Scourge Messenger

Chapter 243 The refreshing breeze carrying the scent of green grass

Without a mask, armor, or any disguise, and adorned entirely in luxurious brocade and ribbons, with her hair styled in a wine-red ponytail, Yaoshi Yuan looked like a noblewoman who had just run away from home.

Perhaps it was because Yan Qing and Shang Xinlei's gazes were too direct, climbing up the mountainside, that even the usually open and honest Pharmacist Yuan couldn't help but cover his chest. "What's wrong? This was changed by my maid... Is it not suitable?"

“No, she suits you perfectly,” Shang Xinlei said immediately, then leaned close to Yan Qing’s ear and said sarcastically, “You never said she was this pretty.”

"Indeed, she looks quite good. She would look even better in black stockings!" Yan Qing nodded. This was the first time he had seen Yaoshi Yuan's true appearance in real life. She was indeed even more beautiful than in the game. This was probably one of the few advantages of being in the real world.

Shang Xinlei poked his waist hard, grinding her teeth as she said, "Does what I'm saying sound like I'm asking for your opinion?"

The pharmacist walked up to Shang Xinlei. Although the pharmacist, once she removed her mask, was just a beautiful woman with a sharp and imposing aura, Shang Xinlei remembered that she had just spoken ill of her. She promptly shrank behind Yan Qing and blinked, asking, "What's wrong?"

The pharmacist slowly lowered his head and bowed to Shang Xinlei.

“I’m sorry,” she said earnestly. “I’ve been speaking rudely to you these past few days… I know that your relationship with the yellow dog isn’t that sordid, but I just can’t control myself from taking it out on you.”

Black Wolf actually apologized to me?

So unexpectedly, Shang Xinlei was stunned. She pushed Yan Qing aside, looked at the bowing pharmacist Yuan with some confusion, and finally grabbed her shoulder to help her up. "I really didn't expect you to apologize to me for this... Okay, I accept it."

"Aren't you angry?" the pharmacist asked. "I said a lot of hurtful things to you before and after this mission. Although I had my reasons, I don't think you should forgive me... If Huang Quan hadn't given me a stern warning during the mission because of this, I wouldn't even have realized my mistake."

Shang Xinlei looked at Yan Qing with some surprise. Yan Qing turned his head away from the stone table, thinking, "Pharmacist, if you want to apologize, then apologize. Why bring me up? This will lower the purity of your apology."

Moreover, for some reason, Yan Qing felt a little embarrassed that the pharmacist had pointed this out.

But this is Yaoshi Yuan—ruthless to enemies like autumn leaves falling, yet upright and clear about right and wrong with her own people, like the leader of a wolf pack, fangs pointing forward, back to the pack. Shang Xinlei's earlier comment about Yaoshi Yuan's arrogance is true, because she always felt she was the undisputed leader. If she had to resort to schemes and tricks with her own people, it would be tantamount to admitting she lacked the ability to lead... which would be the greatest humiliation for Yaoshi Yuan.

"Of course I'm angry, but not to the point of holding a grudge. I'm usually very busy, and I don't have much room for hatred." Shang Xinlei laughed. "Besides, I caused you trouble during the mission. If Huang Quan and I hadn't separated from the team, it wouldn't have turned into just you and Bai Hu ambushing Shang Xuanwen, and we would have troubled you to come and rescue him... If we have to settle accounts, I might owe you more. Huang Quan and I haven't apologized for this!"

“Actually, you’re the only one who should apologize,” Yan Qing reminded him.

"No one else is allowed to interrupt us!" Shang Xinlei glared at him.

“You brought us gifts back then, and White Fox and I have long since forgiven you,” said Pharmacist Yuan. “Besides, your trip to the palace was indeed part of the plan.”

“So this is enough.” Shang Xinlei said, holding her hand. “After all, we’ve been teammates on three missions together, and we’ll continue to work side by side in the future. How can we possibly keep track of every single thing? But Black Wolf, is it really okay for you to take off your mask? This is a thief’s den.”

“Huang Quan knows my identity perfectly well. Since you know something about me, it means he has already talked to you about my situation. There is no need for me to pretend in front of you.” The pharmacist said seriously, “Besides, an apology without revealing one’s true face would be too insincere.”

"That makes sense." Shang Xinlei pondered for a moment, "Since that's the case—"

Yan Qing realized something, but before he could speak, Shang Xinlei had already taken off her scarf and mask, lifted her hood to reveal a head of beautiful hair, and stood in front of Yaoshi Yuan with a radiant look. She let out a long breath and said cheerfully, "I've wanted to take it off for a long time. It's so hot that my neck is covered in sweat. It's much easier to talk like this."

"That's not what I meant." The pharmacist was somewhat amused and exasperated. "I don't know your identity, so there's no need for you to reveal your true face to me... Aren't you afraid I'll find you in reality?"

"Wouldn't that be even better? I don't have many friends in real life, but I can show you around Jiangnan City when you come here," Shang Xinlei said casually. "Besides, I believe that someone who can become friends with Huang Quan's men is definitely not a bad person."

