The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 74: The Tracking (4kbps, please read on, it's very important!)

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The woodland echoed with the deafening sound of a nail-headed hammer striking the woods.

It was continuous, like intense yet rhythmic drumbeats.

"Damn it! Why isn't he dead yet?"

Staring at the living corpse that had lost half its head, its gray brain matter melting into the soil, its neck already rotting so badly that its throat was exposed.

Yet it still crawled toward Catherine, tearing at its vocal cords and emitting gurgling sobs.

Sweating profusely, Qieshi sat on the ground, too lazy to swing the hammer any longer.
"I've never seen such a resilient zombie in my life!"

"You mean you want to beat the corpse to death again—"

This shows that the necromancer was quite skilled; he just unfortunately ran into us and hadn't prepared any targeted spells beforehand.

As scholars specializing in the study of 'life and death', necromancers are adept at infusing the vitality of magic into corpses.

Since they are essentially immortal beings, there is no reason for them to 'die' again.

The resilience bestowed by magic often allows them to struggle back up after being severely injured and continue to achieve their predetermined goals, like a roly-poly toy that never falls over...

Unless a priest shines holy light upon them, allowing these desecrated bodies to rest.

Otherwise, in a sense, they might be the most persevering 'creatures' in the world.

"Save your energy. Recover your strength, we still need to set off to find someone later."

Tang Qi saw that the zombie's head had been smashed by the rubble, but it was still stubborn. He had no choice but to have it tied up, and then he walked over to Melard on his own.

Can we catch up?

He was exhausted from shoveling stones, and right now he had no desire to catch anyone.

All I want to do is take off my heavy plate armor and drink a mouthful of plum wine.

"We have to chase even if we can't catch up. Have you forgotten that he can pinpoint our location?"

"Strike while the iron is hot, otherwise, if he comes back to cause trouble after he's fully rested, the two of us will be the living corpses lying on the ground."

Tang Qi slapped Merad across the face, startling the little white pig, who had been sleeping soundly despite the commotion, awake.

"Is dinner ready?"

I still remember when I first stepped into the Dawn and Dusk Forest, this pampered young master was still cursing and swearing, refusing to swallow the rye bread that was harder than tree trunks, for fear of cutting his precious stomach.

But in just three days, he learned to enjoy the bitter, dry texture and claimed it was the 'most delicious food'.

The three days of cursing had taken a toll on his mental health.

The first thing she saw when she woke up was Tang Qi, but it was as if she had encountered some terrifying monster; her fat cheeks twitched.
"You, you stop cursing me! I was wrong. I'm a useless burden, a fat pig whose oozing fat should be cut off and rendered into oil—"

I am a heartless slave owner who oppresses my people, a stupid nobleman who doesn't deserve to live in this world!
I was wrong, I was really wrong, sob sob sob..."

"How did you manage to train him like this?"

Even the gravel felt a little sorry for him.

Tang Qi never expected that three consecutive days of accusations would drive this inexperienced young master to the brink of a mental breakdown.

Having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, enjoying money and adoration, Mellade probably never imagined that someone would utter such filthy insults.

Considering that he would still need Tang Qi's help later, Tang Qi felt it was time to stop while he was ahead.

He first patted Merard on the shoulder, which startled the man and sent a chill down his spine.

"No, of course you're not entirely useless."

"What?" Merad was taken aback.

Tang Qi plucked a few strings and sang softly:
"Perhaps you are already feeling lost, doubting and hesitant about your past life."

But life is full of ups and downs, and people always have to go through growth.

Being a failure is fine, I'll just find a new dream—

How about becoming a 'hero'?
Go and create your own glorious chapter!

Melard acknowledged that Donch's singing was brief yet powerful.

For a fleeting moment, he actually felt genuinely encouraged.

but:

Is my confusion because you called me fat?

"Slander! It's all slander! Let me help you recall the truth—"

Tang Qi shook his head, but the singing continued.
"Think about it carefully, is it Steward Hus who wants you to lose weight!"

Recalling Huss's dying words, "You should lose weight," and his unwavering loyalty until death, tears welled up in his eyes again.

But then they discovered that the culprit that had led them to this predicament was right in front of them:
"what on earth do you want?"

Seeing that he had cheered up and was able to communicate normally, Tang Qi didn't waste any more words.

He pointed to the bottle-shaped eyeball that was almost embedded in his shoulder, sleeping alongside him:

"Let it help us find our way and find someone."

"Why should I help you..."

Knowing he had been kidnapped, Merad still couldn't help but grit his teeth.

