Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun had seen Lady Philo twice before.

Once was during the selection process for the Black Tower Academy's guide, and the other time was a brief glance from a distance at the opening of Norton Street.

Both times he felt that this woman was haughty and sexy, like a high and mighty queen, both cold and alluring.

And her identity was also shrouded in mystery.

Before, Su Lun thought he would never have any interaction with such a woman.

But now, looking at her, his gaze was slightly peculiar.

Because he guessed that Mr. Jing must have another identity in real life.

Closely connected to the Reiss family, closely linked with the Qianniao, holding significant influence in the Inner City...

All the signs indicated that this "Lady Philo" was none other than Mr. Jing's disguised identity.

It was just in the gaze that met his, Su Lun became more certain of his conjecture.

After all, the attire for soaking in a thermal spring was quite light, and if it had been a strange man bursting in, the gaze of this "Lady Philo" would definitely have been wary and puzzled.

But now, her eyes were calm.

Testing the waters, Su Lun called out, "Senior sister?"

"Lady Philo" gave him a look, seemingly not surprised that he could guess who she was, her expression was a bit lazy, and she nodded her head, "Mhm."

Hearing this response, Su Lun's face instantly lit up.

It really was her!

Unwilling to look closely before, now, with a scrutinizing glance, her features were somewhat similar to the family portrait he had seen at the Storm Manor.

However, the photo had shown a pure young girl of eighteen or nineteen, while now, she was full of charm.

With this acknowledgment, Su Lun instantly felt that the aloof aura she used to emit had suddenly dissipated.

Among acquaintances, there is no room for aloofness.

Mr. Jing saw Su Lun's examining and curious gaze and a touch of helplessness flickered across her forehead. She lay back by the pool, revealing her fair and delicate neck. She seemed to enjoy the nourishing feel of the thermal spring on her skin, her eyes closed, a picture of contentment.

Now that he was among acquaintances, the strangeness in Su Lun's heart also dissipated, and he walked to the edge of the pool and stepped into the water.

...

Beside the thermal pool, flowers were vying for brilliance, surrounded by green plants, with wisps of mist rising from the water's surface.

The pool water was crystal clear, and the spring water flowed from the bamboo tubes, making a pleasant "ding dong" "ding dong" sound as it rippled.

Dressed in thin linen clothes for soaking in the spring, once they were wet, the body's contours were completely revealed.

Su Lun glanced over.

Well... his senior sister had an excellent figure and a remarkable presence.

It wasn't that he had other thoughts, but merely curiosity.

The legend said that high-ranking vampires were immortal, forever young in appearance; could it be true?

Or maybe it was an illusion?

Mr. Jing's personality was much like her mother's, Seleia, easy-going and gentle. Su Lun had respect for his senior sister and didn't find her too distant.

Curiosity rose in his heart, and he directly asked, "Senior sister, is this your true appearance?"

There was nothing much to hide from her junior brother.

Mr. Jing had noticed his scrutinizing gaze and could guess what Su Lun was thinking, merely responding faintly, "Mhm."

Wow...

It felt like discovering a little surprise.

Su Lun had thought that his thousand-year-old senior sister, always cloaked, was an old hag, but she truly possessed an eternally youthful appearance.

Just like that, this legendary vampire bloodline seemed rather extraordinary.

To live long and still look attractive...

There were just two people in the huge pool, so not having a chat seemed to make the atmosphere a bit awkward.

Curious, Su Lun simply asked, "Senior sister, is your vampire bloodline acquired through a transformation?"

Since she was Sir Isaac's eldest daughter, she must be human.

Of course, it didn't exclude the possibility that his mentor himself could be a vampire.

"Mhm."

Mr. Jing answered with a nod and added, "My father once hunted an Abyssal Vampire Lord and extracted its Bloodline Power. This bloodline is highly compatible with human blood, and the risk of mutation is extremely low. Later, due to some matters... I underwent bloodline transformation."

Su Lun hadn't found the plot twist surprising.

But because of "some matters"?

