Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 337 - 336: Two Top-Tier Treasures

Su Lun and his companions were making rounds just outside the city.

They had also discovered that Princess’s aura could not be hidden at all. The living yang energy repelled by the entire Netherworld was like a beacon of light in a dark world. No matter how much they tried to conceal it, even a leak would attract monsters from afar.

So, even going to the Asakusa Temple, the monsters would relentlessly pursue them.

The Shroud of the OZ Ice Man that Su Lun had could completely conceal her aura, but the cursed property of this sealed item was life consumption—using it might be worse than not using it at all.

There likely wouldn’t be another chance to receive a mud pellet from the "Beggar God."

Hence, under normal circumstances, if they didn’t split up from the Princess or stayed in one place too long, they were at constant risk of being caught up by monsters.

Moreover, the corrosion of the nether energy was a big problem.

Su Lun and his companion absorbed dark spiritual power and each possessed a "Fallen Angel’s limb," continuously supported by spiritual power, so they didn’t have to worry about the corrosion from the nether energy.

But the Princess couldn’t do the same.

If she wanted to avoid further corrosion by the nether energy, she had to seal off her spiritual power intake and avoid combat and spellcasting as much as possible.

This meant that she was currently just an ordinary person.

However, Su Lun and his companion didn’t mind at all, still leisurely wandering around with the Princess, their "dead weight."

After all, this was outside the city, and without a large scale of ghosts and monsters, nothing could hold them back.

Besides, the Princess’s energy, viewed as savory meat by monsters, was also a "treasure."

The previous "Hyakuzo Master" was very likely attracted by her aura.

Furthermore, after Su Lun noticed that the major demons and Ghost Kings were particularly interested in the Princess, he came up with an idea.

That was to ambush these major demons batch by batch.

Su Lun and his companion’s aura couldn’t be detected by ghosts, and together, their combat power was enough to confront a Ghost King head-on, which was the best strategy for an ambush.

The bodies of those monsters could enhance the Reaper’s Phantom, and such opportunities weren’t common elsewhere.

Even a slight increase in strength would give them a better chance when meeting Izanami.

The precondition, however, was that they had to first retrieve his companion’s "Ghost King Hundred Eyes School Justice."

.....

Soon after, the trio found an inconspicuous cave to rest and stay.

Su Lun prepared a simple outdoor hotpot and cooked a pot of vegetable stew with meat.

Soon, the cave was filled with the delicious aroma of meat.

Having lost her Demon Blade, his companion was in low spirits, looking even more miserable than when she had lost everything at the gambling booth. Normally joyful when eating meat, she now appeared sickly and listlessly poked at the meat in the pot, chewing as if it were wax.

Su Lun, on the other hand, was in good spirits.

At that moment, he was glowing with a unique shimmer of divine artifacts — a scythe in his left hand, a black umbrella in his right, a chessboard hanging from his belt, and a golden pocket watch around his neck...

Ordinarily, he was very low-key, even if he possessed many treasures, he only showed them when necessary, and had never flaunted them this openly before.

Now, he was experiencing what it felt like to show off wealth like a nouveau riche with gold chains around his neck — and he didn’t mind the feeling.

However, if someone were able to sense the fluctuation of powers, they would immediately discover that all the artifacts were connected by invisible threads.

The Princess was also not in the best of spirits, still worried about the situation outside. This time, the "Black Sun Grand Festival" had tossed even the Shinfuku Mitsuko into this mess, and she could only imagine the predicament of the royal family of the Shinfuku. Naturally, she wanted to get out as soon as possible.

Su Lun and she exchanged some known information, and then she found a new glimmer of hope.

The Princess said, "If the king of this ’Netherworld’ is also Lord Izanami, I serve as a priestess in Shinto rituals. I believe if I request an audience, that lord should agree to meet me."

Su Lun nodded in agreement, saying, "Right now, we must be prepared for both outcomes. It’s best if we can negotiate, but if not, we must consider the worst-case scenario. Moreover, it’s now clear that the timeline here differs from the outside world, so there’s no need to rush. We should make ample preparations..."

He wasn’t too optimistic about the negotiations.

Given that it was an enemy-controlled cursed space that had thrown the Princess inside, there was hardly a chance they would let her escape easily through some loophole.

Su Lun’s plan was to at least wait until the effects of the "Beggar God’s mud pellet" wore off, and when they could no longer hide, then make a move.

