The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 129: Will You Eat It Yourself or Let Me Feed You? (Please Subscribe!)
"that's it?"

As the carriage gradually drove away from the streets of the Spine District, Merlin couldn't help but lean out. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see any sign of the Red Scarf Gang.
"They won't bother me again, will they?"

"As long as I can't find you."

Tang Qi recalled the guard captain's previous instructions.

"After all, sending you to the Red Turban Gang was just to prove that their city guards had indeed released the person. As for whether they can catch you in the end, that depends on the Red Turban Gang's own abilities."

"So what exactly was that? I've seen illusions cast before, and any touch should make the illusion disappear. But why was that illusion so realistic? I even had a strange feeling of 'touching myself'..."

"Because he is a real, existing copy."

Tang Qi squeezed the mushroom in his hand; all the spores inside had been consumed.

The most fundamental difference between the Spore Replicator and illusion magic is that it 'truly exists'.

For example, Kuru's often-used "Silent Illusion" can visually deceive others, causing them to lose focus and lure the enemy.

However, its short duration, illusory nature, small range of influence, and need for focused spellcasting mean it cannot touch a real entity and carries a certain risk of exposure.

This trick is unlikely to be effective against perceptive individuals or spellcasters skilled in illusion.

Why would the Red Scarf Gang thugs lie prone in the bushes, waiting for him to unlock the door before swarming him?

It's because I've been tricked by the spellcaster too many times before.

However, due to its realism, the replica can easily interact with reality; for example, realistic details such as unlocking a door or making a swift, breezy sound can make people completely believe it's a replica.

"Just be careful not to let him be attacked or attack others, so that the spores will dissipate."

That's why I applied the [Poet's Inspiration] to your clone beforehand, lest your frail body be unable to escape the pursuit of those thugs.

The effect of the incentive is to restore vitality, improve reaction time, and increase strength, which is just right for this artist who indulges in sensual pleasures, giving him abundant physical strength and responsiveness to escape into the deep path.

Once you shake them off, blend into the streets and alleys, and then dismantle the clone itself.

These thugs would surely assume that the target had fled to some alley, house, shop, or even garbage can, and would conduct a wide search, but would find no clues whatsoever.

Tang Qi gave a brief explanation, then took out a rope and prepared to tie Merlin up again.

Merlin gripped the hook tightly and unconsciously took two steps back:
"what are you up to?"

"I was afraid you'd run away, so I'm keeping you under control first," Tang Qi replied truthfully.

"Don't you trust me at all?"

"The best way to gain my trust is to obediently follow my instructions. Ambi, block the door."

"it is good!"

The little girl stood with her whole body in front of the carriage door to prevent Merlin from jumping out.

Although Tang Qi had a way to catch up with him, it was best to avoid these unnecessary troubles as much as possible.

Merlin waved his hand repeatedly at him:

"Hey, don't do that, I had no intention of running away at all—"

I'm serious about working with you!

"Oh?"

Tang Qi blinked.

Merlin pointed to his dimensional bag and then said:
"Can't you see how much potential this 'Guide' represents? You have no idea what a feat you're accomplishing!"
Although you only introduced a small area called Dusk Forest, you described its appearance, geography, and even dangers in detail.

A regional guide is nothing, but what if it were extended to the entire continent?

Once you publish the scenery of Dragongold, Sandstorm, and Ironforge, this series of books is destined to become a highly sought-after travel guide across the entire continent!
It will also become an essential handbook for adventurers, caravans, migrants... all mobile populations.

Even those who are unwilling or afraid to go out will choose to buy your books in order to satisfy their curiosity and see the whole continent.

This is a money tree! As long as you can guarantee a continuous stream of content, a constant flow of gold coins will pour into your pocket!

Merlin became more and more excited as he spoke, which made Tang Qi feel somewhat embarrassed.

He does have this intention, and he is certain that as long as the "Guide" series can be published, it will at least bring positive feedback to his reputation, if not make him famous worldwide.

Unrestrained praise will only obscure the other party's true intentions.

He wasn't drawn into the praise; instead, he said:

“State your needs.”

Merlin admitted that his wording was somewhat exaggerated, but his artistic vision convinced him that this would definitely be a bestseller.

"Okay, you're very calm. I'm looking for a long-term partnership with you."

"You're going to work for me illegally for the rest of your life?"

Tang Qi was somewhat surprised, but then, recalling Merlin's earlier action of taking off his shirt, a chill ran down his spine.

“That’s possible. Although I can’t fulfill your request, I know a member of the ‘Brothers Club,’ and you two should get along well.”

"No, of course not. Please allow me to repeat myself, I like women. And although I'm not a foot fetishist, I prefer slender little feet, with clearly defined and long toes."

The veins on the instep should be subtly visible, and the arch should have a gentle curve. It must not be flat feet, and most importantly, it should have a slight reddish tinge, not a waxy yellow like dead skin.

