Chapter 152: Chapter 152
As the saying went, there were only wrong names, never wrong nicknames. The Blood Minister, Zhong Shu, was nothing like the other red-named Messengers who radiated aggression. He wore an elegant robe of vermilion and purple, a jade belt with a seal at his waist, and a black gauze jinxian hat on his head with a brush slanted through its clasp, the tassel hanging past his jaw. Standing eight feet tall with delicate features, even Shang Xuanwen paled slightly in comparison—anyone would have mistaken him for a high-ranking official fresh from the Ministry of Appointments.
But this was not the Ministry of Appointments, and he was no state minister.
He was merely a Grand Protector of Shu Mountain, a king in the Demon-Infested Zone, an undisputed red-named butcher. No one willingly accepted his rule; they only feared his cruelty... Though perhaps, that too was a form of control.
Yan Qing flexed his fingers slightly, tension and excitement gently simmering within.
He didn’t think Zhong Ji was lying. Though both he and the Blood Minister were Third-Stage Messengers, vast disparities in strength existed even within the same stage.
Just like how the Bunny Heroine, though a Second-Stage Messenger, had slain the military garrison’s Third-Stage Helan Que and the demon-path Third-Stage Zhong Ji. Jiang Ten had even annihilated the Mansu Woodland, and the Rat Monk could fight a Second-Stage Demon Lord alone. As for Yan Qing himself, also a Second-Stage, could he really be compared to the Bunny Heroine, Jiang Ten, or the Rat Monk? The gap between Third-Stages was even greater, with tokens, secret arts, and class traits all capable of tipping the scale.
But Yan Qing still held a card yet to be played—Bingzi Pepper Forest and eight White Iron Straight Blades had already been transferred to the Bunny Heroine’s storage. If needed, he could throw out all eight blades and experience the full power of Bingzi Pepper Forest.
Or rather, he was hoping the Blood Minister would force him to play that card.
In the past, the biggest issue with activating Overturn-Heaven through Bingzi Pepper Forest was its cost—eight weapon tokens and eight Spirit Jades for enfeoffment. Yan Qing had held back during Mansu Woodland because of this, not allowing Jiang Ten to unleash its full potential.
Now, holding a hammer, everyone looked like a nail to him!
Helan Que didn’t force out Bingzi Pepper Forest. Zhong Ji didn’t force it out either. Yan Qing hoped the Blood Minister would be a worthy opponent.
He stared fixedly at the Blood Minister on screen, not missing a single movement—yet in the blink of an eye, the Blood Minister had vanished, leaving only a faint blur of a blood-colored shadow!
The Bunny Heroine instantly leapt left to dodge. A longsword shrouded in dark red-black mist thrust from behind, brushing past her. Had Yan Qing chosen to backstep instead, he might’ve been run through and instantly slain!
Zhong Ji’s Blood-Shadow Kill was already unimaginably fast, but the Blood Minister surpassed him—even face-to-face, it was nearly impossible to track his movements. This style had once reigned in the Asura Battleground: no flashy tricks, just pure, high-speed instant kills. If you couldn’t react in time, you died—a god-tier weapon for fish-slaughtering.
But this style demanded much from players—only those under twenty had the reflexes to keep up. Older players? They’d just be delivery meals crashing into the enemy line.
Yet players only controlled characters. The real person had to move themselves. How did the Blood Minister dash behind the Bunny Heroine and strike—with a direction change—in under 0.3 seconds!?
Clang! The Bunny Heroine countered with a spin, and the Blood Minister parried. Their blades tangled mid-air, then the Blood Minister twisted sharply, flinging the Seven-Star Sword high—but his sword also flew into the sky!
Abandoning his weapon? No—!
The Blood Minister, now unarmed, lunged like a clawed beast. His fingers were fitted with black-glowing talons—another demon-path token!
He wielded both a longsword and claws—two demon-path tokens!
His attack speed wasn’t as fast as Zhong Ji’s, but it was more eerie and unpredictable, leaving Yan Qing scrambling. Then he suddenly clamped onto the Seven-Star Sword mid-air—his left hand gripped it like iron pincers!
Like a perfectly-timed rendezvous, the blood-red longsword landed right into his free right hand. At this moment, the Bunny Heroine faced two choices: abandon her blade or take the demon-path slash. One delayed the fight, the other accepted death.
Even Yan Qing, the enemy, couldn’t help admiring the Blood Minister’s brilliance. Claws and longsword were incompatible styles, yet he’d blended them into a unique and elusive combat technique. Most opponents would be overwhelmed upon first encounter—and in the demon path, losers didn’t get second chances.
As expected of one of Shu Mountain’s Three Grand Protectors. Then let’s see you take on——
A tiger’s roar rang out, followed by a spear like a dragon! From the mountain path came the growl of a feral beast—a golden Soul-Severing Spear surged forth, entwined with a tiger’s phantom, its force divine!
Even the Blood Minister had to retreat.
With a rushing sonic boom, he was blasted back into the stronghold. He glared coldly at the two young women outside the gate, lips curling into a sinister smile:「Good, good, good. No wonder you dare act wild on Shu Mountain. Truly, only ferocious dragons cross the river. It’s been a while since Shu Mountain welcomed such burning new blood.」
「But you shouldn’t have killed my third brother,」his claws scraped a harsh screech down his sword:「I’ll flay you alive for seven days and nights to mourn his soul!」
「Betting one Spirit Jade, I say you can’t,」said Medicine Master Wen, bathed in blood.
