Scourge Messenger

Chapter 176 Daoji
Shu Road Mountain, a mountain stronghold in an open space.

The demonic messengers formed a circle, roaring and shouting like apes. In the center of the open space, Yaoshiyuan was confronting three demonic messengers. They were all second-tier messengers who had earned the fearsome reputation of the "Black Whirlwind Brothers" in Liang Kingdom, and were well-known demonic experts even in Shudao Mountain.

"Hey, didn't you say you've killed a third-tier cultivator? Prove it to us!"

"Great Protector, Wolf Master Demon! Great Protector, Wolf Master Demon!"

"Hey, Blackie, Blackie, Blackie, are you three brothers so weak in the knees that you're scared?"

"Kill them, kill them!"

The Pharmacist, clad in armor, her face masked, and her hood concealing her movements, effortlessly wielded the Soul-Severing Spear with dazzling flourishes. The three Black Whirlwind brothers gradually formed an encirclement around her. Except for the eldest brother, who stood directly in front of the Pharmacist, the second and third brothers hid in blind spots where she couldn't see them. That's how the three brothers were; when fighting one, all three would attack together, but when facing a group... well, of course, they'd run away as fast as they could.

They're already thieving and plundering demons, so how could they possibly care about manners? They didn't really intend to defeat the fourth guardian, Wolf Master Demon, this time, but if they could fight to a draw or even gain a temporary advantage, it would be enough to make them famous throughout Shudao Mountain, and everyone on and off the mountain would have to look at them differently.

If they could really defeat Wolf Master Demon, that would be even more remarkable. Everyone knows that Wolf Master Demon and Rabbit Girl killed Blood Prime's brother, and they could get unimaginable rewards from Blood Prime just for that achievement.

Suddenly, Hei San threw a dart from the shadows. In the instant that Yakushi Yuan was distracted and dodged, Hei Da transformed into a black whirlwind and charged forward, while Hei Er also swung his soft whip at Yakushi Yuan's rear. They launched their attacks simultaneously from both sides.
Their coordination was so perfect that many messengers would be overwhelmed upon first meeting them, and even if they survived, they would be seriously injured!
But this absolutely does not include the pharmacist's wish!
She used the butt of her spear to block Hei Er's soft whip, aimed the spear tip at Hei Da's long knife that he was swinging, and then wielded the spear like a spinning lamp, the spear tip drawing a sharp arc as it swept towards Hei San who was trying to approach!
When their ambush failed, they turned to a siege. The three Black Whirlwind brothers lived up to their nicknames in the martial arts world. When they ganged up on each other, they were as agile and fast as whirlwinds. Black Big Brother was fast, Black Second Brother was soft, and Black Third Brother was cunning. Their attacks were continuous and unpredictable. If they made a slight mistake, they could be ambushed by their demonic artifacts.

The onlookers gradually quieted down, wondering if they could break free if they were caught in Black Whirlwind's attack. It would be difficult; forcibly breaking free would inevitably require enduring one or two attacks from the demonic artifacts. But once injured by a demonic artifact, the consequences would be unpredictable. After all, the three Black Whirlwind brothers weren't fools; they would definitely aim for vital points.

What if we replaced them with the Three Guardians?
If it were Bei You, he could probably fly through the air and escape; if it were Ban Ruo, a single downpour could crush one of the three brothers to death; if it were Xue Xiang… surrounding him would be meaningless, he could escape in the blink of an eye.

The newly appointed Grand Protector, Wolf Master Yao, gave a completely different answer:

Attack against attack!

Despite wielding the Soul-Severing Spear and clad in Vajra Armor, Yaoshi Yuan moved with the agility of a butterfly amidst the whirlwind of attacks. Each strike of the Soul-Severing Spear landed like a dragonfly skimming the water, and even when surrounded, she managed to keep the three brothers at bay, just a spear's distance away, solely through her martial arts skills!

