Mechanical Alchemist

The old cowboy opened his mouth and smiled, revealing a mouthful of smoky yellow and black teeth, and one of his front teeth was missing.

This appearance is really not good, it is no different from those wretched little old warehouse managers in the wharf warehouse.

Su Lun didn't know why, the old cowboy in front of him should be very strong, but he looked so cowardly.

At least in perception, he is much stronger than the boss of the razor gang, "Stormy Bear" Lawrence.

Su Lun even suspects that this guy has some mysterious magic tricks, and maybe it will be difficult for him to deal with it.

But this operation of admitting cowardice at the first mouth is really not understood by people.

But at least you don't have to do it, and it's less troublesome.

The old cowboy poured beans directly to Su Lun with a shy face, and told everything that happened.

"Sir, don't get me wrong, this matter has something to do with us, but it really doesn't have much to do with it. I really don't know that "cold demon". Previously, we received a commission from an employer to find a kidnapped girl. As you can see, we got people out. "

The old man was very knowledgeable. He knew that if the person in front of him could find out about Emilia's second infiltration to save people, he must have seen all the previous actions. Naturally, he had already discovered his act of covering up inside.

There is nothing to hide about the process.

What's more, as far as the result of the "scarlet gold coin" obtained by divination, this is definitely a master who kills without blinking an eye.

Rather than being misunderstood by others, it would be less troublesome to confess.

The old cowboy swallowed his saliva without temperament, and continued: "Then this girl got into trouble. Thanks to your help, sir, this didn't cause a catastrophe."

As he spoke, he poked the short-haired girl next to him with his elbow again, and urged dissatisfiedly, "Hey, hey, Emilia, hurry up and thank this gentleman for saving his life!"

Although Emilia knew in her heart that the person in front of her had saved her, she should be grateful.

But looking at that face, I still remembered the scene in the clubhouse just now, and I still feel... What a hateful guy!

To tell the lesson, I was really impressed.

But she still thanked her with a very contradictory mood, "Thank you, sir."

Su Lun frowned noncommittally, "So?"

He didn't seem to care the slightest bit about the little favor he did.

The old cowboy knew that he was asking about the assassination incident on the street just now, and quickly explained: "Sir, as you know, this clubhouse is the territory of the Razor Party. In order to save the girl who caused trouble, I had to think of other ways. It happened that I saw Count Bolognese was there. So I sold the news to my colleagues and that's what you see."

As he spoke, he looked at Su Lun's expressionless face, and reiterated again: "I swear, I really don't know that 'cold demon'. "

"oh?"

Su Lun snorted lightly.

This guy probably doesn't know that he has sensed that his soul is special. This is continuing to pretend.

After all, with this guy's strength, even if he forced his way into the clubhouse, it wouldn't be a big problem.

Even if there is that sixth-level "Augus" in the clubhouse.

But he didn't go to explore the meaning of other people's secrets.

At least the two people's actions to save people in the clubhouse left a good impression on him.

Since the old cowboy wanted to pretend to be a chicken, Su Lun didn't intend to expose it.

Some things are easier to communicate without tearing them apart.

Su Lun glanced at the old man, who seemed to have no interest, and tentatively asked: "So, in order to save someone, you let an innocent nobleman suffer a catastrophe?"

Hearing this, the old cowboy was just about to explain something, but Emilia thought that Su Lun was biased towards the interests of the nobles, so she couldn't help interjecting, and defended her teacher: "Then Earl Bologna deserves to die! He It is one of the shareholders of this clubhouse, and it is also the umbrella that controls the illegal human trafficking in the entire Lingdun underground. This kind of criminal guy should die a hundred times, a thousand times, and he should die!"

Su Lun was still expressionless, as if not surprised.

He doesn't care about the assassination of nobles.

Anyway, the old man likes to play tricks, so he continued to inquire: "Tell me about the entrustment, why did you come here?"

The old cowboy said: "As you can see, we are private detectives. We were entrusted by a businessman to find his kidnapped little daughter. Then we found this place based on some clues. And then, you will know everything about it gone."

It turned out to be a real detective.

This was almost as guessed, and Su Lun asked again: "Do you know why those people kidnapped those girls?"

The old cowboy's eyes twitched inexplicably, and he said decisively: "I don't know."

"Um?"

Su Lun questioned coldly.

