Chapter 246: Correspondence Delivery Old Sin City

"Sacrifices."

Having figured it out, Bi Jie let out a long breath.

Indeed, there was no better word to describe the current situation in Bianliu County.

His victory in the Second Stage had gone to his head, making him forget where they actually were.

This was Bianliu County!

The most notorious wasteland in Minhu!

How could those guys possibly play strictly by the rules? Take those two commanders from Zhennan County—now that they had fallen to the Third Tier, they were undoubtedly itching to slaughter every last person in Bianliu County.

As for the rest, the moment their strength recovered, they would definitely try to exterminate Fourth Tier experts like them.

Otherwise, once their power vanished again, they wouldn't be able to escape death.

Therefore, when the Third Stage began, it wouldn't be a scenario where all the Fourth Tier experts hunted down Advisor Yan. Instead, it would be a horde of Fourth Tier experts swinging their butcher knives at everyone else.

This was the lifeline the game had left for Advisor Yan.

It seemed like the winners of the Second Stage had a choice, but in reality, they had none.

"If we calculate it like this, we're at a disadvantage..."

Bi Jie sighed heavily.

Out of the thirteen commanders in the Second Stage, only five had won in the end.

That meant the opposing side would have a total of eight Fourth Tier experts.

"Which means someone will have to take on two at once."

A sinister voice rang out from outside the door. Yan Jing and Bi Jie turned to look, spotting a black curtain.

From the voice alone, it was clearly Liu Ye.

His movements as he entered made it even more obvious.

He paused his steps, the curtain swaying from side to side as if he were peering around, before lowering his voice.

"County Magistrate Luo, your maid isn't here, is she?"

"Inspector Liu, are you looking for Xiao Yu?"

Yan Jing smiled. Just as he was about to call out for her, Liu Ye seemed to predict his intentions and instantly stopped him.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"Bi Jie is right, you're just too serious sometimes!"

Yan Jing smiled. He hadn't actually intended to call her.

Even if he did, Liu Ye wouldn't be able to escape anyway.

Yan Jing chuckled. "Inspector Liu, you just mentioned someone taking on two at once. Are you planning to step up yourself?"

Hearing this, Liu Ye's triangular eyes slanted.

"You were there the last time I fought Bai Qiu, weren't you? You should know very well that I'm evenly matched with him at best, and that's without even knowing his true foundation."

"But at least it's not just five of us on this side. That Advisor Yan under your command should count as one, right?"

Yan Jing smiled and shook his head.

"My choices are a bit different from yours. If I choose to help the advisor, I won't be liberated. I'll only be able to provide him with a portion of my strength as support."

"Besides, have you forgotten?"

"I'm only at the Second Tier."

When Yan Jing finished speaking, both Bi Jie and Liu Ye froze.

Right, they had entirely forgotten.

The Young Master of the Luo Family sitting before them was only at the Second Tier.

Somewhere along the line, they had grown accustomed to treating this young master as their equal.

Their hearts sank.

Calculated like this, their chances of winning were even slimmer.

"Let's head inside first."

Yan Jing invited the two of them into his room.

Normally, they would receive guests in the main hall, but it hadn't been very convenient lately.

As for why it was inconvenient, Yan Jing didn't elaborate, merely saying they would find out soon enough.

Bi Jie glanced at the dim lighting in Yan Jing's room and asked in confusion, "Why have you covered up all your windows?"

"This room can't be exposed to the light."

Yan Jing smiled without offering further explanation.

Bi Jie then looked toward the wall. In the corner sat a dense pile of rolled-up paintings, each tightly bound with a slender branch.

"Are these... Wutong Branches?"

Bi Jie asked, looking at the palm-shaped leaves on the twigs.

"Yes."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Wutong Branches are effective for dispelling humidity and moisture. They also protect the paintings from being eaten by insects."

"You truly do love painting," Bi Jie sighed. "If you ask me, you really should consider advancing to the Third Tier."

"Although you're still young, your strength and foundation are more than enough to support an advancement to the Third Tier."

The memory of Yan Jing and the old man teaming up to fight Lin Changgui, a heavily injured Fourth Tier expert, was still vivid in his mind. Bi Jie highly recognized the young man's strength.

"I'm considering it. Advancing to the Third Tier requires painting a True Spirit Masterpiece. That means, after the painting is complete, it must resonate with the soul of the living subject, stirring their very heart."

Yan Jing smiled.

"Lately, I've been using Xiao Yu and Huzi for practice. It should be soon."

"But getting back to the topic—I'm very confident in the advisor's abilities. With my power added in, his strength should be equivalent to the Fourth Tier."

Hearing this, Liu Ye frowned. "Even so, we only have five Fourth Tier experts on our side."

"If a real fight breaks out, three people will have to take on two at once."

"And that's in an ideal scenario. It's highly likely they'll try to pick us off one by one."

"Which means someone might have to take on three at once, or even four."

