Mechanical Alchemist

The old cowboy smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow-black teeth stained by tobacco, with a missing front tooth that whistled every time he boasted.

Indeed, his appearance wasn't appealing, hardly different from those dodgy old warehouse keepers at the docks.

Su Lun couldn't understand why this old cowboy, who clearly should be formidable, looked so timid.

At least in terms of perception, he was much stronger than the leader of the Razor gang, "Raging Bear" Lawrence.

Su Lun even suspected the man might possess some secretive mystical methods, which could be quite a challenge to handle.

Yet this acknowledgment of weakness as soon as he opened his mouth, truly didn't make sense to onlookers.

But at least there was no need for a fight, sparing some trouble.

...

The old cowboy, with an unabashed face, spilled the beans to Su Lun, chattering away about everything that had happened.

"Don't get me wrong, sir. We're somewhat involved, but it's not a big relation. I genuinely don't know that 'Cold Demon'. We received an employer's commission earlier to find a kidnapped girl. As you can see, we rescued her,"

The old man was quite considerate. He knew that if this person in front of him was aware of Amelia's second infiltration and rescue attempt, then he surely saw everything else that happened before and had noticed his own covering actions.

There wasn't much to hide about the process.

Moreover, according to the result of the divination with the "Blood Gold Coin," this was clearly a man who didn't blink an eye at murder.

It was better to be upfront than to conceal the truth and be misunderstood.

Swallowing hard in a manner lacking any grace, the old cowboy continued, "And then this girl got into trouble... Thanks to you stepping in, sir, a catastrophe was averted."

While speaking, he nudged the short-haired woman next to him with his elbow, urging her discontentedly, "Hey, hey, Amelia, why aren't you thanking the gentleman for saving your life?"

Amelia knew in her heart that the man before her had saved her and that she should be grateful.

But looking at his face, she couldn't help but remember the scenes in the club not too long ago, and she still felt... what an aggravating guy!

If it was a lesson, it certainly made a deep impression.

But still with mixed feelings, she uttered a thank you, "Thank you, sir."

Su Lun raised an eyebrow noncommittally, "So?"

He seemed utterly indifferent to the minor help he had casually given.

The old cowboy knew he was asking about the assassination attempt on the streets and quickly explained, "As you know, sir, that club is Razor gang territory. To rescue this troublesome young lady, I had no choice but to think of another way. It just so happened that I saw Count Bronny there. So, I sold the information to a colleague... and the result is what you saw."

Then, looking at Su Lun's expressionless face, he reiterated, "I swear, I really don't know that 'Cold Demon'."

"Oh?"

Su Lun hummed lightly as he listened.

The man probably still didn't realize that Su Lun had already sensed something very special about his soul, and he continued the pretense.

After all, with the man's ability, even a direct assault on the club wouldn't be a problem.

Even if the club had that sixth-tier "August".

However, Su Lun had no intention of delving into other people's secrets.

At least the actions of these two individuals in the club left a good impression on him.

If the old cowboy wanted to play the lousy chicken, then Su Lun had no intention of exposing him.

It was easier to communicate about certain things without breaking the act.

Glancing at the old man with seemingly little interest, Su Lun provocatively tested him, "So... to save someone, you allowed an innocent noble to meet with disaster?"

Hearing this, the old cowboy was about to explain something, but Amelia, thinking Su Lun sided with noble interests, couldn't help but interject to defend her teacher, "That Count Bronny deserved to die! He was one of the shareholders of that club and also the protector behind the whole underground human trafficking in Lington. Such a sinful man deserves to die a hundred, a thousand times!"

Su Lun still showed an expressionless face, seemingly not surprised by her outburst.

He didn't care about any nobles being assassinated.

Since the old man liked to act as a lousy chicken, he continued to inquire, "Tell me about the commission then? How did you end up here?"

The old cowboy said, "As you've seen, we're private detectives. We accepted a commission from a businessman to find his kidnapped little daughter. Then, following some clues, we ended up here. And well, you know the rest."

Indeed, they were detectives.

That almost matched Su Lun's speculation, and he further inquired, "Do you know why those people kidnapped those girls?"

The old cowboy's eyes twitched oddly as he resolutely said, "I don't know."

"Hmm?"

Su Lun voiced a cold note of skepticism.

Clearly, the old man knew something, or else he wouldn't be so cautious.

