Free Web NovelChapter 437: Chapter 366: Welcome Back
Ying Su is dead.
He wasn’t killed by Ye Si’s mechanical puppet, but died during the battle.
Although his strength fell below Foundation Establishment, he still had a significant advantage over the mechanical puppet, which couldn’t touch him at all.
Unfortunately, Ye Si had a mechanical puppet that countered him:
"Second-Turn Puppet: Steam Thunder Law Celestial Master"
"Attack Power: 11200" (enhanced value)
"Health: 11400"
"Attribute: Thunder Skill - Splash: This puppet’s attacks cause 300 points of splash damage from thunder skills, dealing double damage to mechanical, corpse ghosts, and monsters."
This puppet was originally a Mid-Term Puppet, effective against specific races, but it also worked wonders against messengers. Its attack method involved slamming the ground to create a large net of thunder. Once Ying Su stepped into it, he’d be temporarily paralyzed, significantly limiting his attack frequency and movement range. He tried several times to rush towards Yan Qing and Ying Rushi, but the seven puppets were just too many—like an impenetrable wall.
On his final charge, he fell like a wind-up doll running out of energy, lay motionless on the ground. Though he had not suffered any other injuries besides Ying Rushi’s initial counterattack, he lay in a pool of his own blood, with every gap in his armor bleeding profusely.
When Ye Si searched for his token, he flipped him over, and only then did Yan Qing realize that Ying Su wasn’t much older than them, perhaps even slightly youthful. Ye Si felt his body, finding it as soft as a sack, his bones entirely shattered—a condition not caused in an instant. The great power of Foundation Establishment Divine Techniques had slowly crushed his life during the fierce battle.
Yet his face bore no signs of pain or resentment, only a faint smile, like a relieved liberation, or perhaps a joy in fulfilling a wish. Around his neck was a golden key, not a token, which Yan Qing left behind, setting him ablaze for a funeral.
Facing an enemy who could push him to the brink, allowing him to break through to the Master Realm, Yan Qing felt inclined to offer respect after death.
Yan Qing and Ying Rushi returned to the center of the Demon Gathering Land, and found Murong Hui still inside the Tombstone Inscription. She seemed like a ghostly apparition, lying on the ground almost absent. As they approached, Yan Qing felt the "Tombstone Inscription" pulsate. He knew he could prematurely deactivate the "Tombstone Inscription"—a simple press of a button in the game—but the feeling was entirely different: he genuinely and completely controlled the power of the "Tombstone Inscription," withdrawing and releasing it as easily as he moved his arms, even being able to slightly retract it, precisely shortening its duration.
Given enough time, he believed he could uncover more uses for the "Tombstone Inscription" that had never appeared in the game.
He recalled Winter Hunting Zhenren, True Man of Locking Dragon, Ying Le, Jie Huang Chao, and other Foundation Establishments. No wonder their might and strength bore little resemblance to the Foundation Establishment Messenger characters that Yan Qing remembered—the performance of game characters under Foundation Establishment far exceeded real-world messengers, but above Foundation Establishment, real-world research into divine techniques surely surpassed anything within the system framework of game characters!
As the "Tombstone Inscription" expired, Murong Hui reverted from illusion to reality. However, they waited a while and she didn’t awaken, which panicked them. Ying Rushi lifted her up, whispering to her, and then everyone fell speechless—Murong Hui pursed her lips, her nose emitting a humming sound, revealing she was sound asleep.
Yan Qing slapped her head lightly, and Murong Hui shrinked her head back in grievance, clutching Ying Rushi and burying within her embrace, muttering: "Let me sleep a little longer."
...
...
The brush with death didn’t dampen Murong Hui’s mood; instead, she felt a bit regretful for having just fainted, missing out on fully experiencing the sensation of the "Tombstone Inscription."
The moment they walked out of the southern gate of the Demon Gathering Land, each heartbeat seemed to skip a beat, as if to make up for the stifled heartbeats from their initial entry into the city, which had overwhelmed them with its strange grandeur. Yet, no dramatic twists occurred. After stepping outside the gateway, trekking across Lotus Creek, and walking for nearly a minute, they finally exited the Demon Gathering Land.
Outside remained under the veil of night, much like the Demon Gathering Land, yet the sky’s jade bowl, the forest’s insect chirps and bird calls, and the slight chill of the breeze against their face made all their senses acutely aware this was no longer the Demon Gathering Land, but rather their ordinary mortal realm.
As if a world apart.
"I’ll accompany Murong Hui back first," Ying Rushi said.
"Alright," Yan Qing said, "see you at the Thief’s House."
Murong Hui’s gaze wandered between them, paying particular attention to the wound on Yan Qing’s lips, her expression shifting from dazed to suspicious: "Did something happen when I was unconscious?"
I hate such perceptive little imps... Yan Qing squeezed her cheek gently and pulled her into a hug: "Goodbye, little stray cat. If I get bored, I’ll come find you at the Yanzi Military Town."
