The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 201 Farewell and Love (Completed by Long Jincheng, please subscribe and vote!)

"The ancient river once flowed before your eyes."
Even the towering mountains make you stop and look up in awe;

Regardless of when it ends on this path,
You have found peace in your golden homeland.

Tang Qi hummed softly, placing the golden fallen leaves and the remaining hilt of the knife beside the tombstone:
"What am I supposed to say? You successfully brought Catherine to Dragongold City, opened a thriving tavern, and now you've even killed that old goblin? Will saying all this bring you peace of mind?"

"Ha, if he knew you slept with his daughter, drained the tavern's revenue, and destroyed his knife, he'd be crawling out of his grave to greet you right now."

"Don't scare me with the gravestones, I saw the grave mound move."

"Ha ha!"

Pour the plum wine onto the tombstone, then gently kick the wooden tombstone with a pebble, causing the inscription to tilt as well.

Gawain Monte Carlo, a bastard husband, a bastard father, and a bastard adventurer.

"Don't say anything discouraging about rest in peace. This guy is probably swimming in some River Styx, waiting to climb to the highest peak of the underworld."

"You're right, I still don't know him well enough."

Tang Qi nodded and straightened the tombstone.
"But I should still tell him, 'Hey, this is the end of it.'"

Yes, that's all.

Gravel looked up at the golden oak tree, at the tavern that had escaped the ravages because of its remoteness, as if looking back on his memories of the three years he and Black Snake had spent in Starplum Town.
"I will never come back again."

"There's no need to say too much too soon. Travel is about stopping and going as you please, and you might even have to turn back someday."

As Tang Qi spoke, he took out his journal, wanting to record his current feelings.

But then he realized something and looked hesitantly at the rubble:
"You're not planning to continue?"
Please, our story has only just begun.

……

The story begins when I was kicked out of the tavern by a jackal.

At that time, I was still rubbing the pain in my buttocks and worrying about how to get through the damp and cold night.

And now, I am an escape expert, leading civilians away from the Dawn Forest, adventurers away from the darkness of the Deep Well, and my companions away from Dragon Gold City...

Why am I always on the run?
Let me ask Long Jincheng for the two options he left me—

They gave up the wealth that was within their grasp and left with Xiaolong.

Or give up Xiaolong and enjoy the happiness that wealth brings.

What would you choose?

Goya, seated in the carriage, hurried back to Pluto's dormitory.

But the choices in the log kept replaying in my mind.

She had been thinking about this question—

She had assumed she wouldn't need to think to arrive at the answer:
"These are clearly two acceptable paths..."

Both giving up the dragon and wealth have their reasons, and both are good outcomes.

But she knew that when faced with the choice, she actually hesitated.

It's not about which one she should choose.

Rather, in that instant, the thought that crossed his mind was exactly the same as Tang Qi's choice—

I don't want to choose either of them.

"Damn Tang Qi, please stop bothering me when I've become a teaching assistant and want to enjoy a stable and comfortable life, okay?"

Goya took a deep breath and opened the hidden compartment in the bedside table.

They found only a key and a note.

The sign above reads: "69, Miliu Street".

What exactly does Pluto want to do?

She knew that what Pluto wanted her to take back was definitely not a key.

They could only continue driving the carriage in the indicated direction.

It wasn't until the carriage stopped on the narrow street and reached the building hidden in the shadows that the journey continued.

She seemed to realize the purpose of the house.

Goya picked up the key, hesitating whether to open the door.

Until the door to the house was opened, a woman whose body had been transplanted with hair suddenly opened the door.

Ashley.

She recognized the other person.

This is a bizarre woman who had her hair transplanted in order to pursue a male dwarf, and is now considering whether to find a spellcaster to cast a "long-lasting shrinking spell" on her, so that she can truly become a female dwarf.

Bards are always reckless in their pursuit of love.

"We've been waiting for you for a long time."

Ashley grasped Goya's hand, which was holding the key.
"Come in quickly."

Goya reluctantly stepped into the door, only to find familiar faces welcoming her with joyful eyes.

