Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 291 - 290: I Don’t Mind, But You Can’t

Su Lun and two others were led upstairs by the plump Madame.

The wooden staircase clattered as they stepped on it.

As they walked, Qiantiao complained while hooking her arm around Su Lun’s shoulder, "Being a pirate is great except for not being able to take baths. It’s awful! We’ve been drifting at sea for nearly a month, and I feel like I’m marinated like a salted fish."

Su Lun laughed upon hearing this.

It reminded him of the times at the Cross Society when he and this gambling-addicted woman would spend three to four days a week in the bathhouse whenever they were in town.

Now, as pirates on board, there was barely enough fresh water to drink, let alone spare any for baths, which truly made it hard for her.

They reached the top of the stairs, where they could see the public bathhouse on the first floor through the gaps in the rusty louvered windows. It was spacious, and some bare-chested pirates were enjoying baths.

Su Lun and Qiantiao were accustomed to such sights from their days in the gang and kept their eyes straight ahead.

The young girl Lalota behind them blushed and kept her gaze on her toes, not daring to look around.

She had been captured and taken to a gladiator arena at six, and while she had seen many dead, she had never been to a bathhouse before.

Once they reached the third floor, it became much quieter.

The deluxe bathhouse was expensive, but fortunately, each room was private and didn’t have the constant foot traffic of strangers like downstairs.

The Madame opened a door and made a gesture for them to enter, then asked, "Would you like me to arrange a masseuse for the three of you?"

Qiantiao asked, "Do you have any good ones?"

The Madame smirked ambiguously, "The girls in our establishment are carefully selected; I guarantee they do excellent work."

Although the patrons were mostly men, there were also a few female pirates from time to time, satisfying everyone’s needs.

Qiantiao frowned upon hearing this, evidently the Madame had misunderstood her, "What I meant was..."

She paused, then pursed her lips and changed her response, "Never mind. We’ll handle the bathing ourselves."

She understood what kind of place this was; there wouldn’t be any skilled bath attendants here.

She felt the lack of a back scrub greatly diminished the enjoyment of the bath.

As she spoke, Qiantiao flicked the gold coin she had been playing with in her hand and walked towards the room, adding, "Don’t come to disturb us unless I call for you."

She could hardly stand the smell of herself any longer and had no interest in chitchat.

The Madame, quick-eyed and nimble, caught the gold coin and after hearing the chink, her expression turned all smiles, "Alright, rest assured, boss."

Saying this, she then shut the door.

....

The bathhouse room on the third floor was large and fairly lavishly decorated.

Upon entering, one could see a 4x4 meter pool already filled with mistladen clear water. Next to it, there was an aged brass pipe continuously gushing hot water.

This wasn’t the type of water from Old Lington’s underground springs imbued with dark spiritual power; it was just ordinary boiler water. If one sniffed closely, they could even detect a faint metallic scent mixed with the smell of the chemicals.

In such an establishment, everything was about fulfilling the guests’ sensory experience.

The layout of the room was straightforward—an entrance with a frosted glass separated shower room, then the bath, and a large bed on the other side. There was hardly any concealment; almost everything in the room was visible. If one were to bathe, they could almost be seen from any place inside.

Qiantiao looked at the pool in the room, smacked her lips, and muttered, "This pool is too small..."

But in Ice and Snow City, having a bath to soak in was already quite nice.

As she spoke, she had already removed her pirate hat, cloak, blunderbuss, and holster and handed them to Lalota behind her, casually instructing, "Find a place to hang these up."

"Oh."

The young girl obediently responded.

Before she could react, she saw her captain already beginning to unbutton her shirt.

Seeing the delicate whiteness at the neckline exposed, she suddenly panicked, "Ma’am, you…"

Had she forgotten there was a man in the room?

But before she could voice her warning, the linen shirt was thrown over her head, covering her view.

With the shirt over her head, she murmured indistinctly, unable to hear clearly.

When Lalota lifted the shirt off her head, she saw the bare, graceful figure walking into the bathroom.

Immediately, the sounds of running water and Qiantiao’s casual complaints could be heard, "Oh, this terrible smell of the sea, just unbearable. Su Lun, hold on, I’ll rinse off first. Why don’t you come and rinse off too?"

"It’s alright, you go ahead."

Su Lun had long been used to such situations, having shared a room at an inn in Dawn City’s campgrounds before.

This gambling-addicted woman had never regarded herself as an outsider, nor did she have any notion of modesty around him.

The view from outside the bathroom was a vista of spring, revealing all of her beautiful curves and proud posture...

Qiantiao was unconcerned, and Su Lun remained as impassive as ever, hardly glancing over.

He walked straight to the bed, lied down leisurely, and waited.

Just like old times.

Seeing this, Lalota still standing by the door was utterly shocked.

This... What exactly is the relationship between my teacher and this man?

