The most shameless alchemist in history

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Did I hit a wall?" The other person was knocked to the ground, rubbing his head and crying out in pain.

"Excuse me, could you please move your foot off this wall?" Du Lei's voice came from the ground.

"Oh dear, there's someone here!" The other person was startled and immediately took two steps back.

"Why is there someone here? Shouldn't you be asking why there's a wall? I'm the wall you knocked to the ground and stepped on." Du Lei patted his butt and stood up. He complained a couple of times, and after standing up, he could see what the other person looked like.

The other person was not old, looking about the same age as him, around thirteen or fourteen years old, with a petite figure. Du Lei was considered to be developing slowly, but the other person was only about 1.5 meters tall, half a head shorter than him, which made Du Lei feel more at ease.

He was wearing a gray sweater. Although the city of Lan is located in the south, it is still early spring. Moreover, the south is relative to the land of snow. In terms of the entire continent, the city of Lan is still in the north. It is normal to wear a sweater, a scarf and a hat in this weather.

"Oh? So... I bumped into you just now? I'm so sorry, so sorry. I didn't notice there was someone in front of me and caused you trouble. I hope I can make it up to you." The other person belatedly realized that they had bumped into someone first and were in the wrong, so they immediately apologized.

While apologizing, he hurriedly pulled a stack of things out of his bag and handed them to Du Lei, seemingly as a token of his remorse.

"This is..." Du Lei took it with a puzzled look. At first, he thought it was just ordinary paper and didn't pay much attention to it. But soon he glanced at it and found that it seemed to be something else, because there was clearly a cash mark on it.

"This is cash from Alibaba Bank. You can exchange it for gold coins of any denomination at any Alibaba Bank branch," the other party explained immediately.

“Cash? I’ve heard of that before. It’s too troublesome to settle transactions with large amounts of gold and silver coins. Some people do use cash. This denomination is… one thousand silver coins? No, wait, it’s gold, gold coins?” Du Lei was startled.

A thousand silver coins alone were enough to leave him speechless, let alone gold coins.

"Huh? Is the compensation too little? Here's some more, take this all. I hope you can forgive my rash actions just now!" The other person rummaged in his bag again and quickly pulled out a thick wad of cash, stuffing it into Du Lei's hand, which completely stunned the latter.

"Wait, wait, wait, it's not that I think it's too little, but suddenly giving me so much money makes my hand feel a little heavy..." Du Lei wanted to slap himself to figure out if he was dreaming. This was too sudden and he couldn't accept it for a while.

"You don't actually think these banknotes are counterfeit, do you? Please rest assured, these banknotes all have the strict anti-counterfeiting marks engraved by Ababa Bank, and each banknote is imbued with magical energy marks, making them absolutely impossible to counterfeit." The other party assumed that Du Lei doubted the authenticity of the banknotes and spoke with great confidence.

"No, I'm not doubting the money, it's just... I was only bumped into. I wasn't looking where I was going, so I was also at fault. Why are you so worried and anxious? Usually, you can just apologize and leave, right?"

Du Lei quickly waved his hand, handing back all the cash without taking it. This didn't mean he was noble or greedless; it was just that the money was coming from such an unusual place that he dared not accept it.

494 The Escape

Du Lei wasn't stupid. He knew that ordinary people wouldn't carry so much cash around, especially not so ostentatiously in the streets. He knew the other person must be someone important, and accepting their cash might cause him trouble. So refusing the cash was a wise move.

But the other party was very insistent on bumping into him and insisted on inviting him for tea as an apology. Du Lei couldn't refuse, and since he really didn't have anything else to do, he went. The two sat down at a nearby restaurant, ordered two cups of black tea, and Du Lei learned that the other party's name was Ellie.

"So it's Brother Ellie. You're too kind. I already told you it's nothing serious." Du Lei's gaze swept across the restaurant. Compared to the bustling crowds outside, it was quite quiet here, and the reason wasn't hard to understand.

