Calamity Messenger

Chapter 345 - 280: A Slap

Although Ying Rushi knew well how capricious and cruel Ying Le was, she strangely felt a flicker of emotion in her heart.

Ying Le was like that; when she was fond of you, you were her most treasured toy, she wouldn’t hesitate to give you everything in the world, and would hold you tightly even in her sleep. But when you ceased to amuse her... you were just a toy.

Ying Rushi lowered her head, staring intently at the Yaksha Mask, her eyes revealing a pleading look.

After ten years of Ying Le’s rule, those who dared to oppose her had long been fed to dogs, and even the silent ones were banished from the court. Eventually, those who didn’t praise her with enough enthusiasm became sinners. Ying Rushi had seen all over the court; everyone was Ying Le’s lackey, mindlessly executing Ying Le’s orders with no one daring to harbor compassion.

She did not wish to criticize the bureaucrats’ deep-seated flaws. Living under Ying Le’s rule was difficult enough; harming others to survive was understandable. Under the sky of Nocturnal Heaven, one must learn to be cruel.

What’s more, as a member of the royal family, Ying Rushi had no right to criticize them... If she weren’t royal, she might have already fallen victim to Ying Le’s whims.

But going forward alone was too bitter, too tiring. Among the tens of thousands in Nocturnal Heaven City, among the billions in Qi Kingdom, she could not find a single person she could trust. Under Ying Le’s rule, the entirety of Qi Kingdom was silent, and conscience, this luxurious and weak thing, was something no one dared to display.

Only this person before her was an exception. For the sake of unrelated ordinary people, he was willing to stand against a kingdom, against a powerful Foundation Establishment. Among the countless Qi Kingdom officers watching the battlefield, most of them sneered at his foolishness, arrogance, and kindness. Even Ying Rushi felt the same... yet at the same time, everyone wished to work with him.

The human heart always pursues justice, even bad people don’t wish for everyone around them to be bad.

Perhaps even if he entered the Qi Court, nothing would change, but at least he wouldn’t die here, at least he would retain hope for changing the future, at least many people might survive because of him, at least... I would no longer be fighting alone.

Please, surrender.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I never intended to be your savior," Yan Qing replied. "Nor do I plan to be Qi Kingdom’s savior."

Ying Rushi felt herself growing colder, as if the rain had taken away all her warmth.

"Actually, you all had a chance to persuade me, but you’re a terrible persuader. No matter how good a deal you offer, I won’t agree."

"What?" Ying Rushi, who was already on the verge of depression, was even more disheartened by these words. She had thought the other party was determined not to submit to Ying Le, and never expected the reason for rejection would be herself... But how could it be me?

"You speak of justice, but you don’t look in the mirror to see how pained your expression is. You don’t believe a word you’re saying, so why would I believe you? You’re using yourself as an example to show me a truth: that people with conscience live a tragic life in Qi Kingdom, even to the point of dragging others down." Yan Qing said, "You are truly vicious, Prince of Lanling."

Ying Rushi felt a stir in her heart; she didn’t really hear those harsh words afterward. She had experienced more venomous glances and curses, and no longer cared about others’ reproaches.

She was pondering... even the Yellow Dog, whom she had only met twice, could see her pain. How could Ying Le, with all her intelligence and foresight, not see it? Inside, she knew she couldn’t hide it. She just never wanted to think about it, preferring instead to live in the dream Ying Le had woven for her.

She was acting, and so was Ying Le. Both knew the other was acting, which is why she lived so conflict-ridden. Because she didn’t believe in Ying Le’s promises.

After killing the Golden Seal Divine Hunter and mending her Dao Foundation, would Ying Le really retire to a Secret Realm to pursue the Dao? But since she managed the state and slaughtered the world to gather fortune, why wouldn’t she continue after mending her Dao Foundation? Would she lose her means to gather fortune through worldly slaughter after mending the Dao Foundation?

Impossible, Ying Rushi thought.

Her throne in the Secret Realm or Nocturnal Heaven City was the same; no one could defy the orders of a Foundation Establishment. Unlike other Foundation Establishments that didn’t require mortal offerings, Ying Le’s Divine Techniques needed mortals as the soil to blossom and bear fruit. She might give up the Emperor’s authority but would never abandon the Baibao Guards.

Perhaps one day, she would withdraw her gaze from the mortal world, much like a Demonic Messenger evolving by hunting stronger prey. Even if Ying Le could gather fortune through worldly slaughter, after surpassing a certain tipping point, the deaths of more mortals should barely affect her fortune.

But before reaching that point, how many more must die? Now it’s thirty-eight families, and in the future, would she need to wage war and drag the Central Plains into flames? Ying Le started it once ten years ago when she established the Baibao Guards... using hundreds of thousands of military and civilians from the Three Kingdoms as sacrifice.

Perhaps Ying Le would repent, or perhaps she would truly retire to the Secret Realm, but in any case, one thing was certain—

After exterminating thirty-eight clans to gather fortune, after killing the Golden Seal Divine Hunter, Ying Le would definitely become stronger.

And resisting her would become even more unreachable.

Ying Rushi seemed to hear the mocking laughter of the dead souls again.

"Since you’ve chosen this way of living, don’t regret it; if you regret it, don’t continue to pay the price." From behind the Yaksha Mask, the cold voice continued, "It’s regrettable; the only defeat in six days and six nights was losing to you, a coward using justice to escape reality."

