Scourge Messenger

Chapter 36: Battle in the Rain

"brute!"

The raincoat knight holding an axe's eyes turned red. He let out a war cry and rushed towards Jiang Shi, swinging his hand axe as he ran, cursing: "He owes me a year's gambling debt!"

This man looks reckless, but his fighting style is very insidious and cunning. After throwing the flying axe, he not only immediately drew out a dagger, but also took out a small ball from his belt with his left hand and threw it out.

After Yan Qing perfectly blocked the flying axe, he saw that there were still thrown objects, so he naturally chopped them down without thinking. However, the moment the ball was hit, a ball of white powder exploded. Jiang Shi was unable to dodge and was hit directly in the right eye.

Yan Qing from the Thieves' House was startled when he saw the abnormal status "Blindness in the Right Eye" appear above the health bar, and the hit rate temporarily dropped by 40%.

Although it was the first time he had seen it, Yan Qing, who had seen similar plots in countless entertainment works, naturally recognized what this prop was at a glance.

"Go on, she's blinded by lime!"

Lime Knight exclaimed, "It's still raining, and soon her eyes will burn!"

Despite saying so, his pace slowed down. Instead of approaching Jiang Shi immediately, he stopped in front of the carriage. His recklessness was indeed a pretense. Even with the advantage in hand, he remained extremely cautious. Even before he caught Jiang Shi, he was prepared to deal with any interference from the Baiyun Qian family.

Even as the Lime Knight advanced, his companions had already flanked him from both sides, charging forward at the command, leaving Jiang Shi no chance to breathe. To protect his eyes, Jiang Shi could only shield them with his left hand, wielding the sword with one hand. Even with his exceptional skills, he could only protect himself, and within a few short breaths, he had narrowly escaped death several times.

The girl in the carriage had only just come to her senses. The sight of Jiang Shi not getting on the carriage but suddenly killing someone had really shocked her for a while. But even so, she was still anxious about Jiang Shi's situation, and she was about to jump out of the carriage with both hands.

"Are you going to protect this criminal?!"

The Lime Knight, who had been keeping an eye on them, immediately shouted, "Is the Baiyun Qian clan planning to protect this Taihu traitor who killed our brothers? If so, we brothers will withdraw immediately and report this to the county magistrate for a final decision!"

Lime Knight emphasized the words 'killed our brothers', causing the girl to pause.

Just now you could say that this group of detectives were slandering and spreading rumors, but now Jiang Shi has actually killed someone. Even if she is not a traitor, she is still a criminal. This logic is justified no matter where you put it.

Seeing that neither the girl nor the groom moved, the Lime Knight breathed a sigh of relief. If Jiang Shi had been a more ordinary person, he would have given Baiyun Qianshi a break and retreated. Even though Baiyun Qianshi was only a prestigious blue-belt family, wasn't he also a black-belt fast-moving strategist using the county government to flaunt his power? Not to mention that the two Baiyun Qianshi seemed to be messengers; they could kill everyone here with a single breath.

However, the county magistrate from the Zhanhe Huang family was his only avenue for advancement, and the county magistrate preferred beautiful women. The moment he saw Jiang Shi, the Lime Knight knew that if he offered this woman to the county magistrate, he would surely win the county magistrate's favor, and naturally, this year's token quota would be easily within his grasp!
There were seven or eight messengers like him in the yamen who had been transferred but lacked a token, not counting the brave and aggressive local militiamen who had already been transferred. For so many of them, the only way to obtain a token was to wait for the provincial government's quota. Constables like him, without status, position, or wealth, could wait their entire lives for a token and never get one. Their lives would be spent as constables at the beck and call of powerful officials.
Only by seizing this unique opportunity can one succeed! Even if it means offending a prestigious blue-ribbon family, it is worth it!

He made the right bet.

There are many sons of the aristocracy who disregard the law and beat and kill people at will.