She even doesn’t avoid him when taking a bath?

....

The bed in the bathhouse was much more comfortable than the one Su Lun had slept in the night before; he lay back on the goose-down bed, sinking deep into it.

The gas lamp’s light passed through a warm-colored shade, casting a somewhat dim light in the room.

It wasn’t clear, but there was a kind of hazy, ambiguous atmosphere.

With Qian Tiao in the room, there was no need to worry too much about safety, and he seemed very relaxed.

Soon, the rustling sound of flowing water by his ear ceased, then he heard Qian Tiao call out again, "Bring me a towel."

Su Lun glanced up, intending to help out.

"Sure, teacher."

But the girl named Luoluo Ta was quicker, grabbing a towel from the cabinet and running over.

In a moment, Qian Tiao emerged from the shower, wrapped in a towel.

"Great Sun Bathhouse" wasn’t a formal bathhouse, and there weren’t many fancy bath robes. After all, the pirates who came to spend money weren’t really there to take baths, and they would end up undressed under the service of the attendants anyway.

So only a few towels were prepared.

The towel only covered a part of Qian Tiao’s body, leaving large areas of skin exposed in the air.

This gambling-addicted woman had a body to boast about; as a close-combat knife fighter, her proportions were impeccable.

The towel was not very large, the hem just reaching her hips. It was just the right coverage, showing off her shapely legs completely, slightly revealing the contour of her buttocks and the tantalizing curve that led the imagination astray.

With a larger movement as she flipped her hair, it even seemed mysteriously captivating, tempting one to peek.

Of course, there was also her imposing tattooed upper arm.

Su Lun couldn’t help but take another look.

Qian Tiao probably never thought she had any feminine charm.

She walked up to the pool, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Not because of Su Lun’s gaze, but because she disdained the towel she wore.

It became heavy and clumsy when wet.

However, once she lay down in the hot pool, her eyebrows immediately relaxed, and she let out a pleasurable sigh, "Ah... finally comfortable."

Su Lun watched and chuckled softly.

Qian Tiao beckoned, saying, "Su Lun, boy, what are you standing there for? Come and soak for a while."

"Sure."

Su Lun didn’t mind.

He had picked up the habit of soaking from Qian Tiao.

Looking at the pool water in front of him, it felt rather uneasy not to soak it in for a long time.

He also went to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, quickly rinsed, and then wrapped in a towel, he stepped out.

Getting into the water, the steamy hot water overflowed from the edge of the pool, splashing soundly...

The pool wasn’t large; Su Lun and Qian Tiao lay facing each other.

Both of their breaths were relaxed and comfortable...

Directly opposite Su Lun was the room’s window; looking out, he could see the falling snowflakes. Being the bathhouse’s best room, privacy was well-handled, offering a beautiful snowy scene outside without any buildings in sight.

The scene of soaking in the bath was all too familiar,

as were the people,

and neither felt any discomfort.

But there was a third person in the room.

Suddenly remembering, Qian Tiao called out, "Luoluo Ta, do you want to join us for a soak?"

"Ah... teacher, I... I’d better not."

In the corner, the girl named Luoluo Ta stuttered her response.

Hearing her slightly nervous voice, Su Lun guessed she must have that flustered expression, and he smiled slightly.

Thinking of something, he asked, "Is that girl your apprentice, Sister Qian Tiao?"

"Yes."

Qian Tiao, enjoying the feeling of her body being soaked and all her pores opened up in the warm water, said, "She’s also a hard-luck girl. Originally from a minor noble family, she fell into hard times due to a disaster. Her family declined, and she ended up in the hands of a slave trader. She was initially meant to be sent to a brothel, but when the traders were selecting gladiators, they discovered her talent and trained her into a youth gladiator. I happened to raid a Yunnus Ship and rescued her..."

Su Lun listened and wasn’t too surprised.

Hearing about her ruthless and cruel sword technique, it made sense she was trained as a gladiator.

He exclaimed, "Indeed a fine prospect for sword training."

With the topic started, the two began to chat.

Before, Su Lun knew that the Cyclops in the gambling stall was a rune magician, so he directly asked, "Sister Qian, what was that ’Cyclops’ Sok’s story?"

Qian responded lazily, "Wasn’t I inquiring about rune magicians for you? It just so happened that I heard about an inheritance in the North Sea. Unexpectedly, I ran into this ’Cyclops’ Sok at the gambling stall. I was originally trying to probe his background by joining the card game. Haha, I didn’t expect those guys to treat me like a fat lamb..."

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"Oh."

Su Lun nodded thoughtfully.

Yesterday, when he was returning to Blizzard City, he had inquired through information traders, and Emperor Luying indeed had a lineage of rune magicians.

But the most important lineage was in the imperial capital, and it was quite renowned. There were also some in the southern Stormguard territory. But they were all too far away.

