Manu chuckled and nodded. "Interesting. Let's get started. Time waits for no one, and Saints are incredibly fast. If they return suddenly and our plan collapses, it would be a great loss."
"Agreed." Rhett made a gesture, activating the device and linking his mind to the imprint left by Heisenberg on the pigeon whistle, as if "pinging" him.
There was no static or interference, and almost immediately, Heisenberg's irritated voice came through the whistle:
"Dagula? Have you lost your mind? Didn't I already tell you not to contact me through the pigeon whistle unless it's necessary? You should know that no matter who initiates contact, the energy consumption is the same for both sides! Are you still in the military camp? Wait... you're not? Where the hell are you? If it's something important, come to the Alchemy Workshop! I don't have many high-grade wind crystals left, and I don't have time to waste..."
His words were full of impatience, and Rhett could tell that Heisenberg was about to hang up. He quickly intervened:
"Don't hang up just yet! I have something important to discuss."
"What is it? You have five seconds!" Heisenberg replied dismissively.
"I went back to the site of that ancient ruin and seem to have recalled some memories. If I rush back now, I might lose these valuable insights..."
"Oh, damn it! Why didn't you say so earlier? Wind crystals are the least of my worries! So, what exactly did you recall? Quickly, tell me!" Heisenberg's voice suddenly turned eager, a hint of hope shining through.
Rhett rolled his eyes and exchanged a glance with Manu, who held up a sign with the next part of their plan. Rhett continued:
"I remembered... the alchemical patterns I told you about earlier require specific alchemical materials to function properly. Simply drawing the patterns won't achieve the desired effects; in fact, it could lead to the opposite results."
The whistle transmitted a brief sound of writing, followed by Heisenberg's excited response:
"That's exactly what I've been pondering these past few days! It seems you really have recalled something useful. Where are you now? I'll come to you immediately!"
Rhett cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary. My current state is quite delicate. If I'm disturbed, I might lose these memories before I can recall more."
"Fine... then tell me, what materials would suit these patterns?" Heisenberg's voice was laced with both frustration and urgency.
"Well, with my limited alchemical expertise, I can't pinpoint exactly which materials are required. But I'm certain the material isn't naturally occurring—it seems to be a synthesized, man-made substance," Rhett said, reading from the notes Manu provided.
"Synthesized material?" Heisenberg murmured, his voice filled with curiosity. "I see... By the way, if you can recall any clearer alchemical patterns, try to replicate them on-site and bring them to me. I'll reward you generously."
Rhett glanced at Manu again, who had written more instructions on the board. Clearing his throat, Rhett added, "Ahem, actually, I do recall more details. I can even roughly reconstruct the device it was used on, not just the flat patterns."
"That's incredible!" Heisenberg shouted in excitement. "But... what's the catch?"
"I have some alchemy-related questions I'd like to ask you," Rhett replied calmly.
"Are you studying alchemy now? Haha, well, you've come to the right person! But you should know that alchemy is vast and complex. It can't be taught in a short amount of time. You're welcome to come to my lab and observe," Heisenberg offered, clearly still fixated on the alchemical patterns.
A lazy yawn was Rhett's only response.
Sighing in defeat, Heisenberg finally relented. "Fine, ask whatever you need. Consider it a fair exchange, though you're not my student."
Rhett cleared his throat. "Alright, then. I'll get straight to the point."
"Hurry up!"
"I want to know the process and materials required to make the pigeon whistle, including the alchemical patterns used," Rhett said plainly.
"…"
There was an unusual pause on the other end, followed by Heisenberg's voice, now dark and tense:
"Dagula, I already told you that the pigeon whistle is one of my greatest alchemical achievements. You should remember that! Why are you asking about this now?"
Rhett glanced at Manu, who gave him a calm, reassuring look. Rhett responded confidently:
"Since we agreed on fair exchange, I think it's reasonable to uphold that principle. I also forgot to mention another important aspect of the alchemical pattern I discovered—it seems to be tied to healing, possibly even capable of reviving the dead."
"Of course, I can't be entirely sure, but I've managed to almost fully replicate the pattern on a reconstructed device. Such a groundbreaking alchemical discovery—don't you think it's worth something?"
Another silence followed, but Rhett could hear Heisenberg's heavy breathing through the whistle. After a few seconds, Heisenberg's voice rang out, full of excitement:
"Healing powers? Did you say healing powers?!"
Heisenberg seemed convinced by Rhett's explanation and responded with a newfound determination: "If you bring that device back to me so I can verify it, I will personally teach you how to make the pigeon whistle, no problem!"
Although Heisenberg was eccentric, his passion for alchemy was undeniable. It was just that his peculiar ways made people overlook his dedication to the craft.
Clearly, Heisenberg was ready to go all in—no matter the cost—to secure what he believed to be an era-defining alchemical breakthrough.
Rhett took out a high-grade wind crystal, preparing to replace the one powering the pigeon whistle. As the energy began to run low, he smoothly continued the conversation, not wanting it to be interrupted:
"Don't worry, I'll definitely bring the device to you. But right now, you're the only Saint in the camp, and my safety isn't guaranteed. So, for the sake of fairness, why don't you first explain the pigeon whistle's construction process to me?"
"Absolutely not! What if you just run off afterward?" Heisenberg shot back sharply.
"Hmph. Where would I run? If I fled, I'd be branded a traitor, hunted for the rest of my life. That's clearly not a realistic option. Besides, once the turmoil in the Far North settles and the Saints return, I'll come back to the camp." Rhett calmly laid out his argument.