The pharmacist was taken aback: "Could it be that you also..."

"Let me keep the specific details to myself, otherwise you'll easily guess who I am. But unlike you, I didn't have your courage and strength back then, and I didn't fight alongside her. You did what I couldn't do back then... That alone is enough for me to believe in you." Shang Xinlei looked at her: "Before, I always thought that you and someone as arrogant and oblivious as Bai Hu were not suitable to associate with, but perhaps you are both exceptions. Since we are friends, showing our faces is the most basic courtesy."

“I’m not like a few people who hide things all the time,” Shang Xinlei said, glancing sideways at Yan Qing. “We all have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, so I don’t know what’s there to keep secret.”

The pharmacist glanced at Yan Qing, who was still wearing a mask and standing motionless, and chuckled: "Could it be because he looks too ugly? I've seen many strangely shaped demonic messengers in the Shu Road Mountains. As the saying goes, the face reflects the heart. A person with a dark heart might have a face full of pockmarks."

“That makes a lot of sense.” Shang Xinlei nodded seriously: “Besides, if someone is hiding all the time and never sees anyone, even if they were originally good-looking, their appearance will definitely become more and more sinister.”

Yan Qing remained calm and pretended not to hear anything. No matter what nonsense you say, I'm just wearing a mask.

He wasn't surprised at all that Shang Xinlei took off her mask. Shang Xinlei appeared to be a refined young lady from a wealthy family in the Jiangnan water towns, but inside she was a chivalrous heroine, loyal, chivalrous, and trustworthy. She had previously shown concern for Jiang Shi, and later even worried about the Rabbit Girl Warrior she had never met. Both the story of Yaoshi Yuan and the Rabbit Girl Warrior, and Yaoshi Yuan's voluntary apology, were perfectly suited to Shang Xinlei's tastes. Their past arguments had become a mark of their growing friendship.

Yan Qing was certain that when Shang Xinlei took off her mask, she must have felt incredibly handsome, because her face was flushed. Apart from the time Yan Qing took off her stockings, she had never seen Shang Xinlei so excited.

"Your words only make me feel like I've made a terrible mistake." The pharmacist sighed, his voice filled with remorse. "To think that I would associate you with someone like Yellow Dog is an insult to you!"

Shang Xinlei originally wanted to say not to worry about it, but upon hearing this, she immediately changed her tone and said sadly, "It's good that you know."

"Actually, I've wanted to ask this for a long time: why did you two end up having dinner together back then?"

“In the Jiangnan City case, I owed Huang Quan a lot, and I had to cook for him every day to pay it back little by little.” Shang Xinlei sighed, “I also occasionally had to bring him late-night snacks.”

"So you're just in a debtor-creditor relationship? You're really not... lovers?"

Shang Xinlei countered, "How do we differ in appearance?"

“Although I’ve never seen what he looks like, I imagine he’s not good-looking at all. The difference between him and you is like that between a mongrel and a fairy,” the pharmacist said. Shang Xinlei then asked, “How do our character differ?”

"He is dark-hearted, acts eccentrically, and is greedy and lustful. You always take the initiative to protect him whenever a conflict breaks out in the Thieves' House. Compared to you, he is like a mouse seeing the bright moon."

"So what's your conclusion?"

"I apologize for my poor judgment back then. I shouldn't have done that. I was completely blinded by anger at the time, which is why I made such an absurd judgment."

"I sincerely accept your apology."

Yan Qing watched as they chatted more and more enthusiastically, feeling completely lost.

No, have I become invisible, or have I reduced my presence to the minimum? Am I hypnotizing you so you can pretend I don't exist? Now, not only in Liang, but even in Zhou, there's a custom of speaking ill of others to their faces?
He coughed twice deliberately, and Shang Xinlei glanced at him impatiently: "If your throat is sore, I'll bring you some plum juice tomorrow. Just bear with it for now. By the way, Black Wolf, do you want to have lunch together tomorrow?"

After thinking for a moment, the pharmacist said, "With the Dragon-Snake Seven Kills, I will probably stay in the military town for a long time. When I'm conquering the secret realm, it might take a whole day. I should be able to come tomorrow, but it's hard to say after that. But I will come whenever I have time."

Shang Xinlei blinked. Wait, didn't I only invite you to lunch tomorrow? It seems like you're planning to become a regular guest at lunch from now on? Did I imply that?

She suddenly sensed something was slightly off; her numb intuition began to warn her, but the pharmacist was already looking at Yan Qing.

"Yellow Dog," the Pharmacist suddenly said, taking out the Dragon-Snake Seven Kills artifact, "what do you think of this legendary token?"

"It suits you perfectly, making up for your weaknesses and bringing out your strengths," Yan Qing commented. "If you had the Dragon-Snake Seven Kills technique tonight, you could have taken care of all the constables from the Divine Marquis's Mansion and Chu Luoyan all by yourself."

