All Heavens and Worlds Starting from the Night Watchman

Chapter 005: Mastering Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry to Conquer the World

Chu Caiwei paid no heed. She wasn’t sure if these two were martial arts prodigies, but the fact that they understood alchemy meant they were anything but ordinary.

Or perhaps they had worked together before—otherwise, how could they be so familiar with each other? Without overthinking it, she turned and left.

Xu Qian’s life was no longer in danger. The clues had emerged, and following the trail would soon uncover the whole truth.

Barring any unexpected events, Xu Qian’s safety was assured!

The only problem was that Lin Qiye still had to return to that damp and dark prison cell, waiting for someone to rescue him.

It was unlikely the matter would be resolved immediately—it would take time.

“Gentlemen, I’ll be pardoned soon. Once I’m out, drinks are on me.”

“Alright, we’ll wait.”

But the constables didn’t care about their conversation. To them, Xu Qian was still a prisoner, and unless they received orders from above, he had to remain shackled.

Lin Qiye turned to Xu Qian and said, “Congratulations! You’re about to be released, while I still have to go back to that dark prison.”

Thinking about it made him feel melancholic, but Xu Qian quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry! You were only covering for someone else—you’re not guilty of anything.”

“I think we’ll both be released at the same time.”

Lin Qiye shook his head. “Forget it! Your case is already resolved, but mine…”

“Enough talking! Both of you, back to your cells!”

The constables moved forward with chains, ready to escort them back.

Just then, Chu Caiwei approached, prompting the constables to step aside.

She held two pieces of sugarcane, handed them to Lin Qiye and Xu Qian, and curiously asked, “Why does salt turn into metallic sodium?”

Hearing this, the two men exchanged glances. Naturally, they couldn’t tell the whole truth—even if they did, she wouldn’t believe them.

So, they needed to keep their explanation simple and avoid unnecessary details. Xu Qian answered, “We once came across it in an ancient text.”

Lin Qiye nodded in agreement. “Yes, that book mentioned that salt is actually sodium chloride.”

“Under specific conditions, metallic sodium can be extracted from it.”

Xu Qian added, “Indeed. Only the two of us know about this secret text.”

Chu Caiwei’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she quickly asked, “Which alchemy text?”

Xu Qian and Lin Qiye spoke in unison: “High School Chemistry!”

“It’s published by the People’s Education Press, but unfortunately, we lost it.”

Hearing this, Chu Caiwei’s excitement instantly deflated. She hadn’t even had time to celebrate, and now they were saying it was lost?

Lin Qiye, aware of her keen interest in chemistry, quickly changed the topic. “The book may be gone, but we’ve memorized its contents by heart.”

“That’s right.”

Both of them knew Chu Caiwei wasn’t an ordinary person. If she was interested in their knowledge, she had to offer something equally valuable in return.

So, they sat down on the ground and feigned weakness.

“Ah, what a pity! We’re in grave danger right now, and we just can’t recall anything at the moment!”

Seeing their bargaining stance, Chu Caiwei realized they weren’t fools.

“You two certainly know how to negotiate, but what’s the point?”

Her words struck a chord. Indeed, they were at a disadvantage.

Lin Qiye suddenly had an idea and said, “Fair Lady, how about this—you take us in as your disciples, and from now on, we’ll follow your orders.”

“After all, neither of us are real criminals. One was implicated by association, and the other was simply a misunderstanding.”

Chu Caiwei looked at them with a slight frown. “You want to become sorcerers?”

“Sorcerers?”

The two men were puzzled. What did this have to do with chemistry?

However, since Chu Caiwei was from the Directorate of Celestial Surveillance, following her seemed like a good choice.

“Yes, our lifelong dream is to become sorcerers.”

“That’s right! We greatly admire experts like you.”

“Then tell me the alchemy secret.”

“Fair Lady, it’s not that we don’t want to tell you, but this knowledge isn’t something the average person can understand. It takes years to grasp.”

“Yes, we’re not lying. It truly takes years to master.”

“We’re both exceptionally smart, yet it still took us three years. Even if you’re a genius, it would take at least a year!”

Chu Caiwei scoffed, unwilling to admit defeat. “Ridiculous. Across the Nine Provinces, our Directorate’s sorcerers are the best in alchemy.”

Hearing this, Lin Qiye and Xu Qian responded in unison:

“Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, argon, potassium, calcium.”

Chu Caiwei’s mind went blank. What kind of incantation was that? She didn’t understand a word!

“You dare mock me?” Chu Caiwei’s gaze sharpened with displeasure.

Lin Qiye quickly explained, “Fair Lady, this is the secret alchemy chant.”

“If we were lying, how could we recite it in perfect unison? We may be poor, but we don’t deceive people.”

Chu Caiwei couldn’t be bothered with them anymore. She snatched the sugarcane from their hands, puffed her cheeks in frustration, and turned to leave.

She felt they were just spouting nonsense. What kind of chant was that?

Seeing her storm off, the two men quickly stood up and called after her:

“We’re telling the truth! You have to believe us!”

“Yes! We can explain it to you—everything in the world is made of matter. Even people and objects can be analyzed through alchemy…”

But Chu Caiwei didn’t even turn back. She waved her sleeve and left.

The constables stepped in, preventing the two from following.

Then, Chu Caiwei’s voice drifted over: “Our Directorate only accepts virgins.”

Xu Qian’s face fell. “How do you know I’m not?”

Lin Qiye hurriedly added, “I am absolutely a virgin!”

“Yeah, sure. Keep dreaming, you two.”

The two men spread their hands in exasperation. She said they only accepted virgins, but now that someone claimed to be one, she still refused!

“Gentlemen, at least let us breathe the fresh air outside! We’re not going to escape—we’re waiting for the officials to return.”

“Exactly!”

…

Meanwhile, Yang Yan and Chen Hanguang went to report to the emperor and began their investigation.

They soon discovered that a man named Zhou was the mastermind behind the case. He had committed murder and tried to pin the crime on Lin Qiye.

He thought that once Lin Qiye was executed, the matter would be settled. Little did he expect Lin Qiye to survive, exposing the corruption in the process!