The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 191 Escaping Dragon Gold City (5k1w)

You're saying they escaped from Dragon Prison!?

"Are we keeping those guards around just so they can eat for free?!"

Listening to the report, Leon slammed his fist heavily on the round table.

"What is that—the captain of the guard—doing? How could he let someone escape so blatantly right under his nose, even in a carriage!?"

Damn it, I can't remember that person's name.

"With the upcoming Double Moon Feast, guards are mobilized to various parts of Dragon Gold City every year on this day to ensure urban security. The prisons are short-handed, making it difficult to immediately quell the riots, thus allowing them..."

The guards behind him were the 'eyes' of the public lord, responsible for supervising all the institutions of Dragon Gold City and coordinating and reporting everything that happened in the city.

Originally, the person standing next to him should have been [Night Wind], but after taking leave for some reason, he had to be replaced by another deputy.

But the other party clearly doesn't know how to properly communicate with a public lord.

"Explanation is the most useless thing right now!"

Leon roared, as if he were about to shed his armor, revert to his true nature, and devour his second-in-command whole.
"Since everyone is patrolling the city in formation, let them head to Dragon Avenue and intercept the carriages! Do I really need to give orders for something this simple!?"

"In fact, we did try to do that. But some unexpected things happened..."

"..."

Seeing the silence fall, Leon couldn't help but turn around and grab the other person's collar.

"Now you can explain!"

The deputy swallowed hard and pointed to Long Jincheng outside the government building.

From there, one can see the entire state of Longjin City:
"Perhaps you can confirm it for yourself."

Leon strode heavily and quickly to the window of the government building. The cool morning breeze brushed against his face, gradually calming him down.

"what is that?"

Above Longjin City floated a giant hot air balloon, its surface strikingly painted with a watercolor portrait—

These are portraits that you often see at artists' stalls in the streets and alleys.

It's like a dwarf with a lion's head, its face distorted by oval balloons, the abstract style making it seem comical.

On the hot air balloon, people were throwing down a large amount of money—mostly copper coins, but also mixed with gold and silver.

They are bathed in the glow of the rising sun, like a waterfall cascading down a cliff, sprinkling raindrops onto the Dragon Avenue, their crisp sound falling onto the clean gray stone pavement.

The coins resembled enormous raindrops, or the shimmering smoke and dust scattered after a brilliant firework explosion, spreading across the entire avenue amidst the pattering rain.

Under the bright, sunny sky, it attracted everyone's attention—

We cannot change the celestial phenomena, much less control fate. Please face the unknown with optimism; even if misfortune strikes, at least die happily.

To celebrate their misfortune, the citizens of Longjin City would rise early in the morning to greet the first rays of sunlight.

When they saw the gold and silver scattered haphazardly throughout the city, they momentarily thought it was the first activity of the festival celebration.

They pushed open the doors of each house and poured out into the streets and alleys—

Dragon Avenue is the main artery of the city and connects all the side roads leading to other districts.

The massive crowd, like thick clouds floating on the ground, gathered and blocked the Dragon Avenue, pushing and shoving towards the city center, hindering the guards' progress.

This made the carriage traveling against the flow of people in the distance stand out even more.

A bright red firework shot into the sky and exploded with a bang right in front of the government building.

Without even looking up, Leon could smell the gunpowder in the fireworks.

That's downright provocative.

……

"Flaked snails are nothing! This is the real 'Road to Wealth'!"

Hearing the crisp sound of rain behind him, Xishi tiptoed and peeked out from the carriage.

Seeing the citizens pouring out from both sides, bending down to pick up the coins on the ground, which became roadblocks for the guards, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Cut off his goatee; it turns out he never experienced the thrill of throwing money around when he was with Black Snake!

"But where did you get so much money?"

He looked at Tang Qi and shouted at the top of his lungs,
Even if it's mostly copper coins, it's still a considerable expense!

"Who is the richest person in Longjincheng?" Tang Qi asked.

"That little white pig? Why would he lend you money?"

"It's an advance payment! Ultimately, it's being used to cover future royalties from the 'Guide'!"

Tang Qi saw a sliver of the gate to Longwei Pass appear in the distance and knew that it was only a matter of time before he could escape Longjin City by carriage.

