The next day, when the projection of the Present Realm's sun rose from the end of the sky, the Solar Ship received a visitor.
A truck sealed inside and out drove into the empty cargo hold. The passenger who stepped down carried a case and entered a specially generated silent corridor. After passing through layer upon layer of defenses, the illusion around him finally dispersed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Huai Shi."
The visitor removed his hood, revealing an aged face. His eyes had no pupils, only a pallid whiteness.
The yellow beard beneath his jaw was long, yet had no substance, like a drifting phantom.
Grandmaster Marco.
He said, "Your Highness Ahe told me about your plan. I'm very interested."
"Welcome."
Huai Shi extended a hand in warm greeting.
But Marco did not move. Surprise surfaced in his blank eyes, and he seemed somewhat wary. After hesitating, he waved his hand. "My apologies."
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.
Mainly because Huai Shi finally remembered his extensive criminal record...
Alchemists, more or less, all believed in a little superstition and mysticism. After all, alchemy itself was a rather occult field. To increase their chances of success, they would sometimes deliberately perform baffling rituals—changing into red underwear before beginning work, fasting the day before, abstaining from women, bathing and fasting, wearing lucky charms, and so on.
Yet these utterly baseless practices had often proved useful...
Scholars did not care for such superstitions, but alchemists cared desperately. They would not touch anything taboo, lest their fate or their upcoming creation encounter some unforeseen twist.
So, here was the question—who was the greatest jinx in the Present Realm, as far as alchemists were concerned?
That was right. It was the Huai standing before him.
There were only so many Grandmasters