenly looked around.

"What is it?" Leopard Tail followed Du Lei's gaze but found nothing.

"So many supplies, yet no one is guarding them. If someone sets them on fire, wouldn't everything be burned to the ground?" Dure was deeply suspicious; it was just too strange. The Most Shameless Alchemist in History

Chapter 477 Final Negotiations

Dure's concerns were not unfounded, because weapons are most vulnerable to fire. If a large fire were set off here, not only would the fire spread rapidly, but it could also cause an explosion, reducing all the supplies to nothing. Dure did not believe that the members of the cult were a bunch of fools.

Because if they were truly foolish, they wouldn't have developed the order to its current state and even established connections with the high-ranking officials of the Mountain Kingdom. He believed that with Bishop Zepha's level of expertise, he wouldn't make such a basic mistake as exposing his weaknesses to his opponents.

“Setting a fire? That’s a great idea, hehe, Dure. They almost burned Miss Winry to death when they set fire to the building before. Now we’ll get our revenge. Let’s set a fire here and burn all the supplies they’ve worked so hard to transport. They’ll definitely cry.”

Leopard Tail didn't think much of it. Upon hearing Du Lei's words, he immediately took the oil lamp from the nearby wall. The oil lamp was covered with a shade and was some distance from the warehouse. The slots were very tight, but none of this posed a problem for Leopard Tail. He got his hands on the oil lamp without breaking a sweat.

“No, these supplies must have been obtained by the cult with great effort and at a considerable cost. Such a large investment must be in preparation for war. It’s impossible that they let us in so easily, or even had the opportunity to destroy the supplies…” Du Lei’s brows furrowed more and more.

He was never an optimistic person. He didn't believe that all good things in the world would happen to him. If he did encounter something "good," he would definitely check carefully to see if there were any traps. He might miss many opportunities because of this, but he would never easily take a wrong step.

“Oh dear, why are you thinking so much? So at times like this, just set it on fire first, that’s called striking first…” Leopard Tail acted swiftly and decisively. He flung the oil lamp in his hand, and once it hit the ground, the warehouse would soon be engulfed in flames.

Although the armory where the weapons were stored could also be blown up, he believed that he and Dure had enough time to escape the tunnel. Although this was not part of the search for Kotetsu, they had been put through a lot by the cult that night, so this was a kind of return gift to the cult.

"No, things aren't that simple, let's go!" Du Lei kept shaking his head. In a very short time, he went through countless possibilities in his mind. Almost the instant Leopard Tail threw the oil lamp, he suddenly realized something and shouted loudly.

Before Leopard Tail could react, the bright oil lamp suddenly went out. Not only that one, but also more than a dozen oil lamps near the warehouse went out at the same time. The darkness came silently, like a beast that had been waiting for a long time, revealing its ferocious fangs when people were most careless.

Meanwhile, inside the cathedral, Huttetsu and Bishop Zephyr remained locked in a standoff.

The two met again after more than a decade. They had gone from being close friends who fought side by side to having completely different stances and even abandoned their beliefs. The candles in the cathedral flickered, and the dim light made it difficult to see each other's faces clearly.

But both of them had a sharp glint in their eyes. Neither Kotetsu nor Bishop Zephyr had shown such a look in a long time.

"So, are we now on opposing sides, locked in a life-or-death struggle? Are you determined to stop me from moving forward?" Kotetsu had hoped to persuade Zephyr so that he could leave with Winry and the others to continue his mission, but things did not go as expected.

“It’s not that I’m stopping you from moving forward, but that you’re blocking my way,” Bishop Zephat shook his head and corrected.

“I understand. Although it’s a very difficult decision… Zephyr, you’ve made a terrible mistake. I can’t bear to see you continue down the wrong path. I have to make a clean break.” After a moment of silence, Kotetsu slowly began to walk towards Zephyr.

"Does 'ending this' mean... you want to kill me?" Zephyr directly stated Kotetsu's intention, which made the latter shudder.

“I don’t want to do this, but I have to. Zephyr, you’re very smart, and I’m surprised you’ve gotten this far. But there’s something you seem to have forgotten: from childhood to adulthood, you’ve always been weak in magical energy, far inferior to me.” Kotetsu looked at Zephyr with a complicated expression.

“That’s right, that’s true. Compared to you, who became a Light Warrior at such a young age, I am indeed insignificant. Your magic power level has long since crossed the threshold of the Steel Rank and entered the Flame Rank, right?” Zephyr was well aware of Kotetsu’s abilities.

