The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 226 A Whitewashed Deception (4k)

"Damn it, how much time has passed? Why haven't they come back yet..."

Kane scratched his head as he added some dry firewood to the village campfire.

The crackling of flames mingled with the irritating shouts of the orcs—these greenskins seemed to be constantly immersed in the blood of the serpent-chickens, their depleted energy automatically reset upon waking, never knowing when to stop.

He admitted that it made the village feel more alive.

Every villager is united in their determination to drive the orcs out, unlike in the past when they fought individually.

But he had no intention of living next to orcs forever—

Without the leader who played the piano, the threat posed by these remnants was extremely limited.

Once Fide escapes and returns, he will organize a force to wipe out the orcs outside the village and bring back their food and prisoners.

But now, after 21 days and nights, she should have turned back long ago:

"It can't be that something went wrong along the way. They shouldn't have discovered my lie."

That cloud of blood mist is not something an ordinary person can handle; it should help her escape from the chaos…

He needed to confirm Fied's safety before he could act recklessly.

After all, everything she did was for their complete 'family'.

Fortunately, Kane did not hesitate any longer.

Beastmen always have a keen sense of smell, and brown bears are no exception.

That scent, so familiar it had been with him for ten years and etched into his very soul, lingered in his nostrils, and he realized that his beloved was safe and sound.

Relieved, she rushed toward the scent, hoping to greet her lover.

What came rushing towards them was Tang Qi's annoying, foul mouth:

"Relax, I'm not your wife, don't pounce on me with your three-meter-tall body."

"you!?"

Kane was surprised by their appearance.

Did Fied fail to shake them off?

After the affair was exposed, what kind of situation has she encountered now?
He hurriedly looked in the direction of the smell, but a pungent stench suddenly filled his nostrils—

It smells like the rotting smell of a corpse exposed to a damp environment.

His lips trembled as he looked at the figures not far away, and finally, behind the group, he saw a body being dragged.

"Fied!"

He flew into a rage, his face sprouted brown and black hair, and his body suddenly rose to a height of three meters, pouncing on the crowd like a wild bear.

Under the swift light of dawn, the group easily evaded and retreated in all directions.

Kane didn't give chase. Instead, he prostrated himself before Fide's body, gazing at her pale face with her eyes tightly closed. Tears instantly soaked the hairs around his eyes.

"No, this isn't real, it's not!"

His roar echoed through the forest, attracting many of the village's beastmen as well.

Kane's chest heaved, and he breathed heavily through his nostrils.

He whirled around, glaring angrily at Tang Qi, who seemed to be watching a show:
You will pay the price!

He knew the cause of Fied's death, and it all stemmed from himself.

Therefore, he could not accuse anyone, and could only vent his hatred in every moment that followed.

"I will tear you to pieces with my own hands, I swear!"

Tang Qi said, "I can save them."

Kane's breathing became weaker, and his brow even relaxed a little.

Looking at the silent Arthur—

He knew that the man was a priest, someone who had the power to bring the dead back to life.

He then asked urgently:

"What do you want from me?"

"My demand has never changed: food—"

You took advantage of my trust, leading me to a place shrouded in blood mist, intending to trap me there and use this time difference to plunder my tribe.

I can overlook these things, but 'if the appropriate food is not found, you shall compensate for the due share as much as possible' is part of your promise.

Give me this part, and mark the areas where you usually hunt on this map.

"Agree to these conditions, and I will bring her back to life."

As Tang Qi spoke, he unfolded the map in his hand.

Kane discovered that it was a forest map centered on the orc village, marking various landforms such as swamps, rivers, and hillsides in the Dusk Forest.

Kane certainly recognized the map.

This is the culmination of nearly ten years of exploration by him and Fied, the foundation that ensures their peaceful survival in this forest.

The fact that Fide is now in the hands of a foul-mouthed poet is itself proof of his demise...

"But that's our food!"

A ratman lurking in the shadows suddenly roared.

