The Silly Alchemist

“I am picking herbs, Little Five. I’ve noticed our size can be very useful. Harvesting this plant is usually very difficult because you have to be extremely careful. It’s so much more convenient now!” said Ye Lang as he proceeded to deal with the plant.

“What is this? What is it for?”

“This is a rare herb...It can be used to make some alchemy medicines, but not many people know about it. It’s for my personal concoctions. I used to have one, but I accidentally killed it. We’re lucky to find more,” said Ye Lang.

“...I think this one will meet the same fate as the last one, it’ll die very soon!” mourned Coldblood Five as she looked at the pitiful flower.

“It will die, but I’m picking its seeds now. They’ll grow very quickly,” said Ye Lang casually. He didn’t intend to keep this one alive either.

“... Then hurry! If someone notices, we’ll be in trouble!” reminded Coldblood Five, exasperated.

“It’ll be fine. We could just pay them for this, I have money!”

“...”

“Alright, I’m done! Don’t you want to look at the flowers?” asked Ye Lang curiously. It didn’t take very long.

“No, I’ve looked at everything! You little idiot, let’s go!” said Coldblood Five warmly, as she patted soil off Ye Lang. She looked very gentle and matronly.

“Don’t worry about it, I have a way!” Ye Lang didn’t notice Coldblood Five’s warmth, ruining the sweet moment. He generated a purification alchemy symbol, cleaning all the dust and dirt off him.

“Let’s go, little idiot! We gotta look for the exit!” Coldblood Five grabbed Ye Lang, then leapt onto the spirit girl.

As they were about to leave, an adorable girl entered the garden. She looked like the little princess.

As the little princess walked in, she stopped in her tracks, stunned. She had seen the spirit girl.

“Why are you here? You evil lady, you took my necklace!!” she shouted.

“I’m lost, do you know where the exit is?” the spirit girl ignored the princess.

“Hmmph, I’m not telling you! I want to see my baby...” pouted the princess, prancing in a direction.

“Oh no!!!” exclaimed Coldblood Five privately when she realised where the princess was going.

She was walking towards the exact spot Ye Lang had messed up. That was where the flower was.

Let’s hope her ‘baby’ wasn’t the same flower...

“Why is it like this? Who did this to my baby? Who ruined my flower...” the little princess gaped at what was left of the rare flower, immediately tearing up. She was almost sobbing now.

“...”

Coldblood Five was right. Oh no, it was awful! And she’d caught them red-handed!

Coldblood Five shook her head, but she noticed the ‘criminal’ involved (the spirit girl) didn’t show any expression. She was very, very calm, her face showing no signs of recognition.

Ye Lang did something perhaps many people would do. Without a word, they dashed out of the garden!!

“It’s you! It must be you...Ahh!! Stop!! You evil woman! Give me my baby back!!” The little princess wasn’t stupid either. She immediately suspected the spirit girl, the only person within the vicinity. When she turned her head, the spirit girl was already at the garden entrance.

“I’ll pay you back. How much?” asked the spirit girl, after a moment of silence.

“I don’t want your stupid money, I want my baby. The exact same one,” shrieked the princess.

“Oh, then that’ll be next year...” Perhaps the plant would have grown enough by next year.

“No, I want it now,” naturally, the little princess wasn’t satisfied with her answer. She didn’t know what was going to happen next year or if the promise would be kept.

“Then I can’t do much. I’m leaving!” the spirit girl decided to continue running. She’d offered to pay, but since the little princess refused, they couldn’t do much about it.

“Stop!!” the princess ran after the spirit girl.

“I want to leave the palace, you don’t have to see me off!” Only someone as crazy as Ye Lang would think the little princess wanted to send them off.

“You are not to leave this palace!!” declared the little princess cruelly.

“Why?”

“...Just... No!!” Why would anyone still ask? Are you dumb?

The little princess didn’t talk now. She ran as fast as she could towards Ye Lang, while they ran aimlessly...

There was a little chase within the palace grounds now. This chase scene soon attracted much attention.

“Who is the little princess chasing?” asked a palace guard.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen this person before!” said the other guard, stunned.

“Is it suspicious there’s someone we don’t know in the palace?”

“Oh yeah, that’s a little suspicious...”

“...” both guards stared at each other for a moment, then exclaimed, “Then let’s go!!”

............................

“Miss! Stay where you are!!”

At this point, not only the little princess was chasing the spirit girl, but also a few palace guards. They were about to surround her now!

“I’m sorry, can you tell me how to leave the palace?” Ye Lang didn’t seem to realise that everyone was there to chase him.

“There...” the guards were confused too. Without realising what they were doing, they started pointing him towards the exit. However, they’d point in many different directions. It wasn’t to confuse Ye Lang, but a palace did have many exits.

“Thank you!” Ye Lang understood a palace would have many gates too, so he didn’t think much about it. He picked a route then continued to run.

“...” at this point, the guards suddenly realised they’d just told the person they were chasing where the exits were!

Perhaps it was because of how peculiar the situation was. Suspicious criminals would definitely have surveyed the area beforehand, probably even knowing where the best routes were. They wouldn’t have asked for directions like Ye Lang did!