Mechanical Alchemist

Chapter 216: Pirates are coming

Su'en had encountered Lady Filo twice before.

Once during the selection of the Black Tower Academy's guide, and another time from a distance at the grand opening on Norton Street.

Both times, he felt that this woman was aloof and sensual, like a queen perched high above, both cold and desiring.

Her identity was also shrouded in mystery.

Previously, Su'en thought he would never cross paths with such a woman.

But now, seeing her, his gaze was slightly odd.

Because he speculated that Mr. Mirror must have another identity in reality...

Closely related to the Reyes family, closely related to the Qiantiao, possessing great power in the Inner City...

All signs indicated that this "Lady Filo" was Mr. Mirror's disguised identity.

It was just a moment of eye contact, and Su'en was even more certain of his guess.

After all, the attire for soaking in the hot springs was thin, and if a strange man had barged in, this "Lady Filo" would surely have a look of caution and doubt.

But now, her eyes were utterly calm.

Testing the waters, Su'en called out, "Senior sister?"

"Lady Filo" glanced at him, seemingly unsurprised that he could guess her identity, her expression a bit languid as she nodded, "Mhm."

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

It really was her!

He hadn't dared to look closely before, but now, with a comparative gaze, he noticed her features bore some resemblance to the family portrait he had seen at the Storm Manor.

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

With this acknowledgment, Su'en instantly felt the cold and distant aura around her dissipate.

Among acquaintances, there was no room for aloofness.

Mr. Mirror watched Su'en's scrutinizing and curious eyes, a hint of helplessness crossing her brow. She lay back at the edge of the pool, revealing her fair and delicate neck. She seemed to enjoy the feeling of the hot spring nourishing her skin, eyes closed, a look of contentment on her face.

Since it was an acquaintance, the odd feeling in Su'en's heart also faded, and he approached the edge of the pool and got into the water.

***

Beside the hot spring pool, flowers vied for beauty, surrounded by greenery, with a misty blue smoke lingering above the water surface.

The pool water was clear to the bottom, and the spring water flowed from bamboo tubes, making a pleasant "ding-dong, ding-dong" sound.

The attire for soaking in the hot springs was a thin linen robe, which, once wet, left nothing to the imagination.

Su'en glanced over.

Hmm... his senior sister had both an excellent figure and temperament.

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

The legend says that high-ranking vampires are immortal and eternally youthful, is that true? Or was it just a mirror image?

Mr. Mirror's personality was similar to her mother Sereya's, easy-going and gentle. Su'en respected his senior sister but didn't feel too distant.

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

There was no need to hide anything from her own junior brother.

Mr. Mirror was naturally aware of that scrutinizing gaze and guessed what Su'en was thinking, simply responding with a "Mhm."

Wow... it felt like discovering a little surprise.

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Su'en had thought his thousand-year-old senior sister, who always wore a cloak, was an old woman, but it turned out she truly possessed eternal youth.

Just one look, and the legendary vampire bloodline seemed a bit against the heavens.

Living long and looking good...

In the vast pool, there were only two people, and it would be awkward not to chat.

Driven by curiosity, Su'en simply asked, "Senior sister, is your vampire bloodline acquired through transformation?"

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

Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that she has vampire blood.

"Mhm."

Mr. Mirror responded, then added, "My father once hunted a deep abyss vampire lord and extracted the power of his bloodline. This bloodline is highly compatible with human blood, with a very low mutation rate. Later, due to some events... I underwent bloodline transformation."

This plot twist wasn't unexpected for Su'en.

But because of "some events"?

It sounded like there was more to it than just Pestoya's issue.

He caught a moment of hesitation in her words and asked, "Senior sister, does calling yourself 'Lady Filo' have any special meaning?"

She had always called herself "Lady," and if there truly was a marriage, Su'en was curious about who could match his senior sister, who was suspected to be a professional of rank seven or above.

If it were an elder, asking such a question would seem impolite.

But a senior sister... gossiping a bit seemed okay.

"..."

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

She glanced at Su'en, a trace of helplessness in her brow.

She knew that if she didn't explain, her little junior brother would make wild guesses. Since there was nothing she couldn't say, she simply quelled his curiosity and said lightly, "I was once engaged. But before we could marry, he died in a battle defending a spatial passage."

Upon hearing this, Su'en immediately realized he had touched on a painful past and quickly apologized, "Sorry."

Mr. Mirror shook her head, her expression very calm.

A thousand years had passed, and many things had been put into perspective.

She probably guessed what else Su'en was curious about, so she simply revealed it all, "Also, the vampire bloodline isn't as against the heavens as you think. This bloodline indeed has a longer lifespan than humans, but it's not immortal. For most of the past thousand years, I've been in hibernation, only waking up in the last century. Moreover, there's a price for a longer lifespan through hibernation. The long years can also weaken the body, and I've only recently recovered to the strength of a fifth or sixth rank..."

