The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 188 Giving Up (4.4k)

"A smart choice can save us a lot of trouble."

Upon entering the Dragon Hall, Leon even gestured for him to enter.

"Please allow me to bring you here, after all, I also need to ensure that the entire transaction process is not interfered with by human intervention."

An isolated demiplane would be the best option.

Tang Qi had recorded the characteristics of the [Dragon Government] in the "Guide to Dragon Gold City"—

This independent dimensional space appears to be connected to Dragon Gold City, allowing one to gaze upon the entire city's splendor through the dragon's massive mouth.

In reality, when one leaps from the giant mouth, one does not step into the city; instead, one falls from the ceiling of the government building.

Leon holds the key to this government building, and he can easily invite or refuse anyone entry or exit.

In other words, for Tang Qi, this is a dimensional prison from which he cannot escape.

Once he stepped inside, there was only one way out for him—

A man with a small mustache, dressed in an elegant suit and wearing a gray-white curly wig, pushed a pre-prepared contract document in front of Tang Qi:

“Mr. Tang Qi, I am the impartial lawyer hired by the lord. After the contract is signed, the documents will be handed over to the bank for safekeeping to ensure that no one can destroy them.”

Tang Qi realized that this was a "fair contract".

He didn't immediately look at the contents of the document, but instead asked:

Where are my friends?

Leon narrowed his eyes slightly: "Of course, we'll wait outside."

"I need to discuss this decision with them."

"Is it necessary?"

"At least let me confirm their safety. Besides, we are a team after all, and they should get a share of the profits from the deal."

Please bring my companions in—

Of course, to show your sincerity, you can ask them to bring Iu along as well, so you don't think I'm playing tricks on you.

That's a reasonable reason.

Seeing that Tang Qi was so sincere, Leon had no reason to refute his wishes.

Once you're in the Dragon Government Hall, you absolutely cannot leave without his permission.

So, a short while later, Kuru, carrying a roast duck and with his hands covered in greasy pebbles, buried in a book and engrossed in reading, and Chenxi, carrying Iu and having removed his weapon, all walked in and sat down around Tang Qi.

Leon carefully examined the little dragon, then looked at Tang Qi:

"The compensation I can offer is all written down beforehand; all you need to do is sign it."

Tang Qi then began to examine the contents of the fair contract—

A baron's noble title, proof of permanent residency.

A property in the Upper East Side, with 70 years of rent waived.

One [Extremely Rare] or three [Rare] level magical items can be freely chosen from the Dragon Gold City's treasury.

The properties under his name, including those listed in the Guide, and the 50-year tax exemption right for Golden Oak.

Fifty thousand gold coins.

Although it is a real dragon, the soul of an ancient princess is hidden within it.

But Tang Qi still believes it's an attractive reward.

After all, the price I need to pay is only—

[It is forbidden to disclose anything about the Red Turban Gang or Shenjing.]

Immediately surrender the territory of Starplum Town, the treasures of its nearby ruins, and all ownership rights.

The former is a scam that is difficult to expose. If adventurers were to discover the secret of the deep well, it might have a significant impact on the operation of Dragon Gold City.

The latter is due to the laws of Longjin City: all ownership of ruins belongs to the landowner, but the treasures obtained from the ruins belong to the excavator.

This was done to encourage adventurers' initiative and facilitate the resolution of mission disputes between adventurers and nobles.

But now it has become a rule that Leon has no choice but to abide by.

If it weren't for this explicit law, he wouldn't have needed to vigorously promote the "public ownership of land" and sit down with Tang Qi to discuss this deal.

As for the 'ownership' in the contract, it actually refers specifically to 'Iwu'.

After all, Leon didn't need cheap items like studded leather armor.

It was only to prevent some wordplay that it was written as ownership of the treasure.

“It is obvious that we have four people, but this title and permanent residency right can only be held by one person.”

Tang Qi began to nitpick the text of the contract.

“I didn’t expect you to be such a generous person. So I didn’t consider your companion beforehand,” Leon said truthfully.

“A qualified leader wouldn’t hoard the reward,” Tang Qi replied with a smile.

Leon nodded, acknowledging this point:
"So if there's anything else you need, please let me know. That way, the lawyer can add supplementary clauses to the contract."

"Do I need at least four permanent residency permits? And by the way, give me a way to sell the 'Guide' outside of Longjincheng."

Tang Qi looked at his companion beside him.

Leon nodded, indicating to the lawyer to write down the supplementary clauses:

"Yes, I will contact the publisher."

