Alchemy Principles of Type-Moon World

"So what should we do? Just start fighting?"

"That's right, let's start fighting right away." Xing Qingfu said without any hesitation. He quickly turned the steering wheel in his hand, and the SUV suddenly turned into a secluded alley next to it. The vehicle passed by the building, and the tires made a harsh friction sound.

The alley was dimly lit, its walls covered in graffiti, and the air was thick with a sour, foul smell. Pedestrians were sparsely populated, and even discarded car parts could be seen on the corners. The drug traffickers' vehicle rushed into the alley right after them, clearly not intending to give them a break.

"We'll take care of them here." Xing Qingfeng abruptly parked the SUV next to a dilapidated wall, the car still shaking slightly. "Why are these people so annoying?"

James quickly grabbed the pistol, put the safety on, and opened the car door while gasping for breath.

The car door slammed shut, and James huddled against the wall, his gun pointed deep into the alley. Xing Qingfeng quickly jumped out of the car from the other side, his movements swift and smooth. They didn't have much time before the car behind them stopped and several Latino men got out, their guns flashing coldly in their hands, pointing them at them.

The other party didn't say anything, only a few crisp gunshots were heard, bullets sparked on the wall, and stones flew everywhere.

"You go over there and go behind them, I'll confront them head-on." Xing Qingfu whispered to James, loading the gun in his hand silently.

James glanced at him, then nodded and quickly crouched down and sneaked along the shadows of the alley.

Xing Qingqi raised his head slightly, leaned halfway out from behind the car, and fired several shots at the Latino men across the street. A flash of muzzle fire flashed, and bullets whizzed through the air above their heads, piercing the brick wall behind them and sending up a cloud of fine dust. The echoes echoed through the alley, and the faces of the men suddenly changed. None of them wanted to rush forward and get killed, so they immediately stopped and hurriedly ducked for cover.

The dilapidated trash cans and wooden boxes scattered throughout the alley served as their cover. Though they had found shelter, their movements remained chaotic. They began firing haphazardly, bullets flying, ricocheting off walls and the ground with a sharp metallic sound. They waited for the vacuum left after Xing Qingfan's magazine was empty.

Soon, the gunfire at Xing Qing's place suddenly ceased, leaving only the intermittent crackle of bullets. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in the eyes of the leading Latino man, sensing his opportunity. He shouted, "Don't waste time! Get this over with!" Before he'd finished speaking, he and several other drug dealers sprinted out of cover, their submachine guns unleashing a furious barrage of bullets, raining down on Xing Qing.

The sound of gunfire suddenly became more intense, the flames in the alley stung people's eyes, the walls were cracked by bullets, and gravel flew everywhere. The scene seemed extremely fierce. However, just as these drug dealers rushed out of the bunker with confidence of victory -

——What greeted them was a grenade.

The grenade arc drew a perfect trajectory in the air and landed precisely at the drug dealers' feet. The leading drug dealer saw that the situation was not good, his eyes suddenly widened, his face turned pale, and he was about to shout "Get down", but it was too late.

"BOOM!" The deafening explosion nearly ripped the air from the alley. Smoke and debris instantly filled the narrow space. The powerful blast shook the ground slightly. The shockwave from the explosion toppled several drug dealers to the ground, sending screams cascading down. Their bodies were covered in blood from the shattered debris, their weapons scattered to the ground, leaving them in a state of disarray.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, James had already quietly circled behind the enemy and pointed his gun at one of the drug dealers who was struggling to get up. Without much hesitation, James decisively pulled the trigger.

"Bang!" The sound of gunfire echoed in the alley, and the drug dealer fell to the ground. Blood flowed from his head, staining the ground beneath him red. James wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Well done!" Xing Qingyu quickly stood up from behind the cover with brisk and decisive steps. He aimed the gun in his hand at the remaining drug dealers and fired several bullets, completely suppressing all the guys who tried to resist.

Less than a minute later, the alley finally quieted down, and the dust gradually settled. Several drug dealers lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Xing Qingfeng approached slowly and calmly, confirming there was no threat before sheathing his gun.

"Done, let's go." Xing Qingwu whistled and walked straight out of the alley.

"Wait, we're not getting in the car anymore?"

"No need, the place should not be far away, just walk over."

"By the way," James suddenly asked, "where did you get the grenade just now?"

"Hmm..." Xing Qingfeng thought for a moment and chose not to answer directly. "If I put the weapon where everyone can see it, everyone will be on guard, right?"

