Calamity Messenger-Chapter 46 - 36: Battle in the Rain

"Beast!"

The Raincoat Knight, gripping an axe, had his eyes reddened and let out a battle cry as he charged towards Jiang Shi, cursing, "He owes me a year’s gambling debt and hasn’t paid it back!"

This person seemed outwardly reckless but had a combat style that was extremely cunning and deceitful. After throwing the hand axe, he immediately drew a short sword and with his left hand took out a small round ball from his belt and threw it.

Yan Qing perfectly blocked the flying axe and saw another projectile; naturally, without thinking, he slashed at it. However, the moment the ball was struck, it exploded into a cloud of white powder, and Jiang Shi couldn’t dodge in time, getting hit directly in the right eye.

Startled, Yan Qing from the Thief’s House saw an abnormal status "Right Eye Blindness" appear above his health bar, temporarily reducing his hit rate by 40%.

Though it was his first time witnessing this, having seen similar plots from countless entertainment works, Yan Qing instantly recognized what this tool was.

"Go, she’s been blinded by lime!"

The Lime Knight shouted, "It’s still raining now; her eye will soon start burning!"

Though he said this, his steps slowed down, not immediately approaching Jiang Shi, but instead blocking in front of the carriage. Indeed, his recklessness was just a facade; even with the upper hand, he was very cautious. Even though he hadn’t yet captured Jiang Shi, he was prepared for the Baiyun Qian Clan’s intervention.

As early as when the Lime Knight stepped forward, his companions had already flanked from left and right. Upon hearing the command, they charged forward without giving Jiang Shi any chance to breathe. To protect her eyes, Jiang Shi could only cover her eye with her left hand and fight them with a sword in her right hand. Even if her technique was exquisite, she could only protect herself, narrowly escaping death several times within a few breaths.

The young girl on the carriage only snapped out of it now; the scene where Jiang Shi didn’t get on the carriage but rather sprang up to kill had shocked her for quite a while. Even so, she was still worried about Jiang Shi’s situation and was about to jump off the carriage.

"Are you going to protect this criminal?!"

The Lime Knight, who had remained outside the fray, suddenly exclaimed when he saw this, "Is the Baiyun Qian Clan going to shelter this Taihu Rebel who killed our brother? If so, we’ll immediately withdraw and report this matter to the County Magistrate for a decision!"

The Lime Knight emphasized the words ’killed our brother,’ causing the girl’s actions to halt.

Just now it could be said that this group of constables was slandering and spreading rumors, but now Jiang Shi had indeed killed someone. Even if she wasn’t a rebel, she was a criminal, and this reasoning was valid anywhere.

Seeing that the girl and the coachman weren’t acting, the Lime Knight breathed a sigh of relief. If Jiang Shi were even a bit more ordinary, he would have long given face to the Baiyun Qian Clan and retreated, even though they were only a Blue Ribbon Noble Clan. But why should he, a Black Belt Fast Brigade leveraging the County Yamen for power, care? Not to mention, these two from the Baiyun Qian Clan seemed to be messengers; a mere breath could wipe out everyone here.

Alas, the County Magistrate from the Zhanhe Huang Clan was his only chance for promotion, and the County Magistrate preferred beauties. From the moment he saw Jiang Shi, the Lime Knight knew that if he offered this woman, he’d surely gain the County Magistrate’s favor, ensuring this year’s token quota would be easily obtained!

There were seven or eight messengers in the Government Office already transitioned without tokens, not counting the village braves in the county who had transitioned early. And the only way for so many people to get tokens is to wait for the state mansion’s quota. For a constable like him without identity, status, or wealth, he could spend a lifetime waiting for a token quota to come his way, always just a tool for the strong and officials!

Only by grasping the rare opportunity can one stand out in life! Even if it means offending the Blue Ribbon Noble Clan, it’s worth it!

He guessed correctly.

Arrogant offspring of the Scholarly Clan who heedlessly kill, do exist, and many of them.

