The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 218 The Reasons for Disliking Priests (4k)

"The Raven family, the inescapable mist, Merlin's oil painting..."

When everything in the story shattered into fragments, it became clues in reality, seeping into Tang Qi's mind bit by bit.

His burning thirst for knowledge stirred his blood, making his heart pound.

In reality, Tang Qi only knew the outline of the novel. Because he didn't have much time, he didn't read it in depth. This famous novel, which had been a bestseller in Longjin City, was a bestseller.

But he was almost able to make a judgment:

"Is 'The House of Mist' not a classic novel, but a factual account?"

Staring intently at the name 'Merlin,' he recalled the afro-haired painter he had worked with, then quickly shook his head.
"Perhaps it's just a coincidence of names?"

"What exactly did you find?"

Seeing Tang Qi hesitate, Arthur stepped forward, fearing that the guy might be possessed by some kind of ghost—

This is common in the realm of the undead.

"I discovered the filming location of a famous book."

Tang Qi could only say this, pointing at Fede.
"If it's not an illusion—after all, they did knock off the gold from the chairs and sell it."

If the seat is real, then perhaps we can rule out the possibility that everything before him is a delusion created by the fog.

Thinking of this, Tang Qi sighed:
"If I had known this would happen, I should have asked Boss Limpy Pigeon to contact Ms. Mary Sue back then, so that I could at least learn more about her and make things easier today."

At this point, hindsight is pointless.

Regardless of how Mary Sue discovered the history of this ancient castle and turned it into a bestselling novel across the continent, he still wanted to take a good look around the former residence of the Night Raven family.

He wanted to know who had returned to the mansion over the past decade and won over the zombies outside.
Are they descendants of the Night Raven family, or guests who know this history?

What is the connection between this family and the vampire mist outside the door?
Most importantly, why is that gilded chair empty?

If the elderly person behind the seat is the oldest member of the family, whose seat will be reserved for?
"Keep browsing, maybe you'll find the answer."

Tang Qi had Fede lead the way to the master bedroom on the second floor.

Pushing open the door, the dimly lit room was filled with smoke and dust, as if no one had been there for a long time, but there was still firewood in the fireplace that the beastmen had once piled up.

Using magical tricks to ignite it, warmth and firelight intertwined and illuminated the four corners of the room. Through the dim light, Tang Qi could see a wide bed covered with gauze curtains under the spider webs.

Although the building's style leans towards the spire-like Gothic, the interior decoration is rather warm and inviting, without any dark decorations like skulls or blood candles.

Even the decorations in the closets and on the desktops are nowhere to be seen, making the whole room seem empty.
"You sold some of the decorations in the castle as well?"

"Except for what we couldn't take with us, we used everything else to exchange for food."

Fied said,
"We can't farm in the Dawn and Dusk Forest, so we can only trade for as much rye as possible... We make up for the meat by hunting."

Tang Qi sighed.

Being an adventurer by trade, he knew the principle that thieves never leave empty-handed, so he took whatever he saw and always managed to sell it at the market.

He could only focus on the oil painting above his bed—

The painting depicts a red-haired woman.

Thanks to the artist's superb skills, her beauty and voluptuousness were depicted almost perfectly.

The woman's expression was particularly striking. Her delicate, willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and the corner of her mouth was turned to one side. She sat somewhat awkwardly on a magnificent chair, her fingertips holding up her heavy, bright red palace dress, looking rather uncomfortable.

If you get closer, you can see the calluses on her palms and the few freckles on her dark face.

In one corner of the frame is the name 'Elizabeth', and also the name 'Merlin'.

"She doesn't seem like a noble lady, nor does she seem like someone from the Night Raven family."

Tang Qi pondered the synopsis of "The House of Mist."
"It all started with a beautiful woman, which sparked a falling out between brothers. Perhaps that's what they're talking about?"

Although she wasn't a member of this family, she certainly seemed to be quite favored, even being given this master bedroom to live in...

Is this truly in accordance with etiquette for nobles?

Tang Qi was unaware of the aristocratic system from hundreds of years ago.

Even according to the laws of the Terran Empire, such behavior is easily criticized.

As a poet, you must always know your place.

You may climb into the bed of a noble lady, young master, or lady or master (I must write it this way to avoid offending any sensitive noble), but never think that it is your bed.

