Chapter 141: Chapter 141

『Monk, in my whole life, apart from the Grand Commander of the Realm, I’ve never admired anyone—you're the second! Come, tonight it’s my treat at Yuechu Restaurant, we drink till we drop!』

Just after exiting the Secret Realm, Sun Zhaozong exclaimed with excitement. His scarred face beamed with a fearsome grin.

『Sun-head, he’s a monk. Are you seriously inviting him to eat meat and drink alcohol?』

『Ah? Then, uh, is there a vegetarian place nearby?』

『No need to worry about this poor monk,』 said the Rat Monk. 『Just ask the innkeeper to prepare some vegetarian dishes.』

『But we’re all rough men. We’ll definitely eat meat and drink.』 Sun Zhaozong scratched his head. 『Monk, won’t you feel uncomfortable seeing us indulge like that?』

『Precepts are meant to restrain oneself, not to bind others. Besides, the precepts prohibit killing, yet today I’ve slain who knows how many demons and monsters.』 The Rat Monk joined his palms. 『I do not ferry the people, only the demons.』

Had any other monk said that, Sun Zhaozong and his men would have scoffed. But hearing it from the Rat Monk, they felt only admiration—

In the five days since he’d arrived at the Xuanwu Lake Garrison, aside from settling in on the first day, the Rat Monk had ventured into the Secret Realm every single day to fight.

Not only that, on the very day he changed classes, he applied to join the assault team for the Second-Stage Secret Realm "Sinking Rock Stream." The commanders hadn’t immediately agreed—it seemed they wanted to consult with Shang Xuanwen. After all, if word got out that a newly minted Second-Stage Messenger was sent to a Second-Stage Secret Realm, people might think the garrison was trying to get Shang Xuanwen’s savior killed.

Only yesterday did a commander finally relent, assigning the Rat Monk to Sun Zhaozong’s squad for today’s assault on "Sinking Rock Stream."

Although he’d heard of the Rat Monk’s talents, Sun Zhaozong didn’t believe a rookie who’d just changed jobs could contribute much. He even thought the monk was just tagging along for merit, and treated him with clear disdain.

Those who dwell long in the garrison, living by the blade, dream nightly of fighting demons. Only true strength earns their respect.

But after a single day in the Secret Realm, their attitude toward the Rat Monk made a complete 180.

He dared to lead the charge, clashing head-on with monsters. At one point, he even drew the Demon Lord’s attention to buy time for others. That courage and capability won the hearts of these battle-hardened men.

In the garrison, nothing brings more peace of mind than fighting alongside the strong.

『Rat-head is seriously amazing,』 someone chuckled. 『This makes five days straight of Secret Realm fighting. Don’t tell me you’re going again tomorrow?』

The Rat Monk simply smiled, saying nothing.

Sweat beaded on Sun Zhaozong’s brow. 『Monk, don’t tell me you want to go back to "Sinking Rock Stream" tomorrow? Why not relax at "Snowfall Temple" instead?』

『Don’t worry. This humble monk merely wishes to join tomorrow’s assault on "Sinking Rock Stream." I just hope Sun Tooth-General might help make an introduction. Otherwise, I’d need to trouble a commander.』

『Just call me Sun-head, or Old Sun if you like. “Tooth-General” sounds too distant.』 Sun Zhaozong grinned. 『Introducing you isn’t a problem. With your skills, any team would welcome you. But... I was hoping you’d stick with our squad.』

『This humble monk only wishes to cleanse the world of demons. I go wherever the next assault is. When it’s your squad’s turn, feel free to invite me.』

Sun Zhaozong’s face flushed. He glanced at his teammates and saw their expressions were just as conflicted.

Their squad typically tackled "Sinking Rock Stream" once a week—not too often, not too rare. Their families were moderately influential landowners near the garrison. But if they wanted to advance, they’d need to fight more often and earn more merit.

Originally, they’d planned to coast along and retire comfortably someday. But having the Rat Monk in the team brought unmatched peace of mind. Though he said he’d join them again, they didn’t want to lose such a capable ally.

Especially Sun Zhaozong—for him, a teammate who could share danger in critical moments was more important than a wife. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ ɴovelfire.net

He asked tentatively, 『How about... we apply to hit "Sinking Rock Stream" again tomorrow?』

With the Rat Monk’s next run confirmed, Yan Qing stood up to stretch. This was also his first time in a Second-Stage instance, which had taken nearly three hours—not due to difficulty, but because of how "safe" the garrison’s strategy was.

