Calamity Messenger

Chapter 225 - 178: Family

"A bunch of useless fools, who can only mess things up!"

The Rabbit Heroine on the screen and Yan Qing outside the screen both gritted their teeth and shouted the same phrase. Pharmacist’s Wish didn’t speak, but the sharp look in her eyes already expressed her attitude, as the Demonic Messengers carried wolf corpses past them, running swiftly.

Today was the day they raided the Third-Turn Secret Realm, Wolf’s Den. Initially, the Rabbit Heroine and Pharmacist’s Wish were full of ambition, having cleared even high-level Secret Realms like Corpse Bone Forest. How hard could a small Wolf’s Den be?

Moreover, besides them, there were twenty-one more Demonic Messengers, making up a full squad of twenty-five, all Second-Turn Messengers. With such a magnificent lineup, who in the world could stop them? They shall conquer it!

However, very quickly, the Demonic Messengers taught them a harsh lesson.

Those Demonic Messengers with mid-to-long-range tokens didn’t bother to get involved, staying safe at a distance; while those with close-range tokens like knives, swords, gauntlets, and hammers weren’t so reliable either. They hit and retreated, got hit and ran away, just tapped and withdrew, or five or six attacking the same wolf simultaneously, hoping not to be the one attracting its hatred.

The battle was such a spectacle, but when calculated, all they did was lay down cheering!

Mind you, they went in with a full twenty-five people, and the first wave of wolves had fifteen, but nearly twelve had to rely on Pharmacist’s Wish and the Rabbit Heroine to draw their ire! They initially thought to clear the Wolf’s Den today, but after the first wave of Shadow Wolves, they chose to retreat from the Secret Realm. Let anyone who wants to continue fight!

Even if they fight next time, they would definitely choose duo groups. Bringing along this group of Demonic Messengers was like making a game hard for no reason with useless accessories!

"Great Guardian, remember to call for us next time you raid the Secret Realm. We three brothers will be staying at Shu Dao Mountain for a month more, ready whenever needed!" The Black Whirlwind Brothers, oblivious of the resentment felt by Pharmacist’s Wish and Rabbit Heroine, eagerly showed their loyalty.

Pharmacist’s Wish slightly twitched under her face mask but nodded: "Mhm."

To be fair, the Demonic Messengers weren’t as incompetent as the Rabbit Heroine described. Carefully selected by Pharmacist’s Wish, they had the ability to fight a favorable battle if needed; otherwise, they wouldn’t have eliminated the Shadow Wolves.

But she had once fought alongside powerful figures like the Military Town, at least shoulder to shoulder with reputed Great Guardians; now reduced to fish-market-level battles, it’s hard to accept.

Comparing Shu Dao Mountain to Military Town was demanding too much.

Moreover, the teams raiding Secret Realms in the Military Town were fixed. They trained steadily, trusted comrades in battles; Shu Dao Mountain was fragmented powers, needing to gather several groups each time, unity was scarce even within, let alone together.

No one willing to tank enemies was normal too. Even in Military Town, few tanked, which made Ye Si and Mouse Monk icons for their willingness to do so.

The biggest difference between games and reality must be the MT (Main Tank) being an extraordinary role in games, though less played than DPS, still more than Nanny.

Whereas in reality, no permanent MT existed, often taking turns sharing damage and risk.

After all, life is singular; die on the front line, it’s true death, get hurt, it’s true hurt. Who’d consistently stand easy death territory?

Understanding is one thing, but relying on this group for Secret Realm raids is hopeless, unless Pharmacist’s Wish manages to cultivate loyalists at Shu Dao Mountain, seven or eight suffice, she’d have confidence in clearing Wolf’s Den.

Though...

Pharmacist’s Wish glanced at the second floor of Demon Slaying Hall, where she occasionally saw Beiyou painting. Hard to imagine they were a step away from Si Wuxie’s legacy, yet the Great Guardian indulged in character-building fun. If not for hearing Prajna constantly bruised, Blood Phase raging at servants, she’d suspect they abandoned Corpse Bone Forest raids.

Regardless of who ultimately received Si Wuxie’s inheritance, they’d leave this place.

Perhaps, the departure wouldn’t be just from Shu Dao Mountain.

Pharmacist’s Wish reached out, touching the Rabbit Heroine’s great braid beside her, dark and shiny. Initially, needing Wuqiu Shidong’s aid, now she could skillfully braid it herself, as if truly an older sister needing to braid a little sister’s hair.

She glanced at the Rabbit Heroine’s hands, the Legendary Gloves having just showed great prowess in Wolf’s Den, noticed by Demonic Messengers... but none would see it as the imposing Hand of Melting Hundred Forms; customized to Rabbit Heroine’s size, they looked like fancy child’s gloves.

"The chest contained twenty thousand Spiritual Jade, eight Blood Replenishing Pills, a Wolf Bite Saber Technique, and an Advanced Saber Technique." The Rabbit Heroine said, counting on her fingers: "I’ll settle for ten thousand Spiritual Jade, the rest you divide."

"Okay," Pharmacist’s Wish nodded, "Red-haired Ghost also has an Advanced Saber Technique, probably ten thousand Spiritual Jade to purchase from him. Once Wuqiu Shidong learns Advanced Technique, they’ll be experts at First-Turn."

"Ten, ten thousand Spiritual Jade!" Shidong exclaimed: "Selling me wouldn’t worth ten thousand!"

Wuqiu added: "Isn’t it too wasteful? I heard grasping Advanced Technique isn’t hard; maybe we can attempt self-learning for stronger basics? You also self-taught it, Miss."

