Dragon Clan: I am Lu Mingfei, the Intelligence Strategist, the God of Concepts!

Chapter 243 The Spine Structure, Flamel's Past

Inside the church bell tower and attic.

"Wait, you're going to teach me how to do things!?"

The vice-principal's eyes bulged, he could hardly believe his ears, and he looked at Angers next to him in disbelief.

Angers shrugged, indicating that he couldn't help.

Lu Mingfei said with a forced smile, "I'm thinking about my assets. We've invested so much money in the academy. To be fair, it's okay to embezzle or be corrupt occasionally, or have a couple of beer sips, but things still need to be done properly."

"I've been visiting the academy's most important ice cellar area these past few days, and I'm very dissatisfied with its defenses... I heard you designed it?"

"..."

After holding it in for a long time, the vice principal finally managed to utter a single word: "Awesome!"

He put down the pizza, grabbed a tissue to wipe the grease off, and when he looked up again, his eyes were completely different.

"So it turns out they came here to challenge us!"

With a wave of his large, fan-like hand, the vice principal swept the clutter on the table in front of him to the ground, even the switch for the 'Discipline' was swept away.

Fortunately, this candle is an alchemical creation made from a mixture of mermaid oil and blood.

The small flame flickered and leaped on the ground for a long time without going out. Under Angers's watchful, twitching eyelids, the vice-principal scooped it up, blew the dust off the base, and stood the 'Ghost Blows Out the Lamp' upright against the wall in a corner.

The desktop space has been freed up.

"Since you also know alchemy, point out anything you're not satisfied with... Is it alright to draw it on scrap paper?"

The vice-principal, his beer belly protruding, glanced at Lu Mingfei. If he still didn't understand the kid's implication after hearing this, then he'd really wasted all these years.
"But if you're just making baseless accusations, don't blame me for being rude. Let's meet in the discussion forum!"

"hehe."

Lu Mingfei took a stack of A2 papers that had been under Playboy magazine and a tube of pencils from the old cowboy.

Normally, academic exchanges between alchemists were mostly conducted through parchment scrolls, and ancient alchemists sometimes also used tortoise shells.

After all, dragon script is a 'three-dimensional' script, and it is difficult for ordinary flat paper to convey its true meaning in a two-dimensional way. Moreover, the transmission of information from the brain to the pen will be reduced by at least half, and reading comprehension will be reduced by at least half again. If we want to save that pitiful information transmission efficiency, we must work hard on the materials.

However... Flamel is no ordinary person, and neither is Lu Mingfei.

Soon, Lu Mingfei spread out a large sheet of white paper on the table.

With a few light strokes, the core area of ​​the 'Mimi Forest' was sketched out.

"Hmm... it's not very good, but it captures the spirit of the character; it's barely acceptable..."

The vice principal leaned over and glanced at it, his gaze becoming slightly more serious:

"But it's not right to just say my design is bad without offering a better solution, is it?"

"No hurries?"

Lu Mingfei unceremoniously shoved the potato-head aside with his shoulder. "Let's get this straight first. When I saw this matrix in the ice cellar, I came up with some improvement ideas. At the time, I mainly had other places to visit, so I just compiled the questions and sent them to you all at once. But... my guidance fee is not low."

The vice principal said with dissatisfaction, "Stop talking nonsense. If you're here for my title of 'Mentor Flamel,' then you have to show me something real to convince me. Empty talk is useless."

Lu Mingfei shook his head and said, "You misunderstood. I'm not interested in your mentor title."

The vice principal paused for a moment, then revealed an expression of interest: "So what do you want?"

Lu Mingfei's smile gradually turned strange.
Under the inexplicably uneasy gaze of the vice principal, he finally spoke.

"If I win, I'll ask you three questions."

"Oh, I was wondering what it was." The vice principal let out a long sigh and patted his chest. "Why are you being so mysterious? I thought you were trying to steal my eggs."

Lu Mingfei: "..."

"Since it's a bet, it can't be that only one side bets."

However, the vice principal's eyes then lit up with a sly smile: "What if you're just making things up? What if you find what you think is a loophole, but it's actually a feature? My design is not something that ordinary people can see the whole picture of."

