Chapter 782: Puppet

Soon, a large gate ahead opened automatically, and Jiang Luofu led Zu'an inside.

"By the way, I should warn you in advance: Fourth Senior Brother has a peculiar temper. Even if I ask him, I might not be able to get an alchemy furnace from him," Jiang Luofu transmitted her voice to Zu'an using vital energy, seemingly worried Shenxuzi might overhear. "If he doesn't give you one, I'll find one for you at the academy's logistics department. While it won't be as effective as something made by him, it should still be sufficient."

Zu'an chuckled, "You are truly thoughtful, Sister. Don't worry, I've always been quite lucky, and combined with your charm, I'm confident we won't leave empty-handed this time."

Jiang Luofu shot him a look. "Your words are as sweet as honey; no wonder you have so many girls around you. But don't try that routine on me."

Zu'an let out an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject, pointing at the giant puppet behind them. "Did your senior brother create that?"

"Yes, Fourth Senior Brother is indeed a genius; he can imbue inanimate objects with life," Jiang Luofu replied, her voice filled with admiration.

"How does it move? What's its energy source?" Zu'an inquired further.

"It probably runs on essence stones," Jiang Luofu said with a slight hesitation. "However, I'm not entirely sure about the details. You can ask Fourth Senior Brother about it later."

Zu'an couldn't help but remark, "If it runs on essence stones, it must be incredibly expensive to operate."

"Of course," Jiang Luofu replied, her expression odd. "Fourth Senior Brother has always been rather... frugal."

"Haha, Eighth Junior Sister is just trying to save face by saying that. I'm not merely frugal; I'm practically dirt poor." A long sigh echoed from the distance, followed by the sound of wheels rolling over the ground.

Zu'an looked curiously in the direction of the sound, only to see a... wheelchair slowly emerge from the woods.

A thin, small man was seated in the wheelchair. Describing him as an "old man" wasn't quite accurate; his white hair and unkempt appearance simply made him look much older than he was.

Zu'an was secretly astonished. The man was so frail and small, his hunched figure might have led one to mistake him for a monkey at first glance. It was genuinely hard to believe that the colossal contraption outside was his creation.

His gaze instinctively fell upon the man's legs. Despite being covered by trousers, he could vaguely tell that they were significantly more atrophied than a normal person's.

At that moment, Jiang Luofu secretly transmitted her voice with vital energy: "Don't keep staring at Fourth Senior Brother's legs. He dislikes it greatly when people look at them with curiosity or pity."

Zu'an's heart tightened, and he quickly averted his gaze. It wasn't out of fear of angering the man, but rather from a sense of basic courtesy. "What happened to his legs?"

Jiang Luofu secretly replied, "Fourth Senior Brother was born with disabled legs, which is why he dedicated himself to alchemy to compensate for his physical limitations. He has clearly succeeded. Don't underestimate him or think he's immobile just because he's in a wheelchair. When he's in this wheelchair, he's far more agile than most cultivators. In a way, this wheelchair is his magic artifact — no, it has become a part of his body."

Zu'an listened, his admiration growing. This was truly a classic example of defying fate and altering one's destiny.

The thin, small man chuckled, "What are you two whispering about over there? You're probably talking bad about me."

Jiang Luofu said, "Fourth Senior Brother, you've misunderstood. I was merely introducing him to your great achievements."

Zu'an also seized the opportunity, saying, "Just now, seeing that machine... that puppet outside, it was truly astonishing. I have immense admiration for you, Senior."

The thin, small man was, of course, Shenxuzi, Jiang Luofu's Fourth Senior Brother. Upon hearing this, he lifted his chin and stroked his beard with a hint of pride. "They're just insignificant little gadgets."

Despite his words, the complacency in his eyes was unmistakable.

Zu'an asked curiously, "I wonder what energy source those puppets are actually powered by?"

Shenxuzi, who took immense pride in his creations, naturally answered with delight upon being asked. "Of course, they're powered by essence stones. I spent decades researching and developing a device capable of stably and smoothly extracting energy from them..."