"Kane, that food was hunted together; it doesn't belong to you alone! You have no right to hand it over to these humans!"

What will we do without this food?

"Have you gathered us together to serve as your slaves for hunting?"

The various doubts pierced Kane's eardrums, like a mountain piling up in his mind, making it hard for him to breathe.

He didn't know what decision to make.

These foods should rightfully belong to the collective.

But that's his wife!
Now, all he needs is food to save his wife's life.

How could he not hesitate?
Tang Qi awaited his decision:

"If this drags on any longer, even the resurrection technique won't be able to save her."

The beastmen surrounded them, glaring at the weeping brown bear, venting their pent-up anger:

“If you truly consider us as one of your own, you should consider issues from the perspective of the collective.”

"Don't sacrifice all of us to satisfy your own selfish desires."

"Kane, do what a man should do, don't make me look down on you!"

"Fuck you!"

Kane furiously slammed his fist into the earth, the rumbling sound silencing the accusations of every beastman.
"Protecting the one you love is what a man should do!"

He roared as he stood up, his gaze towards Tang Qi filled with fierce resentment.

But he had already made his decision:
"Give me the map, I'll draw it for you—I'll do anything to save her!"

The clamor of the beastmen was about to fill the air again, but crisp applause was the first to interrupt their annoyance.

Tang Qi clapped as he looked at Kane—and then at Fied beside him:
"It seems this answer should satisfy you?"

The first to respond was Kane, who was completely bewildered.

His angry, bear-like face seemed to freeze instantly.

In contrast, Fede, who had been stiff and pale, couldn't help but smile.

Finally, she couldn't help but sit up, pointing at Kane who was standing there dumbfounded, and burst into laughter:

"I don't even know when I last saw you like this!"

She actually had some recollection of it.

About ten years ago?

She nearly died at the hands of the witch.

As Kane wept bitterly, he bit her arm, attempting to pass the curse into her life.

She rarely felt that she was so important in other people's eyes.

More than the anger of being manipulated, Kane felt relieved to see his lover safe and sound.

As the bear's emotions calmed, its three-meter-tall body shrank further until it returned to its human form, embracing the laughing Fede:

"Fuck you, you actually lied to me..."

Fied hugged his neck and gently stroked his forehead:
"I just want to see whether the village is more important to you, or I am more important."

"This is definitely not a bad idea you could come up with."

"Yes, thanks to that poet."

Fide recalled the conversation the group had on their return journey after leaving the castle—

After her journey through the castle, she admitted that her hostility towards Tang Qi had lessened. This, in turn, made her feel disoriented about her situation.

She wouldn't forget that she was Kane's wife because of her brief time with Don Qi—she would always stand by Kane's side, regardless of right or wrong; that was her stance.

But deep down, she didn't want a conflict to break out between the two sides.

But how could she persuade Kane to hand over the compensation that was due?
Food is the source of stability and growth for a village.

This is tantamount to asking Kane to tear out his heart and give it away to someone else.

She knew that Kane could never be persuaded.

"More than that, don't you want to know if he'll abandon the village because of you?"

Tang Qi accurately grasped her weakness.

Of course, she wanted to know the answer to that question.

Just like her concept of 'home,' which is always so narrow—

She longs for a place where she can have enough to eat and wear, and perhaps a husband; if that's the case, she hopes to have a child.

She wanted her child to experience a childhood completely different from her own.

This child will grow up in a warm family, instead of wandering inside and outside the Great Wall, struggling for the only leftover food tomorrow.

She will give her children everything she couldn't have in the past, in double measure.

But she wasn't sure if Kane shared the same thoughts.

Just as she wasn't sure what Kane's 'home' actually encompassed.

Today, she finally got the answer.

But the surrounding beastmen were not satisfied:
"So this is your decision? To give up everything we've worked so hard to hunt for, all for this woman?"

No, of course not.

Kane tried to explain.

Since Fede was safe and sound, he naturally wouldn't agree to Tang Qi's request.

He's a beast, not a priest who follows the rules; there's no need for him to take promises so seriously.

