Messenger of Calamity

Chapter 112: Online Treasure Exchange

No longer burdened with heavy thoughts, nor a trace of grievance.

Shang Xinlei truly seemed to have reconciled with herself, found a new goal, formed a new wish—there was no longer any hesitation or confusion in her eyes. She could now forge ahead without a shred of doubt. Upon further thought, it made sense. After all, she had previously thought she was as good as dead. Now that she discovered a sliver of hope, it was like returning from the dead, reaching sudden enlightenment like the High Virtue Monk, seeing through the red dust of the world.

Yet Yan Qing felt as though she was filled with anticipation, as if severing ties with the Secret Realm · Thieves' House was something she welcomed.

Suddenly, Yan Qing abruptly pushed Shang Xinlei away, avoiding her restless little hand.

Shang Xinlei clicked her tongue. “In the end, we’re going to become the infamous duo of Jiangnan—why can’t I take a look at what you really look like? Just one glance. Just one glance!”

“You’re saying all this just because you want me to come back and save you.” Yan Qing sneered deliberately. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll never return?”

“Not afraid.” Shang Xinlei crossed her hands behind her back, raised her chin and chest, and turned to lean against the stone wall. Tilting her head, eyes bright and teeth white, her smile was glowing. “Because I’m your friend.”

“And, I’m not any worse than Jiang Ten.”

Another round of sugarcoating, tugging at emotions, and laying out the pros and cons—Yan Qing found himself unable to argue. Truly worthy of being Shang Xuanwen’s daughter. Even though she was clearly in a disadvantageous position, she skillfully turned the tables into her favor. It gave off a sense of, ‘You’ve already invested so much sunk cost in me, what’s a little more?’

Still, something felt off to Yan Qing. Why bring up Jiang Ten?

And in what way exactly are you not worse than Jiang Ten? Your figure?

Surely you’re not claiming combat ability. Jiang Ten is under my control, mind you. You bunch of first-person 3D humans, how could you possibly beat me, a god of the action game genre?

Looks like there was no way to torment Shang Xinlei anymore. Yan Qing sighed and stored the Return Token into the Storage Ring. Pointing to the Liuli Cabinet that contained five Heartguard Mirrors, he said, “Go open that.”

“Why?” Shang Xinlei looked utterly confused. “You planning to loot again before leaving?”

“Didn’t you just say you’d agree to any of my requests? And now you’re questioning me?” Yan Qing tried to maintain his aloof persona and said coldly, “Still not going?”

“Fine, I’ll go.” Shang Xinlei pouted and, within five minutes, came back hugging five Heartguard Mirrors. “Here, take them.”

At that moment, Shang Xinlei noticed a token in Yan Qing’s hand—not the Return Token, but one inscribed with the characters ‘Treasure-Hunting’. This wasn’t her first time encountering such a token. Back when she opened a treasure chest in Mansu Woodland, the oddity inside had been a ‘Treasure-Hunting Token’. But not knowing its use, and needing a rare Throwing Ring more urgently, she had passed it up.

Where did this token in Yellow Dog’s hand come from? Was it loot from another Secret Realm?

“Red Snake,” Yan Qing said slowly, “can I trust you?”

“Do you even have the right to ask that, you ugly freak who won’t take off his mask?” Shang Xinlei snapped. “I haven’t even seen your face, yet you know who I am, where I live, and I just jumped on your word and bet my life on you. Now you’re asking if you can trust me?”

Yan Qing felt his face flush from her retort, thankful for the mask that allowed him to continue coldly, “What happens next must remain a secret. If you leak even a word…”

“What if my father hears my thoughts, or a Messenger with a similar token hears them?” Shang Xinlei immediately countered.

Yan Qing choked for a moment but quickly recovered. “If you get found out, you’d better start thinking about how to run before I even get to punish you.”

“If I get caught, will you come save me?”

Damn it, he knew it—this girl really was one of those clingy brats that grew more annoying the more familiar they got. Yan Qing started regretting not leaving with Black Wolf and White Fox tonight and instead getting involved with Shang Xinlei.

With his left hand, he picked up the Heartguard Mirror, and with his right, he pressed on the Treasure-Hunting Token. Instantly, the trading board screen floated before his eyes. He glanced at Shang Xinlei beside him, finding her expression unchanged—clearly, the screen was invisible to others.

Taking a deep breath, Yan Qing muttered inwardly. The screen immediately popped up with information:

「Would you like to list the Heartguard Mirror for sale? Price range: 300–8000 Spirit Jade (or player-specified item). Transaction fee: 30% of the sale value.」

「Since the max price ≥1000, you may choose the auction mode.」

As expected.

