The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 106 Disarming
Longjincheng is a city of merchants.

It is also a city for adventurers.

But for many people, "adventurer" isn't even a neutral term.

If we were to use adjectives to describe these people who refuse to be mediocre, they would probably be 'chaotic', 'profit-driven', and...

Danger.

Not all adventurers will, as depicted in novels, first meet by chance, embark on a journey for the same purpose, and ultimately slay dragons, save cities, and achieve legend.

At least in Wendy's view, most adventurers were just drunkards who got completely wasted in taverns—

They boasted about their experience and rewards from the mission, and then for some inexplicable reason, such as 'mocking a dwarf who had a mohawk to appear taller,' a fight broke out, and the tavern was torn to pieces.

Or perhaps it's a customer who walks out of a brothel with his pants up, shoves his greasy, dirty hands into the girl's skirt, and spends the few gold coins he has left, even if he might not have lunch tomorrow.

There are also some crazy people who would abandon everything for adventure.

For example, herself.

A noble lady, seeking thrills in life, actually hangs out with a bunch of drunkards and male dogs.

At least in her parents' eyes and in the social circle she belongs to, nothing could be crazier than this.

It is precisely these restless elements, gathered in the vast city of Longjincheng, that make this commercial city, so full of money, so vibrant.

So interesting.

"The Wealthy Woman" is the best among these gold prospectors.

"A warrior, a rogue, and a ranger who can cast [healing spells]—you'd be hard-pressed to find such a well-balanced team in an adventure party."

In addition, there is a mage apprentice—he comes from the mage academy in the upper city and often collaborates with the [Daughter of Wealth] for alchemical materials.

To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that the monk in the team, [Rumi the Chatterbox], was kicked out of the team because he was too talkative, they wouldn't actually need a DPS partner anymore.

"It was because you were quite skilled, and most importantly, you were very generous, that I decided to introduce you to them."

That's what the Adventurers' Guild's introducer told her.

He would occasionally weigh the bag full of gold coins in his hand, confident and certain.

Wendy needed a team of experienced adventurers to guide her so that she could build her own party in the future, so they didn't skimp on the referral fee.

Until she bumped into the 'skeleton' mage of the Dawn Forest, she felt she had gotten a good deal—

They had a reasonable division of labor, clear goals, and were agile.

It allowed her to learn knowledge while fully enjoying the fun of adventure.

However, as it turns out, a 'reasonable configuration' does not necessarily equate to 'powerful strength'.

Even though this team was very well prepared—

The eeriness of the Dusk Forest has always been a topic that adventurers cannot avoid.

In the past two years, adventurer teams have frequently gone missing in the forest, which has indirectly increased the bounties for all quests related to this forest.

A single gathering task was marked as "orange" to warn ordinary teams not to risk their lives for high prices.

But the "Daughter of Wealth" easily dealt with the wild beasts in the Dawn Forest, the "Withered Branch Monster"—a tree spirit that looks like a human and moves by being rooted in the soil—and even calmly handled the complex changes in the terrain.

So much so that the captain of the warriors had already planned to use the bounty to buy an expensive diamond ring in order to propose to the bitch ranger...

"But before you set off, don't plant a 'flag' for yourself."

This is the lesson Wendy learned from her first adventure.

It was this lesson, and her struggles to survive in the forest over the past few months, that made her realize the level that the necromancer represented.

What made her even more suspicious was when she saw the spellbook that Tang Qi had casually tossed out:
"real or fake!?"

It was hard for Tang Qi not to notice this pretty female warrior:

"What do you mean?"

He could certainly recognize the noble lady's identity; after all, just yesterday evening, Chuck had vividly depicted her with two little braids.

But he hadn't actually thought about communicating with her.

After all, he was a "commoner hero," not a "noble hero."

It seems that chatting with a young lady won't bring him any benefits.

Unexpectedly, she was the one who started the conversation first:

"That spellbook—how did you get it?"

"On the way out of the forest, I ran into a necromancer. He asked me for one of his heads. I have two heads, so I can't give him either."

Then I have no choice but to let him die.

Tang Qi didn't mind explaining a few things.

After all, although the young lady's voice was somewhat androgynous, like that of a boy who hadn't grown up—well, her chest was too.

But at least it's pleasing to the eye, and it doesn't look like a little white pig, exuding an air of aristocratic fat.

"You...you killed him?"

If eyes could speak, Wendy's sea-blue eyes would probably reflect shock and shame.

But she ignored the offensive and vulgar language and asked hesitantly:
"How is this possible? He's a high-level spellcaster..."