This address is indeed the 'nest' where Pluto's [gang] meets.

“What are you doing here? Don’t forget the academy has been watching you,” Goya warned.

"Relax. Nobody knows about this hidden corner except you."

"Aren't you afraid I'll report you to our advisor?"

"You will not."

"Don't trust me so much."

“It’s because Pluto trusts you. He said that if we beg you, you will definitely be willing to relay Don Qi’s diary to us…”

Because you are also a born bard.

Otherwise, they wouldn't risk memorizing the contents of their log.

Goya gritted her teeth, recalling everything from the diary—

...So I learned about the connection between 'Iu' and 'Eve'.

I realized that my friends were about to be trapped and die in a deep well.

When I realized I didn't want to choose any of the paths they offered.

I stepped back into the deep well.

This is a perilous path that abandons the easy way out, and will undoubtedly force me to confront difficulties and obstacles head-on.

But I still enjoy it.

But at the time, I just wanted to do it.

But I couldn't understand whether it was my reckless, adventurous spirit at work, or some other factor that drove me to make this decision...

Looking at those pleading eyes before me.

An impulse surged within Goya.

Ashley asked:

"Admit it, senior. When you saw Donch Weinberger's diary, didn't you really have even the slightest bit of illusion?"
Haven't you ever thought about experiencing his life, learning his magic, and singing the songs you want to sing?
You have so much to say, but you haven't been able to say it, right—just like us.

Damn.

The nobles' money was returned in full, while the commoners' money was split 30/70.

She was about to forget it.

Why should we make her remember?

“We’re not trying to challenge the system, really, we know we don’t have that ability.”

Ashley gripped Goya's hands tightly and pleaded,
"We just want to peek into the life we've imagined but never experienced—we just want to know, how far can Donch Weinberger go?"

I just wanted to see what a real bard should be like.

A true bard...

"Junior, do you know just how many people you've influenced?"

Goya sighed deeply in silence, a stirring within her heart—a stirring of rebellion. She looked at Ashley.
"You're just keeping the diary in your heart, right?"

"Of course!"

"All right……"

Goya already knew the diary by heart.

"I hope you're not scared."

She began to recite the inscription on the stone tablet, verifying the authenticity of that impulse—

...The deep well is like falling into a dark abyss.

When your vision is overwhelmed by darkness, your senses of hearing and smell become incredibly sharp.

This is not a good thing.

Because all you hear are endless noises coming from who-knows-where, and your nostrils are filled with the stench of blood and rotting flesh.

The occasional gusts of cold wind brush against every hair on your body, reminding you that you are constantly in danger.

Because you can never tell whether it's a cold wind or a sharp sword.

The group of bards seemed to be there, unconsciously hugging their arms and rubbing their shoulders:

"Just thinking about it makes my teeth chatter."

"Don't fucking put yourself in that situation. If it were you, you wouldn't even be able to get down to the second level."

"But doesn't he possess that ring that can dispel darkness? He shouldn't be experiencing this..."

"...An adventurer named Linbuge told me this valuable experience."

To be honest, after rescuing the rubble, all I could think about was how to get back to the surface as quickly as possible.

Only when I feel tired and find an open space nearby to sing a 'resting song' do I realize that so many living beings have already followed me.

As survivors rushed toward me, expressing their heartfelt gratitude...

I suddenly realized that perhaps there really was still something I could do—

So I decided to climb the Tower of Sunrise.

Even if this light is insignificant to the underground world.

Yet it still inspires those desperate lives to struggle.

Until we reach new hope.

"Damn, this is way more likely to get going than any noble-versus-dragon story! I'll write the new story based on this..."

"If someone could pull me out of this desperate situation, I'd fucking bend over and do it!"

"Hey bro, turn your back to me, I've been craving this for ages."

The diary reached its climax, and the bards were swept up in a frenzy.

Goya understood that no poet was content to be merely a mouthpiece for the nobility, speaking for the lords and working for them.

Therefore, when they saw Tang Qi become a lighthouse in the fog, guiding lost ships, resonance and longing were almost inevitable.

