Messenger of Calamity

Chapter 130: Encounter

Four days later, Qishan.

From afar, the imperial road echoed with a deep rumble. A rabbit by the roadside looked around alertly, then darted into the grass with a whoosh. Three galloping horses rushed past, startling a flock of birds into flight.

Suddenly, one horse foamed at the mouth, its limbs going weak as it collapsed to the ground. The young girl riding it screamed, but fortunately, her companion beside her reached out and grabbed her collar just in time, preventing a disastrous fall that would have harmed both rider and steed.

“Th-thank you, Miss.” Shi Dong, still shaken, sat behind Medicine Master Wen and clutched her waist tightly.

“Miss, should we rest for a bit? We’ve already run far enough,” Wu Qiu said. “Even Saluzi is about to give out.”

“No!” Medicine Master Wen’s tone was resolute. “We must not stop until we reach Shu Mountain! Even if Saluzi dies running, it’s worth it!”

Wu Qiu patted the yellow-maned horse beneath her and found its muscles trembling, eyes bloodshot, nostrils flaring—it had clearly reached its limit. She made up her mind. “This horse won’t last long. Shi Dong, take good care of Miss from now on. I’ll stay behind and draw off the pursuers.”

“No!” Medicine Master Wen’s eyes burned red with anger. “I said we’d escape together—none of us are to be left behind! Don’t act on your own! If I wanted to flee alone, I’d have done it already. If you dare betray me, I’ll never forgive you for life!”

“Miss…” Wu Qiu’s eyes welled with tears, filled with both guilt and gratitude. “It’s us who’ve dragged you down…”

“Nonsense! If anyone’s to blame, it’s the Medicine Master Family dragging you into this!” Medicine Master Wen snapped, then softened her tone. “You’ve done your best. Leave the rest to me!”

Just then, her ears twitched, and her expression darkened. A few seconds later, Wu Qiu and Shi Dong also heard the thunder of hooves behind them, their faces turning pale.

“Hyah!”

“Hyah!”

Medicine Master Wen and Wu Qiu lashed their whips desperately, but their horses were already at their limits. No amount of urging could squeeze out more strength. Shi Dong glanced back—the black dots chasing them were growing larger, clearer. The lead pursuers were already drawing bows and nocking arrows!

“Be careful!”

Whoosh!

The bowstring snapped like thunder, and the arrow tore through the air like lightning. It wasn’t an exaggeration—the pursuers’ arrows literally turned into streaks of yellow thunder. As they flew, the electric arcs expanded in range until, when they neared Medicine Master Wen, they had become a storm of lightning, raising clouds of dust from the earth!

Dodging was futile. Even if Medicine Master Wen evaded it, Saluzi and Shi Dong would be struck and reduced to ash by the thunderbolt’s aftermath.

Medicine Master Wen twisted her wrist, and a steel spear instantly appeared from her Storage Ring. With a shout, she grabbed Shi Dong, spun her waist, turned, and thrust—the spearhead struck the arrow dead-on!

The thunderbolt arrow exploded into fragments, bursting into a dazzling bloom of lightning!

But the explosion was too vast—it engulfed all of them. Wu Qiu and Shi Dong, lacking any defensive token, groaned in pain. Their two horses collapsed, foaming at the mouth, unable to rise again.

“What a counterattack!”

A man’s laugh came from behind. “Few in Great Zhou can deflect a Thunderfang Arrow like you!”

Medicine Master Wen immediately rose from the ground, pulled out a bottle of Healing Pills, split one in half, and fed it to Wu Qiu and Shi Dong. By the time she finished, the pursuers had caught up and surrounded them at a three-way crossroads.

When the maids regained consciousness and lifted their heads, they saw a group of masked soldiers on horseback—each one a First-Stage Messenger wearing defensive tokens and visored helms!

Among the three elite units of the Central Plains—Masked Soldiers, Hundred-Ward Devils, and Black-Clad Warriors—these were the Masked Soldiers.

Their leader, a refined-looking middle-aged man, carried a large bow on his back, a curved blade at his waist, and a spear hung from his horse. Unlike the armored soldiers behind him, he wore only a beast-hide cuirass, looking more like a hunter from the wilds.

Yet, though Wu Qiu and Shi Dong were but servants of the Duke of Jin’s household—of humble birth—they had seen enough of the world to recognize the man before them, one whose status even the Duke himself must respect.

“M-Miss…” Shi Dong tried to clutch Medicine Master Wen’s sleeve, but her hand soon fell limp. Staring down at the dirt, her voice trembled with tears. “Miss…”

“Miss, forget about us.” Wu Qiu’s voice shook, though she did not cry. “You can still escape alone.”

“Such loyalty between mistress and maids.” The middle-aged man’s eyes glimmered with a trace of admiration. “Are you not afraid?”

Of course they were afraid.

The Masked Soldiers’ gazes were naked and unrestrained, stripping them bare in spirit and body. Thinking of what awaited them, both Wu Qiu and Shi Dong trembled violently. They had heard what happened to women captured by soldiers… At the Duke’s banquets, military officers often boasted of such “amusements,” even reenacting them with the dancers for sport and laughter.

Suddenly, Shi Dong threw her arms around Medicine Master Wen’s leg. Wu Qiu forgot her fear and shouted, “Shi Dong! Miss has treated us with a grace deeper than the mountains—what are you doing!?”

