The most shameless alchemist in history

In the early years, before the railway was built, there weren't many merchants buying snow eagles, and the price was reasonable. But after the railway opened, hundreds of merchants flocked in. Under the fierce hunting of these outsiders, snow eagles became increasingly rare, and the price soared to astronomical levels.

At the current market price, even a snow eagle of slightly lower quality sells for thirty silver coins, enough to support an average family's food and living expenses for a year. If one is lucky enough to capture a top-quality golden snow eagle, the price can more than double, reaching a full sixty silver coins.

Moreover, this is the price at which merchants directly purchase from locals. No one knows how many times the snow eagle will change hands in the hands of merchants. After all, these things are playthings of high-ranking officials and nobles, and ordinary people cannot afford them. Every year, countless hunters go into the mountains to capture snow eagles.

However, even the most experienced hunters cannot withstand the relentless blizzards in the harsh snow-covered mountains. Moreover, the snow eagles' habitat is located on the mountaintops, and hunters know that it is impossible to capture an adult snow eagle. Their fierce attacks are so powerful that even skilled mercenaries cannot withstand them.

The only feasible way is to climb up the snow mountain and bring back the snow eagle's cub. Once you enter the mountain, you will be caught in blizzards, avalanches, and attacks from ferocious monsters. Any one of these will result in your death in the vast snow-covered mountains. The most dangerous thing is being targeted by the snow eagle. If it discovers that the child has been stolen, it will be in danger.

Its wide field of vision and unparalleled speed are enough to make hunters nowhere to hide. The price of capturing a snow eagle is extremely high, at least several lives are lost. However, stimulated by the shiny gold coins waved in the hands of merchants, hunters still flock to it.

As evening fell, the weather, which had been clear for three days, started snowing again. Although spring was just around the corner, for the Land of Snow, it snowed for most of the year, with only about a month of clear days in the summer. The further north you went, the shorter the period of clear days became.

"What kind of place is this? It snows every other day, I'm freezing to death. Hey, you're called Kassel, right? You said you wanted me to come and check out the goods. I've checked the goods, I have to go back, it's too cold." A man's voice came from an alley near the most luxurious hotel in Snow Eagle Town.

This was a middle-aged man around forty years old. He was wrapped in a thick fur coat, which looked expensive. He had a thin face, a hooked nose, and spoke in a high-pitched voice. He was holding a cane and was shivering despite his thick clothes, clearly unsuited to the cold winter of the north.

“Master Seta, I’m so sorry to have you out so late. Grey Falcon, quickly show the goods to Master Seta. He’s a very busy man and his time is very precious. Hurry up!” In the shadows of the alley, a man in his thirties urged his companion, bowing and scraping with a smile.

He was all smiles when dealing with Setta, but he was incredibly impatient and aggressive with the thin, small boy next to him who looked to be only about ten years old. Setta was followed by several tall, burly bodyguards who squinted and exuded a strong sense of intimidation.

"Understood, Master Seta. This is what we wanted to show you: the purest golden snow eagle, named Dogo." Although the little boy was young, he was not intimidated by Seta and his group. He was carrying something in his right hand, which was covered by a black cloth and could not be seen clearly.

After carefully looking around, he walked up to Seta and lifted a corner of the black cloth. It turned out that what was wrapped was a cage. Inside the cage, a gray-white snow eagle stared with bright eyes and made a "cooing" sound from its belly. The boy introduced the snow eagle.

“I’m not interested in what it’s called. You don’t need to say anything. You just said it’s the purest golden snow eagle. What are you talking about? It’s clearly ashen gray. Where is the golden one? Are you trying to fool me?” Seta waved his hand, interrupting the boy.

He tried to take the cage to examine it more closely, but the boy wouldn't let go. Seta looked it over, shook his head, and didn't approve.

“Master Seta, snow eagles are grayish-white when they are young, and their plumage only turns pure white when they grow up. Moreover, the golden part of a purebred snow eagle is in its pupils, not its feathers. Those snow eagles with golden feathers are…” The boy was getting a little anxious, as he knew snow eagles very well.

