The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 221 I'm Your Fan (4k views, please subscribe and vote)
Tang Qi felt the noise around him growing louder; the incessant piano music, which had initially been pleasant, had turned into jarring noise.

Because he could no longer count how many times "Sylvie in My Dreams" had been repeated.

Just as he could never know how many times their lives had been repeated in this sorrowful wedding, everything he saw today—the guards, the red dress, Van Frien…

It's like being imprisoned in a fog, trapped in an endless cycle.

He bid farewell to Van Frien, left the dusty, decaying banquet hall, and led his entourage toward the central corridor.

There was the entrance to the mausoleum there, something they had just learned from Van Frien—

"At the end of the corridor is the sanctuary. It once housed a certain deity—my grandfather said His name had been forgotten. If, after my death, an irreversible crisis befell the land, a sincere prayer might bring us a glimmer of hope."

Beneath the icon lies the family cemetery, where I and my family are buried.

The long corridor was covered with a red carpet, and dozens of unclaimed suits of armor stood on both sides, interspersed with several gargoyles. Some of the suits showed signs of damage, and the iron boots of the armor were covered with dried cobwebs.

The guardians of these ancient castles seemed to realize that Tang Qi was no different from a statue as long as he didn't cause trouble.

The doors of the sanctuary were tightly shut. Tang Qi pushed hard, but it was as if he were facing a thick stone wall, showing no sign of wavering.

"Is it locked?"

Previously, Tang Qi's assessment of the situation had already won over many people, so much so that Arthur and Fied did not raise any questions. Instead, they asked:

Where could the key be?

"..."

Chenxi wanted to say something, but considering Tang Qi's feelings, she gently patted his shoulder, signaling him to step back.

Tang Qi did as instructed, and Chen Xi pressed one side of the door with each hand.

"Buzz-"

Whether it was from friction against the ground or the door's bearings, a deep sound of the door opening echoed through the corridor. Tang Qi, facing increasingly questioning gazes from Fede and Arthur, walked calmly into the dust.

These guys can't really expect a bard to do this kind of rough work, can they?
The church has been deserted for a long time.

Tang Qi coughed twice, brushing away the dust in front of him, and noticed that a few dappled lights could still be faintly seen through the stained glass windows on the wall.

However, due to the obscuring effect of the outdoor fog and the dust deposited on the stained glass windows, the range of the halo was extremely limited.

Tang Qi had no choice but to light up the ring and shine it as brightly as possible onto the vast sanctuary before him.

The halo of light disturbed the bats hanging upside down from the ceiling, startling them so they flapped their wings and scurried into darker corners.

"The figure is already blurred, and it is impossible to tell which god it is."

Arthur stepped forward, about to pay homage to the icon before him—

This stone statue is very crude.

The appearance was unclear, the clothing was unclear, and the emblem was unclear.

At most, one can tell that it is a female figure.

Although they do not belong to the same faith, they are, after all, protecting the people in peaceful lands from the invasion of war, rather than extending their iron hooves to other territories.

That should be a benevolent deity, and should be treated with the utmost respect.

After he drew an invisible holy symbol on his chest and recited "Homage to you," Tang Qi said:

"Valenne and vampires get along so well?"

These words were extremely offensive to Arthur, bordering on slander:
"What do you mean?"

"It's just a little funny to see you paying homage to a vampire."

"vampire?"

"All the mysteries originate from this ancient castle. Isn't that enough to explain the identity of that mysterious 'friend'?"
Moreover, tombs are vampires' bedrooms, and coffins are their breeding grounds—

Once we reach the tomb, we might be able to see our friend's true remains.

No one knows how vampires are born; all that is known is that they dwell in the daytime and roam in the night.

Sunlight is their greatest weakness, so much so that they must return to their tombs at this time to rest.

They thirst for blood, yet possess sentience; in other words, they have the capacity for communication.

But you'd better not fantasize about becoming friends with them.

Powerful forces will incite their greed, and dark ambitions will replace their beliefs, causing their thoughts and actions to deviate from the common understanding of ordinary people.

For vampires who crave love, they will set their sights on young and beautiful women, deriving satisfaction from possession.

If he happened to be a dwarf, he probably wouldn't be looking for a way to grow taller; instead, he'd be thinking about how to cut off the lower legs of all the tall people in the world.

Arthur realized:

"Their ancestors' 'friends' didn't die, but have been sleeping in the tombs ever since?"

