Chapter 1 "Ah... That's better."

Qian Tiao, her face flushed, walked into the house from the courtyard with a hearty stride.

She watched Suren studying the rune scroll and couldn't help but praise, "The volcanic hot springs of Chaming Mountain are truly amazing. This is the most enjoyable soak I've ever had. Suren, you missed out..."

Beside her, Miko and Lolota also looked refreshed, their faces rosy. It was as if soaking in the hot spring had washed away the fatigue and dirt of the past few days.

"Oh, is that so?"

Suren looked up and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

The three of them had changed into plain white kimonos provided by the inn, which looked like pajamas and were very homey.

But even though it was the same outfit, the three of them wore it in completely different ways.

Qian Tiao wore her clothes very casually, with her coat draped over her shoulders, looking every bit like a gangster. Because she wasn't wearing a chest binder, her chest was a dazzling expanse of white, making people's eyes blur. Miko's outfit, on the other hand, looked like it had been custom-made for her, fitting her perfectly and always giving off a meticulous feeling. As for Lolota, that little girl was completely flat, well, there wasn't much to see.

If even Qian Tiao was full of praise, then the hot springs here must be truly excellent.

However, Suren's mind wasn't on the hot springs right now.

Whether it was Pirate City or the Mirror Organization, the materials he needed were too far away to be of immediate use, but right in front of him was the princess of the Hidden Mountain Kingdom.

Should he ask?

......

"Teacher, where are we sleeping tonight?"

"There are quilts in the closet, just spread them out there..."

"Oh."

The three women walked into the room, looking like they were getting ready to rest.

Having been chased for days, with the Oni Samurai only coming out at night, none of them had gotten a good night's sleep.

Lolota took the quilts out of the closet and spread them on the tatami mats. Then, she slid the wooden lattice door to create a semi-open bedroom.

Qian Tiao had shared a room with Suren many times, and didn't care about her image at all. She sprawled out on the quilt, not even thinking about covering up her beautiful legs and half of her upturned butt under the loose kimono. Lolota, with a worried expression on her face, helped her cover up with the quilt.

Suren hesitated, not knowing how to bring it up.

After all, they weren't that close.

But Miko keenly noticed the strange look in Suren's eyes when he glanced at her earlier, and took the initiative to ask, "Mr. Suren, is something troubling you?"

After a moment of hesitation, Suren said, "There is indeed something that I might need to trouble Miss Miko with."

This protection had the nature of a transaction, so he wasn't embarrassed and said directly, "I need some rare materials..."

Hearing this, Miko didn't feel bothered at all, but instead a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

This Mr. Suren had saved her, and now that she could repay him, she felt that this cooperative relationship could be strengthened.

She walked to the coffee table, knelt gracefully on the straw mat, and asked, "What kind of materials do you need, Mr. Suren?"

"[Lake Nymph Corpse Dust], [Rank 6 Sea Monkey Brain Marrow]..."

Suren directly stated the names of some of the materials he needed.

Because the rune scroll came from the Hidden Mountain royal family, there was no need to keep it a secret. He even pointed directly at the contents of the scroll, explaining his needs one by one.

Hearing the names of those materials, Miko took out paper and pen and wrote them down carefully.

After Suren finished describing the characteristics of the materials, she offered her suggestions, "The [Shadow Tendrils] you mentioned can be replaced with the [Oil-Red Child's Nail]. From the characteristics you described, they are both necromantic fire-attribute energy, and the effects of the two materials in the formula should be similar. Also, I haven't heard of this one, but I think it can be replaced with [Hair Ghost Bone Powder], which might work even better..."

"Mm."

Suren's eyes flashed with a different color. He then realized that Miko had a deep understanding of pharmaceutics. This Shinto priestess was not only knowledgeable but also proficient in the pharmacology of various materials.

Especially some of the specialties of the Hidden Mountain, many of those herbs and monster materials, were in Suren's knowledge blind spot, but Miko knew them like the back of her hand.

Because they both knew pharmaceutics, communication was also very smooth.

With a little explanation, they could easily understand each other's meaning.

As soon as he spoke, Suren immediately felt that he had found the right person!

Most importantly, Miko's dual special identities as a royal princess and a Shinto priestess allowed her to not only know these rare materials but also know where to find them!

Although the Hidden Mountain Kingdom was backward and poor, Suren had witnessed the foundation of the Kamuishi royal family.

After hearing his requests, this Miss Miko didn't think it was difficult at all.

She took on the task with great enthusiasm and said, "The royal treasury has a lot of materials in reserve. I remember that many of the ones you mentioned are there. Even if they aren't, the Sugagami Shrine's pharmacy should be able to find replacements. I'll send a message to the guards, and they should be able to gather them in a few days..."