The Princess understood naturally and nodded, "Mhm."

As a princess, she rarely spoke while eating, chewed her food thoroughly, and appeared very refined.

Most of the time, it was Su Lun who spoke.

After finishing their meal, the Princess put down her utensils and politely complimented, "Thank you for the delicious hospitality. Mr. Su Lun, your cooking skills are truly great."

Su Lun shook his head with a smile, "Miss Princess, you’re mistaken. This is just fool-proof fast food. The seasoning is pre-mixed, and it only needs heating."

"Ah?"

The Princess, apparently unfamiliar with Mafa military rations and not skilled in cooking herself, had just realized the mistake.

But since they were already familiar with each other, there was no awkwardness, and she smiled and said, "Well, Mr. Su Lun, you are still impressive, always giving unexpected surprises."

Saying so, she also started to help clean up the stove, her movements slightly awkward, as if she had never done such chores before.

The two of them continued chatting idly.

"By the way, Miss Princess, do you know where we could find some energy gemstones?"

"I would normally carry some myself, but for the Black Sun Grand Festival, after the purification rites, I didn’t bring any personal belongings."

"I have some light energy stones here with me. If you really need to use them, try to absorb the energy from the stones. This way you can avoid being contaminated by the nether energy."

"Thank you. I’ll be troubling Mr. Su Lun these days..."

"..."

The "Hyakuzo Master" was cunning, so since setting up this fishing plan, they stopped discussing important matters, talking instead about mundane trivialities.

Observing the two chatting, his companion, if it were any other time, might have teased them a bit, but now, her expression could almost spell out "despair."

Su Lun and the Princess exchanged a few words, but there was not much else to talk about.

Being full after a meal is when people are usually least alert.

All three of them then rested in meditation.

About half an hour later, Su Lun suddenly perceived something and abruptly opened his eyes, "They’re here!"

He himself knew some Space Law, so he was much more sensitive to spatial fluctuations than a thousand inscriptions!

Moreover, he also noticed that the thread hanging from the jar "Sands of Time" had vibrated like a fish taking the bait. In that instant, a mysterious force silently wrapped around the jar without causing any energy fluctuations!

But the thread was actually a combination of physical and spiritual power.

Because it was imbued with spiritual power, even if it was cut, he could immediately detect it.

"Indeed, the ’Greatest Thief in the World’!"

Su Lun secretly admired the cleverness of the method.

The spatial fluctuation felt by him was like the sensation of wind blowing against body hair and it disappeared in an instant. Just this alone showed that this person’s spatial ability was far superior to his!

The moment the item disappeared, the "signal" dropped at a coordinate a hundred meters away!

Even with the enhanced range of the black umbrella, there was no soul fluctuation in that area. The creature had hidden itself in a "spatial rift"!

Su Lun was extremely decisive, raising his left hand wearing "Chronos’ Spatial Glove" and reaching into the empty void where there was no visible target.

A "crack" of a gemstone shattering was heard, one of the cursed source crystals on the glove broke.

But at the same time, the space in that area was instantly fortified, preventing any spatial displacement.

It was as if, while swimming smoothly in the water, the soft liquid suddenly turned into mercury; not only could one not swim through, but one also floated up...

A clumsy shadow was squeezed out.

It carried a blue and white plaid bag that resembled a bedsheet and its nose was wrapped in a handkerchief, giving it a rather comical look.

As the legends say, the[Hyakuzo Master]was a creature with a human body and the head of a yellow weasel!

....

From realizing there was a thief to taking action, Su Lun took only a fraction of a second.

But Chitose reacted very quickly as well. The moment he sensed Su Lun moving, he sprang to his feet as if infused with vigor, and with a "pop" from his leg muscles, he shot out like an arrow released from its bow.

The[Hyakuzo Master], who had appeared in a wretched state, hadn’t even figured out what was happening before seeing a fist as big as a sand pot strike it in the eye.

"Thud!" The punch carried a bit of personal grudge.

Then there was a pitiful scream, "Ouch!"

Chitose pinned it down and swung down heavy punches, hammering several times.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the following punches seemed to hit a deflated sandbag and failed to connect!

From a distance, Su Lun narrowed his eyes slightly, "Still trying to escape? Truly cunning!"

Unfortunately, he had seen in Fujiwara Hayato’s novel that the[Hyakuzo Master]had an escape skill that almost certainly allowed it to break free from any confinement.

