Mechanical Alchemist

Mr. Jing's demeanor was such that, even without deliberate embellishing, one could not help but garnish their gaze upon his elegance.

Today, he wore a wine-red long dress that hugged his figure, not overly luxurious but gracefully dignified. His hair was pulled up high, displaying a mature charm.

Not only was the level of technology in Old Lington higher than in Gadronte Harbor, but there were also subtle differences in clothing styles. Although the wine-red long dress was simple, it was more pleasing to the eye compared to the bulky dresses with leg-of-mutton sleeves worn by the ladies in town.

Mr. Jing removed the sun hat he had been wearing on his head, revealing an exquisitely cold face.

Then, he placed his hand on the energy-testing crystal ball.

This time, the crystal ball didn't even light up.

Clearly, the test identified him as a "common person."

The gate guards were momentarily stupefied, even those queueing in the distance took an extra glance.

Whispers from women nearby could also be heard.

"That lady must be from the imperial capital, only those high-end designers there can make dresses that look so fine."

"Definitely. Tsk tsk, look at that young man, isn't he handsome..."

"..."

But after all, since there were no issues with their identity documents and they weren't wanted criminals, the city guards didn't trouble them, and Su Lun and his companion entered the city smoothly.

However, at the same time, in the gate tower, a man with a sharp, monkey-like face was squinting his eyes in a nap, when suddenly his subordinate woke him: "Captain Peng Si, take a quick look, there's an extremely pretty girl there!"

Hearing this, the skinny monkey man immediately opened his eyes and looked out the window, just in time to see the backs of Su Lun and his companion as they entered the city.

Peng Si's brother-in-law was a knight in the household of the 'Earl of Mistmoon', the lord of Gadronte Harbor. Through this connection, he had secured the position of captain of an outer city guard squad.

"What are those two about?"

"They're from the southern county of Anlogos."

"Are they nobility?"

"No. The man is a Rune Master, and the lady seems to be a rich heiress, they are here traveling. They didn't even bring any attendants or guards."

"Heh... good, they are not nobility. By the way, what are their ranks?"

"The man is a second tier, and the woman is just a common person."

"Get the 'Viper Gang' to bring them in, but remind them not to fucking mess around, let me have a taste first!"

"Boss, I think those two seem a bit serious, should we investigate further?"

"Investigate my ass! Just some country folks from the south, no matter how big they are, they have to lie low here in Gadronte. Even if there's trouble later, we'll just hang a few pirates and fool everyone."

"Heh heh... Yes, boss!"

This was clearly not their first time handling such matters.

....

Su Lun sensed a few lingering and distasteful gazes from above the city walls.

He had thought that Gadronte Harbor was a civilized territory, not chaotic like Old Lington.

But it seemed that under the sunlight, there would always be sewer rats hidden in the shadows.

However, Mr. Jing did not respond, and he did not say much either.

Just as they entered the city, Mr. Jing suddenly stopped, as if sensing something.

Su Lun asked curiously, "Elder sister, what's wrong?"

Mr. Jing shook his head, "Nothing. I sensed the presence of one of my fourth-generation blood descendants in the city."

He paused, then murmured to himself, "Didn't think that line had continued..."

Fourth-generation blood descendant?

Were there other vampires in the city?

Su Lun listened, and then he remembered that he himself also belonged to a high-ranking blood clan in this world.

But he did not ask further.

Su Lun asked, "Elder sister, where shall we go now?"

Mr. Hei and the others were not arriving until tomorrow, which meant they needed to spend a day in this city.

Mr. Jing looked up at the floating airships in the sky, seemingly interested, "Let's walk around the city. Let's see how much civilization has advanced in a thousand years."

Su Lun nodded; he too was eager to see what this grand city in the surface world was like.

The two then walked towards the inner city.

Seaside cities tend to be more prosperous than those inland, and as the busiest northern port of Emperor Luying's territory, Gadronte naturally exceeded others.

A river flowing into the sea split the city in two.

After entering the city gate, they didn't walk far before reaching a huge white stone bridge.

The bridge was wide, and every few dozen meters, there were statues of soldiers over twenty meters tall on both sides.

Walking under these statues made one instinctively feel very small.

Su Lun looked up at these statues and found it somewhat incredible. Creating so many stone sculptures required significant effort.

Seeing his interest, Mr. Jing, who was arm in arm with Su Lun, explained, "This is a common tactic used by those in power. Large statues symbolize authority and constantly remind the common people to hold a sense of awe towards their rulers."

"I see..."

Su Lun's understanding in this area was limited, but he was gaining insight as he listened.

...

Gadolante is a trading city, lacking in industry; the market is where the real activity is.

Having crossed the white bridge, Su Lun and his companions arrived at the main maritime trading market.

In the market square, the most striking feature was a gallows built from planks.

At that moment, three men dressed as pirates were securely bound and being hanged on it for execution.

They were not hanged outright but rather had nooses tightened around their necks, causing the skin of their necks to split open. The height was neither too high nor too low, but it was precisely enough to make the sufferers tiptoe to avoid suffocation.

