Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 326 - 325: The Netherworld Appears in the World

First they would adapt, then they would alter. The noise of battle grew louder and louder, almost affecting every block in Ginza.

More and more people surged over, scattering in escape, looking for excitement, fishing in troubled waters, fighting... The scene was chaotic.

Su Lun focused intently on the center of the battlefield with a tinge of regret.

From the beginning to the end, he never saw Ote Himeya make a move.

There were simply too many pirates, shogunate officials, Black Dragon members, and Imperial City warriors. She didn’t need to lift a finger.

Su Lun, watching those figures active on the battlefield, also sighed, "There are indeed many experts in Edo..."

Before long, the battle ended, the hundred demons dispersed, and Abe Yasukazu was nowhere to be seen amidst the roaring flames.

Su Lun didn’t bother to ponder whether that demon could escape death; he had witnessed that guy’s survival skills, strong as a horse.

Even career professionals a rank or two higher might not be able to restrain him.

Chitose, looking at the ruined district, grumbled, "Ah, looks like there will be no gambling tonight..."

As she spoke, she casually hooked her arm around Su Lun’s shoulder, "Let’s go. We should grab some midnight snacks."

"Hmm."

Su Lun hadn’t finished his meal before arriving and was still hungry; going to fill his stomach seemed like a good idea.

The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder towards another half of the street that was undamaged by the battle, where there were many specialty eateries and stalls.

As they walked, Su Lun asked, "Sister Chitose, you’ve crossed swords with Ote Himeya before. What do you think of her strength?" Experience tales with novelbuddy

After thinking for a moment, Chitose replied, "Very strong. She was able to catch my slash with her bare hands. She seems to be on the same level as a professional in rank and the Rune Old Man, following the path of physical enhancement."

"Catch a blade with her bare hands?"

Su Lun was intrigued by this revelation.

But upon deeper reflection, it no longer surprised him.

Catching Chitose’s slashes with bare hands was something not even a regular tier-six professional could achieve. However, the essence of "Pandora" was that of a rune-engraved puppet, and her body was likely inscribed with the highest grade of runes that the material could sustain. Naturally, her strength was formidable.

Otherwise, the Emperor Luying’s lineage of Magicians wouldn’t treat her as a heirloom treasure.

Chitose was unaware that Ote Himeya was an alchemic creation. At this point, her tone shifted, and with a furrowed brow, she added, "But her combat skills aren’t too sophisticated. Her martial techniques are also quite standard, even somewhat unpolished. They do not quite match her ability to catch blades barehanded. However, she possesses a very cunning method of mental control, extremely peculiar. If it weren’t for the Princess, none might have escaped from that assassination attempt..."

Su Lun himself only knew the name "Pandora" and wasn’t clear on the abilities of this alchemic creation.

Listening to Chitose, he began to surmise some possibilities.

Strong physique, powerful spiritual power; these should be inherent attributes. And if her combat skills seemed raw, it could be a matter of learning later in life. Perhaps, after being unearthed, she had been confined and studied as a "cursed object" for years, which is why she had no chance to learn and practice combative techniques?

Yet, this Ote Himeya was a key figure. Without understanding her capabilities fully, Su Lun always felt that it might lead to serious trouble.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and an idea surfaced, "Right, my senior sister must know!"

If "Pandora" was indeed his teacher Cereya’s research achievement, then Mr. Jing, her daughter, must know everything about it.

Seeing his expression change suddenly, Chitose inquired, "Thought of something?"

Su Lun said, "I might know the details about this Ote Himeya."

As he spoke, he picked up the communicator and dialed, "Senior Sister, do you know about Teacher’s ’Pandora Research’?"

Hearing this title, Qiantiao knew immediately who he was calling and raised her eyebrows.

It wasn’t long before a response came through the communicator: "I know a bit. What’s up?"

Su Lun was pleased to hear this and briefly explained the situation he had encountered. He then added, "So, the situation now is... I want to know more about ’Pandora.’ For instance, what abilities she possesses."

