The most shameless alchemist in history

The only thing that could make one feel slightly more at ease was the steaming cup of black tea on the table. The girl picked up the teacup, and her eyes were reflected in the surface. Recalling what had happened at the mountaintop bathhouse, she inexplicably gripped the knife tighter and gritted her teeth, feeling somewhat resentful.

"The demonized gorilla was transformed into a demonic beast by the surrounding wild animals affected by the magic of the star stone. Those demons were really blind, daring to attack you, Miss, but they were easily dealt with by you." Duanmu had great confidence in the abilities of the girl in front of him.

Let alone low-level magical beasts, she can easily defeat even those of a higher level. Although she is only fourteen years old this year, countless magical beasts have already perished under her demonic blade. In terms of talent alone, there are very few people who are more outstanding than her.

"No, I didn't defeat him. It was some annoying guy from the village." The girl hesitated for a moment, but still didn't tell anyone what had happened at the mountaintop bathhouse. After all, it was too embarrassing, and just thinking about it made her feel a surge of hatred.

"Was it done by other mercenaries? It's really surprising that those cold-blooded guys would do something like this." Duanmu pondered, resting his chin on his hand. Since entering the village, he had noticed that all the inns were full of mercenaries, and there were also many campers, numbering in the hundreds.

"It wasn't them, just an ordinary boy from the village, about my age. He clearly didn't have any magical energy reaction, yet he was able to defeat four magical beasts with ease. It's infuriating." The girl became angrier the more she thought about it. She should have ended the battle easily, but instead, he stole the show.

"How is it possible for a boy with no magical energy reaction to defeat a magical beast?" Duanmu was startled by her words. In his understanding, to defeat a magical beast with magical energy, one must use magical energy. This was practically a law, an ironclad rule, and an unshakeable principle.

"It was just some underhanded tricks. Never mind, let's not talk about him anymore. Grandpa Teng, the barrier around the cave to the north of the village is getting weaker and weaker. Based on your experience, do you think there are really star stones hidden inside?" The girl waved her hand, not wanting to talk about shameless people anymore.

After taking a sip of black tea, she asked the old man next to her. It was easy to see from her address that she respected the old man very much. Although she was of a higher status, this extremely short old man was actually the backbone of their group of three, and he arranged all the itinerary.

"The appearance of the demonized gorillas is enough to explain the problem. The gorillas were originally wild animals that lived in the nearby mountains. It was because the barrier of the cave to the north weakened that the power of the star stone overflowed. Under the influence of the star stone, ordinary wild animals were demonized and turned into demonic beasts. This is only natural."

The old man stroked his white beard, deep in thought. His gaze turned to the north side of the village. The villagers might not have noticed, but for someone with such an astonishing amount of magical energy as him, he could clearly feel the immense pressure emanating from the sealing barrier of the cave to the north.

"Really? That's great! It seems we didn't come to the wrong place this time. I just wonder what level of star stone we'll find, and what kind of magic it contains. Grandpa Teng, what other information can you sense?" A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the girl who had always kept a straight face and a cold expression.

She immediately asked the old man for further information, showing particular interest in topics related to "star stones," with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"Miss, please forgive my incompetence, but the barrier sealing the cave is too powerful. As long as you sense the vicinity of the cave, it will be forcibly dispelled by the power of the seal, making it impossible to sense the situation inside the cave." Although the old man couldn't bear to see her disappointed expression, he still chose to tell the truth.

"Wait, old man Teng, didn't you say that the cave's barrier was already dilapidated and would soon disappear? What, you always boasted that you were very powerful, especially those eyes you raised, but there are places you can't get into. Your bragging has been exposed." Duanmu scoffed at this.

Although both of them were the young girl's attendants, responsible for taking care of her daily life and protecting her safety, the two, one old and one young, usually couldn't stand each other and looked down on each other. In particular, Duanmu was young and hot-blooded and often argued with Old Man Teng. It would not be an exaggeration to call him a "nitpicker".

"If you think you're so capable, you can go and explore the cave tonight. But I'm warning you beforehand, if you die at the cave entrance, I won't collect your body," the old man sneered. Duanmu was indeed a rising star among the younger generation, but he was too reckless and prone to acting impulsively.

"Tch, anyone can scare people. Don't try to provoke me with that. I still have to stay here to protect the young lady." Duanmu slung the spear over the back of his neck and squinted at the window. With the help of the moonlight and lamplight, he could see the intricate patterns on the spear, covered with dense, tiny characters.

