Chapter 60: Is Your Alchemy Legal?

"My lord, Higgins is dead."

In the pitch-black study, a figure knelt on one knee and spoke to a tall figure standing by the window, gazing into the distance.

"I know." The tall figure's tone was calm. "He did not fail my training."

Hearing these words, the kneeling figure raised his head and asked hesitantly, "My lord, then what should we do next?"

The tall figure turned and walked over to stand before the kneeling figure, saying coldly, "Find Razor first. Whether alive or dead, I want him found."

"Yes." Upon hearing this, the kneeling figure hurriedly lowered his head. "But as for the Public Security Bureau—"

"Don't bother with the Public Security Bureau. The only one worth noting is that mongrel Ma Kusi." The tall figure could not help but snort. "As for the rest—"

"A bunch of trash, nothing more."

"As my lord says." The kneeling figure offered a flattery, "Then this subordinate will take his leave first."

"Mm."

As the kneeling figure vanished into the darkness, the study fell into silence.

It was not until a long while later that a long sigh finally rang out.

"Tch—"

"The Federal Review Bureau, huh."

Late at night.

Li Ang was replaying the day's events in his mind.

It was obvious Higgins had been seeking death on purpose—anyone present at the time could see that.

As for Lei Mengde's confession, there was also a big problem: after they had caught that smuggler the first time, Ma Kusi had told them to leave it alone.

So Higgins had absolutely no need to contact these smugglers to have them killed.

Thinking of this, Li Ang let out a light breath.

'Forget it, let the chief and the others worry about it.'

After all, compared to worrying over these matters, he had something more important right now.

Li Ang first glanced at the progress of Reverse Birth: Three Layers, and found the experience value had reached 【Mastery 143/1000】. The vast majority of it had been contributed by Higgins, while a small portion had accumulated slowly from him maintaining the Reverse Birth state all along.

Including now, at home, he was still maintaining the Reverse Birth state.

Ignoring the 【Circulating Reverse Birth: Three Layers, skill experience +1】 that popped up on the panel again, Li Ang began to look over the "Detailed Introduction to Alchemy" he had obtained today.

Out of curiosity, he froze the content recorded in his bracelet on the opening page.

【The art of alchemy is, in truth, the unity of mind and matter.】

Seeing the first sentence, Li Ang slightly furrowed his brow and could not help muttering softly, "Dual cultivation of life and nature?"

He had not expected this alchemy to actually bear some resemblance to the cultivation of a Qi Refiner.

He continued reading.

【With the body as the furnace, the heart as the fire, one may refine gold into the elixir.】

"The Internal Alchemy school?!"

Flipping back to the cover, Li Ang confirmed that what he was reading was "Detailed Introduction to Alchemy," and not some "Dao De Jing."

The Jin Dan here did not refer to the realm in ordinary cultivation novels, but rather the Jin Dan of the Daoist Internal Alchemy school from the line, "Swallow one golden elixir into the belly, and only then know my fate is not decreed by heaven."

Having spent some time as a disciple at Sanyi Sect, Li Ang naturally knew a thing or two about this.

But he quickly realized that what was meant here should be refining gold into pills—after all, in alchemy, gold had always held an important position.

With somewhat peculiar thoughts, Li Ang looked at the final sentence.

【One is the ten thousand, the ten thousand are the one.】

【This is the miracle of the Supreme One.】

There was nothing strange about this sentence—many metaphysical concepts held this notion of all things returning to the one.

The opening consisted of only these three sentences. Li Ang continued flipping through the content recorded in his bracelet; what followed was perfectly normal basic alchemical theory.

Such as the world being composed of the four elements: earth, water, wind, and fire.

Because it was only an introductory book, the content recorded within was not much. Li Ang finished reading the entire document very quickly.

"Detailed Introduction to Alchemy" provided two formations at the end, as well as the crafting method for one Alchemical item.

The two formations were 【Fortitude】 and 【Concealment】, while the Alchemical item was 【Jialuosi's Scales】.

But Li Ang currently had neither the raw materials nor even a furnace, so there was clearly no way to craft the Alchemical item. He could only attempt to inscribe formations.

But inscribing formations also required a carving knife. Having been busy all day, Li Ang had no time to purchase tools and could only temporarily give up.

Thinking this, he briefly steadied his mood and began today's routine practice.

【Circulating qi and moving qi, profession experience +4】.

【Manipulating the qi within the body, skill experience +1】.

The next day, the Public Security Bureau.

Li Ang and Danika were furtively huddled together.

"Captain, can it really sell for a lot of money?"

"It can. Previously, an ordinary clerk at the neighboring Caizheng Bureau obtained similar materials, and the Federation directly paid three hundred thousand Stellar Radiance Coins to buy them back."

That's right—the two were preparing to upload the "Detailed Introduction to Alchemy" obtained yesterday into the Federation's system to see if it could be bought back.

Li Ang watched nervously as Danika photographed and uploaded the book in front of her.

One had to know that three hundred thousand Stellar Radiance Coins, even split three ways, would still be a full hundred thousand—enough even to buy a first-tier profession's information that wasn't too trashy.

Soon, Danika received a reply.

But after clearly reading the content of the message, her face fell.

【Apologies, this material has already been collected by the Federation. Thank you for your trust.】

Danika said lifelessly, "I knew this kind of luck wouldn't fall to me."

Li Ang, however, remained silent as he opened the website to purchase career information and began searching for "Introduction to Alchemy: A Detailed Guide."

But when he saw the uploader's name, his expression turned peculiar.

"Captain, look."

【"Introduction to Alchemy: A Detailed Guide — by Galos," uploader.】

【Zongdufu of Border Colony Star #9527】.

Seeing the information Li Ang shared, Danika froze.

There was only one scenario in which a planetary Zongdufu would upload such materials: when the documents were seized during the planet's colonization; otherwise, they were always uploaded under personal names.

The question arose:

Could the Swarm learn Alchemy?

Or put another way, were these insects truly native to this planet?

Li Ang did not believe the Swarm could learn, let alone create Alchemy — though he could not rule out the possibility that the insects on this planet were an anomaly, and he was simply bound by his stereotypes.