After listening, Mr. Jing pondered for a moment before responding, "That was one of my mother’s research topics. I went into hibernation before the study was completed, so I don’t have a lot of details. Besides, because the subject of ’artificial humans’ is actually taboo, there wouldn’t be detailed research notes left in the world."

"A taboo subject?"

Su Lun was somewhat surprised by this.

"Yes."

Mr. Jing continued, "The act of ’creation’ is supposed to be within the power of the creator alone. This type of research is considered a ’taboo’ that the gods of all heavens dread. My father once deduced some conclusions in his fate research. It is certain that once this knowledge is mastered by humans, it would likely be concealed and erased by some indescribable higher beings. Those aren’t ordinary divine beings, but rather supreme existences like the laws of all things..."

As soon as Su Lun heard this, he immediately understood.

Creating life seemed to go against the normal laws of nature?

Mr. Jing seemed to have guessed what Su Lun really wanted to ask, and she shared her speculation directly, "I’m not very clear on the details. However, Pandora’s soul could be related to faith. Some historical records show that many of the pan-dimensional wars in ancient times were struggles over the resources of faith among deities. The system of faith is very complex where the Mountain Hermit resides, where anything can become a spirit or monster. Since that Ote Himeya you mentioned has stayed in the Mountain Hermit’s nation for many years, it’s very possible she’s coveting this... Of course, that doesn’t exclude some strategies left by my father and mother. After all, they once studied the topic of ’how to create gods.’ The fact proves that even if deities have fallen, their followers remain, and the gods will still exist in the world. This is also why the Dawn Era collapsed, and this plane no longer gave birth to gods; however, some ’pseudo-gods’ continue to emerge..."

"..."

Su Lun was truly shocked by these words.

It wasn’t just about artificial humans,

Sereya and Sir Isaac intended to create gods?

Damn...

The teachers are awesome!

My teacher’s husband is awesome!

But, the current situation was that Pandora was most likely from the enemy camp, and the stronger she was, the harder it would be to deal with her, right?

Su Lun expressed his concerns.

Mr. Jing replied, "My parents were very thorough in their work and usually left some leeway. They would never create an alchemical product they could not control themselves, bringing trouble to the human civilization of future generations. So, that Pandora definitely has weaknesses that can be exploited. Think about it carefully..."

....

After hanging up the communicator, Su Lun let out a long breath.

Although he didn’t get a precise solution from Mr. Jing, he now had some ideas in mind.

If Pandora was an alchemical product, then her weaknesses could lie in the materials and some flaws in functionality, just like the intelligent robots from his past life, with "system backdoors," "administrator privileges"...

"Huh... administrator privileges?"

Suddenly, Su Lun thought that since she was a rune puppet, could that "weakness" be related to the lineage of the Puppeteers?

His mind was still sieving through various possibilities,

when at that moment, Qiantiao, who was beside him, came to a stop and suddenly spoke, "Shall we eat here?"

Su Lun came to his senses and found they had already arrived in front of a small food stall on the street.

Calling it a stall was a stretch, it was actually a delicately made wooden cart. On the cart was a stove and pots steaming hot, with various ingredients placed on a rack. The sign read: "Weile Ramen."

The owner was a middle-aged man with a bowl-shaped haircut, who smiled warmly as he saw the customers approaching.

Su Lun was already half full and nodded, "Anything is fine for me."

Qian Tiao waved her hand toward the owner, "Two large bowls of ramen, please!"

The two then took their seats on the stools provided.

Before long, steaming bowls of ramen were served. Qian Tiao, with one leg propped on a stool, began eating heartily without concern for her image.

After exchanging a few words, Su Lun released the paper crane left by the Princess, contemplating the idea of visiting the royal library.

He had thought about inviting Qian Tiao as well, but this gambling-addicted lady shook her head like a rattle-drum, "You’re going to the Imperial Palace? That place is so boring I’d die, I’m not going."

