Mechanical Alchemist

Su Lun and Mr. Jing were selecting materials in a shop called "The White Whale Alchemist," when suddenly the entire street fell silent. Passersby consciously avoided looking and lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at the imposing group approaching from afar.

The entourage was grand, led by a squad of guards in shining silver armor, and the leader of the guards was walking two Ice Plains giants enslaved with iron chains, as if walking dogs.

In the middle of the group was a fat man with a smug look, his cheeks sagging into double chins, and his eyes squinted, weighing over three hundred pounds.

Nobles of the Luying Empire were instantly recognizable, not only by their entourage but also by their clothing.

To distinguish themselves from the commoners, the nobles had developed a complex set of apparel indicative of their rank and titles.

The man in the red and yellow velvet coat with three rows of silver buttons and a hat adorned with silver leaves was indeed a viscount.

According to the imperial hierarchy, the ruler of Gadolangte was a hereditary earl, and his sons were viscounts.

Without doubt, this fat man was Viscount Primor, a second-generation noble concerned only with eating and womanizing.

Viscount Primor had a poor reputation within his domain. Su Lun remembered from several disloyal Pirate Gang members, a term: lustful ghoul.

Using his power, this man had not refrained from exploiting local women.

However, in the Luying Empire, the status of nobles was inviolable.

Lords were like emperors of their own land.

Under the aristocratically powered law, serfs were private property, and his actions were considered legal.

Moreover, Viscount Primor was always surrounded by sycophants who shared his interests.

Some dirty deeds were also carried out by members of the Pirate Gang.

Although there had been minor incidents involving the abduction of women,

nothing serious had occurred.

...

Having purchased many materials from the shop, Su Lun and his companion were treated as VIP customers by the young steward who warned them kindly, "The two of you are from out of town, that is Viscount Primor, you must not offend him. Also, it's best to steer clear of the Madam..."

The steward's words were veiled, but Su Lun understood.

These people were out "hunting."

Yet, he knew that even if they wanted to avoid it, it was unavoidable.

Because Su Lun had spotted, among the distant group, a man with sharp eyes and a thin face. After extracting memories from several members of the Pirate Gang, he had learned that this man was the city gate's captain, Peng Si.

Indeed, Su Lun had noticed a malevolent gaze fixed on them not long after disembarking from the airship.

It was two men in duckbill hats, whose tracking skills were hardly sophisticated. They were still under the awning across the street, occasionally glancing into the shop.

When Viscount Primor and his train arrived, the two men signaled Peng Si with their eyes.

That man had already noticed Su Lun and his companion.

...

If Su Lun could spot them, Mr. Jing certainly could as well.

She remained silent, apparently curious to see what sort of "demons and monsters" would be drawn out.

This was exactly what Su Lun had hoped.

Although he did not consider himself a crusader of justice, he could not tolerate certain things.

Especially such matters.

Having spent so many years in juvenile detention, reflecting countless times upon his actions,

Su Lun firmly believed that even if he lived again, he would still eliminate those gangsters.

The look in those men's eyes then was so similar to this crowd's.

If things really escalated, he might as well become a pirate.

Afraid of being wanted?

Not at all.

Others might worry, but for someone like Su Lun, familiar with warrants, it was a minor issue.

Though life as a pirate in the surface world was unstable, it was a hundred times more comfortable than living in the Outer City of Old Lington, and there was nothing unacceptable about it.

...

Thirty minutes earlier, Captain Peng Si had finished his shift at the city gate and, in high spirits, returned to his secret cabin.

He had assumed that the men of the Poison Snake gang, as usual, had brought a beauty back and locked her up there.

But to his surprise, when he arrived, he found no one!

After questioning some of the youngsters, he discovered that "Viper" Polite and his men indeed had taken action. But they had failed to capture anyone, and now an entire group was mysteriously unreachable. Even within the Poison Snake gang, there was no news of them; it was as if they had completely vanished.

Peng Si immediately guessed that they might have stumbled into big trouble.

If something could make a second-tier professional disappear without a trace, it could make him disappear as well.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.

Being just a small team captain, he could not afford to provoke any big shot.

But Peng Si also had some cunning plans, having avoided trouble for so long because he was bold yet cautious, and he had connections.

Therefore, he planned to divert the trouble.

The trouble he couldn't handle himself could be passed on to his "connection", Viscount Primor.

Even the most influential figures had to lie low in Gadronte!

Peng Si knew that Viscount Primor's daily routine, aside from indulging in food and fun, was to roam the streets "hunting" for new pleasures.

With a little manipulation, he had lured the Viscount to this street.

And there he was, just arrived. Guided by two youngsters, Peng Si sneaked over and whispered slyly, "Viscount Primor, look over there!"

Viscount Primor, feeling life was increasingly dull, had become bored with the maids in the castle, the top courtesans of the pleasure house, and all the beauties and slaves that various merchants sent over—all easily obtained.

His father forbade him from harassing the local permanent residents. After listening to the guard's advice, he could only come to places with many outsiders.