"What do you want to do?" Lu Mingfei asked in return.

"I want you to join my Flamel lineage!" The vice principal's ambition was finally revealed at this moment.

“…If you swear in the name of Midnight Sweetheart that you can be objective, fair, and not stubborn, I have no problem with you,” Lu Mingfei said.

"Deal!" the vice principal exclaimed with delight.

This was something he had been planning for a long time, ever since he received that call from Aiton Gottingen. He never expected that Lu Mingfei would come knocking on his door. Midnight Sweetheart was just a collection of online pictures and voice changers, what credibility did she have? As for his other disciple, Fingel... we'll see!

"Then how about I be the referee?"

Angers expressed great interest in the bet between the two, and he also wanted to know the level of alchemy that Lu Mingfei, who could cure old Aiton, possessed, and how it compared to the old cowboy.

Unfortunately, this proposal was rejected by both sides.

Lu Mingfei said more tactfully, "Excuse me for speaking frankly, Principal Angers, I'm afraid your level of education is insufficient to understand the Heavenly Rank Techniques."

"Go away, go away...you don't know anything." The vice principal was even more direct.

……

The agreement has been reached.

Lu Mingfei picked up a pencil and started making corrections on the paper.

The vice principal had already put down his pizza, his eyes glued to Lu Mingfei as he scribbled on the alchemy matrix sketch.
Angers, on the other hand, looked completely bewildered.

In his field of vision, abstract and bizarre flowers bloomed on four sheets of white paper the size of A4 sheets.

As the two experts have stated, alchemy is far too obscure.

Strictly speaking, Angers meets the threshold in terms of 'original spiritual power', but spiritual power is only the first threshold in the field of alchemy. The more crucial thing is the accumulation of knowledge.

Even a genius like Charlotte, hailed as a once-in-a-century talent by a thousand-year-old alchemy family, had to spend all her time in the family library, devouring those dry classics and notes. Otherwise, talent without effort to realize its potential would ultimately be nothing but empty talk.

This is also a drawback of the human knowledge transmission model. The efficiency of learning after birth is ultimately not as good as the bloodline inheritance of pure-blooded dragons based on DNA. Generation after generation, they ascend along the spiral staircase and eventually reach the top of the Tower of Babel.

As a dragon-slaying elite of the same era, the vice principal was once a hero whose arms could run horses. In addition to a series of bar nicknames such as "Mooncatcher", he also had a well-known name in the hybrid world: "Bloodhound". Back then, the old cowboy could traverse the entire American West single-handedly, just to hunt down a seriously injured dragon. In the end, the dragon had nowhere to go and drank an entire bottle of mercury to kill itself. In the dragon's eyes, death was not as terrible as the vice principal.

In the end, Angers and the vice-principal embarked on completely different paths. The two paths of alchemy and combat created a gentlemanly old rogue and a fat otaku who eats five meals a day in the clock tower, three of which include beer and fried chicken.

To some extent, the latter's body shape changes are unavoidable.

There was no way around it; after all, he was the man who inherited the name Flamel.

Alchemy is a kind of research work that requires sitting for an entire day, which is devastating to one's mind and body. Food is not only a pleasure, but also a life-saving antidepressant... Of course, the same goes for sexy magazines.

"To be honest, I don't see any improvement in your work, and it's even affected the stability a bit."

The vice-principal watched as the increasingly abundant flowers on the paper gradually formed a giant tree, and snorted smugly, saying:
"Little brother, I know you're an S-class genius, but I was known for my monstrous talent back in the day. With all these years of accumulated knowledge, if it were so easy to improve, would it be your turn... hmm?"

Lu Mingfei paused, glanced at the vice principal, and said again:
"No hurries?"

He began by drawing a thick, large line upwards from the base of the 'tree'.

It was at this moment that the vice principal's expression changed. His expression gradually changed, from disdain to seriousness, then from seriousness to surprise, then from surprise to confusion, then from confusion to shock, and finally from shock to terror.

