Messenger of Calamity

Chapter 111: Together

Although the news had not been spread publicly, the fact that Jiang Ten had escaped safely from the Foundation Messenger using the Return Token had already circulated among the noble clans and prestigious families of Great Liang. After all, the butt of the joke in this tale was none other than the Foundation-level Thunder King of the Underworld Prison, Chen Liexia of the Chen Family. Just like commoners relished royal scandals, Messengers naturally enjoyed laughing at the blunders of Foundation experts.

Compared to Jiang Ten, who repeatedly defied expectations, people paid more attention to the key item in the story: the Return Token. After all, no matter how much of a genius Jiang Ten was, it was of no relevance to them. But if one could obtain a Return Token, it was no different than gaining an extra life. Not only could it make one immune to all harm, it could also teleport the user to a safe location—meeting both defensive and retreat needs. It was truly the fashionable item every Messenger dreamed of.

Chen Liexia’s relentless attacks on Jiang Ten only served as the best advertisement for the Return Token. It was said that many Foundation experts had emerged from seclusion, seeking out Chen Liexia to inquire about it—evidently with an interest in the Return Token.

But at present, aside from Mansu Woodland, no one knew of any other Secret Realm that could yield a Return Token. And without Jiang Ten, no one could score highly in Mansu Woodland. If Jiang Ten never returned to Great Liang, then the Return Token in her hands would likely become a one-of-a-kind treasure.

Logically speaking, such a life-saving treasure would certainly be kept for oneself; even the closest companion would not receive it. Yet Shang Xinlei believed Jiang Ten had definitely handed over the Return Token.

Because between Yellow Dog and Jiang Ten, there existed a bond far beyond the worldly definition of intimacy.

If Yellow Dog could lend Jiang Ten the Legendary Token Bingzi Pepper Forest to slay enemies on all sides, then why wouldn’t Jiang Ten hand over the Return Token to Yellow Dog in case of danger? Shang Xinlei had attempted so many times to persuade Jiang Ten with both emotion and reason—if Jiang Ten had even the slightest dissatisfaction with Yellow Dog, she would have noticed. Yet Jiang Ten had been resolute from beginning to end, even breathing coldly at Shang Xinlei when she spoke out of line.

Even when Jiang Ten later agreed to join the Shang and Jie Families, Shang Xinlei could tell that this bright yet unfeeling girl did everything for someone she held dear in her heart.

That was why Shang Xinlei became so furious when she discussed Jiang Ten with Yan Qing before. She wanted to shout, “Such a stunning girl is this loyal to you—how can you not treasure her?” Truly, so many beauties offered deep affection, only to have it met with indifference. When would Jiang Ten finally recognize the true face of this scoundrel?

But when Yan Qing truly pulled the Return Token out of the Storage Ring, Shang Xinlei realized her heart was filled with envy.

She couldn’t quite explain it—whether she envied Yan Qing for having the absolute loyalty of Jiang Ten, or envied Jiang Ten for being able to trust Yan Qing completely, or perhaps… envied the relationship between them, one that outsiders could neither understand nor touch.

“The Return Token only allows one person to escape,” said Yan Qing.

“After using the Return Token, where will you be teleported? Can you return inside Jiangnan City?” Shang Xinlei asked.

Yan Qing shook his head. “At best, it only sends you to a location two hours away from Jiangnan City.”

The safe teleportation points determined by the Return Token included only the three Starter Villages, likely because these three locations were where all players initially arrived—mandatory open points on the map. However, Yan Qing believed this was the true limitation of the Return Token. Compared to limited uses, being sent back to a Starter Village and then having to trek a long way to return to the main city was enough to make many players prefer death. Only players in Real Mode would be forced to use the token to avoid death.

“But in that case, even if you escape, you can’t return to the Thieves’ House in time,” Shang Xinlei raised an eyebrow. “Looks like we’ve both failed this mission.”

Yan Qing nodded, but glanced suspiciously at Shang Xinlei. “Why do you seem a little happy about it?”

“Of course I’m happy. Just now, I thought I was going to starve to death in this Inner Treasury, and the only one keeping me company would be you, this bastard leader who steals from his subordinates. When the royal family sends people down, they’ll surely think we’re a pair of audacious thieving scoundrels—what a shameful and painful death.” Shang Xinlei spread her hands. “Now that you can escape and come back to rescue me, how can I not be happy?”

She suddenly realized something and said angrily, “So you bastard were scaring me on purpose just now. You clearly had a way to escape!”

Yan Qing raised an eyebrow. “Not necessarily scaring you—I might not come back to save you.”

“Hmmph hmmph,” Shang Xinlei rubbed the tears at the corners of her eyes. Her nose was red, but her face wore a smug grin. “Let me guess—Yellow Dog, your safest residence is the Thieves’ House, right? Every night, you go back to the Thieves’ House to sleep and rest, don’t you?”

