Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 313 - 312: When I Was Young, I Also Wanted to Be a Poet (Happy New Year)

When Su Lun emerged from the chessboard space, the Onmyoji had already vanished without a trace.

Besides the hundred or so ghost warriors bound by silk threads, the other creatures in the bamboo forest had completely disappeared.

Chitatsu looked at Su Lun as he emerged and asked, "How did it go?"

Su Lun shrugged his shoulders, responding somewhat helplessly, "That person was likely ’Yokai’ Abe Yasukazu, very powerful. Normally, none of us would be able to detain him."

Previously, he had theorized various counter-strategies, but it seemed that none of the present company had the means to kill that fellow.

The people outside the chessboard space had not seen who Su Lun was fighting, but hearing the name "Abe Yasukazu" caused the Princess to look shocked.

She was all too familiar with him.

Because that man was the royal family’s chief priest!

"No wonder he dares not show himself..."

Shinfuku Mitsuko instantly understood something and her expression became very grave.

She realized that the threat was not only from the shogunate, but there was also a major internal problem within their royal family.

Because of his special identity, being exposed would be troublesome, so he had used this method of summoning shikigami to kill without showing his face.

Yet, what shocked the Princess even more was that this Mr. Su Lun had emerged unscathed from a battle with Abe Yasukazu, known as the "court’s foremost priest"?

This was too incredible.

Su Lun, observing the Princess’s gaze, also read her doubts.

He seemed to be speaking to Chitatsu, but he explained to everyone, "That guy’s strength is unfathomable. But it seemed he had some reservations, so he did not go all out. However, I think this is not a place to stay for long."

What Su Lun left unsaid was: if that guy had gone all out, he would now be absconding with Chitatsu and Lolota.

Chitatsu, listening, nodded slightly: "Mm."

Su Lun knew that Chitatsu and Shinfuku Mitsuko had a protective contract, being aware that she might have some other plans. He did not assist in making any decisions and went to inspect the ghost warriors bound into "zongzi."

Since he had been busy with the battle, some of the bound ghost warriors had not been completely sealed and had escaped, leaving only a few dozen.

Fortunately, the armored leader of the ghost warriors was still present, each one affixed with a Shinto talisman.

Su Lun examined the symbols drawn on those white papers, somewhat resembling runes; patterns and energy structured into a complete solidifying spell with demon-exorcising and evil-suppressing effects. However, the energy within the talismans was not pure, having also utilized the power of Shinto faith.

He was quite satisfied with his spoils of war.

With such samples, he would be busy for a long time.

In the field of Alchemy, theoretically, everything in the world can be deconstructed and applies to the principle of equivalent exchange. Any characteristic that living beings possess can be replicated on rune golems. If he mastered this thoroughly, producing an army of endlessly reviving golems in the future, he would truly make a fortune.

Thinking this, Su Lun did not forget to say to Shinfuku Mitsuko not too far away, "Thank you, Miss Mitsuko."

Hearing this, Shinfuku Mitsuko bowed courteously, "It should be I who thank you, Mr. Su Lun."

...

This was the first time since leaving Edo and being pursued that they had managed to repel their enemies.

Although the situation had improved, the crisis was not fully resolved. Chitatsu asked, "Miss Mitsuko, what are your plans now? That man has been temporarily pushed back but he might return with reinforcements."

Mitsuko glanced at Su Lun, as if an idea had struck her, then said, "Miss Chitatsu, would it be possible for you and Mr. Su Lun to continue guarding me for a few more days? I will provide appropriate compensation..."

Her demeanor was very humble, without a trace of the pride typically held by a royal or a Shinto shrine maiden.

After a pause, she added with an inquiring tone, "And, I also have some matters I would like to consult with Mr. Su Lun about."

Chitatsu, hearing this, did not express her opinion but looked at Su Lun, "What do you think?"

Her arms were sealed, and her combat strength was limited. If she encountered the same situation as before, she would be powerless despite her intentions.