"Grey Falcon, shut up, hahaha! Master Seta, this kid is so talkative, you don't need to pay him any mind. This snow eagle may not be the best quality, but it's still a snow eagle, right? Grey Falcon needs money right now, so why don't you do a good deed and take it in?"

The middleman, named Kassel, interrupted the boy, but when he turned to Seta, he smiled and began to promote Snow Eagle.

“I, Seta, have been in the snow eagle business for quite some time now. Do I need a child like you to teach me? You’re right, the quality is a bit poor, but it’s still a snow eagle. Snow eagles are getting harder and harder to acquire these days. This time I paid a high price and only managed to get a little over twenty.”

Seta glared at the boy named Grey Falcon. He had seen golden snow eagles before; they were all covered in golden feathers, shimmering and exuding an air of nobility, especially favored by high-ranking officials and nobles. This slovenly snow eagle in front of him was simply not worth mentioning.

"Yes, there are fewer and fewer snow eagles now. And after years of capturing them, snow eagles have become very hostile to humans. Anyone who gets close to a snow eagle's territory will be attacked. This year, the entire town has only captured a little over twenty snow eagles. It's thanks to your boldness, Mr. Seta, that you bought them all."

Kassel is a local middleman who specializes in introducing hunters who want to sell snow eagles to the buyer Seta. He knows the market price of snow eagles very well. This year, Seta has monopolized the snow eagle business. He heard that this Mr. Seta has a lot of connections in the capital, so he tried his best to curry favor with Seta.

“Well then, seeing that you’re just a kid and it’s not easy for you, I, Seta, will do you a good deed and give you five silver coins. I really don’t want this kind of trash, so give him the money.” Seta glanced at the cage again, waved his hand, and the bodyguard behind him counted the money and handed it over in a money bag.

“Five silver coins in Kassel? Didn’t you say that Snow Eagles can sell for at least thirty silver coins now? You know I really need money right now, five silver coins are not enough at all.” Gray Falcon was stunned when he heard this, the price was very different from what he had imagined.

050 Did you abandon it?

In the northern winter, night always falls exceptionally early. It was only a little past seven o'clock, and it was already pitch black. Fortunately, the most luxurious building in the entire Snow Eagle Town, a four-story hotel, was nearby. The hotel's lights shone through the windows into this quiet alley.

The boy, who had just come out of the snow-capped mountain, was carrying a backpack and a suitcase as he walked through the alley. He planned to find a place to stay for the night and then take a train to leave the small town at the foot of the snow-capped mountain the next day, heading west. He had planned his itinerary while he was still on the mountain.

But as he walked through the alley, he saw two people talking ahead. One of them looked to be around thirty years old, with a wide and long face, a tuft of beard sticking up, and a cunning look on his face. The other looked to be only about ten years old. The latter tried to chase after him but was pulled back by the man.

"My Dogo, no, I don't want to give Dogo to him, give Dogo back to me!" The boy named Grey Falcon rushed forward, trying to stop Seta, who had just left with the cage, but Cassel held on tightly until Seta and his group completely disappeared from sight before letting go.

“Hey Grey Falcon, you have money and you don’t want it? Are you stupid? And aren’t you short of money right now? Master Seta has monopolized the snow eagle trade in the whole town. There’s no other buyer but him. If you don’t sell to him, who else can you sell to? You’re really ungrateful,” Cassel scoffed.

"But five silver coins are far from enough! If I hadn't been in such a hurry for the money, I wouldn't have given it to Dogo! Waaah, wasn't it supposed to be thirty silver coins? That liar Seta!" Grey Falcon knew that he couldn't do anything about Seta after he entered the inn, so he sat on the ground and burst into tears.

“It’s already quite kind of Lord Seta to do business with a little kid like you. Alright, five silver coins, this is yours and this is mine. It’s so cold today, I should go back.” Kassel held the five silver coins in his hand, keeping three for himself and giving only two to Grey Falcon.

"Why are there only two instead of five silver coins?" Gray Falcon looked up at Cassel. Although the price of five silver coins was far from what he had imagined, Cassel was right about one thing: he needed money right now and couldn't care less about anything else. But that was exactly the time.

