The most shameless alchemist in history

"But what's the point of living this long? It's not as exciting as being an ordinary human being." The young man shook his head and sighed.

"Hey kid, you're still young, why are you acting all old-fashioned? If you're going to be so dramatic, what will I be like if I live so much longer than you?" the middle-aged man said, somewhat displeased.

"It's probably because life with Lin Ye back then was so exciting. Now that he's gone, life has become bland and boring." The young man shook his head, missing those passionate and exciting years.

"Converted to human years, you're only in your twenties. You were clearly a naive young man back then, and now you've turned into this in just fifty years. I should never have let you hang out with that kid Lin Ye. Ellie can't turn into someone like you, or I'll be driven to my death by you two siblings."

The middle-aged man complained sullenly. He looked older than the young man, but in terms of mental age, he was much younger.

"Speaking of which, you're publicly setting up a marriage proposal for Ellie here... Have you considered her feelings?" The young man turned to look at the middle-aged man, who frowned, having harbored opposition from the very beginning.

"Huh? You mean... I should also set up a matchmaking event for you?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled.

"Don't do that! I don't want to do any matchmaking or anything like that. Ellie is still young and not old enough to be talking about marriage yet. Is it really appropriate for you to make this decision for her on your own?" the young man questioned seriously. There was only one matchmaking event that was causing such a stir in Lan City.

That was Ababa's daughter Ellie's marriage proposal, and the people in the suite were naturally Ababa and his son.

Outsiders only know that Ababa has a beloved daughter, but they don't know that he also has a son. However, his son is very low-key and rarely shows his face. Only the elderly who experienced the previous era of blood and fire vaguely remember that such a person did exist.

“I’m telling you, Harry, back then you went and messed around with that kid Lin Ye, which already ruined our family business. After Lin Ye left, you didn’t want to come back and inherit the family business. All you did was run around the world all day long, never coming home. If I hadn’t come here to help you find a husband for your sister, you probably wouldn’t have even shown up, right? As for Ellie, she’s not young anymore, it’s time for her to contribute to the family’s succession issue…”

Ababa scolded his son Harry, and he did so in a very reasonable manner.

“Since you’re not going to inherit the family business, I have no choice but to let Ellie come. But you know Ellie’s personality. She probably can’t keep those old guys in the clan in check on her own. So we need to find her a good husband. That’s why I’m organizing this marriage search. Is there a problem?” Ababa asked back.

“I don’t understand your grand principles, but if you’re going to look for someone, can’t you at least find someone who’s a little more normal, a little better? Looking in a place like this… what kind of husband can you possibly find for Ellie? I think it’s pretty risky.” Harry had a lot of conflict with his father since he was a child.

He came here after hearing that his father was looking for a husband for his sister. The father and son had not seen each other for many years.

“Harry, do you think I’m playing with your sister’s happiness?” Ababa squinted at his son.

“What else?” Harry retorted immediately.

“You’re wrong.” Ababa gently shook his head.

"What?" Harry was stunned.

“I’m not doing this because I’m old and blind, or senile, or crazy. It’s because I’ve seen the ‘future.’” Ababa’s smile faded, and he spoke seriously, knowing that Harry understood the weight of the word “future.”

“The future? You wouldn’t happen to be…” Harry looked at him seriously, cold sweat starting to appear on his forehead.

"Our lineage has reached a very dangerous point. The balance of power in the world has been broken. Originally, the gods could firmly control this world with their power, but that guy Lin Ye stole the power of the gods, which has led to the weakening of the gods' power."

"You should know what this means. It means that the gods no longer control this world. The out-of-control world will run rampant, and all beings that have been cast into darkness for countless ages are stirring. Even we, who stand high above, looking down on the earth from the clouds..."

"How can we guarantee stability in the face of a power strong enough to pierce the clouds and break through the sky? In the near future, darkness will descend upon this land again, and our race will not have a good end. This is the future I foresee!" Ababa said with a bitter smile.