It wasn't just the passengers stuck at the train station; almost everyone in Lanzhi City rushed to sign up. Just now, Du Lei even saw many women on the street grabbing their husbands, trying to pull them back, but the men were shouting about wanting a divorce or something.

This truly opened Du Lei's eyes. Because of the series of disturbances in Lan City, he had no good feelings towards the rich girl who was looking for a husband. Usually, only those who are not good-looking would use this method to find a husband.

“Mr. Redu, it’s so good that you’re not angry. I rarely go out… to be precise, this is the first time I’ve ever gone out. I was really afraid of causing trouble for others. If you were angry, Mr. Redu, I really wouldn’t know what to do.” Eli breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Redu wasn’t angry.

"Does 'first time going out' mean... first time traveling far from home?" Du Lei was taken aback. In the short time he had been drinking tea, he could tell that this Ellie had almost no life experience and seemed to have never met any strangers, but his manners were very proper and he was very well-mannered.

"Pretty much. I've rarely left home since I was a child. This time, when I went on a long trip with my father, I never left his sight. But this time..." Ellie stopped there, not continuing, as if she had something difficult to say.

"What happened this time? Were you with your father? Then you... came out behind his back?" Dure could easily guess what had happened. After all, Ellie was not good at hiding his feelings. His thoughts were written all over his face, and Dure could see them clearly.

"Huh? Shh, keep your voice down, Mr. Redu. You can't let anyone know I ran away from home. If they find out, I'll be dragged back." Ellie immediately leaned over and covered Redu's mouth. He looked very nervous and cautiously looked around.

“We can’t let anyone know… But Ellie, didn’t you run away from home? Your family should already know and be looking for you everywhere.” Dure had a half-smile on his face. He suddenly found the Ellie in front of him to be very cute.

It wasn't just because of his handsome face, but also because his personality was so likable.

"Huh? Is that so? Waaah, I thought I could get away with it without anyone noticing, but they still found out. What should I do? I really don't want to go back!" Ellie burst into tears, clutching her head. It was clear how much she resisted going home.

“Ellie, you can’t be away from home for too long, or they’ll worry,” Dure kindly reminded him.

"I know, but as soon as I go back, I have to face my father's endless nagging. It's so annoying. I don't even get a single day of peace and quiet. I just want to hide away for one day, just one day, please." Ellie looked extremely pitiful.

"Is that so?" Dure nodded slightly; he could understand Elie a little better now.

But at that moment, a commotion arose outside the restaurant, including footsteps and loud shouts.

"Where is he? Where is he? We have to find him, or we're all doomed. Search over there! Oh, and search this restaurant too!" Someone outside was directing the search, seemingly looking for someone, which made Ellie, who was sitting in the restaurant, tense up.

"Are they here to see you?" Dure also sensed something was amiss, and he asked Ellie in a low voice.

"Yes, I thought I could hide a little longer, but I didn't expect them to come so quickly. Waaah, am I going to be caught and taken back?" Ellie knew she couldn't escape anymore and was very sad.

“In that case…then come with me!” Dure thought for a moment, then stood up, grabbed Ellie’s hand, and gestured for her to follow him.

"Huh? Mr. Redu, what are you doing... Huh!" Ellie was a little confused, completely unaware of what Redu was going to do. Soon, Redu pulled him and ran towards the back kitchen of the restaurant. His mind was blank, but subconsciously he still followed Redu.

"Where are they? Where are they? I just heard some noise here." A large number of people dressed in black suits rushed in.

"Look, there are two cups of hot black tea on the table. They must have just escaped. Chase them!" someone ordered, and they quickly gave chase.

Meanwhile, in the alley outside the restaurant's kitchen, Dure dragged Ellie along as they ran, and people behind them had already spotted them and were shouting loudly.

"Stop right now! Stop right now, or we'll get rough!" The other person ran wildly, trying to stop the two men.

