Calamity Messenger

Chapter 399: Chapter 329: Repaying Kindness

Ying Rushi screamed, gulping down mouthfuls of hot spring water in fury, "What are you doing? I didn’t provoke you!"

"Now when you speak, you still sound like a person," Yan Qing laughed instead at this moment, "Rather than the arrogant and self-righteous Prince Jun."

"I—" Ying Rushi didn’t even know how to retort, "Where have I been arrogant and self-righteous?"

"Since I met you in Ping City, you’ve been arrogant and self-righteous all the time. Taking away the Baibao Guards wreaking havoc in Ping City as if it was no big deal, leaving me no chance for revenge," Yan Qing said. "Now you’re self-righteously deciding to separate from me without asking my opinion."

"Do you think that just because you sacrifice, everyone should naturally understand you, thank you, respect you? When you suggested we act separately, did you feel particularly noble? Do you think you’re no longer human, but a benevolent savior whose very existence shines with glory? Black Wolf and Red Snake really didn’t get it wrong; you are indeed the most annoying in Thief’s House, a woman who doesn’t get women."

Ying Rushi’s eyes turned red from Yan Qing’s scolding, her lips pressed together in grievance, "I’m not harming you, I did it for your own good—"

"For my own good!?" Yan Qing grabbed her collar and lifted her to eye level, "If you truly cared about my good, you shouldn’t be appearing in Demon Gathering Land, in front of my eyes, thus I wouldn’t be saving you, and Baibao Guards wouldn’t appear in Demon Gathering Land!"

"If I knew, I wouldn’t have come! I didn’t want to either, I was just chased to the point of having no place to go—"

"Did your brain ride a horse and run off by itself? Couldn’t you just hide in Thief’s House? If you even told us something in the lobby or left a note, couldn’t we help you think of a solution?"

"I couldn’t." Ying Rushi sniffled and said softly, "Like you tearing through Qi Kingdom, I too want to do something against Ying Le. You understand, it’s like I owe you too much and am restless inside, I also owe too many others... I must do this."

"I didn’t stop you from making trouble for Ying Le," Yan Qing asked, "But what’s this got to do with splitting up from me? Do you think I would drag you down? Do you look down on me?"

Ying Rushi shook her head quickly, "Of course not! But I would cause you trouble, you have your own matters in Demon Gathering Land, I don’t want to—"

Yan Qing sighed heavily, pressing both hands on Ying Rushi’s shoulders, wearing a helpless expression.

"So how long will you persist in being self-righteous?" Yan Qing said, "When I was alone I dared to offend Baibao Guards to save you, now that you’re with me, do you think I’d fear them?"

"You keep saying it’s for my own good, but you haven’t considered my thoughts at all. I went out to save you, I opposed Baibao Guards because I didn’t want you in danger," Yan Qing gazed into Ying Rushi’s eyes, "What I cherish is you, the person, you silly woman!"

"Think about it, if Black Wolf told me such words, would I be pleased? If Red Snake said such words, would I be pleased? If it was pulling in a Foundation Establishment Messenger level adversary, it wouldn’t matter, but with Baibao Guards, separating actions, what’s the difference with looking down on me? So do you understand now why I’m so angry? Because you both look down on me and are stupid beyond belief!"

Ying Rushi felt dizzy from his words, her heart mixed with sweetness, sorrow, bitterness, and spiciness, wanting to retort, ’I’m not Black Wolf Red Snake,’ but the words failed to leave her lips.

"I really don’t want to care for you, really, it feels like I owed you in a past life. You’ve already rejected my kindness three times, the first being you never contacted me, the second when I advised you to hide in Thief’s House, the third was when I explicitly opposed, yet you insisted. If you truly wish to die and be a savior, I won’t stop you, nor could I."

"Then why do you...?" Ying Rushi asked instinctively.

"Because when I pulled you out of the quagmire, I didn’t see a heroic savior ready to die, but rather a silly woman with a tear-stained face full of unwillingness!" Yan Qing released her collar and leaned against the edge of the pool, spoke irritably, "When you want to live, then live well, so when you die you won’t cry so hideously."