Pirates were very unpopular in this city; if caught, they would often be tortured to death in this manner.

On both sides of the street, shops were selling a wide variety of goods—fur, tea, ceramics, machinery, timber, minerals, alchemy materials... and slave shops.

The Luying Empire did not forbid the slave trade; in fact, nobles even used the number of slaves they owned as a benchmark for comparing wealth and status.

There were not only human slaves, but also ice giants three to four meters tall, half-beast demihumans, ugly trolls, orc warriors...

Su Lun, seeing other intelligent species on the surface for the first time, took a few extra glances.

The slaves all wore shackles and had explosive collars around their necks.

The male slaves were shirtless, bearing many wounds on their bodies, faces numb.

The female slaves, comparatively prettier, wore thin clothes that barely covered their private parts, and if customers requested, the slave traders would even have them undressed for fondling and inspection...

In the Luying Empire, slaves were no different from livestock. Here, they were the cheapest, with one available for a few tens of thousands of lisos.

"Come take a look, freshly brought back wild giant, just two million lisos, absolutely a symbol of status..."

"New war slaves, delicate young ladies from noble families of the Manuo Duchy..."

"Rabbit demihumans, excellent and clingy, perfect choice for a maid, come see, bulk discounts available..."

"..."

As Su Lun walked past, he listened to the slave traders calling out.

While walking, a little girl holding a bouquet approached him,

She reached out to Su Lun and asked in a tender child's voice, "Sir, would you like to buy a bouquet of roses for your beautiful lady?"

The roses on the ground were red, unlike those underground that glowed.

Su Lun picked one and asked with a smile, "How much for a bouquet?"

Girl: "Twenty lisos."

Su Lun smiled and paid.

Although the currency in Old Lington was called the same as on the surface, 10,000 lisos for 1 Kroner,

they were not the same currency, and their purchasing power varied greatly.

Su Lun, before he had left, had mostly exchanged cash for various solid currencies. Luckily, he had looted some pirates earlier and had some spare change.

He bought the roses, casually handing them to his senior disciple beside him.

Mr. Jing also smiled gently and accepted them graciously.

But just at that moment!

A group of dirt-covered kids who looked like vagrants surged onto the street from a narrow alley, about a dozen of them.

They crowded around Su Lun, clamoring non-stop.

"Sir, sir, please be kind, we haven't eaten for days!"

"Sir, spare a few coppers..."

"..."

Su Lun, in Old Lington, was part of the Cross Society and was used to seeing the poor who couldn't get enough to eat.

They were all pitiful people.

He wouldn't have minded giving a bit of help where he could,

But suddenly, these vagrants dispersed in a commotion.

Once the crowd had dispersed, Mr. Jing calmly said, "My clutch has been stolen."

The clutch she had been holding was decorative and quite valuable.

But clearly, it wasn't about the money.

Su Lun had actually sensed the malice earlier, but this was a bustling street; he couldn't just kill the group of stragglers from before.

He glanced and noted that the thief who had stolen the clutch was running fast, probably an experienced assassin.

At that moment, the flower-selling girl timidly reminded them, "Sir, be careful, they are 'Poison Snake Gang's' professional thieves, reporting to the authorities won't help..."

With that, she quickly ran off, as if afraid to get involved in trouble.

Su Lun raised an eyebrow and sneered coldly, "Heh... A gang?"

From afar, the security officers clearly saw everything but did not intervene, and he realized this so-called "Poison Snake Gang" ran the turf.

He used to be a member of the Cross Society, so he was all too familiar with this kind of situation.

He thought about it and mused, "It seems someone has set their sights on us."

Mr. Jing, affirmed with certainty, "Hmm, they came for me. That thief probably wanted to lure you into an alley."

Su Lun: "So, shall we go check it out?"

Mr. Jing nodded.

The two conversed calmly, as if they were discussing whether or not to take a walk.

In fact, Su Lun had guessed they might encounter such a situation.

The beauty of his colleague attracted the covetous.

Previously in the dungeons, she had to disguise the fact that she was a professional. Now, however, she was all aura open, her stunning charisma shining like a halo.

And as her strength restored, that queen-like aura also grew stronger...

Mr. Jing originally had the ability to change appearances, but Su Lun did not ask why she used her real face, though he roughly guessed it was her cultivated "aura."

Su Lun did not know exactly what aura Mr. Jing cultivated, but he could feel it; beneath her seemingly gentle exterior, there was a domineering, derisive spirit of righteousness...

She had the power to cut down any injustice.

...

Mr. Jing's role was like that of a common wealthy young lady, and Su Lun could not just leave her standing there, waiting to be kidnapped.

After a brief exchange, they leisurely walked toward the alley the thief had fled down.

On the other side, in a dim alley where sunlight could not reach, seven or eight gang thugs armed with rifles and swords were already waiting.

The leader, a dark-skinned man with a scar on his face, was called Polite. He was a minor leader of Poison Snake Gang, known by the nickname "Viper," ruthless and murderous. Among the thugs in Gadolangte City, he was considered skilled.

