The most shameless alchemist in history

"Are you kidding me? Mr. Redu, what exactly is this...?" Eli was a little confused by Redu's words.

"Okay, to tell you the truth, it's actually because I'm a little envious of you." Du Lei put away his joking expression and said softly.

“Envious? What’s there to envy about me…” Ellie bit his lip, his head down, seemingly dissatisfied with his life.

"Of course I envy you. You have so many people who care about you, and you can run freely. Unlike me, I can only hunt like a wild dog in the vast snow-covered mountains. Even if I die in the snow, no one will know." Du Lei looked up at the sky and said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Mr. Redu, how could this be…” Ellie didn’t know anything about the boy’s past, and Redu didn’t say much either. However, through Redu’s eyes, he could see a lot. The slight emotional fluctuation made Ellie feel a pang of sadness.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding, don't take it too seriously. By the way, why did you run away again? Didn't you get chased by a bunch of people when you sneaked out before? Why don't I see them today? Let me tell you, I'm not helping you this time." Du Lei joked.

"I didn't run away. I asked my father for permission and he gave me his permission to come out for a walk. I just happened to run into him..." Ellie explained.

"Don't tell me it's just a coincidence. There's no such thing as a coincidence. I ran into you as soon as I came out. I feel like you're watching me." Du Lei looked him over suspiciously.

“Mr. Redu, what’s wrong…” Ellie was taken aback and looked at Redu with some panic.

"Oh dear, I told you not to be so nervous, I was just joking, why are you reacting so strongly?" Du Lei said with a half-smile.

"Let's go. Since we're here to relax, there are so many great places we didn't get to visit last time." Du Lei jumped off the old city wall and reached out to pull Ellie along. The moonlight was bright, and the night was still long.

.vertex

536 Ordinary Friends

The peaceful night is always a perfect match for the bright moonlight. As the premier commercial metropolis of the Mountain Kingdom, Lan City is not dominated by the darkness after nightfall. Bright lights can be seen everywhere in the city, especially in landmark buildings such as the Qinglan Building and the Qingkong Hotel.

Traditional magic lamps and new electric lights adorned the dark night sky. Some people even set off fireworks, which bloomed with brilliant colors in the sky. Children ran around in the street, some holding windmills and others chasing balls. It was a scene of great joy.

"Is it some kind of holiday today? It's so lively over there, people are setting off fireworks!" Ellie was in a great mood as she watched the fireworks.

"Today is the Storm Festival, a traditional festival in Storm City, a day to pray to the gods that the children will be safe and sound throughout the year," Du Lei explained from the side.

"That sounds really great, a children's holiday? I'd like to celebrate it too," Ellie said longingly.

"So... here, take this. Consider it a holiday gift." At this moment, Du Lei handed him something.

"Oh, this is... fireworks, Mr. Redu, where did you get these?" Ellie took the item and recognized them as children's fireworks. Once lit, they could be waved in the hand and bloom into stars, which was a lot of fun.

"I bought these while you were in the restroom. Light them quickly." Du Lei took out a match and lit the firework.

"I never expected that someone as serious as Mr. Redu would buy something like this. How do you play with it? Is it... like this?" Ellie was overjoyed. After the fireworks were lit, he was a little unfamiliar with them and asked Redu how to play.

“You’ve never played this before? It’s very simple, just do it like this.” Dure taught Ellie how to play and demonstrated for her.

“I’ve never played this before…it’s so beautiful, just like the stars in the sky. Mr. Redu, did you often play this before?” Ellie danced with the fireworks as Redu had taught her, looking very excited. The two walked down the street, surrounded by the lively noise.

"I've never played this before," Du Lei answered honestly.

"Huh? I've never played this before, but Mr. Redu seems quite skilled at it." Ellie was a little surprised.

"I just saw them playing like this, so I just copied them," Du Lei replied with a smile.

“Is that so? I didn’t even notice. Mr. Redu’s observation skills are truly remarkable.” Ellie blinked as she looked at Redu.

"This isn't anything to boast about, so... it's about time we part ways." Du Lei turned to look at the moonlight in the sky, beneath which were dazzling fireworks, now at their most spectacular, shimmering with light and color.

"Oh? Are you leaving so soon?" Ellie looked a little regretful.

“Yes, even the most beautiful fireworks eventually come to an end. Rather than waiting for them to turn into a pile of cold flames and fade away, wouldn’t it be better to leave while they’re still in full bloom?” Du Lei countered.

"But... it's still a little hard to let go of," Ellie said softly.

"Alright, that's our farewell. I hope we'll have the chance to meet again." Du Lei waved and slowly walked away into the crowd.

“Mr. Redu, please wait, Mr. Redu.” Ellie tried to stop Redu and went to chase after him.

But the area was packed with people. There were folk artists performing acrobatics, vendors selling all sorts of novel and strange trinkets, and children running around. There were just too many people, and Du Lei was quickly swallowed up by the crowd. He couldn't find him at all.