It sounded like there was more to it than just the Pestoia issue.

He caught the momentary hesitation in her words and asked further, "Senior sister, does calling yourself 'Lady Philo' carry any special meaning?"

She always referred to herself as "Lady". If she truly had a suitor, Su Lun was curious to know who could possibly be a match for his senior sister, who he suspected to be a professional of the seventh order or above.

If she had been an elder, asking such a question would have seemed somewhat impolite.

But as a senior sister... it seemed no issue to indulge in a bit of gossip.

"..."

Hearing this roundabout question, Mr. Jing finally opened her eyes.

She glanced at Su Lun, and her eyebrows seemed to carry a hint of helplessness.

She knew that without an explanation, her junior brother would only make wild guesses. Since there was nothing that couldn't be told, she simply dispelled his curiosity and said indifferently, "I was once engaged. But before we could marry, he fell in a battle defending a spatial passage."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun realized he had brought up a sorrowful past and quickly said, "I'm sorry."

Mr. Jing shook her head, her complexion very calm.

A thousand years had passed, and she had come to view many things lightly.

She probably guessed what else Su Lun was curious about, so she simply went on to say, "Also, the vampire bloodline isn't as extraordinary as you think. It's true that this bloodline affords a longer lifespan than humans, but it's not immortal. I've spent most of these thousand years in hibernation, only waking up in the recent century. Additionally, the prolonged lifespan from hibernation doesn't come without a cost. The long years can cause one's body to lose strength, and I've only recently recovered to the strength of the fifth or sixth order..."

"Oh..."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun finally understood why her battle with the Fallen Angel displayed a discrepancy between low strength and high comprehension of the laws.

It turned out to be a result of her hibernation.

However...

Excluding the hibernation period, she still had lived over a hundred years, right?

Su Lun still thought the vampire bloodline quite advantageous – things like fear of light or slower cultivation efficiency compared to humans... they seemed insignificant.

...

While the two were chatting, Chi Joy finished cleaning herself and walked over from the corridor.

Su Lun had long known that she was very close with "Lady Philo", and now that Philo was an alias of Mr. Jing, everything fell into place.

Chi Joy obviously knew about their relationship as well and with a laugh said, "Yo, what are you two, senior and junior brother, chatting about?"

As she spoke, she slipped off the bath towel she was wearing and stepped into the water.

The water was comfortably warm, and Su Lun lay back lazily with a damp towel draped over his forehead, responding, "We're discussing some vampire bloodline issues."

Chi Joy wasn't avoiding Su Lun in the slightest and sat down next to him after getting into the water.

The bathing suit was already quite thin, and once wet, it clung to the skin, making the contact very real.

However, nobody minded.

The three of them comfortably enjoyed the hot spring and idly chatted.

As Su Lun listened to their conversation, he gathered they hadn't arranged to meet but had coincidentally encountered each other.

He remembered Chi Joy mentioning before that "Lady Philo" also had a habit of bathing in the hot springs. Perhaps it was because vampires are a cold-blooded species and thus enjoyed the warmth?

As they soaked, Mr. Jing suddenly began to speak of serious matters, "The situation outside has been basically confirmed; the troops guarding the tower belong to Duke Rafael's trusted aide. The strongest is a sixth-order commander, and there are also quite a few elite fourth and fifth order. Having received that Fallen Angel's divine body, in about half a month's time, I should recover enough strength to overpower a sixth order, making our breakout more assured..."

At this point, she looked at Chi Joy and asked, "By the way, Chi Joy, how are things with the Evelyn family?"

"I could leave at any time; it's not like I have anything to hold me back. I asked the family, and they have no intention of getting involved,"

Qian Tiao responded lazily, her tone laced with exasperation, "Those family elders really enjoy their current lives. They are afraid of losing the power and wealth they have and told me not to stir up any trouble... Faced with the choice between freedom and comfort, those old guys have chosen a comfortable life. Fine, if they want to stay here, let them."