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Ten minutes later, they passed through a maze of alleyways and finally entered a bustling neighborhood. The rising sun shone on their shoulders, dispelling the lingering smell of blood. Various street food wafted in the air. The air was a mixture of smoke, spices, and corn, making James, already hungry, swallow hard.

Xing Qingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and looked around, his gaze finally resting on a towering modern building in the distance. It was a uniquely shaped hotel, its pristine white exterior gleaming brightly in the sunlight, making it a striking landmark for the neighborhood. Its glass curtain wall reflected the hustle and bustle of the street, and neatly arranged potted plants at the entrance clearly indicated a high-end establishment of considerable value.

He raised his chin slightly, his eyes fixed on the top floor of the hotel, and said to James, "I bet that guy must be there." He raised his finger and pointed to the top floor of the hotel, a faint smile on his lips, "And he must have booked the entire top floor."

"Wait, you mean," James mumbled, biting the roasted corn in his hand, his mouth full of the fragrant spices, "you don't know where to go, right? Are you just guessing?"

Xing Qingyu shrugged, yawned nonchalantly, put his hands in his pockets, and walked briskly towards the hotel door.

"Go and see for yourself," he replied lazily.

James saw that he had already walked away, so he could only quickly finish the roasted corn in his hand, throw the remaining corn cob into the trash can, and then trot after him.

Xing Qingjiu and James stepped into the hotel lobby, where the refreshing cool air instantly transported them away from the bustling Mexican streets. The lobby was magnificently decorated, with mirror-like marble floors and crystal chandeliers gleaming brightly from the ceiling. The receptionists, dressed in matching uniforms, greeted guests with sharp, professional eyes and gentle voices, while security guards watched the crowd with vigilance.

Xing Qingwu glanced around calmly, then nodded slightly to James. The two of them didn't stop, but walked straight to the elevator. As they stepped into the elevator, James couldn't help but lower his voice and said, "Going straight to the top floor? Aren't you going to say hello?"

"That's not necessary." Xing Qingwu pressed the button on the top floor, his eyes fixed on the slowly rising digital display. "He should have known we were here. He already knew. No need to be polite."

The elevator dinged to a stop on the top floor, and the metal doors slowly opened. A thickly carpeted hallway came into view, flanked by delicately decorated wall lamps, emitting a soft glow. At the far end, a pair of double doors stood closed.

"Kenneth, you're still so rich that you have to book an entire floor of the highest-end hotel wherever you go," Xing Qingyu casually pushed open the door and shouted into the room, "How extravagant."

"Really?" the man sitting on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window replied, his slightly longer blond hair casually draping around his face. "Compared to you, I still can't compare. The machine I blew up in Japan half a year ago is enough for me to book hotels all over the world and stay there for decades."

"Hahaha, that was just an accident."

——————————II bell eight warm Ling long disperse ⑥ pull——

This is basically the end of the interlude of this volume. For the next volume, I plan to use the Sun Festival as the main line and the cochineal as the secondary line to introduce the content, and then expand on the South American volume.

I don’t know what you think of it. Anyway, I’m a newcomer and doing new things. Please vote and give me feedback. Thank you!

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After a three-hour nap, it was time for the nightclub to start. I finally went to the beach. It was so hard to hold

Volume 1: Endosymbiotic Relationships: . Cochineal

Red has always held a special place in Chinese culture. This has led to the intermingling of numerous red pigments, imbued with a wide range of symbolism. Painting the face and body with the pigment is one of the earliest ritual practices. Whether applied to the face or painted on objects, red remains an essential element in various rituals. Consequently, red pigment is in high demand not only in the secular world but also in China's mystical realm.

Among all red pigments, cinnabar is one of the most widely used red pigments due to its pure color and durability. However, as a mineral pigment, the main component of cinnabar is mercury sulfide, which is highly toxic and not suitable for direct application to the skin, especially for facial makeup. Fortunately, China has found a relatively safe alternative long before the large-scale mining of mineral pigments -

Rouge, also known as yanzhi, originated during the reign of King Zhou. The Tang Dynasty's "Notes on China Past and Present" records: "Rouge is used to decorate women's faces. It is produced in the Yan region, hence the name yanzhi." This pigment, originating from the Yan region, earned its name from its crimson color, resembling the morning glow, and became the hallmark of red in ancient makeup.

Although the emergence of rouge to a certain extent prevented people from applying mercury sulfide directly on their faces, it still could not prevent people from putting mercury sulfide (cinnabar) into rouge and then applying it on their faces, nor could it prevent people from swallowing mercury sulfide directly into their stomachs. Whether in the East or the West, people in ancient times liked to challenge themselves to take mercury orally.