As time went on, the three Black Whirlwind brothers grew increasingly anxious, even resorting to repetitive attacks. The battles of the Demon Messenger were always swift; defeating an opponent in a single exchange was the norm. How could they possibly fight for so long? They had run out of tactics!

"Is the donkey out of luck?"

The Great Protector Wolf Master Yao coldly commented, then used the Soul-Severing Spear to tap each of them, shattering their protective barriers!

Such terrifying destructive power!?

The three Black Whirlwind brothers were horrified and quickly jumped off the battlefield, bowing and saying, "We've been defeated this time. Thank you, Great Protector Wolf Master, for showing mercy!"

"The Demon Protector Wolf Master truly deserves his title as the fourth-ranked master of Shudao Mountain!"

The onlookers, the demonic messengers, were also dumbfounded. The Black Whirlwind Brothers' defensive tokens were at least at the second level, yet they were all destroyed with a single shot? Even if Wolf Master Demon wasn't a demonic messenger, she had ways to slaughter most of the demonic messengers present!

If some people previously thought that Wolf Master Demon was just riding on her sister's coattails, now, thanks to the Black Whirlwind Brothers as a significant stepping stone, everyone has to admit that Wolf Master Demon does indeed possess the combat power of a Great Protector.

"You guys are not bad," the pharmacist said calmly. "Come join my team tomorrow."

"Yes! It is an honor for us three brothers to fight the wolf den with the Great Protector!" The three Black Whirlwind brothers ran to the Demon Slaying Hall and wrote their names below the Wolf Master Demon.

"Who else wants to join my team tomorrow?" Pharmacist Yuan asked, looking at the demon messengers who were watching.

"I!"

"Great Protector, our Dog-Wolf-Bear team has raided wolf dens many times and is very experienced!"

"Great Protector, our Black Wolf Society also..."

Today is the fourth day of rest. The pharmacist, feeling restless and restless, and considering that the bunny girl has suggested exploring the wolf's den several times, she came to the Demon Slayer Hall today to recruit a demon messenger.

Firstly, she had no idea about the abilities of the demonic messengers here, and didn't know who was stronger or weaker; secondly, although she was the Grand Protector, she was ultimately just an outsider who had only been here for a few days, so how could the demonic messengers trust her? At most, they just wanted to use her to avoid paying the tax for entering the wolf's den.

Thus, the scene of fighting in the open space came about. Yaoshi Yuan had just suggested that he wanted to spar with someone when the three Black Whirlwind brothers jumped out on their own initiative.

This move was actually very risky. Although the three brothers were all messengers of the demonic path, she herself was also a third-level messenger. If a third-level messenger fought against a second-level messenger, everyone would compare her to the three great protectors. Even if she showed the slightest weakness, her reputation in Shudao Mountain would plummet.

But the pharmacist not only won, but won beautifully and easily.

The reason she was able to shatter the Black Whirlwind Brothers' protective barrier with a single shot was naturally due to the 'Sixty-Four Spears' power of the Soul-Severing Spear. While blocking attacks, she was also accumulating combo hits, but to an unsuspecting person, it seemed that the Pharmacist was just playing around, only using the power of the rare spear to end the battle when she got tired of it.

The three Black Whirlwind brothers volunteered: "Great Protector, you don't need to test them one by one. We three brothers are enough to find out their backgrounds!"

The pharmacist was willing to follow advice. Now that she had established her authority, she should solidify it. It wasn't that she truly wanted to become powerful and influential in the Shu Dao Mountains, but she was used to the awe and submission of those around her; she was undoubtedly the leader wherever she went.

Currently, there are only two exceptions: the Thieves' House and Bunny Girl.

Thinking of Bunny Girl, Pharmacist Yuan recalled their conversation three days ago after they left the Forest of Bones and returned to their room.