"If even the remaining barrier possesses such immense power, then at its peak, wouldn't it be impossible to even break through to the Steel Rank? This is truly terrifying. However, if we consider this from a different perspective, with such a powerful barrier protecting it, the power of the star stones hidden within must be even greater."

The girl offered a counterintuitive conclusion: she wasn't an optimistic person, but when it came to finding the Star Stone, she didn't hold back her optimism at all, because it held her hope. Countless people in her hometown were waiting for her to return with the Star Stone and save them.

“What you say makes a lot of sense, Miss. You are indeed worthy of being called Miss. You have come up with this idea. Once the barrier completely disappears, we will enter the cave to search for the star stone. This star stone will then be ours.” Duanmu was immediately energized and full of vigor.

"There are more than just the three of us searching for the Star Stone this time. A large number of mercenaries have flooded into the village. They're not here for tourism or vacation; they've all received the news and are after the Star Stone. We must not let our guard down," the old man reminded Duanmu, fearing that his recklessness would ruin everything.

"No matter how many of them come, we can just shoot them all down. It's a piece of cake." Duanmu didn't take it too seriously.

"Duanmu, you are only at the high level. Where do you get the confidence to be so arrogant? You must remember that if you want to succeed, you must be patient. After entering the cave, we must not be ostentatious and act according to circumstances," the old man continued to instruct patiently.

"I know, I know, it's true that people get talkative as they get older, it's really scary. Will I become like you when I get old? But it's really good news that we can confirm that a star stone, and a star stone of quite good quality, is within reach." Duanmu interrupted the old man.

"It would be even better if it were a legendary star stone. Duanmu, Grandpa Teng, you should both go back and rest. We need to be fully prepared so that we can win the competition for star stones." The girl looked at the sky with anticipation and gestured for the two to go back to their rooms to rest.

"Alright, my old bones are getting too cold in these mountains to handle. I need to hurry back and warm myself by the fire. Miss, you should rest early too. The barrier will disappear completely in three days at most." The old man glanced out the window, then slowly looked away, shuddered, and turned to leave.

"Then I'm going back to sleep too. I'm really sleepy today. I need to get a good night's sleep to have the energy to fight. See you tomorrow, Miss." Duanmu stretched and carried his spear out of the house to his room. This spear had been with him since he was six years old, never leaving his side.

"Well, I'll definitely get my hands on the Star Stone hidden in this little village tomorrow." After watching the two leave, the girl returned to the window and leaned against it. She looked at the snow outside the window, and at that moment, a seven-colored pillar of light was faintly visible in the sky to the north of the village.

"Definitely," the girl clenched her fist and made her decision, as the moonlight continued to pour down silently.

006 Let's vote.

As the person in charge of resolving the monster attack at the mountaintop bathhouse, Du Lei instructed the villagers to carry away the mutated gorilla and told them how to handle the aftermath. He then left with the villagers, but just as they reached the fork in the road, he reached out and pulled the two guys in front of him back.

"Hey Du Lei, it's so late, do you still have something to do? *yawn* I'm really sleepy. I'm going home to sleep now. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay? Haha." Black Wind, one of Du Lei's best friends, yawned and prepared to leave with a smile.

"Black Wind, aren't you usually a night owl, practicing swordsmanship until very late after you get home? It's so early now, and you're already sleepy. That's really strange." Among the three notorious troublemakers in Hot Spring Village, the most innocent one, Copper Mountain, scratched his head and looked at Black Wind with a puzzled expression.

"Hey Tongshan, can't you stop embarrassing me? This is the second time today. You're really hurting my feelings." Heifeng said with a mournful face, his voice trembling with tears. Among the trio, he was the tallest and most handsome, and his acting skills were second only to Du Lei.

"Alright, stop acting. I called you not to settle scores with you for sneaking away earlier, but to discuss the cave in the north." Du Lei had grown up with these two and knew their personalities very well, so he directly confronted Hei Feng to improve the efficiency of the conversation.

"So that's what it is. Du Lei, you should have said so earlier. We brothers still have some hurdles to overcome. And Tongshan and I weren't being disloyal by sneaking away just now. We were going to find you some help. Look, later I brought Kru and his gang to you. They were all so proud and arrogant. You looked so impressive."

Hei Feng hooked his arm around Du Lei's shoulder, and the three of them walked toward a secluded path at the fork in the road. They soon arrived at an abandoned hut. After entering the hut, Du Lei took out a match and lit the pile of firewood in the center of the hut. Tong Shan, standing beside him, fiddled with a blowpipe for a bit, and flames shot up.

