Scourge Messenger

Chapter 357 Dogs and Cats (Third Update, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Kalong.

As the gondola shook, Ying Rushi realized she was inside the Bone Ferris Wheel. She turned her head and saw Murong Hui in the gondola in front of her. Inside the gondola was a strange puppet writhing with resentment. Murong Hui was studying the puppet's transparent shell very seriously. It seemed she wouldn't be bored for the next three quarters of an hour.

"I'm sorry," Yan Qing suddenly said.

Ying Rushi's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Yan Qing in astonishment, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Why...why are you apologizing?"

"Oh, so it wasn't me? Then I'll have Murong Hui apologize to you later."

"Why isn't it you, Hui, who should apologize to me?"

"Because you haven't paid any attention to us for most of the day, someone on our side must have made you angry." Yan Qing said while checking the puppet cards in her bracelet. "You've been acting strangely since you woke up. You were fine before you went to bed last night... I get it. Did that little rascal put her toes up your nose? Tsk, it's only right that the two of us sleep together and she sleeps alone."

"No!" Ying Rushi retorted loudly, then whispered, "...It's none of your business."

"Then why are you so cold today? Could it be..." Yan Qing's tone paused slightly. "Oh, I understand. I'll have Murong Hui take care of you later. Also, you'd better not drink anything cold or eat anything icy these days. After you leave tomorrow, go back to the Thieves' House and rest properly. I'll see if I can make you some brown sugar water tonight... But a third-tier messenger shouldn't be that weak, right...?"

Ying Rushi, unaware of his misunderstanding, shook her head: "It's not what you think, I just... just didn't sleep well."

"Alright, whatever you say goes. Anyway, today it's up to me and Murong Hui. You've been taking care of us these past few days, it's time for us to take care of you." Yan Qing glanced at her: "You should get some rest."

Ying met his gaze, but in her mind, the image of his glistening chest from her hallucination flashed before her eyes. She subconsciously licked her lips, then quickly looked away, feeling like her brain had really gone mad.

Why don't you sit with Hui?

"Her reasons are similar to those of the little rascal," Yan Qing said calmly. "If she had to choose between the two, she would choose you, and so would I."

Yingru didn't want to listen anymore, so she steered the conversation back to the topic: "What do you think of Hui?"

“Without [Overturning Heaven], I’m no match for her. Her fighting style is too overpowered. Tokens below the Foundation Establishment stage can control and slow down enemies, but they also have strict trigger conditions. She has multiple advantages, including high movement speed, high damage, and ranged area-of-effect attacks. Even without absorbing the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, she is undefeated among third-tier messengers, and few can get close to her.” Yan Qing commented seriously, “She’s very strong.”

“Not that strong,” Ying Rushi said, somewhat unconvinced when she heard him praise her like that. “I was able to dodge the Lightning Blade and get close to her, dragging her into close combat.”

"I was comparing her to an ordinary third-tier messenger. What are you, a peerless genius who can deal tens of thousands of damage with the Heaven-Slaying Sword, getting involved in?" Yan Qing glanced at her strangely: "She's just a cat, why are you taking it so seriously?"

A blush crept up Ying Rushi's neck as she wondered why she had suddenly lost her composure.

"What I really wanted to ask was... after spending so much time with Hui these past few days, what do you think of her as a person?"

"Hmm—" Yan Qing fell into deep thought: "Murong Hui... Although she was too outgoing at first, making me wonder if she was faking it, after getting to know her for a while, I realized it wasn't an act. She's definitely just that silly. But apart from being a bit silly sometimes and having a particularly wild sleeping posture, she's pretty good most of the time. She's enthusiastic and cheerful, a little willful, greedy but not selfish, likes to joke but is considerate of other people's feelings, and is also beautiful. It's really hard not to be happy with her."

Although she wholeheartedly agreed with Yan Qing's statement, hearing him praise Murong Hui in front of her left Ying Rushi feeling empty inside, as if her heart had been ripped out by his own hands.

Composing herself, she asked, "What are your plans with her after leaving the Guiding Lands?"

"Plans? I hope she can reach Foundation Establishment soon." Yan Qing tilted his head. "Otherwise, she'll fall behind us very quickly. I'm afraid she'll feel pressured if we interact with her as Foundation Establishment messengers."

"us?"