If not for that, it really would have escaped with that move!

The original text in the book described it: "Just like a gecko losing its tail, this ability can only be used once in a short time!"

Although he didn’t know what spell it was, Su Lun was waiting for it to use up this tactic.

Now the creature couldn’t escape into the void, and though it was "invisible," the fleeing soul fire was very clear in the Soul Perception.

Su Lun made a grabbing motion with his hands in the void and pulled on the threads he had prepared earlier, binding that figure in place again!

Seeing this, the Princess beside him shot an arrow.

A "whoosh" sound, and the arrow with a[Demon Seal Talisman]struck the still struggling creature.

Almost simultaneously, Chitose charged again, pinning the[Hyakuzo Master]firmly to the ground.

Su Lun rushed over as well and wrapped the creature up in countless threads like a cocoon.

The Princess approached, sticking dozens of talismans, sealing all of the creature’s abilities that could be used.

The three worked together seamlessly, capturing the Mountain Hermit’s most notorious "Demon Thief" at the onset!

....

The[Hyakuzo Master], realizing it had been subdued twice,

Chitose’s punches rained down like a torrent, the thuds of hitting the sandbag were incredibly satisfying to hear.

The creature, in pain, pleaded repeatedly, "Ouch, stop hitting, stop hitting!"

Chitose didn’t stop.

Su Lun didn’t call him off either.

Because he knew from the books that this creature was a bully who feared the tough; the harder it was beaten, the "ransom" it had to pay would be.

Chitose continued to pound while furiously shouting, "Damn thief, that’s for stealing my sword, that’s for stealing my sword! I’ll kill you!"

Catching this thief released the pent-up frustration within him.

The Princess stood by with wide eyes, curiously observing. It was her first time seeing such a creature. Aside from stories, she had never heard of anyone actually catching such a creature. Even the royal family was helpless against it. They could only appease it with food and offerings, praying it wouldn’t often visit the treasure pavilion.

Indeed, the severe beating proved effective as the yellow weasel creature continued to beg, "I’ll return your sword! I’ll return your sword!"

Ignoring his pleas, Chitose punched a few more times before asking, "Where’s the sword?"

Yellow Weasel Creature: "It’s in my pocket. Let me go, and I’ll get it for you."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun’s lips curled into a smile as he said, "We can let you go. First, spit out the Demon Core."

Now that they had caught it, they naturally wouldn’t let it go easily.

He knew well that this creature had not only top-tier escape skills, but its bag of treasures also contained various rare and strange items.

They had taken advantage of a surprise attack which allowed them to capture it. If they had let it escape, where would they get another chance to catch it?

Upon hearing Su Lun’s words, a sly glint flashed across the eyes of the Yellow Weasel monster, "What ’Demon Core’?"

Su Lun didn’t bother with further discussion and said, "Chitajō, this guy isn’t being honest, hit him again!"

Chitajō, without any courtesy, swung a heavy punch again.

If it weren’t for Su Lun saying that this monster couldn’t be killed, she would have killed and searched the body a long time ago.

"Thud", "Thud", "Thud"...

Another round of severe beating followed.

No matter what tempting offers the Yellow Weasel made, such as "I’ll exchange Immortal Technique for my life", "I have three Divine Artifacts", "I have a way to return to the living world"...

Su Lun maintained an uncompromising attitude.

Finally, the monster, believing it was about to be beaten to death, spit out a drab looking Demon Core.

Looking demonically vibrant and emitting the same aura.

With this thing, the monster couldn’t escape.

However, Su Lun instinctively used caution and checked it with the All-knowing Eye; it read "Yellow Weasel’s Demon Core" rather than "Hyakuzo Master’s Demon Core".

This guy was tricking them again.

Seeing the look in Chitajō’s eyes, Su Lun said expressionlessly, "This guy isn’t honest, continue beating!"

Upon hearing this, Chitajō rolled up her sleeves and swung again.

This time, the Yellow Weasel seemed to realize something, "Ouch, stop hitting. I was blind and didn’t recognize the ’All-knowing Eye’."

It was the first time someone recognized his talent, and Su Lun listened with interest.

The legends said this monster had the ability to identify all treasures in the world, and it indeed had some tricks.

This time, the Yellow Weasel did not gamble on luck, "Honorable ones, I’ve released the Demon Core, you must promise not to harm me, not to enslave me. Otherwise, I would rather die than comply."

