Scourge Messenger

Chapter 288 Embrace
Yan Qing was stunned.

Really? I made Yaoshi Yuan cry? For a moment, he couldn't decide whether slapping Ying Le or making Yaoshi Yuan cry was more worth bragging about.

However, seeing the sadness in Yaoshi Yuan's eyes, Yan Qing vaguely guessed what was going on and quickly got away from her. Yaoshi Yuan slowly sat up, staring down at the ground, letting the warm blood slide down her cheeks.

A tattered strip of cloth was handed to him from the side.

"Wipe off the blood," Yan Qing said.

The pharmacist looked at the fairly clean strip of white cloth in her hand, and her vision suddenly blurred. She wiped the water from her face and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry."

"Did you feel better after venting your frustrations?"

After a long silence, Yan Qing didn't mind, thinking the other person wanted to quietly lick their wounds. That was the kind of person Yao Shiyuan was; she swallowed all her bitterness herself, preferring death to revealing her weakness. Even the Bunny Girl only received her care; she was determined not to rely on anyone.

“Shi Dong isn’t afraid of the Dragon-Locking Bodhisattva,” Yaoshi Yuan suddenly said, “she’s afraid of me.”

Yan Qing was taken aback: "Why?"

“She’s afraid she’ll suffer this torture again because of me.” The pharmacist covered his eyes with a white cloth and took a deep breath: “It’s my fault for not being able to protect her.”

Last night, Yaoshiyuan watched as Shidong huddled in the corner, trembling with fear. Every time Yaoshiyuan took a step closer, Shidong's body trembled even more. In the past, they were as close as sisters, sharing everything and often sleeping together as mistress and servant. But now, if Yaoshiyuan touched Shidong even slightly, Shidong would cower like a snail, trying her best to hide herself.

Although it is said that the master and servant share both glory and loss, and although Wu Qiu Shi Dong would have died long ago without her, although... the pharmacist could not deceive himself. It was indeed she who implicated the maid. If she had not saved the Rabbit Heroine, Wu Qiu Shi Dong would not have been tortured at all.

Rationally speaking, Yaoshiyuan knew she had done her best. The Bunny Girl was rescued, and the Dragon-Locking Master was kept in the dark. Only Wuqiu and Shidong were injured, but they would recover. She could have a clear conscience. However, Yaoshiyuan's biggest deficiency was rationality. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken two maids to Mount Shu in the first place. If the Bunny Girl hadn't appeared, she might have perished along the way.

She no longer clung to the title of Ba Shui Pharmacist, but she had lived her entire life for dignity... so she was very sad.

She should have been able to control her emotions. She was the Duke of Jin, a third-level messenger, and the head of the Ba River Pharmacist family. She had to remain calm and composed; any show of weakness would only invite contempt. However, Yan Qing instantly saw through her feigned strength and said decisively, "I need you." At that moment, her heart stirred, and a small leak could sink a great ship, causing her emotions to surge wildly.

“I won’t leave, and neither will they.” The pharmacist kept wiping her eyes with the back of her hand: “They are different from me…they can’t adapt to a life of constant movement.”

“Besides, I am the Duke of Jin in the Zhou Kingdom,” she said, turning her head to look at Yan Qing, a smile playing on her dirty face. “If I go with you, you’d better give me some status, right?”

"Heh, it seems my temple is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha as you." Yan Qing conjured a bell in his hand: "Take it."

"what?"

"Junyan's bell, a talisman," Yan Qing said. "Since you refuse to come, take it and keep it with you. It can restore spiritual power and is very suitable for your Dragon-Snake Seven Kills."

Among this group, Yaoshi Yuan is the one most lacking in spiritual energy. Firstly, her fighting style is high consumption and high output, and secondly, she uses two-handed weapons and cannot absorb spiritual jade barehanded. 【Jun Yan's Bell】 is most suitable for messengers with area-of-effect skills, and Yaoshi Yuan's Dragon and Snake Seven Kills has a regular area-of-effect skill.

The pharmacist examined the bell closely and suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm wondering if you'll give me a gift if I let you win just once."

"What do you mean, 'let's throw the game'?!" Yan Qing's eyes widened. "I clearly defeated you at your peak! A flawless victory!"

"If you say so, then so be it." Yaoshiyuan put away the bell. "But if that's not the reason, then why are you so concerned about me?" Meeting Yaoshiyuan's direct gaze, Yan Qing's mind raced, and he came up with a perfect answer: "Just like the reason you're concerned about why I'm not dead yet."

"I care about you because you are my leader."

"I care about you because I am your leader!"

"So you mean you won't kick me out of the organization anymore?" Pharmacist Yuan immediately leaned closer: "You can't go back on your word, or I'll lose my temper."

Yan Qing never expected that she would be caught in her own trap. After thinking it over, she could only give her a helpless glance.

"No more rushing, no more rushing."

“Then our organization can’t just add people randomly anymore. New members can only join if they are unanimously approved by everyone!” the pharmacist said.

Good grief, you locked the car doors as soon as you got in, huh?

"besides,"

The pharmacist opened her arms and hugged his neck... no longer a fleeting touch, no longer cautious... she pressed herself tightly against Yan Qing, her voluptuous figure squeezing into his embrace without reservation... as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Don't die!"

Yan Qing was somewhat at a loss, but he still reached out and gently stroked her hair, though his movements were a little stiff. He suddenly understood why Yao Shiyuan was so surprised to see him today... because she only had a few important people in her life. The Bunny Girl Warrior couldn't be reunited, Wu Qiu and Shi Dong encountered misfortune, and he hadn't appeared these past few days, so seeing him safe and sound brought her immense comfort... It turned out that in Yao Shiyuan's heart, he was already an important person.

The sound of a door opening came from the side, and Yan Qing froze. However, Yao Shiyuan did not let go. Instead, he hugged him even tighter, took a deep breath, and mocked, "You've sweated a lot. You smell like sweat."

"You don't do the same!"

"Do I smell bad?"

Yan Qing subconsciously took a breath of the large black wolf cub pressed against her body. After a round of all-out ground battle and a short rest, Yao Shiyuan was now steaming with heat, her face flushed as if burning. The rich scent of a young girl rushed into her lungs, but it was not unpleasant at all. It was like lying in the shade of a tree on the grass on a warm afternoon, warm and refreshing.

"It doesn't smell bad, does it?"

The pharmacist's eyes seemed to hold a hint of smugness, and even a touch of allure.

She stood up and looked at Shang Xinlei, who was holding the new clothes, but then looked away, brushed the strands of hair that were stuck to her face behind her ear, and said casually, "I'm going back now."

Back in her room, she closed the door and leaned against it, slowly sliding down, hugging her legs and panting softly. Her heart was pounding, and she wished she could hide her face.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She should have let go when Shang Xinlei came back, but sensing Yan Qing's hesitation, a strong competitive spirit welled up in her heart for some reason, and she insisted on lingering on him a little longer.

Coming to her senses, Yaoshi Yuan realized how blunt she had been, like a wolfhound urinating on its territory to scare away other intruders. She was still clutching the tattered rag Yan Qing had given her; the once clean white cloth, used to wipe her face, was now stained with blood, sweat, and tears.

The pharmacist looked at the dirty strip of cloth in her hand, and her restless heart gradually calmed down. She held the cloth to her nose and took a deep breath. In it, besides her own scent, there was another person's scent... It smelled like strong liquor, pungent and intoxicating.

(End of this chapter)