"I guess so. Once we find him, we'll know the whole truth."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Now that I've reminded you, how can I laugh at you?"

"..."

Following Van Frien's earlier instructions, Tang Qi lifted the red carpet that stretched from the connecting corridor all the way to behind the icon—

There is a square trapdoor, taking up about one square meter. The iron chains on it are rusted by the dampness of the ancient castle and the erosion of time. At dawn, one can easily open the door by tapping it with the hilt of a sword.

A downward-facing circular passageway comes into view, its steps brand new and gleaming, no longer dusty.

"It looks like it was specially cleaned recently."

Dawn took the lead and was the first to step down the steps.

"and many more."

Tang Qi pulled her back and looked at the crowd.
"Rest first and recover your depleted spell slots."

The sanctuary was relatively quiet; once the doors were closed, the music from the banquet hall became softer due to the obstruction.

With its enclosed space and the watchful eye of dawn, it was indeed a decent campsite.

Mainly to restore his energy, Tang Qi only took the [Stress Potion] and meditated, and did not choose to enter into a dream to entangle with the succubus.

Fed looked at them with some hesitation:

"Do you really need to find out the truth? Who knows if some vampire is lying in wait down there? Why would you willingly walk right into their trap?"

How can I get the reward if I don't find the truth?
But Tang Qi also understood that feeling fear at this time was perhaps the normal reaction.

It's not like we're trapped in this castle and can just leave whenever we want. It's none of our business, so there's really no reason to pry.

So he only glanced at her:
“If you’re scared, you can choose not to go. Arthur, you keep an eye on her and don’t let her go back and report to us during this time.”

"I have to go down."

Arthur, however, said,

"If there really are vampires down there—"

I will soak the wooden awl in holy water and pierce his chest.

"Then you definitely can't go."

"why?"

"I'm afraid you'll get into trouble and end up dragging me down with you."

"Do you really want to associate with vampires?"

Hey, look around you.

Tang Qi extended his radiant ring, trying to cover every inch of the sanctuary, but even so, some corners remained shrouded in silent darkness.
"Do you see the gray area where black and white meet? Don't be like a child, only able to see two colors—"

The church sends you out into the world to gain experience so that you will understand this.

Arthur stared intently at the boundary between light and darkness, then turned to look at Tang Qi:
"Then I want to see the colors for myself, instead of just listening to other people tell me stories."

Tang Qi looked at Fede: "Then you'll have no choice but to come with us."

"Oh shit."

Fedor cursed under his breath, unable to utter a single word.
"Damn, they're so cautious. I thought we had some kind of understanding between us."

The decision was irrefutable. After getting ready, Tang Qi followed Chen Xi downhill.

As he progressed, the steps gradually widened until, after a few minutes, they were wide enough for five people to walk side by side.

The underground was pitch black, and the ring became the only source of light, reflecting off the walls on both sides, where square recesses could be seen, each holding a candle.

As you descend, only a few candles flicker with light. Looking closely at one of them, the weak flame flickers on and off, as if it might go out at any moment. The name "Sean Night Raven" is engraved on the inside of the groove.

Inside its compartment, on the inside of an extinguished candle, are engraved the words "Van Frien Night Raven".

At the end of the line, Tang Qi saw several candles arranged in a row, the first one bearing the name "Tang Qi Weinberg." Suddenly, the flickering flame went out as if blown away by the wind.

"A bluffing tactic."

Tang Qi wasn't frightened by it; instead, he began to analyze the meaning the candle represented.
"Does this mean that Sean didn't die as described in 'The House of the Mist'?"

While pondering, he suddenly pushed open the tomb's door.

"My God."

The tomb came into Arthur's view, and he involuntarily closed his eyes, mourning the deceased before him.
May the twilight lead you to rest.

Yes, those were the deceased, and the coffins.

They were placed neatly and orderly in the square tomb chamber.

I have never used the word 'spectacular' to describe a tomb, but the burial chamber beneath the fortress certainly made me do so.

Tang Qi wrote this in his diary:
Beside each coffin stood a tombstone, engraved with their epitaph, revealing their identities.

The outermost burial chambers are mostly for close family friends and craftsmen, for example—

In memory of Sofia Matt.

Laura Night Raven's friend, Stephen Matt's wife.

He came into the world on a Thursday.

She became a bride on a Thursday.

I was bedridden on a Thursday.

I broke my leg on a Thursday.

