Chapter 4: Zhu Li [Thanks to the "Gentleman in the Wind" for their continued support]

Sekijo prospered with the opening of the railroad between the two countries, and it seemed to have the momentum to become a new economic center of the Qing Dynasty. However, the good times did not last long, and when the railway was abandoned due to the changing weather in the desert, the castle began to decay at a jaw-dropping rate, and now, all prosperity has become yesterday's yellow flower.

For the residents of Sekijo, that splendor was like a dream bubble, like dew and electricity, and now only memories remain.

Of course, all this has nothing to do with Zhang Sanbandime, who first arrived here.

If it weren't for Li Yaozu's eagerness to act as a half-tour guide and babble all this, Zhang Shen would not have known that this small town had such a past.

Since seeing Zhang Shen's methods that day, Li Yaozu has tried every means to get closer to Zhang Shen, chatting about the past and the present, and trying to deepen his impression in someone's heart.

Although he learned a lot of information about the Qing Kingdom about Amestorius from Li Yaozu's mouth, and was so "courteous" by an old man, Zhang Shen was still a little unhappy. However, the former's grasp of the degree is quite in place, and he can always stop or change the topic before Zhang Shen becomes impatient......

"The front is where we usually settle down and rest." Li Yaozu pointed to a signboard at the corner of the road, "Yuelai Inn, the largest and safest inn in Guancheng, has a lot of business dealings with our Li family. ”

Panda Inn ...... Zhang Shen looked embarrassed.

From the moment they entered the castle, the atmosphere of the entire caravan changed and became very active. Not only did they enter a place that was absolutely safe, but they were all smiling because they had returned to their homeland and would be able to see their family and relatives again.

The great desert between the two countries is vast, even if there is such an excellent ready-made trade route as the abandoned railway, it will take a month or two to go back and forth, not to mention the dangers of sand pirates, the environment and so on on the road.

How can they not rejoice when they have finally returned safely?

Reunion...... Zhang Shen saw all this in his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. The images of Li Jing and Bu Lichen drifted through his mind, covering his soul with a layer of dust.

Forget it, it's useless to worry, let's take care of ourselves first......

In the inn room, after Zhang Shen bathed and changed clothes, he stood quietly in front of the window, looking at the clear sky, and his thoughts were flying.

"I came to Qing to learn alchemy. Although there is plenty of time, it can't be wasted in boring family disputes, and Li Yaozu is a person, so it's better to cut off contact as soon as possible. ”

"During this period of chat, I have a more detailed understanding of Qingguo. Regardless of the domestic political situation for the time being, there is also some further understanding of alchemy and the status and situation of alchemists in the Qing Kingdom. ”

"Alchemists have a high status in the Qing Kingdom, just because the elixirs they refine can treat diseases and pains that cannot be explained by secular medical theory. In addition to this, it seems that those top alchemists have also mastered a considerable degree of extraordinary power. If it weren't for that, I'm afraid that the alchemist would have been reduced to the confinement of the major families long ago. ”

"Regarding alchemy, there is a big difference from what I knew before."

"I used to think that the so-called alchemy was more of the method of smelting lead and mercury by the ancient warlocks of the Xia Kingdom, and it was the germ of modern chemistry, which was not of much help to my own alchemy, and I came here just to increase my knowledge and absorb some knowledge in alchemy to supplement my own alchemy."

"Now I know how ridiculous this idea is!"

"Alchemy has its own independent theoretical system and promotion system, which is unique."

"It's a pity that now we only know that its theoretical basis is 'qi', and nothing else can be known. Alas, if I knew this, I would have saved some general points in the space and exchanged it for a basic theory of alchemy......"

Before, in the guardian space, when they were about to separate, because he was worried about the safety of the women, Zhang Shen used up all the general points and world contributions, and exchanged all kinds of things that could be used by the five women, but it was himself, because he only came here to learn and explore the origin of alchemy, and he felt that he couldn't encounter any danger, and he almost didn't prepare anything. If it weren't for Bu Lichen's tough exchange for a few life-saving gadgets and stuffed into his hands, Zhang Shen would probably come over alone.

If it is always if, Zhang Shen also sighed casually. Even if he knew, he would give priority to Li Jing and them.

Zhang Shen's current understanding of alchemy comes partly from chatting with Li Yaozu, and partly from some folk miscellaneous books.

That's right, it's mythological novels like Xia Guo's "Journey to the West" and "Strange Tales from Liaozhai......

"Kunlun, whether it is Li Yaozu or those novels, all mention such a place. It seems that it is necessary to make a trip to Kunlun. Zhang Shen recalled the map in his mind, "My current location is in the westernmost part of the Qing Kingdom, Kunlun is located in the northwest of the Qing Kingdom, probably in the northeast of Guancheng, I just need to search all the way, and it is not a big problem to find Kunlun." ”

"Hmm, it's time to think about how to part ways with Li Yaozu and them."