Obviously, the old man knew some facts, otherwise he would never have acted so cautiously.

Seeing that he wanted to get to the bottom of it, the old cowboy immediately burst into tears, "Oh, sir, don't embarrass us little detectives who earn a little money. Human trafficking is the bane of the imperial system. All of them are top-notch aristocrats. What do you want me to say?"

That makes sense,

But Su Lun didn't want to just let the cunning old cowboy go, and said flatly, "Tell me what you know."

The old cowboy had a bitter face, hesitated, and finally said: "In the past one or two years, there have been many cases of girls from civilian families disappearing in Lington and the surrounding territories. Well, this time may be earlier, but I pay more attention to such cases. That's it."

After listening to the beginning, Su Lun knew that this guy knew a lot: "And then?"

The old cowboy continued: "I have also taken over several disappearance cases of this kind, and not every time I can find someone. Later, during the investigation and search, I also discovered some commonalities in the cases. The missing girls were all between 12-26 years old. Between the ages, they are full-time professionals. Kidnappers don’t ask for ransom, and it’s not revenge.”

Su Lun frowned slightly when he heard this. Although he had already guessed that these girls were sucked and killed by the "Augus" who used it to dilute the curse of the vampire ring, he was still not in a good mood.

He asked: "Then have you investigated why those people kidnapped these girls?"

The old cowboy shook his head like a rattle, as if deliberately avoiding the question, "No."

Su Lun looked coldly again: "????"

Looking at the threatening eyes that were about to strike even if he said nothing, the old cowboy said reluctantly: "I've heard that some evil priests need the blood of pure girls. As for why it is at this age, because it is too young , fate is uncertain, and the effect of sacrifice is not good; if you are too old, even if you are a virgin, you will be polluted by the world. Probably. I mean probably, it may be used by some important person for some rituals."

Su Lun pondered for a moment.

I have to say that this old cowboy is really capable.

Although he looked wretched and unwilling to cause trouble, it could be seen that he analyzed the matter thoroughly.

Without deliberate investigation, it is impossible to do this step.

There is actually a subtle tacit understanding in the dialogue between the two.

The old cowboy saw what Su Lun wanted to ask, but it was actually what he wanted to say.

In this way, they asked and answered.

Emilia on the side didn't understand the subtlety of the conversation between the two, and felt that this greasy man was hateful, threatening an old man with an aggressive tone. Her eyes became more and more unkind.

At this time, Su Lun asked again: "Then what happened to the 'cold demon'? "

The old cowboy said again: "I really don't know about that. It's just that recently a newcomer appeared in the "League of Assassins" in Lingdun, nicknamed "Cold Demon". This guy is very strong, and he is good at using the power of the law of ice. Moreover, almost all the assassins were big shots, and the ranking soared very quickly. But the origin is very mysterious, and no one has ever seen such a similar ability. So I just heard about it too. "

You can inquire about these news, and you can tell if it is true or not. Su Lun asked again: "Why did someone kill Earl Bolognese?"

The old cowboy replied: "I really don't know about it. Political matters are not something we ordinary people can get involved in."

This time, Su Lun didn't ask any more questions.

The old man said he didn't answer, but he had already answered.

Since it was a political assassination, the "Cold Demon" was doing things for his employer.

Su Lun knew that Grand Duke Raphael was behind him, and that the killed Earl Bolognes belonged to the Rodriguez family faction and happened to be a political enemy.

After asking for a long time, Su Lun also confirmed that the two of them had nothing to do with the "cold demon" before, and they didn't know much about it.

He didn't intend to really embarrass the two of them.

But suddenly, Su Lun thought of something again, and confirmed again: "Your Excellency is a detective?"

The old cowboy obviously guessed something, and got vaccinated in advance, "Yes. But we are only third-rate detectives in Linton. Our main business is to investigate extramarital affairs. Finding lost cats and dogs can't handle big cases."

Su Lun didn't want to listen to his nonsense, so he said directly: "I have a commission. I won't cause trouble."

This old cowboy is very strong, and he is also a very good detective. He may be able to help investigate some information.

"No trouble?"

When the old cowboy heard this, he dared to answer the question. He didn't even ask what was entrusted, and looked like a money fan: "How about the salary?"

Su Lun didn't talk too much, and took out a stack of banknotes directly: "A deposit of 100,000 yuan. Please pay the final payment after checking the results of the investigation."