"How could this be... What Lin Ye did... What we did actually brought about such serious consequences?" This was the first time Harry had heard of such a thing, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Lin Ye's idea is good. This world has been controlled by the gods for countless years. History repeats itself again and again. It is a chapter that has been written long ago. He wants to break this shackle and free humanity from the control of the gods. That's why he stole the power of the gods."

Ababa gently shook his head. Although he looked like a smiling, harmless person, he had lived for too long. Living for too long might mean becoming rigid in his thinking and turning into an old stubborn person, but it also meant gaining enough knowledge and experience to understand the history of this world and where it was headed.

“But is there no way to change that future? And even your power…” Harry knew very well about Ababa’s power, otherwise he wouldn’t have let his family affairs go unchecked and acted recklessly all over the world.

"My power? My power began to dry up a long time ago. I only maintain a facade of strength to keep everyone from making a move." Ababa shook his head slightly. He knew his situation all too well.

"How could this happen..." The young man shook his head; he hadn't expected things to develop this way.

"Fortunately, things haven't reached the point of no return yet." Ababa smiled gently, his smile kind and lovely.

"So?" Harry vaguely sensed that what Ababa was about to say was related to what he was doing, otherwise he wouldn't be doing something so inexplicable.

"The key to solving the problem lies in the City of Storms. I saw the City of Storms in the 'future,' and I saw a shadow passing by here," Ababa continued.

"The shadow passed by? What does that mean?" Harry frowned.

“Where there is light, there is shadow. Shadows come from darkness, but they are not necessarily darkness,” Ababa explained with a smile.

“Don’t beat around the bush, be clear,” Harry demanded of Ababa a straightforward answer.

“I also want to know more precisely, but all I can see of the future is this tiny glimpse. That shadow will pass through the City of Storms, so I’m waiting for him here,” Ababa continued.

"You've said so much, but you still haven't explained what this has to do with Ellie's marriage proposal." Harry knew this was the key point. Since Ababa saw the future and knew what was about to happen on the continent, he should do something targeted in response.

“Because Ellie is the light that draws the shadows!” Ababa said with a laugh.

“How could this be… Ellie…” If an ordinary person heard these words, they would naturally not think anything of it, but Harry understood the subtext of these words very well. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, even for someone of his level.

His eyes also reflected deep fear.

“That’s right, that’s how it is, this is ridiculous fate, isn’t it?” Ababa’s words carried a hint of self-mockery.

"Perhaps this is punishment," Harry said with a wry smile.

“Yes, this is our punishment, and all we can do is seek redemption,” Ababa replied softly.

501 Late Night Prison Visit

Du Lei's claim that the other party was targeting him was merely speculation, without any concrete evidence. However, the reason they were willing to follow the police officers to the prison was to avoid causing trouble for Wen Li and the others. If a fight broke out at the train station, Wen Li and the others would inevitably be drawn in.

Of course, if a real fight broke out, these police officers would be no match for him. You see, from Maple Leaf Academy to now, Du Lei has encountered quite a few opponents, including some ruthless characters. He doesn't even consider mere police officers a threat. His only worry is the kind of people hiding behind the police officers.

He believed that the person who reported them to the police must be being watched by someone. Before figuring out the other party's background, it was not a good idea to act rashly. So what he did was wait until the other party revealed their true colors before he would take formal action.

"Yawn, I'm so sleepy. Are we just going to have to make do with sleeping here tonight?" Leopard Tail yawned slowly, leaning against the wall, feeling incredibly sleepy. He had been looking forward to a good night's sleep, and he was supposed to be sleeping in the warm bed at the hotel.

Because of Dure's arrangements, they were imprisoned, and Leopard Tail was very dissatisfied with this.

"If you want to sleep, then go ahead and sleep, but I can't guarantee that someone won't wake you up in the middle of the night." Du Lei didn't care what Leopard Tail did. He went through the whole story in his mind, trying to find some discordant element.

"What? You want to wake me up in the middle of the night? Hey, you've already gone too far by causing us to go to jail, and now you want to wake us up in the middle of the night? Isn't that incredibly immoral?" Leopard Tail had been holding back a lot of resentment for a long time, and now he was expressing his dissatisfaction to her face.