It would be very troublesome to seek them out.

Now that there was one in the North Sea, it couldn’t be better.

Qian and Su Lun were very familiar with each other, knowing at once what Su Lun intended to ask, she continued, "Sok isn’t that strong, but his father is very powerful."

"Could it be some big pirate?"

Su Lun asked, guessing, and then listened intently.

He had seen many experts, so his judgment wasn’t low. The knowledge of pirates could be discerned from their level of combat. Even without interacting with this ’Cyclops’ Sok, he guessed that he probably wouldn’t be satisfactory.

But having his father there meant there was a source of legacy.

"Rune magician" wasn’t like any other alchemy sequence; it was a profession that needed exclusive knowledge and legacy to advance.

"Sort of a pirate leader," Qian contemplated for a moment, then added, "His dad’s nickname is ’Rune Old Man,’ a native leader of the Talin Archipelago in the four nations of the North Continent, controlling several islands and hundreds of thousands of people—a real lord. That old man doesn’t show up often, not much information about him circulates outside, and he’s quite mysterious. It’s said he has the strength of the sixth order, and in the North Sea, he’s considered a prominent figure."

"Sixth order?"

Su Lun had memories related to the "four nations of the North Continent" from those he had stripped before.

Those were some human territories on the vast North Sea, called nations, but actually just some remote, backward, isolated islands. Compared to the Emperor Luying Empire, they couldn’t match in either population or land area, at most they were like a viscount’s domain.

Hearing Qian’s words, thoughts rapidly passed through his mind.

If he wanted to obtain the legacy of the "rune magician," he could either buy it or seize it by force.

Given the current situation, if the other party was sixth order, he would need to put more thought into it...

But because it was sixth order, Su Lun was more likely to find what he wanted.

He was not very familiar with the ways of pirates and asked, "Sister Qian, if I wanted to reach that ’Rune Old Man,’ are there any channels for that?"

Qian shook her head slightly and said, "There isn’t much information about Rune Old Man, and that area of the Talin Archipelago is very secluded. The only exchange is to go to Pirate City for trading."

As she said this, she paused and shifted her tone, then said, "However, there might still be a breakthrough now."

Su Lun thought of something and took the chance to say, "Are you talking about Sok?"

Qian said, "Hmm. If nothing unexpected happens, that guy should end up in my hands. By then, getting more information from him should be possible."

Su Lun, hearing this, spoke with a light chuckle, "You’re that sure?"

Qian lightly said, "Character shows at the card table. That ’Cyclops’ Sok is not honest at heart. Today, he suffered a loss and definitely won’t let it go. If nothing unexpected, when we set sail, he will surely come looking for trouble with me."

"Hehe..."

Su Lun chuckled, recalling some details and also feeling it very likely that Qian would be right.

But that guy didn’t know Qian’s true strength. Coming over, he figured, would be like delivering himself.

Thinking this, his eyes shifted, and he also said, "Then should I join you when you set sail?"

Qian gave an "Hmm."

....

The ceaselessly flowing warm water from the brass pipes, added with a bit of medicinal bath, seemed to dissipate all fatigue after a dip, refreshing the spirit more and more.

Qian lay back, half-floating, with a hot, wet towel on her forehead, occasionally letting out a contented hum.

No technicians were present, nor any distractions.

Both enjoyed this timid time of relaxation.

Su Lun also lay there languidly and asked, "Sister Qian, are you getting ready to advance to fifth order?"

Qian curiously said, "Huh... you can tell?"

As soon as she asked, she answered herself, "Oh, almost forgot, Philo mentioned that you’ve significantly progressed in strength."

Su Lun listened and chuckled noncommittally.

Qian had no intention of hiding and continued, "Yeah, I’m indeed at the threshold of advancing to fifth order. Moreover, I had already found the career advancement materials previously in Old Lington. Now, I’m just lacking the fifth order necessary armor. I’ve been looking recently, but haven’t found a suitable one yet. There’s no rush since I’ve just advanced to fourth order not too long ago, stabilizing my realm more also has its benefits..."

Su Lun listened to this without surprise.

Mr. Jing had previously mentioned that every member of the Jing organization had excellent talents, and advancing faster than others was normal. Moreover, Qian also had a portion of divine bodies around her and was not lacking in dark spiritual power. Advancing to fifth order was also within expectations.

Su Lun asked, "Sister Qian, what kind of alchemic armor are you looking for at fifth order?"

Given her profession as a dagger user, spatial ability would naturally have a high compatibility.

He thought of something and said, "What I mean is, the people of King of the North Sea have discovered a channel to a void plane. Those pirates hold a huge amount of spatial materials, if you need spatial materials, you could consider this direction."

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Hearing this, Qian Tiao clearly became interested and said, "If appropriate, spatial material growth gear is indeed one of the ideal choices. How did you know such a secret about the King of the North Sea?"