Although Su Lun didn't join in the conversation, he could guess what the family elders of Evelyn's family were thinking.

Duke Raphael pretty much let his "mine-pit" run itself; the top families within Old Lington City's inner city, aside from being unable to go above ground, had a quality of life and status that might even surpass those of the nobles on the surface.

No matter the era, those at the upper echelons of society are the ones least fond of change.

But pigs within a pen, no matter how fat and healthy they get, are ultimately just livestock nurtured by others.

It's not that these people can't see the truth; they simply would rather not give up the comfort they've already obtained.

This was also the prevailing sentiment among the majority of the top families in the inner city.

Mr. Jing didn't say much more.

Even with her presence, "storming the tower" had unpredictable risks, and they could only choose to take a small group of people with them to leave.

After all, Old Lington City was Duke Rafael's "mine-pit"; any uprising would immediately result in reinforcements from the Duke's residence.

Not to mention whether rallying the forces of entire Old Lington could withstand a duke's power, even if they could, behind Duke Rafael lay the mighty Ruying Empire.

Some chose freedom, others chose comfort.

...

The three of them talked, and eventually, the conversation turned to the outside world.

Su Lun also shared some of the intelligence he had gathered.

Then, they began to discuss their plans after leaving.

Qian Tiao, born in this gloomy underground city, her face lit up with anticipation even stronger than when gambling, as she heard about the wondrous world outside.

She suddenly asked, "Philo, what do you plan to do once you're out?"

Mr. Jing had been to the outside world and was quite indifferent to everything there; she said, "I'm not interested in getting involved in the struggles between the two empires. I might head to 'Cynodia County' in the north of the Ruying Strait. I've heard it's currently a disputed territory with no sovereign ownership. If possible, I plan to establish a neutral power for magicians to exchange alchemy, just like my father founded Dawn City, to pass on the torch of the dawn..."

"..."

Listening to this, Qian Tiao pursed her lips, clearly uninterested in such a grand plan.

She turned to Su Lun and asked, "Hey kiddo Su Lun, what are you planning to do after getting out?"

After pondering for a moment, Su Lun said, "I plan to travel around and broaden my horizons. If possible, I'd like to find the alchemy manuscripts my mentor left behind."

The safest course of action was to follow Mr. Jing.

Once her strength was fully recovered, she would be counted among the topmost experts on the surface. Plus, there was the slumbering Golden Leg, a sure ally in strength.

But Mr. Jing had only ever given him guidance; under her protection, he would never experience some of the things only the truly powerful can comprehend. To go further on the path to transcendence, he needed to learn and endure on his own.

And that was one of the reasons.

The second reason was that Su Lun wanted to see this mysterious and exciting world for himself.

Upon hearing this, Qian Tiao's eyes twinkled with excitement, and she proposed, "How about we become pirates together? We could specifically rob those decadent nobles, er... and also go after other pirates!"

As she spoke, she seemed to already envision the thrilling life ahead, leaning in closer while hooking Su Lun's shoulder, listing enthusiastically, "There's an endless sea above ground, with many treasures beneath its waves. We could go treasure hunting, explore new trade routes, hunt dragons, search for ancient ruins..."

In the underground world, the ocean was a foreign word.

The endless, mysterious seas certainly had an unparalleled allure for anyone.

Su Lun felt a soft touch enveloping his arm and smiled, "Sure."

Pirates and gangsters didn't seem all that different.

One operated on land, the other on the sea.

Both engaged in activities best kept out of the light.

Tales of treasure hunting were always an enduring topic; with Qian Tiao bringing it up, her thoughts flew, and she immediately began imagining all sorts of details...

Su Lun enlightened her with some common knowledge, like... to be pirates, they first needed a ship sturdy enough to withstand storms and the sea.

Mr. Jing listened to the two conspiring to become pirates, her face adorned with a gentle smile.

But the good times didn't last long.

Just when the three of them were still chatting leisurely in the hot spring.

Suddenly!

A loud noise from the direction of the inner city came over.

All three of them changed color at the same time.