But Blue Ribbon individuals like the Baiyun Qian Clan aren’t strong enough to defy the County Yamen representing imperial power!

"Brother, brother—"

A frantic shout came through the sound of rain, prompting the Lime Knight to turn in confusion. Two constables fighting a half-blind woman for so long without winning could be tolerated, but could they actually be losing?

Only to see a constable, missing his right hand, screaming as he fled from the alley, his face terrified, and steps frantic, as if pursued by an evil spirit.

Tap.

Jiang Shi walked out of the alley at a measured pace, still covering her eye with her left hand, gripping a knife in her right. Yet, compared to earlier, the coarse linen she wore had now been stained black-red with fresh blood, and even as she moved through the rain, it couldn’t wash away the blood qi from her body. Despite merely walking, her speed exceeded that of the fleeing constable.

When did they shift into the alley to fight?

The constable, hearing footsteps behind him, was so scared he misstepped, falling to the ground with his face towards Jiang Shi, the Female Demon, shouting in panic: "No, brother save me, don’t, I beg you don’t—"

Clang!

A bright knife gleam flashed through the rain, causing the Lime Knight to squint. The fallen constable instinctively raised his only remaining left hand to block, but the result was his left wrist and head being chopped off together, his head maintaining a terrified expression as it rolled aside, the body twitching slightly as if a fish not fully slaughtered.

The rain fell harder, almost to the point of obscuring anything beyond ten steps.

But the Lime Knight saw clearly: Jiang Shi executed the kill without any token power, merely slicing off the constable’s head with single-handed knife mastery. It sounded simple, but beheading was by no means an easy task, even for executioners who could fail to sever the head, stuck by the cervical vertebrae, or even chip the blade.

Beheading in battle was challenging enough, especially as Jiang Shi wielded the knife single-handedly.

Most astonishingly, having already killed three people—even though there’s one still missing from the alley, no one assumes he’s alive—Jiang Shi remained expressionless, her face like that of an Exiled Immortal Profound Lady, filled with cold indifference.

A chill raced up the Lime Knight’s spine into his heart, fear submerged his world like the rain.

If Jiang Shi had shown anger, cursed, or loathed, or even killing intent, he wouldn’t be afraid, having seen countless foes through his messenger career from the ground up. But Jiang Shi, covered in filthy blood, with corpses and severed heads at her feet, was unfazed, one eye open, the other closed, calmly gazing at him.

If the County Magistrate were watched by a beauty in such a manner, he’d surely be enamored, unable to resist rushing over.

Yet the Lime Knight only trembles, wishing to run as far as possible.

He felt he wasn’t seen by her as a foe, perhaps not even as a person, merely a fish.

A fish in its last death throes!

Tap!

Jiang Shi broke through the rain, her knife tracing a half-circle mid-air, seemingly aiming to strike from the right. But as the Lime Knight raised his shoulder to attack Jiang Shi’s unguarded left side, her dagger suddenly pivoted downward, instantly turning the right slash into a downward thrust!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Just after three exchanges, the Lime Knight understood how his subordinates had died — the opponent’s swordsmanship was so skilled that they could feint and change direction at will, making it impossible to determine the attack path; at the same time, the opponent was very adept at ’snapping tendons for counterattacks,’ which involved slicing through the tendon trajectory of the enemy’s weapon to dismantle the offensive, and then counterattack.

These two techniques may seem easy to describe in just a few lines, but only a handful of ordinary people could perform them. Even among constables, maintaining a steady grip on the sword during a strike was considered elite; if they attempted to feint and change direction, they would likely just fling the sword away; and snapping tendons was a top-tier skill, as a failed attempt would leave one standing foolishly to be cut down, whereas retreating to evade was much safer, so the vast majority of people wouldn’t consider snapping tendons.

So, they died.

With their half-baked skills, facing a master skilled in feints and tendon-snapping, all their attacks would be dismantled, and the opponent could seamlessly change direction to attack areas they couldn’t defend against... How were they different from scarecrows with legs?