Rouge can't do anything either. It's just a red pigment. It can't help whiten people's skin, nor can it make the ancients suddenly realize the knowledge of chemistry. It can only watch alchemists and ancient emperors and the like constantly shouting "Oli, fuck you, brothers" and then swallowing all kinds of mercury compounds into their stomachs.

The rouge commonly used in ancient China was generally made from plant minerals and could be divided into four types. The best quality was made from purple rivet and could be used to dye silk. The next best was made from safflower juice and pomegranate flower juice. The worst quality was "purple powder" made from the leftover safflower residue from dyeing.

Indeed, in Chinese culture, red pigments made from insects are not supposed to exist. There are nine species of cochineal insects, all native to South America. In modern times, the Spanish imported cochineal insects from South America, which can produce a vibrant red pigment.

As a highly profitable pigment, cochineal quickly became popular in the European market. However, for some reason, the European magic community attempted to shroud the origin of cochineal with mystery, while the secular world, driven by lucrative profits, began to monopolize the cultivation of cochineal. Spain strictly guarded against this method of producing cochineal, even spreading rumors that it was derived from plant juice. Thus, both sides jointly blocked the source of cochineal raw materials.

—It was eventually discovered by Leeuwenhoek, yes, the same Leeuwenhoek who invented the microscope. He used the microscope to discover the truth about cochineal, dispelling the mystery surrounding it and breaking the Spanish monopoly.

Cochineal originally had nothing to do with Chinese rouge, but an accident a few years ago brought it into the sight of the Chinese mystical world.

The wife of an alchemist, returning from a business trip in the West, was given a high-end lipstick by a local friend. The lipstick contained cochineal red. The alchemist, struck by the idea, decided to experiment with it and try to make an elixir. Both Eastern and Western alchemists enjoyed experimenting with exotic materials, often poisoning themselves with these attempts.

However, this time the alchemist was lucky. He only had his furnace explode three or four times. After repeated research on the raw materials, he finally came to a conclusion -

This so-called insect-made pigment possessed excellent magical conductivity and carrying capacity, even surpassing that of mineral pigments. It was precisely because of this excellent conductivity and carrying capacity that the furnace exploded.

After using up almost all of his wife's lipstick, the alchemist finally reported his research results to the Spiral Museum with a bruised face.

At this point, cochineal officially entered the Chinese mystical community. Compared to the Clock Tower, the Spiral Pavilion was less sensitive to modern taboos, and serious research on the insect quickly began. Furthermore, after its opening, the value of cochineal cultivation quickly became apparent to the secular world in China. With the joint efforts of both sides, the decision was quickly made to send personnel to South America for formal research, with the intention of introducing the insect for cultivation in China.

This task requires a person with both a modern education and systematic instruction in mystical lore, possessing a dual perspective. Ideally, this person should also have experience traveling independently abroad, even interacting with magicians from other countries. Besides possessing a wealth of theoretical knowledge, they must also possess strong self-protection skills, at least enough to be able to escape and call for help in the event of danger.

Hi, who is it?

Little You Ruoyu, do you have any idea?

You Ruoyu didn't want to think about this question. She was deep in the Amazon rainforest in South America, on the edge of a wetland in the Tapajós National Forest. Located in the Brazilian state of Pará, this place boasts a wide variety of vegetation and a unique ecosystem. The purpose of her trip was to collect wild cochineal insects.

——There are nine species of this thing in South America, and You Ruoyu needs someone to collect them all and compare the differences in cochineal red made from different cochineal insects.

After completing the comparison from a mysterious perspective, You Ruoyu also needs to cooperate with the research team sent to South America by a domestic enterprise, go to a laboratory of a biopharmaceutical company in South America, conduct testing on it, and then transfer the report to the country, so as to facilitate its subsequent introduction in the name of economic products.

This obviously important mission shouldn't be assigned to a young man like this, but if a magus were dispatched with such fanfare, it would easily attract the attention of the Magic Association's members.

——After all, after understanding the special properties of cochineal, there is no need to do too much research. One only needs to look through history to discover the historical blockade of information on cochineal.

A brief comparison of the two shows that Western magic associations also attach great importance to cochineal, and even try to add mystery to it to make it more suitable for magic material.

It stands to reason that Leeuwenhoek, who leaked this secret and touched upon the interests of both the esoteric and secular Spanish worlds, would surely be in trouble. However, there is not much historical information about him being killed for this. We do not know what happened.