But this was a street frequented by professionals, predominantly burly men. Even if there were women, few were attractive.

Viscount Primor had not expected to find any outstanding beauties today.

However, following Peng Si's direction, when he saw the woman in the red dress sitting inside the "White Whale Alchemy Shop", Viscount Primor's eyes immediately widened, and he felt an immense thrill: My goodness, there are still such top-notch beauties in the world!

....

The steward attending to Su Lun and his companion noticed Viscount Primor's gaze and felt a sense of foreboding, quietly reminding, "Gentlemen, perhaps you should step aside."
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Mr. Jing was expressionless, while Su Lun simply smiled and shook his head, unmoved.

The other party was specifically here for them; avoiding them was not an option.

"Ah..."

Seeing the Viscount's party enter, the steward let out a helpless sigh, thinking that these two foreigners were in for some trouble. But there was no help he could offer.

Watching the fat man enter the shop, the shopkeeper guessed what was coming. Though inwardly bitter, he forced a smile and approached, saying, "Viscount sir, your illustrious visit honors our humble shop. What materials might you need? Oh, why should you come yourself? Just give the guards a word, and I will personally deliver it to the castle."

"No need for the trouble, just here to look around."

Viscount Primor casually inquired while idly handling a piece of alchemy material on the counter, his attention obviously elsewhere as he asked, "Got any good stuff lately..."

His gaze, however, fell on Mr. Jing who was not far away, his greedy eyes narrowed to slits, filled with lascivious intent.

The air of distinct and chilly glamor about him excited him so much that his whole corpulent body trembled.

Viscount Primor's lackeys understood their master's intentions and began inspecting the shop's clientele for an excuse.

After all, it's inappropriate to abduct someone on the street; they needed an "excuse".

Captain Peng Si, not knowing that Su Lun had already recognized him, still made his way over and inquired pretentiously.

"Who are you people, and where are you from?"

"We are from Anluogos County, on a trip here. This is my wife."

"Your identification?"

Su Lun produced his identity proof, stamped with the city entry seal.

He was also curious to see what kind of ruse these men would play.

Peng Si looked at the identification, pretended to scrutinize it for a while, but found no faults, and then asked, "Do you have any nobility in your family lineage?"

Su Lun calmly responded, "No."

Hearing this, Peng Si visibly relaxed and without further ado, commanded in an authoritative tone, "There's a problem with your identity proof. Come with us to the security office for investigation."

"Why?"

Su Lun sneered inwardly and asked, "Captain, can you tell me what exactly is wrong with my proof?"

Peng Si casually replied, "I suspect you are connected to a previous smuggling case. Please cooperate with our investigation."

"Heh heh..."

Listening to this baseless accusation, Su Lun laughed coldly.

Nothing new.

A chilling look flashed in his eyes, and he didn't waste words with such people. He said, "Previously, several gangsters from the Poison Snake gang came to kidnap my wife, and they said it was Captain Peng Si who ordered them. May I ask, was it you who ordered them?"

Mr. Jing had been silent all along, and Su Lun knew that this was going to blow up.

Good, he was in the mood to kill.

Especially people like this.

He spoke loudly, also to wake Viscount Primor to the fact that he was being used.

After all, reputation and reality are two different things,

in case... what if he killed an innocent?

At this remark, Peng Si finally realized that the other party actually knew him, feeling a bad premonition, "Damn Polite, why did he confess everything!"

Yet, he deceitfully responded, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Clearly, that fat pig was already overwhelmed by desire, with no intention to think through any covert schemes.

His gaze couldn't move away from Mr. Jing anymore, and seeing his lackeys being so inefficient, he eagerly interjected, "If there's an issue, let's take these two back for questioning first."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the shop visibly turned uneasy. Even if they hadn't understood before, they now grasped what the Viscount intended to do. But even though they understood, nobody dared to speak up.

Su Lun shook his head, this time he wouldn't be killing the wrong person.

At that moment, the nearby Mr. Jing calmly stated, "According to the laws of Emperor Luying, you have no right to detain us without cause..."

The law was the last refuge for the commoners, and she wanted to see if this powerful civilized nation still upheld it.

Primo felt offended; a commoner dared to speak to him in such a manner?

And dared to question the lord's authority?

His face twitched with fat, revealing a sneering smile.

He hadn't spoken yet when the perceptive Peng Si shouted angrily, "In Gadronte, the words of the Viscount are the law!"

Mr. Jing shook his head, clearly disappointed.

Su Lun slightly raised his eyebrows, enjoying such arrogance.

In his eyes, the lives of the nobility were not so valuable.

Su Lun said, "What if we don't cooperate?"

Seeing a conflict brewing, Peng Si wasn't startled but instead pleased. If it really came to a fight here, no one would know about his deeds. Counting on his numerical advantage, he arrogantly yelled, "You'd best cooperate! Dare to resist, and it's death on sight..."

Before he finished speaking, there was suddenly a loud bang in the air.