"Have they... gone far already?" Ellie stopped, looking at the crowd around him and at the fireworks bursting in the sky. The fireworks in his hand were mostly burned out and would soon be over.

“Miss, it’s time. You should go back now.” At this moment, someone appeared behind Ellie. They had been watching her the whole time, or rather, she. She had gone to great lengths to beg for this opportunity.

"How time flies! I wish it could last longer," she murmured to herself, head bowed.

"Miss, you..." someone next to her reminded her again.

"I understand. I'll go back now, and then... I won't have any regrets, right?" she asked herself.

She quickly turned around and disappeared into the crowd, while on the other side, someone watched her leave.

"Hey, Du Lei, who is he?" Leopard Tail asked in surprise, standing next to Du Lei.

"Just an ordinary friend."

"Friends? Someone like you actually has friends? Hey, you haven't forgotten your business, have you? Tomorrow is the fifth round, and instead of preparing properly, you're here flirting with your so-called friends. It's really annoying," Leopard Tail complained.

“What flirting? That’s a man, okay?” Dure emphasized this point.

"What man? Du Lei, you must be kidding me. That person has delicate features and is clearly a woman. You're telling me she's a man?" Leopard Tail stared wide-eyed, pointing at the departing figure in the distance.

"What? A woman?" Du Lei was stunned; he had never noticed anything like this before.

"That's right. You're usually quite clever, and even Boss Hu Che says you have good taste. How come you didn't recognize a woman standing right in front of you? Don't be ridiculous." Leopard Tail finally found something to criticize Du Lei for, and immediately seized on it.

"A woman? No wonder..." Du Lei had some doubts in his mind, but with Leopard Tail's words revealing the truth, those doubts were finally cleared up.

"So come to the truth, Du Lei, you're not secretly dating someone behind our backs, are you? Tell me the truth, and I'll keep it a secret. Otherwise, I'll tell everyone." Leopard Tail's eyes darted around as he put his arm around Du Lei's shoulder and asked mysteriously.

"Don't talk nonsense about dating. We're just ordinary friends," Du Lei corrected him again.

"You rascal, you might fool others, but you think you can fool me? I don't believe you. Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped, I'll never tell anyone, hehe, so hurry up and tell me, tell me, tell me." Leopard Tail pressed on relentlessly, determined to find out the whole story before he would give up.

"I don't even know if he's a man or a woman, what am I supposed to say? Besides, I have a feeling you're lying to me." Du Lei didn't quite believe Leopard Tail's words.

"How could I have fooled you? Those features clearly belong to a girl, okay?" Leopard Tail was a little unconvinced.

"I think you've been single for too long, so you just assume anyone you see is a woman, right?"

"You're talking nonsense! I have way more experience than you, how could I possibly be wrong?"

"Everyone makes mistakes, and even horses stumble; it's not unexpected."

"You're not going to tell, huh? Then I'm going to go back and tell everyone about this!"

"No, no!"

The fireworks continued to bloom, and everything was peaceful and serene under the moonlight, until the last spark of fireworks went out.

Only a lingering smell of gunpowder remained in the air.

.vertex

537 Borrowing Time

Although Leopard Tail kept saying he would tell everyone about Du Lei and Ellie's meeting, he didn't bring it up after they returned to the Sky Hotel. After all, Leopard Tail understood the priorities and knew that their immediate concern wasn't pursuing gossip.

Instead, they wanted to leave Storm Castle as soon as possible and head to Rock Castle. So after returning to their room, the group, including Kotetsu, focused their discussion on the fifth round of the competition for tomorrow. However, after discussing it for a long time, they still couldn't come to a conclusion.

"Things will work themselves out in the end. You'll know everything by tomorrow, so don't overthink it. Go to bed early, recharge your energy, and tomorrow's problems will naturally be solved." Du Lei kindly comforted Hu Che and Bao Wei.

These two were determined to get something out of him. Even though Dure repeatedly stated that he didn't know what the next day's events would be like, they still looked at him suspiciously, as if Dure was really hiding something.

"But as the old saying goes, it's better to be prepared than not. You guessed the first two rounds, so why can't you guess tomorrow's?" Leopard Tail looked at Du Lei suspiciously, not really believing Du Lei's words, and seemed to be trying to figure something out from the changes in Du Lei's expression.

“I’m not a god, and I’m not always right, so it’s not surprising that I can’t guess,” Du Lei replied, arms crossed. The candles in the room were burning, and thick layers of wax dripped down; they had been discussing for quite some time.

"Alright, I'm telling you, Leopard Tail, stop bothering Du Lei. Du Lei is right. Instead of thinking nonsense here, we should get a good night's rest. By the way, Du Lei, tonight... Jin won't be causing trouble again, will he?" Kotetsu gestured for Leopard Tail to go back to his room.

