Messenger of Calamity

Chapter 110: Entry-Exit Mechanism

“Do you know about the Reward and Punishment Token?”

Yan Qing really didn’t. He had only heard others talking about it in the Manshu Forest and had never looked into it: “Just that it’s very valuable.”

Shang Xinlei gave him a long look and said, “If a Messenger wants to enter the Third-Stage Secret Realm Divine Marquis Estate, they must possess the Reward and Punishment Token. From ancient times until now, this has been the only way. Of course, now it’s no longer the only method. Other Messengers can also kill us to obtain a chance to claim the bounty by entering the Divine Marquis Estate.”

Yan Qing vaguely understood what she meant: “Some Secret Realms require handing over specific items to enter?”

Shang Xinlei nodded: “It’s said that the Jie Family’s Third-Stage Secret Realm, the Dream Theater of Jinghua, also requires the shoes of a dancer to gain entry. Moreover, the dancer must be near-master level, which means a dancer proficient in Basic Footwork. As a result, the Jie Family cultivated the largest song-and-dance troupe in the entire Central Plains. Locally, festivals dedicated to dancers are held all year round, and any child with a talent for dancing can be adopted by the Jie Family—all for the purpose of collecting enough of those shoes.”

“This door mentioned a scholar, tailor, and gambler—I'm afraid they can’t be ordinary folk. They must be outstanding in their respective trades.”

“If the Secret Realm entrance demands something, it must be exact. No one can deceive a Secret Realm.” She looked at the golden gate before her, admiration, fear, and confusion all swirling in her eyes: “Was this door moved here by the Emperor Taizu of Liang? Can a Foundation Messenger accomplish something like this? Just how did he dismantle the Secret Realm entrance?”

Yan Qing wasn’t as shocked as Shang Xinlei. After all, even the Turquoise Slab used for Human-Machine Verification could be dismantled and repurposed as a vault switch. It was no surprise that the Emperor Taizu of Liang removed a Secret Realm entrance and used it as a gate. If the Emperor Taizu of Liang were a thief, his theft style could be described as ‘leaving nothing behind’—he really showed no courtesy to any Secret Realm.

“If there’s no way to cheat……” Yan Qing glanced back at the Inner Treasury: “This doesn’t look like the kind of place that stores a scholar’s brush or a tailor’s needle……”

“We can’t get out.”

Shang Xinlei slid down against the stone wall and sat on the ground. Her tight night-travel pants outlined the curves of her hips and soft, fleshy thighs. With her head lowered, she stated the cruel reality plainly: “How could the royal family be stupid enough to leave the unlocking items inside the Inner Treasury? If they wanted access to it, they would have collected those items beforehand. These aren’t hard to find—where in Jiangnan City would you be short of scholars, dancers, tailors, or gamblers?”

“I should’ve realized earlier... No matter what, the Inner Treasury is a place for storing valuable items. Even an ordinary warehouse has an alert and anti-theft mechanism—the Inner Treasury of the royal family can’t be without one. Since the Treasury is well-hidden, it's understandable that they don’t post guards. But a lack of anti-theft measures? Impossible.”

“What a brilliant anti-theft design... It's meaningless to the royal family. They’d prepare the required items in advance before entering. But for a thief, it’s a death sentence. There’s no way a thief could prepare so thoroughly in advance, no way to contact the outside, not even a cry for help would escape. There’s no food here, not even a single Healing Pill.”

“Unseen, unheard, unsaved—this is the Emperor Taizu of Liang’s punishment for thieves. In despair and silence, one can only watch the treasures of the Inner Treasury while starving to death.”

“To think I’d been scheming all this time to get into the Treasury, thinking the Shao Royal Clan were arrogant for hiding it underground without guards.” Shang Xinlei lifted her head with a self-mocking smile: “Turns out, when we stepped into the Treasury, we stepped into a tomb prepared a hundred years ago—for arrogant fools like us.”

Silence fell over the Inner Treasury. Shang Xinlei closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but still couldn’t calm her fear.

Of course, she was afraid of death. Terrified. She had grown up in silk and brocade, barely experiencing any hardship. How could she not fear death? Especially such a horrifying death by starvation—she would rather take her own life than go insane from hunger.

If she couldn’t choose where to die, at least she wanted to choose a painless way. Preferably one that left her looking beautiful.

She opened her eyes and saw Yan Qing still standing at the Treasury gate. Perhaps because death was drawing near, she suddenly grew curious about trivial things: “Yellow Dog, where are you from? Jiangnan? Chang'an? The Northern Territories?”