"And what if I come looking for you? The pigeon whistle's range is only ten thousand miles at most. I could track you down easily," Heisenberg countered.
"You'd never see the great alchemical discovery again, and you'd be hunted by the kingdom yourself!" Rhett fired back.
There was a long pause.
After about half a minute, Heisenberg suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha! What are you talking about? I was just joking! You took it seriously? Someone like you could never possess the soul of a great alchemist!"
Rhett said nothing, simply waiting, and soon Heisenberg continued:
"Fine, listen carefully. Here's how you make the pigeon whistle: You need the heart of a wind-element Saint-level magical beast, at least of high-level lifeform quality. Its bones must be refined into essence. To create the highest-grade pigeon whistle, you'll need materials from a specific wind-element Saint-level beast—the Riftwind Sky Beast. You'll also need purified wind-element crystals and elemental minerals like No-Wind Ore and Flowing Water Ore..."
Heisenberg's detailed explanation lasted five full minutes, and that was only because he was speaking rapidly, without any pauses.
Thankfully, both Rhett and Manu had excellent memories, and they committed everything to memory after hearing it just once.
For added security, Manu carefully wrote everything down in his large notebook.
The whistle then transmitted the sound of Heisenberg gulping down water, followed by his sharp voice: "So, Dagula, I've held up my end of the deal. When will you fulfill your promise?"
Beep!
The pigeon whistle suddenly cut off.
Standing in his Alchemy Workshop, Heisenberg's eyes widened in disbelief.
Then, his expression twisted with rage as he slammed his hand on the table, shouting, "That bastard Dagula, how dare he trick me!"
Ming, who was quietly working in the room, flinched as everything seemed to tremble. His curiosity was piqued—what had the great ruler done to make Heisenberg so furious?
A few seconds later, just as Heisenberg was about to storm out and track down Rhett, the pigeon whistle vibrated again.
Heisenberg paused, then answered the call. Rhett's voice came through once more: "Sorry about that, the pigeon whistle ran out of power... Oh no, I mean, it ran out of energy. I forgot to replace the crystal in time. By the way, the energy consumption on this thing really is outrageous! Even if someone managed to get their hands on it, they'd need a ton of resources just to use it."
In the wilderness, Rhett glanced at the pile of fine blue powder on the ground, which had once been a wind-element crystal. For some reason, after being drained by the pigeon whistle, the crystal had turned to dust.
Normally, when a crystal's energy was depleted, its color and hardness would change, but it wouldn't disintegrate.
Letting out a sigh, Rhett realized that he had already gone through seven wind crystals in this conversation. If it weren't for his position as a deputy commander, he wouldn't have the resources to burn like this.
Through the whistle, Heisenberg's scoff came in response: "If you can't afford to use it, you can always return it. I'm starting to regret giving it to you in the first place…"
Rhett chuckled. "No, you won't regret it! Don't worry, I won't let you down. In fact, I've come across some interesting alchemical knowledge recently…"
"Pfft! What could possibly compare to the alchemical pattern you mentioned earlier? Just come back already. I'll be waiting for you at the Ice River Line. That's it, my crystals are running low…" Heisenberg replied, clearly uninterested in anything other than the alchemical pattern.
"Is that so? What a shame. I was planning on gifting you some high-quality potion recipes, completely different from the current alchemical formulas. I thought it would make up for all the trouble you've gone through for me. But if you're not interested, I guess I'll just keep them to myself…" Rhett sighed dramatically, as if about to hang up.
"Wait!!! I'll have Ming go fetch some more crystals!"
The sudden sharpness in Heisenberg's voice nearly pierced Rhett's eardrums. Grimacing, Rhett fought the urge to snap at him.
A moment later, Heisenberg's voice returned, filled with urgency.
Back in the Alchemy Workshop, Ming turned around in confusion, casting a questioning look at Heisenberg as if to ask, "Do you need me to go now?"
But Heisenberg quickly gestured for silence, pulling out a pouch from his spatial ring and shaking it. Dozens of high-grade wind-element crystals tumbled out.
Ming, surprised by the sight, turned back around, muttering to himself, "Stubborn old man…"
"Ahem, I found some more wind crystals," Heisenberg said, his voice slightly flustered. "So, let's continue. You were talking about potion recipes…?"
Rhett smirked, choosing not to expose Heisenberg's lie. Instead, he began recalling everything he had learned about alchemical potions from this era.
Compared to the future, alchemical potions of the present had their own strengths and weaknesses. Some formulas from this era had survived into the future, but many had evolved drastically over time.
In terms of efficiency, however, Rhett found that the potions from the future were generally superior—requiring fewer materials and having a higher success rate.
"Alright, listen carefully. The potions I'll be sharing with you are the Nirvana Elixir, the Luminous Elixir, and the Hemotoxin Elixir…"
Rhett listed the names of the potions and proceeded to explain their ingredients and crafting methods in detail. Heisenberg quickly hung up the whistle afterward, eager to test the new formulas himself. Once he had done so, he reconnected to the whistle, his voice full of amazement:
"Unbelievable! These healing potions—such an innovative process! It's completely different from current methods, and the results are even better! Even those toxins… although they're not high-tier, they're still quite impressive. And that Battle Qi potion—it even slightly improves cultivation speed…"
Rhett could hear the excitement in Heisenberg's voice and asked with a grin, "So, what do you think of my gift? Does it make up for your troubles?"