"Because you don't want to die here."

Tang Qi stopped trying to intimidate him and instead stepped aside, allowing him to see the living corpse lying on the ground like a pupa.

“We have been attacked. If we don’t want to end up like him, seeing our skin rotting and swelling, and smelling terrible, we must find him today.”

Merard was so frightened that his legs twitched, but he still tried to be stubborn:

But, however—

"Hey, listen! You're a stupid pig, no doubt about it. But I'm not lying to you—"

You are not beyond redemption, understand?

Tang Qi patted his cheek, signaling him to be more alert.
"As you entered the forest, you also heard the sound of orcs' iron hooves."

You are well aware that your territory will be plundered, and you also know how pathetic you were when you abandoned your people and fled alone!
This shows that you still have a sense of shame and hope that your reputation can be improved.

Then you still have a chance to change things.

Melard is actually a very easy-to-understand nobleman.

He was young, naive, and incompetent, yet kind-hearted.

She is genuinely kind.

However, his kindness differed from that of the morally upright Father Lynn.

Because he was deeply influenced and alienated by the 'aristocratic' environment, his kindness had a more 'condescending' quality.

As a result, it doesn't resemble 'mutual assistance' between people.

It's not so much human 'pity' as it is for cats and dogs.

But ultimately, he still longs to be loved, respected, and even recognized.

Otherwise, he wouldn't always show "mercy" to Catherine.

"You don't want to be looked down upon, to become that cowardly nobleman who runs away with his tail between his legs, right?"

Tang Qi patted him on the shoulder.

“Help us find that person, and everyone will know that you saved the camp.”

You, like us, are a 'hero' who led them to survive.

"I...I can be a hero too?"

Merard blinked and looked behind Tang Qi at the civilians who were terrified by the writhing zombies.

This reminded him of the night he left Xingmei Town—

That version of myself, as pathetic as a stray dog.

He hesitated for a moment.

Finally nodded:
"Then, what do you need me to do?"

"Get on the horse first."

Tang Qi waved his hand, directing the others in the camp.
"Let's break the stones and rest on the road. Catherine will come with us, so that the mage won't sneak back when we leave."

Ambi, you…

He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should involve a little girl in this kind of thing.

Even though she had just displayed a certain fighting instinct.

"Ambi is going!"

Since it concerns her father, she will never let him off the hook no matter what.

So he pointed to his nose, trying to prove his worth:
"Ambi can smell the stench on that bad guy!"

Oh no, this is exactly the kind of help they desperately need.

Otherwise, they would have to rely on the hoofprints on the damp soil to determine their direction, which would inevitably slow down their pursuit.

Tang Qi nodded:

"Then let's go together."

"Mr. David?" He looked at old David, the one who had been at the forefront of the fight and had even considered helping them out.
"While we're gone, take your pitchfork and stab this zombie until it stops resisting."

When you get back, I'll treat you to drinks.

Old David was still terrified when he saw the zombie's hideous face.

But he knew he needed to gain the bard's trust—

So that after arriving in Longjincheng, he could still live with his wife and children.

So he readily agreed, "Leave it to me!"

“Father Lynn, you are a respected and convincing person. Please oversee all affairs of the camp, prevent anyone from wandering out and getting lost, and protect the camp.”

“I will take a few guards to bury the dead in the center of the camp, and then patrol the camp, not letting them go too far.”

After explaining everything, Tang Qi instructed the camp's grooms to unload the packhorses.

Since Merard broke one of his horses, he now only has three available.

“Stone, I can’t ride a horse, you carry me.”

The Academy of Poets does not have a dedicated course on 'horse riding'.

After all, Dean Ulasang always liked to follow some strange traditions—

"Rushing too fast will always make you miss the scenery right in front of you. We are bards, and we should measure everything in the world with our own two feet."

It's hard to say there's no reason behind it.

"As for you..."

Tang Qi glanced at Merard's overweight figure and sighed.

"You ride alone."

"and many more--"

The coachman said somewhat anxiously.
“Poet, my Marco cannot bear the weight of two adults.”

Tang Qi looked at himself, then at the rubble, and compared his height to the stones:

"Why don't you rub your eyes again and take a look?"

Shattered Stone stomped his foot, feeling that Tang Qi was always targeting him:

"Just tell me straight, when did I ever offend you?"

"From the moment we decided to compete, and you got angry first."

"Didn't you start this? Fine, I admit I was wrong, okay?"

"Okay, but I won't change it."

"You foul mouth!"

