Calamity Messenger

Chapter 133 - 106: Tiger’s Roar in Jiangnan

Shang Xuanwen felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

He recognized it, this was the Secret Technique: Flow.

Flow allows the messenger to forcibly cancel all current attacks being launched, but like an arrow shot into the air being suddenly halted, it results in the messenger bearing the brunt of their own attacks. A messenger skilled in Flow can cleverly direct the recoil caused by the sudden stop to launch an attack from another direction. However, regardless of the method, the messenger will be injured, and the ’derived attack’ will inevitably be weaker than the ’original attack’.

Pharmacist’s Wish forcibly altered her attack direction with Flow, but due to the presence of the Bright King Armor, the damage Flow should have caused her was instead added to her next attack. She first enhanced her attack through Spin Lantern, then further amplified it with the synergy of Flow and Bright King Armor, and tricked Shang Xuanwen into striking first. Now he had no time to change his move to defend!

But Shang Xuanwen was horrified for more than one reason... To master two secret techniques likely means she had already experienced the Third Transformation. From beginning to end, Pharmacist’s Wish had hidden her strength, even intentionally suppressing the intensity of her Qi Blood, revealing her fangs only now!

Clang!

The shaft of the Fine Steel Long Spear, crafted from fine steel produced in the Secret Realm, was incredibly sturdy and solid, yet it snapped under the full-force blow from Pharmacist’s Wish!

The Seven-Layered Mirror Surface that appeared over Shang Xuanwen’s body shattered five layers instantaneously. He didn’t resist the terrifying impact but chose to be knocked away. During his flight, the surface of the Heart-Protecting Mirror began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye—he was buying time for the mirror surface to regenerate.

However, Ying Rushi wasn’t going to let him escape. If she wasted the opportunity that Pharmacist’s Wish had carefully arranged, she feared that Pharmacist’s Wish would hunt her down from Chang’an all the way to Nocturnal Heaven.

When Pharmacist’s Wish initiated the Spin Lantern, Ying Rushi released the Brave General Sword in her hand, slowly drawing the longsword from her waist, the blade inscribed with two characters, Gui Cang.

That’s right, the trump card Ying Rushi had been hiding was precisely one of the Jie Family’s unique treasures, the Gui Cang Secret Sword. It might have been sold by the Jie Family or seized from their disciples, but this sword was in the vault of the Qi Kingdom. Upon learning of the opportunity to assassinate Shang Xuanwen, Ying Rushi exchanged for this sword from the vault.

The power of the Gui Cang Secret Sword increases as the sword-drawing ceremony becomes more grand and time-consuming, resulting in even more terrifying damage. Jie Yuan Shao could draw it in two breaths, enhancing the sword’s strength to thirteen and a half times. How long did Ying Rushi prepare for it?

Three days, totaling forty hours.

Even though she carried it with her through meals and baths, such a lengthy sword-drawing time was enough to enhance the Gui Cang Secret Sword to ninefold damage. Moreover, Ying Rushi chose the Gui Cang Secret Sword because it resonated with the Secret Technique she comprehended.

As the blade of the Gui Cang Secret Sword separated from the scabbard, Shang Xuanwen happened to be struck by Pharmacist’s Wish. Ying Rushi swung her sword. Although there were still three or four steps between her and Shang Xuanwen, she didn’t even take a step forward, attacking from afar, slicing out a dazzling sword light that captivated the soul.

It seemed as if she wasn’t wielding a sword blade, but the gentle moon, casting a cruel sword light.

Secret Technique: Iaido.

Can be activated using any sword or blade-type weapon.

After the sword or blade is sheathed for five seconds, it can be activated, consuming 10 current points + 15% of maximum health to reinforce the sword-drawing attack damage to 1.5 times. If the theoretical damage is less than 300 points, it’s enhanced to 300 points; if it exceeds 300 points, every additional 100 points extend the sword light by 1 meter, up to a maximum of 10 meters.

The Gui Cang Secret Sword, prepared for three days and further reinforced by Iaido, made Ying Rushi’s attack, just like the Dragon Tail Sweep intensified by two secret techniques from Pharmacist’s Wish, a strike near the Third Transformation Limit!