"If you're so good, why don't you catch up? Once you catch up, I'll see what it means to be 'unreserved'." Du Lei teased the other party, not taking them too seriously. He ran through the streets and alleys, even though this was his first time in Lan City.

But he had already looked at the map of Lan City many times beforehand, memorizing all the locations in Lan City. They walked through the ancient streets, across the stone-paved roads, across the stone bridges, and along the riverbank, taking in all the unique scenery of Lan City.

"Hey, where are they? I just saw them here, how come they're gone?" The tracker looked around, trying to find the target's whereabouts.

"We'll split up. You go this way, you go that way, and you come with me. We must find them!" The trackers split up at the crossroads. They had been tracking for quite some time and were panting heavily, but they still hadn't caught up with their target.

Only after they had gone far away did someone finally crawl out of a nearby trash can.

"Come out quickly, it's okay, they've already gone far away." Dure reached out and pulled Ellie out.

"Hehehe, this is so much fun, it's like playing hide-and-seek." Ellie went from being nervous at first to being excited.

"The best is yet to come. Let's go, the escape isn't over yet." Dure smiled, pulling Ellie along as they continued running, their figures disappearing into the streets and alleys of Storm City.

495 Time to go home

Since leaving the hot spring village, Du Lei's days have been moving at a very fast pace. Whether it was the journey to Maple City or his time at Maple Leaf Academy, although only a few months have passed, enough has happened, and he has hardly had a good night's sleep.

Of course, this was largely his own doing. It was the same when he was still in the hot spring village. He was a very light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest sound at night. But at least when he was in the hot spring village, he could sit alone on the hillside every now and then and overlook the scenery of the snow-capped mountains.

Even a moment of leisure and comfort was something he hadn't experienced in a long time. So when he sat on the ancient clock tower of the Storm City and looked into the distance, he felt a sense of nostalgia, as if he had returned to the hot spring village. However, the difference was that he was alone then, but now there were two of them.

"Is this why the Storm City got its name?" Beside Dure, Ellie, still wearing a hat, gazed into the distance. He blinked and looked intently. Due to its geographical location, the Storm City was built on a hillside, surrounded by undulating mountains.

It was dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun poured down on the mountains. Mist filled the mountains, and the afterglow reflected into the mist, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. From the perspective of the clock tower, it was especially dazzling, and the brilliance was reflected into Ellie's eyes.

"What did you say?" Dure sat on the edge of the clock tower, swinging his toes, and turned to ask Ellie.

"It's nothing, it's just that I've never seen such a beautiful sunset in my life, nor have I ever experienced such a wonderful moment as today." Ellie sat side by side with Dure, but he dared not be like Dure, with half of his body in the air dozens of meters above the ground.

He was facing the clock tower with his back against the edge, exactly in the opposite direction from Durei, almost back to back.

"A wonderful moment? I think you're just being silly." Du Lei shook his head with a smile. This afternoon, he and Ellie had spent almost the entire afternoon driving around in circles with their group of bodyguards, making a huge detour around the vast City of Storms.

“Mr. Redu, aren’t you just fooling around with me too?” Ellie smiled and winked; her smile was very beautiful.

"Maybe I've been too serious for too long, and it feels pretty good to goof off once in a while." Du Lei chuckled, not denying it.

"So, Mr. Redu admits to fooling around with me?" Ellie seemed particularly concerned about this point.

"I suppose so." Du Lei nodded, his gaze fixed on the distance, in the direction of the setting sun.

“Mr. Redu is quite an interesting person,” Ellie said with a smile, her eyes fixed on Redu.

“Interesting? If you knew me better, you probably wouldn’t think that way.” Du Lei shook his head and gave a wry smile.

"Know Mr. Redu? That sounds like a very important thing," Ellie said thoughtfully.

“Great? How so?” Dure finally turned around and looked at him.

“Because Mr. Redu did something great today. Usually, only great people do great things, and doing one great thing means that doing other things can also be great!” Ellie said with a smile.

