The most shameless alchemist in history

"Sherry, they're definitely looking for her. Hand her over quickly, we can't leave a troublemaker here." Du Lei urged anxiously. He glanced at the girl Sherry helped onto the bed. The girl was seriously injured; when she threatened Sherry at the door earlier, she was all bark and no bite.

At this moment, she was pale and very weak due to excessive blood loss, posing no threat whatsoever. According to Du Lei's opinion, the best way to resolve the situation was to send her out. He had already looked out the window and saw a group of people in uniforms banging on the door.

They wore white uniforms with gold trim. Although the light was dim and they could only be vaguely seen by the torches they held, the golden maple leaf pattern on their chests was particularly eye-catching. Dure was very familiar with this pattern; it was the symbol of Maple Leaf Academy.

In other words, they are from Maple Leaf Academy. Right now, on the outskirts of Maple Leaf Academy, people from the academy are arresting people. The person they are arresting is someone who once put Sherry's life in danger. In Du Lei's opinion, he has no reason to help them. Handing them over is the best course of action.

“But Brother Du Lei, this sister is so badly injured, we can’t just ignore her. Besides, she doesn’t seem like a bad person, so let’s help her.” Sherry shook her head vigorously. Although she seemed kind, cute, and easy to talk to, she wouldn’t budge an inch at this moment.

“Helping others should be done within one’s means. I think even if the poor blacksmith were here, he wouldn’t agree to this approach. Besides, he told you to stay home and not go out when he left.” Du Lei frowned. He was very dissatisfied with Sherry’s approach; it was simply causing trouble.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to open the door? We're the patrol team. If you don't open the door, we'll break in!" The shouts from outside grew louder. Clearly, they had noticed something amiss from the bloodstains at the door and were barking orders, showing a strong intention to break in.

"Brother Du Lei, I know this request is unreasonable, but I really want to help her. Please, please?" Sherry pleaded. She simply couldn't bring herself to send the unconscious girl out, and she also couldn't figure out how to deal with the people outside the door.

In this situation, she could only turn to Dure for help. Although he was very firm, he couldn't help but soften when he saw her eyes.

"Seriously, then you stay here and don't go out no matter what happens, understand?" Du Lei sighed. He couldn't persuade Shirley otherwise, so he could only give her a few words of advice before rushing out the door. If he delayed any longer, the patrol team outside would definitely become suspicious.

"I understand," Sherry nodded heavily. After receiving her confirmation, Du Lei went down the stairs and quickly walked to the front door.

"Such a commotion, and the door hasn't opened for so long, this place must be very suspicious. Let's just barge in! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Kid, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night and you haven't opened the door for ages. I almost fell to my death!" someone shouted from outside the door, making a move as if to ram it forward.

But just as he rammed the door, it suddenly creaked open. He lost his balance and nearly fell to the ground. He looked up and saw Dure walking out with a candle. All his anger flared up and he pointed it at Dure.

"Sorry, sorry, I was sleeping too soundly. I just heard you. Is something wrong?" Du Lei quickly put on a smile and asked in confusion.

"I think you're not just sleeping soundly, you're pretending to be crazy. How dare you harbor the criminal we're after! Hand her over right now!" The patrolman who almost fell to the ground was very short, only about 1.5 meters tall, with a youthful face that made it impossible to guess his age.

However, his dead fish eyes were quite distinctive, especially under the firelight, making his menacing appearance even more prominent.

"Um, I really don't understand what you're talking about. Are you searching for someone? I haven't seen anyone suspicious." Du Lei immediately waved his hand, denying the accusation. Although he felt guilty, he knew that at this point, the only way was to stick to his guns.

"If you didn't see anyone suspicious, what's with the bloodstains at your door? Don't think we're so easily fooled," Dead Fish Eyes sneered, pointing at the bloodstains at the door and scolding. He seemed carefree, but he was actually a very meticulous person.

"Well, this is something I left over from killing a chicken during the day. I didn't clean it properly, which caused you to misunderstand," Du Lei made up an excuse.

"Trying to deny it after killing the chicken? Hmph, go in and search. Once we find the person, let's see how you deny it then!" Dead Fish Eyes waved his hand and immediately ordered the patrolmen behind him to enter the room and search. Although he was young and short, the group behind him had to obey his orders.

It's clear that he's the leader of this patrol team, proving that appearances can be deceiving.

"Hey, hey, stop! Are you trying to trespass?" Du Lei hurriedly stepped forward to try and stop them.

"Whether it's trespassing or being caught red-handed, we can't say for sure. Never mind that, go in and search." Dead Fish Eyes was adamant and insisted on barging in.

"Flying Fish, wait a minute." Just then, someone rushed up from behind and stopped him.

