Scourge Messenger

Chapter 52: Legendary Token Enhancement Materials

"Just now, when I was cutting trees in the jungle, I suddenly came across an old tree with a human face. It was very scary."

Qian Gongyu made a face, not sure if it was to show how frightened she was or to imitate the old tree. "But I remained calm. I didn't walk away. Instead, I started talking to it. It said that if I gave it fifty spirit jades, it would give me a secret manual of martial arts."

"I threw fifty spirit jades into its mouth, and after chewing for a while, it actually spat out a secret manual! After reading it, I immediately mastered the advanced boxing technique, and then I changed my job to become the Iron Claw Messenger. My energy and blood surged, and my strength soared! But the old tree became just an ordinary tree, and it didn't react even when I cut it down."

Although Qian Gongyu tried hard to describe this process as thrilling, it still sounded like a story of her luck. However, the ending refreshed everyone's perception of her - you dared to chop down the unknown existence that just gave you a secret manual of martial arts. You are even more reckless than Jiang Shi.

Jiang Shi also told everyone about her encounter with the Spirit Gathering Stone and took out the jade pendant for everyone to see. The difference between ordinary tokens and rare tokens was very obvious. Ordinary tokens were dull, while rare tokens glowed blue.

"You're saying that the Spirit Gathering Stone can enhance any ordinary token into a rare token?" Shang Xinlei emphasized the word 'any'. "Without any restrictions? Even three or four transformations are possible?"

Jiang Shi: "Nine revolutions are fine."

Shang Xinlei and Jie Yuanshao thought she was just exaggerating, but the information that it could strengthen ordinary fourth-rank messengers was enough to cause a huge stir in the outside world. They didn't know about other places, but the vast majority of Liang's fourth-rank messengers only had ordinary messengers, and not even every fourth-rank messenger had one!
A fourth-rank rare token is enough to allow a fourth-rank messenger to suppress the current generation and have the final say!

If these fourth-rank messengers who truly ruled Liang State were to learn of such a fortuitous event in the Mansu Forest...

"Miss Jie." Shang Xinlei suddenly called Jie Yuanshao, and then looked at her intently.

Jie Yuanshao's lips moved slightly, and after a moment of silence, he nodded slightly, "I can only promise not to tell other families."

After reaching a consensus with Jie Yuanshao, Shang Xinlei seriously said to the two from the Qian family, "Don't spread the news of the Spirit Gathering Stone Seat. This news has too much impact. If it was just a minor incident before, now that it involves a fourth-level rare token, it's a vortex of landslide and tsunami-level. Even we may not be able to protect ourselves, let alone you."

Qian Gongyu was so frightened that she nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. Jiang Shi nodded calmly. Shang Xinlei actually wanted to persuade Jiang Shi not to use this rare jade pendant again, but she knew that Jiang Shi's answer would not satisfy her, so she simply gave up.

"But the news of Qian Gongyu's second transformation can't be concealed. Qian Gongyu's previous strength is obvious to all, and no one would think she transformed naturally." Jie Yuanshao said, "The fact that it can produce advanced secret manuals alone is enough to attract the attention of the aristocratic families to the Mansu Forest. Advanced secret manuals can only be produced in the third level of the secret realm, and each advanced secret manual is stained with dozens of lives."

"It involves human life?" Qian Gongyu was puzzled.

"Even if a team of third-rank messengers enters the secret realm, they might still be seriously injured or even lose members," Shang Xinlei explained. "Besides, third-rank messengers are naturally proud. If you ask third-rank messengers to conquer the secret realm, how much profit do you have to give them to satisfy them?"

"Therefore, most strategies for conquering third-rank secret realms rely on a small number of third-rank or second-rank messengers as the core, supplemented by a large number of mortal soldiers as human shields to withstand the demon attacks. Often, after a battle, the mortal soldiers will be seriously injured and replaced. When the secret realm demon king is killed, at least hundreds of soldiers behind will suffer heavy casualties."

"Miss Jie said that every advancement manual is linked to dozens of lives, and that's absolutely true," Shang Xinlei lamented. "Even if there aren't any wars in the major military towns, thousands of people are killed or injured every year."

"This, this is too..." Qian Gongyu held it in for a long time before she uttered a word: "Isn't this too cruel?"

"Cruel? This is a good policy that everyone praises." Shang Xinlei shook her head. "Every year, countless people want to join the military town to support their families. Participating in conquering the Third Rank Secret Realm is a shortcut for ordinary people to rise to the top. Because anyone who participates in the Third Rank Secret Realm battle ten times, regardless of status, will be granted basic skills to help them become a messenger."

"Many prominent families out there have their ancestors starting out as soldiers in military towns and working their way up to establish their own families. Exploiting the lower classes isn't cruel; the real cruelty is not even giving them the opportunity to exploit them, but trampling on them like weeds, leaving them to fend for themselves."

The firewood in the fireplace crackled, reflecting Qian Gongyu's uneasy face.