"Moreover, you saw the wrong person from the beginning." Yan Qing said, "I was never in it for justice, just as I said before. I’m just acting on impulse. Destroying Tombstone Military Town was for revenge, defeating the army was for revenge, and coming here was for revenge!"

"Whether you continue killing or end up killing more because of me, what does it have to do with me? Unlike you, I only seek clarity of mind; whoever makes me unhappy..."

"Someone has to die."

Boom!

Ying Rushi had no time to react and was sent flying, crashing into the warhorses behind her. She looked up to see an irreversible scene: Yan Shiyi pulled out a bright orange-red sword blazing with light, inscribed with words on both sides of the blade. On the left, "All conditioned dharmas are like a dream, an illusion," and on the right, "Like dew or a flash of lightning, thus should you perceive them." Fragmented blades clattered around him, with the Heaven-Covering Authority unleashed to its fullest!

Bingzi Pepper Forest!

Yan Qing revealed the trump card he had hidden for six days and six nights. Initially, he planned to first deceive Ying Le’s initial move. After all, the Heaven-Covering Authority could dispel all negative states and restore all health. As long as he wasn’t killed instantly, the Heaven-Covering could counterattack later, but despite talking for so long, Ying Rushi’s suppression was flawless from beginning to end. Her hands were as steady and cold as if they had killed fish for decades. He couldn’t find a way to break free from Ying Rushi, so he had to use Bingzi Pepper Forest.

So be it.

Yan Shiyi swung the blade from ten steps away, drawing a light of ten zhang. The head of the white-maned steed pulling the imperial chariot was chopped off with one stroke, and the chariot forged of Secret Realm Refined Iron was split in two! With eight hundred base attack power, Bingzi Pepper Forest was already the strongest weapon below the Foundation Establishment!

But even before he swung the blade, Ying Le had already leapt up, the wide golden dragon robe ballooning in the wind, her tender white long legs seemed to tread upon the moon!

"Ying Le!" Yan Shiyi shouted loudly, raising his blade to strike down again!

But this strike would never land.

"Wan Zhong’s Heart."

Ying Le pointed lazily at Yan Shiyi, her tone casual, but Yan Shiyi froze entirely. He still kept Bingzi Pepper Forest raised high above his head, a top move in blade technique, an all-out offensive stance that abandoned all defense, concentrating all his power in this blow. Before him, mountains could be split, seas could be cleaved, but even with the determination of certain death, he couldn’t resist the might of the Divine Techniques.

Ying Rushi watched the scene dumbfounded, fear coursing through her heart like a venomous snake, crawling along her spine... She had witnessed Ying Le’s Divine Techniques, the very embodiment of imperial power, whimsically manipulating all things in the world!

"So, you are the Yellow Dog of the Thief’s House," Ying Le landed in front of Yan Shiyi. "Bingzi Pepper Forest, what a beautiful blade; hand it over to me."

Though Ying Le spoke without looking at Ying Rushi, Ying Rushi felt as if her body had been pierced, yet she no longer cared. She lowered her head to stare at the ground, her hand gripping the sword hilt, veins bulging, pupils faintly red.

Seeing Yan Shiyi not respond to her command, Ying Le’s eyes flashed with an odd light. "You can actually resist Wan Zhong’s Heart? Alright, then I’ll take it myself."

In the next second, not only Bingzi Pepper Forest, but also the Mountain Heart-Protecting Mirror, Hand of Melting Hundred Forms, Ranger Rain Boots, and other items on Yan Shiyi vanished. Ying Le’s complexion changed, even though moments before, Yan Shiyi had cut through the Baibao Guards and drawn Bingzi Pepper Forest, nothing shocked Ying Le more than his taking the items.

Her Wan Zhong’s Heart, although not a controlling Divine Technique, developed over ten years had many effects. When directly used on a person, it competed with Foundation Establishment Level soul impacts! Under the support of eight hundred Baibao Guards, not even a Foundation Establishment Messenger could ignore the soul erosion of Wan Zhong’s Heart, let alone an ordinary human? If she hadn’t held back, Yan Shiyi’s soul would have been obliterated!

To refuse Foundation Establishment Divine Techniques with a mortal body!

Could he have a Foundation Establishment supporter behind him? Or was it a benefit from the Thief’s House? But whether it was the former or the latter, Ying Rushi hadn’t reported it to me.

Did she not recognize this person as Yellow Dog? Did Yellow Dog recognize her? Are they acting?

Thoughts raced through Ying Le’s mind as she grabbed Yan Shiyi’s throat, withdrawing ninety percent of Wan Zhong’s Heart, temporarily restoring his ability to move. "I’ll give you one last chance—"

Splat!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed across the plain.

Ying Rushi was stunned.

The distant Qi Kingdom generals gaped stupidly.

Everyone who witnessed this scene wished they could stab their own eyes.

Ying Le tilted her head, bewildered as if she hadn’t realized what happened. Her face, like flawless mutton fat jade, now bore a clear red swelling, like a blemish on an immaculate jade.

Yan Shiyi was still being choked by her, the Yaksha Mask hiding his expression, but everyone seemed to see the arrogance in his smile.

The distinguished Foundation Establishment Zhenren, Emperor of Qi, Celestial Monarch, slapped in the face by a mortal in full public view!

The Heir of Calamity’s unarmed attack— even a Foundation Establishment Messenger couldn’t completely defend against it!