Initially, it wasn’t Messengers but Engineers who entered the Secret Realm. They dug up the soil and laid fire oil, creating advantageous terrain. This allowed the Messengers to lure enemies into traps and incinerate them. When dealing with long-range monsters, Engineers even built walls to force them into close combat.

So long as it improved safety, the garrison spared no effort or resources, determined to minimize risk in these assaults.

Even so, the final fight against the Demon Lord had everyone sweating. If not for Yan Qing’s timely intervention, there would have been severe injuries.

Reportedly, three hours was already short. Some Third-Stage Secret Realms took days to clear, complete with fortress construction.

After all, anyone participating in a Second-Stage Third-Ring assault was a Messenger, no longer disposable.

And among Yan Qing’s rewards for conquering the Second-Stage Secret Realm were the usual Spirit Jade, Healing Pills, and—most notably—the "Advanced Sword Technique Mastery Manual" and the "Seven-Star Sword."

『Rarity: Second-Stage Rare』

『Durability: 120/120』

『Equip Requirement: 10 Vital Energy and Blood, 5 Divine Soul』

『Equip Requirement: Advanced Sword Technique MAX』

『Effect · Seven Stars: Attacks leave Sword Marks. Upon accumulating seven marks, they detonate. Each mark deals 25 points of cutting damage. Marks last 7 seconds.』

『Effect · Shining: When activated, Sword Marks do not detonate or fade but remain on the enemy. Normal attacks no longer deal base damage but apply two marks. For every 2 seconds of Shining, mark damage increases by 5 points. Shining lasts up to 10 seconds and consumes 20 Spirit per second. Cooldown: 5 seconds.』

『Evaluation: Your Death Star is shining.』

A truly rare longsword!

Compared to Seven-Step Buddha Recitation, the Seven-Star Sword undoubtedly had higher theoretical damage. Its drawback, however, was high Spirit consumption. Even Second-Stage Messengers like the Rat Monk and Jiang Ten had only about 50 Spirit points. Third-Stage Messengers had just over 100—not enough to fully unleash Shining’s power.

Of course, that’s assuming no Spirit Jade is spent. If Yan Qing were willing to burn Spirit Jade for extended Shining, the Seven-Star Sword could rival even the Soul-Severing Spear’s strongest blows.

More importantly, Yan Qing now had a stable way to acquire Advanced Manuals and Rare Tokens. Once he listed these on the Trading Board, he’d rake in another huge haul of Spirit Jade.

If First-Stage Tokens and Basic Manuals attracted the masses, then Second-Stage Rares and Advanced Manuals would lure even Messenger clans. Even Shang Xinlei had only been using an ordinary Second-Stage Throwing Ring Token!

Though "Sinking Rock Stream" could only be cleared once a day, its gains surpassed even five runs of "Zhen Sanshan" by Ye Si and Jiang Ten!

In fact, prices for Blade Manuals and Flame Pattern Long Blades had already dropped to a quarter of their peak—not due to lack of demand, but because all the rich had already stocked up, leaving only the poor.

Advanced Sword Techniques and Rare Tokens would meet the same fate. They might fetch high prices early on, but only a few could afford them. Eventually, prices would plummet.

Still, even at reduced prices, they remained the most valuable items in the game.

Why? Because people here spent decades, even generations’ worth of wealth, to buy Manuals and Tokens. These in-game basic sets might be a common Messenger’s only chance to rise in status.

And even if they wanted to buy, they might not get the chance. Noble families only released resources they didn’t need. Something as universally valuable as Advanced Sword Techniques—garrison Messengers likely couldn’t even qualify to buy.

With the Sword Manual in hand, Yan Qing could now post orders on the Trading Board for Advanced Blade or Dual Blade Techniques. Relaxing at last, he finally had a clear path to his Second Job Change.

Even Jiang Ten had recently undergone her Second Job Change on an alt account. Yet his main hadn’t advanced. Clearly, the alt wasn’t trying hard enough. If it reached Third Stage and entered a Third-Stage Secret Realm, would he still lack Second-Stage resources?

Thinking of Third-Stage Secret Realms, Yan Qing switched to Bunny Heroine’s account and saw that her party was nearing Shu Mountain.

Though “nearing” might not be the right word—they’d technically entered Shu Mountain territory yesterday, which was why they’d encountered Ye Kai and his disciple. They’d spent the whole day climbing and traversing, and now finally saw a town at the mountain’s base.