Remember, you only have temporary usage rights, not ownership.

Because nobles have the power to bestow favors upon you, they also have the power to take them back.

"Praise" constantly reminds its students to avoid going down the path of selling their bodies and forgetting their original intentions.

Tang Qi opened the bedside table next to him, only to find it completely empty.

He glanced at the people beside him:
"Don't just stand there like idiots, look around and see if there's anything worth noting."

“Anything else was already taken away by us. Oh, and these dresses…”

Fied pursed his lips and casually opened the wardrobe next to him.

On the clothes rack in the cabinet were many heavy palace dresses, one of which was exactly the same as the one in the portrait, except that it was somewhat dirty and seemed to be covered with a lot of dirt:
"This thing is practically a torture device. It squeezes your flesh and bones together and hurts. I thought no one would want to wear these, so I didn't take it with me—ha, you can try it if you like."

Tang Qi didn't expect a homeless child to realize the value of these antique palace costumes.

Unfortunately, the Night Raven family is not very well-known.

Otherwise, this dress might have fetched an astronomical price from a collector.

"But how could it have been preserved for so many years...?"

Tang Qi wanted to go over and check what was going on, but he noticed that the skirt suit in Fede's hand suddenly trembled—

"what happened!?"

In her surprise and doubt, Fede thought something was amiss and instinctively threw her long dress away.

But the long dress seemed to respond to her expectations, as if it were worn by an invisible soul, and then it floated in mid-air.

"Halt, souls that should not exist—"

This seemed to touch a nerve in Arthur, who immediately raised the holy emblem to dispel the spirits within the skirt.

Under the soft glow, the bright red palace dress not only failed to touch the ground, but instead swayed its waist and fluttered its hem, like a skilled dancer moving and undulating on a wool carpet.

"It's not an undead creature!?" Arthur asked in surprise.

The dress fluttered and swayed as it moved, about to leave the bedroom.

Tang Qi quickly followed, not forgetting to turn back and ask:
"Haven't you seen anything like this when you tried on dresses before?"

“I never wore it!” Fide retorted.

"Then how do you know it's too tight and hurts your skin?"

"...Okay, I've been through it. But nothing this weird happened back then!"

Tang Qi didn't have time to think about the reasons. He rushed out of the bedroom and saw the dancing red dress heading towards the third floor.

That was the passageway leading to a tower.

As the dancing skirt passed by, the torches on the wall suddenly lit up, and Tang Qi spun upwards with them, arriving at a platform—

The platform still retains its former appearance, resembling a terrace surrounded by flower beds. However, due to years of neglect, most of the flowers have withered, making it look dilapidated and overgrown with weeds.

A few plants, blessed by the forest and enjoying the rain and dew, tenaciously surviving the morning and evening flowers, still shimmer in the gray mist.

The terrace was filled with rows of benches, all of which were rotten and could probably be broken by a gust of wind, causing them to collapse.

A passageway was left in the middle, leading directly to the platform built at the end.

It's like a wedding.

One might hire a priest to witness happiness, standing in the center and reciting sacred vows:

"Whether poor or rich, whether young or old..." Tang Qi couldn't remember if the priest in "The House of Mist" had finished reciting the blessing.

They also didn't know what happened after the wedding.

Now, all she could see was a bright red dress dancing wildly in the passageway.

She stepped over the bench, past the guests who had witnessed her happiness.

She crossed the platform to the pastor who wished her happiness.

Stepping over her lover, if that really is her lover.

Crossing the fence, like a bird breaking free from its bonds, it soars into the sky.

Then it fell to the ground.

Tang Qi stood on the railing, looking at the red dress that had fallen down.

It lay flat in the weed-filled garden, still radiating the bright red of a rose.

It was as red as blood.

"Now I know where the dirt on this dress came from..."

Perhaps this is Elizabeth's fate?

"What exactly is that story?"

Arthur asked curiously,

"I've heard of it, but I haven't had the leisure to read storybooks, so..."

Tang Qi had no choice but to explain as he went downstairs:
"I only know some outlines. I vaguely remember that 'The House of Mist' was written from the first-person perspective by the third patriarch, Van Frien, until his death when his descendants began to narrate it..."

“Brothers, like, women!” Kuru quickly added.