"It seems that the lighthouse's radiance has pierced not only the darkness of the underground city."

Goya couldn't describe the flutter in her heart.
"It is also guiding their direction."

She continued her story—

A friend from Tanmu Forest once said, "Those who do good deeds should be rewarded. This is both an encouragement to those who do good deeds and a comfort to those who receive help. Only in this way can goodwill be passed on."

While saving them, I need them to contribute to my future departure.

Fortunately, the 'Short Guys League' was unaware of the Guide's release at the time, so no one rejected me when I proposed the plan.

I ordered them to lie in wait at the alley entrance near the city gate, as the last force to break through the city gate...

"He's facing the entire defense force of Longjin City, right?"

"And there's that Lord Lionheart—I've heard his story; he's a legendary paladin!"

"Damn it, I can't figure out how they're going to break through this encirclement. Nobody can do it..."

"Unless he is not alone."

After a brief moment of soothing her throat, Goya continued—

...The power of an individual always has its limits.

A dwarf can only look up at a giant's knees, but five dwarfs stacked together are qualified to be level with his shoulders.

So please extend kindness to the world.

Everything you do for your friends will eventually come back to you in another way—

When I saw Merad standing in a hot air balloon, squandering money on Dragon Avenue, the civilians who stopped blocked the guards' path to pursue him.

Seeing Orion, who was leading the cavalry, openly defying the orders of Lord Lionheart, not a single dragon could be seen in the azure sky.

Seeing those adventurers rushing forward, singing songs of hope, paved the way for my escape from Dragongold City—

The bumpy wheels rolled over the blocked iron plate.

I looked at my companion beside me.

In that moment, I felt like I was embracing the whole world...

"Screw you! He actually did it!"

Someone slapped their thigh and couldn't resist stepping on the table.
"He not only escaped Long Jincheng's pursuit, but also revealed the truth about the entire Deep Well!"

He threw the face of the ruler of Longjin City to the ground and trampled it in front of every commoner!

he--"

"Get down, get down! It wasn't you who did it, why are you so agitated?"

Seeing that someone was deeply immersed in the story, the poets quickly pulled him back to the sofa.

"Do you intend to do the same to the Terran Empire?!"

"Oh no, of course I didn't."

The other person seemed to have calmed down as well, and while catching their breath, they couldn't help but mutter something.

"But isn't that what bards should do? Unearth history, reveal the truth, and awaken every numb soul—"

"Wake up! Not everyone is Donch Weinberger. Don't compare yourself to him!"

Some people advised,
"He will become a true legend."

Perhaps he already is.

Goya hesitated before repeating the last words—

"...Long Jincheng's story has finally come to an end, and I think I should leave."

I am a poet, and I must eventually embark on a journey of bards.

But before I leave, there's one last thing I want to do.

I want to put a period to the cause of all this.

"They're orcs!"

Someone shouted,
"He's going to settle scores with those orcs!"

"But that was an entire orc tribe! Senior Goya, you once accompanied Lord Versace to the border of the Empire, didn't you? You witnessed those savage thugs trampling on the homes of civilians!"

Goya nodded.

That was precisely why Professor Ulasang rejected the manuscript.

"Especially after the double month—the beginning of each double month is the time when those orcs launch the fiercest counterattack."

I heard that this year was no exception; they were as if they had swallowed the blood of the snake-chicken beast and almost crashed through the empire's city walls!
But they were only a few people… Without the help of an army or the assistance of adventurers, how could they possibly cause trouble for an entire tribe? That orc chieftain wouldn't listen to him at all!

Goya sighed deeply and slowly recited the original text of the diary—

So I smashed the old goblin's head in.

"..."

After a brief silence, someone asked, "And then?"

That's all for the information about orcs.

Goya told the truth,
"This might not be a difficult task for him."

"..."

Goya almost thought that time had stopped.

Until the pupils of those poets became dull and lifeless.

Even their mouths were involuntarily agape.

He drooled.

She then realized...

The bards were dreaming again. [...Of course, the tribe did not disband as a result.]