Such is the nature of combat; whether you are a gem of beauty or mud that cannot support a wall, you must clash with others through countless trials of tempering.

If shattered, then you die.

The Lime Knight was keenly aware of the opponent’s terrifying capabilities.

Because he, too, was proficient in feints and tendon snapping.

His body temperature was dropping, but his Qi blood was boiling. Despite having lime bombs on his belt, the Lime Knight couldn’t find a gap to throw them, and could only rely on a short sword to fight Jiang Shi back and forth!

Just like at the age of twenty-two, when he stormed a Great River Gang ship with a group of colleagues, and died holding the door, facing off against a dozen gangsters!

Just like at the age of twenty-five, when he encountered a large beast while traveling at night, and fought it to death with only an axe and a short sword!

Just like at the age of twenty-nine...

Clang!

The glorious years in his mind dissipated, and the excruciating pain in his tiger’s mouth and the cold rain curtain pulled him back to reality.

The Lime Knight’s lips trembled as he looked at Jiang Shi, as if he were looking at a monster.

The opponent’s swordsmanship could still improve, and the opponent’s Qi blood continued to rise in battle, making the Lime Knight’s Qi blood advantage vanish. And the opponent’s weakness of partial blindness and single-handedness was masked by their skills.

Could it be I will...

Impossible!

The Lime Knight widened his eyes in rage and charged at Jiang Shi.

For I am a messenger, a Martial Arts Messenger skilled in martial arts! I gained my martial arts through hard training, having experienced dozens of ferocious battles, how could I possibly lose here—

Clang!

The short sword flew high, spinning in the air.

The Lime Knight stared blankly at his empty hands, unable to believe he couldn’t even hold his weapon. Losing his weapon in a frontal clash could only prove one thing — his Qi blood was no match for the opponent’s.

Indeed, ever since I became a squad leader, I’ve been scheming on how to acquire token quotas, either attending banquets or en route to them, hardly training my strength, and no longer fighting on the front lines...

No matter how tempered the stone, it will eventually erode under the daily drip of water. Others can’t see it, and I deceive myself, mistakenly thinking the stone is as it was before.

Until I collided with another stone undergoing metamorphosis.

Shing!

Jiang Shi swung the blade, tearing through the rain curtain as if ripping a painting, tearing apart the man within the rain as well.

The head flew high, the short sword spinning to the ground.

Jiang Shi turned to wipe the blade with his sleeve, sheathed it, and the body behind seemed to finally regain consciousness, collapsing heavily into the puddled ground.

Coming to the side of the first slain constable, Jiang Shi squatted down, removed the other’s boots and outer garment, and as she prepared to put them on, the four-horse carriage pulled up in front of her again.

"There are clothes and shoes on the carriage that suit you, and vegetable oil to remove the lime."

The young girl in the carriage poked her head out, her eyes filled with both reverence and fear as she looked at Jiang Shi, with perhaps a touch of admiration. She extended her hand again, asking earnestly, "Do you want to come aboard?"

Jiang Shi didn’t speak, but simply reached out with a blood-stained right hand towards her.

...

...

Yan Qing gazed at the screen, thinking this "extend a blood-stained right hand towards her" option was truly exquisite.

After all, ’Jiang Shi’ had just killed four constables, and ’Jiang Shi’ boarding the carriage would undoubtedly implicate the other party, and extending the right hand was an unspoken inquiry.

My hand is stained with blood. Do you really want to touch it?

If the other party is willing to grasp this blood-stained hand, it would mean they don’t care about ’Jiang Shi’s’ crimes.

Even with bloodied hands, still offering support, what a chivalrous and tender scene!

However...

Yan Qing watched as the girl on the carriage first froze, then suddenly realized, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, cleaned ’Jiang Shi’s’ palm, then held ’Jiang Shi’s’ hand and pulled them onto the carriage.

I am asking if you’re willing to associate with a criminal, not if you have a cleanliness obsession...