Seeing that Su Lun seemed to be digging deeper, the old cowboy's expression immediately turned sorrowful, "Oh dear, sir, please don't make it difficult for us detectives just trying to earn a hard living. Human trafficking is a scourge on the empire's system, with top-level nobles and Big Shots backing it. What do you expect me to say?"

His argument sounded reasonable,

But Su Lun wasn't planning to let this slippery old cowboy off so easily and flatly said, "Tell me what you know."

The Old Cowboy grimaced, hesitant, but eventually said, "In the past year or two, there have been several cases of girls from civilian families going missing in Lindon and surrounding territories. Um... this might have started even earlier, it's just that I started paying attention to these cases around that time."

Upon hearing this opening, Su Lun knew that this guy knew quite a bit, "And then?"

The Old Cowboy continued, "I also took on a few of these missing cases, and it wasn't always possible to find the person. Later during the investigation, I discovered some commonalities among the cases, the missing girls were all between 12 to 26 years old, and they were all employed. The kidnappers didn't want ransom, it wasn't about revenge..."

Su Lun's brows furrowed slightly as he listened, although he had guessed that these girls had been absorbed by that "August" to dilute and consume the cursed properties of the vampire rings, he still felt uneasy at heart.

He asked, "Did you find out why those people kidnapped these girls?"

The Old Cowboy shook his head like a rattle-drum, as if intentionally avoiding the question, "No."

Su Lun gave him a cold look, "????"

Seeing the threatening gaze, as if about to start a fight without another word, the Old Cowboy reluctantly added, "I've heard that some evil rituals require the fresh blood of pure maidens. As for why they want girls of this particular age, it's because too young and their fate isn't set, making the ritual less effective; if they are too old, even if virgins, they've been tainted by the secular world. Perhaps... I'm saying perhaps, it might be for some ritual used by some Big Shot."

Su Lun pondered for a moment upon hearing this.

It must be said, this Old Cowboy was quite capable.

Although appearing sleazy and unwilling to trouble himself, it was clear that he had analyzed the situation thoroughly.

Without intentionally investigating, it would not have been possible to achieve this.

Their conversation actually had a subtle tacit understanding.

The Old Cowboy saw what Su Lun wanted to ask, which was actually what he himself wanted to say.

They brought it out in this way, through a question and an answer.

Amelia on the side, however, didn't understand the subtleties between their dialogue, and felt even more that this greasy man was despicable, intimidating an old man and speaking aggressively. Her gaze became increasingly unfriendly.

At this point, Su Lun asked again, "So what's the deal with the 'Cold Demon'?"

The Old Cowboy replied, "That I really don't know. It's just that recently a newcomer appeared in Lindon's 'Assassin's League', nicknamed 'Cold Demon'. This guy is very strong and skilled with the Power of Laws of ice. Moreover, almost all of his assassinations are of Big Shots, and his rank has risen very quickly. But his background is very mysterious; there was never any sighting of such similar abilities before. So I've only heard about it."

All this information could be scrutinized for truth, Su Lun asked again, "Why would anyone want to kill Count Bronny?"

The Old Cowboy answered, "That I truly do not know. Political matters are not something we ordinary civilians can inquire about."

This time, Su Lun did not press on.

The old man said he had no answer, but in fact, he had already given one.

Since it was a political assassination, then the 'Cold Demon' was acting on behalf of his employer.

Su Lun knew that behind the scenes was Duke Raphael, and the Count Bronny who was killed belonged to the Rodriguez family faction, a political enemy.

After all this questioning, Su Lun confirmed that the father and son had nothing to do with the previous 'Cold Demon' and knew little.

He hadn't intended to really hassle the two.

But suddenly, Su Lun thought of something and asked for confirmation again, "You are a detective, aren't you?"

The Old Cowboy apparently guessed what was coming, quickly giving a preemptive disclaimer, "Yes. But we're just third-rate detectives in Lindon, specializing in investigating infidelity, finding lost cats and dogs... we don't take on big cases."

Su Lun didn't want to listen to his nonsense and went straight to the point, "I have a request. It won't cause trouble."

This Old Cowboy was very powerful, and a very impressive detective; he might be able to help investigate some information.

"It wouldn't cause trouble?"

Upon hearing that, the Old Cowboy dared to engage in the conversation, not even asking what the request was but looking greedily, "What's the payment?"

