The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 214 Blood Mist (4k)

"Perhaps they are deeper inside? After all, this forest is too vast. If we go deeper, the beautiful illusion you described will appear."

Fied was considering the possibility of getting rid of this group of people.

But when she caught a glimpse of Chenxi holding the broken sword, she abandoned the idea.

"The illusions created by the witch's gathering place can stretch for at least several kilometers. I advise you to think carefully before you speak."

Tang Qi ordered Chenxi to tie up Fede.
"Mr. Arthur, please continue to expand the [Realm of Honesty]."

As a protective spell commonly used in court proceedings, there are many ways to avoid the [Domain of Honesty].

Aside from tools to prevent mind-reading, simply being evasive, downplaying the issue, or telling the truth without detail can make the caster go unnoticed.

Therefore, when determining guilt or innocence, courts often use the magic of "mind detection" to judge what the other party is thinking, in order to achieve a true lie detection.

But Arthur didn't have that ability.

So when the aura enveloped them, Tang Qi asked the questions in more detail:
Are there really three witches in this forest?

"Have."

Arthur nodded to Don Qi, confirming it was the truth.

Have you seen them?

"Have."

When did you meet them?

"Ten years ago."

"As expected, you have obscured the specific time."

This is a very simple language logic.

From the moment Eric was captured, the beastmen had been spreading the threat of the Hag among themselves, to the point that everyone subconsciously believed that the Hag's threat still existed.

In reality, ten years have passed since the witch last appeared—it is true that 'witches do exist in the forest,' but we must specify 'ten years ago.'

"In the past ten years, has anyone personally told you that they have seen the witch?"

"No."

"From your perspective, have you noticed even the slightest bit of other information about the witch in the forest over the past ten years?"

"No."

"So you don't think there are still witches in the forest."

"Yes."

"Is Kane spreading rumors that the witch still exists?"

Fied gritted his teeth: "Yes."

"Why did he do that?"

"I do not know."

"lie."

"..."

Fied realized that he could no longer get away with ambiguous statements.

Why are you so concerned about other people's affairs?

Because you can get a reward for knowing the truth and writing it in your journal.

Tang Qi couldn't possibly tell her the answer:

"I just need your answer. Please think about your life."

Fied glanced at Arthur, then shook his head:

"I won't tell you."

"it is good."

It was as if a scimitar, concealing flames, had sliced ​​across her throat.

Fide's eyes were contorted with rage, seemingly completely unprepared for his actions.

Hot blood gushed out from the cut, splattering onto Tang Qi's cheek. Kuru used his [magical trick] to wipe the blood away.

But his actions were too sudden. Almost instantly, Arthur rushed forward and caught Fide's gradually cooling body.

He lost his composure and questioned:
"What are you doing!?"

"This person is clearly deceiving you, trying to lure us into an extremely dangerous environment. Are you still going to treat her kindly?"

"That's no excuse for you to take a life at will!"

Arthur roared in a low voice.

"She deceived you, but she wasn't beyond redemption! She's a kind person; she understands the suffering of those beastmen..."

"I also understand the pain of beastmen."

After all, he had Anbi with him.

"Twilight's loving father. I thought you were really as kind as you said you were, but the molten lava of purgatory clearly flows in your blood."

"Don't say that, it's just a negotiation tactic."

Tang Qi sheathed his scimitar—

Since the [Witch's Eye] occupies the last Synchro slot, this scimitar can only be considered a magical weapon at present. Although it is not as sharp as the [Snake Kiss], it can still effectively cut the skin of the beastman.

As for the scimitar's [Enemy] mechanism and the related 'coinage' effect, they cannot be used.

This also prevented her soul from being made into a coin.

"So, will you cast the [Resurrection] spell, or should we?"

"You've already killed her, and now you intend to bring her back to life?" Arthur exclaimed in shock and anger.

"She's a seasoned adventurer and Kane's wife. Trying to get her to betray her husband through ordinary intimidation won't work—even if you threaten her life, it won't have any effect if you give her time to prepare."