"Don’t speak of acting separately again, nor think of leaving secretly," Yan Qing said, leaning on his cheek, "Or else I’ll..."

He pondered, realized there wasn’t anything to really threaten her with, intending to brush it off, but Ying Rushi asked seriously, "Or else what?"

"Did you forget that you still owe me? You’re not allowed to run around until the debt is paid!" Yan Qing grinned, "Didn’t you say the Ying Family’s Royal Family settles scores clearly?"

Yan Qing felt that reasoning with Ying Rushi was futile, and moral coercion was more effective. The reason he proposed repayment was precisely this, though he didn’t expect Ying Rushi to be so willing to make sacrifices.

"I want to repay," Ying Rushi once again handed the Heaven-Swaying Sword over.

"But I don’t want it!" Yan Qing said, "Even if you want to repay, you should see what I want, right? You can’t insist on giving me a pear when I want an apple."

"Then what do you want? I don’t have anything more precious than the Heaven-Swaying Sword."

"No, you do," Yan Qing stared at her, "You have something more precious than the Heaven-Swaying Sword."

Ying Rushi hesitated, following his gaze to her body immersed in the hot spring, realizing her soaked nightgown clung tightly, outlining a curvy silhouette. Her face turned red to her ears, steam seeming to rise from her body. She hugged the Heaven-Swaying Sword to her chest, cautiously watched Yan Qing, fearing a wolfish move in the hot spring, pondering whether to swing for a big head or a small head.

Yan Qing’s face turned dark, "You’ve been corrupted by Murong Hui, haven’t you!? I’m talking about the task for Thief’s House, tasks! If you put more effort into future tasks, let me complete them easily, that’s the most precious repayment of all! I value you as teammates, letting us walk side by side! Really, what are you imagining."

Ying Rushi, driven by whim, asked, "Did you say something similar to Black Wolf and Red Snake too?"

"Yes," Yan Qing blinked, "Why?"

"No wonder..." Ying Rushi muttered, "But what you just said is what I should be doing, it doesn’t count as repayment—"

"Then you can repay with the method you just thought of," Yan Qing pouted, "Anyway, I’ll only accept those two ways, Little Heaven-Swaying Sword doesn’t interest me."

Yan Qing understood Ying Rushi’s stubborn heroic character well. If she agrees, she will surely keep her word, as long as Ying Rushi doesn’t genuinely seek death, for Yan Qing merely wanted to give her a reason to keep living.

"Okay."

"Oh... okay what? Are you going to handle everything for Thief’s House in the future?"

"Exactly as you said," Ying Rushi leaned over to him, her gentle voice laced with a hint of flirtatiousness, "Repay with the method I just thought of."

Yan Qing’s body jolted, could it be true that the noisy child gets milk? Could it really be this simple? So the stories in GALGAME are true?

Ying Rushi whispered softly in his ear, "Once we return to Thief’s House, when Black Wolf and Red Snake are present, if you still want it, I’ll grant your wish for repayment, how’s that?"

Yan Qing gave her a dark look, showing her the middle finger, "Truly worthy of the Ying Family royalty, the play is quite perverse, huh!"

How is this any different from a refusal!

Ying Rushi chuckled, finally getting her own back after being verbally battered from start to finish by Yan Qing. She patted Yan Qing’s shoulder, "Just kidding, see my hands, I don’t even dare to remove bandages while bathing, you’d probably vomit if you saw."

"Then just don’t untie them?"

"Turns out you can’t always guess my thoughts," Ying Rushi smiled, shook her head, turning to exit the hot spring pool, hot streams tracing down her hips, dripping onto the stone ground.

Splat.

Just as Ying Rushi turned away, the tightly closed wooden door suddenly made a closing noise, then Murong Hui’s voice echoed loudly from the lobby, "Oh, the hot spring door is blocked? I don’t know how to open it, you two will have to stay inside for the night. I’m going to sleep, once I’m asleep I won’t hear a thing, no matter what happens I won’t know."

Ying Rushi’s face turned dark, wringing out her nightgown, preparing to go deal with Murong Hui again. Yan Qing stopped her, "Wait a moment, I want to join the beating too."