Su Lun was straightforward, pulling out a wad of banknotes, "One hundred thousand as a deposit. Depending on the results of the investigation, the rest will be paid later."

The Old Cowboy, seeing the prompt payment, immediately showed a great interest on his face. Seeing the money, the man suddenly seemed to wear a different face, smiling obsequiously, "Esteemed client sir, what would you like to investigate?"

Su Lun took out a communication card, saying, "Recently, a 'Red Death' disease has been spreading in Lindon. I want to know where it originated from. Contact me at any time with news; the contact information is on this."

The Old Cowboy obviously had heard of this disease, his eyes flickered with thought, and he agreed on the spot, "Sure!"

Su Lun had no intention of staying any longer and simply turned around and left.

...

Watching the man leave, Amelia finally spoke out indignantly, "Old man, why were you so nice to that guy? Such an obnoxious person, why did you talk so much with him."

The Old Cowboy fondled the bulging moneybag and said meaningfully, "That man is no simple character."

"Hmph!"

Amelia was still upset about her teacher being intimidated just now and muttered resentfully, "So he's a bit impressive. It's not like you definitely can't beat him, old man."

The Old Cowboy just shook his head, not responding to that, but instead sighed, "Girl, you're looking only at the surface. His strength is absolutely beyond anything you can imagine. And do you think an ordinary person would be interested in that kind of information? Besides, he saved you, you should feel grateful."

The few sentences exchanged earlier were all probing, and the old man saw something deeper.

"..."

Amelia, upon hearing this, although reluctantly, fell into self-doubt: Was she really that stupid?

How come she felt like she had listened to the entire conversation and yet didn't understand a thing?

...

Su Lun had intended to look around this district to see if he could find any other clues, but there wasn't much opportunity.

An Earl of the Empire was assassinated in the street, and he was also a member of parliament, so the incident caused a huge commotion.

Within mere minutes, dozens of mounted police from several surrounding blocks converged on the scene, and numerous police cars from the Linden Central Police Station arrived. There were also plainclothes officers who were clearly from the intelligence services blending into the crowd.

Then there were the reporters who swarmed in upon hearing the news.

These people blocked the entire entertainment district so completely that not a drop of water could get through.

Evening clubs were searched one by one, and any suspicious individuals were checked on the spot.

Su Lun had no intention of inviting trouble and decided to leave early.

He asked Sabina through the communicator.

The assassin "Cold Demon" had indeed become quite famous recently for specifically targeting politicians. Everyone thought he was an ice-element professional, with very little intelligence available.

If Su Lun had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have guessed that this was a product of Duke Rafael's high-tech research.

After asking Dr. Banks in the little void realm, he learned more.

In Duke Rafael's "Neuro-Mechanical Project," there had been a topic—Ghost of the Cold Demon.

It involved keeping only a person's brain and nervous system while eliminating all other bodily tissues.

As a result, the human soul would lack an adequate vessel, easily dissociating, and becoming a special condensed state capable of carrying absolute extreme cold energy, which was the ghost-like form that Su Lun's All-knowing Eye had seen.

This was only a theoretical project.

But now he had seen a physical specimen.

If it could be mass-produced, it might change the dynamics of future battlefields as significantly as the mechanical revolution once did in the Mafa Empire.

However, the war patterns of the two great empires were not so easily changed, and Su Lun, a little nobody, did not care too much either.

He also inquired about that Old Cowboy's situation and did not expect Sabina would actually have heard of him.

That Old Cowboy was indeed quite infamous in the Linden detective circles and was considered rather "unique."

The old man did not lie; the fellow was an expert at catching various cases of infidelity, and within the industry, was dubbed "Linden's friend to rich wives."

He was quite renowned but never took on big cases, only those that were well-paid, not troublesome, and beyond the ability of other detectives to solve.

The whole person radiated a sleazy character, timid and afraid of trouble.

Su Lun also found it quite interesting.

Because of their brief conversation just now, he faintly felt that the old man seemed to be the same kind of person as himself.

On the surface, the guy acted like a wimp to suppress the inner horror demon.

Just like the former himself.

Su Lun once again felt the hidden dragons and crouching tigers of Linden.

....

The news of Count Bronny's assassination spread like wildfire throughout Linden, and within minutes, nearly all well-informed nobles had received this intelligence.