"Ha, I'm about to find them. Why are you stopping me now? You're not jealous of my success, are you? You jealous woman." Dead fish eyes glanced back and saw another patrol team approaching, which displeased him.

"You shorty, calling someone a jealous woman is incredibly rude! I'm stopping you from causing trouble. This is Teacher Tie Xin's house. Aren't you afraid of getting a beating from Teacher Tie Xin if you barge in like this?" The leader of the group that arrived was a tall woman.

"What? This is Tie Xin's home? But this kid..." Dead Fish Eyes was startled and pointed at Du Lei in surprise.

"There's no mistake. You don't actually think Teacher Tie Xin would harbor a criminal, do you? Hurry up and search other places, don't let her escape too far," the woman solemnly reminded her.

"I understand. Before that bastard Tie Xin comes back, keep your distance from here immediately, and hurry up!" Dead Fish Eyes hurriedly led his men away.

"Huh, what's going on? Who is Tie Xin?" Du Lei looked at the group of people in surprise. He originally thought they couldn't hold out and that they would force their way in to search for people, but suddenly everyone had run away.

108 - Just a try

Du Lei had already prepared for the worst-case scenario. If the patrol team caught the injured girl that Sherry had just taken in, he would simply take the blame and say that he had taken her in on his own initiative. He absolutely could not let Sherry be taken away by them.

Although doing so would disrupt his plans and prevent him from participating in the Maple Leaf Academy test tomorrow, he couldn't care less. After all, Sherry meant well. But just as the dead-eyed guy named Flying Fish was about to force his way in, his companion stopped him.

Du Lei still doesn't understand what happened, but at least the worst situation was avoided. He watched the group leave from the doorway until he was sure they weren't playing any tricks, then slowly closed the door and went back to his room on the second floor to check on the situation.

"Brother Du Lei, what should we do? She's bleeding so much, she's badly injured, and we can't stop the bleeding. Will she die if this continues?" Shirley was very worried when she saw the girl's serious injuries. She asked Du Lei with concern, after all, she was just a child and was at a loss for what to do in this situation.

"When you brought her back, didn't you ever think that she was seriously injured and about to die, and you had no ability to help her? Yet you still did it." Du Lei sighed. He went forward to check on the girl's condition and found that she had a penetrating wound in her abdomen, and a lot of blood was gushing out.

"But I can't just stand by and watch her die. Should we go find a doctor? I know a doctor on the street. I'll go right now." Sherry immediately decided to go out and find a doctor. She knew very well that if the situation continued like this, the girl's situation would be very dangerous, and might even endanger her life.

"Don't go. The patrol officers outside are arresting people right now. They specifically targeted the injured girl, so it must be her. Since they know she's injured, they'll definitely go to the doctor to inquire about her condition. If you go now, it's like throwing yourself into the lion's den." Du Lei shook his head, stopping Sherry.

“But if we don’t go to the doctor, what will happen to her?” Sherry’s voice was trembling with tears; she didn’t want to see someone die in front of her.

"There's no other way, we can only try. Sherry, go prepare some hot water, I'll clean her wound. If it's just to stop the bleeding, I can barely give it a try, but whether she can pull through is up to fate." Du Lei made a decisive decision.

"Understood," Sherry said without further ado, and immediately went downstairs to prepare hot water, leaving only Du Lei and the girl in the room.

"Who could be injured like this? Judging by their age, they seem to be around my age. I'm doing this to treat you, so I apologize for the intrusion." Du Lei found a pair of scissors, cut open her clothes, and, by the light of the candle beside him, found a small bottle of medicine, sprinkled it on her wound, and began the treatment.

Meanwhile, inside Maple Leaf Academy, a large number of students dressed in the academy's white uniforms with gold trim were patrolling back and forth with torches, and wounded people were being found from time to time and sent to the infirmary for treatment. There was no doubt that a major event had occurred at Maple Leaf Academy tonight.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy in the middle of the night? And many people are injured. Were they attacked by monsters?" Outside the academy's office building, the teachers were gathered for an impromptu meeting. The well-dressed teacher Charlotte walked over, frowned, and asked about the situation.

"It's still unclear who attacked us; the investigation is ongoing. However, the attacker must be quite powerful to cause such a commotion—at least at the Steel Rank or higher." Next to Charlotte, Professor Fant, who was in charge of reception at the Yamashita office, chimed in.

"Tomorrow is the academy's entrance exam. For such a major incident to occur at this crucial juncture is a disgrace to Maple Leaf Academy. If other students find out about this, they'll question the academy's capabilities. What, haven't they caught the culprit yet?"

Charlotte was extremely dissatisfied with this. He had confidently assured the wealthy and influential parents of the students how wonderful and safe Maple Leaf Academy was, but this had happened before the official start of the semester. It was a slap in the face to him.

