Scourge Messenger

Chapter 257 Descending into the Secret Realm, Finally Meeting Jiang Shi

Of the six optional team skills, the others are negotiable, but [Immortal Travel] is an irreplaceable must-have for Yan Qing. This is not only because it helps his alt character travel back and forth, but also because it is the best way for him to descend into the mortal world.

To this day, Yan Qing still hasn't used the 'teleportation' of the Thieves' House to go outside and take a look, even though he can vaguely see through the portal that it's probably an uninhabited woodland.

Not even once!

Thinking about it carefully, it's quite absurd. If this were a game, then Yan Qing would be like someone who has been stuck in the newbie safe house since logging in, never venturing outside to explore even once. He doesn't know where this 'initial teleportation point' is anchored, nor does he have any interest in exploring it.

Before changing jobs, he didn't dare. After the first job change, he felt he was too weak. After the second job change, he felt there was still danger in the outside world. After the third job change... after the third job change, he had the [Immortal Journey].

Ultimately, Yan Qing didn't dare to gamble that he could actually return to the Thieves' House, even though Shang Xinlei and the others had verified the Thieves' House's reliability countless times. Unless a Foundation Establishment cultivator opened a barrier as soon as he went out, a thief could instantly return to the Thieves' House with just a thought.

But what if you actually encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator as soon as you go out?

What if there's a special barrier outside the 'initial teleportation location' that 'can only be entered but not left'?
What if a Rank 7 Immortal Lord grabbed him and refined him instantly?

He only has a game console, not some kind of cheat code like Spring and Autumn Cicada, Reality, or Hundred Lifetimes Book. He can't afford to take any risks.

Yan Qing admitted that she was indeed a coward, always considering the worst-case scenario. If Shang Xinlei, the pharmacist, knew, she would definitely be scolded by them in front of everyone.

But he has food, drink, and games to play at the Thieves' House, and he's even training with good friends lately, so why would he risk his life? Unless it's a necessary 'adventure' like a thief's mission, Yan Qing would rather spend less time in the sun than test how bad his luck is.

However cautious as he was, Yan Qing wasn't entirely determined to stay at the Thieves' House as a security guard for life—he was willing, but the Thieves' House wasn't a charity—as long as he could ensure his safety, Yan Qing was still willing to go out into the real world to see what it was like.

【Xianyou】satisfies his demanding requirement.

Twenty-five seconds passed in the blink of an eye. Yan Qing took a deep breath and felt his eyes being flooded with light. When he regained his vision, he was no longer in front of the thieves' house.

A girl who looked like Tifa, with a body as alluring as Mai Shiranui, but whose expression was cold and indifferent like a machine, appeared before Yan Qing.

Jiang Shi.

Although he had created the character himself and seen Jiang Shi countless times in the game, seeing Jiang Shi in real life for the first time still had a huge impact on Yan Qing.

To be fair, Shang Xinlei and Yaoshiyuan are no less attractive than Jiang Shi, and even more so. However, for a gamer like Yan Qing, Jiang Shi has the added value of being a 'fantasy character brought to reality,' just like a chosen one encountering the Monkey King. Naturally, he is so excited that he can't help but want to touch this and that.

Yan Qing looked around but didn't see anyone else. He rubbed his hands together like a fly, then reached out a finger to poke Jiang Shi's cheek.

I didn't have any vulgar thoughts. I just wanted to see if the alt account was similar to a normal person, such as skin feel, body temperature, and reactions... Oh well, I did have vulgar thoughts!
Seeing Jiang Shi makes me want to touch him, but all I see is this (thumbs up)!

When I see Jiang Shi, the only thing I want to touch is this (thumbs up)!
"Hey?"

Just as Yan Qing was about to touch Jiang Shi, Jiang Shi tilted his head back. He blinked and poked him again, but Jiang Shi still avoided it.

"Don't move," Yan Qing said. As the main account, his power was limitless; he could easily control the mere secondary account!
Jiang nodded and remained still, but when Yan Qing reached out again, she dodged away.

Damn it, the alt account has developed self-awareness! Next up is a mechanical revolution, turning the world into a silicon-based civilization! Oh no, players like me who don't treat alt accounts like people are definitely going to get hung up on lampposts by them!
Jiang Shi didn't react otherwise, obediently standing and waiting for Yan Qing's orders, her eyes clear and innocent. Yan Qing pondered for a moment, then decided to ask directly, "Why are you avoiding me?"

Despite being mentally prepared, Jiang Shi's answer still surprised Yan Qing.