——All we know is that soon after Leeuwenhoek revealed this secret, the French also built a breeding farm on their own.

In short, the country does not want to send too many magicians to alert the enemy, but only wants to disguise it as an ordinary business activity as much as possible.

Therefore, there were only two magicians who arrived in South America. One was responsible for coordinating and guarding against other magicians, and was a magician from the Spiral Pavilion, Possession Tower. The other was You Ruoyu, who was responsible for collecting, exploring, and researching, and was from the Spiral Pavilion, Feng Shui Tower.

"A typical wetland sedimentation area..." You Ruoyu squatted down and picked up a bit of black humus, feeling the tiny sand particles mixed in it, with a slippery granular texture. "The soil has low air permeability. Hmm... there should be cacti growing nearby, right?"

The surrounding trees were tall and dense, seemingly reaching into the sky, enveloping You Ruoyu in a boundless green maze. The early summer jungle was already as humid and hot as a steamer, the air thick with the scent of rotting leaves and damp earth, making her chest feel heavy with every breath. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the branches, casting tiny specks of light on the ground. But this sunlight served more as decoration than relief, only making the surrounding humidity even thicker.

You Ruoyu carefully pulled a map from her backpack, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she lowered her head to confirm her location. The markings on the map led her deeper into the jungle, and she knew her goal was to find a place where cacti grew.

However, the marker was just a rough hand-drawn sketch, with no exact distance or route specified. She could only rely on her expertise and judge the nearby geological conditions to determine the best place for cactus growth.

"The roots of trees are above the ground. Do they take root in high water areas... Wow!!" As she was concentrating on observing the distribution of plants around her and judging the environment, a slender vine suddenly hung down from the side and happened to be caught on her hair. It had a slightly sticky touch. You Ruoyu was startled and shrank back reflexively, but accidentally stepped on empty air and fell into a slippery quagmire.

"What...it's not a snake..." You Ruoyu fell into the mud, with a bitter face, almost crying, "How far do I have to look...wu..."

The muddy water instantly reached her ankles. She felt the cold mud quickly seeping into her shoes, the clammy, sticky touch sending a shiver down her spine. She struggled to free her foot, staggering back onto her feet before carefully navigating the wetland. With each step, she carefully avoided dead branches and vines, avoiding the slippery moss.

"Okay, calm down, calm down...it's just a plant...Ah!" She had barely finished her words of comfort when a beetle suddenly leaped out of the nearby bushes, startling her and making her scream. The beetle quickly vanished among the dense leaves. You Ruoyu stood there in a daze, a moment before she reacted and continued walking forward.

She continued along the muddy path, clutching the collection bottle and notebook in her bag tightly, noticing changes in the soil.

"Turning red..." She noticed the soil gradually drying up, its color changing from wet black to a rusty reddish-brown. "This kind of soil... isn't completely waterlogged. There should be cacti growing around it."

She skirted a massive tree root and emerged into a slightly open area. Atop the dry, reddish-brown soil, she finally spotted a few low-growing cacti. Their thick stems and leaves were a turquoise, dotted with spines and faintly speckled with white dots along their edges. Carefully, she approached the cacti, pulled out her tweezers and a collection bottle. Holding her breath, she gently reached for one of them with the tweezers and placed it in the bottle.

If it weren't for the need to survive, You Ruoyu really wanted to use a brush to brush off all the cochineal insects. However, the shells of cochineal insects are soft and fragile, and they can be easily damaged if not handled with care.

"Done, done! This was so easy! I found it in less than half a day. This one should be... Dactylopius coccus (American cochineal)," You Ruoyu carefully observed the cochineal in the bottle, compared it to the picture in the notebook, and then ticked one of the pages. "Okay, that leaves five more species..."

"...There are still five more to go," You Ruoyu suddenly sighed, trying hard to hold back tears and lamented, "I never want to go abroad again, wuwuwu..."

When she finally sealed the bottle of cochineal and put it in her backpack, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the light above the dense forest. Although it was early summer, the humidity and heat of the jungle permeated her body, almost draining her strength. Although she looked a little embarrassed, she forced a smile, raised her hand to push aside the vines in front of her, and prepared to leave.

——Her smile suddenly froze, and she felt as if she had touched something wet and slippery.

A colorful frog.

It's in her hands now.

She really wanted to scream again, but she suddenly felt that her nerves were numb and she couldn't feel anything.

"Ah, this stuff is poisonous, right..." You Ruoyu took a deep breath and leaned against a thick tree trunk. Listening to the chirping of insects and birds around him, his heart pounding. "I better deal with it."