The coachman quickly interrupted their conversation and explained:
“The dwarf once commanded my horse, so I know its weight, not to mention it was wearing armor…”

Although dwarves are generally short in stature, they appear extremely sturdy due to their thick bone density and bulging muscles.

The massive, exaggerated arms of the stone fragments were almost as thick as Tang Qi's thighs.

Tang Qi sighed, realizing he had to choose another option:
“Ambi, let’s switch.”

Kuru takes up almost no weight.

And the little girl was always light and graceful.

So Ambi sat down behind the rubble.

She placed her feet on the horse's back, squatted down, and gripped the loose stones tightly on her shoulders, which seemed to make it easier to move around.

Tang Qi was the first to mount his horse—

"Ha, compared to Catherine, you're the one who looks like a woman!"

The gravel wouldn't miss the chance to mock Tang Qi.

Since Tang Qi couldn't ride a horse, Catherine had to handle the reins.

So much so that she could only sit behind Tang Qi, practically hugging him, just to maintain their balance.

The softness against his back made Tang Qi realize that this beautiful 'Morning and Evening Flower' was worthy of praise for more than just her appearance.

But now is not the time to indulge in romance, he retorted sarcastically:

"Really? At least 'women' don't need to step on a stool to mount a horse."

"Fuck you!"

"Ambi, determine the direction. Merard, let the construct lead the way!"

The little girl blew her nose, trying to distinguish between the sweetness of the flower's stamen and the fragrance of the earth.

She didn't spend much time.

Because each aroma has its own unique characteristics, the stench and blood of the rotting corpse stood out starkly.

So it pointed north:
"over there!"

Merad closed his left eye, while the bottled eyeball on his shoulder was driven by itself, flying first into the white mist.

Tang Qi, holding a torch, was followed closely by three packhorses that neighed.

"What's the working principle of this construct? Why did you close one eye?"

He couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"The Duchess linked my eyes to it, allowing me to control its actions with my mind."

Tang Qi frowned, recalling the eyeball that had previously appeared in the orc tribe:

"So, to use this eyeball, one must obtain a spell from that [Duchess]?"

"No. No one can see Lady [the Duchess] normally, so she will act on her behalf through a contract."

Therefore, it cannot be proven that the "Duchess" had a direct connection with the orc tribe...

As Tang Qi pondered, the eyeball flying at the forefront suddenly turned to the left.

"Did this thing lead us the wrong way?"

The stone exclaimed in surprise, hesitating whether to turn around as well.

Merard closed one eye and confirmed:
"We didn't lead you astray; rather, we failed to keep moving in a straight line."

"'The Lies of the Halflings'! My horse's head has always been facing right in front of me!"

"The fog here has a hallucinogenic effect, making it easy to lose your sense of direction, resulting in the situation where you think you are moving forward, but you are getting further and further away from your destination."

Tang Qi had personally experienced this fog.

It was he who guided the way that day, and Kuru raised the torch high, which allowed him to escape from the depths of the forest.

Ambi nodded in confirmation:
"This is the right direction—just a moment ago, my nose was filled with a mix of smells. It's clearing up a bit now, and I can smell that stench!"

"Damn, without this little white pig, we would really be lost in this forest?"

The gravel couldn't help but mutter.

These words reached Merad's ears, though they were somewhat jarring.

Yet I also felt a strange...

warmth?

This seemed to be a form of recognition, which made him somewhat happy.

It would be even better if we didn't call him 'White Pig'...

When I get back to Longjincheng, I must eat less and exercise more to lose all this fat!

Although the packhorse's speed is not as fast as 'Skull's' [Phantom Steed], it is still a foal capable of long-distance travel.

Therefore, along the way, they could vaguely hear the rustling of leaves and the howling of wild animals.

But they never ran into any more trouble.

This made their tracking particularly smooth.

Tang Qi roughly estimated that they had been traveling north for about two hours.

What lies before me is the same unchanging array of tall trees, white mist, and scattered morning and evening blossoms.

But I don't know when it started, the morning and evening flowers, which were scattered everywhere and shining brightly, began to gather together in large patches.

Eventually, it even formed a flower forest bathed in soft light.

"Here we are!"

Ambi suddenly said.

Tang Qi raised his torch high, trying to make out the outline hidden in the night and mist ahead.

He couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"How could he live in a place like this?"

That seems to be a...

Temple?

　For the sake of reading continuity, it's still a 4K long chapter!

　　I humbly beg you gentlemen to keep reading!
　　Love you all!!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)