"Giving me a hundred barrels of offal stout isn't too much to ask, is it?"

"The wine will be sourced directly from the sewer and stored in your estate's cellar by tomorrow night."

"Ha, then I can finally get really drunk."

"Kuru, you need to read! You need to read a lot!"

"I'm giving you a spot to study at the Starlight Mage Academy. It not only has the most complete collection of books in Dragon Gold City, but also spellbooks for you to study."

"Rua!"

"I need a statue to stand in the center of Longjin City."

“The city center is out of the question; there’s already a statue there. How about the Adventurers’ Guild? After all, you saved so many adventurers; they should be happy to remember what happened today—the statue will be gilded and guaranteed to be dazzling.”

"I have no other requests."

Leon, however, gestured for the lawyer to continue writing:

"I'll give you an extra bonus. Do you think this will suit your taste?"

When the lawyer handed the contract to Tang Qi, he discovered that in addition to the previously stated requirements, there was an extra piece of feedback:
"【Find a mentor for the beastman Ambi Nova to help suppress his bestial nature】?"

Tang Qi hesitated and said,
"What does it mean?"

"Do you want her to suffer the torment of being turned into a beast for the rest of her life?"

Leon spread his hands to show his sincerity.

"To fight against one's animalistic instincts is actually a course in training one's inner self."

The serene monks in the temples, the savages in the jungle who lived with rage… could all teach her how to live with her animalistic instincts.

Many martial monks suppress their true nature and hone their minds through ascetic practices, thus possessing the ability to suppress their animalistic instincts.

As for the barbarians...

Tang Qi had heard of the existence of the [Path of the Beast].

Anger and bestiality are inextricably linked.

Barbarians, on the other hand, possess the potential to transform anger into power.

This makes it possible for some beastmen, or those whose bodies harbor the essence of wild beasts, to harness this power for their own use.

The prerequisite is learning to use anger.

Who do you plan to appoint as her mentor?

Tang Qi asked curiously,

"Should we send her to one of the temples?"

“Or hand it over to a barbarian, you’d be hard-pressed to find such a person in a civilized city—but I have a ready-made option.”

"Who?"

"The orc you saw, [Shyvana Roar]."

I used food as an excuse to lure her to Longjin City alone, where I imprisoned her.

Suddenly, Tang Qi recalled the scene when the guard captain took away the two orcs—

indeed.

The "important figure" the other party mentioned could only be this open lord.

"So you planned to put them in jail from the beginning?" Tang Qi asked.

Leon answered matter-of-factly:
"This was done to divide the entire orc tribe and drive it to its demise through internal strife."

Secondly, it was also to utilize her power to help those beastmen find a way back to their sanity—including the children in the orphanages, who needed a more suitable education.

"You're actually being so kind?"

"I've always been like this—though I'd love to say it, you probably wouldn't believe me."

So yes, this is more about urban security.

And a force of barbarians that obeys orders sounds incredibly reassuring, doesn't it?

Leon chuckled, making it unclear which of his words were his true meaning and which were a joke.

"So, are these conditions I've written down satisfactory to you?"

Tang Qi said with heartfelt emotion:
"Even the most greedy person, upon seeing this content, would only think it's a beautiful dream."

“We are not enemies, are we? You are very capable, and we may have the opportunity to cooperate in the future—then I will be able to give you everything I can.”

I hope my sincerity will be reciprocated with your sincerity.

Leon bowed slightly to Tang Qi.
"Signing this contract will allow us to both get what we want."

That way we can end all this as soon as possible, and you might even be able to bring that little wolf cub to the [Double Moon Feast].

This is Longjincheng's grandest festival of the second half of the year, led by the most renowned circus troupe, "Daughter of the Stars," which will parade throughout the city with various performers from the Spine District and trinkets produced by the Magic Academy. We will revel until tomorrow morning.

Of course, today's wages will be paid by Long Jin Cheng, so that citizens can get up early and go to the market to buy decorations and ingredients.

Tang Qi pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to look at the night behind him—

The sun is about to rise.

Dawn is approaching.

The deep, dark blue hue adds a touch of celestial light to the backdrop of the night.

On Dragon Avenue, sanitation workers are cleaning the road and setting up barriers for the streets.

Patrolling guards appeared sporadically to prevent any accidents from happening at this crucial time.

Many vendors have already secured the best stalls on both sides of the avenue, preparing for today's celebration in hopes of making a fortune.

Looking at this thriving scene, Tang Qi could imagine how prosperous Longjin City would be tonight.