“To be precise, it’s a two-star Flame Rank.” Hu Che nodded and added.

“No wonder Hu Yuan was no match for you. The information I received earlier indicated that you were only a nine-star steel-rank, so it seems the information was wrong.” Zefa had known for some time that Hu Che and his group would be coming to Herenburg, as a man had informed him of this matter well in advance.

"Five years ago, I was already a nine-star steel rank. Everyone thought I was stuck at that level and couldn't go any further, but actually I broke through that barrier three years ago. I just didn't let anyone know." Kotetsu felt there was no need to hide it anymore and said calmly.

“Although I’m not good at magic, I’ve heard people say that the Flame Rank is a watershed. Once you cross that threshold, even if it’s just a one-star difference, a Flame Rank person can easily defeat ten Steel Rank people. In my order, it seems that no one can beat you.” Zephyr was well aware of the order’s situation.

"So it's not too late for you to change your mind now. Let Miss Winry and the others leave safely. That won't be a bad thing for you." Kotetsu was still negotiating with Zephyr. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he was extremely unwilling to turn his sword against his former best friend.

Especially when the other party has suffered unimaginable torment because of you.

“This doesn’t sound like negotiation, it sounds like a threat.” Zephyr, however, was not afraid at all and looked at Kotetsu calmly.

"Whether I negotiate or threaten, I only want one result, Zephyr. You know I lose my patience very easily." Kotetsu raised his voice. He had been hiding his strength until now, and even the guards, including Leopard Tail, were unaware of it.

Leopard Tail had always wondered why, despite both being at the nine-star Steel Rank, he could never defeat Kotetsu, and was always utterly crushed by him. If he were present at this moment, he would definitely dispel this doubt, because Kotetsu had long since transcended the Steel Rank stage and entered the Flame Rank level.

"You should also know that I never fight a battle I'm not sure I can win. Since I'm standing here waiting for you, do you think I would be unprepared?" Zefa asked Hu Che in return.

"Prepare?" Kotetsu frowned. He had been wondering why the cathedral's defenses were so lax. At first, he thought Zefa had sent people out to capture him, but now that he thought about it carefully, he realized something was amiss.

"I've already prepared a gift for you: a ticket to the gates of hell. What do you think?" The most shameless alchemist in history.

Chapter 478 I Don't Like You

After entering the warehouse, Du Lei always felt that something was missing. It wasn't until Leopard Tail found the oil lamp and planned to burn the place down that Du Lei suddenly realized that what was missing was a sense of crisis. Despite being a warehouse of great importance, the security was particularly lax.

This is clearly illogical. Dure doesn't believe that someone as shrewd as Zephyr would do something illogical. So the only explanation is that there are indeed guards here, but they are hidden and haven't been discovered.

As Du Lei shouted a warning, the warehouse, which had been dimly lit, suddenly went dark. All the fires had been extinguished at some point. Along with the darkness came a powerful sense of oppression. Du Lei clearly felt something approaching them!

"Who's over there... what?" Leopard Tail also noticed the strange thing. He subconsciously turned around to look, but it was pitch black and he couldn't see anything. He could only vaguely see an outline rushing towards him. He dodged the attack entirely on his body's instincts.

"Hehehe, not bad, you actually managed to dodge it. Looks like two delicious creatures have finally arrived?" A hoarse voice mumbled in the darkness, which was somewhat unsettling. The voice, like that of a night owl, was truly eerie in the darkness.

"Who are you? Stop sneaking around, come and fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Leopard Tail was enraged by the other party's provocative words and shouted angrily. After a short adjustment, his pupils finally recognized someone in the darkness confronting him from a distance.

"Kid, you're pretty arrogant. But there are two of you. Aren't you ashamed to talk about a one-on-one fight?" The other person chuckled. He was used to hunting in the dark, and even in complete darkness, he could see clearly.

"He won't interfere, hey, Dure, don't make a move. This guy is too arrogant. I'm going to beat him to a pulp!" Leopard Tail turned around and found Dure's location. He said this while crouching down to lock onto the other's position.

Although he was quite unaccustomed to the firelight immediately after it went out, he was able to pinpoint the other party's location after a period of adjustment.

"Don't fall for his tricks. Let's join forces and defeat him. Don't waste time here." Du Lei was also ready for battle. He knew that things could get complicated if they waited too long. Now that the enemy had discovered them, they were already in a passive position.