"You said you had a stomachache earlier, and now you're saying you're going to find me some help. Which of your statements should I believe? Can't we be a little more honest with each other? So, what news did you get from those mercenaries after all that searching today?" Du Lei rolled his eyes at Hei Feng.

"Hehe, I'm just creating an opportunity for you and that beauty to be alone. Okay, Du Lei, don't glare at me. Let's talk about serious matters. Regarding the cave in the north, when I overheard those mercenaries talking today, they seemed to have mentioned going to find some kind of star stone." Black Wind thought for a moment.

While carefully recalling the words he had spoken to the mercenaries during the day when he delivered their food, he meticulously analyzed each one. Meanwhile, he skewered the potatoes piled nearby with branches and roasted them over the fire. Tongshan was particularly focused on roasting them, and soon the aroma filled the air.

"Is the gorilla stone a stone?" Tongshan asked curiously. Although he was also a member of the trio of scoundrels, all the nasty things he did that were hated by everyone in the village were actually planned by Du Lei and Hei Feng. He was at most an innocent accomplice.

"It's not some gorilla's stone. I've read about it in books. So-called star stones are stones that contain magic. Different star stones contain different amounts of magic and have different magical properties. They are very precious. So many people come to our hot spring village, are they looking for star stones?"

Du Lei rested his chin on his hand and thought carefully. Although he had never left the village in his life, he had read quite a few books, including one that detailed star stones. He was deeply impressed by it. He originally thought that such a thing was a mythical and fantastical thing.

Even if he believed that such a thing really existed, it was not in the same dimension as him at all. He never expected to be so close to such a thing all of a sudden. This surprised Du Lei and made him feel that he was much closer to this world.

"Stones containing magic power should be called magic stones, shouldn't that be more natural? Why call them star stones?" Copper Mountain asked in confusion. He rarely participated in Du Lei and Black Wind's discussions, partly because he didn't understand them, and partly because his words didn't carry much weight.

“You’ve come to the right question. There’s a theory that starstones are stones formed from stars that fell to the ground, hence the name. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but as you’ve seen, there have been strange pillars of light in the north lately,” Du Lei explained.

"The sudden influx of so many guests into the village probably started after the pillar of light appeared. If we trace it back further, it was the avalanche a week ago that revealed the entrance to the cave. Having lived here for so many years, I never knew that such a cave existed in Beishan."

After Hei Feng roasted the potato until the skin was slightly charred, he put it in his mouth and took a bite. However, even though the outside of the freshly roasted potato had cooled down, the inside was still scalding hot, making Hei Feng grimace in discomfort. Du Lei and Tong Shan also began to eat heartily.

“The area around Beishan was originally a vast expanse of white. Not to mention you, even I, who have been hunting in Beishan for a long time, did not know that there were caves. However, judging from this reaction, the Star Stone is most likely in the cave. What do you think we should do?” Du Lei’s breath was constantly steaming.

This abandoned house is located on the edge of the village and has always been used by the three brothers as a secret base. Before doing anything, they would gather here to discuss it. Dure even called the house the "combat command center".

"Hadurei, what do you mean? What do you mean by 'what should be done'?" Black Wind paused, then asked Hadurei again.

“Starstones are very valuable, right? And now they’re right under our noses. Those outsiders have come all the way to our hot spring village to try and take them. So, as a local with home advantage, can you swallow this insult?” Du Lei said this with a rather impassioned tone.

"Those merchants from the East always say that a true man can bend and stretch, and endure. Of course I can endure! These mercenaries are generous; I've made quite a bit of money these past few days." Black Wind said smugly. His family owned an inn, and he ran errands for the mercenaries every day, even learning a few tricks from them.

"Ha, you're satisfied with just that little bit of money? Can't you have some ambition? Tongshan, tell me your opinion." Du Lei, adhering to the principle of democracy, would drag Tongshan into his discussion when he disagreed with Heifeng. As long as Tongshan agreed, it would pass by a two-to-one vote.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about, but Kru said that cave is very dangerous. It seems there are records of it in the village a long time ago. We are not allowed to go near it. Durei, let’s not go there.” Copper Mountain scratched his head. He was a very cautious person.

“Tongshan, you’ve finally come up with a meaningful and constructive suggestion. So, Du Lei, let’s vote now, two to one. Let’s just keep to ourselves and not cause any trouble.” Hei Feng whistled. He rarely managed to outmaneuver Du Lei, so he couldn’t let himself off the hook without showing off.