With the appearance of this line, the once familiar 'Mimi Forest' instantly became abstract, as if a towering World Tree had suddenly appeared across the forest dome, replacing the spine of the entire forest. The huge shadow of the tree covered everything in the sea of ​​trees, and it was like a giant sword hanging in the sky. Its invisible majesty spread out, bringing stability to all instability, and the boiling fairy spring calmed down in an instant.

"This is……"

The moment the finishing touch appeared, the vice principal's breath caught in his throat, and a familiar Old French phrase suddenly popped into his mind.

'Espine de l'Espée' (spine structure).

Bending over to scribble on the table, Lu Mingfei finally put down his pen and lightly flicked the white paper. With the appearance of that thick line, the entire alchemical matrix diagram on the table had been completely altered beyond recognition.

“Vice Principal, would you like to take another look now?” Lu Mingfei asked, turning his head.

no response.

"How is it? Vice Principal?"

Still no response.

"Professor Flamel?" "Are you still there? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Angers was completely bewildered. He couldn't understand the meaning of the snake-like lines on the paper, or the symbolism of the pattern formed by overlapping large and small circles. He also didn't understand what the 'spine structure'—a profound T0-level knowledge of Flammel's lineage—meant to the vice-principal at this moment.

I just felt that my old friend's silence was a bit unusual.

Normally speaking, given the vice principal's personality and way of doing things, no matter how great Lu Mingfei's achievements are, he would definitely grit his teeth and refuse to admit it. Having known his old friend for almost a hundred years, Angers was too familiar with his vice principal's operations, and he could see through the old cowboy's plan from the very beginning.

And this was exactly what Angers had hoped for... The saying "don't bite off more than you can chew" applies to mediocre people, but for geniuses, it's simply a matter of the more the merrier. The two gave each other face, and the Flamel school of alchemy gained another member, making everyone happy.

"Hey, you're not really going to renege on your promise, are you?"

Lu Mingfei's smile was somewhat eerie, and he swayed forward slightly.

At that moment, the vice principal's bulky figure shrank back, and his leather jacket bulged out unnaturally.

These are taut muscles.

It's hard to imagine that after eating fried chicken and pizza for decades, this guy is still a fat-covered muscle. The muscles under the thick fat are mobilized at this moment, forcibly making his clothes bulge out like an inflating balloon. The old guy's eyes are fierce, and every pore on his body seems to be exuding a dangerous aura. It makes people think of an enraged brown bear that visually increases its size by puffing up its fur, making enemies afraid to approach!
Angers was stunned.

For a fleeting moment, he thought the vice-principal was about to suddenly attack and kill him. What does that mean? Has the rogue turned into a practical fighter?

Even a fat cowboy can still run people over?
But why?
Yes, brown bears will indeed stand on their backs and bristle when provoked into a fighting state, but only if the opponent is an enemy or a predator of similar size, such as a tiger or a pack of wolves, which are wild animals that can pose a life-threatening threat to them. It is also a manifestation of extreme tension.

In other words, the old friend felt a strong threat, and the threat came from... Lu Mingfei tampering with his alchemy matrix design?
What's the point?
Angers glanced at the sofa opposite him again.

In contrast, Lu Mingfei remained remarkably calm, sitting there with an air of complete relaxation. The vice-principal remained silent for a long time, his golden eyes widening as if they could illuminate the room, before finally speaking in a hoarse voice, "You...you?"

Lu Mingfei nodded and shook his head, remaining calmly seated in place.

The vice principal let out a deep breath and then fell silent again, while Lu Mingfei rested his chin on his hand and observed him.

"What's wrong?" Angers asked tentatively.

No one paid attention to his question.

"...Tsk."

Angers suddenly felt a pang of regret, regretting that he hadn't squeezed out some time from balls and parties to study alchemy before, otherwise he might have been able to figure out what kind of riddle these two were playing.

a long time,

Lu Mingfei said regretfully, "Fine, if you really want to renege, I have nothing to say. It seems I can only join your Flamel lineage."

As he spoke, he raised both hands high: "Master is here..."

"Wait, wait a minute!"