Given the current situation, the most effective solution is still for the two of them to work together to defeat the other side and then leave this place as soon as possible.

"See? Your companions don't acknowledge your strength. You can't handle a tough guy like me by yourself. Come on, both of you, bring it on! I can take on both of you by myself." In the darkness, Leopard Tail couldn't see the other's face clearly.

However, you can roughly see that the other person is rather thin, and their hands are particularly long, almost hanging down to the ground.

"Enough! I said I can handle him, and I can handle him. You don't need to say anything. Just stand there and watch. Whether I can handle you or not, you'll find out after a try!" Leopard Tail was enraged by the other party. He locked onto the other party's position and rushed over, determined to knock him down in one blow!

"Leopard Tail, don't fall for his tricks!" Du Lei immediately saw that the other party was clearly trying to provoke and incite. He rushed forward to try to support Leopard Tail, but he hadn't gone far when Leopard Tail blocked his way.

"Didn't you understand what I said? I said I can handle it alone, why are you always nagging on and on? Do you think I can't beat him? Do you not trust me? Or do you look down on me? Don't be so arrogant!" Leopard Tail was very angry.

He had long harbored a strong prejudice against Dure, but because Dure performed exceptionally well on the road, and he himself was suspected of dragging Dure down, he suppressed all his dissatisfaction and did not show it again. However, this did not mean that his dissatisfaction had simply vanished.

Now, all his pent-up frustrations erupted here, and he roared at Dure as if Dure were his enemy.

“That’s not what I meant, I…” Du Lei was speechless after being questioned by Leopard Tail, and for a moment he didn’t know how to answer him.

"Hehehe, he actually just looks down on you. Hey, what's going on between you two? Shouldn't you be partners? How come you look down on each other? Let me guess what happened between you... Could it be that one of you is always getting credit while the other is dragging you down, and you're just jealous of him?"

The shadowy figure in the darkness, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, continued speaking with a grin. Du Lei and Leopard Tail couldn't see his face clearly, but they could see his eyes. He analyzed and judged based on the changes in Du Lei and Leopard Tail's movements and expressions, and his words were very accurate.

"Jealousy? How could I be jealous of a guy like that? What is there about him that I would be jealous of? Don't be ridiculous!" Leopard Tail was furious. He vehemently refuted this point, and at the same time, he almost gave up on targeting the shadowy figure and stared intently at Du Lei.

"Hey, Leopard Tail, don't go too far. I've only tolerated you time and time again because we're all members of the guard team. Don't think I'm as soft as stone. I heard what you said, and I wasn't unperturbed. I have feelings too, don't I?" Lu Wei was also a little unhappy.

“That’s right, we’re all human, we all have emotions. Why does everyone have to give way to each other? It’s not like anyone is superior to anyone else, so why should anyone give way?” The dark figure echoed Du Lei’s words, his body crouching on the warehouse rafters, looking twisted and eerie.

"So, you've finally voiced your dissatisfaction? You've been annoyed with me for a long time, haven't you?" Leopard Tail said sarcastically, giving Du Lei a cold laugh.

"I only refrained from arguing with you for the sake of the bigger picture, Leopard Tail. You don't actually think I'm afraid of you, do you?" Du Lei retorted. Ever since Maple City, he had been avoiding direct confrontation with Leopard Tail, but now his patience had finally reached its limit.

"Prioritizing the overall situation? You're making yourself sound so noble. Haven't I also prioritized the overall situation?" Leopard Tail retorted sharply to Du Lei.

“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what he meant,” the shadowy figure added with a grin.

"I didn't say that. If you insist on thinking that way, there's nothing I can do," Du Lei snorted coldly, offering no explanation.

"You brat... I can't take this anymore! I'm going to kill you right here today!" Leopard Tail gritted his teeth in hatred, and in a fit of rage, he lunged at Dure. The most shameless alchemist in history.

Chapter 479 Goddess's Guidance

The night in Harrenhal was far from peaceful. Large numbers of cult guards searched house to house throughout the city, turning many candles into light in what was usually a dark place. People were abuzz with discussion, wondering what was going on in Harrenhal.

After seeing the fire, some people began to pray, hoping that the Goddess of Light would bless them. Others simply closed the door tightly, because the cult had said that they must not accept strangers and that any news of strangers must be reported immediately, as those people were heretics who disobeyed the Goddess's will!