Medicine Master Wen lowered her head. Shi Dong’s face was blurred with tears and terror.

“M-Miss…” she sobbed. “Please… kill me.”

Wu Qiu froze. Even the middle-aged man’s gaze flickered.

Medicine Master Wen pried Shi Dong’s hands away and said calmly, “Leave the rest to me.”

“Miss…” Wu Qiu tried to speak again.

“You’re foolish, but I don’t blame you.” Medicine Master Wen looked toward the middle-aged man. “Do you think he’s sparing us out of kindness? He’s waiting for me to flee. He wants me to run—so he can hunt me down slowly with that Thunderwood Bow, draining my Spirit Jade bit by bit. That’s what he loves best—bleeding his prey dry, pushing them step by step into despair. Safe. Beautiful. Certain.”

“A rare kindred spirit,” the man smiled. “Had you inherited the Medicine Master Family’s token, you’d surely have become Great Zhou’s Pillar of Jade, its Beam of Gold. Perhaps even the Nation’s Foundation Stone itself. But alas, your father offended too many who should never be offended.”

“Helan Que, the Mad Hunter!” Medicine Master Wen gripped her steel spear tightly, her Vital Energy and Blood surging into boundless battle fury. “Do you really think you’ve already won?”

“If you insist on protecting those two burdens, I don’t see how you can.”

Helan Que raised his hand. The Masked Soldiers behind him drew loaded steel crossbows.

“Don’t worry,” he said mildly, “these won’t all fire at once. They’ll loose one bolt from time to time—while you’re fighting me.”

Wu Qiu and Shi Dong instantly realized his cruel intent. “You despicable coward!” Wu Qiu spat. “Fight Miss honorably if you dare!”

Medicine Master Wen could block the bolts, but doing so would divide her focus, preventing her from fighting at full strength. Helan Que, a seasoned Third-Stage Messenger with full military equipment and experience, already far outclassed her—and now he was using trickery to its fullest, turning her maids into living shackles.

“There’s no such thing as ‘dishonor’ in battle,” Medicine Master Wen said instead, utterly calm. “Were I in his place, I’d do the same. Against an enemy, any means is justified. Victory alone is justice.”

“Then surrender, Princess Zhaorou.” Helan Que smiled. “Submit, and I’ll see your maids safely married into good households. But if you fall, I can only regret leaving them to my soldiers’ mercy.”

Medicine Master Wen’s eyes flared red. With a roar like thunder, her spear lunged like a dragon!

But her target wasn’t Helan Que—it was the Masked Soldier beside him!

Clang! Helan Que caught the strike with his spear. The horses around them reared and screamed, soldiers trembling under the pressure.

When Third-Stage Messengers clashed, it was like monsters colliding—the shockwaves alone made one’s scalp crawl.

After several exchanges, a soldier triggered his crossbow. The bolt flew straight toward Wu Qiu! Medicine Master Wen swept her spear in an arc, deflecting it back into the shooter’s faceplate! She wanted to press the advantage and cut down the soldiers—but Helan Que was upon her again, forcing her to turn and defend.

Moments later, another bolt flew. This time, though she reacted in time, Helan Que’s sweep forced her onto the defensive. She barely withstood it with her defensive token.

Everyone knew how this would end—Medicine Master Wen’s Spirit Energy would drain away as she protected her maids again and again. When it ran dry, all three of them would perish.

“Shi Dong,” Wu Qiu said softly, “you’ve always been timid. When other servants bullied you, you’d cry and ask me to stand up for you.”

Shi Dong understood, nodding silently.

“Just like back then… let me help you this time too.”

Wu Qiu removed the silver hairpin from her bun and gently stroked Shi Dong’s cheek with her left hand. “Close your eyes. It’ll be over soon.”

“Mm…” Shi Dong closed her eyes, tears streaming, and placed Wu Qiu’s hand over her heart. Somehow, it worked—her trembling eased. The fear vanished.

Wu Qiu bit her lip until it bled. Staring at Shi Dong’s throat, she plunged the silver hairpin forward with all her might!

Clang! The hairpin flew aside. Wu Qiu collapsed, drained of strength, her face twisted with guilt and sorrow as she looked at Medicine Master Wen. “Can I—”

“No!” Medicine Master Wen roared like a wild wolf. “I said, leave the rest to me!”

Her mind raced, eyes darting as she sought a way out. She refused to believe this deadlock could trap her—refused to believe she couldn’t protect even her two maids!

Helan Que was content to wait. The deeper their bond, the less chance she had to escape. Defeating Medicine Master Wen was easy; capturing her was the real prize.

He knew she had taken plenty of Spirit Jade when she fled—bold and resolute as she was, only prolonged pursuit could exhaust her energy. If she could be finished here, all the better; if not, he’d at least weaken her for the next chase.

If only he were a Demon-Path Messenger—or had one under his command—this would be much simpler… But he quickly dismissed the thought. The Demon Path might grant great power, but it was a road of no return. Even keeping such a follower near would be intolerable.

The Masked Soldiers formed a perfect ring around them—a wall of spectators and hunters both.

Then, one soldier noticed something and nudged his comrade. “Hey, what’s that?”

The other squinted. “Looks like… a little girl?”

From the other side of the crossroads, a black-haired girl with thick braided pigtails, carrying a sword nearly as tall as herself, strode toward the hunting ground with a swaggering step.