Su Lun was straightforward, "Alright! As long as you provide a ransom that satisfies us, we absolutely won’t harm you anymore."

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The Yellow Weasel then breathed a sigh of relief, knowing it had met tough opponents, where would it dare to dally? It finally spit out another Demon Core.

This time it was genuine.

Su Lun held the Demon Core in his hand, finally unraveling the layers of threads.

....

The Yellow Weasel finally escaped, but still hung its head.

Being caught as a thief, it naturally lacked confidence.

Chitajō urged, "Hey, hey, hey... where’s the sword?"

Listening to this felt like having a piece of flesh dug from its body, the Yellow Weasel very reluctantly took off the checkered cloth bag from its back, then without opening it, reached inside. It seemed like there were a lot of items inside; after rummaging for a while, it finally pulled out the sword with a snow-white scabbard— the Demon Blade.

Chitajō snatched it back immediately. She drew the long sword, caressing it as if it were her own child, her face which had been shadowed for most of the day, finally burst into joyful smiles.

The Demon Blade was recovered, their initial objective was achieved.

The three of them all breathed a sigh of relief.

But despite the calm expression on his face, Su Lun was almost unable to restrain certain thoughts.

He knew that the "Bag of a Hundred Treasures" was a spatial artifact, and the treasures hidden inside were invaluable.

However, whether in Fujiwara Hayato’s novels or in the legends of the Mountain Hermit, this monster could be beaten, but not killed.

This monster signified "good fortune."

After all, treasures only appeared in prosperous places.

It would only show up there.

It was said that if one grew greedy and killed it, not only would all the treasures vanish, but unbearable bad luck would also follow.

Although Su Lun was an atheist, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; it was better not to touch these taboos if possible.

Considering the ability this monster had shown, its mastery in the laws of space was no small feat.

The Yellow Weasel, feeling uneasy under Su Lun’s gaze, weakly pleaded, "Sir, I have already traded the items with you."

After a pause, it sneakily glanced at Su Lun again, testing, "I can use my weight in gold to exchange for my freedom."

Su Lun didn’t have time to bargain with it, knowing that this world was full of ghosts and monsters, any delay could lead to complications, so he directly said, "You stole this lady’s sword. According to the rules, you should compensate with something of even greater value."

He had thought before that there seemed nothing more suitable for Chitajō than a sword, "No need for other things, just another sword will do."

Upon hearing this "rule", the Yellow Weasel knew that the other party knew everything.

Having said that, it had to comply.

"Oh... such good swords are not found everywhere in the world, you are making this difficult for me."

The Yellow Weasel grimaced, reached into the Bag of a Hundred Treasures again, seemingly struggling to find a suitable item, then suggested, "I see this lady’s cultivation of the Hell Path Sword Intent might need some opportunity to advance. I happen to have one item here..."

As it spoke, it didn’t forget to add, "If you agree, as per the agreement, after I give the item, you should release me."

Su Lun was also curious about what treasure comparable to the Demon Blade the monster could produce, yet his face remained impassive, "You know that I also understand how to appraise treasures. If it’s of too low a value, I won’t acknowledge this ’deal’."

The Yellow Weasel, listening to this, looked even more distressed and pulled out a wooden knot that looked like a date pit.

Su Lun glanced at it, and his pupils slightly narrowed.

"Holy Bodhi Seed"

Details: A holy item for Buddhas, this item is extremely rare in lower planes; rumored to be the fruit of the Bodhi tree under which the Hell Lord Yanmo achieved enlightenment, containing high-level law powers and divine attributes of high-ranking deities; the Buddha nature can suppress the evil karma of the Hell Path, ward off demonic barriers; cultivating the true heart can lead to a probable sudden enlightenment.

This item might not appear to have practical use, not being a weapon or capable of killing enemies.

But with just these few lines describing its effects, Su Lun immediately saw its value.

He had previously heard from Akutagawa Ryuichi that swordsmen who follow the path of hell do not cultivate the Buddhist heart, and the higher their realm, the greater their chance of succumbing to demons. This Sword Saint had managed to suppress it by cultivating the Buddhist heart daily for decades.

Su Lun was still worried that this hidden danger would be unavoidable after advancing further, but he hadn’t expected the "Bodhi Seed" to declare "uncorrupted by demons," and immediately resolved the issue!

Moreover, there was something about "containing high-level laws" and "divinity"...