Yan Qing’s pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, the mask covered his expression, so Shang Xinlei didn’t see his guilty look. He neither denied nor refuted, merely let out a scornful laugh, as if she had brought up a boring topic.

However, he began nervously reviewing his recent actions. There shouldn't have been any leaks. Had Shang Xinlei been eavesdropping from a corner while he exercised?

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t eavesdrop on what you were doing in your room—though I tried—but the Thieves’ House has excellent soundproofing. I didn’t hear a thing.” Shang Xinlei pointed to her slightly reddened eyes and smiled. “I figured it out by watching.”

Watching?

“These past few days, even though you’ve always been fully geared during meetings, your boots have always been clean—not a speck of dust. Ordinary people might not notice, but my Second Job has an Insight Trait. My observational skills are top tier.” Shang Xinlei explained slowly, like a detective revealing how she solved the case. “Of course, this alone doesn’t prove anything. If you lived in the main city, you could still be dust-free. But if you lived in such a safe place, why would you go back to your room every night to rest?”

“But you could argue that you happened to be staying in Mansu Woodland during those days, and the rest of the time you were in the main city, so I’m only speculating—not certain. But speculation alone is enough for something like this.”

“Now that you’ve lost the Thieves’ House, you must be quite distressed, right? Someone like you, who loves hiding behind the scenes plotting schemes, can only sleep in a place that’s absolutely safe.”

“I’m not as delicate as you.” Yan Qing replied coolly, tacitly acknowledging Shang Xinlei’s guess. As she said, speculation alone was sufficient. He never expected to keep it a secret forever—he just didn’t think his boots’ cleanliness would give him away.

“So you will come back to rescue me. Because I’m the Fourth Miss of the Shang Family—I have wealth, connections, and ability,” Shang Xinlei said with a smile. “Setting up a safe house for you in Jiangnan City is an easy task. In fact, there’s already an unused one waiting for you. You’ve helped me so much and even saved my life—I won’t let you suffer. Even raising you and your subordinates is no problem!”

“Besides, I caused you to waste the Return Token this time, and you lost the chance with the Thieves’ House. If you don’t rescue me, how will you collect your debt?” Her voice was filled with temptation, as if forming a wicked alliance with Yan Qing. “I’m the Fourth Miss of the Shang Family, ranked third on the Hidden Dragon List, a future Third-Stage Messenger—maybe even a Fourth-Stage. If you seize this leverage, you’ll live in luxury for the rest of your life, summoning wind and rain across Great Liang.”

“You just want to keep Jiang Ten.” Yan Qing glanced at her. “Besides, a great favor is like a great enmity. I won’t stake my life on someone else’s conscience.”

“You know me so well. Do you really think I’m the type to repay kindness with betrayal?” Shang Xinlei shrugged. “Well, okay, maybe a little. But I owe you so much this time, I do feel a bit guilty. Whatever request you make, as long as I can manage it, I’ll definitely agree. Even raising you for a lifetime is totally fine.”

Suddenly, she crossed her arms and took two steps back, a guarded expression on her face. “Of course, your request can’t be too outrageous. Don’t expect me to offer my body just for saving my life.”

“You haven’t even wiped your snot.” Yan Qing reminded her suddenly.

“Huh?” Shang Xinlei quickly covered her face and wiped, only to find nothing there—just the sound of laughter coming from behind the Yellow Dog Mask.

The noble daughter of a powerful family trembled with fury, her red eyes charged straight at him. Yan Qing, trying to dodge elegantly, failed—because Shang Xinlei opened her arms and hugged him. Clearly, she was about to use a grappling move!

No way—was she actually breaking down and going all out? Was his joke that overboard? Well, he had the Heartguard Mirror of the Mountains, so she could hit him all she liked. Physical attacks without a token wouldn’t affect him at all.

However, Shang Xinlei did not wrestle or strike. Instead, she hooked her arms around his neck. The Red Snake scarf and Yellow Dog Mask were nearly touching. They leaned on each other like rowdy friends, instantly bringing Yan Qing back to high school, when he’d meet his friends after class like this to go to the restroom.

“Let Black Wolf and White Fox take the Thieves’ House,” she whispered so close her breath misted the mask, her voice light, as if discussing a secret: “Even without the Thieves’ House, we can still accomplish great things. Great Liang has no shortage of treasuries. As long as we work together, all those treasures will be in our pockets.”

“What I owe you, I’ll repay tenfold—no, a hundredfold. Didn’t you say you’ll become a Fourth-Stage Foundation Messenger one day? Since even you believe in it, I have no reason not to accompany you to the end.”

The tear stains on Shang Xinlei’s face had yet to dry. Her cheeks were flushed like a red kitten, but her eyes were radiant. Perhaps it was due to their close distance, but Yan Qing even felt like she was glowing.

“Let’s grow strong and shine bright once again!” She sniffled, smiling brilliantly and dazzlingly: “From now on, let’s walk this road together, shoulder to shoulder.”