At the same time, in a luxurious building in the noble and wealthy district on the north side of the Lokwarren River.

A girl with a waterfall of purple hair stood in front of a dressing mirror trying on a dress. Reflected in the mirror was a classical, pearl-white court gown with gold and silver patterns. The style was elegant and lofty, with a sense of opulence, leaving nothing to criticize.

Looking at the dress she would wear at her wedding, blessed by the empress in half a month, her stunningly beautiful face did not show much satisfaction or dissatisfaction as she tried on several outfits and grew somewhat weary. Yekaterina then said indifferently, "Alright, this one will do."

Upon hearing this, several of Rue's top tailors let out a sigh of relief and departed in unison.

At this point, the elderly butler, who had been waiting by the door, stepped forward and reported, "Miss, ten minutes ago, Count Bronny was assassinated. The perpetrator was 'Cold Demon,' likely a warning from Duke Rafael to those who voted against his military legislation."

Yekaterina, apparently not surprised in the least, nodded indifferently, "Uh huh."

The butler continued, "Recently, you instructed me to closely monitor the movements of that batch of imported equipment. Viscount Brody, who was in charge at the shipyard, died suddenly at home, and that batch of equipment disappeared mysteriously. Clues point to the Full Moon Ball."

Hearing this, Yekaterina seemed to think of something and added a few more words, "Do not touch the matter of the Full Moon Ball. Although that old man is quite amicable, he is nearing the end of his life; do not trouble him..."

"Yes, miss," answered the butler.

The butler nodded, "Should we continue to track the whereabouts of that batch of equipment?"

Yekaterina's brows slightly raised, "No need. Since it didn't end up in Duke Rafael's hands, there's no need to bother. Besides, I have a rough idea of who has that equipment."

She thought for a moment before continuing, "Send more people to infiltrate Rafael's secret armaments factory. Mechanical technology will undoubtedly become the mainstream in the future, and having those secret technologies in hand will give us more say on the future battlefield."

The butler, a competent echo chamber, nodded upon hearing this.

He went on, "Miss, since you've chosen to marry into the Legaedi family's second son, then Master William might become a significant problem in the future. The family's interests might suffer because of a powerful claimant to the throne. After evaluation by the family council, they sent me to ask if there needs to be an arrangement in advance."

Yekaterina spoke with unconcern, "There's no need. Not only would such action attract enormous resistance from all sides, but it would also make the Lansi family seem petty."

The butler continued, "But according to intelligence, William, the eldest son of the Legaedi family, seems to be getting very close to Duke Rafael and already has some secret cooperation with him."

Yekaterina was unfazed, "That's only natural... The Legaedi old-timers also wholeheartedly want to restore their nation, so they consider marrying the second son to our Lansi family and cozying up to Rafael, trying to play both ends. And Duke Rafael, with his inadequate heritage, indeed needs the resources of the Legaedi, an ancient royal family. Hehe... It's better for them to cooperate so when I take control of the Legaedi family, it will save me a lot of trouble."

As they conversed, footsteps could be heard outside. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "The matter with the Legaedi family, tell the family council to leave it be; I have my plans. Whether the heir to the throne is eldest or not, there's really no difference."

Understanding, the butler did not elaborate further and added, "Miss, there's one more thing. The wedding date is approaching, and 'Young Master Fick' has not yet made an appearance. Madam sent me to inquire if we should make contact?"

Yekaterina: "No need. If he said he would come, he will definitely come."

The old butler bowed respectfully, crossing his chest, and left the room: "Yes, miss."

No sooner had these words fallen than a blonde beauty just happened to arrive at the door. She looked at Yekaterina, who was dressed in formal attire, with a beaming smile, not hiding her envy and admiration at all: "Wow~ Katyusha, your dress is so beautiful! Oh, how fortunate I am to have returned in time. If I couldn't attend the wedding of my best friend, I would regret it for a lifetime."

Her name was Anna Philips, the daughter of the "Marquis of the New Moon," and also Yekaterina's childhood playmate, close friend, and classmate.

Anna walked over, seamlessly taking the hem of Yekaterina's dress to inspect it, and then teased: "Ah, Katyusha, you're truly beautiful. If I were a man, I would definitely be mesmerized by you."

Yekaterina shook her head with a smile, not dwelling on the topic any longer. Instead, she asked with a playful tone, "What about you, Anna? How was your trip to the south?"