Sure enough, some things are difficult for ordinary people.

But for those at the top of power, it's just a matter of solving a problem with a single order.

"Then thank you, Miss Miko."

Hearing this, Suren naturally couldn't refuse.

It would take him who knows how long to gather these materials himself.

But this royal princess could solve it in a few days.

And he didn't know how much these materials were worth in the Hidden Mountain, and it seemed vulgar to ask to pay, as they probably weren't short of money.

Miko smiled slightly, as if she was happy to be able to help, "You're welcome. Mr. Suren, you saved me. I'm just helping with some insignificant little things."

Suren raised his eyebrows, noncommittally.

He did owe her a favor.

As she spoke, Miko folded the white paper with her elegant handwriting into a paper crane and blew a breath into it.

Then, a magical scene appeared.

The paper crane flashed with spiritual light, as if it had come to life, flapped its wings, and flew out of the window.

Suren watched and let out a soft "huh" in his heart.

Seeing that he was curious about the paper crane, Miko took the initiative to explain, "This is a *shikigami* Spirit Crane, a secret Shinto art. Only Shinto priests who are proficient in Yin and Yang can use it."

Suren was indeed very curious because he felt a little bit of soul fluctuation from the paper crane, but it didn't seem like a real living thing with complex soul fluctuations.

He instantly thought of the Yin-Yang master Abe Taikazu he had fought before, who had repeatedly used "Paper Doll Technique" to escape certain death.

It was also paper, so how did he do it?

Suren was very curious about that technique, so he directly asked, "Miss Miko, may I ask you a question?"

Miko responded very modestly, "Mr. Suren, you're too polite. In front of a knowledgeable alchemist like you, I wouldn't dare to use the word 'ask'."

Suren also smiled, because they weren't close, but it was necessary to be polite.

He didn't say anything more and directly asked, "It's about the Paper Doll Technique that Abe used before..."

Miko didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Oh, that's also a very clever *shikigami* Paper Doll Technique. Only the Abe family's Yin-Yang masters have the inheritance. It is said that eight hundred years ago, a genius Yin-Yang master, Abe no Seimei, appeared in the Abe family, whose magic was so powerful that he even suppressed many Shinto..."

Suren listened attentively to Miko's explanation and nodded from time to time.

As expected, the person who knew the most about Shinto secrets was the priestess of the Hidden Mountain.

Miko naturally knew that Suren was curious about this question and definitely wanted to know the principles of the technique, so she continued, "The principle of that secret technique is similar to my *shikigami* Spirit Crane, which is to give a certain amount of spirituality to inanimate objects, but it is much more sophisticated. But other than the Abe family, I haven't heard of anyone who can do it..."

Hearing this, Suren asked, "Give spirituality to inanimate objects?"

"Yes."

Miko nodded and said, "That is the power bestowed by the gods."

"I see..."

Hearing this, Suren immediately understood. No wonder he couldn't understand it, it was another god-given ability.

Many Shinto spells that seemed incomprehensible were actually the gods responding to believers and granting low-level professionals power beyond their ranks.

If you weren't a believer of the gods, you couldn't use those divine arts.

Suren temporarily gave up the idea of paying attention to this technique.

But only temporarily.

Because in the eyes of an alchemist, everything in the world can be analyzed. If it can't be explained, it just means that one's own level of understanding is not enough.

In the future, when his rank is higher, he may not be able to understand it.

The two of them chatted unconsciously, Miko explaining and popularizing a lot of information about Yin-Yang masters and Shinto to Suren, which he found eye-opening.

But there was too much to say, and he couldn't finish it in a short time.

Before long, Suren caught the fatigue on Miko's face. He then realized that it was almost dawn.

Taking another look, Qian Tiao and Lolota were already sound asleep.

Anyway, it seemed like they would be staying together for the next few days, so Suren felt that there would be plenty of time to communicate in the future, so he said, "Thank you, Miss Miko, for clearing up my doubts. Sorry for delaying your rest, you should go to rest soon."

"Being able to communicate with a knowledgeable alchemist like Mr. Suren has also benefited Miko a lot."

Miko said politely and asked, "What about you, Mr. Suren?"

Suren said, "I still need to spend some time meditating."

"Oh. Alright."

Miko smiled slightly.

She didn't force herself, stood up, and bowed, "Then good night, Mr. Suren."

Suren nodded.

......

The rooms in the bathhouse were all dormitories, not some bloody coincidence. This, like "mixed bathing," was also a custom of the Hidden Mountain.

Because in the Hidden Mountain, even if they weren't family, as long as they came to the hot spring together, they were acquaintances. Everyone didn't mind sleeping together and would even use this method to enhance their relationship. Miko naturally wouldn't find it too strange.