"When are you ever bored?"
"When no one else wants to play with me."
"Huh? I knew it, only when no one else pays attention to you will you think of me."
"Don’t want that? Then I won’t seek you out."
"Since I’m your good sister, and seeing how shameless and pitiful you look, I might as well reluctantly keep you company." Murong Hui also opened her arms and hugged him.
"Work hard on your cultivation. Ying Rushi and I will soon reach Foundation Establishment," Yan Qing whispered in her ear. "By then, you’ll have to suppress your joy and sorrow and obediently call us Foundation Establishment Lords."
"I don’t care, even if you ascend to the heavens, you’ll still be my Noble Consort Quan and Little Fox," Murong Hui completely rejected his PUA tactics. "Besides being happy, I never expected to gain any benefits from you—of course, if you wish to honor your sister, I’d gladly accept."
She giggled foolishly again, "Hehe, I’m going to have Foundation Establishment friends now."
Yan Qing felt as though he had gained not just another friend, but a daughter. He waved at them, watching them disappear into the forest. He touched the wound on his lips and mentally connected to the ethereal Thief’s House.
Upon opening his eyes again, he was back in the room of the Thief’s House. Although this dog house had no hot spring, no pretty girls, and no ice-cold cola in the fridge, it wasn’t until he breathed in the slightly stuffy air of the room and sat on his familiar wooden chair that Yan Qing finally relaxed his tense nerves and let out a long sigh.
Finally home.
He didn’t want to do anything or think about anything. He lay on the desk for quite a while before remembering something very important.
He was supposed to have returned yesterday, but ended up staying an extra day because of Ying Rushi and the Transformed Self-Reliance Celestial Demon. Although it was normal for messengers to delay during outside training, both Pharmacist’s Wish and Shang Xinlei knew he was truly a reclusive person who would’ve returned sooner if he could, especially since returning to the Thief’s House was instantaneous. Something must have happened for him not to have made it back, surely they would be worried.
He needed to flip the sign in the hall to let them know he was back... As Yan Qing opened the door to go out, he was momentarily stunned.
The Thief Hall was quiet, with only the ceiling’s glass window casting a consistent bright light. Shang Xinlei lay on the stone table, her head resting on her arms, breathing deeply and looking adorable in her sleep. Even as Yan Qing approached, she remained undisturbed; it seemed she hadn’t been slacking during his absence.
Yan Qing carefully sat beside her, watching as her drool wet her sleeve. It felt like watching a clear sky, lazily shifting clouds.
"Hmm?"
Shang Xinlei rubbed her eyes, sleepily glancing at him, seemingly not fully awake. After a full three seconds of eye contact, she suddenly widened her eyes, turned to tidy her appearance, and exclaimed, "Why didn’t you wake me up!?"
"After six days, that’s quite a special greeting from you."
"You do know it’s been six days? Weren’t you supposed to be back in five? I thought you wouldn’t make it to tomorrow’s Thief’s House meeting." Shang Xinlei looked at him with dissatisfaction, "Also, the Unity Lock got triggered not long ago — you were so sure the Demon Gathering Land was safe!"
"Some unexpected situations arose, but overall it’s good news."
"Your credibility is bankrupt with me," Shang Xinlei huffed. "Next time, I’m going with you."
"Well, you’ll have to wait a while. This trip used up all my travel quota; I won’t be going out anytime soon," Yan Qing said lazily. "I just want to stay in the Thief’s House and watch you... sleep and drool."
Listening to the first half made Shang Xinlei’s heart flutter, but the latter half made her bristle with ire. "You have the nerve to say that, if it weren’t for waiting on you—"
"You’ve been waiting since yesterday?" Yan Qing’s expression softened. "Sorry for making you worry."
Shang Xinlei blinked, brushed her hair back gracefully, and casually said, "I haven’t been waiting that long. It’s not like I’d spend a whole day here... But resting at home or sitting here reading when I have spare time, it’s all the same."
Yan Qing didn’t ask where her book was, he softly said, "Shang Xinlei."
"Hmm?"
"I’m back."
Shang Xinlei looked at him, her eyes shimmering with warmth, an undertone of laughter dancing in her brows.
"Are you hungry?" she stood up. "It’s so late; there might be some dog feces left in the kitchen for you."
"If you’d join me, dog feces it is," Yan Qing said lazily.
Elsewhere, Pharmacist’s Wish, preparing for bed, dismissed the maid. She casually changed into regular clothes and with a thought appeared in the Thief’s House.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Shang Xinlei shushing her with a finger on her lips, signaling her not to speak.
Yan Qing was sprawled over the stone table in the hall, sleeping soundly. Even as Pharmacist’s Wish and Shang Xinlei approached, he did not awaken, his body covered in dust and fatigue, but his sleeping face was serene like a stray dog finally back in its own den, at peace despite the stormy world outside.
"Welcome back," someone whispered gently.