Zu'an then inquired, "How long can a single ordinary essence stone power that puppet outside?"

Shenxuzi shook his head. "One ordinary essence stone isn't nearly enough. It requires at least eighty-one Earth-grade essence stones, and they must be replaced after every battle. Of course, for routine guarding, they don't need to be replaced as frequently. Let me tell you, to unify the energy of eighty-one Earth-grade essence stones, I spent..."

To Shenxuzi's surprise, Zu'an sighed, "What a pity."

This was Shenxuzi's proudest creation, and he had been expecting a compliment. Instead, Zu'an's remark infuriated him. "What did you say, you brat!"

Jiang Luofu was startled as well and discreetly tugged at Zu'an's sleeve, signaling him not to provoke further.

Zu'an gave her a reassuring look before cupping his hands toward Shenxuzi. "Fourth Senior Brother, please don't misunderstand. I am not questioning your achievements; on the contrary, I admire them greatly."

Jiang Luofu's expression beside him turned peculiar. How had this fellow started calling him "Fourth Senior Brother"? It almost felt as if he was taking advantage of her.

Shenxuzi's expression softened slightly. "Then what did you mean by that remark?"

Zu'an explained, "I simply feel that using essence stones as an energy source, especially such a large quantity of Earth-grade essence stones, means it's only affordable for the very powerful and wealthy—not just any affluent individuals. Ultimately, it won't improve the lives of ordinary people."

"This kind of thing was never intended for ordinary people," Shenxuzi said, unable to hide a pained expression. Forget common folk; even he found it somewhat unaffordable, with a single battle costing eighty-one Earth-grade essence stones.

Alchemists were widely known to be a wealthy profession, yet these very puppets had kept him virtually penniless for years.

He cleared his throat and continued, "I've been diligently working to improve energy utilization efficiency, hoping that one day it will only require sixty-four stones to operate."

Zu'an couldn't help but interject, "Energy utilization efficiency is inherently difficult to improve, and even sixty-four Earth-grade essence stones would still be unaffordable for most people."

"You brat, are you here just to provoke me?" Shenxuzi's eyes almost bulged out as he glared resentfully at Zu'an.

Zu'an smiled wryly, "It's mainly because I just met Seventh Senior Brother. He has always made improving people's livelihoods his personal mission, and I was deeply impressed by his dedication. So, I instinctively started wondering if this technology could be applied to benefit ordinary people. If Fourth Senior Brother could develop an energy source accessible to everyone, it would undoubtedly bring you eternal renown."

The man had changed his name to Shenxuzi precisely because he wanted to secure a place in the history of alchemy, so Zu'an deliberately played to his aspirations.

As expected, a flicker of excitement crossed Shenxuzi's face, and his breathing quickened, seemingly captivated by the prospect. However, he quickly slumped, saying, "No chance. These things were never designed for common folk."

"That might not be the case," Zu'an replied. "Essence stones are indeed too expensive for ordinary people, but what about other energy sources?"

"What other energy sources are there?" Shenxuzi snorted. "Over the years, I've tried virtually every usable option, and only essence stones have proven to be the most stable and provide the most energy."

Zu'an then asked, "Have you considered things like coal or 'black oil'?"

"Coal? 'Black oil'?" Shenxuzi, who had expected some profound insight, looked utterly disappointed. "Those materials are only good for burning for heat; the energy they provide is far too minuscule."

At this point, he had lost all interest. "Go on, go on. I have research to do. I don't have time to deal with idlers."

Jiang Luofu immediately grew anxious. She had thought there was a good chance of securing an alchemy furnace from Fourth Senior Brother if she had simply asked. However, Zu'an's insistence on arguing had clearly annoyed him.

This fellow was still too arrogant. Just because he'd managed to impress Yin Shi and Hei Baizi, among others, did he think he was truly omnipotent? He seemed unaware that every one of her senior brothers was a top figure in their respective fields.

Still, a little setback might do him good. It's not healthy for young people to have everything go too smoothly. She would take the opportunity to speak with him later.

Just then, Zu'an spoke again. "Fourth Senior Brother, have you considered the steam engine?"