"Behave yourself, what are you talking about? I'm a man who's going to do big things. What's so scary about a mere cave? And what do you mean by two to one?" Du Lei rolled his eyes at Hei Feng, not taking Hei Feng's words seriously.

"Of course, it's the same old rule, a vote. Tongshan and I are against, two votes; you're in favor, one vote. Two to one, so it's a no-go." Heifeng pointed to himself, then to Tongshan. This time, Tongshan hadn't made a mistake, which made him feel great.

"Wrong, wrong, it's not two to one, it should be three to two." Du Lei waved his hand to correct him, the fire next to him crackling and burning, the bright red flames reflecting in his eyes.

"Harry is three to two. There are only three people here. Where did the five votes come from? Hey, Du Lei, has a ghost incident occurred?" Black Wind looked around and felt a chill run down his spine, not daring to breathe.

“I have three votes, and you each have one vote. Okay, three to two, that’s settled. Passed. Go back and prepare. The beams of light from North Mountain are becoming more and more frequent; they’ll probably be entering the mountain soon.” Du Lei looked towards North Mountain through the broken window, where the colorful beams of light shimmered.

"Du Lei, aren't you being a bit too autocratic? At least consider your companions' opinions. Hey, think it over again, don't go!" Black Wind had known Du Lei for quite some time, and with a long face, he wanted him to reconsider, but the latter had already gotten up and walked towards the door.

"Okay, okay, go back and prepare more jerky. I still need to go back and adjust the potion. By the way, Black Wind, do you know what an alchemist is?" As Du Lei walked to the door, he remembered something and turned back to ask Black Wind again.

"Alchemist? Never heard of it. Du Lei, you spend all your time at home reading so many old books. How could I possibly know something you don't even know?" Black Wind shook his head. For a boy like him, born in a small mountain village, "alchemist" was simply unheard of.

"You know I'm only looking at old books. This village has very few channels of communication with the outside world. Alchemist, forget it. Let's call it a day. See you tomorrow." Du Lei paid special attention to these four words. He thought about it for a while but couldn't figure it out. He shook his head and left.

"Black Wind, the old folks say that cave is really dangerous, a forbidden area in the village. Do we really want to go in?" After Du Lei had completely left, Tong Shan finally asked Black Wind in a low voice. As he asked, he kept glancing at the doorway, afraid that Du Lei might come back and overhear what he was saying.

"Did you listen to the old folks in the village who told you not to associate with that scoundrel Du Lei?" Black Wind asked rhetorically.

“But Du Lei isn’t a bad person. He’s done a lot of things for the village. He taught the village children to read and taught the adults to identify herbs. Every time we went hunting, he was the one who put in the most effort but got the least reward. Why don’t people understand him?” Tong Shan was really puzzled.

"This is probably what they call being out of place. People always try to assimilate things that are different from themselves. Once they can't assimilate, they will reject and isolate themselves. Du Lei is the kind of person who is out of place in the whole village. He doesn't belong here." Black Wind shook his head with a sigh.

"I still don't quite understand, Black Wind, are we going or not?" Copper Mountain scratched his head, completely bewildered by what he was saying.

“What a question you’ve asked. Didn’t Du Lei just say it was a 3-2 vote, so go home and get ready? With your belly like that, you’ll need to bring a lot of jerky. Oh, right, I’ve got a way to make money. Food is scarce once we get into the mountains, how about we sell jerky to the mercenaries?” Black Wind suggested.

"But if we sell the dried meat to the mercenaries, what will we eat? We'll be hungry."

"We can bring more, right? Do you have a couple of bottles of wine at home? We can bring those too."

"That's Grandpa's treasured possession; I'll get a beating if I take it out."

"Oh dear, that old man should quit drinking too. You want him to live to be a hundred, right? So trust me, you won't go wrong. See you tomorrow."

Black Wind waved his hand and left the house. The wind and snow rustled, and the night was silent.

007 Am I the kind of person who's blinded by money?

In the depths of winter, snow and wind are commonplace, and clear skies are a rare occurrence. After a night of snowfall, the sun shone at dawn, though this was far from enough to melt the snow, it was still a cause for joy for the villagers.

But for the mercenaries who suddenly flooded into the village, it wasn't joy, but rather delight. Their delight stemmed not from the mere change in weather, but from the fact that the sealing barrier blocking the sealed cave in the North Mountain had finally completely vanished, signifying that they could enter.