Su Lun knew she couldn’t bear to leave the excitement of the casino and wasn’t one for idleness, so he didn’t say more.

Instead, he asked, "Sister Qian Tiao, you said you came to Edo to seek the ’Sword Saint’ Akutagawa Ryuichi to learn about swordsmanship, did you find him?"

"No. It seems he’s dead."

With her mouth full of noodles, Qian Tiao responded somewhat indistinctly, "I went to a few swordsmanship schools to pay respects, and those so-called masters of the ’Yagyū One Sword School,’ the ’New Yin Style,’ there are hardly any who truly grasp the essence of swordsmanship, quite boring. On the other hand, ’Shadow Buddha’ Kato Danzo’s swordsmanship was the highest. It’s a shame though, that guy is formidable, but his swordsmanship realm is still far from that of a saint..."

"Oh."

Listening, Su Lun slurped up some noodles and sipped the warm soup.

In this snowy night, he felt very satisfied.

Qian Tiao then mentioned, "I heard that ’Sword Saint’ Akutagawa Ryuichi has a successor in Edo. I went to ’Tianhai Pavilion’ tonight precisely to find someone named... Yagyu Hanjiro, said to be a descendant of the sword saint Yagyu Juubei from a hundred years ago, and a true inheritor of the ’Yagyū One Sword School.’ But I didn’t meet him."

"Oh..."

Su Lun didn’t know much about swordsmanship and had only heard of these names.

As the two of them ate and talked, at that moment, a blind girl carrying a Sanxian Qin and leaning on a bamboo staff approached, "Sir, miss, would you like me to play a piece for you? It’s only two copper coins."

The blind girl looked to be around fifteen or sixteen, wearing a washed and patchy cotton dress. A girl with such disabilities couldn’t become a geisha and could only perform on the streets for a living. There were many like her in the vicinity. Although two copper coins could buy about half a kilo of brown rice, which was the cheapest form of entertainment, it wasn’t something the poverty-stricken mountain hermits could afford. These girls could make ends meet in places like Ginza where foreign merchants mingled.

Su Lun glanced and didn’t pay much attention. He had noticed the blind girl when she was passing by from seven or eight stalls away. No one had requested her to play, and she had been asking along her way in the cold wind.

Before he could speak, Qian Tiao, not even lifting her head, tossed a few copper coins and waved her hand generously, "Play a tune."

"Thank you, generous patrons."

Following the direction of the voice, the blind girl gave a slight bow in thanks.

She set down her bamboo stool she had been carrying, tuned her qin strings, and then began to play.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The melody of a folk tune reached his ears.

Su Lun found it rather pleasing to listen to. The technique was flawless, the Sanxian Qin’s sound was slightly harsh, but in this snowy weather, it carried a certain mood.

