The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 128 Disappearance (Please Subscribe!)
"Reputation, credibility?"

Looking at the painter dressed as a vagrant, Tang Qi was reminded once again of himself when he was kicked out of the tavern and tried to prove himself to the drunkards again.

This experience dispelled his belief in judging people by their appearance.

Instead he asked:
"Okay, maybe you do, but how can you prove it?"

When it came to his professional skills, the painter couldn't help but hum softly:
"Ordinary people's paintings can't fetch a price of 3000 gold."

"So the 3000 gold wasn't money you paid out of pocket to paint for nobles?" Tang Qi joked.

"Of course not! That was the deposit they gave me!"

"and then?"

"And then—uh, well, it's just..."

Merlin sighed.

"Okay, I admit I messed up. But it's definitely not just my fault."

Tang Qi did not respond, but waited for Merlin to continue his narration:
"I accepted Mr. Carlo's invitation to paint a portrait of his wife, Sophia—"

This was nothing unusual. Mr. Carlo, who had married into the family, was simply giving the portrait as a common gift in his efforts to please Ms. Sophia.

Ms. Sofia was a renowned and beautiful noblewoman, and painting her was a delight in itself, though she has rarely appeared in public in the last two years.

Before I became famous, I was never offered the job of painting her portrait.

So I had no reason to refuse, and I didn't even doubt why Carlo, with so many choices, ultimately chose me.

I thought he was impressed by my drawing skills.

But the moment I happily walked into their mansion with my tools, I immediately realized it was a trap, a complete mistake…

Merlin couldn't help but take a deep breath, puffing out his thin face and drawing a circle with his hands.

"Have you ever seen a gender-swapped version of Lord Mel? After years of binge eating at home, Ms. Sophia has finally reached the same level as Lord Mel."

I understood then why Carlo eventually came after me.

Because every single painter who accepted the commission and saw her true colors chose to refund her!

"Why don't you just cancel yours too?"

"But I've already spent all 3000 gold coins!"

Tang Qi frowned: "What did you do?"

"Go to the brothels and find the sixteen girls from [Fengshazhou]. I've told you about them before."

"...I thought 'artists' like you didn't need to spend money when visiting brothels. Leaving a portrait or something would be enough."

"That's how it used to be."

The painter pounded his thigh in frustration.

"But ever since the reports of the [Flying Dragon Cavalry] getting girls for free, all the brothels have strictly prohibited such behavior - money is required before the girls can come."

So, as a bard, I can't use songs to replace gold coins anymore...?

Tang Qi felt deeply regretful.

"But that's not important. The point is that I can no longer paint a portrait of Ms. Sofia—"

To paint a picture based on her past beauty? That's blatant lying. She'd probably think I'm making fun of her and get angry about it.

To depict it realistically as it is now? That would be even worse.

She cares so much about her appearance, I'm afraid my debt will be more than just 3000 gold coins...

Therefore, I can only take out a loan to return the entrusted funds and the gold coins.

After listening to him ramble on for a long time, Ambi finally couldn't help but say:

"Does this portrait really have to be painted...?"

“Carlo had no choice. After all, in order to please people, he would give them portraits every year under the guise of ‘recording your beauty’.”

In previous years, Ms. Sofia might have been able to deceive herself into thinking that she wasn't fat.

But even this year, she couldn't maintain the most basic plumpness and ended up looking like Lord Mel.

So much so that when receiving gifts this year, Ms. Sofia even questioned—

'Why aren't you documenting my beauty this year? Do you also think I'm not beautiful enough?'
Damn it, this is practically a death sentence for a man!

Merlin assumed the girl was too young to understand the intricacies of the matter.

After finally explaining the whole story, he looked at Tang Qi:

"In short, although I am not as good as those court painters, I am at least someone who often paints portraits for nobles and works for them, and I also have a pretty good personal relationship with those publishing houses."

With my introduction, you can rest assured!

Seeing his confident demeanor, Tang Qi had to admit that he was convinced.

But he remained silent, letting time tick by.

Merlin, however, was drenched in sweat from the effort.

The longer one remains silent, the closer one gets to one's 'death'.

He knew the Red Turban Gang's methods.

If I were truly captured by these thugs, they would definitely force me to sign an agreement that was practically servitude in order to repay that enormous loan—

He would never be able to hold his head up high again, forever serving this damned gang.

This made him even more eager.

The neatly arranged manuscript was placed in a kraft paper bag and handed to Tang Qi:
"You do me a favor, and I'll do you a favor in return—I'll find you a reliable publisher for free!"

"..."

"Shall I draw an illustration for you again?"

"..."

"Free drawing?"

"Let's see how good they are first."

Finally getting a satisfactory price, Tang Qi took the brown paper bag, then rummaged through his dimensional bag and pulled out a stack of manuscript paper and an ordinary quill pen.

"Line art is fine."

Whether it's the illustrations for a guide or a trustworthy introducer, these are all ways to enhance the competitiveness of one's work and are ultimately beneficial.

But Merlin's debts were ultimately a problem.

Therefore, Tang Qi was not only considering whether Merlin was worth doing this for, but also exploring how to maximize his benefits. For Merlin, it was simply jumping from one fire pit into another.
"But at least it wasn't like I 'got a dwarf's leg,' so temporary illegal work is still acceptable."