"While he's unable to contact those orcs, let's capture them now—"

Just as he was about to give the order, Fied grabbed his arm and shook his head, saying:

"That's enough, Kane."

"Why stop me?"

“We should stop lying to them. They have the freedom to choose their own lives.”

Kane opened his mouth, looking at Fied in surprise.

Only a few days have passed, how come his wife seems to have been bewitched by a witch and become one of them?

He glared at Tang Qi and roared:

"Damn poet, what did you do to her!?"

"Don't make it sound like I actually did something."

Tang Qi spread his hands,
"Why can't this be what she truly thinks?"

"No, no—Fid has always wanted a home. Everything I did was for her. She knows that, so she couldn't possibly say these things! It must be you, you bewitched her! Quickly, break your damned spell!"

"You know better than anyone whether it's for her or for yourself."

She longs for a small home, while your needs are much greater.

Tang Qi patted the strings, and under the enchantment of [Thunderclap], the lute suddenly emitted a loud melody, attracting everyone's attention.

He said loudly:

"Just like you would never dare to say the fact that the witch left the forest ten years ago."

His sneer was like a sharp dagger.

Easily expose Kane's embellished lies.

It's more like a pebble that has fallen into a lake.

A ripple of clamor instantly spread:
"The witch...left? Ten years ago?"

Every beastman still remembers Kane's warning from the past—

This forest is too dangerous; the treacherous witch leads each lonely life to despair, so we need to unite.

This led them to believe that it was through each other's support that they escaped the clutches of the witch and ushered in a peaceful life.

But what if this 'threat' was a lie from the very beginning?

So what is the significance of Kane gathering them here?
"Is what he said true?"

someone asked.

"You lied to us? To trap us here?"

What benefit would you gain from doing this?

"Damn it, if it weren't for your persuasion, I wouldn't even have left Rek'zk village..."

Eric the werewolf suddenly said angrily,

"You're the one who sent me far from home, because you told me that I would be in danger alone!"

"No, no! Don't be fooled by this smooth-talking fellow, I, I—"

Kane didn't even have time to be angry; he was only thinking about defending himself.

"Should I take them to that castle to verify the truth?"

Tang Qi looked around.

"And tell them, by the way, that you once lived there—as a captive beastman, one of the scourges of the forest."

"Shut up, shut up!"

Kane broke free from Fied's restraints and transformed into a brown bear, pouncing on the narrator, Don Qi.

It was as if tearing his throat apart with sharp claws would dispel the doubts of his fellow countrymen and bury all the truth underground.

"boom!"

Chenxi blocked his way and punched him in the chin, sending his three-meter-tall body flying into the air.

Blood spurted from his gaping teeth: "How...how is this possible..."

The disparity in strength made everyone realize that Tang Qi had no need to deceive them with lies.

"But...why would he do that?"

Eric the werewolf asked, puzzled.

"Are we gathered together to satisfy some desire for power?"

"of course not."

Looking at the brown bear lying on the ground, being held in Fide's arms, its eyes shimmered, as if it were struggling to prove something.

Tang Qi had seen this kind of look before.

In the orphanage of Longjin City, among the beastmen.

A sense of belonging is a lifelong struggle for beastmen.

"Even the henchmen kept by the witch will seek out their kind in their loneliness."

He says,

"Only when he is with you can he feel that he is not alone."

"..."

In the silence of the crowd, Tang Qi could sense their complex emotions.

Some people saw anger in Kane.

Someone saw the lie.

Some people saw themselves in it:
"Yes... he deceived us. But if we leave here, where will we go?"

"So, now someone is willing to give you a chance."

Tang Qi shoved Arthur, who was standing next to him, in front of the crowd.
"The essence of bestiality is a curse. Coincidentally, his [Cure Curse] skill can help you—"

I can't tell you whether your lives will be better after the curse is lifted and you leave this village.

But I think you should have the right to know the truth and then choose to stay or leave.

This is what you should have had...

free."

(End of this chapter)