"Pop."

In everyone's astonishment, Su Lun's figure had already dispersed in front of them.

"Protect the Viscount!"

The reactions of the third-tier guards were extremely quick. Surrounding Primo, they rushed out of the shop.

Su Lun's first target wasn't that fat pig, but Peng Si!

As everyone only caught glimpses of a dispersing figure, Su Lun had already appeared a few meters away, grabbing Peng Si by the neck and lifting him into the air, coldly looking at him, "Now what?"

Peng Si, who exerted his energy on women and was only half-professional, had no strength to escape from the iron-like grip on his neck.

His face turning red, he still tried to be cunning, stubbornly saying, "How dare you attack the Viscount, you... it is... a capital crime..."

Su Lun snorted coldly through his nostrils, his murderous intent unwavering.

The reason he let this kind of person live another second was to make him feel true despair.

Just then, he threw a punch, his fist enveloped with violent wind elements, landing directly on Peng Si's head.

"Boom."

It sounded like a watermelon bursting, splattering crimson all over.

Su Lun executed this scum in the most violent and bloody manner.

Witnessing such a terrifying scene, everyone else in the alchemy shop was dumbfounded.

Being shocked by the massacre was one thing,

but what shocked them even more was

that someone dared to kill Viscount Primor's men?

My God, these two foreigners were as good as dead!

...

Su Lun had inquired before that Gadronte Harbor had a sixth-tier navy commander.

There were also several fifth-tier and fourth-tier professionals.

But those high-tier professionals mostly held important positions in the army.

That son of Earl Mistmoon also had many sons, and this worthless one wouldn't always have high-ranking officers protecting him whenever he went out to seek pleasures.

That fat pig only brought a few third-tier guards with him.

Su Lun killed Peng Si but had no intention of letting the main culprit outside go.

A three hundred pound fatty, even if surrounded by third-tier guards, wouldn't escape quickly.

Just as he was about to go out, Mr. Jing said indifferently, "No rush, kill slowly. I want to see if that Earl Mistmoon can come up with an excuse to save his son from the death penalty..."

Although his words were calm, they were filled with killing intent.

The implication was that if things escalated, his master sister had his back.

If negotiations failed, even the Earl might be killed.

Su Lun grinned, this was exactly what he wanted!

This was not "Black Reef Fort"; there was no way out after killing someone here.

This was land, where one could go anywhere, whether on land or sea.

Not in a rush to kill, Su Lun was not eager to reveal his signature puppetry techniques either. He charged out, his hands forming the sorcerer's seals, shouting "Hormone Rage!"

As the sorcerer's seals shifted, a layer of dark golden Elemental Armor condensed on his skin.

His physical strength was already comparable to a regular third-tier melee professional. Once his hormones were activated, his close combat abilities were off the charts.

He chased them down alone, braving a barrage of gunfire, his punches raining down like rain.

The guards had to directly confront Su Lun to cover Primor's escape.

Although these guards from the Earl's estate were much more formidable than those thugs from the Poison Snake gang, none of them was a match for Su Lun.

First-tier professionals fell to one punch each, and those above the second-tier, depending on their armor, could last a few more rounds.

His fists, landing on those clad in heavy armor, sounded like cannon fire, "Bang" "Bang" "Bang"... echoing down the entire street.

A trail of slaughter, a trail of corpses...

The terrified Viscount's face turned pale, comically scampering down the street in a disheveled manner.

....

There were many people in the alchemical market, and the noise halfway up the mountain was significant.

Very soon, information was sent throughout Gadronte Harbor through various channels.

In a high-end commercial district, a purple-haired woman was browsing in a high-end jewelry shop. Hearing the report from her subordinates, she seemed intrigued, "Someone is attempting to kill Primor in public? Heh, that's interesting... let's go have a look."

In an embassy outpost, a group of soldiers clad in heavy mechanical armor also received the news immediately. The leader, a middle-aged man with sideburns, immediately sensed something amiss. "Wow, someone even dares to attack the Earl's son in Gadolangte City? Tsk tsk... spirited! Let's go enjoy the show too!"

In the Earl's estate, 'Earl Mistmoon' Ossaka Ackerman was meeting an old friend, 'Count Blood' Antonio Harris from the eastern region of Synodia.

Hearing that his son was attacked in public, Ossaka guessed as usual that it was that fellow getting into trouble again, and he smashed his teacup, "Dammit! That damn son has caused me trouble again!"

He was well aware of his son's misdeeds, but for a nobleman, that was not a major issue. Some civilian girls, after all, were just perks that nobility were entitled to enjoy, and being enjoyed was a grace bestowed upon them.

More than these, he was more infuriated that someone dared to create disturbances in his territory, which was a provocation to his authority as a lord!

He said to his old friend, "My old friend, I apologize for the embarrassment."

Antonio shook his head, stood up with him, and said, "To dare to make a move in the city, maybe some big pirate snuck in, let me accompany you to see, maybe I can be of some little help."