The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 56 Departure (3k words, bonus chapter, please continue reading)

If the thrust of a scimitar is unpredictable due to the curvature of the blade, requiring instantaneous judgment to defend and respond.

As a special offensive weapon, the Swift Sword has always been known for its elegant and precise thrusts.

Thanks to its slender and tough blade, it was invincible in noble duels.

Tang Qi's unsteady footwork and crude forehand thrusts were full of flaws, and there was no need for Huss to use the blade to deflect or defend and counterattack.

He only needed to measure the distance between them through the lens to easily sidestep and thrust his hand into Tang Qi's wide-open chest—

The outcome of a duel often hinges on just a single moment.

The feeling of obstruction at the tip of the sword traveled to his wrist, and Huss knew that just one more inch would be enough to sever his heart.

This will ensure that the poet who stirred up trouble can no longer utter a single sound.

But he soon discovered that the sword in his hand seemed to have struck a metal plate, forcing his arm to stop moving—

This is actually a leather jacket with studded lining!?
He suddenly realized that this obvious flaw was clearly something Tang Qi had deliberately presented to him!
There was no time to think further. Almost instinctively, Hus drew the slender short sword tied to his waist with his left hand, which was behind his back.

That's the backup option when you're attacked at close range after a mid-range stab attack fails.

In the next round of combat, you can parry those crude slashes...

"Puch!"

A sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of my neck!
Warm blood gushed out from the side of his neck.

"impossible!?"

Hus realized that Tang Qi had no intention of swinging his sword at all!

He paused only when the curved blade grazed his neck.

With the strength of her wrist and the curved tip of the knife, she hooked it into his neck!
That was Black Snake's usual move—

The thrusting was a feint; in reality, the double-edged blade was used as a hook, moving cunningly and unpredictably like a snake.

Now, Tang Qi, who witnessed his gladiator fight, crudely imitated it.
"He knew he was no match for them, so he decided to use all his resources and take a risk..."

Huss felt the pain in his neck gradually subside.

His eyes also became blurry and unfocused.

His vision gradually darkened, his gaze first fixed on the black knife, then slid down to Tang Qi's feet...

"Mr. Huss, Mr. Huss!"

Melard cried out and knelt before him, her delicate hand firmly pressing against the bleeding wound.

Yet blood still seeped from between his fingers and dripped onto the land.

Hus reached out his hand in a daze, looking at Merad's plump face, which seemed to overlap with Lord Mel's appearance.

The old butler's words still echoed in his ears:

"You must remember that you are just an ordinary person, and your destiny is to spend your life toiling in the fields."

Lord Cameron has given you the opportunity to learn from and serve his family.

You should be grateful for Lord Mel's kindness and offer him your loyalty.

master.

I originally intended to send the young master away and then stay here with the rest of the people to hold out on this land.

We should be grateful to you.

Therefore, protecting your property is worth dying for...

As a servant, have I been faithful?

I have gone to great lengths for you.

Did I fight for you until the very last moment?
He felt like he had done it.

But thinking about everything that happened today, I can't help but feel worried:
"Young Master—perhaps you should exercise more..."

Melard's cries could not bring back his unfocused eyes.

Tang Qi slapped him across his fat face, knocking him unconscious.

He immediately grabbed his collar and turned his head towards the group of guards fighting:
"Make everyone stop, or I'll slit your throat."

Faced with imminent disaster, Merard could not withstand the intimidation and could only stand up tremblingly, shouting into the distance:

"Stop! Stop it! Stop fighting!"

The guards and townspeople then took two steps back, and when they saw Hus lying in a pool of blood, they looked at each other in astonishment.

Tang Qi then took over from Merard and issued the order:
“The wicked servant who oppressed you is dead.”

You have won!
As for the mercenaries, if they want to live, they should gather the wounded together and have Father Lynn stabilize their injuries.

The orc raids are no exaggeration; we must leave here as soon as possible and flee to Dragongold City!

Old David placed the bloodstained pitchfork back on his cart, clutched his injured arm, and hesitated:

"But, sir, we don't know the way through the forest..."

"So I will take you away from here!"

Now, everyone should lay down their weapons, take care of their wives and children, and pack their bags.

Once all the townspeople have been gathered, we will form a migrating caravan and, together, bypass the northern part of the forest, head west towards Dragongold City!

The sudden change in the situation left the townspeople temporarily unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

But at least, the joy of 'escaping' was palpable, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

To prevent Catherine and Anbi from becoming targets of public criticism, Tang Qi first had Shattered Stone take them back to the tavern to pack their belongings.

Immediately afterwards, holding a scimitar, he forced Merad to order the town's guards to knock on every door so that they would know about the riot that had broken out in the town.

Father Lynn then took out herbs and applied them to the wounds of the injured to stabilize their condition.

Since the mercenaries and most of the guards were not from Xingmei Town, they rarely showed any mercy when they attacked.

Fortunately, the conflict was relatively short-lived. Apart from the dozen or so seriously injured townspeople whose fates were uncertain and who needed special care on the road, it did not cause any further trouble.

By the time the townspeople arrived and formed a large-scale migration procession, the sky had already revealed a bright blue sky.

Tang Qi couldn't tell how much time had passed.

But the gravel that rushed back patted his buttocks with a very strange expression:

"It took much longer than the expected two hours, but you actually fucking did it?"