But a blue-ribbon like Baiyun Qianshi is not powerful enough to dare to offend the county government that represents imperial power!
“Brother, brother——”

A panicked cry echoed through the rain, and the Lime Knight turned around in confusion. Two constables were fighting a half-blind woman. It was fine if they hadn't been able to capture her after all this time, but was there any chance they couldn't defeat her?
I saw a constable with his right hand broken running out of the alley screaming, his face terrified and his steps hurried, as if an evil ghost was chasing him.

despair.

Jiang Shi emerged from the alley at a leisurely pace, her left hand still covering her eyes, her right hand clutching the knife. However, compared to before, the coarse linen she wore was now stained black and red with blood, and even the rain couldn't wash away the blood. She was clearly just walking, yet her speed was even faster than the fleeing constables ahead of her.

When did they move to the alleys to fight?

The constable was so frightened by the footsteps behind him that he missed a step and fell to the ground facing the female devil Jiang Shi. He shouted in a daze: "No, big brother, save me, no, please don't--"

Zheng!
A sharp flash of a blade flashed through the rain, and the Lime Knight narrowed his eyes. The fallen constable instinctively raised his remaining left hand to block, but the result was that his wrist and head were chopped off, his head still showing a terrified expression as it rolled to the side, his body twitching slightly on the ground, like a fish that had been improperly slaughtered.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, to the point where you couldn't see anything more than ten steps away.

But the Lime Knight saw clearly that Jiang Shi hadn't used any of the token's power to kill the constable, simply chopping off his head with a single-handed knife. It sounded simple, but beheading was no easy task. Even the executioner could not cut off the head, with the knife getting stuck in the cervical vertebrae and even breaking the blade.

It is not easy to chop off a head in battle, not to mention that Jiang Shi is holding the knife with one hand.

The most shocking thing was that, even though he had killed three people in a row—although there was still one person who hadn't come out of the alley, no one would think he was still alive—Jiang Shi still had no expression on his face, and his face, which was as perfect as the banished immortal Xuannv, was full of indifference.

A chill ran down Lime Knight's spine into his heart, and fear flooded his world like rain.

If Jiang Shi showed anger, curses, disgust, or even murderous intent, he wouldn't be afraid. Having risen from the bottom of the class to become a messenger, he had seen countless enemies. But Jiang Shi was clearly covered in blood, with corpses and heads at his feet, but she turned a blind eye, one of her beautiful eyes open, the other closed, calmly gazing at him.

If the county magistrate was stared at like this by a beauty, he would probably be completely fascinated and would not be able to help but pounce on her.

However, the Lime Knight could only tremble all over, wishing to run as far as possible.

He felt that in the eyes of the other party, he was not an enemy, not even a human being, but just a fish.

A dying fish!
despair!
Jiang Shi stepped through the rain, his right blade slashing a semicircle in the air, seemingly about to strike from the right. However, just as the Lime Knight raised his shoulder to strike Jiang Shi's unguarded left side, the tip of Jiang Shi's blade suddenly swung downward, instantly transforming from a right slash into a downward stab!

clang!clang!clang!
After just three exchanges, the Lime Knight knew how his men were killed. His opponent's swordsmanship was so refined that he could feint and change direction at will, making it impossible to determine his attack line. Furthermore, he was highly skilled in "slicing and counterattacking," slicing the veins along the enemy's weapon trajectory to disrupt the attack and allow for a counterattack. These two techniques, while described in just a few lines, were rarely practiced by ordinary people. Even among constables, maintaining a steady grip on their blade while striking was considered elite. If they learned feinting and changing direction, they would likely simply throw the blade. Slicing, on the other hand, was a supreme skill, as failing to do so meant standing there helplessly to be struck, while retreating to evade was far safer, and therefore, most would not consider it.

So they died.