Shang Xuanwen recognized it as well, but he still struggled for a chance at survival, either out of pride as Chancellor of Da Liang or perhaps due to the final watch of the Mouse Monk. He forcibly swung his sword mid-air, and despite his imbalanced state, he still managed to use the Secret Technique, Sticky Sword. The Wave-Breaking Sword he wielded, although just a Third-Turned Rare Token, possesses the characteristic of severing all spiritual power, naturally able to counter the sword light unleashed by Ying Rushi.

The sword light was slightly deflected to the extreme, yet it still landed on his body, thoroughly shattering the last layer of the Heart-Protecting Mirror. The remainder of the sword light’s force continued through, slicing into his left abdomen, severing his belt, and sending the Heaven-Swaying Sword flying.

He crashed heavily onto the ground. Without the Heart-Protecting Mirror’s defense, without the protection of the main city, Shang Xuanwen realized how painful it was to be slammed to the ground, how chilling it was to be wounded, as if all his strength was fleeing along with his blood... He had truly distanced himself from life-and-death struggles for so many years.

Hearing the approaching footsteps of the bandits, akin to the urging of death, Shang Xuanwen, however, did not give up. With all his might, he grasped the Wave-Breaking Sword, if he couldn’t defend the life of the Patriarch Shang, at least he could uphold the dignity of the Chancellor of Da Liang. In this final moment of life and death, Shang Xuanwen finally admitted calmly—he regretted it.

Ling Xian, Yun Rong, Xiaoxiao... I am not a good husband.

Yue’Er, Qia’Er, Tian’Er, Xin Hao, Xinlei, Xinyao... I am not a good father.

Su Pei... Thank you for all your hard work over the years.

And Mouse Monk... You’ve saved me so many times, yet I never repaid you even once, always intending to suppress you a bit first, then give you a promising future, but I even let down your sacrifice, only dying a little later than you, without any of your suffering.

Chancellor of Da Liang, Patriarch of the Shang Family, I always thought myself significant, sitting in that position dictating everything. In the end, looking back, I am but a simple mortal filled with remorse.

In a daze, he vaguely heard the roar of a tiger.

How ridiculous, where would there be tigers in Jiangnan City?

"Roar!"

"What!?"

Shang Xuanwen widened his eyes, seeing a tiger girl leap from the wall, crashing into and knocking Pharmacist’s Wish away. At this moment, Ying Rushi swung her sword at Shang Xuanwen, and the latter, miraculously summoning the last of his strength, stood up clutching his wound, forcing out a feeble Sticky Sword, barely deflecting Ying Rushi’s Brave General Sword.

"Found it, here it is!" The tiger girl shouted loudly, seeming to be searched for by someone in the distance who immediately responded loudly.

Pharmacist’s Wish was both shocked and furious, never expecting the duck that was cooked could still fly away. Charging towards them, she sternly asked, "Who are you!?"

"Listen up, I am from the Baiyun Thousand Families, Qian Gongyu—Whoa!" In the brief clash, Qian Gongyu was sent flying, her defensive token shattering instantly. She couldn’t withstand even one move from Pharmacist’s Wish, her voice filled with shock and fear, the previously formidable momentum vanished instantly: "How is she this strong!"

Shang Xuanwen struggled as he grappled with Ying Rushi, immediately saying, "Don’t engage them head-on, delay until others arrive!"

"Mm-hmm, not going for head-on... ah!"

Seeing Qian Gongyu being driven around by Pharmacist’s Wish yet still mustering the courage to obstruct her, while in terms of strength, Pharmacist’s Wish far surpassed Qian Gongyu, it was troublesome because her weapon was now a broken spear, while Qian Gongyu’s tiger form was quite nimble. Pharmacist’s Wish had never killed a tiger before, finding herself unexpectedly entangled.

Shang Xuanwen cast a glance, noticing Qian Gongyu barely evading each thrust aimed at her, unable to help but ask amidst the battle, "Why are you saving me?"

"Huh? Are you asking me?"

Taken aback on the roof ledge, the tiger girl seemed puzzled by Shang Xuanwen’s odd question.

"Because you’re Xinlei’s father."