"If it were an ordinary person, it would indeed be unlikely—but his legal code is so rotten, wouldn't it make us look incompetent if we couldn't beat him?"

The labels "rotten law" and "lacking in quality" were like two sharp swords piercing Wendy's chest, making her feel like she was going to vomit blood.

But the man in front of me seemed to be right.

Compared to them, the "woman of wealth" is simply insignificant.

So Wendy mustered her courage and said:

"So, what's the name of your team? Can I join you, or just be a gofer? I'm willing to pay for it."

"team?"

Tang Qi blinked his sleepy eyes.

I hadn't actually thought about a name for the team.

We can brainstorm sometime another day. As for now...

"No, that's not necessary. We don't have any other travel plans for the time being, nor do we need any entourage."

Wendy interpreted his answer as saying, "You're not qualified."

It's also expected.

Wendy had no choice but to back down:

"Could you please describe the process to me in detail? You can name your price."

In fact, the Silver Shield family is not exactly wealthy, at least not as wealthy as that Star Plum Tycoon.

My father would often drool over the "gold coins" that the distillery "pouring out".

Fortunately, she was good-looking and occasionally received advances from noble young men.

These young men only admired her beauty, not her personality, and naturally wouldn't understand her preferences.

This would allow her to sell the gifts that had been sent—jewelry and ornaments—in exchange for a considerable sum of money.

She is very good at reading people.

When money was mentioned, Tang Qi couldn't help but feel tempted.

However, considering he was quite tired and had some important things to finish, he shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't have time. If you really want to know what happened—stay tuned for my book."

"You're going to publish a book?"

"I have this plan, and I've already written quite a bit. Once martial law is lifted, I'll probably go and submit it to a publishing house."

Tang Qi yawned and waved to Wendy.
"It shouldn't take too long, after all, I need the money urgently."

In short, meeting you was the biggest surprise of my day, and I look forward to seeing you again.

This is a template phrase from "Praise," which can be inserted at the end of any conversation.

Tang Qi ignored the disappointed young lady and beckoned Chenxi to go upstairs.

The latter also seemed to have only just learned of Tang Qi's plan:
Are you going to write a book?

"Of course, I've had this idea for a long time."

Tang Qi was not lying.

To be fair, the job opportunities for bards are quite broad.

Aside from spies, they mostly belong to the entertainment industry, such as singers, writers, and arrangers.

At least the vast majority of best-selling books on the market are written by the Academy of Poets.

Everything I've been through so far has already been thrilling; a few minor alterations would be enough to enrich the story.

This certainly won't make it a bestseller.

However, Tang Qi can fully leverage his strengths as a plagiarist, throwing in some popular and fast-paced gimmicks into the story, which will then make him competitive.

But Chenxi was curious about another angle:
How would you write about my story?

"Of course, the facts will prevail. I won't try to whitewash you, after all, this matter is extremely legendary."

However, considering it will be published as a novel, I will write in a more sensational and eye-catching direction to ensure its bestseller status.

"for example?"

"For example, if you want the 'perfect body,' I would probably write that you have very strict requirements for your torso—especially your chest, which must be able to fit your entire head."

This will make readers curious and skeptical, wondering if you can really fit a head inside.

"But they will find that I cannot."

Chenxi looked down at her breastplate.

There is no definition of 'perfection', so much so that this body was pieced together according to her personal aesthetic.

She prefers a well-proportioned figure to an exaggerated, eye-catching one.

So it's not too big or too small, just right.

"who cares?"

Tang Qi pushed open the door and welcomed Chen Xi inside.

This is one of the few 'luxury' single rooms at the Friendly Home.

It is designed for travelers who enjoy peace and quiet and greater comfort.

There's even a window facing the sun.

The price is correspondingly higher, costing as much as two gold coins.

Tang Qi and Wendy occupied the only two single rooms on the third floor.

For example, the refugees in Xingmei Town will temporarily squeeze into the dormitory on the second floor, which can accommodate just about 300 people.

"Just trick them into buying books. The important thing is the hype, not the truth."

As Tang Qi spoke, he closed the door.

Then he pointed to the only bed in the room:
"Alright, now take off your armor and lie down on the bed."

"what?"

Chenxi was startled, thinking she hadn't heard clearly.

"I said, disarm!"

Seeing that Tang Qi's tone left no room for argument, she had no choice but to ask:
"All of them?"

"All."

Tang Qi pinched his brow and couldn't help but yawn.
"Hurry up, let's finish this quickly so we can get some sleep."

"Ok."

The dawn was inevitably a little hesitant.
"Then come and help me."

(End of this chapter)