"Who could possibly manage that?"

Bi Jie fell silent, while Yan Jing merely smiled.

"Advisor Yan and I will handle two of them."

His tone was exceptionally calm, causing the pupils of the other two to shrink.

They knew exactly what kind of person County Magistrate Luo was. He was the type who wouldn't release the falcon until he saw the hare; he never took reckless risks.

This meant he genuinely had the confidence to hold off two Fourth Tier experts alongside Advisor Yan!

"That still leaves us two short," Liu Ye muttered. After hesitating for a moment, Bi Jie also spoke up.

"I can handle two as well."

Liu Ye's eyes widened, staring at Bi Jie in utter disbelief.

Are you bluffing right now?

Wasn't this just putting himself on the roasting spit? In a situation like this, if he didn't step up and claim he could handle two as well, wouldn't it make him look completely useless?

"Then I'll also—"

Liu Ye's lips moved, but in the end, he couldn't finish his sentence.

He truly couldn't handle two of them.

Moreover, he couldn't wrap his head around how Bi Jie planned to handle two opponents.

"I can only stall them."

Bi Jie added as a clarification.

His meaning was clear: someone else would have to strike the decisive blow.

Only then did Liu Ye feel a little better. "I can stall for a bit too..."

He spoke with hesitation.

Although their odds weren't great, this was the only option they had for now, so the matter was settled.

A good while later, two West Street Artisans arrived together.

Aside from the carving cultivator who had previously dined at the Lin Estate, there was also a weaver cultivator in his forties.

The group explained the situation to the two of them. After dividing up their respective targets, they all shared a meal in the courtyard.

During the meal, Bi Jie and Liu Ye finally understood why they couldn't use the main hall.

Halfway through eating, a thunderous boom erupted from the room adjacent to the hall. The impact shook the neighboring main hall, sending a shower of stones and dust raining down.

The two men, seated beneath the canopy, instinctively glanced in that direction, their eyes flickering.

The meal was not a cheerful one.

Five against eight left them with very little chance of victory. Gathered together under the canopy, the atmosphere was dead and heavy, as if a dark cloud loomed over their heads.

Once they had eaten their fill and he had seen them off one by one, Yan Jing returned to the courtyard and pulled up a stool to sit down.

Fei Yu stepped up beside him, reaching her hands under the canopy to massage Yan Jing's shoulders, and softly said, "One of those two artisans from West Street is hiding something."

"Yes, I know."

Yan Jing closed his eyes.

"It doesn't matter. There isn't a single person who doesn't hide secrets."

Fei Yu fell silent, continuing to knead Yan Jing's shoulders little by little.

With a great battle looming, the previously clear sky seemed to mirror the somber mood. Dark, heavy clouds gradually gathered over Bianliu County, casting a dreary gloom.

A light, pattering rain began to fall in the courtyard.

Fei Yu waved a hand to conjure a small cyclone, placing it above their heads to deflect the falling raindrops as she continued massaging Yan Jing's shoulders.

The rain pattered steadily, causing a hazy mist to rise and turn the surroundings into a wash of pale white.

"This rain is going to fall for a long time,"

Fei Yu said softly.

"Yes."

Yan Jing spoke up, "Xiao Yu, it was raining when we first met too, wasn't it?"

"It was."

"After this is all over, let's go escort Huzi."

Yan Jing continued softly, "I checked. Luohe County, where Huzi is heading, is very close to the old man's hometown. It works out perfectly; everyone can go home for a visit."

After Yan Jing finished speaking, he felt the hands on his shoulders pause for a moment before they resumed kneading.

"Alright."

Old Sin City.

Rotten Vegetable Village.

Mantou stared wide-eyed at the several stacks of documents piled on the desk.

Why... why were there so... so many again...?

Didn't I... didn't I just finish dealing with them yesterday...?

She pursed her lips, reaching out a trembling hand to pick up one of them, preparing to sign it.

These were all proposals written by Big Brother Chen Nian to aid the future development of Old Sin City.

Lately, she had been learning how to read and write, but there was still a lot she found difficult to understand.

Mantou, you... you can do it.

She mentally cheered herself on and picked up the pen next to her.

Just as she was about to write, she suddenly sensed something. She looked up and saw a swirling vortex appear above her.

She instantly raised her hand in high alert. She could feel that some entity was tearing through the space right above Old Sin City.

Then, to her astonishment, a bare-bottomed infant squeezed its way out of the vortex and tumbled onto the desk.

"Yi-ya—"

The little messenger irritably patted the dust off its bare bottom.

This place was much harder to find than he had imagined. His new master had really given him a terribly difficult delivery task for his very first assignment.

But after looking up and seeing Mantou, he carefully compared her to the information he had received, and quickly broke into a grin.

Found her.

"Yiyi yaya!"

The little messenger pulled a letter and a photograph from his messenger bag, handed them to Mantou, and gave a crisp salute.

It meant the letter had been delivered.