In the distribution of spoils in the central courtyard, the pharmacist actually wanted "Detailed Explanation of Dao Foundation" the most, since her understanding of Dao Foundation was limited and this book would be of great benefit to her future foundation building. However, since the bunny girl suggested that she take "Secret Technique Research Book", she naturally had to listen to her sister.

Let alone a mere book on secret techniques, even if the Bunny Girl wanted the Earthly Fiend Immobilization Stone back, the Pharmacist would give it to her without hesitation.

However, the Bunny Girl didn't want the book on secret techniques; she just thought it unnecessary to get "Detailed Explanation of Dao Foundations" because she understood all the Dao foundations and the combinations of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends in the world.

"My brother forced me to memorize it, and if I couldn't, he would feed me bitter melon." That's how she explained the origin of her knowledge.

The pharmacist had no doubts and, for the first time, felt that her brother had done the right thing. According to the bunny girl's introduction, the immobilization stone could correspond to two superior Dao foundations and one perfect Dao foundation. These were the Nine Abyss Mountain-Suppressing Dao Foundation paired with the Heavenly Gang Mountain-Shaking and Earth-Shaking, the Ten Thousand Edges Roaring Mountain Dao Foundation paired with the Heavenly Gang Mountain-Whipping and Stone-Moving, and the Greedy Wolf Breaking Army Dao Foundation paired with the Heavenly Gang Star-Shifting and Constellation-Changing.

Yes, the Whip Mountain Moving Stone Seal that Bunny Girl just obtained, together with her Immobilization Stone, can already be used to create the Myriad Blades Roaring Mountains Dao Foundation!
Although Bunny Girl doesn't know much about Daoji, she can tell from his name that he is good at offense and is a perfect match for the brave and skilled Pharmacist Yuan.

The bunny girl thought so too. When she shared information about the Dao Foundation, she even took out the Whip Mountain Moving Stone Seal and stared straight at her.

But the pharmacist said nothing.

She understood what Bunny Girl meant, and Bunny Girl also understood that she understood what she meant, so the conversation ended there, and no one brought it up again even after three days.

Because the pharmacist is willing to pay the price.

She couldn't think of anything she could give to repay this kindness in achieving enlightenment. On the contrary, it made much more reasonable for her to give the immobilization stone to the bunny girl to help her establish her foundation. The pharmacist was willing to do it, and the bunny girl could also feel at ease.

After three days of careful consideration, the pharmacist decided to wait for a specific timeframe.

If, before the third transformation, she still hasn't obtained any other Heavenly Generals to exchange for the Whip Mountain Shifting Stone Seal, she will give the Immobilization Stone to the Rabbit Girl; if she has, she will exchange it for the Whip Mountain Shifting Stone Seal from the Rabbit Girl.

Although it sounds a bit like 'I'll give it back to you when you grow up,' based on the pharmacist's understanding of the bunny girl, she felt that the other party should not be far from the third job advancement... perhaps she will complete the breakthrough when conquering the Demon King of the Corpse Forest.

The transmission of pure thoughts will determine the fate of many people.

Suddenly, the Pharmacist saw something and walked to the wine table in the Demon-Slaying Hall. Everyone thought the Great Protector wanted to drink, so they didn't care. A few people were probably wondering how the Great Protector could drink while wearing a mask. Did he pour it into his nostrils?

There was a servant at the table who was responsible for pouring wine. The apothecary handed him a jade pendant. After receiving it, the servant lowered his voice and said, "These past two days, all three protectors have sent people down the mountain. Prajna only sent Fu Nan down, probably to check the restaurant's accounts. He returned yesterday. Bei You and Xue Xiang both sent many people down the mountain, but few have returned. I don't know their intentions."

The pharmacist handed over another jade pendant, took her wine cup, and returned to her seat. She hadn't been without results these past few days; through observation, she determined that the servants here were quite well-informed. So she chose a servant who seemed to have no background and was often bullied by the other servants as an informant, asking him to help investigate whether the three protectors had recently sent any subordinates to contact outsiders.