"Eh..."

```

But Qian Tiao seemed to have heard something else and even stopped eating her noodles.

After the piece was over, she turned her head and asked, "Have you studied the Sword Dao?"

The blind girl gently replied, "Never."

Qian Tiao gave her a look-over, and seeing that she had calluses from playing the qin but not a single scar from swordplay, it was clear she was not a swordsman.

Without saying much more, Qian Tiao tossed a few more coins into the basket, "Well played."

Feeling the coins, the blind girl seemed a bit flustered, "Sir, you gave too much. Let me play a few more pieces for you."

Qian Tiao waved her hand, "No need. It’s a reward for you."

"Thank you."

Unable to insist, the blind girl thanked her and left.

After the girl had left, Qian Tiao muttered to herself, "Her music was quite interesting. She must have listened to a Sword Dao master practice before. She has grasped a bit of the Sword Intent."

Su Lun hadn’t detected that much from the performance, but the blind girl’s spirit fire was just that of an ordinary person, nothing worth noting.

...

Qian Tiao didn’t know how long she had been at the gambling stall, apparently really hungry, as she gulped down one bowl of ramen and then ordered another, devouring it eagerly.

It was quite a coincidence that, as the two of them were eating noodles, a group of patrons arrived at the stall next door.

They were several warriors with swords at their sides.

Their attire and swords suggested they were not the down-and-out kind, but rather individuals of some stature.

"Ah... those foreign pirates really are insufferable. As if Mount Hermit had no one!"

"Hmph! Not to brag, but once I unleash my ’Lightning Five-Strike Sword,’ those pirates would be so frightened, they’d wet their pants. It’s all because the Takeda Shogunate is inactive and won’t let us resist; otherwise, I’d really teach those arrogant foreigners a lesson."

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"Mr. Yagyū’s Sword Dao is naturally beyond reproach. Nowadays, among all the ’One Sword Schools,’ you’re probably the only one who has comprehended the true essence of the Sword Dao..."

"..."

Listening to their conversation, Su Lun couldn’t help feeling a sense of déjà vu with a "Grandmaster X."

And what’s more, wasn’t one of them, coincidentally, the ’Yagyū Hanjiro’ that Qian Tiao had mentioned earlier?

Appearance-wise, the guy did look the part, with his hair slicked back and the sword at his waist clearly not ordinary.

But according to Soul Perception, he didn’t seem very strong.

Thinking he might have misjudged, Su Lun glanced at Qian Tiao beside him, "Is this the person you’re looking for?"

The gambling-addicted lady had thought she was in luck, having finally found the man she was looking for. Her fighting spirit had just soared when she turned her head for a look, and then she was promptly disappointed.

Some people, you can tell at a glance they’ve lost.

Qian Tiao shook her head, "Someone like that isn’t worth drawing my sword for."

On hearing this, Su Lun couldn’t help but laugh ruefully. His perception hadn’t been wrong; every world has its fake masters.

With new customers at the neighboring stall, the previous performers made their rounds once again.

That Yagyū Hanjiro and his companions seemed to know how to enjoy themselves, having called over a few entertainers to play music and sing, serving them and their drinks.

```

The blind female qin master was also there.

....

Su Lun was waiting for a reply from the Princess and was not in a hurry to leave.

Qian Tiao, the glutton, still hadn’t had his fill, and the bowls of ramen were stacking up.

This Ginza was originally Edo’s entertainment district, where the likelihood of a drunkard causing trouble was inherently high.

Especially these past few days with an influx of pirates; those scoundrels whom the city guards dared not manage, thus becoming increasingly unrestrained. Humiliating the common women, demanding food and drink without payment, their arrogance knew no bounds...

Just as Su Lun and his companions were eating noodles, a few pirate-dressed fellows, drunk as lords, sat down at an adjacent stall.

"Boss, bring us your best food and drink!"

The men settled boisterously into their seats and bellowed at the stall owner.

The owner, not daring any delay, quickly brought over meat and wine.

The leader, whom Su Lun had coincidentally seen before, was the acting squadron leader of the ninth fleet, seems his name was Marx, a fourth-order professional. The men around him also carried fine firearms, clearly not the kind to provoke easily.

Seeming unsatisfied with just eating and drinking, they shouted toward the performers next to the neighboring seat of Yagyu Hanjiro, "You there, come over and sing a song for the lord!"

Having one’s song interrupted was usually a humiliating affair. Yet the samurai seated at Yagyu Hanjiro’s table, who had been full of pride moments before, were speechless in the face of the pirates’ attire.

They were street performers, relying on their craft for a living, neither remarkable in physique nor appearance. But those drunk and inflamed with desire often acted out of line.

These intoxicated pirates started a dispute without any deterrents.

"Come on, strip off your clothes and dance for young master."

"Damn it, am I giving you face? Believe it or not, I’ll shoot you dead with one bullet!"

"..."

The conflict erupted immediately.

The pirates knew very well that as long as they didn’t actually kill anyone, the Mountain Hermit authorities wouldn’t intervene.