Gear containing the laws of the void is very rare; even Su Lun had never encountered it before.

At the question, he recounted his previous encounters at sea.

"I see."

After listening, Qian Tiao also showed a sudden realization and added, "Tsk tsk... now the King of the North Sea is still hiding that void fleet. It seems that guy has quite big ambitions now."

Su Lun picked up the conversation, "I’m very interested in the spatial channel to that void plane. So, if possible, I would like to find some intelligence on that ’Void Fleet.’ Qian Tiao, do you have any good suggestions?"

Qian Tiao thought for a moment and replied, "That information can probably only be found in Pirate City. Why not try to infiltrate the fleet of the King of the North Sea? Previously, their recruitment process was a bit problematic, but now that Oleg has claimed kingship, all the pirate groups are recruiting; anyone in the North Sea with even slight ambition is becoming a pirate... The best time to mix in as a newcomer is now."

"Infiltrate as a pirate?"

At hearing this, Su Lun’s thoughts suddenly became very active, and he muttered, "This method seems feasible..."

....

After they finished discussing business, the two of them started chatting leisurely.

"Qian Tiao, what does it feel like being a pirate?"

"It’s quite nice. More freeing than the days with the Cross Association. My ’Rakshasa Woman’ talent was born for slaughter. In this vast sea, there are too many evil people who deserve to be killed. There used to be gang constraints, but now, as a pirate, I roam the seas. This is the free life I’ve always wanted. By the way, how have you been these days?"

"Not bad... Ran into some issues."

"Didn’t we agree to be pirates together before? Did you go to Silent Forest to find demihumans instead? Demihuman girls are exceptionally beautiful, tsk tsk, you lucky chap..."

"That’s not it... I also went partly because of Mr. Jing’s matter. Besides, I was preparing to advance to the fourth rank. After this period, I will join you as a pirate."

"Hahaha, good! Let’s aim to become Pirate Kings then!"

"..."

The two chatted on and off.

Outside the window, large snowflakes fell gently, and the sound of water crisply splashing could be heard by their ears.

Soaking in the hot spring and catching up was blissfully soothing.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly pleasant.

As they chatted, Qian Tiao suddenly stretched and sighed, "Ah, it’s been a long time since I had a good soak... how relaxing..."

But with that movement, there suddenly was an unexpected exposure.

Perhaps because of the soaking, the tied bath towel had loosened.

Qian Tiao tried to wrap it around again but found the damp towel was not easy to tie, and it was also uncomfortable sticking to her skin. Instead, once loosened, the slightly chest-constraining heat of the soak was gone, leaving a refreshingly cool feeling.

Perhaps because there were no outsiders, she simply pulled the towel away and tossed it aside the pool.

She lay there completely bare, seeming relieved, as she let out a long, comfortable sigh, "Whew..."

Su Lun, hearing the splash, thought something had happened and inadvertently opened his eyes for a peek.

With that look, the stunningly beautiful body was unabashedly revealed. The pool water was clear, with mist swirling around, creating a beautifully hazy and vaguely alluring scene.

Though Qian Tiao usually seemed carefree and lacked any feminine delicacy,

her figure was impeccable.

Her breasts, standing proud, were among the finest Su Lun had ever seen, surpassed only slightly by Sabrina’s magnificent dimensions.

Now, as she soaked in the water, she was partially floating. Warm water continuously flowed in from the copper pipes, causing ripples in the pool. Her majestic peaks rippled as well.

Although the two had shared many hot spring baths before, they always wore bathing robes. Even when the robes became wet and semi-transparent, there was still a layer of covering. They had never been completely naked like this before.

Su Lun couldn’t help but take another look, feeling increasingly unable to avert his gaze.

From the shoulders, the beautiful clavicle glided into view, partially obscured by the proud view. His gaze continued downward to the delicate and clearly defined lines of abdominal muscles resembling a swordsman’s strong physique.

He had seen, so he watched openly.

There was no other emotion in his gaze, only appreciation and admiration.

This subtle anomaly naturally did not escape Qian Tiao’s perception.

Had it been any other woman, being stared at this straightforwardly would have probably made her shyly cover up.

Qian Tiao, however, was unfazed.

She too could discern the purely appreciative emotion.

But perhaps Su Lun had stared a bit too long. The eyes-closed, bath-loving lady finally spoke up, "Hey, hey, hey... Su Lun, though I don’t mind, you shouldn’t keep staring."

"Hehe..."

Su Lun, not the least bit offended, chuckled lightly and openly praised, "Qian Tiao, you really have a great figure."

"..."

Hearing this, Qian Tiao casually rolled her eyes at him.

But without any real objection, she sighed softly and said, "What’s there to look at? It’s not like you haven’t seen it before."

Su Lun grinned brightly.