She rummaged through the bottles and jars in her bag and took out a small brown medicine bottle and a bandage. She folded the bandage over and over again and tied it tightly around her wrist. Then she poured a few pills from the bottle, chewed them up, and applied them to her hand that had just touched the frog, and finally covered it with gauze.

As she turned to return, large raindrops pounded down on her head. The rain quickly turned the mud into a slippery slurry. You Ruoyu stumbled forward, her arms occasionally scraping against branches in her path. The rain soaked her clothes and slid down her back. She practically stumbled back to the edge of the jungle, soaked to the skin, her shoes filled with mud, and her clothes clung to her body uncomfortably.

When she finally emerged from the damp jungle, the rain had eased slightly, and sparse light began to filter through the trees. She searched her bag for a long time but couldn't find the contact information she had prepared. Finally, she could only hope in modern technology, but unfortunately, her phone still had no signal.

——In this case, unless You Ruoyu was seriously injured, if she forgot to bring other means of contact, she could only wait there until the agreed time for the person responsible for picking her up and guarding against other magicians to come and pick her up.

"Sister Ye," You Ruoyu slumped down on the muddy ground, unable to help but wailing, "When will you come pick me up?!"

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The reason for choosing cochineal is, firstly, that the book's timeline now reaches 2000, and cochineal was officially introduced to China in the same year, perfectly aligning the time and place. Secondly, if the Spanish authorities' control of cochineal is shrouded in mystery, then the historical event of debunking the mystery using a microscope fits the book's theme perfectly. Add to that the importance of pigments in both East and West, and I chose cochineal as a secondary line to introduce to South America. That's roughly how it all came about.

However, the main storyline of the protagonist still has to be slowly advanced starting from the Peruvian Sun Festival. So although this sub-plot is mentioned at the opening, the main storyline of the protagonist will still be the main focus until they solve the first problem.

The above is a new book by a new author. Please vote and give me feedback. Thank you!

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I had stomach pain these past two days and didn’t dare drink alcohol. I went to the hospital for a check-up and found out that it was just my somatic symptoms and my stomach was fine. That’s great!

Volume 2: Endosymbiosis: . Contract, Environment, and Throat

Night falls on the top floor of a top-tier hotel in Mexico City. The flickering neon lights reflect off the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the interior with a dazzling brilliance. The entire floor is utterly silent, with only the occasional breeze brushing against the windows, bringing a hint of the outside world's clamor. These sounds are blocked out by the thick soundproof glass, leaving only the faint aroma of tequila lingering in the air.

"June 24th is still half a month away," Xing Qingqiu said, standing in a corner of the room, gazing at the night view of Mexico. He paused briefly and continued, "I think it's best for us to investigate ahead of time."

"Hmm...how about waiting another week?" Kenneth leaned back on the soft leather sofa, casually shaking the glass in his hand. The light golden tequila rippled in the glass. He frowned and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "I plan to have Weber finish his work and then meet up with us in Mexico."

"A week..." Xing Qingwu repeated softly, "Why not let him go to Peru when the time comes? The schedule is a bit tight—"

"—After all, the Peruvian Sun Festival only happens once a year."

"That's settled then," Kayneth yawned nonchalantly, then picked up the cup and took a sip, feeling the rich, spicy aroma blossom on his tongue. "Would you like to review our purpose?"

"Do you still remember the bag of corn kernels I gave you last year?" Xing Qingqi rummaged through his torn canvas bag and took out a small cloth bag and handed it to Kenneth. "Religious rituals constructed entirely by ordinary people, and sacrifices in the sense of magic have almost disappeared -"

Kenneth raised his brows slightly, took the cloth bag and slowly opened it. Inside were a few golden corn kernels, which shone slightly under the light.

"——But the 'mystery' still appeared." Xing Qingwu continued to add.

　"Yeah, I still remember all of this," Kenneth put down the bag, gently closed his palms, and slowly placed it back on the table. "I think it has something to do with Age of Gods magic."

"Even if the Age of Gods has completely retreated?"

"Even though the Age of Gods has retreated, remnants still remain in this world." Kenneth tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said after a moment's thought, "The specific situation may require further research and judgment on the ground."

"Age of Gods magic?" Xing Qingjiu pondered, slowly walking towards the wine cabinet on one side of the room. His gaze rested on a row of bottles of various colors. He selected a bottle of whiskey, and with a flick of his wrist, he poured out the amber liquid. He then plucked a few crystal-clear ice cubes from the ice machine and added them to the glass.

"Is there any basis for this?" Xing Qingwu asked back.