Scourge Messenger

Chapter 122 Life and separation
Chang'an, the Duke of Jin's residence.

"Wu Qiu, Shi Dong, come in."

The maid who had been dozing outside the door immediately perked up, went inside to light the candles, and saw a strange man wearing a terrifying iron mask resembling a Buddha. They weren't afraid at all, but were startled to find the man's night clothes covered in blood. "Miss, are you injured?"

"How could that be? It's all someone else's blood."

"Did we run into another fearless guard? Or are they just money-grubbing idiots?"

"No, it's just that I encountered someone I wanted to kill, but unfortunately I failed to kill them."

“The people Miss wants to kill must be really bad people,” Wu Qiu chimed in. “Just like the thieves that the Divine Marquis’s Mansion is chasing, they deserve to die. By the way, Miss, did you hear the announcement from the Divine Marquis’s Mansion just now?”

The pharmacist's expression remained unchanged as he nodded slightly: "I heard you. You disturbed my sleep so late at night, you gave me a fright."

"The announcement said they committed a crime in Jiangnan City. I wonder if they did something as outrageous as they did when they burned down Anguo Temple. I also want to go to Jiangnan City. I heard it's very beautiful there, and the wind is as gentle as a lover's hand."

"Jiangnan has too much of a rouge-like atmosphere. It's fine to go there for fun, but Chang'an is still more livable."

"Hmph, Miss, you talk as if you've been there yourself."

"As gentle as a lover's hand... I've noticed you often exchanging glances with the guards, are you lovesick, little girl?"

"No! That's not true...nothing like that!"

It took Wu Qiu quite a while to remove all of Yao Shiyuan's outer armor, inner armor, and lining. She was so busy that she was covered in sweat. The armor made a dull thud when it was placed on the ground, and the lining was completely soaked with sweat.

After three job advancements, the pharmacist was willing to upgrade her equipment once again. This set of armor was forged entirely with refined steel from the secret realm, and included everything from elbow pads to faceplates. Its defensive power was sufficient to withstand the damage from second-job-advanced demons. Even if her black wolf mask was shattered, others could only see her fierce and iron-faced appearance, hence the name 'Diamond Armor'. It was a masterpiece of Zhou Kingdom craftsmanship.

"Miss, the water is ready." Shi Dong's voice came from the bathroom next door.

The pharmacist stepped into the steamy bath and raised her hands. Two maids immediately began to undress her. As they removed her bodice, her long-suppressed pride burst forth, eager to assert its presence, along with a gush of sweat.

As the most tightly wrapped part, Yakushi-en's bodice was even more stuffy than her socks. The maids had to take out large towels to wrap around her body, wipe away the stream of sweat squeezed in the middle, and lift the heavy towels to wipe away the sweat that had been pressed down. By the time they had dried her a little, the towels were almost soaked through.

There was a small ladder next to the bathtub. The pharmacist stood on the ladder and tested the water temperature with her toes before slowly stepping in to avoid splashing water. She sat down and let out a long groan as her tense brows and eyes relaxed.

Wu Qiu laughed and said, "Luckily, no one nearby heard it, otherwise rumors about you being lovesick, Miss, would definitely spread throughout the manor."

"I do think that since I'm my father's only daughter, I have to shoulder the responsibility of continuing the Bashui Pharmacist family line. I should get married and have children as soon as possible, maybe three or four, so that the people below can rest assured," Pharmacist Yuan said leisurely.

"Three or four!?" Wu Qiu was shocked. "Does Miss plan to have so many children?"

"The Ba River Pharmacist Clan has few members. If I only have one child, it would be fine if he could reach the Foundation Establishment stage, but if he stops at the third stage, wouldn't he be another lonely person who can only rely on his uncles and relatives? Just like my father." Pharmacist Yuan said calmly, "If you manage such a large family business without the assistance of close relatives, you will inevitably be deceived by your subordinates."

Wu Qiu dared not speak carelessly. The apothecary could openly and subtly mock the Duke of Jin, and if she echoed him, it would be a capital offense of 'sowing discord among the master's family.' While helping her mistress wash her hair, she changed the subject: 'Does the mistress have a favorite husband?'

