Scourge Messenger

Chapter 338 I Can Be Loyal Too
"One thousand HP... Although I don't know what kind of demon has one thousand HP, hunting down a third-tier demon team is definitely the right thing to do, which happens to be the limit of our abilities."

After Yan Qing explained the special features of the monster-devouring lineup, Murong Hui thought for a moment and asked, "Should we still go hunt down the eight monsters?"

Yan Qing thought for a moment and shook his head: "Not now, but we can try before midnight tonight."

Every second from now on is crucial for development. The Eight Demons are clearly not something an early-game lineup can defeat, but they will respawn after midnight, so it's not a bad idea to challenge them before then.

Just as Yan Qing and the other two were moving, a deep voice suddenly rang out from not far away:

"Hello."

Everyone was startled and immediately retreated to a nearby area with houses for cover. They turned to look at the roof of the building opposite and saw a strange man wearing a fur coat and a deer helmet mask. His posture was less like a squatting position and more like the kneeling posture of a wild beast, like a person hiding under a deer skin.

No wonder the goldfish-shaped goggles didn't find him. The goldfish-shaped goggles can only detect through lines. If the other party does not show any human behavior and walks like an animal, Yan Qing will naturally regard the other party as a demon. After all, the demons in the Demon Gathering Land can also move around.

"You are... 'Deer-Headed Demon' Lu Fang?" Murong Hui frowned: "You dare to get involved in this? Aren't you afraid of death? Considering we've met before, I'll pretend I never met you if you leave now."

Murong Hui was fully qualified to say that. Although Lu Fang, the 'Deer-Headed Demon,' was somewhat famous in the North, he was only a second-level messenger. In terms of combat strength, he was no match for her at all. He couldn't even escape. She didn't know why he dared to appear in front of them.

“Patriarch Murong, I have come here not to settle scores, but to tell you something,” Lu Fang said. “The Baibao Guards sent us to deliver a message: as long as you and Mr. Bandaged Man are willing to separate from Prince Lanling, the Baibao Guards will not pursue you.”

"Do you think such a crude tactic of sowing discord will work?" Murong Hui found it laughable. "If we cared about that, we wouldn't have opposed the Hundred Guards in the first place. Are you stalling for time, waiting for the Hundred Guards to gather? It seems we really can't let them live—"

"I had absolutely no such intention!"

Lu Fang quickly said:

"I really came here to offer advice! Patriarch Murong, even if you don't trust me, you should trust my family. The Lu family is only a few hundred miles away from Yanzi Army Town. If I were to make an enemy of you, it would be suicide. The Hundred Guards would never harm you anyway. When you go back to take revenge on the Lu family, you will have a legitimate reason to do so. What benefits could the Hundred Guards offer that would make me risk the lives of my entire clan to make an enemy of you?"

Murong Hui thought that made sense. "So what exactly are you trying to say?"

“I have heard that the Murong family head and the Prince of Lanling have a deep and righteous relationship. I am not here to persuade you to separate, but there are priorities. The Prince of Lanling can hide in a safe place first. That way, even if you and Mr. Bandaged Man are busy with Foundation Establishment Pills, the Hundred Guards will not stop you.”

He paused:

"If you are willing to cooperate and share the path to Foundation Establishment Pills, I believe the Northern Messenger, including the Hundred Guards, will be willing to lend you a hand and help you obtain higher-level Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Murong Hui was baffled. "What Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"Don't you know?" Lu Fang was slightly taken aback, then said, "In the Bone Scrolls Square, text and patterns started appearing on the Bone Scrolls a few days ago, indicating that someone had triggered a special rule of the Demon Gathering Ground and would receive a Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward. So far, only two participants have appeared on the Bone Scrolls, one of whom is your bandaged man. Yesterday, his reward was a regular Foundation Establishment Pill, but today it has changed to a 'Rare Foundation Establishment Pill - Corpse Demon Enhancement'."

"Everyone is guessing that the deeper the involvement, the higher the grade of the Foundation Establishment Pill will be. That's why I suggested that you split up. Since it concerns the Foundation Establishment Pill, you don't need to go head-to-head with the Hundred Guards. Prince Lanling, take cover for a bit. Patriarch Murong and Mr. Bandaged Man, focus on improving the grade of your Foundation Establishment Pills first."

Murong Hui and Ying Rushi's pupils contracted sharply. They turned to look at Yan Qing and, seeing that his expression remained unchanged, knew it was true. "I came here to talk about this," Lu Fang said, bowing his head. "I'll be patrolling this area for the next half hour, so it's relatively safe for now. I'll leave now. Have a safe journey."

"Lu Fang," Murong Hui called out to him, "I'll remember this favor."

Lu Fang's face lit up with delight. He nodded to Ying Rushi and Yan Qing, his expression respectful, even somewhat obsequious. After he turned to leave, Yan Qing observed the surroundings but didn't see any of the Hundred Guards, so it seemed it wasn't a trap to buy time.

"I didn't expect you guys to be so popular," he said with a smile. "Even with Ying Le's army pressing in, there are people willing to tip you off."

"What does this have to do with our popularity?" Murong Hui looked at him strangely. "He came here for you."

"I?"

"He certainly wouldn't dare offend me, but how would I know it was him who summoned the Hundred Guards by sending a signal from afar? Conversely, what benefit could I possibly give him if he reminded me? The world is driven by self-interest, and he believes that helping us would bring him far greater rewards than the Hundred Guards' contribution. The key to this is you—the future Foundation Establishment True Person!"

“It’s not just about Foundation Establishment True Persons,” Ying Rushi added. “The Demon Gathering Land opens every year. Even if you, Huang Quan, can obtain one Foundation Establishment Pill from the Demon Gathering Land every year, it’s equivalent to a stable mass production of Foundation Establishment True Persons. Don’t even mention a mere Ying Le; even the Three Kingdoms of the Central Plains can’t compare to you.”

"To be on good terms with you is to be on good terms with the Foundation Establishment forces you represent. Compared to the paltry rewards from the Hundred Guards, the rewards of establishing a relationship with you during this opportunity are unimaginably great. You don't even need to repay us. After you reach the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment, the Lu family only needs to let everyone know that you once owed them a small favor, and that will be enough to ensure the Lu family's prosperity for a hundred years."

“That’s the charm of a Foundation Establishment True Person. Even if they are just a future Foundation Establishment True Person, they can attract countless people to flatter, ally, and scheme against them.” Murong Hui glanced at him and said sarcastically, “No wonder Master Huang Quan has been hiding it. He must be worried that we servants will be jealous and envious and plot against him.”

Yan Qing reached out and pinched Murong Hui's mouth shut, saying irritably, "Speak properly! If you have a problem, just say it!"

"My lord, how could I dare to have any objections?" Murong Hui's words were filled with an air of thick barriers.

"Stop joking, Hui. It's normal to hold back on such an important matter," Ying said.

“I knew there would be Foundation Establishment Pills as a reward, but I didn’t expect it to be made public,” Yan Qing said. “I didn’t deliberately hide it, and none of you asked.”

Murong Hui thought so too, and made a gesture of rubbing her hands together like a fly: "Master Yellow Dog..."

"Forget about it. The Foundation Establishment Pill reward is closely related to the Flesh and Blood Cage Bracelet, and none of you can meet the requirements."

"But didn't Lu Fang say that there were two participants in the skeletal manuscripts? Who is the other one?"

“Night Four.” Yan Qing glanced at Ying Rushi: “He’s my subordinate.”

"Only you and your subordinates can participate in the Demon Gathering Grounds activities?" Murong Hui immediately replied, "I can be your subordinate too, and I can be loyal!"

(End of this chapter)