Chapter 9: Starlight Iron
Inside the first floor of the small building, Su Xiao sat opposite Puri. After the old councilman fell critically ill, with the assistance of Azaz, Puri had taken over the old councilman’s authority.
Puri’s ambition was not to become a councilman; he preferred traveling across the continent on steam trains, dissipating in various kingdoms. His female companions never ceased, making him romantic but not lecherous, always living freely—that was Puri.
As the son of a councilman, and specifically the offspring of one of the three real power councilmen, the Holy Realm Councilman, Puri was respected wherever he went.
The Hyena Wolf Clan dared not make a move against Puri, at least not before the old councilman’s death. If they committed such a root-cutting act, the old councilman’s retaliation would be beyond the Hyena Wolf Clan’s imagination. Eliminating Puri would be completely disproportionate to the subsequent costs they’d bear.
This only made Puri more carefree. In his own words, since some things couldn’t be chosen, one could only accept them.
When the old councilman fell critically ill, neither the Frost Serpent Councilman nor the Rose Councilman agreed to let anyone else act as proxy. The only person they recognized was Puri.
This had nothing to do with Puri’s personal abilities; he was the old councilman’s offspring. Even if he usually fooled around, he was trustworthy in critical moments.
The old councilman’s critical illness worried not only Puri and Azaz but also the Frost Serpent Councilman and the Rose Councilman, who were secretly monitoring the situation.
Earlier, when Su Xiao was attacked on the steam train, the Qidorman Company’s rapid reinforcement was made possible by the Frost Serpent Councilman’s intelligence network.
Only after consulting the Frost Serpent Councilman did the Qidorman Company dare to intervene and rescue in time. Otherwise, they could only watch, even knowing they’d bear responsibility later. They dared only to watch because this matter involved a critically ill councilman. Rash interference would bring great misfortune upon the Qidorman Company.
In the eyes of true powerholders, the Qidorman Company was merely a company with vast wealth. Under the suppression of force, no amount of money was worth more than scrap paper. The paper currency circulating in the four kingdoms was printed by the Council Hall; otherwise, the four kingdoms would have long since become independent.
The empire established by Emperor Okaz had never completely split. The Council Hall controlled transportation, trade, economy, and the authority to deploy Secret Art Masters, while the four kingdoms held military forces, territories, and resources.
Together, the Council Hall and the four kingdoms formed the empire founded by Emperor Okaz. A thousand years ago, Emperor Okaz had already created the empire’s prototype. He even foresaw that his four descendants would turn against each other, leading to the empire’s fragmentation. The council system was the final safeguard.
By considering the four kingdoms and the Council Hall as a whole, the variables to guard against were greatly reduced.
The four kings were essentially regional lords. The likelihood of them targeting the Council Hall was low. Under such circumstances, a king attacking the Council Hall would be self-defeating; if the trade and economic systems collapsed, neither side would benefit.
Excluding the four kingdoms narrowed the suspect pool significantly. First, the mastermind must have had the authority to command Iron Fang·Muro. Iron Fang·Muro was already dead; he had altered the Secret Art Masters escorting Su Xiao, arranging for over a dozen new Secret Art Masters to take over.
Iron Fang·Muro was a highly influential figure on the continent, someone to be revered. Yet in this matter, he was just a small pawn—a disposable underling who would die regardless of the outcome.
Iron Fang·Muro was naturally unwilling, but he had no choice. In the power struggle, one wrong step meant death for everyone connected to him.
The trail ended at Iron Fang·Muro, and the mastermind successfully concealed themselves. However, after Su Xiao met the old councilman, new clues emerged.
The old councilman’s critical illness was orchestrated by the mastermind. Combining various clues, Su Xiao’s “puzzle pieces” grew more numerous. Now, he only needed to fit together the final few pieces to expose the mastermind.
Su Xiao had a hypothesis: the mastermind was also part of some grand scheme. This scheme was so terrifying that, if successful, it could uproot the four kingdoms and the Council Hall, causing Emperor Okaz’s empire to collapse.
“Kukulin, is there any hope for my father? Don’t spare my feelings; tell me the truth.”
Puri lowered his eyelids, prepared for the worst outcome.
“No hope.”
“Is that so... I see.”