The three protectors were worried that they might call in reinforcements to double-cross them, and the pharmacist was naturally worried that the three protectors might call in outsiders to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

It now seems that all three protectors have problems. When the day comes to conquer the Forest of Bones, they will inevitably have to play with fire.

But as long as I'm fast enough, I can just head into the mountains after getting the inheritance... Besides, I have the Thieves' Family, and Bunny Girl has the Return Order, so I'm not without a way out no matter what...

"Really? This glove is worth 200,000 spirit jades?"

"It's not the gloves that are worth 200,000, it's the information about the glove's owner that's worth 200,000. But since they're so valuable, these gloves must be at least second-tier tokens, right? And they must be at least rare."

Hearing the discussion among the demonic messengers beside him, Yaoshi glanced at them casually, but his expression immediately turned serious.

She reached out and took the commission token from the demon messenger's hand, asking, "What is this?"

Facing the Great Protector Wolf Master, the Demon Messenger naturally dared not hide anything: "It's a commission order from the city's black market. Sometimes, when the righteous path wants to do something dirty that no one knows about, they will issue a commission order in the black market. As long as it is completed, you can get paid."

He paused, then added, "This authorization order came from Lao Zhou's side. Lao Zhou mostly deals with Liang State, so it should be an authorization order from Liang State."

The pharmacist looked at the commission order in his hand. The contents were simple: find someone who possessed the gloves, inform the commissioner, and he would receive 100,000 spirit jades. Few people recognized the gloves, as they hadn't appeared for over a hundred years. However, the pharmacist had the good fortune to see a copy of it. It was a deeply ingrained humiliation for the Zhou royal family, as Zhou Taizu had lost two Foundation Establishment tokens because of it.

The Hand of Forging a Hundred Forms!

Why is the Liang Kingdom offering a reward for its owner?
“This kind of commission order is very common. It's probably because someone stole or robbed this glove, so the Liang Kingdom wants to get revenge.” The Demon Messenger glanced at Yaoshi Yuan’s Tiger Armguard: “Does the Great Protector remember it? Then you absolutely must not miss it. Since someone in the Liang Kingdom is willing to offer a reward of 200,000, this glove must be worth at least 500,000.”

It's far more than 500,000. If it were the original Hundred Phases Hand of Melting, Liang Kingdom would be willing to pay a year's worth of national tax revenue.

However, the original Hand of Refining a Hundred Aspects was not only a fourth-tier token that could not be used by anyone other than a Foundation Establishment messenger, but it had also been damaged long ago and was probably kept by the Liang Kingdom's royal family somewhere unknown...

The pharmacist's heart stirred.

She had always thought that the Bunny Girl's Forged Hand of a Hundred Aspects had nothing to do with the legendary gauntlets from a hundred years ago. After all, in her opinion, no one would be stupid enough to downgrade a fourth-tier legendary gauntlet to a second-tier legendary gauntlet. If the former was of immeasurable value, then the latter was worth at most a few million. Although it was still precious, there were too many alternatives.

More importantly, the Liang royal family must have been extremely protective of the Hand of Hundred Forms, and it must have been hidden in a well-guarded place unknown to anyone. Could any thief have managed to steal the national treasure under the strict guard of the Liang royal family?

It really does.

The pharmacist knew this all too well, for she was the one who had personally rescued those two audacious thieves from the royal vault.

The crime was committed a few days ago, and the power of attorney was only recently issued to Shudao Mountain; the timing matches up.

If Bunny Girl's gloves are the same as Liang Kingdom's Hundred-Faced Forging Hand...

If someone really does treat a fourth-tier legendary character as if it were a second-tier legendary character...

"Is what you have in your hand a repaired version of the Hundred Forms of Melting?"

"I don't know, my brother picked it up."

"Found it?"

“He said he found it; he often finds many good things outside.”

(End of this chapter)