The vice principal's cheek muscles twitched, and he hesitated before asking, "Are you... sure?"

It was a bit vague, but Lu Mingfei understood what he meant.

"if not?"

Lu Mingfei stopped what he was doing and asked, "If it wasn't me, then could it be Principal Angers?"

"While browsing, revising, and thinking, the total time spent was probably less than two hours."

"...I didn't even ask you how long it took!" The vice principal retorted helplessly.

He glanced cautiously at the unmoving Angers, as if he had found a backer, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, withdrawing from that state of extreme vigilance.

Lu Mingfei's smile turned sinister again: "Oh, so what do you want to ask?"

"Damn it...can you stop laughing like that?"

The vice principal felt a chill run down his spine and, as agile as a dog, immediately shrank behind Angers.

They practically had "Save me" written all over their faces.

Angers finally couldn't help but ask, "What's going on with you guys? Lu Mingfei just drew an alchemical matrix, right? Is there a problem?"

Lu Mingfei's smile faded, and he already understood.

“Uh…” The vice principal opened his mouth.

He glanced at Lu Mingfei, then at Angers, his expression incredibly complex, and finally sighed.
"It's alright. Lu Mingfei... is very talented and a good candidate for alchemy. He has made excellent improvements, and I am completely convinced."

"Does that mean you admit Lu Mingfei won?" Angers stared in disbelief.

"...Isn't this obvious?"

The vice principal rubbed his hands awkwardly, "Awesome, he's awesome."

This time it was Angers' turn to be dumbfounded; things weren't quite like the script.

It's unbelievable that the top alchemist on both the EU and NA servers, the fourteenth Flamel mentor, was challenged in his own attic by a boy who had just come of age, and then had to admit defeat.
...The main issue is that admitting defeat is really unusual. Where's that same persistent, persistent energy he usually has when teaching girls to swim? He should bring that back!

But what Angers didn't know was...

The vice-principal was even more desperate than him at this moment. Seeing Lu Mingfei's appearance and the huge treasure he suddenly pulled out, he was filled with extreme surprise and uncertainty...

damn it.

The vice principal found it hard not to recall the serious reminder his teacher, the thirteenth Flamel, had given him when passing on his mantle.

……

Texas, 1910.

Leonardo DiCaprio, only 50 years old, is looking up at the thatched hut on the ceiling at a 180-degree angle, his eyes filled with melancholy.

If the heavens are jealous of his face, send a pure-blooded dragon to devour him; he'll accept the bet.

Instead of falling into the hands of an old woman and being hung upside down in a cowshed.

dong dong——

The sound of riding boots came from outside the wooden fence.

“I told you! I didn’t kill Annie! She was already dead when I went into the room!” Leonardo shouted.

"Put me down! Give me some more food!"

Having been hung upside down for so long, his blood was starting to flow backwards, his face was covered in black and purple patches, and his handsome cheeks looked like a lump of smoked beef. Coupled with hunger, he felt like he might be dead after shouting those words.

"There's still water! I want to drink water!"

As the riding boots faded into the distance, Leonardo shouted again with all his might.

The riding boots finally stopped.

A young, gruff voice came from the doorway: "Leon, it's no use talking to me. This matter needs to be discussed with Ms. Eva. She will be back tonight to give you the final decision."

Leonardo was on the verge of a breakdown: "What time is it tonight? Can you just tell me a few hours away? I'm really, really going to die!"

The coachman scratched his head and said, "Tonight... tonight. When it's dark, it's nighttime; when it's bright, it's daytime. Please hang in there a little longer."

Leonardo felt a bit desperate and couldn't help but close his eyes. This thing was completely stubborn, like a wooden doll, and impossible to communicate with. If he remembered correctly, the coachman outside said the same thing 30 hours ago.

He gave up, deciding to conserve his energy. When he heard no movement inside, the coachman also left.

After a while, Leonardo tried to shake his body. His limbs were completely bound with something resembling vines. If he wasn't mistaken, this thing was somewhat like the 'Chains of Heaven' from Mesopotamian mythology, a powerful alchemical item that has the concept of suppressing and binding creatures with dragon blood.