"What... what is..." Mantou reached out with trembling hands in shock, flipping over the face-down photograph.

At her first glance of the front, her pupils contracted. Her mouth wobbled, and she felt the sudden urge to cry.

It was a picture of her from the go-karts in the Amusement Park, taken right as she was running toward Yi Ji.

"Yi... Ji!"

Suppressing the soaring anticipation in her heart, Mantou reached out and hesitantly picked up the letter beside it.

She was afraid. Afraid that the higher her hopes went, the deeper her disappointment would be.

But the moment she read the very first sentence of the letter, she could no longer hold back her tears. They streamed down her small face like rain.

"Mantou, Lao Chen. Seeing this letter is like seeing me in person."

It was Yi Ji! It really was Yi Ji!

Mantou hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes, blinked her large eyes, and read on with uncontainable joy:

"I don't know how you've been doing lately."

"I've found a way to communicate with you. We can stay in frequent touch from now on; let this serve as our organization's communication channel."

"If you have anything to say, you can write a letter and give it to the messenger. Of course, he can bring other items as well, but nothing too heavy."

"If your location is going to change, please let me know where you're heading in advance, and include a drawing or photograph of the place."

"The following is a private letter just for Mantou. Lao Chen, please read it to her and then excuse yourself:"

"Mantou, how is your health lately? Managing Old Sin City all by yourself must be exhausting. I deeply regret that I can't be by your side to help."

"If you feel tired, you can rest anytime. Don't push yourself too hard, I will find a way to return."

"I'm currently in a place called Bianliu County, a corner of Minhu. The people here are very interesting. It's much more complex than Old Sin City, but it has its own unique charm..."

"I believe there will come a day when we meet again."

"The following is a private letter for Lao Chen. Lao Chen, please read this yourself. Do not bother Mantou with the things I discuss with you, thank you."

...

Seeing this, Mantou stood up happily, reached out, and traced the shape of a door in the air.

A moment later, wearing a white lab coat and a medical mask, a very bewildered Chen Nian walked out of the door.

In his hands, he was still clutching a wrench and a homemade electric drill.

"What's going on?"

He was somewhat dazed. He had been right in the middle of fixing a car and hadn't figured out the situation yet.

It wasn't until Mantou gleefully shoved the letter and photograph into his hands and he finished reading it that he finally reacted—first with joy, then with a shock so profound he was left speechless.

Mantou didn't understand the true value of this letter, but he certainly did.

Delivering a letter across major Domains—this kind of method was no longer something an ordinary person could pull off.

He looked in astonishment at the tiny baby playing happily by itself on the desk.

They relied on this thing to deliver the letter?!

After a long while, once he finally accepted the reality of the situation, a surge of pure joy washed over him. He looked at the little baby.

"How long will it take for you to deliver a letter back to Yi Ji?"

The little baby blinked, then held up its tiny fingers and began to count.

Finally, it held up four fingers.

"Four days?!"

Chen Nian was deeply shocked.

That fast?!!

But unexpectedly, the little messenger grew furious at his words.

Wasn't this questioning his professional capabilities?

Seeing the baby's expression, Chen Nian was startled and tested the waters, asking, "Four hours?"

The little baby nodded triumphantly.

Chen Nian couldn't help but gasp.

Wait a minute, he hadn't seen them for a few months—what on earth had they been doing over there?!

In such a short amount of time, had they become gods???

His mind involuntarily started conjuring up wild scenarios.

No, it probably wasn't to that extent.

He shook his head, a sudden, inexplicable urge rising in his heart.

He wanted to go out there too.

Letting out a long breath, he suppressed his rambling thoughts and looked at the little baby.

"I see Yi Ji mentioned that you can deliver other things besides letters. You should be able to deliver things like gears and bearings, right?"

The little messenger's mouth formed a perfect 'O' as he stared wide-eyed at Chen Nian.

A faint sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

What was this guy trying to do?!

He wouldn't be just like his red-egg master, would he?

Chen Nian smiled faintly, picked up a pen and paper, and swiftly wrote down a few pages. He then had Mantou write a letter of her own before fetching a Refined Ghost Steel Bearing, half-coaxing and half-begging the little messenger to accept it.

He wasn't Yan Jing, so he couldn't force the little messenger to accept items.

"It's very light. It's really small, it'll be fine."

Right at that moment.

In Bianliu County.

"Crash!!!"

Yan Jing's left hand slammed heavily onto the ground, smashing a small crater into the floor and sending his entire body tumbling out of his chair.

"Are you alright, Young Master?!"

Fei Yu cried out in alarm, completely unable to understand why he had suddenly collapsed like this.

"I'm... I'm fine."

Yan Jing forced a strained smile and struggled to scramble up from the ground. His left hand felt as though it were bearing the weight of an enormous mountain, leaving him unable to even stand up straight.

"Xiao Yu, you must have pressed a bit too hard on my left shoulder just now. It feels a little dislocated."