“I also think it suits me very well,” the pharmacist said leisurely as he withdrew the Dragon-Snake Seven Kills, “but this is what I deserve, so don’t expect me to thank you.”

"No, no, no, this is what I gave to you."

How could Yan Qing possibly let go of this opportunity to manipulate the Pharmacist's wish? She immediately widened her eyes and said, "If I hadn't never intended to bid, how could you have possibly won?"

"Didn't you bid in the auction? In the end, you even bid the same price as me."

"I just don't want White Fox to win with only 56 Thief Points! If her points were similar to ours this time, I wouldn't even bid, and I'd just watch you two fight it out."

"But you did bid against me, you can't deny that, can you?" The pharmacist crossed his arms and sneered. "You didn't bid at first because you wanted to give up the position, but who knows if you changed your mind later? Actions speak louder than words. Since you showed your intention to bid, don't expect me to thank you. Besides, we were tied for first place in points, it's not like you had more points than me. There's no question of who gave way to whom, I won it based on my own merit."

In truth, Yan Qing hadn't intended to use this favor for anything. At most, she'd use it to suppress Yao Shiyuan when her attitude was bad. If Yao Shiyuan were in a better mood now, Yan Qing probably wouldn't even dare to use it. But Yao Shiyuan had become so infuriating, and Yan Qing, being no pushover, naturally lost her temper as well.

"Alright, what about the Return Order?" Yan Qing said, "If I hadn't used the Return Order, you and the White Fox might already be prisoners of Master Suolong!"

"How can you complete the mission without a Return Token? Didn't you say you'd only use it for yourself?" Pharmacist Yuan retorted, "You saved me, didn't you? You saved your chance to stay in the Thieves' Den. You only saved White Fox and me on a whim, and that merit has already been taken into account by the Thieves' Den. Otherwise, how could you have won two rewards? White Fox and I ambushed Shang Xuanwen in Jiangnan City and saved you. Did we ask you for anything in return? No, because we did it for ourselves. Besides, the Thieves' Den has already rewarded us. How dare you think we need to repay you? Shameless."

Yan Qing's fists hardened: "Where's the lava pool? Where's the rabbit girl? This thief's family didn't reward me. Let's see what you have to say now."

The pharmacist looked incredulous: "Have you forgotten that one of my purposes in going to the lava pool was to take away the rare iron? You were supposed to help me dive into the lava pool, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to complete the mission. As for Bunny Girl, how dare you even mention that? Have you forgotten how much Bunny Girl has done for you? I didn't expect that besides your appearance and personality, you also have such a big problem with your memory."

"What good did it do me to save Bunny Girl? None! On the contrary, after Bunny Girl escaped, she returned to your service and will continue to work for you in the future. You are the biggest beneficiary of this, and you actually think I should thank you? Shouldn't you be the one thanking me? I've never seen such a shameless person in my life!"

As she spoke, she poked Yan Qing's chest until he stumbled back to the edge of the stone table, her slender figure seemingly about to press down on him. Even though she had achieved her goals for this mission—Yan Qing had been providing assistance the whole time—she had ironically suppressed him, leaving him unable to even refute her!

Shang Xinlei, listening from the side, wanted to applaud, but her unease grew stronger, and she felt that something was wrong.

Yan Qing was never good at debating; he would spend an entire night thinking of strategies to refute someone. Under such a fierce attack from Yao Shiyuan, his mind simply couldn't organize any effective logic. But now he had nowhere to retreat, and it would be too weak to remain silent. He could only grit his teeth and ask, "What exactly do you want to say?"

“We’re even.” The pharmacist stared into the dog-head mask’s eyes and poked Yan Qing’s chest, saying, “You don’t owe me anything, and I don’t owe you anything. Let’s start from scratch.”

Yan Qing remained silent for a moment, but felt a sense of relief.

This is exactly what he wanted.

To be honest, Yan Qing had actually wondered if Yao Shiyuan would get closer to him because of this mission, so Yan Qing was very careful about his words, afraid that he would win Yao Shiyuan over as soon as he opened his mouth - fortunately no one knew about his thoughts, otherwise it would have become a "don't laugh" challenge.

As long as the pharmacist is willing to maintain a teammate's distance, Yan Qing will have one less person to care about. Whether he abandons the Rabbit Girl or other alt accounts in the future, or competes with the pharmacist for rewards, he will not have to consider the pharmacist's feelings.

It's understandable that the pharmacist would do this. They were brought together by Bunny Girl, and now that Bunny Girl is in a safe place, they have no reason to have any contact outside of their thieving activities.

She was probably worried that I would pester her, so she quickly took this opportunity to distance herself from me.

But... there's still a little bit of melancholy.

Yan Qing composed herself and nodded, saying, "Okay, let's do as you say. We'll even, and start from scratch—"

A fragrant breeze wafted into Yan Qing's arms, carrying a faint scent of sweat, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was like lying on the grass after a workout, feeling the refreshing scent of grass carried by the wind.

(End of this chapter)