Lolota spread four futons, one for herself, and Qian Tiao took up two by sprawling out. Miko could only sleep next to them. She took off her kimono, only wearing a thin garment that revealed her graceful figure. This royal princess was of noble status, but she didn't have the temper of a princess and appeared elegant and meticulous in everything she did. She folded her clothes neatly, tidied her belt, and then crawled into the quilt.

Suren and Qian Tiao were used to sleeping in the same room, so this scene should have been uneventful. But for some reason, with an outsider, he felt a little strange in his heart.

Having just obtained the inheritance scroll of the Rune Alchemist, Suren wasn't sleepy, so he simply meditated on the side, digesting the contents of the scroll.

The scent of incense was faint, which could help people sleep.

The room was quiet and the atmosphere was getting more and more harmonious.

Suren didn't know if it was an illusion, but it seemed that this dormitory design could really quickly bring people closer together.

He suddenly felt that this Miss Miko didn't seem so unfamiliar anymore.

Or,

Was it because he was taking advantage of her?

Was it "beauty is justice"?

Or, did she use very clever communication skills?

Suren thought about it and restrained his thoughts.

In any case, there was no malice, and it was indeed quite pleasant to get along with her.

......

Time flew by in a few days.

Suren and his companions stayed in the bathhouse.

They seemed to have completely gotten rid of their pursuers, and no one came to their door.

These days, Miko didn't dare to run around outside and never left the room. She was a princess who was being hunted down, and besides the Takeda Shogunate, the situation within the Kamuishi royal family was also not optimistic. Before she figured out the truth, she naturally didn't dare to show her face casually.

During these days, Miko released and received the *shikigami* Spirit Crane many times.

Because she didn't deliberately avoid him, Suren saw everything, but he didn't ask any questions.

The two of them tacitly got along like this.

Suren was also a homebody, and he needed too much time to digest the things he had recently obtained, so he had no time to go out at all.

On the other hand, the master and disciple Qian Tiao and Lolota were often not seen during the day. They went to practice their swords, and by the evening, they would return covered in sweat and blood, then take a bath, eat, sleep... and enjoy themselves.

Also, because the two of them were not often in the room, it was usually only Suren and Miko, a lone man and woman, who were together.

Suren was very interested in everything about the Hidden Mountain Kingdom, especially the monsters and the cultivation system. Coincidentally, Miko was the person who knew the most about this information. And she was also very interested in alchemy.

The two of them had many exchanges on an "academic level", and getting along was not awkward. They learned from each other, made progress together, and became more and more familiar as a result.

Suren also found that Miko no longer had that "ceremonial politeness" towards him.

It couldn't be considered a very deep friendship, but at least they could be considered friends.

And during this time, Suren gradually received the materials he needed.

Some were delivered by people, and some were delivered by various monsters. Those monsters would emerge from various places in the mountains, from the rafters, from the water, from the walls...

That Miss Miko gave Suren too many surprises.

Finally, on the sixth day, Suren gathered all the materials he needed to refine the [Imitation Primal Rune].

......

Because the required materials were very rare, Miko still gathered two portions of each required material.

Because there were many unfamiliar materials, Suren was not confident that he could refine it successfully in one try.

Therefore, Miko also helped on the side.

The pharmaceutics in alchemy and the medical system of the Hidden Mountain were very different, but the principles were similar on certain levels.

Especially some materials that Suren had never seen before, which required Miko's help even more.

The two of them set up various bottles and jars and refining equipment in the room, cooperating with each other and busily working in an orderly manner.

"Mr. Suren, is it okay to purify this [Ghoul Mushroom Powder] to 75%?"

"The purpose of adding mercury to the [Ghoul Scarlet Tongue] is to catalyze it?"

"We in the Hidden Mountain have a special way of processing [Corpse-Eating Slug Mucus] that can achieve perfect usage conditions..."

"..."

After the materials were purified and reached usable conditions, the last step was to fuse them together using an alchemical formation.

Miko provided a lot of help to Suren in this process.

With his help, Suren prepared all the materials properly.

Although it was an unfamiliar formula, he had the All-Knowing Eye, which could identify the detailed attributes of various materials. And because of his absolutely calm mind and master-level refining techniques, theoretically speaking, as long as his ideas and formula were correct, there was no possibility of failure.

As expected, Suren succeeded in one try!

He refined the [Imitation Primal Rune] into the advancement material he wanted to use to break through to Rank 4.

Dark spiritual power was already overflowing, and Suren decided to advance to Rank 4 immediately!

ps. Ah... sorry, the transition in these two chapters is a bit watery.