Two horses couldn't pull their whole group.

Fortunately, Chenxi used the [Find Mount] skill to summon the black steed from before and pull it along, allowing them to gallop at high speed with the blessing of [Swift Light].

Bumping was inevitable, and amidst the noise, Tang Qi could only shout at the top of his lungs toward those behind him:
"Anyway, we're leaving Longjincheng soon, and those royalties won't end up in my hands! So I might as well exchange all the money for fame before I leave—consider it publicity for the 'Guide'!"

“They have no idea that it’s you, Don Quixote Weinberger, who’s handing over the money! They’ll just think it’s all that lion’s doing, and that if I were the open lord, I would have done the same!”

"Looks like you're not stupid after all!"

Tang Qi pointed to the sky and laughed loudly.
So you see—

The gaze of the pebbles followed his fingertips, looking up at the gold and silver cascading overhead.

But they found that the number of coins was becoming increasingly scarce, and instead, there were large amounts of yellowed book pages, like golden oak leaves fluttering and falling in the breeze, all landing on the wide road.

The gravel tiptoed to reach out and grab a piece.

Unfortunately, its limbs were a bit short, and it stretched its neck but missed its target.

Tang Qi casually picked up a few photos and snapped them into the carriage behind him.

The pebbles quickly picked them up and took a look, only to find that they seemed to be fragmented manuscripts. Only when the connected pages were pieced together could they form a complete story with a beginning and an end.

However, the large-scale publication of newspapers that summarized the content made up for this shortcoming.

But on the newspaper, the words "Excerpt from Longjincheng Guide" were prominently displayed, followed by—

[Shocking! The fall of Starplum Town was orchestrated by the lord!? A clandestine deal between lions and orcs!]

Scandal! The infamous Red Scarf Gang has an affair with the lord!? Unveiling the shocking secret between Long Jincheng and Shenjing!

[Tragedy! The urban disaster caused by the mushroom-gathering policy!? The deeper reasons for Lord Lionheart's inaction!]

"Hahaha—get lost, that's more like my stereotype of you bards!"

You bunch of foul-mouthed people can't keep your mouths shut! It's easy to spread rumors, but debunking them is exhausting!

Shattered Stone slapped his knees and burst into laughter.

"What rumors?"

Tang Qi said with dissatisfaction,
"This is based on my on-site investigation and multiple verifications. The irrefutable content cannot be explained away even if he has a thousand mouths!"

"And this one—【The Root Cause of the Booming Businesses in Deep Well District: A Few Things Between Lord Lionheart and the Prostitutes】."

You mean the detailed content of this manuscript, which is several thousand words long, such as the weekly interspecies appreciation balls, the interactions between the lord and the Brotherhood Club, whips and wax...

"Did all of this really happen?"

"This is an artistic interpretation by me."

"I think you just want to write!"

As he spoke, Gravel pointed deeper into the alleyway they were passing through.
"So, there are still people who do handicrafts!"

"That's only because Merlin's painting was too realistic—"

Does it mean literally?

As soon as Sui Shi finished speaking, Tang Qi glared at him fiercely.

"Ambi, cover your ears and close your eyes, don't you dare learn bad habits!"

He gave instructions while speaking.

"With so many political scandals, whether they're true or false, he deserves to suffer the consequences!"
He's in a precarious situation now, unable to clear his name even if he jumps into the inner sea; he can barely protect himself. Once we escape Longjincheng, he won't have time to bother us anymore.

the most important is.

From today onwards, every citizen of Longjin City will know his name.

As time goes by, his mark will be left on the world.

"The premise is that we can escape. Longjincheng's defense forces are not to be underestimated—" Sui Shi was still worried.

"Really not?"

……

"What are the Wyvern Riders doing? Such a conspicuous target, do I really need to shoot it down myself?"

Leon ruffled his mane, realizing he couldn't rely on the guards to violently suppress the citizens picking up the coins.

Then we can only address the problem at its source—

The Flying Dragon Cavalry controlled the airspace over Dragon Gold City. They didn't even need to do anything extra; simply escorting the hot air balloon and forcibly forcing it into open space, then arresting it, would be enough to resolve the farce.