"Heh, let alone Chang'an, there are very few people in the entire Great Zhou who catch my eye, let alone whom I like." The Pharmacist closed his eyes, recalling the few people from the Thieves' Den, and snorted softly, "There might be some outside..."

Suddenly, Shi Dong, who was standing next to her, slumped to the ground, sobbing, with large tears falling.

Although Wu Qiu and Shi Dong were just maids, they had grown up with Yao Shi Yuan since childhood and were as close as sisters. Yao Shi Yuan naturally wouldn't stand idly by. She raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "Who in the manor bullied you? Speak!"

Shi Dong shook her head, wiping away her tears, and said, "No one bullied me. Today, I received a message from Feng Yijun's family. They said—"

The pharmacist reached out and touched Shi Dong's head. Shi Dong choked back a few sobs and then burst into tears, crying out, "They said that soldiers from Yongzhou Prefecture came to the village to conscript men and abduct women. My family, my family only has my old mother and my nephew left. All our belongings have been stolen. My father and brother have been taken away, and even my sister-in-law has been sent to the army!"

Wu Qiu quickly pulled Shi Dong into her arms to comfort her, while the pharmacist's face turned ashen.

The so-called "ramming sons" are actually cannon fodder temporarily brought in by the military government from the secret realm. They are given spears and a soldier is sent to drive them in to stab the demons and then retreat. However, most of the demons are faster than ordinary people, so you can imagine how serious the casualty rate of ramming sons is.

Yongzhou Prefecture was previously the military headquarters of Zhao Yuanbao, one of the Six Pillars of State. However, because Zhao Yuanbao plotted to assassinate Yaoshi Moke, Yaoshi Moke took advantage of Zhao Yuanbao's visit to the court to dig a pit and burn him to death. As a result, Yongzhou Prefecture fell into the hands of Yaoshi Moke and was given to his nephew Yaoshi Xun to manage.

That bastard actually dared to do such a thing!
The pharmacist suddenly stood up, her eyes cold and expressionless. Warm water slid down her body, leaving dazzling watermarks.

"Dress me, I'm going to see the Duke of Jin!" She paused, then added, "Put on your armor!"

Before long, the pharmacist arrived at Minghe Pavilion in the mansion and could see from afar the figures of people singing, dancing, drinking and making merry inside.

This is not uncommon. The Pharmacist Moke often hosts banquets that last all night long, with wine flowing like a river and delicacies as plentiful as a forest. The Pharmacist Moke does not object to this practice. The more grand the banquet, the more people serve the Duke of Jin's mansion, which means more families' livelihoods are secured. It is better than letting grain, pigs, cattle, and sheep rot in the granary without being used.

She kicked open the door of Minghexuan, and the singing and music inside immediately stopped. Only some drunken guests were still hurling filthy insults at the dancers.

Her eyes swept across the room and she spotted her target. She strode up to him, who was still drunk and oblivious to the situation. When he looked up and saw Yakushi's icy face, he teased, "Beauty—"

The pharmacist grabbed him by the collar with one hand, and before he could react, he turned and hurled him! With a scream, the man was thrown out of the gate of Minghe Pavilion, even flying over the outer wall and into the lake on the other side!

Everyone was stunned. The pharmacist Moke, sitting in the main seat, shouted, "Nonsense!"

"Is this some kind of nonsense?" Pharmacist Yuan turned and scanned the guests at the banquet: "Pharmacist Shen, Pharmacist Zhi, and Yan Zijun, Feng Qian, Yu Yi, very well, you all gathered together, which saves me trouble! I'll kill you all, and then the Duke of Jin's mansion will be peaceful!"

"Sister Yuan, I apologize on his behalf for what Brother Xun did to offend you." The pharmacist stammered, "Why bother—"

"You get out too!"

"stop!"

Although the pharmacist Moke shouted to stop him, the pharmacist still threw the pharmacist Shen out with one hand. The latter did not even dare to resist and let out a scream to experience flying close to the ground.