"That's right, he also has a half-brother, but they both fell in love with the same woman—"

Because he was raised as the heir from a young age, his father gave him most of the strictness and gave most of the affection to his younger brother, Sean...

You know, sometimes it's hard for parents to strike a balance between being strict and loving, especially when they're cousins.

This inevitably leads to comparisons between brothers, which in turn inevitably breeds suspicion and jealousy...

"So they resent each other?"

"It's not that bad. After all, we're related by blood and grew up together, so the family bond is definitely stronger."

Van der Fleur understood the responsibilities he bore, and thus always remained deferential to his younger brother Sean—until he met Elizabeth.

Tang Qi recalled the original text,

There seems to be a passage in the book that goes something like, 'I once gave you all my love, and now I only hope that you can give her to me...'

In short, it's a classic love triangle, and the author of Mary Sue really likes to write about these kinds of things.

Later, the brothers probably turned against each other. Sean wanted to elope with Elizabeth, but his brother stopped him and eventually challenged him to a duel, whereupon died by his brother's sword.

Elizabeth chose to commit suicide during her wedding. The territory of the Night Raven family, shrouded in mist due to a web of hatred and regret, thus beginning a century-long feud within the family.

"Nobles are such a hassle!"

Federer couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of spittle.

For homeless children, having a brother or sister of the same age to accompany them is an incredible source of joy.

It's unbelievable that there are still such ungrateful people in this world, picking and choosing even their own brothers.

"Who says it's not?"

Thinking about his status as an illegitimate child, Tang Qi shrugged, indicating his agreement.

Although this kind of plot has become classic content in today's literary market, it has lost some of its novelty.

However, it is undeniable that even in the Terran Empire, nobles often found themselves caught in a vortex of power and kinship.

This is an unavoidable consequence of class and system.

"However, that book, 'The House of Mist,' must also contain fictional elements, since true history could never be recorded..."

Therefore, everything Tang Qi is seeing now is entirely based on speculation.

"So could this be the truth?"
And what does this have to do with so-called vampires?

He sighed, left the terrace, and headed to the garden to put the red dress back in the closet.

But just as I was about to go downstairs, I heard a melodious piano tune.

"Sylvie in My Dreams" is also a classic piece, often used as background music at weddings.

Tang Qi, being a formally trained poet at the Academy of Poets, easily discerned this.

"So there really are other people in this castle?"

He hurriedly followed the sound until he returned to the first floor and walked towards the other side of the corridor.

As he neared the end, the music grew louder, and he realized it was coming from a large foyer.

The gate was tightly shut, and two zombies holding parchment scrolls and quill pens were writing and drawing on the scrolls—a hole had already been rubbed into the spot where the pen tip touched.

Realizing someone was approaching, they raised their skulls, which were covered with only a few bits of flesh.

Incredibly, they still had voices, capable of uttering weak, hoarse sounds and reciting a few words:

"Guest...name..."

Like a servant recording the guests.

"Stop! Bones that shouldn't exist—"

Arthur raised the holy symbol, immediately channeling divine power.

But the halo did not bloom from his palm as he had hoped.

"..."

In the silence and awkwardness, he then realized that his excessive reliance on divine help had completely depleted the two streams of divine power he had prayed for before his hibernation.

Then we'll perform a physical ritual to help the deceased pass on.

Without a word, he drew his warhammer and was about to smash it into the zombie's skull.

Tang Qi's alertness suddenly rang out, and he grabbed Arthur's arm.

"Why are you stopping me!?"

Arthur had lost count of how many times Tang Qi had interrupted him.

"Are you a bard or an apostle of death?"

Don't try to pin this on me, you idiot!

The itch brought on by alertness forced Tang Qi to look behind him towards the danger.
"I'm telling you to look behind you—"

Arthur then came to his senses and clearly heard the clanging of armor that had been occasionally emanating from somewhere.

He turned around and saw dozens of armored men wielding swords and shields, along with dozens of gargoyles circling and flying through the corridor, their scarlet eyes menacing as they approached.

Tang Qi couldn't help but rub his forehead and say:

"Get this straight, this is someone else's territory!"

How is your behavior any different from an adventurer storming into St. Andrew's Church and shouting threats at the icons and priests?!

"I will never step into the same pool as evil."

Arthur remained unfazed and said firmly.

"That's why I dislike you priests!"

(End of this chapter)