Chapter 220 – Legend of the Sage Alchemist (II)

Chapter 220

Legend of the Sage Alchemist (II)

I’m pretty sure Long Tao just handed me something that will cause me no small amount of headache when I try to explain how exactly I have it with me.

Looking at the paper, it was a list of… words? I think? Honestly, I may as well be staring at some random child scribbles, as none of these mean anything to me. Which likely means this is an alchemy recipe that’s gone extinct in the ten thousand years that Long Tao’s been dead.

Or, maybe it was extinct even when he was alive, and he just stumbled upon it in some or another ancient realm.

Regardless, I put it into my robes and spent about half a day mulling over exactly how to break the entire ‘operation’ down before heading over to the Greeting Hall or whatever it was called.

The same young woman stood behind the counter today as well. She must have been told that I’d be coming since she bowed and immediately escorted me to the room, ushering me inside where I saw the familiar face reading something.

Haah. Honestly, I wonder when I will get this sagacious image like he has right now. He’s like that teacher that just looks like he knows answers to all your questions.

“Ah, Master Lu, you’ve come.” He’s also changed the way he addresses me, apparently, from “Junior” to “Master.” Flattering? Sure. Scary? Definitely. If he was treating me with kid gloves before, now he was treating me as an equal.

“Needed to gather my thoughts for a bit.”

“Of course. Please, have a seat. Do you want some tea?”

“A cup would be nice.” I sat down cross-legged and waited for him to pour a cup before speaking up. “I have two proposals for you.”

“Oh? I’m assuming one of them is a backup proposal that favors me more, as the first one is likely the kind that will give me a headache.”

“…” I winced invisibly, taking a sip of tea and smiling. “Wrong. Neither one favors you particularly.”

“Ho ho,” he laughed rather freely, taking a sip of tea as well. “Very well. Let’s hear it.”

“First one,” I said. “Is… complicated. You and I will go together to meet the Madame and claim that we have a solution to her daughter’s ills. You can say that you’ve found an ancient text that you couldn’t read and that I’ve helped you translate it. When inside, you will do the ‘bulk’ of the work, as it were, while I will simply finalize it and fade into the background.

“However,” I emphasized. “It’s likely that the Madame’s guest Alchemist will also want to be in there with us, no?”

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“Most certainly,” he nodded. “Though I’m ashamed to admit it, I cannot hold a candle to either his knowledge or skill. If you are asking me to somehow deceive his eyes, I’m afraid it will be impossible.”

“… all you need to do is, uhm, practice for a bit.”