But even now, he hasn't seen a single dragon leave its lair in the upper city!

His deputy looked somewhat embarrassed.

Leon's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he glared at him.

"Say!"

"Well... Commander Orion reported that after the Deep Well crisis was resolved, it happened to be the Double Moon Feast, so most of the cavalry were given a half-day holiday, leaving only a small number of cavalry to perform their guard duties—those people are gathering towards the Wyvern Nest."

"Aren't there still a small number of people?"

"A small group of people, in order to vent their fatigue from the past few days, held a brothers' dance party in the early morning—after he had just hung them up and whipped them."

"What kind of reason is that?"

In his roar, Leon suddenly remembered Orion's complaints from the previous night—

"You'll all stumble because of this sooner or later."

He hesitated before cursing, "Is he retaliating for the failure of the Anti-Brothers Club Ordinance? At this time!?"

No, Orion is definitely not such a reckless person.

On the contrary, precisely because he knew what was important, he was willing to ignore his daughter lying in a deep well waiting to die, and insisted on upholding the order to seal off the underground city.

"Wait, daughter?"

Leon realized what was happening.

"He's clearly using this excuse to avoid it, so he can help that bard..."

To repay the kindness of saving his daughter! "In short, the cavalry was at a standstill before the official assembly."

The deputy was also helpless.

He had no right to draw his sword and hold it to the commander's neck to order him around—

This is something only a public lord can do.

However, he chose to stay in the government office.

The deputy couldn't understand and could only say:

"Fortunately, we had the remaining guards block the city gates in advance."

Unless they can fight their way out of the hundreds of guards.

Otherwise, there would be absolutely no chance of escape.

……

"We don't need to worry about the cavalry chasing us, but what about them!?"

The gravel stared at its single eye and pointed to the gate ahead.

They simply didn't have enough coins to pave the entire Dragon Avenue.

This made the flow of people in front even sparser.

This allowed the surrounding guards to detour and obey orders, quickly assembling outside the gates of Longwei Pass.

Hundreds of guards, clad in armor and wielding spears and broad shields, stood guard outside the gate.

Unless each of them casts a three-ring [flying spell] on themselves, they can fly over the city gate from the sky in one fell swoop.

Otherwise, when the jolting carriage rushes towards the formation, the spears can easily pierce the throats and limbs of the two horses, overturning the entire carriage to the ground!
Shattered Stone gripped the tower shield tightly, unable to help but click his tongue in astonishment:

"I've been on the battlefield before, but I don't want to be ganged up on by so many people—I'd definitely be turned into a hedgehog."

Although the adrenaline surge during his escape kept him in a state of high excitement.

But the most important thing for a qualified soldier is to recognize his own abilities.

There were hundreds of guards!

Even if it were me in my prime, I could be drowned by their spittle!
Sivana personally visited the southern front.

As for the orcs.

She also knew that, within the cluster, unless one was a high-level spellcaster or a legendary figure, it was impossible to succeed.

Otherwise, individuals are mostly unable to influence the course of the battle.

You'd better change your route!

Tang Qi was too lazy to mock her ignorance, and simply said:
"Only the main road, Dragon Avenue, can break through the city gates!"

"I come."

Chenxi, who was driving the carriage, handed the reins to Tang Qi, looking as if he wanted to pick up the broken sword and was eager to try.

"Shut up, sit down and drive!"

Tang Qi pressed her back to her original position.
"Now is not the time to achieve any 'one against a hundred' challenge!"

Even if she was once a legend, an immortal living corpse, she would only be pierced into a hedgehog.

"A bard never fights alone!"

"Rua!"

While his companions hesitated, Kuru suddenly extended his wand and began chanting the spell for [Secondary Illusion]—

This is actually a zero-ring trick that is unlikely to be very effective.

Create a sound or an image of an object within a 15-meter radius and maintain it for up to 1 minute.

It cannot be used for attacks, and it is also difficult to distract others.

At best, it's just making a noise and amusing everyone.

This meant that Kuru had never had the opportunity to use it since he learned it.

But even the most useless spell will eventually find a situation where it's needed—

"rumble!"

A loud, muffled thud echoed throughout the wide avenue.

It was like the thunderous drumbeats before a battle.