"It wasn't me." Du Lei explained with just three words, too lazy to say anything more to Leopard Tail.

"What do you mean it's not you? If it's not you, then who else could it be, Boss Kotetsu? Let me tell you, my friendship with Boss Kotetsu is as solid as a city wall, and you can't sow discord between us." Leopard Tail said confidently, trying to win over every possible force to his side.

"I've finally figured it out. Tonight, someone will come looking for trouble." Du Lei connected all the clues in his mind and finally pieced together a complete picture.

"What do you mean, 'give us trouble'? Who's giving us trouble? We haven't made any enemies since we came to Lan City." Leopard Tail was baffled. They had only been in Lan City for a couple of days, and they had always been very low-key. Moreover, it was Du Lei who suggested it.

"Why worry so much? No matter who comes looking for trouble, we'll just deal with them one by one." Kotetsu was quite open-minded and didn't seem anxious about it. The ape-armed man next to him gave him a thumbs up, agreeing with Kotetsu's words.

“That makes sense. We’re not so easy to bully, so… not only are we going to have to spend the night here, but we’re also going to be disturbed and won’t even be able to get a good night’s sleep?” While Leopard Tail was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, what concerned him even more was the issue of sleep.

Almost at the same time that Leopard Tail was howling in despair, someone secretly infiltrated the prison. Rather than infiltrating, it would be more accurate to say that they were allowed to pass through unimpeded. The entire group was masked, and their faces could not be seen.

However, judging from their speed of movement, their movements were clean and efficient. Some prison guards noticed them along the way and tried to stop them, but an old prison guard stopped them and covered their mouths, signaling them not to make a sound.

"Hey, senior, what are you doing? Didn't you see someone broke into the prison? We need to go up and stop them!" The young prison guard didn't understand why his senior was stopping him. He was full of passion and wouldn't allow anyone to cause trouble under his nose.

“I saw it, I saw it, I’m not blind, of course I saw it. Kid, you haven’t been here long, don’t you know the rules here? Didn’t you see the red ribbons tied on their shoulders?” The old prison guard pulled his junior aside and whispered an explanation of the prison rules.

"Red ribbon? I think there is such a thing. What's wrong?" the young prison guard asked, puzzled.

“That’s it, that’s the signal,” the old prison guard said confidently.

"Signal? What signal?" The young prison guard was even more confused.

"If someone wants to come in to settle scores with a certain enemy, they tie a red ribbon on their shoulder. When you see them, just pretend you didn't see them, understand?" The old prison guard explained in detail again.

"What? Just pretend we didn't see it? Just let them run rampant in the prison?" The young prison guard found this hard to believe.

"Otherwise, how do you think they got in? Do you think they could have sneaked in so easily without permission from above?" the old prison guard retorted.

“Well… but we can’t just sit idly by. Shouldn’t we be protecting this place because we’re in this position?” The young prison guard was somewhat stubborn. He still had many aspirations and dreams, and the reality before him was clearly different from everything he had envisioned.

“You’re right. We’re in this position to protect this place, but only if you can keep your own life. Everyone who gets in here has powerful connections, people we can’t afford to offend. This is tacitly approved by the higher-ups. We can also get a share of the profits, so it’s not worth risking our lives and money. Just turn a blind eye. You’re not as great as you think. You’re just an ordinary person.” The old prison guard patted the young prison guard on the shoulder. Once upon a time, he was just as passionate as the young man in front of him.

Back then, he always had inexhaustible energy, believing that he could sweep away all the injustices in the world. But as time went by, he gradually realized that he was not as powerful as he imagined, he did not have such great abilities, and he was not as resilient as he imagined when facing difficulties.

He was just an ordinary person. He was tempted by money and troubled by things he couldn't afford. So he compromised. As the years passed, his life was ordinary, filled with trivial matters, but it was also quite fulfilling.

He has a family, and his ideals have long been buried in some corner of history, haven't they?

“But…” The young prison guard hesitated, but he tried to catch up with him.