Connie was a devout believer. In the past, if she had encountered such a situation, she would have done as the guards told her to do, because the guards were messengers of God, and the bishop was God's spokesperson. What the bishop said was generally true.

But today was an exception, because she knew that the person the guards were going to arrest wasn't some heinous villain, which made her very conflicted.

"Are you... really all evil people who defy God's will? Why did the bishop arrest you?" Connie thought for a long time before deciding to ask the question that was on her mind. After all, she was destined not to be able to sleep tonight after what had happened.

"Do you think we're bad guys?" Bee Sting asked Connie. After the guards left, Dure and the others also left. Connie told them that the guards wouldn't come back to search after they left because the guards trusted her a lot, which made her feel very guilty.

“You… don’t seem like bad people.” Connie looked at Bee Sting, then at Lark, and then at the unconscious Winry. She simply couldn’t reconcile the three people in front of her with the word “bad people.” Of course, she would believe the three who left earlier were bad people.

“We’re not like bad people, we’re not bad at all, okay?” Bee Sting said helplessly. She had experienced too much tonight, which made her feel a little tired, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get a good night’s sleep before leaving Harrenhal.

"Then I'm relieved, otherwise I wouldn't have been at peace." After getting a definite answer from Bee Sting, Connie's uneasy mood finally settled down, and she looked very cute with relief.

"By the way, how did you meet that guy... I mean, Dure's?" Bee Sting was initially a little hesitant about hiding at Connie's house, but Dure said Connie was trustworthy, and Bee Sting believed Dure, so naturally he believed Connie as well.

"I wouldn't say we know each other, but thanks to his help, I was able to get the medicine for my brother," Koni said, pointing to the medicine packet she had just opened.

"So that's how it is. I didn't expect that guy would do something like this." Bai Ling nodded. Her previous impression of Du Lei was that he was efficient, cold and rigid. She didn't think Du Lei would be a busybody.

“This must be the goddess guiding him to help me…” Connie tried to find a reasonable explanation for Dure’s behavior.

"The guidance of a goddess? Don't say that. Du Lei is an atheist. He doesn't believe in your so-called goddess." Bai Ling shook her head. Although she hadn't known Du Lei for long, she knew him to some extent.

“Even if he doesn’t believe in the goddess, I believe he was sent by the goddess to save us.” Connie was very firm in this belief.

"Really? Maybe that's true. By the way, is it just you and your brother living here? Where are your family members?" Bailing asked in confusion. She only saw Koni and her brother in Koni's house, and in terms of daily necessities, there were only two of them. There was no third person.

“My family…we have no family. My brother and I are each other’s only family.” Connie said sadly, but she continued, because it would be impolite not to answer someone’s question.

"Is that so? I'm so sorry, it seems I asked a question I shouldn't have." Bailing and Connie walked to the windowsill together. They looked up at the sky, where moonlight was pouring down. Bee Sting had gone to relieve Bailing and watch over Wenli, who was still unconscious.

“It doesn’t matter, it’s not a taboo. My parents were ordinary farmers. We didn’t live here before, we lived in a village called Windmill Village. But a plague broke out in the village, and my parents got sick and died. Only my brother and I were left in the family.”

Connie lowered her head again as she spoke, clearly indicating that this was not a pleasant memory for her.

"Then what about your brother's illness..." Bailing frowned and looked down at the room downstairs where the candlelight was still on. She had met Koni's brother, Jero, once before. He was covered in bandages and was quite ill.

“My brother and I didn’t get the plague. He had a strange disease from birth. Our father took him to many doctors, but none of them could cure him. Then the plague came and even the doctors died, but Jero is still alive and well.” Connie smiled gently.

It seemed somewhat ironic to her, but she had long since calmly accepted it all.

"I see, then your lives must be really tough." Bailing nodded, with some sympathy.

"Miss Bailing, what about you? How is your family? It must be a very lively family, right?" Koni said with a smile, changing the subject.

“Me? I do have many brothers and sisters in my family, but they are all dead.” Bai Ling thought for a moment and answered calmly.

“Dead? How could that be…” Connie had thought that Bailing would have a happy family and childhood, but now it seemed that Bailing was no better off than her.

“That’s how it is. They died in a war, and I was the only one left in their family. Before they died, they asked me to protect my people, but I am weak and lack talent, so I’m afraid it will be difficult for me to fulfill their wishes.” Bai Ling sighed softly.