The apothecary, Mo Ke, was both angry and furious. He overturned the table and roared, "Get out! All of you get out! Get out now!" In no time, only the father and daughter remained in Minghe Pavilion, amidst a mess. The mingled smells of wine, rouge, and meat were intoxicating yet nauseating.

"It wasn't enough to show off outside, you have to come back and show off too? Are you satisfied now?" Pharmacist Moke kicked the wine glass on the ground with force. Pharmacist Yuan slightly turned her head to avoid the flying glass. "Now everyone knows that I, Pharmacist Moke, have failed to raise my daughter properly!"

"You've not only failed to raise your daughter well, but your subordinates have done so many good deeds, you're simply blind!" Pharmacist Yuan mocked, "Minghe Pavilion, the crane cries in the wild, which of those people was a crane? They were just a bunch of wicked jackals and hyenas! I went to Jiangnan City to risk my life for the sake of my Pharmacist family, not to bring wealth and glory to those lowly bastards!"

"What is it now?" Realizing that the Pharmacist had returned from a great battle, the Pharmacist Moke's tone softened slightly. He asked helplessly, "Who made you angry? Or are you injured? But no matter what, you can't treat Xun'er and Shen'er like this. They are your cousins."

"Do you even know what your nephews have done?" Yaoshi Yuan pointed outside and said, "He directly ordered the Yongzhou soldiers to drive the local people in Fengyi County to act as your sons-in-law, and to abduct women to the military camp for their debauchery. That's Fengyi! The very foundation of our Great Zhou! He's uprooting the Great Zhou!"

"It's not that serious." Pharmacist Moke waved his hand: "He was only trying to conquer the third-level secret realm, the Sound Nest Ruins, not doing anything wrong."

"Conquering the secret realm requires rape and plunder, and the exploitation of the people?" Yaoshi Yuan laughed in anger: "Father, do you think I'm a fool, or do you think you're the fool yourself?"

"How dare you be so disrespectful!" Pharmacist Moke scolded her, then sighed, "I know that, but there's a reason why I'm doing this. Hitting your son can reduce casualties among the soldiers. As for disturbing the common people, it's unavoidable. As long as they can do their job, there's no need to be harsh on them."

The pharmacist's face turned ashen. "Disturbing the people? Being harsh? Father, you might as well tell me, who have you been harsh to all these years? Aside from killing off your political enemies like Zhao Yuanbao and Dugu Qimi, have you dealt with anyone else? You didn't care about the Helan family's rampant misbehavior, you didn't care about the Yifeng family's oppression of the people, and you didn't care about any of your nephews, nieces, or relatives either, letting them use the name of the Duke of Jin's mansion to get whatever they wanted!"

"I could tolerate it anywhere else, but Fengyi County in Huazhou also has its own garrison! If Pu Liuru's Huazhou garrison causes trouble for the Yongzhou garrison, a major battle is inevitable!"

The soldiers of the prefecture were all small landowners with their own fields and auxiliary troops. Those from Yongzhou were Yongzhou soldiers, and those from Huazhou were Huazhou soldiers. If Yongzhou dared to do this in Huazhou, wouldn't Huazhou dare to retaliate in kind? Was rape and plundering so difficult for these soldiers?

The pharmacist Moke casually picked up a wine glass from the table next to him, examined the blood-red wine inside, and calmly said, "Anyway, it's only Yongzhou and Huazhou that died, so it doesn't matter. The population has increased again in recent years, so it's time to clean it up."

The pharmacist was taken aback, a chill running down his spine.

She understood. Her father didn't care about the common people, nor even the tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of messengers in the two military prefectures. He only temporarily held control of Yongzhou Prefecture under Zhao Yuanbao; he would return it to the Zhao family sooner or later. Huazhou Prefecture was Pu Liuru's territory; what did it have to do with him? Let them fight if they want; the weaker the others' power, the more secure his control over the court.

From this point of view, the pharmacist Mokha was not only not foolish, but also exceptionally shrewd: he appointed these pharmacists to train these people and allowed them to break the law and regulations in order to use them to fight for power and weaken the power of others. When he no longer needed them, he could kill them to quell public anger and gain support.