"Hmm." Yan Qing pointed to the Skeleton Scripture Plaza in the distance: "Although I can't let you participate in the Demon Gathering Land activities like me, I will naturally find a way to get you Foundation Establishment Pills after I reach Foundation Establishment. At least there will be enough Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Pills. With all your insights, your life's martial arts, your heaven-reaching wisdom, and your invincible aptitude, reaching Foundation Establishment shouldn't be a big problem, right?"

Ying Rushi was speechless and couldn't help but punch him: "How could I be that good? I'm ashamed even if you're not."

She paused, "You...you still want to help me establish my foundation?"

“Of course, how can you keep up with me if you don’t reach the Foundation Establishment stage? The difficulty of future missions will definitely be above the Foundation Establishment stage. You promised to stay with me all the way, so I’ll be relying on you guys for the missions to come.” Yan Qing said, “Don’t even think about slacking off. You’ll have a place in my future plans.”

Ying Rushi thought her heart had turned as cold as a fish-killing knife after last night's hallucinations, but she never expected Yan Qing's casual words to throw her into chaos again. She braced herself against the railing, pretending to look out at the Demon Gathering Grounds, and said as calmly as possible, "Is there a place for me in your future?" "Yes."

Yan Qing also braced himself on the railing with both hands. His left hand first touched Ying Rushi's right hand, then he slowly climbed up and pressed down on Ying Rushi's hand, finally weaving his fingers together to hold it tightly.

"I've already invited you into the 'Cataclysmic Organization.' Even if you use me to leave the Demon Gathering Land and then shake me off, I can still catch up and bring you back," Yan Qing snorted. "I won't let you go."

Ying Rushi pursed her lips and, as if possessed, asked, "Where are the Black Wolf and the Red Serpent?"

Yan Qing blinked and pressed her hand to her chest: "Anyway, I just won't let go."

Ying Rushi's eyes were filled with tears, but her lips were full of smiles as she laughed and cursed, "You shameless lecherous dog."

Her fingers intertwined with Yan Qing's, their hands clasped tightly. At this moment, their gondola rose to the highest point of the White Bone Ferris Wheel, and the Land of Gathering Demons unfolded before her like a long scroll. Above were the raging flames of demonic dragons, and below were the millions of lights of the Land of Gathering Demons. Although not very bright, they were warmer than the sun when reflected in her tear-blurred pupils.

……

...

After a heated discussion, Ying Rushi was granted the right to keep watch for the entire night. As a messenger, not sleeping for a day and a night was not a problem; it was rare to find a messenger like Murong Hui who couldn't stay up all night. After Yan Qing and she applied the medicine to each other, Yan Qing tried to persuade her again, but seeing her determination, he let her have her way.

Ying sat on the windowsill, thinking that as long as she could get through the night, everything would be alright.

No matter how powerful the illusion, once she returns to the Thieves' House, she can't harm anyone.

There were rustling sounds in the hall, probably the rustling of pajamas against the bedding.

Ying Rushi tried hard to control herself from turning her head to look. Even without hallucinations, darkness itself was the greatest hallucination. After being influenced by hallucinations, Ying Rushi could easily imagine how they undressed each other under the cover of darkness, how their hearts raced, and how they went to bed together... You see, she didn't even need to look over. Just the fact that they were in the same room was enough to trigger a surge of malice in her heart.

Wow.

Yingru clearly heard someone sit up, and her heart sank slightly. Even without sleeping, could she still fall into hallucinations...?

"Little Fox."

Murong Hui came over and hugged Ying Rushi. Her pajamas slipped down, revealing her fragrant shoulders. Her caramel-colored skin glowed dazzlingly in the dim light. She wasn't wearing any underwear under her pajamas, and her alluring figure was impossible to conceal. This was how she had just slept with Yan Qing. But looking at the alluring Murong Hui, Ying Rushi felt no desire. She gently stroked her head: "Can't sleep?"

Murong Hui shook her head and hugged Ying Rushi's waist tightly: "I want to stay with you."

"I am fine."

“But you need me to be with you.” Murong Hui insisted, “I just know that when the little fox needs Sister Hui, Sister Hui will know.”

“I’ll take the night watch during the second half of the night.” She snuggled in Ying Rushi’s arms. “I know you’re scared… but you still have us. Huang Quan also told me that we’ll take care of you.”

"Don't be afraid...we'll be with you."

Murong Hui drifted off to sleep again as she spoke; she really couldn't stay up late. Ying Rushi gently placed her on her lap, a sense of peace settling over her.

The light cast by the dragon's raging flames outside the window added a touch of warmth to the long night.

　That's all for tonight. Please give me some monthly votes for the end and beginning of the month. That's all.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)