"..."

Su Lun, however, wore an indifferent expression,

because the two had already established a tacit understanding. He also noticed a trace of peculiarity in Qiantiao’s expression, which seemed like he was expecting him to respond?

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Thinking that they weren’t close and there was no contract, if they encountered an enemy they couldn’t defeat, he would definitely run, so he said, "I’m fine with it."

But after all, the inheritance scroll and the "Ghost Sword" soul of Aki came from her, and there was some emotional connection. Achieving the main goal of coming to Mountain Hermit, it wouldn’t hurt to follow along.

Moreover, upon further reflection, he felt that interacting more with the Shinfuku Mitsuko would be beneficial.

Just now, his battle against the Onmyoji had stirred Su Lun’s desire as an alchemist to learn more about Shinto secret techniques.

His teacher, Cereia, once said that an alchemist must be knowledgeable, needed to understand the world, and use knowledge to comprehend everything. Understanding various deities was also a part of this.

There couldn’t be a more suitable person to discuss this with than a Shinto Shrine Maiden.

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He wanted to inquire about some Shinto secret techniques, like the recent "Paper Man Technique," the principles behind a ghost warrior’s resurrection, or other bizarre and strange monsters.

Hearing Su Lun’s agreement, Shinfuku Mitsuko’s face lit up with joy as she bowed again to Su Lun and Qiantiao, sincerely saying, "I appreciate your assistance."

"However..."

Su Lun looked at the mess in the bamboo forest, suddenly thought of something, and shifted the conversation, "I think Princess should make some other preparations."

He could agree to help out a bit more, but he didn’t want to actually attract any major trouble.

The reason for Abe Yasukazu’s previous "leniency," he hadn’t figured out yet, so he naturally needed to be more cautious.

Su Lun directly said, "Abe Yasukazu has a shikigami ’Inugami’ by his side. If we leave like this, there is a high probability that we will be chased down again."

Clearly, anyone could foresee that situation.

Hearing this, Shinfuku Mitsuko asked cautiously, "Mr. Su Lun, what do you suggest, then?"

Su Lun knew Qiantiao might have reasons not to speak up and take on the role of the "bad cop," saying unpleasant things, so he had to do it.

With an expressionless face, he said, "I think we can split up into several groups. ’Inugami’ tracks its targets by scent, so I suggest that you, princess, and the guards separate. The guards could carry some articles of clothing and head in different directions."

This was the most rational plan at the moment.

Su Lun had carefully considered this before speaking.

Since the Princess is a shrine maiden, her own cultivation is not weak, and she is also skilled in the art of Ghost Path secret techniques, the likelihood of being continuously tracked by monsters exists but is not high.

This arrangement also completely rules out another possibility, that the enemy might actually be tracking one of her guards.

Hearing this, a trace of hesitation appeared on the princess’s face.

Without her guards, her life would be entirely in the hands of these three foreigners from Mountain Hermit.

But this hesitation lasted only a moment, as she immediately nodded, seriously saying, "Okay! I also think Mr. Su Lun’s plan is very good!"

Actually, from the moment she chose to stay in the battle, she had already entrusted her life to this "reinforcement."

And given the current situation, having guards or not seemed to make no difference.

After all, the methods of Abe Yasukazu were not something a few upper ninjas could withstand.

But hearing this, the captain of the guards looked worried and quickly interjected, "But, Your Royal Highness..."

Although he also thought the plan was reasonable, as the captain of the guards, he was concerned about leaving the precious princess in the hands of "strangers."

Shinfuku Mitsuko, with a resolute expression, said, "No need to say more. We’ll do as Mr. Su Lun suggested."

The few ninja guards could only bow and comply, "Yes, Your Highness!"

"Sorry, Miss Chitanda, Mr. Su Lun, could you wait for me a moment?"

Saying this, the Princess walked toward the darker part of the bamboo grove.

Su Lun guessed from her actions that she was probably going to change her clothes.