"So, what are you still hesitating about?" Leon asked.

Tang Qi shook his head and looked at the contract again—

Bestselling channels, endless fine wines, more knowledge, and the coveted glory.

Wealth, status, ties...

Everything they need is on this.

The price for all of this was simply handing over the ignorant little dragon beside him, who had not yet awakened any wisdom, and promising to keep it a secret.

That's it.

"This is not a choice worth hesitating about."

As he spoke, he was about to sign his name—

"and many more."

Leon beckoned over several guards, then turned to look at Tang Qi, who hadn't yet put pen to paper:

"Before you sign your names, I must ensure that your mouths and noses are sealed and your hands and feet are bound—this is to prevent anyone from secretly casting spells during the signing process."

There are many ways to restrict spellcasters.

The simplest one is nothing more than the eighth-circle spell [Anti-Magic Field], which can block the communication between the caster and the magic network, rendering all magical effects ineffective.

However, throughout the entire continent, there are only a handful of spellcasters capable of casting eighth-ring spells.

At least no one in Longjincheng could do that.

Therefore, if we want to restrict the language, gestures, materials, and other elements associated with spellcasting, we can only adopt the most brute-force, yet effective, method.

Tang Qi sighed:

"Didn't you just say that you would exchange sincerity for sincerity?"

"I can guarantee my absolute sincerity, but I can't guarantee your thoughts—so adding an insurance layer will make this transaction more secure."

Don't worry, I won't hurt you; otherwise, I would have had many opportunities to do so along the way.

"of course."

Tang Qi believed Leon's words.

He is a person who does things according to the rules.

They could only stretch out their hands and let the other person tie their wrists together, seal their mouths and noses with strips of cloth, while the guards led their companions to a corner and made them stand apart.

They're really good at defending against it...

No one can cast spells while bound.

This made him sigh, and he picked up the document in his hand, checking again to see if there were any wordplay he had missed.

After a long while, he wrote down the name "Donkey Weinberg" after the already signed "Meow Meow".

The moment you write your name, it signifies that the contract has taken effect.

There is no turning back now.

The lawyer carefully placed the documents in a treasure chest, set a separate password, and then waited quietly in a corner of the government building.

Leon then ordered someone to bring out an iron cage and looked at Iu beside Tang Qi:
"Are you going to bring it in yourself, or will I do it for you? I hope we can resolve this peacefully."

"I'll do it; it will listen to me."

Tang Qi stroked the bewildered little dragon and held it in front of the iron cage:

"Can this really trap it?"

“A protected cage cannot be destroyed by brute force alone.”

"Can the [Tapping Technique] do that?"

“You can try—but I will arrest you for ‘infringement of personal property’.”

Legally, Iu has become Leon's property.

In other words, even if Tang Qi refused to hand over Xiao Long, he could still legally take him away.

Tang Qi didn't believe they could escape from Leon's clutches.

After all, Leon still controls access to this demiplane.

So he said nothing, simply placed Iu calmly into the cage, and waited for Leon to lock the cage door.

"Ugh?"

Xiao Long seemed to finally realize something, staring with his amber eyes, looking around at the cage beside him, and even at Tang Qi in front of him—

"It's like saying, 'What are you doing to me?'"

Tang Qi said with a wry smile.

"You've only known each other for a short time. There shouldn't be such a deep bond... Forget about it and embrace your new life, isn't that better?"

Leon handed Don Qi a lion medal.
“Show it to the prison guards, and they will obey your orders to take the wolf cub out.”

Tang Qi took the medal and, with Sui Shi and the others, left the government hall without saying a word.

"Ugh?"

Iu then realized what had happened.

So she wanted to break free of her cage and fly to Tang Qi's side—

That was the first person I had ever seen since I was born.

I seem to have gotten used to his hood.

I've gotten used to being fed by him, even if it's hard to digest.

I've gotten used to taking risks with him, even when I'm exhausted.

It was used to curling up next to him to sleep, listening to soft and soothing music, like being embraced by warm clouds, which made it sleep even more soundly.

But the cage in front of it blocked its way.

It tried to break free from the iron cage, but could only watch helplessly as the other disappeared from its sight.

"Ouch——"

It tried to roar, but instead a lion's face appeared before it.

Feeling the weight of the cage, he stretched his fingertips toward the little dragon's smooth neck, the delicate scales bringing a cool sensation to his fingertips.

The touch feels incredibly realistic:
"It's not an illusion."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems he has really given up on this little dragon."

(End of this chapter)