It's like a bugle call to prepare for battle.

Tang Qi flipped the lute on his back over and swept the strings, producing a trembling sound.

It became the prelude to a ballad:

Today we flee the darkness.

Cherishing a bright future;
Even if the process is full of regrets,

At least we still have each other for company.

Support and help each other to overcome difficulties.

Only then can one claim the crown of courage;

Salute to you, my friend—

"I will fight for you tomorrow too!"

As the song began, the adventurers who had been lurking in the alleys and shadows, ready for battle—familiar faces such as [Orcs Must Die], [Dwarf Alliance], and even the Bull—emerged from both sides in an instant.

Armed with weapons and singing ballads, they charged into the street!

"I've had my eye on you guards for ages! You fucking stole my five gold coins!"

"Why are you locking me up in the dungeon?! I pay so many membership fees every month just to die for you guys?!"

"Although I have no grudge against you, I should still do my friend a favor, right?"

As the most restless element in Longjincheng.

The conflict between adventurers and guards was foreseeable.

However, the adventurers still needed to rely on the deep well for sustenance and were therefore subject to the control of the guards.

This entire balance was disrupted by the act of 'sealing the deep well' and the truth about the 'Red Scarf Gang'.

Undoubtedly, even knowing the truth about the dungeon, some adventurers would still be willing to become part of this enormous machine in order to make a living.

But not everyone is willing to be a fool and participate in Long Jincheng's cat-and-mouse game.

This is not about right or wrong.

But that very reason became their reason for helping Tang Qi:
"Since we're going to leave anyway, what's the harm in making a scene for a friend?"

As the number of adventurers was no less than that of the others, they charged towards the gate.

The guards also lost their previous confidence in victory.

They hurriedly shouted:

"Raise your shields! Raise your shields!"

In the ensuing close combat, the adventurers, as planned, dispersed the guards to both sides of the gate, leaving a passage wide enough for a carriage to pass through.

"It's alright, they can't open the city gates!"

The wide and heavy city gate became their final obstacle—

No one can break down this steel door by human power!

"Iu!"

"Ugh!"

People looked up in response to the howling, but could only see a small, dark purple dragon flying from the distant clouds under the clear sky and the rising sun.

It burst out of the clouds like a meteor accompanied by a raging storm, and as it fell into the city gate, it suddenly opened its dragon mouth with sharp teeth.

A glimpse of darkness appeared.

That pitch blackness was so dense and opaque that it seemed to bury even the morning light.

Only a thin halo outlines the shape.

Like an extremely tiny singularity—

"Roar!!!"

The repulsive force swept through the gale, blowing several guards waiting at the city gate onto the city wall.

At the end of the storm, an invisible energy bombarded the steel city gate with a loud "boom," leaving a deep dent!

Seeing that they couldn't breach the city gate with dragon breath alone, Chenxi looked at the rubble, and the two seasoned warriors made a decision in an instant—

Shattered Stones held the tower shield in front of them, and Dawn leaped onto the heavy shield.

"[Peerless Warrior]!"

"[Shield Charge]!"

The immense impact ripped off the roof of the carriage, leaving only a relatively sturdy base.

The dawn was like a cannonball hurtling headlong into the notch.

At the last moment, he drew the broken sword, causing its blade to gleam with brilliant light:
"【Supreme Saint Slash】!"

"Boom!"

A violent tremor resounded, and a slashing crack appeared above the notch!

The sword mark was so wide that Tang Qi could see the scenery outside the city gate!
"Roar!!!"

The singularity's breath surged onto the city gate once more, and the heavy gate collapsed with a deafening roar!

Amidst the tremors, the carriage sped away, disappearing into the swirling dust.

Tang Qi and Sui Shi reached out and grabbed Chen Xi, who was kneeling in front of the collapsed city gate, and pulled her back to the carriage.

"boom--"

The wheels rolled over the iron gate, nearly throwing them off.

But the weight of all the people in the carriage ultimately stabilized its movement.

They burst out of the fog in one fell swoop!
As they looked ahead at Longwei Pass, the curious crowd parted to make way for them, and then the dirt road was completely unobstructed.

Tang Qi laughed loudly:

"We escaped!"

(End of this chapter)