Although his night vision was decent, it wasn’t appropriate to stare at a girl changing her clothes, so he turned around and started seriously bundling up this pile of "rice dumplings."

....

It wasn’t long before the Shinfuku Mitsuko reappeared, already changed into another set of clothes.

She had shed her disguise and donned the vestment robe of her priestly position, an undergarment of plain white silk and an overcoat embroidered with a silver sun motif, and below, a pleated skirt-styled red hakama, and her feet were shod in a pair of red knotted straw sandals. Her thick, lustrous black hair cascaded over her shoulders, an elegant air of "long straight black" hair enveloping her instantly.

Su Lun watched the Shinfuku Mitsuko in women’s clothes, his eyes flickering with a touch of amazement.

Indeed, her male attire had been eye-catching, and returning to female clothes was naturally excellent.

Unlike Mr. Jing’s cold pride, Chitanda’s martial vigor, Yuta’s wildness, and Sabina’s enchantment... Shinfuku Mitsuko had a delicate, genteel charm. Moreover, given her "deity’s servant" status, coupled with her elegant red and white vestment robe, her image of purity, sanctity, transcendence, and classic beauty was strongly ingrained in one’s mind, exuding a unique allure all over.

Su Lun glanced at her then quickly averted his gaze, a thought flickering in his mind: No wonder she dresses in men’s clothing. With such an appearance, it would be difficult not to attract attention without a disguise.

However, more than the Princess’s delicate features, Su Lun took another look at the vestment robe.

Upon closer inspection, not only was the craftsmanship exquisite, but it was also a treasure trove. Both the outer layer and lining were robes of spells, even the white linen cord at her waist boasted demon-expelling properties, a spiritual artifact of Shinto.

Although the mountain hermits were impoverished, some classes were no less noble than those in the outside world.

Chitanda, who had been the big sister at the Cross Association, was accustomed to flattering speech, and upon seeing the beautiful girl, she naturally blurted out: "Wow... Miss Princess, you look really beautiful."

Hearing this ragamuffin-style tease, the Shinfuku Mitsuko’s cheeks seemed to sweep with a shade of shyness as she bashfully nodded, "You flatter me, Miss Chitanda."

Saying this, she handed the four parcels she was holding to the four guards, instructing, "Men of Jinwei, these contain my clothes and paper effigies, you will go respectively to the shrines in Owari, Mikawa, Nagano, and Akiyama."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The Ninja guards took the packets and vanished instantaneously into the bamboo grove.

Su Lun listened to the Shinfuku Mitsuko’s arrangements and could find no fault. The four locations were reputed to house the Ise Grand Shrine, indeed quite deceptive.

...

Once the guards left, only the four of them remained in the bamboo grove.

Princess’s mood seemed slightly odd.

With fewer people, it felt starkly empty.

As a royal princess, she had always traveled with guards at her side and had never experienced going out alone.

Now, she was only surrounded by a few strangers.

The Princess felt somewhat isolated.

Since they naturally couldn’t stay in the bamboo grove, Chitanda asked, "Miss Princess, where shall we go next?"

The Princess seemed to have a plan already and said, "In the southwest, less than a hundred miles from here, lies the Izumo region, where there’s a ’Tea Crying Mountain.’ There lies my secret base."

"Oh."

Chitanda raised an eyebrow, her face indifferent.

As they talked, the Princess seemed to remember something and added, "Miss Chitanda, didn’t you ask earlier which hot springs by a volcano were good? Tea Crying Mountain has the best hot spring bathhouses of the mountain hermits. The scenery is particularly splendid during winter~"

At this, Chitanda’s eyes lit up instantly, clearly intrigued, "Great! Let’s go there."

The Princess smiled.

As for Su Lun, he was indifferent to the destination. Now that the "Rune Magician’s Legacy" was in his possession, his ultimate goal in Mountain Hermit had been achieved. He needed to quickly assimilate that knowledge and then craft "Replica of the Initial Runes" to advance to tier four.