Zhang Shen thinks he is a relatively indifferent and ruthless guy, but he cares very much about his family and friends, and at the same time attaches great importance to grievances and hatreds, and is unwilling to owe favors to everyone in vain, unless the relationship between the two parties is very good. At the beginning, when he returned to Z City from the apocalyptic plant world, because of embarrassment, he was forced to take some money from a passer-by "without telling him", and later Zhang Shen spent a lot of time finding that person and gave him dozens of times the reward through various methods.

Li Yaozu felt that Zhang Bao had captured half of the caravan's cargo and his own future, so he was extremely grateful to him. However, Zhang Shen felt that the former's narration along the way and the miscellaneous books lent to him to read had made him re-acquaint himself with alchemy, and he did not miss such an ability system that was of great help to his alchemy path.

In Zhang Shen's heart, he really owes Li Yaozu a lot of favors, just like between himself and Ai Yi Ai in the previous world. The kindness of the two little Lori, I have repaid it to a considerable extent, and the two have now become their comrades-in-arms, which can be regarded as understanding.

Li Yaozu is a native of this world, and he has a family and a room, so his return to him naturally cannot be the same as that of the two sisters of Aiyi.

I thought about it for a long time, but I still didn't get anything.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration!

"Yes...... This is the Qing Kingdom respected by the family's secret war alchemist......" The light in his eyes flickered, and Zhang Shen had an idea.

Nothing was said all night.

The next day.

"What, Brother Zhang, you're leaving?!" Li Yaozu's expression changed drastically when he heard a thunderbolt from the sky, but then he realized something, and smiled bitterly, "Also, we belong to different worlds after all, and being able to meet and get to know Brother Zhang is already an old man's accumulation of virtue in his last life, and he has gone to the heavens, no matter how much he desires, it is rude......"

Regarding Li Yaozu's "bitter meat plan" general self-talk, Zhang Shenyi shrugged his shoulders and did not answer.

"Xiao Yanyan, this is a parting gift from your uncle, do you like it?" A crystal ball flashing with colorful light appeared in front of Li Yanyan, and the latter's eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't put it down.

"Brother, this is my letter, if there is a crisis that I can't deal with, crush it, I will come as soon as possible." Before leaving, Zhang Shen took out a non-gold and non-wooden communication charm from the storage equipment and handed it to Li Yaozu.

"We'll see you later." Waving his hand at Li Yaozu and the others who saw them off, Zhang Shen turned over and jumped onto a bought foal, and gradually moved away.

"Cherish all the way." Seeing Zhang Shen leave, Li Yaozu sighed, full of emotions.

…………

…………

Out of the castle, all the way to the northeast.

Take the sky as the quilt and the earth as the bed, eat the wind and dew and rain, day and night...... That's impossible.

Zhang Shen is not an ascetic, on the contrary, within the scope of his ability, he has always paid attention to enjoyment, otherwise he would not spend money to exchange a lot of useless knowledge of "survival in the wild" and "delicious cuisine".

Walking all the way, stop-and-go, quite pleasant.

Everywhere you go, the first thing to do is not to find a place to live, but to find the best local restaurants and the most lively stalls, and have a good taste of local specialties. Then, I collected all kinds of local books and enriched my library, which not only increased my understanding of the country, but also increased my knowledge, and made my mind and will more mellow and ethereal.

It is both travel and practice, which is what Zhang Shen wants.

Unconsciously, half a month has passed.

Zhang Shen rode his foal, swayed all the way, and finally came to the foot of Kunlun Mountain.

From the map of the world (if there is such a thing in this world), Kunlun is a vast mountain range area that spans the Qing Kingdom, stretches from the Great Desert to the west and the ocean to the east, dividing the Qing Kingdom into two parts: north and south.

However, Kunlun in the population of the Qing Dynasty, especially refers to the area of Tongtian Peak and Yuxu Peak, including hundreds of mountains, among which the twelve peaks are the most towering and outstanding, known as the twelve days of Kunlun.

People who live in this vicinity know that this area is the dojo of alchemists, and more than eighty percent of the famous alchemists known in the Qing Kingdom live in this area centered on the twelve days of Kunlun.

Zhuli was originally just a small village and town, because alchemists were accustomed to coming and going from here, and gradually developed and expanded, becoming a giant urban settlement with a permanent population of hundreds of thousands within a radius of dozens of miles.

This is the junction of the world of alchemists and the mundane world, with a large population and a very prosperous place, but it has strangely* maintained a "perfect" order.

The order of the Zhuli is maintained by the patrol composed of fifty surnames.

In fact, Zhuli did not have a governing body of the Qing government, and the only permanent agency was only responsible for transmitting information.

Zhuli, in fact, has long been separated from the politics and military of the Qing State, and is an independent existence, which has been tacitly recognized by the fifty surnames and the people of the Qing Dynasty, and even the Qing Emperor has publicly admitted it.

Everything is because of the existence of alchemists.