“The problem now isn’t whether it will affect the academy’s reputation; it’s precisely because tomorrow is the entrance exam that this timing is even more suspicious.” A girl in a black court-style dress walked over from opposite Charlotte and Fant.

"Teacher Owl is as energetic as ever at night. By the way, Teacher Owl, what exactly is the suspicious thing you mentioned?" Although Fant was much older than Owl, he respected this little girl who looked only twelve or thirteen years old very much and asked cautiously.

“What could be suspicious about the entrance exam? Hey, Owl, are you questioning my competence?” Charlotte suddenly became alert. She knew that the reason Fant was wary of Owl was because she had another identity besides being a college teacher.

But he didn't have as many ambitions as Fant, so he had nothing to fear about the owl's other identity.

"Professor Charlotte's abilities are evident to all, especially in admissions. Everyone in the academy knows that. But Professor Charlotte, haven't you considered that the perpetrator who attacked the academy might very well be hiding among the freshmen who are about to take the test?"

Not far behind the owl, another tall, young female teacher walked over. She was graceful, elegant, and had an exceptional air about her.

"Is Teacher Deer here too? Teacher Deer, do you mean that the prisoner will use this entrance exam as an excuse to sneak into the academy?" Fant frowned. If that were the case, the problem would be quite troublesome.

"What? A prisoner infiltrating the academy? What a joke! Do you think I'm just a figurehead? How could I possibly admit a prisoner?" Charlotte stomped her feet in anger. She interpreted Fant and the deer's words as him inviting trouble, and she wouldn't accept such accusations.

“I’m not questioning you, Professor Charlotte. On the contrary, the culprit must be extraordinary to be able to leave so many elites in the academy helpless. Moreover, with her Steel Rank strength, it would be a piece of cake for her to infiltrate the academy,” the elk explained in detail.

“I see. That makes some sense. But did no one really see what she looked like? If we knew what she looked like and drew a portrait, this could have prevented this from happening.” Charlotte nodded and offered another possibility.

“I already asked around, and no one saw it. It seems this entrance exam won’t go as smoothly as I thought.” Fant shook his head and looked up at the sky. The moon was half-hidden by dark clouds, looking hazy.

109 She disappeared

With Sherry's help, Du Lei managed to stop the bleeding from the injured girl late at night. The two of them, covered in sweat, went downstairs to clean up the mess. After all, the girl's blood loss was too great, and if they didn't clean it up, the blacksmith would definitely be shocked when he returned.

Dure could easily foresee that when the blacksmith returned home and saw this scene that resembled a murder, he would be tempted to kill him. The two wiped the bloodstains off the floor with towels, and after a long time, they finally cleaned up inside and out. Both of them were so tired that they sat down on the ground.

"Phew, I'm exhausted. I'm finally done. Sherry, what do you think the poor blacksmith will think when he comes back and sees there's an extra person, and one that the academy is after? Will he be furious and yell at you?" Du Lei warmed himself by the stove; it was almost early spring.

Although Maple City is located in the south of Snow Country, it is still very damp and cold. In order to take care of the wounded, a stove was placed in the room upstairs, and an extra quilt was added. After Sherry washed the blood-stained sheets, she took them to the backyard to dry.

"Then Sherry will say that you, Brother Du Lei, took her in on your own initiative," Sherry answered Du Lei's question seriously.

"Ha, you just betrayed me like that? Where did that gentle and kind Sherry go? Give her back to me right now!" Du Lei was utterly astonished.

"Hehehe, no way, how could Shirley betray you, Brother Du Lei? Dad won't scold Shirley, he won't even say a harsh word. But whether he'll vent his anger on you, Brother Du Lei, is something Shirley can't guarantee." Shirley shook her head with a grin.

"With his fiery temper, we're bound to have a fight sometime, but I'm not afraid of him. By the way, Sherry, whose side will you be on then?" Du Lei shook his head as he recalled the blacksmith's fierce appearance, and he also remembered how Flying Fish addressed the blacksmith.

"Of course I'm on your side, Brother Du Lei! But speaking of which, Brother Du Lei, you're really amazing. Not only can you cook well, but you can also heal people. You're practically omnipotent!" Sherry praised Du Lei. If she were alone, she really wouldn't know what to do.

"What's so great about that? These are just basic life skills. I can't cure diseases, but I know a little about healing injuries. They say that long-term illness makes a good doctor, and I'm more like someone who's become a good doctor through long-term injury. By the way, are you close to the academy, you poor blacksmith?" Du Lei waved his hand with a smile and then asked.