Of course, it would be best if there was also some sourness from being drenched in sweat…

"Shut up!"

Fortunately, Tang Qi covered the little girl's ears quickly enough, preventing the clueless Anbi from hearing any strange quirks.

If it were just him and Merlin today, he wouldn't mind cracking jokes and having a deeper discussion.

But right now he has an obligation to instill good values ​​in the little girl.

Merlin scratched his afro awkwardly:
"Okay, I got a little carried away for a moment, but I'm not a foot fetishist."

"Who asked you? Your liking for dwarves is none of my business."

“Dwarves? That won’t do. Their feet are so wide and thick, it’s said that seven feet are their height, they’re not aesthetically pleasing at all…” “Not that many.”

Tang Qi recalled the shape of the rubble and said with certainty,
"There are five."

"You know so much about this!? Damn it, there's actually someone in this world who has a deeper understanding of feet than I do... No, that's not right, you should only be studying dwarves."

Even with admiration, Merlin rarely adopted a serious expression.
"However, I certainly don't intend to work for you for the rest of my life—I want a share of the profits. I can draw the illustrations for Dawn and Dusk Forest for you for free, but for the other books that follow, I hope to get 20% of the sales."

"Too much."

"This is already a very low price. When I was illustrating 'The Bride of Longjin City,' each illustration cost 100 gold coins."

"That's a one-off deal."

Tang Qi didn't care whether the amount was exaggerated or not, he simply said,
"Since you are able to realize that this set of books has the potential to be a bestseller, you should understand that it is not me begging you to draw the illustrations for me, but you begging me to let you share a piece of the pie."

If I really need illustrations, why not find an artist who isn't famous and therefore charges less?

"Their skills are not as good as mine."

"But the price is lower, and the Guide is not a picture book; the text is still the main focus."

"I'll also introduce you to publishers."

"That's what I deserve for helping you get rid of the Red Turban Gang."

"That 15%!"

"5%."

"You really think I'm an illegal worker? I've never grown cotton before!"

"You should think carefully about the potential of this book series—if you think it has enough potential, 5% will be a huge sum for you."

Conversely, even if you were given 50%, you wouldn't think you'd make much money.

Verbal praise is meaningless.

To know the true opinion of the person in front of you, you only need to see how much they are willing to concede.

Most people are driven by greed.

Only when faced with self-interest can one truly see a person's heart.

This made Merlin hesitate for a long time, and finally, he almost gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word:
"Then 10% is fine, and I promise to do my best to provide the pictures."

Whether it's a monster encyclopedia or a map description, as long as you describe it in detail, I can depict it for you even if I've never seen it before—that's my confidence in myself.

Seeing Tang Qi fall silent, Merlin continued to defend himself.
"Hey, don't think this number is high! I'm practically selling my skills for a pittance, but I think your books have great potential—"

Based on the usual price of 5 gold coins for a novel, the profit from one book would only be 50 copper coins for me! As long as I sell 200,000 books, I'll have enough to pay off my 10,000 gold coin loan and be able to go home..."

For the common people of the Terran Empire, books were a luxury.

However, for the residents of Longjincheng, five gold coins might still be a burden.

"20 copies... This is the first time I've ever met someone who dreams even more than I do."

Thinking of this massive number, Tang Qi couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

"Longjincheng only has 10 people."

"But you're not just publishing one book, so the pressure won't be so great if it's spread out."

"By then, your loan will be much more than ten thousand gold coins."

"Of course I will use my connections to negotiate with the Red Turban Gang—they only want money, not lives."

So as long as I pay back the money, they won't give me too much trouble.

"Are you really that confident in the Guidelines?"

"I trust my judgment."

Considering that what he needed was fame, and he only wanted to make money on the side, Tang Qi weighed the options and concluded that he shouldn't have lost too much.

But he wasn't sure if it was just a misperception caused by his insensitivity to numbers.

Therefore, he did not immediately agree:

"Let's discuss the specific figures later."

"Can't we finalize it now?" Merlin asked, puzzled.

“You will be spoken to by a more professional person.”

A red-haired girl appeared before Tang Qi's eyes.

"Leave professional matters to professionals."

Now is the time for you to showcase your network.

Merlin was inevitably somewhat discouraged when he didn't get immediate results.

But thinking that this was an opportunity to prove himself and win favor, he couldn't help but pat his chest and guarantee:

"Don't worry, I'll definitely find you a reliable publisher and use their channels to sell this series of books like hotcakes—if I can't, I'll just take your manuscript!"

……

"I'm sorry, sir. We are unable to publish this book."

"..."

Inside the publishing house, Tang Qi looked at Merlin, who was frozen in place, speechless with astonishment, and couldn't help but hold the brown paper bag to his mouth:

So, are you going to eat by yourself or should I feed you?

(End of this chapter)