Shang Xinlei said so much just to fully illustrate the importance of advanced skills.

This is a strategic resource that any family is willing to sacrifice dozens of lives for.

Jiang Shi was already at the center of public attention, and this news would surely make her even more popular.

This is icing on the cake for the strong, but it is worse for the weak.

"Jiang Shi." Qian Gongyu clutched the corner of his clothes, looking like a helpless and pitiful raccoon. "Have I... caused you trouble again?"

After a brief silence, Jiang Shi nodded: "Indeed."

"Then you will repay me by working like a slave for the rest of your life, Miss."

what?
It was the first time that everyone heard such a wonderful grammar. They knew every word, but when they were put together, it became very strange.

"It's not so serious that I have to work like a slave for the rest of my life!" Qian Gongyu couldn't hold it in any longer. Jiang Shi was easy to talk to: "What about the next ten years?"

"Even ten years won't do!"

"Five years?"

"no!"

"A year?"

"One year...one year..."

No, you guys really started discussing it?

Shang Xinlei was a bit amused, but also felt that this was Jiang Shi's style. Casual, greedy, unconcerned with moral standards, and very honest. To this day, she had never heard Jiang Shi tell a lie against his conscience, because Jiang Shi would never let herself be wronged.

She had originally intended to use these two pieces of information to intimidate Jiang Shi, letting him know how many people would target him and that his only way out was to quickly join her or the Jie family. But seeing Jiang Shi's attitude, she suspected that her actions had backfired.

After all, the solution to "not being able to make enemies with the whole world" is not only "integrating into the world", but also "destroying the whole world".

Shang Xinlei wanted to discuss this with Jie Yuanshao, but she found that Jie Yuanshao was holding his chin and watching Jiang Shi and Qian Gongyu arguing about whether to sell their bodies for seven months or eight months. He looked like an introverted warrior who wanted to join the conversation but didn't know how to start.

For some reason, the complex thoughts in Shang Xinlei's mind gradually faded. She lazily leaned against the soft leather chair, watching Jie Yuanshao rack his brains to finally come up with a topic to join the conversation. She wished there were milk tea and cakes here.

Soon, the demon frenzy ended, and it was time to go outside to collect again, but this time there was not as much as three quarters of an hour (45 minutes), but only a quarter of an hour.

A quarter of an hour passed in a flash. Everyone came back from collecting resources, and then discussed how to make full use of the resources at hand based on the building list listed by Jiang Shi.

"If you believe me," Jiang Shi suddenly said, "I still suggest upgrading the shelter first."

Jie Yuanshao: "Reason?"

"The castle is a level four shelter." Jiang Shi repeated: "Level four."

Jie Yuanshao and Shang Xinlei immediately understood her thoughts and expressed their approval. Only Qian Gongyu was still naive: "What's wrong with level four?"

"Whether it's secret realms, tokens, or job transfers, the fourth job transfer is a huge watershed that will bring about earth-shaking changes." Shang Xinlei said, "If shelters also follow this rule, then the buildings that can be unlocked in a fourth-level shelter will probably be beyond imagination."

Resources turned into a torrent and flowed into the barrier. They felt as if they were in a mountain torrent or tsunami. When the world returned to peace, a majestic and magnificent castle appeared before them. The ground was covered with carpets and the candlelight was upgraded to gorgeous torches.

But these didn't pique anyone's interest. Everyone stared at Jiang Shi, waiting for her to introduce the new building options. However, Jiang Shi said nothing. The remaining resources in the yard transformed into streams of light and rushed into a room in the castle. It turned out that she had built a new facility without consulting anyone, and had almost used up all the resources!
Shang Xinlei and Jie Yuanshao raised their eyebrows slightly. Acting on their own initiative was not in line with Jiang Shi's style. Either this facility was extremely important to her and she would build it even if everyone opposed it; or she could ensure that everyone would agree to give priority to building this facility.

Jiang Shi walked over and opened the new room, and soon came out with a sword, a knife, a pair of iron claws and a pair of flying rings - exactly their respective weapon types.

"Take it."

Shang Xinlei took the flying ring and found that it was just an ordinary iron flying ring, not even a token of trust. She asked in confusion, "What's the use of this?"

"The second wave of attack is about to begin," Jiang Shi said, "Go out and defeat them."

Everyone was stunned, and Jie Yuanshao immediately reacted: "These weapons can harm the monsters in the Mansu Forest?"

"That's not all." Jiang Shi said, "If you can wield these blood weapons and kill more than a hundred enemies in the Mansu Forest, the blood weapons will become your own tokens based on how you use them. As long as you kill more than three hundred enemies, you can take these blood weapons with you."

Before Shang Xinlei and the others could digest this information, Jiang Shi immediately dropped even more bombshell news: "If you kill a thousand enemies, the Blood Weapon will become a strengthening material that can be integrated into any other token, strengthening it to a higher level."

She paused and added:
"But at most it can only be strengthened into a legendary token."

(End of this chapter)