Or rather, Shyvana did not abandon the entire tribe because of the betrayal of some individuals.

She wanted to find a new way for the tribe to survive, uniting those forces that were still willing to follow her—

She killed Barbaya's confidants and left the orcs who refused to follow her to fend for themselves, letting them get lost in the Duskwood.

The tribe suddenly shrank by half.

I told her that the tribe had to evacuate Starpine Town immediately.

Because they have lost their value, Long Jincheng will eventually reclaim this lost territory at Old Wild Boar's request.

However, the question of which direction to evacuate in became the immediate problem.

I need her to help Ambi control her animalistic instincts.

After careful consideration, I believe that going south is the most suitable option.

The nature of orcs dictates that most of their people will never be able to appreciate the value of peace.

Habitual demands, plundering, and even violent desires can cause them to tear everything in front of them apart.

Within the Great Wall, there will never be a single patch of pure land that can accommodate them.

They could only march towards the southern wall, becoming a mercenary group to contribute to the southern front and shed their tribal identity.

……

"So, you're planning to head south next, right?"

Sui Shi asked Tang Qi for a wine jug.

Tang Qi nodded in agreement:

“Shivana is very resistant to this, but whether she likes it or not, she will have to listen to me in the end—let Dawn knock her out and drag her away, it will have the same effect.”

After a while, seeing that the rubble remained silent, Tang Qi understood his thoughts.

"You don't want to go south?"

Gravel shook his head:

"To be honest, I've wandered around in the south many times. It's just that little area, isn't it? Sandalwood forests, the Great Wall, the vast desert..."

He noticed Tang Qi's squinting, scrutinizing gaze, as if to say, "What kind of ridiculous reason is this?" and became somewhat annoyed.

He coughed twice, rubbed his face, turned his back, and took out a strange, white, stone-like object:

“Cut off his goatee, and I’ll tell you the truth, okay?”
This thing is the Iron Hearthstone, which forever guides me northward. I can use it to travel north through Duskwood.

Well, cough cough. I—I was thinking, well, maybe I could try—going home and visiting.

Tang Qi then blinked:

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have known you had a family if you hadn't brought it up now."

"It's long gone!"

The gravel said irritably,
"Ahem, after all, you only recently pulled me out of this stagnant water, so it wouldn't be right not to give you an explanation—"

But anyway, when I was born, the village was trampled to pieces by giants, and I became the only survivor.

After that, he went around seeking out masters to hone his skills, and then joined forces with a group of adventurers to take revenge.

Later, I planned to quit, but Ironforge allied with the giants, which infuriated me. After hesitating for a long time, I still didn't go back.

After a while, after wandering around for so long, you can't go back... You should understand this feeling, right? If you don't, there's nothing I can do, I'm just that sentimental!

Tang Qi listened patiently to the murmurs of the gravel.

Even though he hadn't experienced all of this with the rubble, he could still sense the complex emotions in those few words.

When he realized this, he asked, somewhat unwillingly:
"Then why are you thinking of going back now?"

"Because... I suddenly realized that my two hundred years of life seemed to be filled with the repetitive cycle of doing tasks, buying alcohol, and drinking alcohol."

I didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

But just as I was dying, I suddenly saw that bastard Black Snake.

Countless memories frequently appear in my mind.

I recalled those three years in Starplum Town, watching Black Snake sit far away in a tavern chair, gazing at Catherine, his arm around my shoulder as he muttered, 'See that? That's my daughter…'

The more he spoke, the more ashamed he felt. He drank the plum wine in one gulp to bolster his courage.
"At that moment, I suddenly felt an impulse—"

Perhaps I can try the kind of life that Black Snake wants me to live.

As he said, since you've let go of the past, why not start a new family and turn a new page?

Tang Qi understood: "You want to retire."

The pebbles made his frizzy hair even more disheveled as he rubbed it.

"I just want to try a different life! Like other dwarves, I'll do blacksmithing, carry bricks, find a good wife to bathe with every day, and have a litter of boys..."

