A Mouthful of Fragrant Words

Reverend Alchemist.

The most humble and sincere proposal and request.

Very polite.

The language was appropriate.

The other party's attitude was quite polite.

Kang De inhaled slowly.

A shadowy glint flashed in his eyes.

But if attitude and words could explain everything, then the trip to Glittering Sand would have been pleasant and peaceful, since Samuel, Hannah, and Lynch were all very polite and well-mannered.

But this does not prevent a dirty and ugly soul from hidden beneath a respectable and noble exterior.

Therefore, for Kang De, the other party's attitude and words were not important.

The important thing is that the other party appeared at this time and place, blocking my way.

This means that their whereabouts have been noticed by someone with ulterior motives.

If someone is determined, once the first one appears, a second one will follow.

Perhaps this person just wants to buy a car, but what about the next one...?

Moreover, the motives of this person with ulterior motives are also uncertain...

Kang De pressed the accelerator, his hands moving in turn around the steering wheel, his gaze sweeping across the seats, where all the weapons and equipment were ready for immediate use.

His time-travel ability can be activated instantly, providing him with a temporary haven to another world. In extremely urgent situations, he can even return directly to Earth, then use the high time flow ratio of several to one to stay on Earth for a day before returning to the wilderness. No enemy would stand there dumbfounded for days, because no one knows where Kang De has been teleported to.

Absolutely foolproof.

Kang De lightly pressed the accelerator, Humvee roared like a wild beast.

This was used as an ultimatum.

"Not for sale."

He turned on the car's built-in loudspeaker and said, "Disappear from my sight immediately."

Leaving aside the fact that he had added various enchantments and modifications to this Humvee, which allowed it to function well in the otherworld with its terrible road conditions, and also setting aside whether a vehicle containing Earth's technology and mechanical principles could be easily delivered to people from another world.

There was actually only one reason why Kang De refused.

I don't have time to argue with you guys right now.

The blunt and decisive refusal did not make the old butler feel embarrassed or awkward.

He simply smiled apologetically and bowed again, saying, "It seems my abrupt appearance has displeased you. Please forgive my rudeness, Master Alchemist. My master is very sincere and has no ill intentions. If your vehicle holds extraordinary significance for you, would my young master have the honor of ordering your next work? Or perhaps another equally exquisite and outstanding piece...?"

The old butler said sincerely, "My young master has an innate love and fascination with mechanical devices. Any alchemist with considerable expertise in the field of mechanical engineering will be treated with courtesy and respect by the Vidal Family. If you have any troubles or requests, the Vidal Family can help you resolve them..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

The response he received was a deep, rumbling roar, like that of a wild beast. The alchemical machine, capable of driving itself and working tirelessly through the night, suddenly roared into action and charged straight at him!

The old butler swerved to the left, passing the Humvee. Through the side window, he saw Kang De's eyes and his gesture—a thumb across his throat.

Cold and decisive, a warning brimming with murderous intent.

The meaning of the gesture was obvious.

If you ever appear before me again, I will kill you.

The old butler smelled the strange odor of exhaust fumes. The Humvee had already sped away, and he saw the red taillights, conspicuous and sinister in the darkness.

Then the old man realized what had happened.

Anger welled up inside him.

He had worked for the Vidal Family for many years, nominally as their butler, but in reality, he was a powerful figure whom the family trusted and relied upon. He was responsible for welcoming and seeing off all sorts of people, and even for negotiating with them. But tonight, he arrived with goodwill and friendliness, only to be met with complete hostility. After a few words, the other party barged in and even threatened him with death...

It's been such a long time!

But the old butler suppressed his anger the next moment.

He was merely a servant, entitled to his own joys and sorrows, but he must never let them interfere with his duties or his master's important matters.

Negotiations failed...

He sighed and murmured, "I never imagined he was so wary and suspicious..."

The old butler remained silent for a moment, then turned and left. "I must report this to the young master..."

His figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Unbeknownst to the old steward, not long afterward, Kang De's figure emerged from the darkness, coldly gazing at the empty mountain hollow.

"... I thought his little master would come here to check for clues."

He adjusted the things he was carrying on his back.

That was a super-powerful modified gas cylinder that exploded.

The old butler should have been thankful; if he and his young master had agreed to meet here, then if they had said something they shouldn't have, touching a nerve with Kang De, then...

Kang De stroked his chin, pondering, "We can't catch up, but if his so-called young master has ulterior motives, he'll most likely pursue us from this point. If I set a trap by the roadside..."

He pondered for a while, then finally shook his head and rejected the idea.

"It's a waste of time, unnecessary. Besides, we haven't even figured out whether the other party is friend or foe. I'm not that ruthless as to kill without hesitation."

"The most important thing now is to leave the imperial territory and enter the Goth border."

He turned around, carrying the gas cylinder and weapons, and ran towards the Humvee parked and hidden not far away. His previous counterattack was just a casual move; if it missed, so be it.

"If they really have malicious intentions, then other people will come looking for me next."

Kang De got into the car, turned the key, and started the engine.

This Humvee is really impressive. It has been meticulously enchanted and enhanced inside and out. In terms of defense alone, it has been upgraded from Fire Warding to toughness to a holy barrier, making it an extremely powerful protective vehicle. It would be considered a divine artifact even on Earth.