“That’s nonsense. Don’t think I didn’t realize you were just being unreasonable.” Dure immediately saw through Ellie’s trick.

"Oh dear, just like you said, Mr. Redu, it's okay to be a little silly once in a while after being so serious all the time. I'm the same way. I always have to be serious about everything I do, even my words have to be carefully chosen, and I have to think carefully about what I say..."

Ellie paused here, and you could see the traces of fatigue on his face.

"That must be really tough," Dure said, turning around and giving Ellie a sympathetic look.

"Is it hard? Who knows? Maybe sometimes it is a little tiring, but when I think about how other people are also tired, maybe the reasons for their fatigue are different, but after all, we all suffer from the same weariness. God always treats everyone fairly."

Ellie seemed to take it all in stride, and it was clear that he was very opinionated.

"The premise is that there must really be gods in this world." Dure interrupted Eli here, because he had just come from Harrenhal, where there was a cult that was secretly carrying out illegal activities in the name of the goddess. This was a living example.

Furthermore, even without encountering the Order of Light, Dure did not believe in the existence of gods.

"Mr. Redu, don't you believe in gods?" Ellie asked him earnestly.

"Yes, I don't believe it." Du Lei didn't deny it, saying it frankly.

“Really? Different people hold different beliefs, so perhaps gods really do exist.” Ellie was exceptionally insightful on this issue.

"Does it really exist? Even if it does, it's not some just and fair god, is it?" Du Lei shook his head, a sarcastic smile on his face.

“No, that’s not right. Gods are fair and just, and they won’t be biased towards anyone,” Ellie corrected earnestly.

"Since you say that the gods are fair and just, then why are some people born into poverty and plagued by disease, while others are born into immense wealth and have limitless potential? On my way here, I witnessed many people collapse in poverty. Is this the fairness of the gods that you speak of?"

Dure scoffed at this, and the cold reality made him a staunch atheist.

“There is indeed poverty and wealth in this world. Many things are predetermined at birth... Just like some lands in this world are barren, some are fertile, some are vast oceans, and some are towering mountains. It is always different.”

Ellie wasn't angry at Dure's repeated rebuttals. Instead, she looked at the distant mountains and spoke softly.

"So what are you trying to say?" Dure turned to look at him.

“The purpose of the gods is not to achieve absolute fairness for everyone. There is poverty before there is wealth, hills before there are plains. They exist for order and prosperity. Mr. Redu, look over there. Hundreds of years ago, this was a desolate land.” Ellie pointed into the distance.

Nestled among the mountains, the buildings of the Storm City rise majestically, one after another, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.

“I don’t agree with your opinion, but… you have the right to stick to your beliefs.” Dure shook his head again. He was a stubborn person, but only to himself. It would be wrong of him to impose his ideas on others.

“So Mr. Redu is really interesting. I want to know more and more about him.” Ellie blinked, but at this moment, a number of people came up from below the clock tower. He glanced at the group of people in black suits, and the light in his eyes dimmed again.

“It looks like your crazy adventure is coming to an end. They’re catching up. Now… you should go back, or your father will be very worried about you.” This time, Du Lei didn’t try to escape with him, partly because there was nowhere to run.

People chased after him from both towers of the clock tower. Even if he wanted to jump from the clock tower, which was dozens of meters high, there were still people guarding the bottom of the clock tower. They didn't have wings, so he definitely couldn't escape this time.

Secondly, even Dure couldn't understand why he was following Ellie's nonsense. He had already wasted enough time by following Ellie's nonsense, preventing him from doing anything important.

"Okay, I'll go back with them now. It's only an afternoon... but I really enjoyed the trip with you today, Mr. Redu!" Ellie's words were filled with disappointment. He had known all along that this moment was unavoidable, but when it came, he still felt empty inside.

"I have to go back too. My companions are waiting for me, so goodbye." Dure slowly jumped down from the railing of the clock tower. He stretched leisurely, and the setting sun shone on his back, casting a long shadow.