"Oh..."

Su'en understood why she had shown weaker strength but higher law comprehension during her fight with the Fallen Angel.

It was due to post-hibernation effects.

But... excluding the hibernation time, she had still lived for over a hundred years?

Su'en still felt that the vampire bloodline was quite good, and issues like fear of light or slower cultivation efficiency compared to humans... were no longer problems.

***

As the two were chatting, Qiantiao, who had also cleaned herself up, walked over from the corridor.

Su'en knew she was close to "Lady Filo," and now that Filo was Mr. Mirror, everything matched up.

Qiantiao clearly also knew the relationship between the two and smiled, "Yo, what are you two siblings chatting about?"

As she spoke, she took off the bath towel she was wearing and got into the water.

The water temperature was very comfortable, and Su'en lay back lazily, placing a damp towel on his forehead, replying, "We're discussing some issues about the vampire bloodline."

Qiantiao, now completely uninhibited around Su'en, sat down next to him after getting into the water.

The linen robe for soaking was very thin, and once wet, the touch was extremely real.

But no one minded.

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

Listening to the conversation between the two, Su'en also learned that their meeting wasn't prearranged but a coincidence.

He remembered that Qiantiao had mentioned before that "Lady Filo" also had a habit of soaking in hot springs. Perhaps because vampires are a cold-blooded species, they like the feeling of warmth?

As they soaked, Mr. Mirror suddenly spoke up, getting down to business, "The situation outside has been roughly confirmed. The forces stationed outside the tower are a personal guard of Duke Raphael. The strongest is a sixth-rank leader, and there are many elite fourth and fifth ranks. Now that we have obtained the body of that Fallen Angel, I should be able to recover enough strength to suppress a sixth-rank in about half a month. By then, breaking out should be more secure..."

At this point, she looked at Qiantiao and asked, "By the way, Qiantiao, what's the situation with your Evelyn family?"

"I can leave at any time, as I have no attachments. I asked my family, and they have no intention of getting involved."Qiantiao responded lazily, her tone carrying a hint of speechlessness, "Those clan elders enjoy their current lives. They fear losing their present rights and wealth, saying that even if they leave, life won't be better than it is now, and they told me not to cause more trouble... Compared to freedom, those Old Fellows chose a comfortable life. Let them stay here if they want."

Su'en didn't join the conversation, but he guessed the thoughts of the Evelyn family elders.

Duke Raphael almost let his "mine" run wild, and those top families in Old Lingdun's Inner City, except for not being able to go to the surface, in terms of quality of life and status, really weren't worse than those nobles on the surface.

In any era, the upper echelons of society are the least fond of change.

But pigs in a pen, no matter how fat and strong, are ultimately raised by others.

Those people aren't blind; they just don't want to give up the comfortable life they've already secured.

This is also the mindset of most top families in the Inner City.

Mr. Mirror didn't say much more.

Even with her presence, "storming the tower" still had unpredictable risks, let alone that they could only choose to take a small group of people to leave first.

After all, Old Lingdun City was Duke Raphael's "mine," and if a riot broke out, the Duke's mansion would immediately send reinforcements.

Not to mention whether the combined forces of Old Lingdun could resist the power of a duke, even if they could, behind Duke Raphael stood the powerful Luyin Empire.

Some chose freedom, others comfort.

***

With Mr. Mirror present, the chances of successfully storming the tower...

The three chatted and began to talk about the outside world.

Su'en also shared some intelligence he had gathered.

Then, they discussed their plans after getting out.

Qiantiao, born in this dark underground city, her face brimming with anticipation more intense than when gambling, suddenly asked, "Filo, what do you plan to do after you get out?"

Mr. Mirror had been to the outside world and saw everything very lightly. She said, "I'm not interested in meddling in the disputes between the two empires. I might go to 'Cynodia County' north of the Luyin Strait. I heard that place is currently a disputed territory with no sovereign. If possible, I plan to establish a neutral force for alchemists to exchange alchemy, like my father established Dawn City, to pass on the torch of dawn..."

"..."

Listening, Qiantiao pursed her lips, clearly uninterested in such grand plans.

She turned her head to look at Su'en next to her and asked, "Su'en kid, what do you plan to do after you get out?"

Su'en thought for a moment and said, "I plan to travel around to broaden my horizons. If possible, I will look for the alchemy manuscripts left by my master."

Actually, the safest plan was to follow Mr. Mirror.

Once her strength fully recovered, she would be among the top experts on the surface. There was also Pestoya, who was in slumber, a solid golden thigh to rely on.

But Mr. Mirror had only pointed out to him that under her protection, he would never experience some things that only true powerhouses could comprehend. To go further on the path of the Transcendent, one must have their own insights and trials.

And that was one reason.

The second was that Su'en also wanted to see this mysterious and exciting world for himself.