Moreover, she believes that with a pastor like you by her side, she will definitely try to mediate.

"It would be easier to first instill in her the fear of death, confirming that we can easily take her life, and then question her about what happened."

He could have used other methods.

For example, use the "blade of the mind" with the color of 'fear' to constantly wound the other person and break down her psychological defenses.

But strictly speaking, this is a form of physical torture.

Arthur would certainly not agree with that.

Just like his aversion to the idea of ​​'killing and then resurrecting':
"So you were using her life as a bargaining chip?"

"I would suggest you view our situation as a balance scale, putting her life on one side and our lives on the other."

If we don't get to the bottom of this, we might be the ones lying on the ground.

"This is a blasphemy against life!"

Tang Qi was not surprised by his anger.

Forgotten, preserved... there may be countless doctrines in this world.

But any god who belongs to the benevolent camp will leave this revelation in their doctrine—

Please have the most basic respect for life.

"But please forgive my bluntness, once we confirm that we have the possibility of resurrection, life itself has no sacredness whatsoever—resurrection itself is a desecration of the value of life."

It makes human lives quantifiable.

Tang Qi did not want to argue about ideas with a pastor.

This is not a matter of right or wrong, but simply a difference in thinking between the two sides, leading to different ways of handling things.

Just stick to what you think; there's no need to convince anyone.

“If you’re not willing to bring her back… Chenxi, you do it.”

If they can be saved, it doesn't count as killing.

Chenxi wouldn't dwell on it too much.

She stepped forward, about to cast the resurrection spell, but Arthur had already placed the holy symbol in front of him and made a prayer.

The wound on Fede's throat slowly healed, and his stiff face gradually regained its vitality.

She slowly opened her eyes, breathing in the damp, cold air, and could smell a metallic taste in her throat. Her body felt incredibly heavy, and she looked at Tang Qi with lingering fear, unable to utter a single word.

This did not hinder Tang Qi's purpose, he threatened:

"If it weren't for this pastor, you could already be saying 'hello' to your ancestors."

But he gave you a chance—

So let's continue with the Q&A.

She needs to rest!

Arthur turned around, his face, hidden behind his helmet, likely burning with rage.

"But we need answers! At a time like this, can you perhaps temper your kindness a little, Virgin Mary?"

"Twilight's mother is Ysugard, she is the embodiment of the Cradle—"

"Fuck you, why is it always so exhausting to talk to a idiot like you who only cares about preaching?"

Tang Qi patted his head, ignoring Arthur, and turned to look at Fide.
"I only need you to answer two things—the reasons Kane spread the rumors, and the fact that there is actually food ahead."

The feeling of death is not pleasant.

It was a kind of fear of being pulled from warmth into deathly silence.

Fide didn't think life was all that great, but at least there was hope for survival.

She didn't want to die, so after regaining consciousness, she was indeed much more obedient than before.
“I don’t know if there’s any food left there, but we will definitely sacrifice food. As for Kane… he’s just doing this to gather the beastmen in the forest together.”

So we still need to head towards the offerings later.

Tang Qi asked again:

"Does he have any compelling reason to do this?"

He said he would give me a home.

"Family?"

That is perhaps what every homeless child longs for most.

Fied knew it was ridiculous.

But this half-orc who grew up on the Southern Great Wall didn't even know who her parents were. No family was willing to accept her skin, and she could only suffer hunger in her wandering life.

Until he was noticed by a mercenary leader who taught him some survival skills, he lived a few good years until one day he was trampled by the iron hooves of orcs beyond the Great Wall.

Having barely escaped, he returned to a life of wandering, teaming up with a few others to become adventurers, roaming the continent without a fixed abode.

Then he encountered the witch, watched helplessly as his companions died, and was infected with the curse while being bitten by Kane.

Gained in wandering, wandering again after loss.

"What else can one ask for in a life like this?"

"Your beast-like curse was contracted by Kane?"