"There's no 'buts' about it. I'm practically your mentor, I brought you here step by step. Don't worry about that, come over here, let's go play cards over there. We didn't see anything, ah, play cards." The old prison guard pulled his junior aside.

Compromising with reality is never shameful; it's just a way of life, isn't it? That's what he thought.

Officer Ryan, 502

The prison authorities opened the gates without any intervention, allowing the assassins to easily infiltrate the prison and locate their target's cell. They pried open the lock, rushed in, and began hacking wildly at the blankets, clearly aiming to kill their target!

However, after making a few cuts, the group realized something was wrong. They were professionals, and the feeling of the knife cuts was different. Sensing something amiss, they pulled back the blanket and found only some dry grass underneath, which left them looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Everyone, stop looking, we're not there." Just then, a voice came from behind. The masked leader turned around first and saw someone slowly watching them in the corridor outside the prison. It was a thin boy who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old.

"You are...that kid? Why aren't you in prison?" The masked man was taken aback. He had a portrait in his hand, and he compared it with the boy in front of him. He found that they were seven or eight parts similar. He was very puzzled that his target, who should have been in prison, was standing outside the cell.

"I was bored inside, so can't I come out for some fresh air? So... you really did come for me?" The person who walked over was none other than Du Lei. From the moment these people appeared, he had guessed that they were after him, otherwise they wouldn't have had his portrait.

"What exactly do you guys want? And who are you? Take off your masks and show us your true faces. Don't worry, I won't hit your faces, I'll smash your heads." Kotetsu walked over from the other side of the passage, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

He was furious that he was being chased and killed, especially in the middle of the night when he should have been sleeping.

"You..." The masked man was completely unprepared for this sudden event. He originally thought he could easily rush into the prison and kill his target, but he didn't expect that the other party was not in the cell. He also realized that the other party was not a good guy.

"Boss, what should we do now?" one of the masked men asked, looking at each other and waiting for orders.

“What should you do? I have a suggestion,” Du Lei suddenly said, walking towards the group of masked men. He had seen a lot on this trip and was quite confident. With Hu Che and Bao Wei standing behind him, he was even more confident.

"What did you say?" The masked man frowned. It was quite novel for his target to offer him advice.

"Why don't you... just slit your own throats? That way we won't have to bother. What do you think?" Du Lei suddenly rushed forward and locked the cell door. His movements were so fast that the masked men who had rushed into the cell to kill them were caught off guard.

"Hey, what are you doing?" The masked man didn't react in time and immediately swung the knife in his hand at Du Lei.

But by then, Dure had already locked the cell door tightly, and the masked man's attack missed its mark.

"Nothing much, just arrested the suspicious individuals who had infiltrated the prison. It's good to uphold the good qualities of an outstanding citizen, isn't it?" Du Lei explained with a smile, with Kotetsu, Hyo-o, and Ape-arm standing behind him to protect him.

"Arrest us? Are you kidding me? You think you can hold us in this kind of cell?" The masked man was startled by Du Lei's actions, but that was only a slight surprise. He didn't think Du Lei could escape from his blade. He slashed at the lock.

He'd already done this once before; wasn't that what he did when he came in?

"Hey, hey, don't be so impulsive. Besides, we're not your opponents." Du Lei smiled mysteriously and stepped aside, seemingly making way for someone. This puzzled the masked man even more, as he couldn't figure out what the kid was up to.

"What are you talking about? Are you going to die and you've gone mad? Everyone, attack him and kill him..." The masked man had no patience to waste any more time with Du Lei. He waved his hand and ordered his men to rush forward, intending to hack Du Lei to death so he could return and report as soon as possible.

"How dare you break into the prison!" Just then, a voice rang out behind Du Lei, followed by a cacophony of footsteps and the sound of gun bolts being cocked. Soon, more than a dozen gunpowder guns were aimed at the masked assassins who were trying to break out through the cell door.

"What...what's going on? Why are you stopping us from doing our job?" The masked man saw that the people who rushed in were a team of police officers in the latest uniforms, all of whom were carrying gunpowder guns, with the muzzles of their guns aimed at the assassins' heads through the wooden fence.