A "ripping" sound was heard as the blind female qin master’s cotton-padded jacket was torn open, revealing her frail body. She fell into the snow, groping for her bamboo pole.

Rowdy, lewd laughter from the pirates filled the street.

The pirate who had just torn the clothes off even reached out his hand, intending to continue groping inside her cotton jacket...

Even so, the people seated at Yagyu’s table a few meters away made no movement, instead bowing their heads as if in fear of getting involved.

Upon witnessing this, a cold light flashed through Su Lun’s eyes.

Qian Tiao, sitting next to him, slammed down his chopsticks and sneered, "Is this what the descendants of the Sword Saint Yagyu Juubei amount to?"

Listening to the direct insult, Yagyu Hanjiro wanted to defend himself, "If not for... If not for the Grand General’s order, I..."

"Hmph!"

But before he could finish, a contemptuous snort sounded, followed by the "clang" of a sword drawn from its sheath.

Before anyone could react, a Sword Qi streaked through the air, and a severed hand landed in the snow.

The fourth-order acting squadron leader sobriety snapped back immediately, he was the first to react angrily, "How dare you! Who dares to attack someone from the North Sea Fleet!"

But before he could finish, Qian Tiao’s figure flashed, rushing forward ten meters, and in an instant, five heads from a table tumbled to the ground.

The fourth-order squadron leader managed to block a few strikes before his head clanked down onto the ground.

The entire incident took just a few breaths’ time, with the pirate’s heads neatly severed.

Qian Tiao had already sheathed his sword, standing lone and proud in the snow.

The people at the neighboring table of Yagyu Hanjiro were left dumbfounded.

They had not anticipated actual killing.

But soon, shock turned to terror.

"This woman has brought disaster!"

"Oh no... Let’s go, don’t get dragged into this."

"...."

Buskers for half a street block scattered far away, even the stall owners forwent their business, hiding who knows where.

Su Lun sat emotionless, idly hooking his finger, holding the black umbrella in his hand, ready for combat.

If a fight was to ensue, then so be it.

However, in the next second, something happened that Su Lun could never have anticipated!

....

There were many pirates near this small food street, and Qian Tiao had just killed a few men from Marx’s eleventh division.

Some of the pirates on the streets cried out as Qian Tiao’s Sword Qi beheaded them, and no one dared to step forward carelessly.

They thought it would probably take a few minutes for other division leaders to arrive.

If the division leaders couldn’t handle it, then high ranking officials like fleet leaders would come.

Su Lun figured he could enjoy a few good minutes at least.

Qian Tiao didn’t bother with the blind qin master on the ground; getting involved too much would only harm her. He simply said, "You go first."

The blind woman remained silent, found her bamboo pole, and quietly left.

But before the pirate division leaders could arrive...

Just then, suddenly, the light and shadow flickered, and a straw-hatted swordmaster in a hemp robe appeared out of thin air.

"This!"

Su Lun’s pupils shrank sharply, without any fluctuation, that person appeared!

Qian Tiao, not far away, was already on high alert, staring intently at the newcomer.

A master!

An elite swordsman!

He isn’t from the North Sea Fleet!

Countless thoughts flashed through Su Lun’s mind, and he hadn’t figured out the identity of the swordsman who suddenly appeared.

Suddenly, just as the group from Yagyū One Sword School were about to slip away, a silver moon appeared before them.

The sword light was like a hidden moon.

At first glance, Yagyū Hanjiro’s expression froze, and a line of blood immediately appeared on his neck.

One of his companions realized something and trembled, "The ’Yagyū One Sword School’s’ secret technique, Sword Secret Art: Moon Transcript! This... must be an ancestor of the Yagyū clan!"

Su Lun was completely puzzled, this swordsman in hemp clothes suddenly appeared, killed a henchman, and left?

Moreover, judging by what others were saying, it seemed like he was an elder from the Yagyū family?