"He was the witch's lackey, he used to be—"

Those three witches kept some troublesome characters around, chasing after passersby and making them try to survive while on the verge of death.

Those people will see a dreamlike garden, and will encounter kind women or girls who will bandage their painful wounds and prepare delicious food for them...

Until they completely relaxed and felt they had hope of surviving.

Then they realize that the garden is a dead land, the woman and girl are withered witches, the poison on the herbs has seeped into their bones and blood, their flesh is rotting, and their food is the organs of their dead companions.

They will be trapped in endless despair.

Despair is the most delicious tonic for green hags.

"Mr. Arthur, do you now think the molten lava of purgatory is flowing over me, or over Kane?"

Tang Qi looked at Arthur, who was listening to the story, and asked.

There's no need to compare wicked people.

Arthur snorted coldly and turned to look at Fiddle.
"Why did you still marry him even though he bit you?"

“Because if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have survived—when I was being tortured to the point of death by the witch, it was he who bit me and gave me the beast-like self-healing ability that kept me on my last breath.”

Fede kept the story as brief as possible.
"He helped me escape, allowing me to reach Longjin City and spread the news of the three witches."

Later, someone said that the witch had vanished without a trace, so I rushed back to the forest, searched for her trail, and learned from her that—”

"Those three witches were hunted down and taken away."

Tang Qi suddenly picked up where she left off.

Feder asked hesitantly, "How did you know?"

Tang Qi did not answer.

Clearly, they were taken to the deep well in Longjin City by the Red Scarf Gang and used as part of the underground city.

Ten years later, he died by his own hand.

Tang Qi used their "Witch's Eyes" to examine Anbi's situation—

The tribe was relatively safe; all that could be seen was Shyvana slapping herself hard across the face, growing angrier with each slap until she finally entered a berserk state.

It seems he is using his own experience to teach the little girl how to control her anger.

He looked away and said instead:

"What does this have to do with spreading rumors?"

"In the Dawn and Dusk Forest, there are many beastmen who have left their homeland because of a curse. But the differences in their bloodlines have made their lifestyles very different, so much so that most of them prefer to live in seclusion alone."

Kane hopes to bring them together and create a village that belongs solely to the beastmen.

So whenever he encountered another of his kind in the forest, he would use the same words to persuade them…

"This is what you call 'home'?" Arthur asked.

Fid, hesitant, explained Kane's vision:
"Just like villages and cities outside the forest, beastmen can have their own neighbors, say 'good morning' to them every day, eat the same food, and perhaps even have their own children..."

He said he hoped to alleviate the loneliness of the beastmen.

"Then why can't they choose to return to normal human society?"

Arthur held the holy emblem, his tone full of accusation.

"I possess the power to lift the curse, which can relieve the suffering of those in your village who are infected like you, rather than being born beastmen."

You can leave this forest and embrace normal society again.

But Kane rejected me and even tried to drive me out.

"Do you believe what she says?"

Tang Qi pinched his temple.

Are these priests from the Holy City really so rigid that they can't even distinguish lies?

"Nominally, it's about establishing a community where even beastmen won't feel lonely."

Actually, it was to make herself feel less lonely.

This reminded him of the orphanage in Longjin City.

I thought of Dean Marian and the orphans who drank her blood.

Indeed, the sense of belonging is a problem that beastmen struggle with their entire lives.

Tang Qi looked at Federer:

"Just like Kane said in name only that he would give you a home, but he really wanted to give himself a home more. Loving you was also part of his sense of belonging."

Fied instinctively wanted to defend Kane.

But a call in her ear immediately interrupted her thoughts.

"Tang Qi, White Mist, Red!"

Kuru tugged at Tang Qi's sleeve and pointed to the white mist not far away.

Tang Qi followed closely and noticed that the thick, swirling white mist, which sometimes resembled withered claws, was faintly tinged with scarlet blood.

A sense of alertness crept in, and he realized he still had a question he hadn't been able to voice:

"Isn't the blood-sucking mist just a fabrication?"

(End of this chapter)