Chapter 91：Mixing up

The next day.

Dudian came to the tailor shop to receive robe and mask. He put on the clothes and it just fit him. Afterwards he went to the street alley where the hidden chamber was. Suddenly he smelled two people inside, one less person than yesterday.

"Sure enough, there is someone here every day." Dudian secretly thought. As he got into the alley he wore the mask and went towards the wall which was covering the entrance. His hand touched the fabric that was covering the wall. If ordinary people accidentally were aware of the fabric and tore it off they would still see a wall. But Dudian knew that it was entrance to the chamber as a glance was enough for him to see the gaps between the bricks.

Dudian picked up a stone and knocked it lightly.

There was no response.

Dudian once again gently tapped twice.

At this time, Dudian felt that the two people came closer to wall because of their smells. He waited for a moment but didn't see that they were going to open the door. He knocked twice and said in a controlled low tone: "I'm your companion. I come with no malice as I'm also an alchemist seeking an organization..."

It seemed that the people inside were considering as there was no response.

Suddenly, Dudian sensed a weird smell. His brows wrinkled as a piece of brick was pulled out.

Whoosh!

As the brick was taken out something was shot from the gap.

Dudian had long been prepared so he escaped in time. But when it fell on the ground, he sputtered out and a few drops fell on his robe. The black robe was corroded to some color. "Sulfiric acid", he murmured.

Dudian glanced back to the bricks and continued: "I really do not plan to do anything malicious. If I was I would have gone to Holy Church and informed them. A Knight of Light would be here to arrest you instead of me."

Two inside didn't think that their attack's were not effective. As they heard Dudian's words, both of them knew that initiative were in Dudian's hands. If he had informed the Holy Church, then they would have been encircled.

"How do I believe you?" A female's voice echoed out.

"How do you believe in me?" Asked Dudian.

They were silent for some time before the female's voice echoed out: "Please show your tattoo."

Dudian smiled: "Then you must let me in. It's too unsafe in here and after sometime I'll attract attention."

They heard Dudian's talk and felt that all that he said was reasonable. The wall was suddenly opened. Inside was dimly lighted but it didn't have the slightest impact on Dudian's vision. Two people wearing masks and robes were standing inside. From their body sizes, Dudian understood that they are teenagers. A man and a woman. He was attacked by the body. At the moment the girl was responsible for opening the door to the secret chamber while the boy was hidden in the darkness clutching a glass bottle. It was half-full with the sulfiric acid.

"Come in," said the girl.

Dudian nodded and jumped in.

There were a pair of vigilant eyes behind the boy's mask. He was staring at Dudian without blinking: "Now, you can show us your tattoo."

Dudian nodded slightly, lifted the black robe and exposed his chest where the black cross tattoo wass: "see it?

The girl leaned over and looked, said: "He is really one of us. Come with me."

The boy sighed in relief while Dudian followed behind the girl.

Dudian followed them down the staircase to a secret room underneath the building where a spacious chamber existed. There were shelves of various mineral powders, metal powders, animal wrecks, eyeballs and other biological parts. As he had expected, they belonged to "Philosopher's stone" faction whose main goal was refining out the 'sage's stone.'

Dudian complied.

"I'll see your tattoos again," said the girl. Evidently at the dim light of the previous corridor, she has not clearly seen his tattoos.

Dudian nodded, revealing the black cross on his chest.

The girl and the boy leaned over, looked closely and confirmed the black tattoo. She suddenly leaned towards Dudian's chest, gently sniffed and exhaled warm breath. Dudian's chest slightly throbbed.

"The perfume smell?" The girl was in doubt. She could not help but looked up at Dudian and asked: "You are a boy why do you use perfume?"

Dudian dryly coughed: "Used to it."

The girl looked at him bizarrely but did not say anything: "How did you find us? Our place is hidden very well and only by signals we have agreed before we use to go in and out. Even if you are an alchemist, you shouldn't be able to recognize."

"I saw a man in the fair with his wrist showing a torn tattoo and then tracked him over to find this place." said Dudian.

The girl and the boy looked at each other while they said: "This stupid 'mouse'. I had told him that his tattoos are too conspicuous on the wrist. Even the teacher told him! That idiot!"

At the moment, there was a boy who was accompanying his parents alone the street. He suddenly sneezed.

Dudian spoke in a sincere tone: "Can I join you guys? We can research together."

The girl looked at him and said "Don't you have your own circle? Don't you have a teacher to show you the path? Our circle rarely accepts other unfamiliar companions."

"My teacher is dead." Dudian looked sad, "A few other companions who were doing the research together are all gone."

Girl froze for a moment, whispered: "I 'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

Dudian shook his head slightly: "are gone."

The girl thought: "Well, if you are alone I can let you join but you definitely can't bring outsiders with you. Not allowed! You know, the more people here, much easier it will be to be exposed."

Dudian was surprised and even said: "Of course we have to be confidential."

"Ah." The girl nodded, there was a touch of smile on her face as she said: "My name is 'Nightingale', he is called 'snake'. The idiot who is accompanying his parents today is called 'mouse'. You have joined us so what's you code? "

Dudian could not help but wonder: "Isn't code granted when we are officially recognized by the dark church?"

"Yeah, that is the official code, but also our alchemist status symbol." Nightingale nodded: "But we also use nickname to call each other. We can't use our real names in here. In case one of us is arrest, is there a guarantee that the others won't be exposed? Did they use real names in your previous circle?"

"No," replied Dudian. "All of them are replaced by different names."

"That's the codename," said the Nightingale. "We're using an animal instead, you think about it."

Dudian thought a little and then said: "Dog... You guys should call me that. "

"Dog?" Nightingale nodded: "OK, afterwards we will call you dog."

Dudian nodded and looked around: "You do not have a teacher?"

Nightingale shook his head: " My teacher rarely comes to this place as he is busy with his own experiments."

The boy called the 'snake' smiled to Dudian: "The Nightingale is our teacher. Moreover she is about to hit to become an official alchemist. When she is officialy accepted, she will become one of the youngest and powerfull alchemist's, right?"

Dudian surprised to see this girl as the leader of this small circle.: "That's awesome. I hope I can a lot from her."

The voice of the Nightingale was somewhat shy as she spoke. "He is exaggerating it a lot. There are so many wise men so I'm not the youngest."

"Anyway, I think you are very powerful." Snake spoke in sincere tone.

Dudian looked at him, thinking that this person's character with the 'snake' didn't have the slightest relationship. This nickname didn't suit him at all.

"Well, you have to get the alchemist's badge too. So busy yourself." Nightingale waved at him.

Snake laughed as he went to the next room and shut the door.

Nightingale said: "Our capacity is limited in here. There is a grocery room out there which is not used. Clean it and you may use it. If there is anything that you don't understand then you can always ask me."