The Silly Alchemist

“Ye Lang, you can come out now! I’m serious!” The princess started searching the entire room, but she still couldn’t find Ye Lang. “Could he be outside? He likes to sit and zone out there. Wait, no, it’s raining outside.”

“Princess, why is the thirteenth prince not here yet...What are you looking for, princess?” The servant walked out to find Ye Lang because it was his turn in the bath. She saw princess searching everywhere for something.

“Ye Lang! I don’t know where Ye Lang is. Everyone, look for him now. Who was with him last?” asked the seventh princess anxiously.

“Princess, we were all drawing you the bath, no one was with him...Tai Ya is always the one who stays with him,” the servant replied softly.

“We were so used to Tai Ya we forgot to leave someone with him! We don’t know where is he now! Search every room, now!” ordered the seventh princes, frowning.

She had a bad feeling. Hoping it wouldn’t be true, she walked to the door.

“Has anyone seen that idiot Ye Lang?” The seventh princess asked the palace guards at the door.

“We saw him run out alone just now,” he answered. Realizing something was wrong, his face started to pale.

“What?! He left alone? And none of you stopped him?!!” The seventh princess was furious.

“We thought he wanted to go home,” replied the imperial bodyguard weakly. Ye Lang could usually walk in and out of the palace freely, so they didn’t stop him from leaving.

Tigress would always be with him though. This time, unfortunately, he was alone.

“Go home?! How is he able to go home alone?! Don't you know he’s a little different? There’s a storm outside… And lightning... Find him! Now!!!” cried the seventh princess. She had always been a calm person no matter what happened. This the first time they’d seen her rage.

“No, I have to help find him too!” The seventh princess wanted to go out immediately. She forgot she only had a sleeping gown on. It would be more gossip in the palace if she were to go out wearing it.

Fortunately, one of the servants was quick enough to react. She stopped the princess and said, “Princess, you can’t go out like this. They will find him. It’s stormy outside, you just have to wait here.”

“Let me go! Tell me about it! He’ll get sick running around in this weather too! I don’t understand, he agreed to stay here for a night! Why would he leave?” The seventh princess was confused. She couldn't figure out the reason of Ye Lang leaving.

She would faint out of anger if she knew the reason he left. She would scold him for being such an idiot.

“I want to tell Tigress I’m not going back tonight, that I’m staying at my wife’s house,” he’d said to himself when he left.

He hadn’t been apart from Tigress since day one. Not even a day, no, not even an hour- especially not a night like this. But he would be staying in the palace and Tigress was home.

He knew Tigress would be worried for him. He wanted to go back to inform her about him staying a night in the palace, to tell her she didn’t need to worry about him.

But if he could go back and inform her, he wouldn’t need to stay a night in the palace. Tigress obviously wouldn’t allow him to run back to the palace in this weather.

Obviously, he never thought about that! He only knew he couldn’t make her worry. He was determined to tell Tigress even if the weather was so bad.

The thirteenth prince had run across the palace grounds in the storm without anyone stopping him. Everyone knew him there, he could go anywhere he wanted in the palace. 

The thirteenth prince ran towards Ye Residence after leaving the palace. It wasn’t far away. All the rich families naturally stayed in the area near the palace, so they could visit the royals and be neighbours with the emperor.

It wasn’t near enough either. There was still twenty minutes left even if he could maintain his speed. 

The thirteenth prince was holding an expensive umbrella. Its fabric was made of gold strings, even the frame was plated gold. This was an umbrella that a prodigal son would use, bought during one of his spending sprees.

Holding this umbrella in stormy weather was just like moving with a lightning conductor, there was a high possibility of being struck by lightning.

It seemed like the gods of lightning and thunder liked it too, for they struck lightning directly on the thirteenth prince’s umbrella.

KABOOM…

“Ah…”

Ye Lang screamed as his body glowed, then collapsed onto the soaking wet floor. For a split second, he saw crackles of electricity.

Ye Lang felt the electricity travel all over his body, shocking his brain. Perhaps it was the lightning but the tingling sensation he felt was more magical than just electricity. The feeling was indescribable.  

“What? ”  Ye Lang didn’t have time to think, falling straight into a coma.

…

“We found him! The thirteenth prince is here! Why is there a burnt smell? Was he… Was he struck by lightning?” The palace guards first found the culprit, his umbrella, then Ye Lang. He showed all the signs of being struck by lightning.

Curly and dishevelled hair, his skin slightly charred, his clothes were ruined too…

Was he alive? Everyone on the spot had the same first thought. It was nearly impossible for someone to survive a lightning strike like this.

Every palace guard immediately shrugged it off.

He must be alive! We’d be in so much trouble if he’s not!

That was true. They would be in big trouble if the thirteenth prince died. They wouldn’t lose their life because of this, but the outcome would definitely be... disastrous.