「Betting one Bitter Melon, I say you can’t either,」the Bunny Heroine chimed in.
A murderous glint flashed in the Blood Minister’s eyes. His red-name status seemed to blaze. Words were too plain now—the seething bloodlust drowned the space. Even with Shu Mountain’s sunshine, Yan Qing felt a chill climbing his spine from across the screen. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel✦fire.net
The battle reignited in silence. The Blood Minister vanished again—still impossibly fast. The Bunny Heroine and Medicine Master Wen were ready to dodge... but the Blood Minister was intercepted midway, like a speeding carriage crashing into a stone wall.
Three figures appeared in the clearing. The Blood Minister was in the middle—his thrust blocked by a long-haired man ahead, while a bald monk gripped his shoulder from behind. Two people here could match his speed—their identities were obvious.
「I heard there was news of the Thunderstorm Messenger, so I rushed over,」said the scarred, bald monk wielding a monk’s staff. He glanced toward the young ladies outside:「Looks like it’s that young laywoman in front?」
「Boreuo. Beiyou,」the Blood Minister said coldly:「Stay out of this, and I’ll repay you.」
「I’d rather not meddle either,」sighed the long-haired man, scratching paint-streaked hair,「But the Thunderstorm Messenger is vital. Shu Mountain finally gets one—we won’t let you rampage.」
「And what could you repay us with?」Boreuo laughed:「Your brother is dead, your Four Generals are dead, and no one is left to manage Eternal Joy City’s business. It’s all ours now. Don’t think of giving us what was already ours as a favor.」
「I’ve no one to manage business, but plenty to ruin others’.」The Blood Minister’s tone turned venomous.「If you won’t let me avenge——」
「Then go die now,」Beiyou cut in.「No brother, no Four Generals—we’re enough to take you down. At worst, we get hurt. You can run too, sure, no one can catch you, but then Shu Mountain has no seat for you.」
「You——」the Blood Minister’s eyes burned red.「You’d go to war with me over one Thunderstorm Messenger!?」
「Blood Minister, think big,」Boreuo frowned.「We didn’t come to Shu Mountain to play local tyrants. Given the situation, go tend to your brother’s corpse.」
「Screw you, if it were your——」
「Zhong Shu,」Beiyou’s voice chilled:「Do you think this is a request?」
He gripped the Blood Minister’s blood-red sword. Blood spilled from his palm, but he didn’t flinch, staring into the Blood Minister’s eyes. Though wounded, it was the latter whose face turned uglier.
「These are Shu Mountain’s Three Grand Protectors,」Medicine Master Wen whispered gravely to the Bunny Heroine:「Beiyou, Boreuo, Blood Minister.」
She had once looked down on demon-path Messengers, thinking only those who battled demon lords in secret realms were real warriors. Banditry seemed cowardly by comparison.
But Zhong Ji and the Blood Minister shattered that view. Living in fear had sharpened the demon-path Messengers’ instincts—they weren’t weaker than military garrison Messengers. If the latter were a trained wolfpack, the former were lone savage panthers—both deadly in their own right.
Medicine Master Wen knew she could handle Zhong Ji at best. Against the Three Grand Protectors, she could only try not to drag down the Bunny Heroine.
The standoff ended. The Blood Minister sheathed his sword, leaving a streak of blood from Beiyou’s grip, who nonchalantly resumed his relaxed stance.
The Blood Minister looked to Boreuo:「Let go.」
Boreuo withdrew his hand. The Blood Minister strode past Beiyou to stand five steps from Medicine Master Wen and the Bunny Heroine—close enough to take their heads in one lunge.
But he didn’t move. Not out of fear—just lack of certainty he could kill them instantly. If he could, he’d strike. Boreuo and Beiyou’s dissatisfaction wouldn’t matter—they wouldn’t bicker over corpses.
Only the living held value. No one paid prices for the dead.
His brother was dead. He had tried to kill them. Now, he had to weigh his own interests. But he couldn’t let them go unpunished. He wanted them tormented day and night, wishing for death.
「You’re lucky, but luck won’t last forever,」the Blood Minister said coldly:「Stay alert always—sleeping, resting, eating. Or else… no one stands up for the dead.」
Seeing Medicine Master Wen’s face pale, he sneered inwardly. With his ghost-like speed, one moment of slack was fatal.
She understood his threat was meant to instill fear—but as long as they stayed near him in the stronghold, that threat remained.
As for leaving... the Three Grand Protectors’ loud exchange had made it clear. She might leave, but her sister was now crucial to their plans. If she left, all three protectors would become enemies.
They had spoken so loudly to make that clear.
She smirked inwardly. Her sister had a Return Token—she could go back to the Thieves’ House. They had been undefeatable from the start. His threats were meaningless. Her frightened expression was a facade.
At least they’d avoided fighting the Blood Minister. That was a relief. Now they just needed to escape Shu Mountain safely——
「Hold up, Blood Minister,」the Bunny Heroine sheathed her sword, hands in pockets:「Your brother tried to kill me. Where’s my compensation?」