Scourge Messenger

Chapter 212 Returning to Chang'an

Outside the Jinguang Gate of Chang'an City, the eight-carriage road, which should have been the most bustling and crowded road in the outer county town, was now closed to traffic for ten miles. All shops were closed, all windows were shut, and no unauthorized personnel were allowed to approach.

The imperial road was lined with guards adorned with gold and jade, their banners billowing to the sky, cutting the sunlight into a carpet for one person to enjoy alone. Behind the attendants stood high-ranking officials in crimson robes, their crowns stretching as far as the Zhou dynasty sky. To the left were the ministers of the Six Ministries, and to the right were the generals of the various guards. In their respective ministries, they were all extravagant figures whose mere presence could affect the livelihoods of millions, yet at this moment they were all insignificant underlings.

Before them stood the emperor's palanquin. This young emperor, who had been nearly imprisoned in the palace for the previous ten years due to the control of the physician Moke, was leaving the palace for the first time after regaining power to lead his officials in welcoming the new Duke of Jin.

As the carriage appeared on the horizon, the guards sounded their horns, a row of guards blowing horns every five steps the carriage took. By the time the carriage reached the imperial palace, the horn sounds had become a continuous chorus, echoing across the fields and resounding throughout Chang'an!

"Welcome back in triumph to the Duke of Jin after his campaign against the rebels!"

The officials' congratulatory shouts surged like a tidal wave, the ceremonial guard played instruments that stirred the hearts of the people, and the emperor stepped out of his imperial carriage to personally greet them. Even the Medicine Buddha Moke had never been so majestic.

A hand pulled back the carriage curtain, and a graceful yet valiant young woman stepped out. Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail, the ends of which were tinged with a faint pink. She walked into the sunlight, looking down at the emperor and his officials with a calm, still gaze, her presence dignified without a word.

This is the first time she has appeared in such a setting as 'Bhaisajyaguru's Wish' rather than 'Bhaisajyaguru Mokha's Daughter', and her first appearance puts her above all living beings.

Another medicine master, Moke, even younger and more favored by the ancestor... Seeing this scene, many people had the same thought, but without exception, they all bowed their heads in reverence: "Congratulations to the Duke of Jin!"

"Congratulations to the Duke of Jin," Emperor Yaoshi Jue Luo said, bowing slightly and cupping his hands in greeting.

The pharmacist looked at the young emperor before him and knew that it was he who had plotted to frame and kill his father and ordered the extermination of the entire pharmacist clan of Ba River.

To be fair, Yaoshi Yuan didn't hate him. Anyone who became emperor but was controlled by a powerful minister would feel resentful and turn against him. If Yaoshi Moke hadn't been so ruthless and nepotistic, the emperor's counterattack wouldn't have been so fierce. It was like a gentle push that caused the mountains to collapse and buildings to crumble. Except for a few generals, most of the military garrisons turned against the Yaoshi family on the spot after receiving orders and captured the Yaoshi family members of Bashui. The only person who escaped was Yaoshi Yuan.

The father was destined to lose, and the pharmacist only regretted that he did not lose to his own father, but instead became a sacrifice for the emperor's rise to power.

The pharmacist had imagined that when she returned to Chang'an, she would surely terrify her enemies, but in reality, all the officials came out to pay homage; she would openly reclaim the family business of the Ba River pharmacists, but in reality, everything was returned to her with interest; she wanted to seize the throne and rule the world as the Ba River pharmacist, but in reality, even the emperor had to bow down to her, the Duke of Jin.

Her wish to make a comeback was fulfilled in less than half a month, so much so that the escape, determination, and calamities of those two weeks seemed like a joke.

It's just not funny at all.

Despite having obtained everything she wanted, and even more and better than she had ever desired, and now even able to command the emperor to abdicate, with no official daring to disobey, Yaoshi Yuan felt neither excited nor any sense of triumph.

Because these people are not submitting to him, but to the Dragon-Locking Master.

How many people are at the third level in the Zhou Kingdom? Each of the twenty-four military prefectures has at least one, and with all the other miscellaneous ones, there are probably more than fifty people. Among these fifty people, only a handful can be valued by those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage. The last person valued by a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator was the Medicine Master Mo Ke, who ruled the Zhou Kingdom for nearly twenty years. If it weren't for the passing of the Medicine Master Chang Qiu, he would have continued to rule. No matter how much the emperor hated him, he could only endure it.

Master Suolong personally promised her power, treasure, and influence, so Yaoshiyuan had everything she could want in the mortal world. With a flick of her wrist, she could create clouds and rain; this was the power of those at the Foundation Establishment stage. Once they issued a decree, it was a destiny that all beings had to obey.

But even with boundless mountains and rivers, one still cannot save the people they care about.

The pharmacist suddenly felt a sense of loss, turned around and went back to the carriage, and ordered, "Return to the manor."

"Respectfully seeing off the Duke of Jin."

The emperor and his officials immediately retreated to the sides of the road, and no one dared to whisper. But Yaoshi knew that all the civil and military officials outside must think that she was more domineering and arrogant than her father. She also knew how to behave to win over some people. She had even prepared for this moment for a long time because she felt that her father had done a really bad job and that she would definitely do better... But she was not in the mood for that at all.

It's ironic, really. The pharmacist used to think her father should befriend the virtuous and distance himself from the wicked, but now she can't even be bothered to befriend the wicked. Perhaps it's because she's grown up, or perhaps it's because she now harbors a far greater ambition, so grand that even a small kingdom like Zhou can't bear it.

As she passed through the Golden Gate, Yaoshi Yuan opened the window and looked out. Ever since the immortal orders appeared on the trading board, she would take a look at it every time she passed by.