However, the next scene.

Made Su Lun doubt his own eyes.

The hemp-clothed swordsman took two steps, then his figure faded away. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he simply vanished into thin air just as he had appeared out of nowhere!

There were no spatial fluctuations, and both his body and soul’s fire had disappeared.

Is this some kind of ghostly business?

He was clearly a living person, how could he appear and disappear so suddenly?

Su Lun felt this scene was familiar and immediately thought of the previous situation at Sword Forging Village.

But before he could think further, Chitaba seemed to have understood something and murmured, "Such a realm of Sword Dao... could only belong to that Sword Saint Yagyū Juubei from a hundred years ago."

Su Lun, hearing this, felt for the first time that his mind might not be sharp enough.

He didn’t say anything, and Chitaba signaled, "Let’s leave first, we’ll talk later!"

Su Lun nodded, and the two quickly disappeared into the crowd.

...

Listening to the clamor behind them, Su Lun and Chitaba changed their clothes and strolled casually through the dark alley.

Su Lun asked, "Sister Chitaba, what was that just now?"

Chitaba answered, "That should have been the Sword Saint Yagyū Juubei from a hundred years ago."

"A person from a hundred years ago is still alive?"

Su Lun grew even more confused listening to this.

The ancestral forefather of the Yagyū family, came to kill a descendant and left?

"He’s dead. That was his soul."

Surprise also showed on Chitaba’s face.

Su Lun frowned at listening, "His soul?"

It clearly seemed like a living person in his perception, so how could it be a soul?

Could it be that his perception was wrong?

Suddenly, he remembered what Abe Yasukazu had told him, "The Black Sun Grand Festival" is approaching, and the Netherworld is overlapping with the living world...

Could this be what he meant?

Although Su Lun had heard the legends of the Mountain Hermit, that people who die go to the Netherworld, which was said to be just like the living world. There were even legends claiming that the world of the living at night was actually the Netherworld.

Chitaba narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "There have been similar incidents over the past few days. People who are clearly dead have been appearing in the living world. Those spirits from the Netherworld follow the bloodline of their relatives to find them..."

This explained everything.

Why the Sword Saint Yagyū Juubei would appear here just now.

He likely came following his unworthy descendants.

But as Su Lun listened, he found it unbelievable.

Legends are one thing, but when they become reality, how is one to understand?

Alchemy magicians are materialists; they need to see the essence through phenomena so they won’t be perplexed.

But what’s the essence of this event?

Chitaba continued, "I asked the Princess before, and she said that this kind of situation also happened during previous Black Sun Grand Festivals. But this time, it seems to be quite different. Previously, only some common ghosts appeared. But this time, the rumors have all been about famous strong figures from history. It’s as if all these big shots who should only exist in historical records and novels are flocking back to the living world..."

As she spoke, she did not have the confusion that was on Su Lun’s face.

Instead, a thick anticipation rose on that spirited face.

An eager anticipation to exchange Sword Dao with strong figures who have vanished in history!

To have the good fortune to spar with the strong who have disappeared from history, what a great blessing that would be!

....

Su Lun felt that everything was amiss.

The whole event was steeped in strangeness, yet he didn’t know where the problem lay.

Could this matter... have something to do with Ote Himeya?

But no, if she could really control the Netherworld, wouldn’t that ability be too exaggerated...

Su Lun pondered without results.

But just as the two were about to step out of the alley, they were stopped by someone blocking their way.

Looking up, a blind girl holding a Sanxian Qin stood at the entrance of the alley.

She opened her eyes to look at Chitaba and said, "Miss, may I have a word with you?"

Chitaba tilted her head, "Oh?"

Su Lun looked at her cataract-like lifeless eyes, his gaze became sharp, suddenly realizing something, he guessed in his heart, "Gift A-088-The All-Seeing Eye?"

Strange events were happening one after another.

Seeing this scene, he was no longer surprised.