....

Mr. Jing frowned, "Something has happened in the inner city, the noise is coming from the direction of the Black Tower!"

Hearing this, Qiantiao also looked puzzled, "Could it be that someone is attacking the Black Tower?"

Su Lun also found it strange.

The Black Tower was garrisoned by the Duke's personal guard, a force with fourth- and fifth-order professionals.

In Old Lington, the only one with the strength to storm the tower was the Mirror Organization.

For anyone else, whoever charged would die. Explore more stories at empire

No matter how many people they had, it was useless.

And the noise from afar became more and more intense, with the sound of gunfire rising wave after wave. It seemed as if some large-scale destructive weapons had been used, and even from this distance, the three could see mushroom clouds rising from the inner city.

Clearly, the battle was very fierce.

Mr. Jing sensed something and shook his head, "No, it seems like someone has rushed out from the Black Tower, and the city guards inside are trying to resist."

Qiantiao was completely baffled, "People from outside?"

Su Lun thought of the memories he had stripped away and guessed whether it was a civil war within the Duke's mansion, or perhaps the war between the two great empires had spread to the Black Fort where the Black Tower stood?

Before they could speculate further, the advantage of having an inside informant became apparent.

Su Lun immediately received a message from Sabina, "Sir, a group of very strong people has burst out of the Black Tower. They are wielding the Wolf Fang Club and Skull banners, and they seem to be pirates! They've routed the Black Tower's garrison, and the city's guards have also collapsed at first contact. Now those people are rampaging and looting through the city. The mechanical warriors in the research institute are resisting, but they won't hold out for long. Among those people, there are some extremely powerful super-order professionals..."

In the presence of the two others, Su Lun shared the intelligence he had received, and both Mr. Jing and Qiantiao wore very grave expressions.

So it really was people from the outside?

And the ones storming the tower were actually pirates?

The inner city's guards were mechanized and equipped, not weak in strength.

If they collapsed at first contact, it means those pirates were overwhelmingly stronger.

Mr. Jing analyzed, "To be able to breach the Black Tower means at least one of their people must be a sixth-order professional..."

Su Lun caught a detail in the information and instantly thought of something, "The 'Wolf Fang Club and Skull banner'... should be the pirate flag of the 'King of the North Sea' Oleg's fleet. That pirate crew is very strong— even the Luying Empire can't do anything about them. There are many fifth and sixth-order high-ranking professionals in the pirate group, and Oleg himself... is said to be an eighth-order professional."

Listening, Mr. Jing's brow furrowed further.

At that moment, Qiantiao, upon reflection, also said, "Someone storming the tower might not necessarily be a bad thing for us. The pirates under the 'King of the North Sea,' no matter how strong, probably cannot fight a siege battle. Most likely, they've come just to plunder."

Su Lun also thought this made sense.

The Black Tower being breached was definitely a ground-shaking event for Old Lington!

This unforeseen crisis threw their original plans into great chaos.

Mr. Jing nodded and said, "All right, I'll go and see what's happening. Qiantiao, you organize our people, our action may need to be moved up. Wait for my message."

Qiantiao responded, "Okay!"

As they spoke, they heard the sound of rushing water, and looking again, the water rippled and Mr. Jing had already disappeared without a trace.

Qiantiao, having noticed the continuous blaze of fire in the far distance of the inner city, had a flash of eager battle spirit in her eyes. The Rakshasa Woman was not afraid of combat. She rose unhurriedly and called out to Su Lun, "Let's go, it's time to get ready for action."

Saying this, she went ashore, wiped off her body with a bath towel, changed into her battle kimono, and then threw on her Gold-Patterned Cloak.

Once the cloak was draped over her, she was immediately enveloped in an aura of mystery.

Su Lun had his own magical way of changing clothes. After getting ashore and giving his limbs a shake, he was dressed in an outfit suitable for battle.

For the first time, he put on the Gold-Patterned Cloak which represented his membership in the Mirror Organization, following Qiantiao as they leapt over the wall.