When the old cowboy saw the ease of giving the money, interest immediately appeared on his face. Seeing the money, this guy suddenly changed his face, and said with a flattering smile: "Honorable client, what do you want to investigate?"

Su Lun took out a communication card and said: "Recently, there is a kind of 'Red Death' spreading in the market of Lingdun. I want to know where the source comes from. If you have any news, please contact me anytime. There are contact information on it." .”

The old cowboy had obviously heard of this disease, his eyes flashed for a moment of thought, and he immediately responded: "Okay!"

Su Lun didn't intend to stay any longer, so he turned around and left.

Seeing the person leave, Emilia said angrily, "Old man, why are you being so polite to that guy? Why do you talk so much to such a guy who deserves to be beaten?"

The old cowboy touched his bulging purse and said meaningfully, "This man is not simple."

"cut!"

Emilia was still complaining about her teacher's intimidation just now, and muttered: "Isn't it just a little stronger. You may not be able to beat him, old man."

The old cowboy shook his head, didn't respond to the words, but instead sighed: "Girl, you are too superficial. That person's strength is definitely beyond your imagination. Moreover, you think ordinary people will be interested in those information." Interest? Besides, he saved you, you should be grateful."

During the conversation just now, both sides were exploring the bottom, and the old man saw something deeper.

When Emilia heard this, although her face was full of reluctance, she also fell into self-doubt: Do you look stupid?

Why does it feel like I listened to the entire conversation just now, but didn't seem to understand it.

Su Lun originally wanted to look around the block to see if he could find other clues, but there was no chance.

An imperial earl was assassinated in the street, and he was still a member of Congress, and the matter was very troublesome.

Just a few minutes later, dozens of mounted police officers from the surrounding blocks arrived, and many police cars from the Lington General Police Station also drove over. And he was wearing plain clothes, and it seemed that people from the Military Intelligence Department were mixed in the crowd.

Then there are the reporters who flock to hear the news.

These people are clogging up entire nightclub blocks.

The clubs are checked one by one, and suspicious persons will be checked on the spot.

Su Lun didn't intend to cause trouble, so he had to leave first.

He asked Sabina on the communicator.

The assassin "Cold Demon" is really famous recently, specializing in assassinating politicians. But everyone thought he was an ice-type professional with very little information.

If Su Lun hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have thought that it was a product of black technology researched by Grand Duke Raphael.

I asked Dr. Banks in Little Void to learn more.

In Grand Duke Raphael's "Neural Machine Project", there was once a topic - the ghost of the cold demon.

That is to directly leave the human brain and nervous system, and get rid of all other body tissues.

In this way, the human soul does not have enough carrier, and it is easy to dissociate and become a special condensed state that can carry and control absolutely extremely cold energy, which is the ghost-like form seen by Su Lun's omniscient eye.

This is just a theoretical topic.

But now I see the real thing.

If it can be mass-produced, it may be the same as the mechanical revolution of the Marfa Empire, and it may not change the pattern of the future battlefield.

However, the pattern of the war between the two empires is not so easy to change, and the little people like Su Lun don't care too much.

He asked about the old cowboy again, but he didn't expect Sabina to have heard of it.

The old cowboy is indeed well-known in the detective circle of Lingdun, and he is quite "weird".

The old man didn't tell lies either, this guy is really an expert in catching all kinds of extramarital affairs, and he is nicknamed "Friends of Rich Women in Lingdun" in the industry.

He has a lot of fame, but he never takes on big cases.

Only take some cases that are well paid, do not cause trouble, and cannot be solved by other detectives.

The whole person exudes a wretched, timid style.

Su Lun also found it very interesting.

Because of the few conversations just now, he had a faint feeling that the old man seemed to be of the same type as himself.

That guy was cowardly on the surface, but he used this to suppress the terrifying demon in his heart.

Just like my former self.

Su Lun sighed again that the water in Lingdun was very deep.

The news of Earl Bolognese's assassination quickly spread throughout Lingdon as if he had grown wings. A few minutes later, almost all well-informed nobles got the information.

At the same time, in a luxurious mansion in the aristocratic and wealthy area north of the Rocco Valen River.

A girl with cascading purple hair was standing in front of a full-length mirror trying on dresses.

In the dressing mirror, it was a pearly white classical court dress, embellished with gold and silver patterns.