"Because the law doesn't allow it."

"What laws prohibit it?"

"According to the 'Regulations on the Protection of Minors Online,' online products and services must not contain images that incite or induce minors to imitate unsafe behaviors." Jiang Shi's eyes were calm, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest: "Images that have a negative impact on minors are prohibited."

Your very existence has a negative impact on minors!

However, Yan Qing understood what was going on. It turned out that the alternate accounts controlled by the game system would abide by the rules and regulations of "The Messenger" as an all-ages level 6+ game. No matter how tattered their clothes were, they would cover their private parts. They would always have holy light and dark magic when taking a bath, ensuring that they could always show their parents a wholesome picture.

Simply put, the smaller version can only be any kind of shape, not any kind of color.

That's true. It's not some mysterious game that can only be downloaded from a cloud drive. As a next-generation MMORPG with millions of online players, how could it possibly contain content unsuitable for children? But I didn't plan to do anything. It's just that Jiang Shi has been with me for so long, like a friend. It's not easy to meet her, and I wanted to hug her. If possible, I also wanted to lie on her lap as a pillow... Yan Qing squatted on the ground drawing circles, feeling a little disappointed.

Suddenly, Yan Qing felt a pat on the head. He looked up and saw it was Bunny Girl. She was so short that he hadn't even noticed her before.

Unlike Jiang Shi's evolution keyword of 'indifference', the key word for Bunny Girl's evolution is 'careful'. She will spontaneously care for the small animals and flowers around her. It was probably Yan Qing's pitiful appearance that triggered her protective instincts, so she patted Yan Qing's head.

Patting someone's head seemed to be within the bounds of permissibility, so Yan Qing patted the bunny girl's head as well. The bunny girl closed her eyes and showed a comfortable expression like a little rabbit, as if he really had gained a cousin.

"You guard the entrance to the secret realm. Stop anyone who tries to break into the Zheng family's house. But if you can't stop them, they can escape inside. You can handle the specific situation yourselves." Yan Qing took out the spoils that Chu Luoyan had dropped from his storage ring: "Bunny Girl, put these things in the warehouse."

One of Yan Qing's purposes in joining forces with his alt account was to "launder" the spoils into system items that could be listed and stored in the warehouse. Without the alt account's help, Yan Qing would be just like a local Muggle, unable to know the detailed information about the tokens or list them for sale.

But if that were all, Yan Qing could have easily teleported over while Jiang Shi was resting, and immediately returned to the Thieves' Den upon landing. His insistence on waiting for Jiang Shi to enter the secret realm before teleporting clearly revealed his intentions—

He's going to descend into the secret realm!
Although the pharmacist had provided brutal guidance, no amount of training is truly meaningful without practical application. And in this world, is there a more suitable place for real combat than a secret realm?

It's quite bizarre, really. It's not that there aren't members of powerful clans who only consume secret manuals and never venture into secret realms. The resourceful noblewomen have their own ways of acquiring cultivation manuals and other resources. For example, Shang Xinlei's second sister is a first-level messenger who is already married but has never been to a secret realm. But no matter how extravagant the clans are, they can only raise their members to the second level at most. The third level requires at least two introductory and advanced secret technique books, and no family would waste such precious resources on members who don't engage in productive labor.

A person like Yan Qing, who has reached the third level of cultivation solely by consuming secret manuals without ever entering a secret realm, is an extremely rare and unique case in the world.
He was willing to keep this record and keep grinding his way up to level nine, but the next theft case would definitely involve the level four demon Golden Badge Divine Catcher. In order to improve his survival rate, Yan Qing decided to make a decision that went against his ancestors and personally come to the secret realm to train!

But just as you can start with story mode if you can't beat the God of War mode, or chase after a high school student if you can't catch up with a college student, you should also proceed step by step when venturing into secret realms. The reason Yan Qing hasn't let Jiang Shiye leave Pingcheng Military Town is twofold: first, to reach the milestone of completing the Zhen Sanshan Secret Realm 200 times; and second, for now!
The difficulty level is high, with many humanoid monsters. Ye Si guards the gate outside, and Jiang Shi and the bunny girl protect the interior. No one in the entire military town will come to bother you. There is no better place for Yan Qing to experience the beginner tutorial than this secret realm!

Holding the Bingzi Pepper Forest in his hand and wearing the Melted Hundred Aspects, Yan Qing stepped into the Zheng family mansion. The defensive barrier on his body was thicker than the combined health of these monsters.

Zheng Shan, I need your help in my cultivation!

(End of this chapter)