Upon hearing this, Qiantiao's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she suggested, "How about we become pirates together? We can specifically rob these decadent nobles, uh... and we can also go rob other pirates!"

As she spoke, she seemed to already envision an exciting future life, getting closer and detailing, "There's an endless sea on the surface, with many treasures under the sea. We can go treasure hunting, explore new sea routes, hunt dragons, and find ancient ruins..."

In the underground world, the sea is a very unfamiliar term.

That boundless and mysterious ocean indeed holds unparalleled allure for anyone.

Su'en felt his arm sink into a soft touch and smiled, "Sure."

Pirates and gangsters seemed not too different.

One on land, one on the sea.

Both doing shady work that can't see the light.

Treasure hunting stories are always timeless topics. Once Qiantiao brought up this topic, she immediately started imagining all the details.

Su'en shared some common knowledge with her, like... to be pirates, they first needed a ship that could withstand the wind and waves.

Mr. Mirror, sitting nearby, listened to the two plotting to become pirates, a gentle smile on her face.

But the good times didn't last long.

Just as the three were leisurely chatting in the hot springs.

Suddenly! A loud disturbance came from the direction of the Inner City.

All three changed their expressions.

***

Mr. Mirror frowned, "Something's happened in the Inner City, the noise is coming from the direction of the Black Tower!"

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

Su'en also found it strange.

The Black Tower was garrisoned by the Duke's personal guard, a force with professional ranks of four and five.

The only one in Old Lingdun with the strength to storm the tower was the Mirror Organization.

Anyone else who tried would die.

No matter how many people, it was useless.

And the disturbance in the distance grew more intense, with the sound of gunfire rising wave after wave. It seemed that some large-scale lethal weapons were used, and even from such a distance, the three could see the mushroom cloud rising over the Inner City.

Clearly, the battle was very fierce.

Mr. Mirror sensed something and shook her head, "No, it seems like someone is breaking out from the Black Tower, and the Inner City's guards are resisting."

Qiantiao was completely confused, "People from the outside?"

Su'en thought of the stripped memories and guessed it was an internal conflict within the Duke's mansion, or perhaps the war between the two empires had spread to the Black Tower located in the Black Reef?

Before they could speculate further, the advantage of having an intelligence insider was revealed.

Su'en immediately received a message from Sabina, "Sir, a group of very strong people have broken out from the Black Tower, they're carrying the skull and crossbones flag, they seem to be pirates! They've defeated the Black Tower's guards, and the Inner City's city guards have also collapsed at the touch. Now those people are rampaging and looting in the city, the mechanical warriors at the research institute are resisting, but they probably won't last long. Among those people, there are very powerful Transcendent professionals..."

Su'en shared the intelligence in front of the two, and both Mr. Mirror and Qiantiao's expressions became very serious.

So it was people from the outside?

And the ones storming the tower were pirates?

The Inner City's city guards were mechanized and not weak.

If they collapsed at the touch, it meant the pirates had an overwhelming advantage.

Mr. Mirror analyzed, "Being able to break through the Black Tower means that there's at least a sixth-rank professional among those people..."

Su'en caught the detail in the intelligence and immediately thought of something, "The 'skull and crossbones flag'... should be the pirate flag of the 'King of the North Sea' Oleg's fleet. That pirate group is very strong, even the Luyin Empire can't handle them. There are many fifth and sixth-rank high-level professionals in the pirate group, and Oleg himself... is said to be an eighth-rank professional."

Mr. Mirror's brow furrowed upon hearing this.

At this moment, Qiantiao thought for a moment and said, "Someone storming the tower coming down isn't necessarily bad for us. The 'King of the North Sea' and his pirates, no matter how strong, are unlikely to fight a positional battle. Most likely, they're just here to loot."

Su'en also felt this made sense.

The Black Tower being breached was definitely an earth-shattering event for Old Lingdun!

This sudden change caught them off guard and immediately disrupted their original plans.

Mr. Mirror nodded, "Alright, I'll go check out the situation. Qiantiao, you gather the organization's people; we might have to move up our action. Wait for my message."

Qiantiao: "Okay!"

As they spoke, there was a splash of water, and when they looked again, the water rippled, and Mr. Mirror had already disappeared without a trace.

Qiantiao looked at the continuous blaze in the distant Inner City, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in her eyes. The Rakshasa woman was not afraid of battle. She rose unhurriedly, called out to Su'en, "Let's go, it's time to get ready."

With that, she got out of the water, dried off her body with a bath towel, changed into her battle kimono, and then donned a gold-embroidered cloak.

Once the cloak was draped over her, a sense of mystery enveloped her.

Su'en had a trick for changing clothes; after getting out of the water, he shook his limbs, and a suit suitable for battle was on his body.

For the first time, he donned the gold-embroidered cloak representing the identity of a member of the Mirror Organization, following Qiantiao as they leaped over the wall.