Scourge Messenger

Chapter 185 Enduring the Death Penalty
Yan Qing had never connected Black Wolf with Pharmacist Yuan before.

Although both are third-tier messengers and both use long spears, there is a huge difference between them that Yan Qing cannot ignore: their physiques.

Even with the white mist obscuring her view while she takes a bath, the pharmacist, dressed in her pajamas, is undoubtedly a voluptuous and powerful older sister with a perky chest and shapely hips, while the black wolf is an armored samurai whose body curves are completely hidden and whose voice is extremely hoarse.

Not being an online friend, Yan Qing would never believe that the seemingly tough-looking Black Wolf was actually a beautiful and sexy princess in distress; it sounded like a light novel title.

Yan Qing should have recognized her earlier, but he had never seen Yao Shiyuan fight at full strength. She only showed a little skill at Anguo Temple, and Yan Qing was not present when she ambushed Shang Xuanwen in Jiangnan City. Otherwise, with such a distinctive fighting style, the accomplices of the Thieves' House would definitely have seen through her disguise at a glance.

Thinking about it carefully, when the pharmacist put on the armor, her figure was not much different from the black wolf's. However, she probably also padded her shoulders and thighs to cover up her body curves. At first glance, it was impossible to associate her with the same person.

However, once the life-saving pill appeared, even the slow-witted Yan Qing realized that she was Black Wolf.

Actually, the life-saving pill doesn't prove anything. After all, she could have obtained it from somewhere else, or Black Wolf could have sold it to her... But as long as he looks for evidence with the answer in mind, Yan Qing will naturally notice the clues he had previously overlooked.

For example, both Yaoshi Yuan and Black Wolf have tokens for fighting back from accumulated injuries, and both have tiger arm armor given to them by Yan Qing. For example, they are similar in height, and for example, they have never appeared together before. The most important point is that Yaoshi Yuan seems to have recognized that the bunny girl's brother is him, which is why he opened up to the bunny girl last night.

Looking back now, the pharmacist was incredibly accurate in identifying how Yan Qing used her alternate account. She was also looking for evidence with the answer in mind, but it's unclear how she recognized it.

……

...

Standing outside the boundary line of the back forest, Yakushi suddenly remembered an important question.

"Where is Si Wuxie's spirit beast? The back forest is the deepest part of this secret realm; the spirit beast should be here."

"I thought you two had forgotten about this," Blood Prime sneered, pointing to the Corpse King's shoulder. "Right there."

When the pharmacist's wish was fulfilled, he immediately understood why Si Wuxie's spirit beast could remain in the secret realm without being attacked by the Corpse King.

Because it was a skeleton bird, its feathers withered, its body a skeleton, with only a single green flame flickering in its pupils. Compared to the Corpse King, it was far too insignificant; if it weren't specifically pointed out, almost no one would notice it.

This bird is not uncommon; it can even be found in the Corpse Forest. It's not even a first-tier demon. Its ecological niche is the same as that of cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks in the secret realm—all environmental creatures that serve a decorative purpose. However, while cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks can be eaten, the Corpse Bird is lifeless, has an unpleasant cry, and emits a decaying, stench of death, making it unsuitable even as a pet.

The pharmacist never expected that Si Wuxie's spirit beast would be this. It was like everyone else choosing cats and dogs as pets, but Si Wuxie chose to raise a cockroach.

But cats and dogs can't survive in the Corpse Forest, so the Corpse Bird is truly the only option. Because it is an environmental creature that exists in the Corpse Forest, the Corpse King certainly won't attack it; but it was once Si Wuxie's spirit beast, and even though Si Wuxie is gone, it is still an outsider in the Corpse Forest, thus preventing the automatic reset of the secret realm.

The Corpse Bird is the most lowly creature in this secret realm, yet it is the key to the enduring legacy of the Foundation Establishment lineage. Even after a century, Si Wuxie's ingenious approach to Foundation Establishment in the demonic path still evokes admiration.

"What would happen if we killed it?" Bunny Girl asked.

"It's best not to try," Prajna said with a wry smile. "Have you seen the treasure chest?"

Upon hearing this, the Pharmacist and the Bunny Girl looked around, naturally not seeing the treasure chest guarded by the Demon King. However, they weren't surprised: "It's probably hidden further inside. What's the use of finding the treasure chest if we can't defeat the Corpse King? Are we just waiting to be killed by him?"

Whether you defeat the demons or not, the treasure chest can still be opened; otherwise, how could Si Wuxie have put the inheritance inside? However, if you insist on opening the treasure chest before defeating the demons, you will find that the chest lid is unusually heavy. It will take anyone ten breaths to open the chest, and at the same time, the demons you pass will focus their attacks on you.