The style is elegant and majestic, and reveals wealth, there is nothing to be picky about.

Looking at the dress that will be worn at the wedding that will receive the Queen's blessing half a month later, those indifferent eyes looking at himself in the mirror did not show much satisfaction, nor dissatisfaction.

It was just a little tired after changing several sets, so Ekaterina said lightly: "Okay, let's take this one."

Hearing this, several of Lu Ying's top tailors in the room were relieved and all retreated out.

At this time, the old housekeeper who had been waiting by the door for a while came in and reported: "Miss, Count Bologni was assassinated ten minutes ago. The perpetrator was the "Cold Demon", who looked like A warning to those who voted against his armaments bill by Archduke Rafael. "

Ekaterina didn't seem surprised at all, and didn't respond.

The old housekeeper said again: "Not long ago, there was movement in the batch of imported equipment that you asked your subordinates to pay close attention to. The Viscount Brody, who was in charge of the shipyard, died suddenly at home, and the batch of equipment also disappeared strangely. The clue points to the moon prom."

When Yekaterina heard this, she seemed to think of something, and then said a few more words: "Don't touch the matter of the full moon ball. Although the old man is very easy to get along with, after all, his life is approaching. Don't bother him."

"Yes, miss."

The old housekeeper nodded, and asked again: "Should we continue to trace the whereabouts of that batch of equipment?"

Yekaterina raised her eyebrows slightly, "No need. Since it didn't fall into the hands of Duke Raphael, I don't need to worry about it. Besides, I probably know who the equipment fell into."

Think about her continuing to say: "Rafael's secret arsenal sends more people to infiltrate. Mechanical technology will definitely become the mainstream in the future. Only those secret technologies in hand will have more say in the future battlefield."

"yes."

When the old butler heard this, he nodded like a qualified megaphone.

He continued: "After the evaluation by the Clan Elders' Association, ask the old slave to ask Miss, since you have chosen to marry the second son of the Regadi family, then that young William may become a serious problem in the future. The interests of the family may be See if it needs to be pre-empted for the loss of a strong heir to the throne."

Ekaterina said indifferently: "It's unnecessary. Doing so will not only attract huge resistance from all parties, but also make it appear that our Lance family's methods are too petty."

The old butler continued: "But according to the information, the eldest son of Regadi, William, and his matrilineal family line are very close to Grand Duke Raphael, and it seems that there has been some secret cooperation."

Ekaterina didn't take it seriously and said, "It's no wonder that they didn't move. Those old guys in Rega also wanted to restore their country, so they thought that their second son would marry our Lance family, and get closer to Rafael. And Grand Duke Raphael doesn’t have enough background, so he just needs the resources of the old royal family of Regadi. Hehe. It’s good for them to cooperate. When I take control of the Regadi family, it will save me a lot of trouble.”

Speaking of this, she heard the footsteps of the situation outside, she waved her hand, and said: "Tell the elders to ignore the matter in Lei Jiadi, I have my own plan. If there is only one heir to the throne, right? Eldest son, there is no difference."

"yes."

The old butler also understood, and didn't say much, and said: "Miss, there is one more thing. The wedding is coming soon, and the 'Master Fick' hasn't shown up yet, Madam asked the old servant to ask, Shall we get in touch?"

Ekaterina: "No need. He said he will come, and he will come."

The old housekeeper bowed his chest and bowed, and retreated: "Yes, miss."

As soon as the words fell, a blonde beauty just walked to the door.

She looked at Ekaterina in the gown with a smile, and made no secret of her envy and praise: "Wow~ Katyusha, your gown is so beautiful! Oh, it's a good thing I got back in time, if I can't Attending my best friend's wedding, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

Her name is Anna Phillips, the daughter of the "Marquis of the Crescent Moon", and Ekaterina's playmate, best friend, and classmate since she was a child.

Anna came over, looked up and down Ekaterina's dress without seeing anything, and teased again: "Oh, Katyusha, you are so beautiful. If I were a man, I would definitely be fascinated by you. "

Ekaterina shook her head with a smile, didn't say much about the topic, and instead asked jokingly, "Anna, what about you? How do you feel after going to the south?"