"I don't know if we're close or not, but people from the academy often give my dad things, asking him to help with blacksmithing or something." Shirley bit her finger and thought for a moment. In her memory, people from the academy often came to visit. She omitted the tedious details and gave a general description.

"What? It turns out someone just asked him to forge iron. I thought he was very familiar with the academy. Why is he still out so late? Does he often do this?" Du Lei breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally thought the blacksmith would be some important person and was somewhat worried.

However, after hearing what Sherry said, he felt relieved, since the blacksmith didn't seem to have the demeanor of a master.

"Pretty much. He used to go out late at night all the time, but he always came back quickly. This is the first time he hasn't come back for so long. Could something have happened?" Sherry was a little worried and kept looking out the window.

"She should be fine, don't worry. Hmm, what's that sound upstairs? Could she have woken up already?" Du Lei was about to say a few words to comfort Shirley when suddenly there was a "bang" from upstairs. He became alert and immediately went upstairs to check, with Shirley following behind.

"He was so badly injured, he shouldn't have woken up so quickly. What happened? Huh, where did he go?" Du Lei came to the room, the one that Sherry had prepared for him to rest in, but when he entered the room, the candles were still burning and the stove was still warm.

But the bed was empty, and the window, which should have been closed, was open, which surprised Du Lei.

"Where did my sister go? Why is she gone? Could she have been kidnapped by someone?" Sherry was also puzzled when she saw the empty room.

"She wasn't kidnapped; she left on her own. She suffered a penetrating wound, yet she regained consciousness in such a short time and was able to leave on her own. Is this person a monster?" Du Lei immediately looked out the window and could only see a blurry figure disappearing into the distance.

"But does that mean that the older sister is safe and sound?" Sherry asked with a puzzled look, unlike Du Lei who had many thoughts.

"I don't know if she's alright, but she shouldn't be dead for now." Du Lei slowly withdrew his gaze and closed the window again. This was truly a strange thing; to be precise, ever since he came to Maple City, strange things had been happening one after another.

"It's so good that she's alright. Sherry also helped others." Sherry was relieved and clearly very happy.

“We helped her, and she left without even thanking us. Sherry, you’re happy? You’re such a fool. If you keep doing this, one day your kindness will be taken advantage of.” Du Lei frowned. He didn’t think it was anything to be happy about.

"But you helped Sherry before, Brother Du Lei. If it weren't for you, Sherry would have been hit by the carriage. Sherry accepted your help and then helped others. That sister will definitely help others too. Isn't that a wonderful feeling?"

Sherry blinked as she spoke, completely absorbed in the joy of doing a good deed, not thinking as much as Durei did.

"What kind of logic is that? Forget it, it's good that she left. It's like getting rid of a troublesome person. Otherwise, if those people from the academy come back, it will be troublesome. Alright, it's getting late, let's go to sleep." Although Du Lei still had some doubts, he shook his head and dismissed them.

"Okay, goodnight, Brother Du Lei." Shirley smiled and ran back to her room, intending to go to sleep.

"Goodnight, Sherry. Tomorrow is the start of the test, I'm so sleepy." Du Lei yawned and went to rest as well.

Meanwhile, in the dark alleyway of the street, someone turned around to look at the room where the candles had just been extinguished.

"That person should not cause any more trouble. He almost succeeded tonight. What a pity. Damn Maple Leaf Academy, don't think I will give up just because of this. I will definitely succeed one day." In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes revealed determination and resolve.

The moon was completely obscured by dark clouds; the night was both calm and restless.

110 is really ridiculous.

The blacksmith didn't return home until dawn the next day. By then, Du Lei had already prepared breakfast. He greeted the blacksmith, intending to ask him about what had happened the night before, but the latter looked extremely tired and completely ignored Du Lei. And it wasn't just Du Lei who was ignoring him.

He ignored even when Sherry spoke to him, and went into the workshop alone. He closed the door and no one knew what he was doing. Du Lei found this strange, but considering that he was only staying there and would be leaving soon, he refrained from asking.

"It's almost time for him to take the test, Sherry. I should go. That blacksmith looks a bit strange. Maybe it's unnecessary for me to say this, but after he comes out, you should spend more time with him." After clearing away the dishes, Du Lei checked the time; it was already broad daylight.

"I understand, thank you for your concern, Brother Du Lei. You're so amazing, the entrance exam is definitely no problem for you." Shirley nodded, her eyes filled with a hint of reluctance. Time seemed to have passed far too quickly for her.

"The entrance exam isn't about cooking or healing, so it's best not to get your hopes up too high." Dure shook his head. He had initially been somewhat confident, but after hearing Hassan's words and especially after seeing the examiner Charlotte in person, his confidence vanished.

“Brother Du Lei is amazing not only for cooking and healing, but also for other things,” Sherry said earnestly.