Having risen to the position of Grand Chancellor of the Zhou Dynasty, wielding power, deposing and installing emperors, and persecuting and murdering many political enemies, Bhaisajyaguru was by no means a fool. All his actions were aimed at consolidating his power.

In order to maintain control of the Zhou Kingdom's ship, he didn't care even if others damaged it to the point of being riddled with holes.

Can't wait any longer.

The pharmacist took a deep breath, and when she opened her eyes again, her expression had returned to calm.

“Father, as you know, I have already changed jobs three times,” she said calmly. “According to the rules of the Pharmacist family, I request to have control over the troops in Hezhou!”

With a snap, the pharmacist Moke crushed the wine glass, his expression turning extremely ugly.

As a peak mortal below the Foundation Establishment stage, a third-level messenger holds a pivotal position even within the royal family, with the greatest power being the right to command the family's military affairs.

With four military prefectures under Yaoshi Moke's command, if Yaoshi Yuan insisted on taking control of Hezhou, Yaoshi Moke really couldn't stop her. Even though the soldiers of Hezhou Prefecture were all his men, Yaoshi Yuan had both the right to rule and the power to seize control of Hezhou Prefecture. With one hand wielding the sword and the other promoting others, she could quickly take over Hezhou Prefecture for herself.

However, it's rare for members of the family to voluntarily request to take control of the military government, as this would be tantamount to breaking ties with the family. The fact that the pharmacist was willing to do so indicates that she has completely lost faith in her father and would rather start her own business than stay in Chang'an.

The pharmacist was willing to quietly await her father's wrath. Having made the decision, she was mentally prepared, even if it meant upsetting the ancestral temple, she would still maintain control over the Hezhou military government.

The only way to deal with a power-hungry man like his father is to overthrow his rule by violence. The only thing Yakushi can do is to become the one who overthrows him. He can spend the rest of his life taking a few more concubines to have more children, or help take care of his grandchildren.

She could no longer tolerate her Zhou Kingdom being continued to be humiliated by her father.

After a long silence, the apothecary Moke picked up another cup of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. Reeking of alcohol, he said, "Go, go, don't come back! The Divine Marquis's Mansion has just increased your bounty... Don't stay here."

He took out a tiger tally from his storage ring, tossed it into Yaoshiyuan's hand, and said in a muffled voice, "The transfer order will be issued to the Hezhou Military Government tomorrow. Get lost!"

The pharmacist stroked the tiger tally in his hand, remained silent for a moment, then bowed his head and said, "I'll leave now."

Just as she was about to leave Minghe Pavilion, the pharmacist Moke called out to her again: "Wait."

She turned her head and saw her father take out a box from behind the hall and hand it to her: "This is the third-tier token that your cousin Xun'er obtained by conquering the Nest Ruins... You don't have to take it if you don't like it."

“If I don’t want it, you’ll still give it to those hypocrites, and it might still be of some use to me.” The pharmacist took the box, paused, and said, “Goodbye, Father.”

True to her word, the apothecary returned to her room and explained the situation to her maids. She then prepared a simple package, stuffed it into her storage ring, and rode away from the mansion on her beloved horse, Saluzi. The maids also prepared a carriage, and the three of them left Chang'an in the carriage.

As he passed the city gate, the pharmacist made a point of checking his bounty, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow:
Suspect No. 2

"Characteristics: Wears a black wolf-shaped mask and wields a steel spear."

"Crimes: Involvement in the Anguo Temple robbery and the Jiangnan City knife-grabbing case"

"Threat Level: Level 3 Combat Strength"

"Kill bounty: 140000 spirit jades or any spear technique manual"

"Duration: Within fifty days of the issuance of the bounty notice"

"Once the righteous man completes the reward, an envoy will lead him to the Divine Marquis Palace to collect the reward."

The bounty has increased a lot, even more than the yellow dog's!

However, when the pharmacist glanced at the bounties of the others, his face immediately darkened.

How come we're still in second place?
　Thank you to the new leader, "Are there any lolis?"
　　
　
(End of this chapter)