Upon hearing this question, the expression of glee on Anna's face suddenly dimmed, "Not so good. That was the marriage partner my family chose for me, a mining tycoon from the south. It turned out to be a senior from our school. I had been harboring some expectations. But once I got there, all hope was lost. He was covered in acne, weighing over three hundred pounds—a veritable fat swine. No matter how splendid his clothes, they could not mask his vulgarity, lewdness, and stupidity. It was utterly dreadful."

With that, she shrugged her shoulders, showing a helpless expression.

As a child of a high noble family, she had always known this was her inevitable fate.

Anna seemed to have resigned herself to it as she continued, "So... I plan to settle down in Lyndon after the honeymoon. Perhaps I'll end up like my aunts, finding a few handsome lovers. Good heavens, I once harbored fantasies about love, but now it seems I have no choice but to follow in the footsteps of my elders. I really have no say in the matter."

Yekaterina also frowned slightly, feeling some pity for her good friend.

She was so striking and charming, cultured, elegant, and had a literary talent to boot.

What a pity that she was still doomed to this path.

However, Yekaterina said nothing more; she simply replied, "That's fine. If you settle down in Lyndon, we can still meet often. I was worried that you wouldn't come back from the south."

Anna felt that being able to meet with a good friend was probably the only thing worthwhile: "By the way, Katyusha, I heard you chose the second son from the Lei family?"

As she spoke, she helped Katyusha tidy her dress and couldn't help but express her confusion: "Katyusha, since it's all for a family alliance, why did you choose a 'waste' from the Lei family? Given the current situation of the empire, choosing William would have been the most appropriate. Moreover, William is handsome and talented. Even if your families really wanted to forge an alliance, it might be a bit troublesome for a short time, but others wouldn't dare to really obstruct it."

Yekaterina smiled and corrected her as an image surfaced in her mind, "That 'Fick' isn't as bad as the rumors say."

Anna blinked in slight surprise, "Ah... you've met him?"

Yekaterina's beauty rose with a slight tilt of her head, responding indifferently: "I have."

Anna found her good friend's expression a bit strange, "What is he like?"

"Hmm... Let me think about it."

Yekaterina thought of something for a moment, as if she had difficulty answering.

Anna looked on expectantly.

It was only then that Yekaterina said, "In the eyes of most people, he would be considered handsome, charming, intelligent, gentlemanly, steady, talented, responsible, and kind enough... He's a very nice person to be friends with. Of course, what's most important is that I find him very suitable."

Listening to the stream of praise, Anna was at first stunned, then suddenly realized what she had heard.

She exclaimed in amazement, "Ah... you... you... you don't really have feelings for that 'Fick,' do you?"

Upon this inquiry, Yekaterina pondered for a moment, then her lips unexpectedly curled into a smile.

There were things she wouldn't mention to anyone, but she had nothing to hide from her good friend.

She smiled gently, "Yeah. I guess so."

"My goodness... My goodness..."

Anna's face displayed complete astonishment, her eyes shimmering with incredulity as if she had heard the most preposterous thing in the world, "I always thought no man could catch your eye. But now... you... you..."

She was so shocked she began to speak incoherently.

For she could not imagine there was actually a man in the world who could meet the standards of her outstanding friend.

Anna felt her brain was unable to process this shocking revelation.

She patted her heaving chest, then exclaimed with emotion, "This is too incredible. Just what did that 'Fick' do to move the heart of our angelic beauty, Miss Katyusha?"

What did he do?

Yekaterina recalled their first meeting in Blizzard City and the later times they spent together in the Silent Forest.

It was like a poem of blooming spring flowers on a mountain.

It wasn't too strong or too light, but just perfect.

But, it seemed too complex to be distilled into a few words.

Seeing her good friend's gossip-hungry gaze, Yekaterina's beautiful face unusually flashed with a playful smile, and she only offered a word that suggested endless possibilities: "Me."

"???"

Anna looked perplexed.

What did she mean?

What did he do...

Me?

After reflecting on their conversation, Anna had a sudden realization.

Then, like someone who had discovered a new continent, her eyes blazed with the fire of gossip, and regardless of her ladylike image, she exclaimed loudly, "Ah... Oh my God! Has the world gone mad? I must see what that 'Fick' looks like!"