Having been in the village for several days and eagerly awaiting this moment, the mercenaries began to act. As soon as it was dawn, many left the village and headed towards the North Mountain, hoping to take the lead before others could act. This is the so-called principle of "striking first to gain the upper hand".

But for others, they were unhurried. Even though they knew that some people had gone to Beishan first, they still made preparations slowly and methodically. Some were sharpening knives with their heads down, while others were checking the food, because going to Beishan was not a sightseeing trip and they would not be able to come back for a while.

"Hey, old man Teng, why are you so slow? You're really getting old, aren't you? Your reactions are slower than others now. Everyone else set off at the crack of dawn, and look at what time it is. If you keep dawdling, by the time we get there, it'll be too late," Duanmu complained.

When he realized that the sealing barrier of Beishan had disappeared, he hurriedly woke up Old Man Teng, intending to enter the mountain as soon as possible. However, the latter said that he was not ready and refused to set off. This made Duanmu very anxious, and he had complained to Old Man Teng countless times.

"Duanmu, don't you know the saying 'A skilled craftsman must first sharpen his tools'? Rushing into Beishan like this is nothing but suicide." The old man shook his head. No matter how much Duanmu complained, he was the one who could make the decision, and he saw things much more clearly than Duanmu.

“What era is this? This is a new era where all the continents are connected and you can travel all over the world by train. It’s not the old era where you could ride a donkey and take a nap without even leaving the village. So, old man Teng, your rigid thinking is not suitable for traveling far away,” Duanmu said bluntly.

"No matter how times change, the teachings left by our ancestors will never be wrong. Duanmu, you are still too young. Miss, have you arrived?" The old man was not angry at Duanmu's sarcasm. He was used to it all along the way. At this moment, a young girl walked over.

"Miss, you've finally arrived! Come and criticize this old pedantic man! Look, everyone else has already set off, but we're still dawdling. We're going to miss our chance!" As soon as Duanmu saw the girl, he immediately went up to complain. He couldn't do anything about Old Man Teng, but he certainly could about her.

"Grandpa Teng must have his reasons for doing things. Duanmu, don't be anxious. Just listen patiently to what Grandpa Teng has to say." Although the girl occasionally glanced at Beishan and was very interested in the things in the sealed cave, she knew that she couldn't be careless, especially at crucial moments, so she restrained herself.

"What could he possibly say? I think he just went for a stroll, did his morning exercise. That's how old people are. I really don't understand why we have to bring him out." Duanmu scoffed at this. He was always quick to criticize, and whenever he was around, his verbal sparring never stopped.

"I inquired around the village and hired the best hunter in the village as a guide. With him, we'll definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort." The old man didn't have much to say to Duanmu, but after the girl came out, his attitude changed a lot. He patiently told the girl about the preparations he had made.

"What's wrong with you, old man Teng? You're really getting old, your eyesight isn't what it used to be. Do you still need a guide? Oh, by the way, why aren't you wearing those glasses I gave you last time? They're the latest invention from the Western Continent. Don't let my good intentions go to waste." Duanmu continued to mock.

"A guide? In the mountains like this, having a guide familiar with the terrain would be beneficial, so where exactly is the guide you're looking for, Grandpa Teng?" The girl looked around but didn't see the guide the old man had mentioned, and was a little puzzled.

"He said he needed to prepare, and judging by the time, he should be here soon. He's over there." The old man looked to his right and pointed to a boy not far away.

"Sorry, sorry to have kept you waiting, sir. I went home to get a few things. You know that going into the mountains is not like other things. What if we encounter strong winds or heavy snow?" The boy greeted the old man from afar. He looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old, thin, and wearing a circle of animal skin around his body.

"Hey, old man Teng, the guide you're talking about isn't that little brat, are you kidding me? Even if you really need a guide, there are so many able-bodied men in the village, why do you have to pick a kid? You're really getting old and your brain isn't working so well anymore. Oh, Miss, what's wrong with you?"

Duanmu realized that the boy who had come over was the "guide" the old man had mentioned, which made him quite dissatisfied from the start. Given his prejudice against the old man, he had no good feelings towards anyone recommended by the old man. In addition, the boy's age and frail body made him even more contemptuous.

Just as he was rambling on, he suddenly noticed that the girl next to him had changed her expression drastically. The girl, who was usually gentle and easy to get along with, was now gripping the knife tightly in her hand. The murderous intent emanating from her eyes made Duanmu tremble. He had never seen his young lady like this before.