For ten breaths, you can't move, dodge, or block; you can only take hits. If someone can do that, why doesn't they kill the demon first before opening the treasure chest? Is it because they enjoy getting beaten up?
Si Wuxie certainly didn't hide his inheritance while being beaten up back then, otherwise it would be too ridiculous. He must have used some kind of stealth method. You have to know that this is a secret realm that spans the third and fourth stages of cultivation. As long as Si Wuxie is present, the monsters that appear in the Corpse Bone Forest are all fourth-stage demons. Even Foundation Establishment messengers have to be extremely careful, otherwise Si Wuxie's inheritance would have been taken by other Foundation Establishment cultivators long ago. "I went in and searched, but I didn't find the treasure chest," Xue Xiang said calmly.

The pharmacist was taken aback, immediately realizing the seriousness of the problem: "Where is Si Wuxie's inheritance?"

Without the treasure chest, even if they defeat the Corpse King, they won't find the inheritance!
"I don't know, but we think it's related to this Corpse Bird," Bei You said. "Si Wuxie must have hidden the last treasure chest before he died. Only by defeating the Corpse King can the Corpse Bird guide us to the location of the treasure chest... or it might not. But by then we'll have plenty of time to dig up the Corpse Forest after we've defeated the Corpse King."

"But it's also possible that there's no inheritance at all," Prajna said. "Si Wuxie set up two rich inheritances ahead, luring us to fight to the death here, only to find out in the end that it was all for nothing... He must be laughing at his last joke in the afterlife."

Bunny Girl nodded: "Indeed, if I were to die, I would do the same. I would also leave a note in the treasure chest that says, 'The scenery you enjoyed along the way is the best reward.'"

"Enough with the nonsense, are we going to attack or not?!" Blood Prime Minister asked coldly.

The five of them exchanged a glance and crossed the dividing line together!

"Fu Xiang... Fu Xiang!" The Corpse King awoke, and with its loud roar, the Corpse Bird on its shoulder flapped its wings and took flight.

Yan Qing glanced at the Corpse King Long You's health and karma bars, thinking that the three guardians had indeed contributed a great deal.

"Corpse King Dragon Wanderer, HP: 28%, Karma: 25%"

Its karma was locked at 25%, and even with the combined attacks of Bunny Girl and Prajna, it couldn't be reduced in the slightest. Its health was only 28%, clearly not because Si Wuxie had taken pity on it and crippled it, but because the three guardians had desperately reduced its condition to this level over the past five days. It was truly just one step away from victory.

Even without using the torrential rain, the five of them quickly reduced its health to 25%. At this moment, the Corpse King suddenly turned its head, looking back and forth between Prajna and Bunny Girl, and finally fixed its gaze on Bunny Girl.

"Prime Minister Fu, today I, Long You, will rid the martial world of a great scourge! Accept my Dragon-Subduing Seal!"

As it spoke, it raised its right hand, summoning black lightning, and once again unleashed the Dragon Subduing Seal, its target being Bunny Girl!

Before entering, they had discussed the possible scenarios. The worst-case scenario was that the Corpse King would discover that two people present were equipped with Buddhist relics and would immediately unleash two Dragon Subduing Seals. In this case, they would simply run away. The second possibility was that the Corpse King would choose one of Prajna or the Bunny Girl to activate the Dragon Subduing Seals, in which case everyone would enter the real test.

The five gathered around the bunny girl, choosing to remain still to avoid accidentally dodging the attack. They looked up at the Dragon Subduing Seal descending from the sky, enveloped in wind, thunder, and dragon mist. The closer they got, the more terrifying the Dragon Subduing Seal's power became. All they could see was the colossal black dragon's hand, blotting out the sky, as if the entire heavens were collapsing and pressing down on them!

Yan Qing thought the animation was pretty good, and it was indeed a difficult boss mechanic. The difficult mechanics didn't test the player's skills, but only whether the player could recognize the mechanics. As long as they handled it correctly, they could pass the level smoothly. That's why the Dragon Subduing Seal was so slow, so that the player's brain would have enough time to think.

However, for real people, the slower the Dragon Subduing Seal is, the greater the pressure it puts on them.

Xue Xiang's teeth were clenched together, but his left hand gripped Bei You's shoulder tightly; Bei You also gripped Ban Ruo's arm, but closed his eyes; Ban Ruo lowered his head and did not look at the sky, reciting the Diamond Sutra.

Perhaps only the Bunny Girl Warrior and the Pharmacist Yuan, who took a life-saving pill, are truly fearless...

Suddenly, the pharmacist hugged the bunny girl from behind and whispered in her ear, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "I will protect you."

boom!
As the Dragon Subduing Seal descended, a ferocious black dragon roared and crashed into the earth, engulfing the five people from Shudao Mountain!

(End of this chapter)