He was supposed to receive five silver coins, but Cassel withheld three, leaving him with less than half—only one-fifteenth of the thirty he had expected.

"Hey Grey Falcon, it's so cold. I contacted Master Seta for you and came with you. Did I come all this way just because you looked pitiful? Besides, if it weren't for me, Kassel, would Master Seta even want to do business with you? You should know how to be grateful. Take the money and go home. Let's go."

Kassel weighed the three silver coins in his hand for a moment, then quickly disappeared into the alley. Only the snowflakes continued to fall softly. Under the light from the inn, the snow was a vast expanse of white, and the thin gray falcon looked especially lonely on the snow. He picked up the silver coins from the ground.

"So all I got in the end was two silver coins? Waaah, I'm so useless. I'm so sorry, Dogo, but I really need the money. I only have two silver coins. What am I going to do with the rest?" Gray Falcon pounded the snow hard, splashing up large snowflakes.

"Is Dogo a very important partner's name?" The boy, who had just arrived in Snow Eagle Town, stopped in front of Gray Falcon and asked.

"Dogo is the name of a snow eagle. My father brought it back from the snow-capped mountains when it was a child." Gray Falcon looked up blankly and saw a boy three or four years older than him looking at him. The boy was not tall and strong, and looked very thin, but his eyes were exceptionally calm.

"Snow Eagle, is your father one of the many hunters who go into the mountains to capture snow eagles?" The boy frowned. It was clear that he was familiar with snow eagles and the hunters who hunted them. In fact, he had dealt with those hunters many times in the mountains and did not have much affection for them.

“My father was indeed a hunter, but he never bothered with snow eagles. He said that snow eagles are messengers of the gods and should not be desecrated. Dogo was an injured snow eagle that my father found in the mountains. He couldn’t find the snow eagle’s nest, so he brought Dogo back.”

Gray Falcon saw no malice in the boy's eyes and told him about Dogo's origins. In the past, he would never have revealed a single word, because people are obsessed with money. If they knew that Dogo was Snow Eagle, they would definitely have snatched him from him. But now there was no need for that.

"I see. What about Dogo? You mentioned the silver coins earlier. Did you sell them to a merchant because you were greedy for money?" the boy continued to ask. His calm eyes seemed to see through everything. Gray Falcon had never seen such eyes before and was momentarily stunned by what he said.

"It's not about money, Dogo is very important to me, but... but..." Grey Falcon's eyes dimmed after arguing.

"But you still abandoned it, didn't you?" The boy pressed on with this question, his words like sharp knives.

"But my mother fell ill, and the doctor said that treating her would cost a lot of money. We have nothing left at home, and I really can't bear to see her leave like this. The grocery store where I worked fired me because a distant relative of the owner came to visit. I really have no other choice."

As Grey Falcon spoke, his voice trembled with tears. Snowflakes fell softly onto his hair, quickly turning it into a small white patch.

“I understand. I know the value of the falcon. Although I haven’t seen the 'Dogo,' it should be worth at least sixty silver coins. But it was exploited by the merchants and middlemen, and I only got two silver coins, right?” The boy looked at the silver coins in the gray falcon’s hand and understood what had happened.

"Two silver coins are not enough to treat my mother's illness. Waaah, I regret it so much, Dogo." For Grey Falcon, his heart was in extreme pain at this moment. Whether it was his mother or Dogo, they were the most important people to him, but at this moment he could not save either of them.

"Can I ask you one more question?" The boy's tone was as calm as ever, without surprise or pity.

"What's the problem?" Grey Falcon didn't know the boy. Perhaps he needed to vent his grief, which was why he told him so much.

"If your mother weren't sick, and I gave you another sixty silver coins, would you be willing to sell Dogo?" the boy asked softly.

"No, I won't sell," Grey Falcon replied with unusual firmness.

"What if I gave you six hundred silver coins? That would be enough for an ordinary person to live on for most of their life," the boy continued to ask.

"No, no, Dorgo is my most important partner. I won't sell him for any amount of money," Grey Falcon shook his head emphatically, his eyes resolute.

"I understand. Where is your home? Take me to see your mother," the boy said slowly after a moment's thought.