The guide describes the rich topography, flora and fauna, and even the monsters and undead creatures that appear in the mist of the Dusk Forest.

But it's only a small area, and with only a few dozen drawings, it can be completed in just a few days by working overtime.

He breathed a sigh of relief: "Then can we turn the car around now?"

"No, let's go to your place instead."

"why?"

"Because the head of the guard made it clear to me that we needed to bring you home so that the gang members who were lying in wait would realize that you had indeed been released from prison."

"So you'll protect me?"

"How can it be."

Although some friction had occurred with the Red Scarf Gang, from the Red Scarf Gang's perspective, those people had simply died in the underground city.

Even if they were found dead at the Golden Oak, it wouldn't matter. With the city guards protecting them, the tavern could guarantee a certain level of safety.

However, a conflict with the Red Turban Gang in the city would be a different matter, and Tang Qi did not want to cause unnecessary trouble for the time being.

"Then I'll still get caught, won't I?"

"If you listen to me, it won't happen."

Tang Qi already had a plan in mind.

"Just get off the bus obediently when the time comes."

……

【Tang Qi's Guide to Longjin City】

Longjincheng, in a clear sense, is a residential area divided into the "backbone area" after entering the city and the "cliffside area" which is closer to the southern cliffs.

The area below the cliffs borders the upper town and is home to some true 'locals'.

They have fair skin, mostly golden or brown hair, blue eyes, and well-defined bone structure.

The former are mostly descendants of merchants and craftsmen who settled in Longjin City. As a result, you can see many different groups of people, such as short halflings, dwarfs, and brown-skinned desert dwellers.

They are proud of their ancestral migration history and are never shy about revealing their unconventional ideas.

This freedom and unrestrained spirit has inspired many inspired artists.

Of course, this will also make them very conspicuous.

"Boss, is that the person who got off the bus?"

Merlin's residence is located on the east side of the spine district, bordering the park "Bone Village," which makes the streets and alleys of this area surrounded by lush vegetation, quiet and secluded.

The two people, lying prostrate in the shade of the trees, had completely covered their faces; only the red scarves on their sleeves revealed their identities.

The leader also saw the conspicuous man with the afro open the car door, look around warily of potential danger, and made his assessment:

"The higher-ups told me that Merlin has a round, bird's nest-like head on his head. No one's hairstyle is any sillier than that."

"Shall we just go for it?"

"Let the brothers approach slowly first, then we'll surround him..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a whistling sound, like the chirping of birds, rang out in his ears.

Several passersby, pretending to be passing by or reading newspapers, mingled into the crowd and walked discreetly toward the small house.

Their goal was to land on both feet at the same time, allowing the carriage to turn around and drive away from the street, leaving him alone to unlock the door and step into the courtyard as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's now!"

Two thugs who were crouching in the bushes not far away roared and rushed forward along with their accomplices who were slowly approaching.

They pounced on the man with the afro like a pack of starving wolves.

"Who are you!?"

The man with the afro cried out in fear and ran away.

"You owe the Red Turban Gang a debt, and you think you can just run away like that?!"

The leader had inquired and learned that the painter was a womanizer who would spend the money he received on brothels in the blink of an eye, and he always looked pale and thin.

Once surrounded by them, there is absolutely no way to escape.

But just as he confidently grabbed his arm and tried to pin him to the ground, the man with the afro quickly dodged to the side, then leaped through the gap between him and his accomplice—

"How can it be!?"

The leader was greatly alarmed, but had no time to consider this sudden turn of events. He hurriedly ordered his men to shout...
"Stop all the intersections before he gets there, don't let that bastard slip into the alley!"

Long Jincheng's alleyways are interconnected, and if he were to venture into one, he might lose sight of his target.

He trusted his men's speed and ability to walk.

Although he was just a low-level hoodlum, he had still worked his way up from the bottom of society, and he shouldn't have been left behind by a hedonistic painter.

But things didn't go as planned. It was as if the target's legs were equipped with a booster fan, and every step he took generated a 'whooshing' sound.

Even those professional thugs couldn't catch up with him for a while.

Fortunately, it seemed to be just a sudden burst of power. The leader noticed that his opponent's speed was gradually slowing down and quickly realized that he was running out of steam.

"Keep up with him, he can't get very far!"

As he watched his target disappear into a small alley, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"He spent a month in prison, how could he be so agile?"
"Fine, as long as I can bring the person back to report, that's enough."

But he was getting on in years and couldn't keep up with his men. Instead, his underlings overtook him and slipped into the alley ahead of him.

But after only a few breaths, he turned into the alley, only to find his underling standing at the crossroads, looking left and right, seemingly undecided.

"Son of the beach, chase after him!" he couldn't help but shout.

"Who are you chasing, boss?"

The underling couldn't help but turn around and complain.
"I don't know which intersection he went into."

"You're right behind him, can't you see which intersection he's going to?"

The leader nearly kicked him in the butt, and then looked at the other three forks in the road, only to find that apart from a few pedestrians, the conspicuous figure with the afro was nowhere to be seen.

As he gasped for breath, a refreshing minty scent filled his nostrils, causing him to sneeze several times.
"What's going on? Could he have just disappeared?"

(End of this chapter)