He knew he was in big trouble.

Eva Stevens, the town's temporary law enforcement officer, is of unknown age and nationality. She is said to be from New Mexico in the west, a very mysterious old woman.

Many people even believe that her surname is fake and simply call her Ms. Eva.

But Leonardo guessed it: her real surname was 'Flameme,' a very prestigious surname, but she didn't really like being called by that surname.

In 1910, the United States was in a phase of rapid industrialization and modernization, with large-scale population migration. The industrialization of cities in the Northeast and the Midwest led to a continuous westward shift of the population center to Washington, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

These days everyone is heading west, and Leonardo DiCaprio is following suit.

Merchants wanted to strike it rich, but were afraid of people and ghosts blocking their way, so they hired cowboys.

Leonardo DiCaprio didn't want to work for the traveling merchants, so he took on the most dangerous job: hunting down gangsters—the most vicious bandits who formed a gang that even cowboys feared—and exchanging their heads for bounties was a cool thing to do.

Their group is also called bounty hunters. Leonardo is one of the most famous bounty hunters. There is only one other guy with the same name, Fidelis von Henkel, who is known for his perfect aim.

Leonardo DiCaprio came from Illinois, and traveled through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. His next destination is New Mexico, Utah, and finally the City of Angels.

I've heard that California is always sunny, with sunshine stretching for thousands of miles, palm trees towering into the clouds, and the sky so blue it looks like it's been dyed, with white and lazy clouds.

Leonardo likes places like this; he likes sunshine.

So he always stayed at the forefront of the western gold rush, killing countless gangs. He used the bounty money to drink and date, starting a new romance every time he went to the next town.

Before leaving each morning, he never hesitated to give a hefty farewell fee, even if he might go hungry for the next two days. That didn't matter; sometimes, he would even encounter aristocratic ladies who would sponsor his cowboy business...

The reason he has been able to live a carefree life is quite simple: he is a hybrid with a decent bloodline and knows a little alchemy, so he can enchant bullets. Neither zombies nor demons can withstand a single shot from him.

Sometimes you'll encounter other hybrids, making the fighting style even simpler and more effective.

He releases 'Discipline'—his Word of Power—just as his opponent begins chanting, then Colt spews out a tongue of fire, striking the enemy who is still standing there, interrupted from his spellcasting.
One shot is enough to kill 99% of the hybrids with high attack and low defense; ordinary bullets will do. It's just a pity that he has never met Henkel, so he doesn't know whose gun is faster.

The remaining 1% of opponents are more difficult to deal with, such as Hilbert Jean Angers whom I met in Illinois, but it's not a big problem. Just like Leonardo's bloodline is not bad, as long as you lock the opponent's Word of Power, rush up and wrestle with them, you can basically crush the opponent with your bull-like physique.

Angers was a bookworm and couldn't beat this brave cowboy.

But Ms. Eva was different; she easily took him down. It wasn't because Ms. Eva had a physique that was different from that of a normal woman, but for some unknown reason, this old woman was able to break through his 'rules'!
Word of Power: Blaze, a Word of Power from the lineage of the King of Bronze and Fire, capable of generating intense flames over a large area.

He had seen several owners of 'Word of Power: Blaze' before; the flames rose up as if tens of tons of fuel were being ignited, intense and fierce.

But the old woman was different; her fire could be like chopsticks or a whip, and her thin, flexible stream of fire was like a cruel snake... In short, Leonardo was defeated and suffered psychological trauma.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of high heels clicking on the sand came from outside the cowshed.

The sound of each kick was rhythmic and elegant.

Getting closer and closer.

Hear this familiar voice.

After being hung up for three whole days, Leonardo, whose consciousness was already fading, struggled and shouted.

"Put me down! I really didn't kill Annie! I was planning to avenge her!"

"I understand," came a soft female voice from outside.

Leonardo breathed a sigh of relief, still a little dazed, and said sincerely, "Thank you, old woman."

The footsteps outside paused, and the faint sound of flames leaping up could be heard.

"You're welcome."

(End of this chapter)