051 Hurry up and take me to the pharmacy.

This was by no means a lucky day for the Grey Falcon. When he took Dogo to find Kassel, his heart was heavy. When he put Dogo in the cage, he specially fed Dogo his favorite breadcrumbs and clean water, and talked to Dogo for a long time.

It wasn't until Kassel urged him that he reluctantly took Dogo away. He said this more than once on the way, saying it was for his mother. Kassel also assured him that he could get a good price for him, that his mother's illness could be cured, and that everything would be alright.

But when Seta took Dogo away, all that was left for him was a mere five silver coins. Kassel, who had made him such a wonderful promise, ran off with three silver coins, leaving the helpless Grey Falcon all alone. For Grey Falcon, all was utterly silent, and all the flames of hope in his heart were extinguished.

Even after encountering another boy in the alley, who offered to take him home to see his mother, Grey Falcon had no hope. After returning to his dilapidated home, where cold winds howled in, the boy went to see his mother, while Grey Falcon sat outside.

"Madam, please rest well. Your illness is not serious. You just need to rest for a few days and you will recover." After checking on the young lady lying on the bed with a haggard face, the young man gave her a few words of advice, then slowly got up. A cold wind blew in from the window, and there were several newspapers pasted on the window.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Dure. My humble abode is simple and there is no place to entertain you. I am truly sorry." The young lady knew that these were the young man's words of comfort. She tried to get up and settle the young man named Dure in, or at least prepare a place for him to sleep, but Dure stopped her.

“Madam, you’ve been overworking, and you also have some hereditary illnesses, which have made you weak. Trust me, I can cure you. I don’t need any hospitality; you can rest assured.” Du Lei shook his head and only went downstairs after the young lady had lay down.

Although it was a two-story house, the space was extremely narrow. Adults had to bend over to pass through the attic on the second floor. The cold wind howled through, and the young lady's cough could be heard from time to time. After Du Lei went downstairs, Grey Falcon was sitting at the door, watching the snow falling outside.

“Your name is Grey Falcon, right?” Dure walked up to Grey Falcon. He had already learned some basic information from the young lady.

“If you want to sleep, there’s a bed over there. I’ve already tidied it up, and there’s hot water next to it. If you’re hungry, there’s half a sweet potato in the kitchen. That’s all we have to eat. Go to sleep.” Gray Falcon replied to Dure without turning his head, still looking at the wind and snow.

"Don't you want to ask about your mother's condition?" Dure frowned. The Grey Falcon's attitude wasn't very friendly, making him feel uncomfortable.

"I've asked all the doctors in town, but none of them have a cure. I've long accepted this reality. Besides, you don't look much older than me, and you're carrying luggage. You must be a traveler who came in a hurry and is about to leave. You just want to find a place to stay."

Although Grey Falcon was young, he had a lot of experience. He talked to himself, his words carrying a hint of mockery.

"I just want to find a place to stay." Du Lei's brows furrowed even deeper. If Black Wind were there, he would know that this was a sign that Du Lei was about to lose his temper.

“That’s right. I don’t know how many guys like you I’ve seen in the past two years. It’s only because my mother is kind that she always takes in travelers who ask for lodging, preparing food and drink for them, and cleaning up after them. But many of them are not only ungrateful, but they also steal things from our house when they leave.”

Grey Falcon gritted his teeth as he recalled some of his past experiences, clearly showing that he had no good feelings towards travelers who sought lodging with him.

"Does a kind-hearted person harbor deep hatred after being hurt? But if that's the case, why did you bring me back?" Du Lei calmed down a bit and looked at Gray Falcon with surprise. Logically speaking, Gray Falcon should have just rejected him in the alley.

“If you encounter helpful people but don’t lend a hand, your mother will be very angry. So you should go to sleep quietly and leave as soon as it’s light. Don’t pretend to be a doctor anymore.” Grey Falcon’s attitude was firm; he labeled Du Lei a “liar.”

"I see, that's interesting. Let's go." Du Lei walked out the door and gestured for Gray Falcon to come with him, which surprised Gray Falcon.

"What are you leaving for? Your suitcase is still at my house." Grey Falcon assumed that Dure was angry with him and wanted to leave his house.