He passed away on a Thursday.

"this is not bad."

Fied pointed to another tombstone.
"Circus owner, Joan Lyale."

Don't disturb me, I'm trying to sleep.

"This is a good dog!"

Kuru also read out an inscription, saying that what was lying in the coffin should indeed be a dog.

"Why bury both the relevant and the unrelated in this tomb?" Arthur asked.

Why don't you just ask them yourself?

Tang Qi realized that this cemetery-like burial chamber was probably not his target.

They then stepped over the coffin and continued forward to the next burial chamber.

Compared to the previous cemetery, there are fewer coffins here, mostly belonging to relatives of the Night Raven family.

Further on, there were dozens of immediate family members. These bodies were separated into individual cubicles, but on the outside of each room, their names and life stories were engraved.

Van Frien and Sean were prominently featured.

Entering Sean's tomb, the coffin was open and empty, containing not even any burial goods. This seemed to suggest that Sean had not yet died.

But Tang Qi was more interested in another tombstone than their coffins—

"Merlin, the artist who could not refuse such hospitality."

Art is an explosion, I'm talking about hair.

He read the inscription as he went inside and pushed open the coffin lid.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

Arthur was unwilling to see this disturbing of the deceased's rest, but Dawn's obstruction left him with no way to stop it.

Pushing open the coffin, Tang Qi indeed saw a skeleton.

Covered with a tattered cloth, his palms rested on his abdomen, beneath which was a small box.

The box was unlocked and contained oil paintbrushes and several bottles of clumped oil paint.

"So the Merlin I know is actually his descendant?"

Tang Qi closed the coffin lid again, and after reuniting with the others, he found that they had reached a dead end.

Aside from the final tomb of Ferrier the Night Raven, Van Frien's grandfather, they saw nothing else noteworthy.

I never even met that so-called 'friend'.

"Isn't it here?" Arthur asked hesitantly.

"Kuru, [Detection Magic]."

"Rua!"

With three magic wands in hand, Kuru becomes the most well-rounded dungeon explorer.

A faint ripple swept across the surface, and Kuru suddenly pointed to the wall at the far end:

"There!"

As dawn broke, her hands suddenly passed through the stone wall, creating ripples.

"It's an illusion."

Without hesitation, she walked through the wall, down a few steps, and pushed open the heavy metal door at the front.
"right here."

Tang Qi followed him inside and discovered that this tomb chamber was far more spacious than any of the ones he had seen before.

He didn't even need to use bright light to illuminate it; he could see everything clearly.

Because what was in front of me suddenly turned bright red.

A huge crystal floated beneath the dome, its crimson glow spreading across every corner of the tomb.

It flickers intermittently, turning on and off rhythmically.

It doesn't look like a blood-red lamp.

It is a beating heart.

There was only a coffin in front of them, ornately decorated, with round rubies like drops of blood. If you pried one off and threw it into the market of Longjin City, it could probably fetch a high price of a thousand gold pieces.

There was no epitaph, and no one could be seen. Tang Qi knew that this was the answer he was looking for.

But he was cautious enough that when Kuru used the last charge of the [Detection Trap], he explored the entire tomb.

He then immediately directed Arthur to set up Leomon's Hut.

If trouble really comes up, having this force field hut for protection will make dealing with it much easier.

After confirming everything, he had Chenxi push open the coffin door.

Ignoring the cold sweat seeping through them, Arthur and Fide simultaneously raised their weapons inside the cabin.

This would make them feel more at ease.

But the reality doesn't seem to be as urgent as they imagined.

"She is asleep."

Chenxi turned around and looked at Tang Qi.

"she?"

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow and walked closer—

With Chenxi by his side, he felt he could be even more arrogant.

Until she saw a pretty girl who didn't look much older than Ambi.

Now it lies quietly on the soft cotton mat, on the 'bed'.

Her long, smooth, jet-black hair and gothic-style short skirt accentuated her snow-white, almost pale skin, while her lips were as vibrant as fresh blood.

His brows were relaxed, as if he were immersed in a tranquil dream.

"Should we wake her up?" Chenxi asked.

Tang Qi frowned, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly called out:
"Mary Sue?"

He saw the girl's lips twitch suddenly.

really.

Tang Qi breathed a sigh of relief, finally confirming the facts, and fabricated a story:

"Can you stop pretending to be asleep?"
I'm your fan.

(End of this chapter)