The hardest part about listing items via Treasure-Hunting Token was knowing the item’s system info. For locals, this was utterly impossible. Even for Yan Qing, it was extremely difficult—he had to rely on his alternate character to view system info. If he forgot something or encountered an unfamiliar item, he wouldn’t be able to list it.

Thankfully, there were plenty of Heartguard Mirrors here, and he had just checked their system info days ago—he still remembered it clearly.

Now came the crucial part.

“Red Snake, repeat the required items to enter the Secret Realm gate.”

Though unsure what he was up to, Shang Xinlei obediently said, “Purple Brush, Tailor’s Needle, Dancer’s Shoes, Gambler’s Dice.”

Yan Qing focused on the screen, chose to list the ‘Heartguard Mirror’, and specified the exchange item as ‘Purple Brush’. As he mentally typed out those four characters, a corresponding item immediately appeared in the item field, proving that this item existed in the trading board catalog and was recognized by the system.

If the system recognized it, the Secret Realm would too—after all, it was all the same game.

「Note: Item-for-item trades are exempt from transaction fees.」

「Listing successful.」

…

…

City of No Night, Longevity Hall.

Apart from the fire basins lit around the stage, the rest of the hall was shrouded in darkness. Below the stage sat twenty-five young girls in opulent dance dresses, their faces filled with fear and despair. None dared to move. Every gaze was fixed on the beauty standing on the stage.

Atop the stage sat a small table. On it stood a frame, and on the frame lay a seemingly filthy fan. As the beauty reached out her snow-pale hand to touch the fan, a strange sense of beauty arose—like a white lotus being defiled.

Musicians hidden in the shadows began to play. The beauty unfurled the fan, shielding her neck, white and jade-like. Only then did the girls realize the fan wasn’t dirty—it was soaked in dried blood. Dark red bloodstains, blooming like plum blossoms, covered the fan, making one dread the cruelty its previous owner must’ve endured.

“I still recall the war drums of yore,

  That misled countless maidens behind green windows.

Chill dreams in spring chambers, brocade coats unused, no letters from afar.

Whose hide wraps the corpse? Souls gather in the underworld, all lone wanderers now.

Only a few stars remain to light the annals of history, inscribing sorrowful verses.”

Dancing and singing in tandem, the beauty’s mournful voice harmonized with the musicians. Her crimson dress drew every eye. Even the terrified girls were gradually enraptured, their thoughts overtaken by the performance, minds filled only with the figure who bewitched all on the stage.

White magnolias were embroidered on her dress, but as the dance grew swifter, they morphed into battlefield bones before the crowd’s eyes. The crimson skirt turned to a sea of blood, and the fan in her hand became a blossoming massacre.

They said that a dancer skilled in Basic Footwork could show the beauty of dance. A master of Advanced Footwork could deliver a performance unforgettable for a lifetime—wherever they toured, no seat remained empty, even Messengers bowed beneath their skirts.

And the beauty onstage had long surpassed the title of dance master. Her voice and steps alone conjured mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a scenery of blossoming gore. The Longevity Hall transformed into a battlefield of bones, the audience plunged into an illusion where blood and flesh flew, bones cracked underfoot—a living purgatory.

When the music ended, the beauty reclined halfway. The twenty-five spectators were still entranced. Though their faces still bore fear, their eyes now reflected their own deaths.

“Did you see clearly?” the beauty asked.

“Clearly, Your Majesty!” the girls responded hastily.

“Then it’s your turn to dance.”

Ying Le extended her hand, and the fire basins around the girls were instantly lit by the Ghostly Guards. She retracted her hand, and the fire basins surrounding the stage extinguished.

Now seated in the audience, hidden in flickering shadows, her posture was relaxed, but her eyes glowed an eerie red, like a creature lurking in the dark, watching the world.

It was now the girls’ turn to dance. Even if they danced horribly at first, Ying Le didn’t mind—for this was her training regimen. Unlike ordinary troupes with gentle teaching, she had no patience. She only wanted the most gifted dancers. So she gathered girls into the Longevity Hall and performed one dance herself.

Those who comprehended could stay.

Those who couldn’t would keep dancing—dance, dance, and dance until they could.

Or until they died dancing.

Ying Le slowly closed her eyes. The Ghostly Warriors were accustomed to the process. If a girl grasped Her Majesty’s essence, she would awaken and point her out. But based on past experience, Her Majesty usually only awakened once or twice per night—sometimes not at all.

But just as Ying Le was dozing off, a Ghostly Warrior burst into the hall, disrupting her moment of mentorship.

“Your Majesty, a new trade has just appeared on the Trading Board—the item being sold is Great Liang’s Heartguard Mirror!”