"All we're missing is a weapons station..."

Kang De stepped on the gas and sped away.

"When I have some free time, I'll figure out a way to improve my basic combat abilities, collect some useful enchanted equipment, and then..."

He thought to himself with a smug smile, "I'll just fly abroad and go to those dangerous combat zones to ask the America army for help. Anyway, you helped us decades ago through Captain Chang, so helping us again now would be a nice gesture... I bet you're all tired of fighting aliens all the time. I'll borrow your equipment to fight some aliens. That would be good."

Meanwhile, the weary old steward arrived at a small, pre-arranged camp.

"It failed?"

From inside the main tent came astonished inquiries.

The old butler bowed even lower. "I'm so sorry."

Then he heard footsteps.

The old butler breathed softly, but could still smell the faint fragrance. His lowered gaze first fell on the brown deerskin boots, then on the rounded thighs encased in trousers. The young master of the Vidal Family, whom he served, walked up to him.

"--That's fucking amazing."

He heard his young master say that.

Then came a barrage of questions.

"You weren't putting on airs, were you? I told you to speak to them properly, didn't I? Where did you leave off before the negotiations failed? Tell me everything from beginning to end."

The old steward bowed and replied, "Yes."

Then he told his little master everything without missing a single detail.

Finally, a conclusion is drawn, and a small excuse is offered for one's failure.

"Miss, the other party's wariness exceeded my expectations. I have no doubt about the authenticity of his final death threat, especially his eyes, which were like..."

The girl from the Vidal Family said, "It's like she's thinking about how to crack your skull open with an axe if you become his enemy next time you meet, right?"

"..." The old butler recalled Kang De's gaze and thought it was damn similar.

But... Miss, how did you know?

Are you wondering how I knew?

The girl's voice was soft and melancholic, even carrying a hint of sorrow and displeasure.

"Because when I met Tina last time, that guy ended up with the same expression. He was all smiles when we talked about business, money, and serious matters, but when we talked about other things, he started to keep us at arm's length."

She said, "Damn it, no wonder she chose this lover. This Cathayan has the exact same temper as her, and he was probably also provoked by the Good Family, turning him into a tough guy with an explosive appetite for killing entire families. Damn it, how did Tina end up with such a handsome guy?"

This seemed to have stirred up some unpleasant memories. The girl paced back and forth a few steps, scratched her head, and her beautifully and meticulously styled silver hair became a little disheveled.

Her tone was somewhat frantic. "Damn, it makes me so angry just thinking about it. Tina used to be a silly, whiny girl who only knew how to whine, so I looked down on her for being so soft and daydreaming about how her breasts could grow so big. Now she's my type, and I want to be friends with her, but she looks down on me instead. Damn it."

The girl spat on the ground. "It's all that [beep--] Hannah! She's a slut who's been cheated on by everyone, she betrayed Tina, making Tina not even trust me anymore. Damn it, who in the entire Western Empire, underworld or legitimate society, doesn't know that I, Leona Vidal, am the most loyal person?"

The more he spoke, the more audacious he became, but the old butler kept his head down, pretending not to hear anything.

Anyway, that's just how the young lady is... the master tries to control her, the young master tries to control her, but neither can manage it.

But as a butler, he has an obligation to stop his master from saying anything indecent at certain times.

So the old butler said softly, "Miss, what should we do now?"

How should I know what to do?

Leona clutched her head and cried out.

"I always felt Tina was walking a tightrope, and I tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't believe me."

"I finally received intelligence that someone had discovered a very strange four-wheeled self-propelled alchemy vehicle. This news sounded familiar, very similar to what that Cathay hunk used. After careful investigation and assessment, I've basically identified the person. I'm preparing to contact him to gain his trust and explain the situation, asking him to help persuade Tina."

"I didn't expect this guy's temper to be just like Tina's; he completely ignored us."

She stamped her foot and shouted, "What can I do? Go and talk to him directly? I don't want to face this dangerous, burly man. What if we don't see eye to eye and he splits my head open with an axe?"

The old butler tentatively suggested, "If we were to be open and honest..."

Leona looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Old butler, you're getting on in years. Eat something good to keep your mind sharp."

She said earnestly, "You haven't even said anything yet. You just want to buy his car, saying nice things and expressing goodwill. Do you think he'll listen to you? I think he really stumbled badly after that fall with the Good Family, so now he looks like every imperial nobleman is an idiot [beep--], even though they are indeed right."

"Look, he's going to run you over just because you said those harmless platitudes."

"If you ran up to him and said, 'Hey, tough guy, I know your name is Kang De, the one who committed murder and arson in Glittering Sand Town. I mean you no harm, I'm here to be your friend'—do you think he'd smile and shake your hand, or would he crack your skull open without saying a word?"

"..."

The housekeeper thought about it and felt that the second possibility was more likely.

Leona was about to speak when suddenly, urgent sounds came from outside.

"Miss, a secret report!"

The girl opened the urgent letter, glanced at it, and her expression changed drastically.

She slapped her forehead and gritted her teeth, saying, "Damn it, what I feared most has come true! Alex's men have found him!"

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PS1: First update, 3500 words. Second update may be a little later.