I don't know if this kind of life is right for me; maybe it's the next quagmire, but at least for now, I really want to make a change.

He paced back and forth, occasionally skipping and jumping.

This will help relieve inner tension.

He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding; he who turns his back and runs away—

He knew that Tang Qi needed him as his shield guard.

He also doesn't like owing others.

So, in my two hundred years of life, this is the first time I've done something so immoral.

As expected, Tang Qi was indeed trying to persuade him:

"Don't you want to go to the Sandalwood Forest to see your old friends? I heard that the dwarves and elves in your party are there."

"No, absolutely not. You and Mark Wen, I can only accept the ridicule of one person at a time."

"What if I stop telling dwarf jokes?"

"I don't believe it!"

Shattered Stone took a swig of wine, then shook his head.
"Actually, we had a falling out, a really bad one, we even got into a physical fight, you know?"
Markwin had initially planned to return to the Great Desert, regroup, and bring back Faltto's body.

But Black Serpent refused—he wanted to return to Star Plum Town and spend the rest of his life there.

"You're as cold-blooded as a snake," Mark Wynne said.

The black snake saved me, so I had no choice but to go with him. Now you want me to go back and exchange pleasantries with Markwin and Sharti? You might as well just kill me!"

Although they haven't reached the point of being irreconcilable enemies.

However, if Tang Qi put himself in the other person's shoes, he could understand the awkwardness of the broken stones.

He knew that the dwarf in front of him was more than just his teammate or partner.

She is someone who has a past, a present, and the right to decide her own future.

He could only manage a bitter smile:
"So you have no choice but to leave."

"Don't look at me like that—I'm not going to hook you."

"You still need to lift it? I have to squat down myself."

"Fuck you!"

Shattered Stone swung his fist, but he knew it was just a joke.

The two of them seemed to be struggling with what to say.

There was a long silence.

Until Tang Qi broke the silence:
"You know you still owe me a request, right?"

"That sparring session, although you were suspected of cheating, yes, that happened. I don't like owing people things."

The pebbles brushed against his beard; he remembered every single debt he owed.

"So you're trying to use this request to get me to continue taking risks with you?"

Sigh... okay, but there has to be a time limit, right?
Ten years—no, Black Snake and I have only been a team for ten years.

"Then one or two years. No, that seems too short..."

"Save your breath. We're friends, who would use something like this to blackmail a friend?"
You know, I'm a traveler, and one day I'll go to the North.

So my request is—”

Tang Qi stood up, patted the dirt off his backside, and solemnly extended his fist towards the broken stone.
"I want you to find your happiness before we meet again."

"..."

The stone stopped pacing and stared blankly at Tang Qi.

He opened his mouth, but felt his lips tremble slightly.

I wanted to say something, but in the end, I didn't know where to begin.

Damn it, did I drink too much and it irritated my eyes?

"Before I back out, you'd better bring your fist on me." Tang Qi suddenly laughed during the silence.

"Fuck you."

Shattered Stone looked up at Tang Qi's fist raised to the sky.

I couldn't help but jump up.

Did not encounter:
"Who the hell is your friend?!"

Although he has been away from home for many years, he considers himself a traditional dwarf.

Drinking, single-mindedness, cursing—no one in the world is more like a dwarf than him.

The saying, "It takes almost a hundred years to go from acquaintance to friendship," is a profound truth ingrained in the dwarves.

But when he looked up at Tang Qi's smug, irritating smile...

Sui Shi believes that the words of our ancestors are not always correct.

……

Pushing open the door of the Golden Oak, Catherine walked to the bedding that was drying in the sun.

"Bang, bang."

The morning light spilled onto the dried bedding, and a few specks of dust rose up as she patted it.

Bring the warm blankets to your nose; they smell of sunshine.

The early autumn sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.

"It's a nice day."

She was about to gather the bedding when she turned around and heard Chuck calling her:
"Hey, Miss Catherine!"

"Mr. Chuck? May good fortune always be with you."

"You too, beautiful girl."

Seeing Chuck running up breathlessly, Catherine quickly went to the tavern to fetch him some water.