"Of course we'll go to the herbal medicine shop. I just arrived in Snow Eagle Town and I don't know much about this place. You must know where the herbal medicine shop is, right?" Du Lei turned around and glanced at Gray Falcon, thinking that the question he asked was idiotic, and even his eyes really looked like he was looking at an idiot.

"What are you doing at the herbal medicine shop?" Gray Falcon was still sitting at the door, completely baffled by the guy's intentions.

"What else can we do? Of course, we'll buy medicine. Don't you want your mother to recover sooner?" Du Lei tapped him on the head.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Why did you hit me? Don't think that just because I'm younger than you, I'm easy to bully!" Gray Falcon suddenly became angry.

"I'm just checking if your head is empty. You're just sitting here like an idiot. Hurry up and leave. I don't have much time to waste here with you." Du Lei squinted at the sky. Although times have changed and the concept of 24 hours has become more widespread, watches are still a rare item.

“But it’s so late, the herbal medicine shops are all closed, and I should go to a doctor, not a herbal medicine shop. Besides, I don’t have any money.” When Grey Falcon mentioned “money,” his expression darkened again, clearly thinking of what had happened in the dark alley not long ago.

“If the door is closed, it will open again. Don’t you want your mother to get better soon?” Du Lei asked Grey Falcon.

"Of course I hope my mother can get better soon, but the doctors in town all say..." Grey Falcon still had some doubts.

“You know it was the doctor in town who said it, so now that the doctor outside town wants you to take him to buy medicine, stop dawdling. Didn’t your father tell you that a man should be decisive and efficient?” Du Lei urged Gray Falcon to lead the way quickly.

"The doctor outside the town, but are you really a doctor?" Grey Falcon still looked at the guy in front of him with great suspicion.

“Strictly speaking, no, but I have tried it a few times for treating illnesses, and the results were quite good. So don’t ask any more questions, let’s go.” Du Lei thought for a moment, but couldn’t give a definite answer. His patience ran out, and he simply dragged Gray Falcon away.

052 What was the purpose of the late-night visit?

Although Grey Falcon didn't trust Dure, this guy of unknown origin, and had no intention of taking him to the pharmacy, firstly because he had no money, and secondly because the town's doctors said there was nothing they could do and he had to go to a big city for treatment, which would be a huge expense, so he was desperately trying to earn money.

Under Dure's persistent dragging and pulling, Grey Falcon had no choice but to follow him out into the snowstorm. Snowflakes kept falling on the two of them, and Grey Falcon protested loudly on the road, but Dure ignored him. The two walked through two streets and finally stopped in front of the pharmacy.

"This is the pharmacy. Let me tell you first, the owner, Uncle Kaba, has a very fiery temper. If you knock on the door now, he'll definitely be very angry, and if he gets angry, the consequences could be severe," Gray Falcon solemnly reminded Du Lei.

He had grown up in Snow Eagle Town and knew everything about it. Recalling Uncle Kaba's fierce face, he could easily imagine that disturbing him so late would surely invite a torrent of abuse, and there was a good chance he'd get beaten up.

"Hey, open the door quickly, we have a guest! Hey, wake up, it's me, Grandpa Gray Falcon! Get up and open the door!" Before Gray Falcon could finish speaking, Du Lei pounded on the door, repeatedly calling himself "Gray Falcon" as he knocked, which terrified Gray Falcon.

"What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to be careful and polite? And what's with impersonating me? You're going to get me killed! Are you even listening to me?" Gray Falcon immediately yelled at Du Lei. This guy was too unreliable.

"Grey Falcon, what are you doing knocking on the door in the middle of the night? Don't you let people sleep? You're so mean, I'm not going to let you get away with this! Hey, who is this?" Just as Grey Falcon was speaking, the door of the pharmacy creaked open, and a burly man with a face full of scars rushed over and shoved Grey Falcon's head down.

Before the poor Grey Falcon could react, it was beaten up and almost shoved into the snow. After the big man vented his anger, he noticed that besides the Grey Falcon, who was seeing stars, there was a black-haired, black-eyed boy he had never seen before standing next to it.