This thing was truly exceptional!

Although Chihiro hadn’t seen what the actual use of the action and object was, as soon as it appeared, she inexplicably felt at peace, and even the Demon Blade in her hand quieted down.

She directly said, "This object is of great use to me."

That statement wasn’t much of a surprise.

After all, both parties recognized the treasure, and it wasn’t possible to pick up something underrated or bargain for a lower price.

"Hmm."

Su Lun nodded, signaling his agreement.

Yet his heart stirred again.

Damn, what kind of treasures did this Hyakuzo Master have in his hundred-treasure pouch to actually produce something of equal value to the Demon Blade?

His eyes slightly narrowed.

After all, this was a cursed space.

Perhaps it wasn’t his treasure, but something collected by Fujiwara Hayato?

That man was not only a great literary master but also a Great Alchemist!

....

The Yellow Weasel watched as Chihiro accepted the object, and although it pained him, he also breathed a sigh of relief; the "rule" had been upheld.

It glanced at Su Lun and the other two, humbly reminding them, "Sires, you can let me go now, right?"

With the Demon Blade in her hand, Chihiro wore a playfully menacing expression.

The Princess didn’t speak but looked at Su Lun beside her.

Su Lun’s lips curled into a smile that was not quite a smile, and he said lightly, "You have resolved the matter of stealing the lady’s blade. But..."

He paused, then abruptly shifted his tone, "What about you stealing my belongings?"

The Yellow Weasel panicked immediately, "But I didn’t…"

I haven’t succeeded yet...

Su Lun directly shattered its last hope, "My ’Sands of Time’ are still in your pack, isn’t it time you returned them?"

"Sands of Time" are material of Laws, truly priceless.

This creature wouldn’t know unless it stole them; did it only then realize that among his items, this pile of sands was the most valuable?

Or, was it that these sands were of the greatest use to it?

Upon hearing this, the Yellow Weasel reluctantly took out the can of sands.

Su Lun unapologetically took it and then asked, "How do you intend to redeem yourself for this theft?"

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The Yellow Weasel was beyond tears, and could only sincerely say, "I’m sorry, it’s really hard to find anything more precious than this in the world. Because time is priceless."

Having been caught with such a valuable treasure, he was now in big trouble.

Su Lun didn’t care about that; the fact that he hadn’t decided to resolve this all at once already showed great self-control, "You figure it out. After all, you set the ’rules’, and if we don’t follow them, then no one needs to follow them."

Theft was a fact, and being caught was also a fact.

The "rules" had been set, and it had to offer something in exchange for its life.

Su Lun felt that managing to hold back the idea of taking everything at once several times showed great self-control.

The Yellow Weasel hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I... what if I give you my pouch?"

Listenting to this, Su Lun couldn’t help but display a stern face: Are you joking with me?

You think I am lacking in space storage equipment?

That "Treasure Pouch," when earlier assessed, turned out to be just an "old checkered cotton floral bedsheet." You’re offering this in exchange?

However, as the creature fumbled around, it pulled out a pouch from under the package that seemed like a "black hole."

This object appeared, and all the light around seemed to be sucked into it.

Su Lun’s gaze was drawn to it.

Upon a closer inspection, he couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart, "Holy shit."

This was actually an organ of a mythical creature!

"Endless Stomach of the Void Whale"

Quality: Legendary

Description: The stomach of a young ’Void Whale,’ a top-tier spatial material containing high-level laws.

Characteristics: This is a spatial container; when removed, uncontrollable cursed characteristics were eliminated, providing a natural implant for learning basic Space Laws. Integration grants a ’Little Void Realm’; gains ’Void Whale Swallow’ ability, able to pull in objects within range; initial space is small, implantation whale swallowing ability is released relatively slowly, consumption is enormous, and characteristics depend on proficiency with the laws;

Detailed Explanation: This implant has growth potential, but the requirements for laws and external materials are extremely high. Due to the passage of endless ages, its spatial characteristics have diminished, hence its reduction to legendary quality, but it possesses the potential for growth to a mythical level. Theoretically, if the integrator’s understanding of the Void Laws is high enough, and sufficient materials are provided, it can grow into a plane.

"A legendary-quality implant!"

Su Lun, looking at this description, immediately thought, "Absolutely delightful."

This was an Alchemical growth implant. Because of degrading, it was only legendary?

"Mythical level" growth potential...

It could grow into a plane?