Yes, a town in the heart of a demon-infested zone.

As they approached the gate, Yan Qing, watching through the screen, felt a wave of grim hostility. Over a dozen corpses hung from the walls, flesh torn and crawling with maggots—obviously tortured before death. Their blood had run down the wall and dyed the signboard’s 『Eternal Joy City』 a dark red.

Beside the gate stood a massive stone tablet, engraved with bloody characters:

『Those who break the rules—die!』

Six people guarded the gate, two of them red-named. People came and went occasionally. A nearby notice read: Entry Fee—5 Spirit Jade. In Chang’an, 5 Spirit Jade could buy a year’s worth of noodles at the shop across from Anguo Temple.

Medicine Master Wen, wearing a hood and veil, handed over 23 Spirit Jade. The lazy middle-aged man collecting the fee muttered, 『Four people—twenty jade.』

『The other three jade are to ask what the rules are,』 she said, pointing at the stone tablet.

『Rules are rules,』 the man replied, pocketing the jade. 『No theft, murder, or making a scene—whatever rules you follow outside, follow them here. No trouble in Eternal Joy City. If someone causes trouble, someone’s broken the rules.』

『Cause trouble here, and even if you escape Shu Mountain, we’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth. Got it?』

The implication was simple: don’t cause them trouble, and you’re fine. Cause trouble, and someone’s gonna suffer.

They entered Eternal Joy City. Unlike the desolate wilderness outside, the city bustled with life. Streets lined with shops, busy pedestrians, customers haggling with merchants, food stalls calling out—full of worldly vitality.

If not for the red-named players, Yan Qing might’ve thought this just an ordinary small town.

Looking closely, the shops were quite telling. A store labeled "Weapons" sold neatly arranged armor, crossbows, even fire oil—all garrison-regulated strategic materials. Another store labeled "Tokens" sold full walls of Masked Helmets and even Rare Tokens. Even Ghostly Masks from Great Qi and Divine Crossbows from Great Liang were available—items only accessible through underground contacts.

But the most abundant were military items from Zhou Kingdom.

『These vermin...』 Medicine Master Wen’s voice was ice-cold. 『They even dare to sell Rare Tokens!』

Through her explanation, Yan Qing learned of Eternal Joy City’s true nature.

The demon-infested regions were lawless—places even the Court couldn’t handle. Thus, all kinds of illicit trades took place there. Demon-Path Messengers had massive resource and fencing needs, but no one dared trade with them openly, giving rise to black markets.

Eternal Joy City was Shu Mountain’s black market, protected by Demon Path forces. The corpses outside were proof of their resolve—anyone disrupting trade would die. Outside the city, they didn’t care. Inside, even Third-Stage Messengers had to keep their heads down.

Without Eternal Joy City, Demon-Path Messengers could survive, but their quality of life would plunge. Merchants with connections needed this place too—they could exchange cheap goods for rare Secret Realm loot.

They could also fence stolen goods, smuggle arms, and trade intelligence.

What enraged Medicine Master Wen was the appearance of Zhou Kingdom’s Tokens. These were obviously embezzled by corrupt officials, then reported as “lost” or “burned in a fire.”

Meanwhile, legitimate soldiers who needed those Tokens might die in the Secret Realm waiting for equipment.

Why did so many soldiers turn to Helan Que? Not because he treated them well—but because he ensured they got what they deserved. That alone won their loyalty to the Helan Family.

It was people like these that fattened themselves while weakening the nation, rotting Zhou Kingdom from within.

As Medicine Master Wen’s group inspected the shops, they drew many hostile stares. Though lightly disguised, Wu Qiu and Shi Dong’s figures clearly showed they were women—not to mention the Little Bunny Heroine.

The four of them looked like lambs wandering into a pack of wolves.

Yet whether due to the rules or Medicine Master Wen’s fierce aura, no one dared approach. Still, shadowy figures watched from behind, like hounds in the dark.

Wu Qiu and Shi Dong trembled.

『Don’t be afraid—we’re here,』 said Medicine Master Wen.

『Mm! This heroine will protect you!』 said the Bunny Heroine.

The two maids instantly relaxed. Strangely, they huddled closer to the Bunny Heroine, leaving Medicine Master Wen a little heartbroken—

She thought, “I’m a Third-Stage Messenger, you know! Shouldn’t you be clinging to me instead?”