But Chuck grabbed his sleeve:

"No need to trouble yourself, I'm here to deliver something! After that, I'm going to gamble—no, I mean, watch this year's cheese competition, I'm in a hurry!"

As he spoke, he handed the box he was carrying, which was covered with a layer of black cloth, to Catherine.

The red-haired girl took the box with a bewildered look, and found that it wasn't very heavy, but because there was something hidden inside, it was a bit bumpy:
"This is?"

"This is a gift that Mr. Tang Qi asked me to prepare for you before he left—but this thing is really hard to buy. I spent every day waiting at the flower and bird market and finally managed to find a way to get it."

Oh right, he seemed to know he was about to leave, so he asked me to pass on a message to you.

Chuck caught his breath and, mimicking Don Qi's tone perfectly, said,

"You can rest assured that you'll leave Amb in my care."

"that's it?"

"that's it!"

Catherine said with some regret, "You've really gone to a lot of trouble."

"I have something to do, I'll be going now!"

Seemingly afraid of missing the deadline, Chuck turned and ran towards Long Jincheng.

Catherine was left standing there, sighing.
“With Anbi by your side, she will definitely live a good life.”

She thought Tang Qi would have something to say to her privately.

It's been a while since we parted ways, and I still seem to harbor some resentment.

Even though she supported Tang Qi in her heart, she still had the feeling of her sweetheart putting on her pants and leaving after taking a shower...

She wanted to curse Tang Qi and his bastard father for being birds of a feather.

They also felt that Tang Qi's crime did not warrant such punishment.

A mix of complex emotions left her feeling somewhat depressed lately.

"So what exactly is so hard to buy?"

With a look of confusion, she lifted the veil from the box in her hand.

Then he exclaimed in surprise:
"how come?"

She then realized that the box in her hand was actually a birdcage.

Inside the cage was a brightly colored bird with smooth and beautiful feathers.

It was about the size of a palm, pacing and wandering in the birdcage, sometimes calling out "Chibi, Chibi".

This is a chibi bird.

From the moment they become vibrant, they are confined to exquisite birdcages, where their prices are easily set.

They were deprived of the freedom to fly.

Nobody cares what it thinks...

Suddenly, Catherine remembered the riverside on their first night, jokingly complaining that she was like a chibi bird, always unable to help.

But I never expected that he would keep it in his heart all this time.

"Mom, I think I finally understand what you're thinking."

Every neighbor in Xingmei Town says she's like a mother.

Catherine also thinks she looks a lot like her mother.

She can have love, but that shouldn't be her whole life.

So even if the man abandoned her and her daughter, she could still face everything in life with equanimity, as if she had never loved him, as if the man had never existed.

At one time, she thought this was a manifestation of independence, so she followed her mother's example.

But now she realizes that this is not entirely true.

There is something else in this world—

...Adventure is like a magical train with no end in sight.

We travel by train, seeing different landscapes and traveling with like-minded friends.

Through growth, we become better versions of each other.

Perhaps we'll pause at some station, wave goodbye.

But it's also for a better meeting next time.

So I knew it was time to truly say goodbye to my friends.

I often thought about this along the way.

What is it that makes me willing to abandon the easier path and face more complex difficulties and obstacles?

What is the true value of the adventurous spirit that drives me to repeatedly court death?
Is it about reaping more rewards, or about being unwilling to accept the loneliness of life?

No, I don't think so.

It's something that allows you to face separation with equanimity, even if you cherish each other.

It is a remedy that everyone dreams of and longs to use to enrich their lives.

It is the right to say no, even when faced with a choice, to break free from preconceived notions.

It was a love devoid of passion.

Catherine opened the cage that bound the chibi bird, letting it break free of its shackles and soar into the sky.

Pluto stood at the bow of the ship on the deck, facing the deep ocean amidst the music and singing.

Goya was surrounded by poets in the house, who all spoke the same words as them.

Meanwhile, Tang Qi, sitting atop the giant tortoise in the sky, wrote his final words in his journal—

That is freedom.

(End of this chapter)