The dark spiritual power was already overflowing. Only after advancing to the fourth level would there be another breakthrough, exponentially increasing the might of all magicians. Encountering Abe Yasukazu again, the confidence in dealing would rise significantly.

A group of four decided on their route, cleared the traces of battle, and then disappeared into the bamboo forest.

...

Pirate City Hastelin was always a place where dragons and snakes mingled, harboring not just pirates but various powers in hiding.

While the ninth fleet of the Northern Maritime Forces was heading towards Mountain Hermit, in a secret harbor of Golden City, an inconspicuous merchant ship was docked, and several cloaked figures were preparing to set sail.

On the deck, what looked like a farewell was taking place.

One cloaked figure was holding another’s hand, speaking of something.

"Great-grandmother, do you really need to go there yourself? But your health..."

The voice was very gentle, like a girl in the prime of her youth. Though the alchemy cloak concealed her face, upon closer examination, one could see that the speaker had beautiful purple hair.

The other figure was slightly stooped, resembling an elderly person nearing the end of her life.

She spoke in a calm, slow voice, "Yes. Grandmother’s life has reached its end. If I don’t go now, I won’t be able to next year either."

She held the purple-haired girl’s hand as if it were their last goodbye, "Katyusha, don’t be sad about grandma’s departure. Coming to Mountain Hermit... this is the rare choice in my life to follow my own will. And thank you. After listening to your story, grandma decided to come and see."

The purple-haired girl knew this farewell would be their last. Her tone was full of sorrow, "But... Great-grandmother, the situation in Mountain Hermit Country is currently at a critical point. The results of the astrology... aren’t good either. If you really must go, let me accompany you, okay?"

"No, I want to go and see for myself."

The old woman, who had long resigned herself to the reality of life and death, gently caressed her tear-streaked cheeks, "My little Katyusha, promise grandma that these will be your last tears. Since you’ve chosen your path, proceed firmly."

"..."

The purple-haired girl remained silent, unable to express the sorrow of bidding farewell to the dearest person in her life with any words.

The old woman cupped the tear-stained face and smiled, "Being born into our family is both a fortune and a misfortune. In my youth, I married into a southern financial conglomerate for the benefit of the family. I’ve compromised and given my all for the prosperity of our family all my life. Now, at the end of my life, I want to make my own way for this last journey. Go there and see if his story holds a reflection of me."

The purple-haired girl didn’t know how to start a conversation, "Great-grandmother..."

"If I had your courage when I was young, I might have taken a different path."

The old woman smiled tenderly, "Back then, my dream was to be a novelist or a traveling poet. Even now, thinking about it seems quite nice."

As she spoke, her clouded eyes reflected the image of the purple-haired girl, as if seeing her younger self, and she began to narrate her own story, "Back then, like you, I loved writing plays, composing the most beautiful poems. And Gustav liked writing novels about gods and spirits. He wrote with boundless imagination, often about stories of the lower classes. Such stories are not well-received in high society, and we always lived in poverty. But we didn’t mind the hardship back then. We would run wildly on flower-covered hills, laughing foolishly. It seemed like our tomorrows would always be full of blooming flowers..."

Hearing this story, the glint in the purple-haired girl’s eyes gradually calmed and settled.

She had buried her past in that dense forest.

From now on, there would be no more blossoming flowers on her path.

It was ultimately time to part.

The old woman patted her shoulder, "Alright, I must leave."

The purple-haired girl stayed silent, nodding her head.

The old woman raised her hand in farewell, smiling with her last words, "The only regret grandma has now is not being able to watch you grow up. I’m also curious, what kind of man can make my little Katyusha make such a choice?"

Upon hearing this, Yekaterina touched a strand of hair by her temple and smiled broadly, "Great-grandmother, Katyusha has already grown up."

"Hmm."

The old woman leaned on the railing, smiling.

The ship slowly left the harbor.

PS. Wishing all my readers a happy new year, and thank you for your company throughout.