When Anna heard this, her ecstatic expression suddenly dimmed, and she pouted and said, "It's not good. The marriage partner my family chose for me was a rich mining family in the south. I heard it was a few years earlier than ours. Senior. I had a little expectation before. I completely gave up when I went there. He was a big fat pig with acne on his face, weighing more than 300 catties. No amount of gorgeous clothes could conceal his vulgarity, lust and imbecility. It was terrible gone."

As she spoke, she shrugged, showing a helpless expression.

As a child of a high-ranking noble family, I knew from an early age that this was my destined destiny.

Anna seemed to have completely resigned herself to her fate, she didn't have much emotional fluctuations, but she was a little helpless, "So...after I plan to get married, I will stay in Lingdon forever. Maybe I will find some handsome lovers like my aunts God, I used to have fantasies about love, but now that I think about it, it seems that I have to follow the same path as the elders. There is no choice at all.”

Ekaterina also frowned slightly, feeling a little sorry for her good girlfriend.

She is so beautiful and moving, cultivated, elegant, and quite talented in literature.

It's a pity that we still have to go this way in the end.

However, she didn't say much, just said: "Okay. We can still meet often when we settle in Lington in the future. I'm still worried that you won't come back in the south."

Anna also felt that being able to meet good friends was probably the only thing worth looking forward to.

She didn't talk about her own affairs anymore, but instead asked: "By the way, Katyusha, what about you? I heard that you chose the second son of the Regadi family?"

When she was talking, she helped Katyusha arrange the dress, and she was puzzled: "I said Katyusha, since it's all for family marriage, why did you choose a waste from the Regadi family? Considering the current situation of the empire , it is most suitable for you to choose William. And William is handsome and talented, even if you don’t like him, you will feel good. Besides, if you two really want to marry, it may be troublesome in a short time, but others dare not obstruction or something."

Ekaterina smiled, and said lightly: "Then 'Fick' is not as bad as the rumors outside."

Anna was a little surprised, blinked and said, "Ah, have you seen it?"

Ekaterina Xiumei slightly raised her eyebrows and said, "I've seen it."

Anna felt that her best friend's expression was a little strange, "How is he?"

"Well, let me think about it."

Ekaterina thought of something and thought for a while.

Looking at Anna with eyes full of expectation.

She said calmly: "In the eyes of most people, he should be the kind of person who is wise, gentleman, steady, responsible, and kind enough to be a friend. Of course, for me, as long as he is suitable. "

"???"

Listening to the series of praise words, Anna was stunned for a moment.

Then he realized what he had heard.

How could this friend of mine have such a high opinion of a man?

She was surprised and said, "Ah you. You. You don't really like that 'Fick', do you?"

Hearing this, Ekaterina pondered for a moment, and the corner of her mouth suddenly raised a curve.

Katyusha's choice can be regarded as her own choice.

If you won't mention it to anyone, you have nothing to hide from your good girlfriend.

She shook her head, but raised her eyebrows and smiled again: "That's right."

There seemed to be some contradictions between his demeanor and what he said in his mouth.

"God. God!"

Anna's face was full of astonishment, and her pair of crystal eyes were full of inconceivable expressions, as if she had heard the most outrageous words in the world, "I thought that no man in this world could fall into your eyes. As a result...you...you."

She was so shocked that she was speechless.

Although there was a smile on Yekaterina's face, there was no fluctuation in her eyes, she just said: "Since they are all married, then choose the one that is pleasing to the eye."

Anna felt as if her brain couldn't digest such shocking news.

She caressed the bully's fierce chest, and exaggeratedly said with emotion: "This is too incredible. What did that young master 'Fike' do to make our angel-like beautiful Miss Katyusha move the hearts of all people?" gone?"

What did you do?

Ekaterina recalled the poem deep in her memory that seemed to praise the blooming mountain flowers in spring.

It's neither thick nor light, but just right.

but,

There is no need to elaborate.

Seeing the gossiping eyes of her best friend, Ekaterina had a rare playful smile on her beautiful face, and then gave a response that was more like a little joke: "Me."

"???"

Anna was taken aback.

What's the meaning?

what did you do

I?

After thinking about their conversation just now, it suddenly dawned on me.

Then, as if she had discovered a new world, Anna's eyes were ignited with raging gossip, and she exclaimed loudly, regardless of the lady's image: "Oh my god! Is this world crazy? Either I'm crazy, or You're crazy. Oh no! I'm going to see what that 'Fick' looks like!"