Puri’s elbows rested on the armrests of his chair, one hand covering his eyes.
“Bai Ye, do you know? Before you came, I sought out four other Alchemy Masters. They didn’t even dare to come. You’re the only one who dared to step in. If even you can’t do it, then...”
As Puri spoke, tears seeped through his fingers. His relationship with his father had always been very poor—no, it was hostile. He never imagined that when he was about to lose this “dispensable” father, who had been cold to him in his childhood, he would feel such heart-wrenching pain.
“Just kidding. Your father can be saved.”
Su Xiao peeled open a dried fruit, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.
Puri sniffled, his reddened eyes glaring at Su Xiao with both anger and joy.
“You... are you always this malicious?”
“...”
Su Xiao didn’t respond. He was using the simplest elimination method. He had learned a technique from an old friend named Harold: perceiving others’ emotional changes through intuition. Expressions, body reactions, and gaze could all be faked, but the only thing that couldn’t be disguised was instantaneous emotional fluctuation.
“Based on the situation, those four Alchemy Masters made the right decision. I should leave now too.”
Su Xiao rubbed the fruit shell residue off his fingertips, picked up the light tea, and took a sip.
“They were afraid. This kind of thing really isn’t something anyone wants to get involved in. What do I need to pay to move you? Money shouldn’t matter to you, right?”
“Who knows.”
Su Xiao certainly wouldn’t say that he urgently needed “Guangao Gold Pounds.” The “Guangao Gold Pound” was this world’s currency, originally named “Light-Dark Empire·Emperor Okaz·Third Batch·Paper Gold Pound.” Since this world originally used gold coins, after transitioning to paper currency, it was abbreviated as “Guangao Gold Pound.”
After several improvements, the “Guangao Gold Pound” was made from a blend of cotton and linen, making it more durable and thicker to the touch. Many people simply called this lovely thing a gold pound.
With gold pounds, Su Xiao could acquire a large amount of alchemical materials, even setting up an alchemy laboratory outright.
As an Alchemy Master, not having a laboratory would clearly be suspicious. Getting gold pounds from Puri was somewhat disadvantageous; treating the old councilman carried significant risk, so naturally, he had to demand higher compensation.
Before entering this world, one of the Reincarnation Paradise’s prompts mentioned that Starlight Iron was a unique scarce resource of this world, with unknown specific effects.
After a moment of consideration, Su Xiao smiled.
“Ten kilograms of Starlight Iron.”
Su Xiao didn’t know the value of Starlight Iron, so he didn’t ask for too much. If Starlight Iron had high density, ten kilograms would be about the size of a fist.
“Kukulin, you... do you Alchemists use Starlight Iron by the kilogram?”
Puri’s expression was somewhat desperate. Ten kilograms of Starlight Iron—even if they gathered all the Starlight Iron in the four kingdoms and the Council Hall’s stockpiles, they wouldn’t have ten kilograms.
“You can treat this as a transaction. You can bargain.”
“Then... seventy grams. That’s all my father has.”
“Deal.”
“Huh?”
Puri was momentarily stunned. The gap between ten kilograms and seventy grams was too vast. After a few seconds of blankness, he stood up and went upstairs. Soon, he returned with a very delicate wooden box, quickly descending the stairs.
“This is the payment. Cure my father, and it’s yours.”
Puri placed the wooden box on the table and opened it. Inside was a semi-transparent metal block, dotted with specks of blue like starlight.
Su Xiao picked up the Starlight Iron and examined its information.
[Starlight Iron (72.5 grams)]
Origin: Light-Dark World (Unique)
Quality: Holy Spirit Rank
Type: Enhancement Item
Effect: After using this item, it can enhance the abilities of growth-type equipment.
Rating: 1000 (Holy Spirit Rank item ratings range from 700 to 1000 points).
Introduction: The convergence of light and darkness gave birth to this wondrous substance.
Price: Ownership not yet obtained.
...
Seeing the properties of Starlight Iron, Su Xiao decided he must obtain as much of this material as possible.
With enough Starlight Iron, Su Xiao could enhance the existing abilities of Dragon-Slaying Flash. Dragon-Slaying Flash had three abilities: increasing sharpness, enhancing the true damage of Azure Steel Shadow, and Demon Blade (a killing-type ability).