Scourge Messenger

Chapter 160 Employment
Although Bei You's words were simply straightforward and lacked grand pronouncements, they, combined with his casual appearance and slightly eccentric personality, made them all the more sincere.

Even with the deep-seated enemy, Xue Xiang, there's still a possibility that Bei You and Ban Ruo could cooperate in exploring the lost artifacts if they are truly sincere...

Weird.

From the moment she entered, Yan Qing had a vague feeling that they were putting on an act.

Xue Xiang's cold words, Ban Ruo's open and honest advice, and Bei You's casual and eccentric nature—if it were an ordinary person, they might have been deceived by their friendly attitude.

Yes, he felt that the blood count was also faked.

How could the mighty Blood Mirror, the three great protectors who once slaughtered cities and destroyed armies, leaving rivers of blood and families in mourning, possibly display such shallow hostility? It's like a puppy barking on purpose; it doesn't frighten anyone, but rather makes it seem childishly cute.

However, the two from the North Journey, Prajna and Xue Xiang, are different. They did not have a direct conflict with Yaoshi Yuan and Rabbit Girl. They had just shown their arrogance and malice as the three protectors at the gate of the village. Therefore, their methods were more subtle and clever: first, they helped Rabbit Girl refute Xue Xiang, and then they each showed their own personalities. They did not directly express their goodwill, but treated Yaoshi Yuan and Rabbit Girl as equal friends.

The perfect amount of respect, the subtle expectation, the unintentional flattery—everything was so skillfully executed that one subconsciously overlooked their danger, truly believing oneself to be an equal ally. If Yan Qing were in that situation, she would probably genuinely find Xue Xiang ruthless, Ban Ruo peaceful, and Bei You carefree.

Yan Qing was able to see through their act not because her insight had improved after becoming a second-tier messenger, nor because she had learned some interpersonal skills from spending more time with Shang Xinlei, but because—

In the game, all three of their names are so red they're practically black.

Of all the people in the entire Shudao Mountain, these three have the most famous and the most infamous names. Yan Qing only needs to push the joystick, and the bunny girl will automatically lock them as enemy units, ready to draw her sword and slay demons at any time.

Even the most foolish online gamer wouldn't believe the sweet talk of three people with high-level red names in the wild.

"Sorry, we have no interest in Si Wuxie's Foundation Establishment legacy."

The pharmacist reached out and stroked the bunny girl's head, his tone lacking in interest: "No one has been able to conquer it for a hundred years, so how could we sisters possibly think we could get this opportunity? It's just that my younger sister was passing by and wanted to see the Wolf Den, the third level of the Shu Road Secret Realm. When my younger sister gets tired of it, we should leave too."

As the pharmacist spoke, she kept stroking the back of the bunny girl's head, afraid that she might say something rash and ruin her chances. However, the bunny girl's reaction exceeded her expectations: "Actually, this heroine isn't very interested in the Third Stage Secret Realm. I only came here because I heard there are many bad guys here that I can kill at will. I don't care about the inheritance of the Demonic Path Foundation Establishment. Anyway, it's not suitable for me."

As she spoke, she stretched out her hands, showing off her legendary handguards. The soft orange light shone brightly and attracted attention in the conference room.

"Well done, Pharmacist Yuan didn't expect Bunny Girl to be so cooperative. Regardless of whether Bei You and the others are telling the truth or not, declining and waiting for a higher price is the most correct choice, and the best excuse is 'I don't think it's good enough.'" "It's actually a legendary gauntlet!" Prajna exclaimed in shock, sighing, "It seems that the two of you have profound foundations. Given time, you will definitely reach the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment. That's right, with your talent and background, your sect and family must have already prepared inheritances for you. Indeed, they don't need the legacy of Si Wuxie's demonic foundation establishment."

He first gave Pharmacist Yuan and Bunny Girl ample face, then changed the subject: "However, the Foundation Establishment legacy is extremely precious. If you two could join us in conquering the Corpse Forest and share the legacy equally, you could also exchange it for the resources you need. Wouldn't it be a shame to pass up such a treasure trove?"

Bei You suddenly said, "In my opinion, Lady Xingyu, you're probably not far from reaching the third job advancement, are you? As we all know, the higher the level of the secret realm you challenge, the easier it is to break through your skills in battle. And what place in Shu Road Mountain is better for training people than the Corpse Forest? Join us to open the legacy, and you will not only obtain Foundation Establishment level resources ahead of time, but you can also advance your job advancement three times at the fastest speed. Isn't that more fun than attacking the Wolf Den? Moreover, by inheriting a legacy that has not been opened for a hundred years, we will surely become famous throughout the world."

"In the end, they're just women with long hair and short brains." Xue Xiang sneered, "I told you two were wasting your time. The Fourth-Rank Secret Realm is not easy to conquer. How could outsiders with such powerful families and backgrounds be as eager for opportunities as we are? They have plenty of ways out. They can go home, have children, and live a worry-free life. You're just wasting your energy relying on these kinds of people."

The three people had three different attitudes. Most of them must have hesitated after being persuaded and invited by Prajna and Beiyou. Now, hearing Xue Xiang's contemptuous attitude, they might impulsively decide to explore the secret realm with them in a fit of anger.

"Blood Spectrum is right." Bunny Girl nodded emphatically. "Then I'll stay here for a few days and then take Big Sister home to get married. I'm hungry, let's go eat!"

As she spoke, she turned to leave the meeting room, and the pharmacist followed her without hesitation.

Actually, their acting here was a bit fake. How could Bunny Girl be so nice to Blood Element? And how could a monster like Pharmacist, who always wears armor wherever he goes, be willing to wash his hands and cook? It's just that everyone is acting, and it's a test of who will lose their composure first.

"Please wait a moment, you two." Prajna called out to them as expected. "Since you two are unwilling to explore the Forest of Corpses together, can we hire you two to help us break through the front hall of the Forest of Corpses? But since it's a hire, if there are Foundation Establishment inheritances or treasure chests in the front hall, it's none of your business."

The truth has finally come out.

The reason why Prajna and the others kept talking about splitting the inheritance equally was actually to shut up Pharmacist and Bunny Girl by making empty promises. Once they agreed, their subsequent assistance would naturally be free, or rather, their reward would be the final activation of the Foundation Establishment inheritance, and all their previous efforts would be considered their investment.

As for whether they will actually split the spoils equally in the end, who knows? In any case, Yan Qing doesn't think the three big red names will obediently divide the spoils.

They weren't even sure if there would be a reward after breaking into the front hall, so they kept using persuasive language to entice them to choose 'investment' instead of 'employment'.

Because they were hired to pay for it, but they weren't sure if they could really get the Foundation Establishment Legacy—a legacy that no one had been able to inherit for hundreds of years, who would be sure of it?
If we ultimately fail to clear the Forest of Bones and find no relics ahead, all our investment could be wasted, making it the riskiest option.

But the Rabbit Girl and the Pharmacist refused to take the bait no matter what, and even wanted to leave directly following Xue Xiang's words. With no other choice, Prajna had to resort to this last resort.

(End of this chapter)