I haven't checked for half a month, so I don't know what kind of orders are currently being placed on the trading board.

She glanced at it quickly; the advanced sword technique mastery manual was only 178,000 in the auction. So cheap? Could it be that it would always be available for sale?

Feathered Boots, 56,000, second-tier rare boots, worth the price... Nightfall Jade Pendant, 122,000, third-tier rare defensive item...

Seven Star Sword, forty-three thousand...

Seven Star Sword?
The pharmacist's heart stirred, but the carriage had already passed by. She sat silently in the carriage until she heard the voice outside saying "The head of the family is returning home." Then the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Wu Qiu Shi Dong got off the carriage first, then helped her down from the outside.

Looking at the vast Duke of Jin's mansion, she silently murmured in her heart, "Father, I'm back."

The interior decoration seemed unchanged, but the unfamiliar, timid servants and the faint stains on the wooden beams and stone lamps hinted at the bloody massacre that had taken place half a month ago. The Ba River Pharmacist's house was still there, but she was all alone now.

“From now on, you will be the chief stewards, in charge of all affairs within the manor,” Yaoshi Yuan suddenly said.

"Ah?" Shi Dong exclaimed in surprise, "The, the Grand Steward? But I've always served you, Miss, I didn't know..."

“Yes, Miss.” Wu Qiu agreed readily. “We will help you, Miss… help you, the head of the family, manage the Duke’s mansion well, keep a close eye on everyone, and ensure that no problems arise in the mansion.”

"You can continue to call me Miss, no need to change your address." The Pharmacist shook her head: "Although you are in charge, don't spend too much time on it. Cultivation is the foundation of everything." Her tone was as casual as if she were giving a child two small toys, reminding them that it was more important not to get too obsessed with studying.

With the apothecary's decree, Wuqiu and Shidong naturally took over all the servants of the Duke's mansion immediately. Although Shidong had been timid just now, he was now in high spirits, directing the servants to do this and that. Even Wuqiu couldn't contain her excitement and spoke louder.

For them, who had lived in the Duke's mansion since childhood, the head steward was the ceiling they could ever reach in their lives. They thought they would only be able to get this position in their son-in-law's house after their young mistress got married. They never expected that they could become the head of the Duke's mansion at such a young age. Apart from their young mistress, son-in-law, and their future children, they were practically the highest-ranking people in the Duke's mansion!

Looking at their triumphant expressions, Yaoshiyuan vaguely understood how Suolong Zhenren viewed her. But it wasn't all bad; Yaoshiyuan even felt a little envious. If she hadn't met her sister, she would probably be holding a grand banquet for her officials, preparing to take over the Zhou Kingdom and enjoy supreme power. It would be so wonderful it would be intoxicating, otherwise her father wouldn't have indulged in the wine of power for twenty years.

But those who have experienced helplessness find it hard to enjoy life with peace of mind, because helplessness is a demon that even the fiercest wolf cannot get rid of. They can only be chased by the demon for a lifetime, running wildly on the vast grassland, and dare not rest even when they are exhausted.

The only solution is to erase the feeling of powerlessness from one's life, do what one couldn't do before, and save those who couldn't be saved before.

Yaoshi did not move into her father's Changqiu Courtyard, but returned to her own courtyard. Her boudoir was as spotless as ever, as if she had really only gone to Shudao Mountain to hunt down thieves for half a month, and someone had been cleaning the house all along.

Wu Qiu arrived shortly after, carrying a stack of papers: "Miss, as you instructed, this is a list of the immortals' orders over the past two weeks."

The pharmacist would sit down and examine each one individually, occasionally noting the numbers on a piece of white paper.

As the records were made, Yaoshi Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim. When he saw one of the sheets of paper, he even instinctively broke his precious Yaomei Lake brush, worth hundreds of jade pieces.

Wu Qiu immediately took out a new brush from the cabinet next to her, but the pharmacist waved her hand to indicate that she didn't need it. She lit a candle and burned all the papers, then conjured a fine steel spear and walked into the courtyard. Suddenly, she began to practice her spear technique, startling the fallen leaves on the ground. The spear moved like a dragon dancing wildly, but Wu Qiu beside her had nothing but worry in her eyes.

She had never seen the young lady like this before, so lost and confused... Even when she learned of the master's death, the young lady had never been so at a loss.

"what!"

With a loud shout, the pharmacist turned and thrust her spear through the steel doll in the courtyard, piercing its entire head! She breathed softly, her face covered in sweat, which dripped down her cheeks and onto her breastplate, but the anger in her heart did not dissipate at all; instead, it grew stronger.

She even wanted to go to the thieves' house right now, find Yellow Dog, and ask him why.

When the Pharmacist saw the Seven Star Sword and Flying Feather Boots appear in the Immortal Orders section, she realized something was amiss. After reviewing the orders from the past two weeks, her suspicions were confirmed: the Immortal Orders occasionally featured items they had previously acquired, even matching the dates; just a couple of days ago, tokens from two members of the Helan family had appeared! The behind-the-scenes merchant had no intention of hiding anything, or perhaps he wasn't afraid of being discovered.

They gave all the spoils they didn't need to Bunny Girl, who said her brother would help them sell them, guaranteeing a high price and quick returns.

The pharmacist had previously thought that Bunny Girl's brother was a well-connected black market merchant, since finding a suitable buyer was necessary to sell the token at a high price... Who knew that her brother had channels to trade with anyone in the world and was the only seller, so it would be strange if it didn't sell quickly.

The yellow dog is the mastermind behind it all!

(End of this chapter)