“I’ve already taken off my mask. Why don’t you take yours off too? We’re trapped here anyway. Unless the royal family suddenly comes down for an inspection, we’re not getting out.”

“I bet you’re ugly, that’s why you don’t dare take it off.”

Seeing Yan Qing remain silent, Shang Xinlei’s voice grew softer and softer.

She stared at the cold, nagging man before her, thinking he probably couldn’t accept the truth. He had so many loyal subordinates, like one of those storybook leaders of an assassin or intelligence network, stirring up storms from the shadows with world-shaking ambitions. The protagonist would have to struggle through a thousand obstacles just to meet him. That quote—‘To live, a hero among men; to die, a ghost still bold’—it described someone like him.

Yet he was going to die here. Not remembered by history, not cursed by the world. Just rot anonymously as a failed thief beneath the earth.

Outside, a beauty like Jiang Ten was probably waiting for him. Was he thinking about Jiang Ten now? But I’m thinking too—if it were Jiang Ten trapped here with me, even on an empty stomach, I might feel a kind of happiness.  

 Shang Xinlei actually felt a bit guilty. Yan Qing ended up like this because of her. But she also felt a shred of unspoken relief, like a bewitching flower blooming from mud—thank goodness he was here. On this path toward the Yellow Springs, she didn’t have to be alone.

She cautiously stood and walked up behind Yan Qing. After a long pause, she said, “Actually, there might still be hope. Things got so loud tonight—the royal family might send someone to check the Inner Treasury. If that happens, we might get a chance to escape……”

“The royal family does inspect the Treasury regularly. Maybe we can last until then……”

As she spoke, Shang Xinlei grew more hopeful, and the fear in her heart diminished greatly. After all, as long as someone came to inspect the Treasury, they would be saved. But at that moment, Yan Qing said, “Even if someone comes down, we still can’t escape. They only need to block the entrance hole to catch us. Even if we manage to get out, could we escape a palace guarded by a Foundation Messenger? Our identities would definitely be exposed.”

Exposed.

Fear clawed at Shang Xinlei’s heart like a demon’s hand, making her whole body tremble.

She couldn’t imagine the consequences of being exposed—sneaking into the palace, stealing from the Inner Treasury, attempting to assassinate the emperor—any one of these would bring disaster to the Shang Family. Perhaps the Shang Family would still exist, but her father, mother, and brother—her closest loved ones—would be dragged down with her. Even though she’d done nothing for them, and they’d always cared for her.

For a moment, Shang Xinlei felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had wanted to comfort Yan Qing, but couldn’t even comfort herself. She didn’t want to die, but the price of survival was too high. Perhaps death would be better. At least she wouldn’t have to live with her family’s resentment.

She slowly collapsed to the ground, her vision blurring. She tried to wipe her tears, but they only came faster. Even her breathing turned to sobs.

Maybe the Inner Treasury wasn’t a tomb. She had turned it into one by cornering herself.

A roll of rough toilet paper was handed to her. Tear-blurred, Shang Xinlei looked up at Yan Qing, then down at the paper in her hand. It was coarse. She wiped haphazardly, asking in disbelief, “Where did you get this?”

“I always carry some when I go out. You never know when you’ll need to go.” Yan Qing gave her a side glance. “Your eyes are peeing—go ahead, don’t be shy.”

Shang Xinlei choked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She sniffled, snot streaming down, and even her face mask got sticky. She hurriedly wiped with the paper, but it was so rough. She had delicate skin—she’d never used such cheap personal items. After a while, her whole face turned red and stung like fire, looking like a little cat.

Yan Qing snorted and soon couldn’t hold it in. He folded his arms and burst out laughing. Shang Xinlei, who was still feeling sad, was driven mad with anger by his laughter. She threw a punch at him—but Yan Qing dodged.

“Next time your eyes pee, can you wear your mask? You look so ugly when you cry, hahaha.”

“None of your business!” Shang Xinlei kept swinging. “And I’m not ugly when I cry. I’ve looked in a mirror!”

“Really? Even with snot dripping?”

“You’re seeing it wrong!”

Missing several times, Shang Xinlei gave up. After all the commotion, the regret in her heart faded. What remained was shame for showing such an ugly side—and annoyance at Yan Qing.

Looking at the always-calm Yan Qing, she suddenly thought of something.

“Do you have a Return Token?”