Two fists can't fight four hands, and even shattering stones alone can't withstand an attack by dozens of people.

To divide the guards' forces, clear obstacles, and capture Merad alive, the only option is to try to incite the farmers' fighting spirit.

Tang Qi shrugged and breathed a sigh of relief.

"The funniest thing right now is still 'a 12-year-old girl stealing a whole ton of star plums in one night,' isn't it?"

"But 'The foolish poet tried to take away three hundred people' is still ranked second!"

Even if you succeed, I'll still think it's foolish! "Stop laughing at me now. Keep an eye on Merard for me, I need a rest..."

The adrenaline that was generated by the danger has been completely depleted.

Tang Qi's eyelids were drooping, and he could faint at any moment.

But the gravel continued to slap against his backside, and the rough shouts, like a muffled bell, forced Tang Qi to perk up:
"Look, something's coming from the southern forest!"

Tang Qi shuddered instantly, thinking that the orcs had arrived even faster than expected.

He quickly looked towards the space between his fingers—

But then, on the dirt road in the distance, a thin, dark figure was seen running hurriedly towards them.

Fortunately, the dawn was breaking, allowing Tang Qi to vaguely make out the outline of the figure:

"Kuru!?"

A kobold wearing a long robe, carrying a huge oval stone in his arms, walked along the dirt road and through the wheat field.

"Weren't you afraid of the orcs and ran back to the cave?" Tang Qi asked hesitantly.

The dog-headed man clutching the stone looked somewhat aggrieved, and large tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Kuru, go back! They, disappear! Migrate, underground!"

"They abandoned you? Why?"

"Tell them to wait one day! Now, two days!"

Tang Qi then recalled that the reason Kulu had been following him was entirely to carry out the plan of 'passing off inferior goods as superior ones'.

Little did I expect so many things to happen in the middle, which caused an extra day to be lost.

Those kobolds who already felt it was dangerous and wanted to migrate back underground, seeing that Kuru hadn't returned to their tribe on time, probably assumed it had died on the surface, so they packed their belongings and left without looking back...

This is nothing out of the ordinary for the kobolds who disregard kinship.

If the clan leader is gone, just replace him with a new one, who might just not be as clever.

Having figured out the key point, Tang Qi blinked and examined the stone in its arms.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, almost unable to suppress a smile:
"This is……"

Kuru was startled, turned his back, and said nothing.

But its reaction precisely proved Tang Qi's guess:
"So you're homeless now? Why don't you come with us to Dragon Gold City?"

“Kuru…”

"Let's go. If we get caught by those orcs, there's no one else to save us."

"Orcs..."

"I'll provide three meals a day. If you encounter any trouble, just use your magic to help. If you run into danger, you can always escape; I won't stop you!"

The gravel smacked its lips and muttered to itself:

"Damn it, he's supposed to be a poet, but he looks more like a human trafficker from Black Lagoon."

Tang Qi clenched his fist and shouted at Kulu:
"Rua!"

"Rua!"

Kuru finally jumped into the car—

That was actually their original plan.

I just can't agree too quickly, otherwise I'll seem cheap.

Kuru is very smart!
Tang Qi almost drooled when he saw the stone in the kobold's arms.

But fatigue struck again, and he finally couldn't hold on any longer, falling onto the hard horn of the oxcart—

"careful!"

Fortunately, Catherine quickly helped him up, and with Amby's help, they dragged him onto the driver's seat of the oxcart.

Tang Qi straightened up, somewhat embarrassed:
"I'm sorry, I'm really exhausted. Maybe I should get a good night's sleep..."

He glanced at the wagon and found that although the oxcart was spacious, it was full of goods.

After getting into Ambi and the gravel, and a bulky Merard, there was hardly anywhere to lie down.

Catherine noticed his embarrassment, gently shook her head, and put her arm around his shoulder:

"You really should rest. If you need a pillow..."

If you don't mind, you can rest your head on my lap for a while.

Tang Qi could tell that she said this simply out of goodwill.

But why worry about all that?
"I'm not welcome."

If you don't take advantage of it, you are a bastard.

He curled up in the driver's seat and buried his face in her rounded thighs.

The linen dress was a bit scratchy on my face and didn't have any of the so-called girlish fragrance.

But she is soft enough.

The gentle touch soothed Tang Qi's fatigue, instantly immersing him in a warm and tender dream.

"Then let's set off. Mr. Stone, thank you for your help in keeping watch around the area."

Sui Shi laughed loudly: "Just give me some wine!"

"There's a case of wine barrels in the car, specially prepared for you."

"Good girl, even if you go to Longjin City, you will definitely make a lot of money!"

The farm girl simply responded with a faint smile.

But when she turned back to look at the small town, the golden oak tree, and its swaying shadows.

All the laughter faded into a soft farewell:

"I'm leaving now, Mom."

and also……

"Damn old man."

She gave a soft shout and drove the car with the composure of a knight leading an army.

The old ox in front of the cart then began to slowly take steps.

A ray of morning light pierced through the mountains and enveloped the dirt roads in the countryside.

The muddy ruts were reflected in the water.

It also points to the unknown future.

　To make it easier for everyone to read, today's word count is 5k + 3k = 8k! The Xingmei Town incident has now come to an end.

　　I hope everyone will continue reading!

　　At least, at least keep reading until Monday!
　　Please, everyone!
　　Love you all!!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)