However, before leaving, he thought of the two previous attacks. He was still worried about Kim's actions because his intuition told him that Kim was a dangerous person, and since Kim had been tricked by them today, he would not let them off easily.

“Even if he wants to cause trouble, he has to get past his brother Leon first. Leon has promised to protect us and Miss Winry’s safety. I think we can trust him on that point.” Dure recalled his conversation with Leon.

He really couldn't understand Lyon's intentions, because Lyon could have played a much better hand against King. He couldn't figure out what Lyon had that was worth investing in, but he was quite certain that Lyon was a shrewd person who wouldn't do a losing deal.

"Are you really going to trust Leon like that? What if those two brothers team up against us?" Leopard Tail was still a little uneasy.

"Actually, the answer to this question is very simple. Everything has a purpose. Whether it's Leon or King, they are both high and mighty beings. They have no reason to join forces against small fry like us. Even if there is a possibility that they want to deal with Miss Winry, you have seen King's methods before. If they really want to kill us, it is not difficult for them," Dure said incisively.

“Durey is right. If they wanted to deal with Miss Winry, they would have done it long ago. They wouldn’t have dragged it out until now. So, Leopard Tail, stop thinking nonsense and go back to sleep.” Kotetsu patted Leopard Tail on the shoulder, and the latter finally nodded.

"See you tomorrow then." Du Lei finally saw them out of the room, which gave him a rare moment of peace.

After Hu Che and the others left, the huge room became empty. After all, the Sky Hotel was not a small hotel on the street. The room was spacious and exquisitely furnished. Du Lei counted on his fingers and realized that he had never stayed in such a room before. He walked to the balcony and looked down at the city's night view.

But he hadn't been quiet for long when there was another "bang bang bang" at the door, which made Du Lei frown.

"Didn't we say we didn't need to discuss it anymore? We'll know what it's about tomorrow." Du Lei assumed that Hu Che and the others had returned. He had already experienced a lot today, and he was also thinking about things related to Leon. Being interrupted in his thinking process made him very angry.

"I'm so sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Du Lei. If you're asleep, we can talk tomorrow." The person outside said apologetically, and soon footsteps could be heard, indicating that they were about to leave.

"Oh, it's Miss Wenli. I haven't gone to sleep yet, it's alright. Miss Wenli, is there anything I can help you with?" Du Lei hurriedly went to open the door upon hearing the voice. Standing outside was none other than Wenli. He was somewhat puzzled as to why Wenli would come to his room so late.

“I’m afraid of disturbing Mr. Dure, after all, he’s been very busy these past few days, and it seems he has a lot to do tomorrow.” Wenli hesitated for a moment and did not enter the room.

“I hope I haven’t disturbed you. It’s my pleasure to serve you, Miss Winry. So, is there anything you need from me, Miss Winry? Please don’t hesitate to ask.” Dure gestured for Winry to come into the room. He then glanced outside, having initially assumed there were others following behind.

Normally, either Lark or Bee Sting would have to ensure that at least one of them followed behind Winry to guarantee her safety, but Durei looked around and couldn't find any trace of either of them, which made him even more confused.

“I don’t have anything special to say, I just couldn’t sleep, and I thought Mr. Du Lei might not be asleep either, so I wanted to chat with you.” Wen Li gently shook her head, stating her purpose directly.

"I see. By the way, where are Bai Ling or Miss Bee Sting? Where are they?" Du Lei was still a little worried and asked.

“They’re all eating over there at the restaurant. Is Mr. Dure worried about my safety?” Wenli blinked gently.

"Well... are they really so comfortable letting you go out alone, Miss Wenli?" Du Lei chuckled at Wenli's answer, not expecting that Bai Ling and Feng Shi would go out to eat in the middle of the night.

“I’m not going anywhere else. I’m staying nearby, and I think I’m very safe here with Mr. Dure. Besides, didn’t you say that the man named Leon would guarantee our safety?” Winry said with a smile.

“That’s certainly true.” Dure nodded, agreeing with this.

"So, Mr. Du Lei, would you mind if I borrowed just a little bit of your time?" Wen Li smiled gently.

The bright moonlight spilled across the ground.

538 Hometown

Moonlight streamed obliquely through the window, casting a soft glow on the dim candlelight in the room. The light mingled with the moonlight, outlining the silhouettes of the young man and woman as they leaned against the balcony, gazing into the distance. A gentle evening breeze blew by; it was a rare, peaceful night.

Even though danger lurked everywhere outside the room, and countless people wanted to take their lives, at least for this moment, in this narrow room, they were calm and undisturbed by the outside world. This rare tranquility calmed Du Lei's heart as well.

"What a beautiful night. Come to think of it, it's been so long since I left Maple City that I've never really appreciated the moonlight." Wenli looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, the evening breeze ruffling her hair, her smile gentle and serene.