With their mediocre skills, facing masters who are proficient in feints and tendon cutting, all their attacks will be broken down, and the opponents can even take advantage of the situation to change direction and attack the places they cannot defend against... What's the difference between them and scarecrows with legs?
This is what a battle is like. No matter if you are a beautiful jade or a piece of useless mud, you have to collide with the stone that has been tempered by others.

If you get smashed, you die.

Lime Knight was well aware of the formidable nature of his opponent.

Because he is also proficient in feints and tendon cutting.

His body temperature was dropping, but his blood was boiling. Although he still had lime bullets on his belt, the Lime Knight had no room to throw them, so he could only rely on his dagger to fight Jiang Shi!

Just like when I was 22 years old, I and a group of colleagues broke into the Dajiang Gang’s boat, and I was the only one left blocking the door and fighting against a dozen gangster knifemen!
Just like when I was 25 years old, I encountered a big beast while traveling at night, and fought it to the death with only an axe and a dagger!
Just like when I was twenty-nine...

clang!
The glorious days in his mind vanished, and the severe pain in his palm and the cold rain brought him back to reality.

Lime Knight looked at Jiang Shi with trembling lips, as if he was looking at a monster.

The opponent's swordsmanship was surprisingly improving, and his Qi and Health were constantly rising during the battle, completely destroying the Qi and Health advantage the Lime Knight relied on. Furthermore, his disadvantages of being half-blind and one-handed were masked by his skills.

Could it be that I would...

impossible!
The Lime Knight's eyes widened in anger, and he roared as he charged towards Jiang Shi.

I'm a messenger, a martial arts messenger proficient in martial arts! My martial arts skills are all acquired through hard training, and I have experienced dozens of fierce battles in my life. How could I lose in a place like this?

clang!
The dagger flew high and spun in the air.

Lime Knight stared at his empty hands, unable to believe he couldn't even hold a weapon. Having his weapon knocked away in a head-on confrontation only proved one thing—his energy and blood were inferior to his opponent's.

That's right. Ever since I became the team leader, I've been scheming to get my token quota all day. I've either been at a banquet or on the way to one. I haven't been able to train myself much, and I'm no longer fighting on the front lines...

No matter how hard a stone has been hammered, it will eventually wear away under the constant dripping of water. Others cannot see this, and the stone itself is deceived, mistakenly believing that the stone is still the same stone as before.

Until it hits another transforming stone.

Zheng!
Jiang Shi swung his knife to tear the rain curtain, just like tearing a painting, tearing the people in the rain curtain together.

The head flew high into the air and the dagger landed on the ground in a spinning motion.

Jiang Shi turned around and wiped the blade with his sleeve, then sheathed it. The corpse behind him seemed to have just come to his senses and fell heavily into the water on the ground.

Coming to the first dead constable, Jiang Shi squatted down and took off his boots and coat. When she was about to put them on, the four-horse carriage came to her again.

"There are clothes and shoes suitable for you in the car, as well as vegetable oil to remove the lime."

The girl in the carriage poked her head out and looked at Jiang Shi with eyes filled with respect, awe, and even a hint of admiration. She extended her hand again and asked solemnly, "Do you want to get in?"

Jiang Shi didn't say anything, but just stretched out his bloody right hand towards her.

……

...

Yan Qing looked at the screen and thought that the option of "extending his bloody right hand to her" was really brilliant.

After all, Jiang Shi had killed four constables, and if he got on the carriage, it would undoubtedly implicate the other party. Extending his right hand was a silent question.

My hands are covered in blood, do you really want to touch them?
If the other party is willing to shake this bloody hand, it means that the other party does not care about Jiang Shi's crimes.

Even though his face was stained with blood, he still extended a hand to support. What a chivalrous and tender picture!
but……

Yan Qing was startled when he saw the girl in the carriage, then he suddenly realized something. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, helped Jiang Shi wipe his palms, and then took Jiang Shi's hand and pulled him into the carriage.

I'm asking if you're willing to associate with criminals, not if you're a mysophobe...

(End of this chapter)