"How can you compare to me?" Pharmacist’s Wish glanced at them, replying bluntly: "Genius enabled my solo learning. You haven’t touched martial arts in over a decade, skills almost nil; by the time you learn Advanced Technique, your kids could fetch soy sauce!"

She paused: "Don’t feel unworthy. Look at other Third-Turn Messengers; they all have at least Second-Turn followers, including the Demon Path Third Transition. If you both don’t hurry to Second-Turn, how to face others? Other Third-Turns surround by helpful Second-Turns; I’m flanked by two First-Turns, before the fight starts, I’m defeated in presence, mocked for not fostering Second-Turns."

Rabbit Heroine chimed in: "Exactly, you dress sleekly, if anyone disrespects elder sister, you quickly raise your knife to their throat, retract to loyal maid; adds such prestige for elder sister, others how envious seeing that."

Wuqiu felt exasperated; what kind of reasoning was this? Even if Pharmacist’s Wish wished to train subordinates, greater talents abound worldwide.

She actually hoped Miss invested Spiritual Jade in herself, or saved it, but since Miss decided, all she could do was not disappoint her nurture. She turned to Shidong to express, noticing Shidong daydreaming, mumbling something.

"Child..." Shidong’s expression was quite troubled: "Miss, if you don’t get married, where would we get children..."

The other three were amused by her, Wuqiu tapped Shidong’s head as if she were disappointed: "Stop daydreaming about spring!"

"It’s not me saying it, it’s Miss saying it..." Shidong grumbled with discontent: "And don’t think I didn’t notice, when you were bathing..."

"You dare say!"

Seeing Wuqiu angrily pulling Shidong’s face, a hint of a smile appeared in Pharmacist’s Wish’s eyes. Her willingness to train them wasn’t purely due to their loyalty; the Wolf’s Den just tested that.

Faced with Shadow Wolves that could shatter the face-covering armor’s defense in one strike, they followed Pharmacist’s Wish’s instructions to fight without mistakes or fleeing due to fear. For this reason alone, they deserved Pharmacist’s Wish’s full training.

Talent is indeed important, but unwavering trust is even more precious.

...

After finishing in the Wolf’s Den, the Rabbit Heroine planned to return to her room for meditation.

She had been keeping to this schedule these days, refraining from activity unless necessary, only waking up suddenly for lunch and dinner to share delicious food with them. If not for Pharmacist’s Wish dragging her to bathe every night, she’d probably be the same as she was five days ago.

Pharmacist’s Wish had never seen a child able to sit so still, never wasting a bit of energy, having no interest in the outside world, lacking playfulness, curiosity, or willfulness, and not even caring about being unkempt. Yet in battles, she was fiercer than any adult, as if she knew her goals from the start and all else was noise to ignore.

Like a tool that sought nothing else.

"Sister, do you have time later?"

The Rabbit Heroine paused: "I do. Want to visit the Wolf’s Den again?"

Pharmacist’s Wish shook her head: "Can you accompany me somewhere? It’s nearby, just outside the village."

Wuqiu immediately declared: "We’ll prepare hot water in the room for when you return."

Shu Dao Mountain was vast; the mountain village only covered the easiest flat area at the top, with many winding paths extending outwards, challenging to traverse, and sometimes nonexistent, but for the two of them, any path was like walking on flat ground.

About half an hour later, they reached a protruding rock, with the sun already sinking. The Rabbit Heroine looked around and only saw lush forests below: "Is this the place?"

"It is, but we need to wait a bit."

Pharmacist’s Wish removed her mask, lifted her hood, and untied her hairband, revealing hair tied high in a ponytail with light wine-red tips. She sat on the rock, patted the spot next to her, and asked: "Any alcohol?"

"Is that something you can say to a child?" The Rabbit Heroine quipped, producing a white porcelain wine bottle from her hand, which Pharmacist’s Wish picked up and drank from directly, smacking her lips: "This must be wine from the Liang Kingdom, so bland and not strong at all."

"There’s strong liquor too." The Rabbit Heroine then produced a black wine jar and white porcelain bowl, from which Pharmacist’s Wish poured a bowl, took a sip, then spat it out: "Such biting liquor, no different from horse urine, only those Qi Kingdom barbarian brutes drink this stuff."

"Big sister, you’ve drunk horse urine before?"

"I haven’t drunk it, but I’ve smelled it countless times. In the military town, horse dung and urine are everywhere; you can’t avoid smelling it."

"Alright, alright, I know even the wine in Zhou Kingdom is the best in the world," the Rabbit Heroine produced a string of candied hawthorn: "But I don’t have Zhou Kingdom wine; want some candied hawthorn?"

"Yes."

The two girls, one big and one small, sat on the mountain-top rock eating candied hawthorn, as the mountain breeze rustled through the trees, watching the clouds roll by and feeling time slip away.

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"A bit longer. I thought you’d have a lot of patience; you’ve been meditating in the room for five days."

"But with you here, I can’t meditate; meditating is like sleeping, I ignore everything that happens outside."

"I remember, your brother gave you those pills that make you sleep when you’re bored."

"Ah? Oh oh, yes, yes." The Rabbit Heroine nodded like a pecking chick, very perfunctory.

Pharmacist’s Wish ate a piece of candied hawthorn, while drinking the wine from the white porcelain bottle in one gulp, gently exhaling a breath of sour and sweet wine, a light blush on her face, but her eyes were devoid of any drunkenness, instead clearer than ever.

"Sister," she said seriously, "you actually don’t have any family, do you?"