The thief who had stolen the bag was also there, playing with the bag in his hands, marveling, "Boss, those two foreigners are really loaded. The gems on this bag alone must be worth over a hundred thousand. What if they don't care and don't come after us?"

Before he could finish, suddenly, a lookout came.

"Boss, they are here! Both of them!"

"Heh, this saves us the trouble of intercepting them on the street."

"Boss, could there be a problem? Those two looked quite confident."

"What problem could there be? A tourist wealthy young lady and an old teacher? Heh, just tender chicks who have never seen the harshness of society. Maybe they are here to reason with us? Hahahaha..."

"Boss, didn't Captain Peng Si say that the man is a second-order professional and to be careful?"

"He's second-order, and I'm not second-order? As long as he knows his place, it's fine. If not, I will cut off his head!"

"..."

The men were still muttering when the two figures had already appeared in the alley.

Su Lun saw the shadows quickly move as three assassins blocked their retreat.

All were assassins by profession, but their speed wasn't fast... probably those "blank slate" types enhanced through embedding, hence poor attributes, not even matching the assassins of Old Spiriton Outer City.

The spiritual power of the outside world was abundant and much gentler compared to "dark spiritual power." The cultivation might be slower, but it rarely led to "mutation."

With those low-requirement "blank slate" materials, almost anyone could advance.

Like the likes of them right in front of him.

Seven or eight rifles were pointed at Su Lun's head simultaneously.

His face showed no panic, only a cold indifference as he asked, "Who sent you?"

"Viper" Polite was startled upon hearing this.

They hadn't even spoken yet, and the opponent had directly guessed their purpose?

He vaguely felt something was amiss, but undeterred, he retorted, "Who the hell are you?"

Su Lun listened and shook his head slightly, clearly the way of communication was not right.

He suddenly said to those thugs, "Watch my lips."
Your adventure continues at empire

The eight Poison Snake gang members, upon hearing this inexplicable statement, were simultaneously stunned.

The next second, they saw Su Lun clap his hands together.

No,

It wasn't a clap!

Instead, he formed the magician's seals with an extremely fast technique.

He softly chanted, "Silk Control Secret Technique - Slaughterhouse!"

Before anyone could react, several shimmering blue threads materialized in the air. These threads, infused with the third stage of wind element rules, sliced through the men's necks like sharp blades, smoothly cutting.

As blood traced a line, expressions of horror hadn't even surfaced on their faces when suddenly heads began to slip off, and blood spurted out like fountains.

Six headless bodies collapsed to the ground at the same time.

The only one still standing was the guy called "Viper" Polite.

His movement with the dagger froze in midair.

Watching his men's heads suddenly separated from their bodies, he realized the horror of the being he had provoked!

As if falling into an ice pit, his previously arrogant face turned deathly pale.

But he dared not make the slightest movement.

Because he could very clearly feel the sharp thread already against his own neck. It was a suffocating despair that even he, as a professional assassin, didn't see any chance of escaping from.

Death was just a thread away!

....

Su Lun also guessed where this guy's confidence had come from just now.

Probably he had received prior intelligence, thinking that he too was a second stage and had the advantage of numbers, there was no need to be afraid.

But Su Lun wanted to say,

Although we are all second stage, my second stage, and your second stage, are not quite the same.

Clearly, this was the right way to communicate.

Su Lun asked again, "Who sent you here."

This time, Polite answered without hesitation, "Captain Peng Si sent us! He wanted us to kidnap your lady..."

Su Lun was not surprised by this statement, "Who is Peng Si?"

Polite rapidly confessed, "The captain of the city guard, he has a cousin who is a knight in the Earl's household! He is very close to the young master of the Earl's family, my boss has good relations with the nobles in the city, you cannot kill me..."

"..."

Su Lun got the information he wanted, no longer interested in hearing the man blather on, just as he was about to make a move, suddenly he heard a voice, "Wait."

At that moment, Mr. Jing reached out and took off a bone necklace from around Polite's neck.

[Blessed Mammoth Amulet]

Detailed description: A cold warding amulet carved from mammoth ivory;

It was just an ordinary amulet, but seeing Mr. Jing interested, Su Lun took a closer look. He noticed some not-too-complex totems carved on the bone necklace. And at the center of the totems was a special crest pattern.

And this pattern, was it actually the family crest of the Isaac family?

Su Lun immediately realized, this necklace had some connections to Mr. Jing's family.

Mr. Jing asked coldly, "Where did this necklace come from?"

Polite was already scared out of his wits, "This was taken from a group of new slaves who arrived at the port..."

Mr. Jing asked again, "Where are those slaves now?"

Polite: "In the hands of the major slave trader, Roskin."

Mr. Jing didn't ask any further.

As his voice fell, a head fell.

Su Lun harvested the Soul Shards from the men, acquiring some not too valuable information.

Fortunate that the storage space was quite large, he collected the bodies as well.

Without a body, no murder case stands... little trouble even if someone made trouble.

Su Lun knew, having killed those men, there would probably be repercussions.

Even if there weren't... he planned to find this "Captain Peng Si" and eliminate future troubles.