"Wouldn't it be simple for an alchemist to recreate it?" Claude asked.

Edward let out a loud chuckle, causing Claude to raise his eyebrows, annoyed. "Mr. Rayforth, although it was easy for me to identify the additional element, it isn't so easy to recreate a complex medicine such as this. Identifying and making medicine are two very different processes. I had a hunch about the additional drug because I've already dealt with a few samples of Delihernum back when I was an assistant, and that too was by chance. Delhernum has a very peculiar odour, and although faint in this particular mixture, I was able to identify it. But recreating it would be impossible for most alchemists."

Claude leaned forward. "So, you're telling me that this drug cannot be recreated by just anybody."

Edward nodded his head, "Trust me, Mr. Rayforth. There are only a few alchemists who are able to concoct such a mixture, and they're the best of the best. You just have to figure out which one of them made it."

So it's the work of a professional! Claude thought to himself, slowly nodding his head to Edward's words. But who on earth is creating a complicated mixture of chemicals that is similar to an energy depletion medicine just to get rid of one insignificant person?

Unless it's not just for taking care of a single person. Claude couldn't help but wonder if this might just be a small fragment of a much bigger plan.

But for what reason?

As Claude remembered the White Dragon's teeth, he couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows.

Is it really about the White Dragon's teeth? Or is there something more going on?

Claude then shifted his gaze towards the window and said, "I hope you're right, Edward. Thank you for agreeing to my late request. I'll be heading back now, so you can close up the shop and do whatever you want."

"It wasn't a hassle at all, Mr. Rayforth," Edward said as he got up from his chair, and shook hands with Claude. "I know that may have sounded passive aggressive, but I'm really telling the truth."

"I told you before, didn't I?" Claude said as he turned his back towards Edward and walked out of his shop. "I don't have any connections with the king, so you can stop trying to suck up to me."

"And I told you that I wasn't trying to suck up to you," Edward yelled out to Claude, who had already created quite a distance between him and Edward's medicine shop.

Claude didn't turn around and simply waved his hands as his figure disappeared from Edward's view, who let out a heavy sigh as he sat back down on his chair. "Damn it! I guess the sucking up part was a failure. Oh well! I'll try again next time!"

**********************

Soon, Claude was back at his residence, and he sat in front of his desk, still dressed in the same clothes that he had been wearing the whole day, and he then placed the pile of documents, books and research papers that he had grabbed from Elizabeth's room on the desk, which made a loud 'thud' sound when they made contact with the desk.

After that, Claude began slowly going through all the papers and documents, reading every page as slow as he possibly could.

The documents contained the list of participants who were part of a research project under the Azure Lion Clan codenamed 'Demon teeth', and also contained the various locations that they had to scout through to find the White Dragon's Teeth.

"Demon teeth project, huh… I wonder what's that about!" Claude, curious about the project name, tried to find if there was any information about the secret project inside of the documents, but to no avail.

Although dissatisfied by the exclusion of information about the 'Demon teeth project', Claude nevertheless continued reading through the documents.

As he read the documents, Claude realized that it wasn't just a simple expedition that had been created by a group of clan members. By looking at the massive amount of scouting and information that they had to scour through to get the location of the White Dragon's teeth, it was obvious that these people were being backed by someone powerful.

But who could it be? Was it the Azure Lion Clan? Or was it someone else? The documents didn't give Claude any names, or perhaps Elizabeth was cautious about writing it down, and chose to emit them.

The document further explained the reason for their expedition, which wasn't to find just the White Dragon's teeth, but it's entire skeleton, which according to the documents kept by Elizabeth, were said to be buried under the northern parts of Gryfino forest.

Unfortunately for Claude, he couldn't find any reasons as to why the White Dragon's teeth and skeleton were being searched for and how it would be useful for a cultivator, but he was particularly intrigued by the detailed information regarding the fire glands of the White Dragon, which was more detailed than most sections in the documents. This fascinated Claude, who was intrigued as to why the document was going so in depth into detailing the fire gland of the dragon when it wasn't even mentioned in the folklores, which made him think that there must be some use for it.

Claude continued reading through the research papers, which mostly had extensive information regarding the rumours and the explanations of the folklore, which he wasn't particularly interested in.

Claude also realised, from the research papers, that the White Dragon's teeth was made up of one of the strongest materials in the martial world, practically making it impossible to destroy it. Claude knew that the tooth was strong, but he didn't know that it was this strong.

"Oh! Now, what is this?" As Claude was reading through one of the research papers, he found a yellow coloured envelope hidden within the pages, and he studied it with intrigue in his eyes.

Slash!

Claude used his Astral Wing Blade technique to cut through the envelope without tearing the letter that was inside.

When he had it opened, Claude read the address on the outside. It had been sent from a town in Shirington Prefecture named Salvador City that Claude did not recognize.

Claude studied the letter, which seemed to be handwritten and read through it slowly.

The author of the letter was Someone named Elijah Rae, who in his letter, talked about the miraculous recovery of his young daughter.

Elijah talked about his bitter life in Salvador City as a low wage cultivation assistant to a martial arts master of a small cultivation school and his struggles to give his family a happy life. Elijah then talks about how his daughter caught an unknown disease, which deteriorated her health rapidly. As it was an unknown disease, medicine doctors couldn't help his daughter, and as he was losing hope, he was approached by Elizabeth herself, who, representing the Azure Lion Clan, offered to help his daughter if they joined their clan.

After agreeing to their terms, the Azure Lion Clan members took her away, and brought her back once she was cured. It was a heartfelt letter thanking Elizabeth and the Azure Lion Clan for their kindness, but Claude was suspicious as to why she was hiding this letter inside the documents that were about the White Dragon's teeth.

"Azure Lion Clan… What the hell are you people hiding?" Claude couldn't help but get intrigued by what was happening. He felt as though something big was happening behind the scenes, and he was excited to figure out what was really going on.

******************

"Damn those bastards!" At night, one of the guards who had finished his nightshift back at the Azure Lion Clan Mansion, yelled out loudly as he sat around a table inside 'Carrison's Inn', which was located at the southeastern part of Soderberg City.

The guard who was completely drunk, was sitting alongside other guards who had also finished their shifts, and continued yelling out loudly, slamming his cup which was filled with liquor on the table with a loud noise.

"How dare those rich a*sholes, who do they think we are? Just because some guy screwed around with the daughter of the clan head and then escaped before the guards could come, and now we're the ones who have to sacrifice our shift time to search the mansion? Screw them!"

"Calm down man. I know exactly how you're feeling, but I suggest you shut up right now or else we're going to end up in trouble."

"You're telling me to shut up? Well then, I got a better idea… Why don't YOU shut up?"

He raised his voice, and his colleague let out a sigh.

"Oh? Someone finally escaped from the hands of Margaret? That's news to me..." A sudden voice came from behind the guard, and the guard, still drunk, turned his head back, squinting his eyes as he did so.

Behind them stood a slim and short man with a twirling moustache, who had a wide grin on his face as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Would you mind telling me more about it?"