Arrested

"Stop the cart! [Nova], go check the boxes."

Several heavily armed mercenaries surrounded the ox cart, urging Catherine to drive it towards the open space of the manor.

Tang Qi immediately saw a man in full plate armor, carrying a greatsword, who had been waiting for a long time.

He walked straight forward, the clanging of his armor rhythmic, like the final bell nearing its end.

The man couldn't even be bothered to interrogate them, indicating he knew from the start that the cart was loaded with "fakes" being passed off as genuine goods.

Tang Qi didn't understand.

Could it be that Black Snake was so short-sighted, thinking that by shifting the blame to him, an outsider, they could escape responsibility for failing to guard it?

GOOGLE SEARCH TWKAN

But since it had come to this, he could only grit his teeth.

As he got off the cart, he was already contemplating how to drag Black Snake down with him.

"Get down, don't try any tricks."

"Of course, I wouldn't dare." Tang Qi truly wouldn't dare.

Let alone the skill level of this leader.

A few mercenaries rushing him with their swords would be enough to turn him into a hedgehog.

The man escorted the three people from the cart. A young man in a robe immediately ran over, and the slender magic staff in his hand suddenly burst with spiritual light, entering his eyes.

Before encountering the merchant caravan, Tang Qi, adopting a "last resort" attitude, had Kuru release Silent Illusions around the ox cart.

It was just that this Nova clearly shot an arrow first and then drew a target.

The hastily made disguise couldn't fool their already suspicious eyes.

Nova scanned the surroundings, finally fixing his gaze on the star plum on the cart--

"Only magic spiritual light from the Illusionary school."

Thinking that this caster hadn't chanted spells or communicated with the magic net, Tang Qi guessed it was a [Magic-Detecting Wand] that could detect the source of magic spiritual light.

It could consume spells stored within the wand to cast [Detect Magic].

"Say something I can understand!"

"That's why I suggest you read more, [Explosive Wolf]. At least it can help you hide your ignorance."

"Shut the hell up!"

Nova ignored the mercenary captain and instead appraised Tang Qi and the other two with great interest.

Finally, his gaze settled on Kuru.

He threw aside the robe Kuru was wearing.

First, he let out a sound of surprise, then grabbed its head:

"It really is a kobold? Come, let me see where it is..."

"Rua!"

Nova's actions were rough, his nails almost digging into Kuru's scales.

"Sir, you..."

Tang Qi wanted to step forward and stop him, but a greatsword was immediately placed in front of him.

Explosive Wolf frowned, as if holding back a fire that could ignite at any moment:

"If you don't want to die, stand still."

"Can't find it, can't find it! How is that possible!? A kobold that can learn spells, how could it not have an [Intelligence Headband]?"

Nova fumbled around frantically, his fingertips only feeling the cold touch of scales. In the end, he couldn't help but grab the kobold's shoulder, looking somewhat manic.

"Listen, little one. Hand over all the treasures you have, and I'll let them spare your life, okay?"

The [Intelligence Headband] he mentioned was a magic item.

It had the effect of enhancing intelligence and inspiration, and occasionally helped highly intelligent creatures have a flash of insight, but it only worked when worn.

So he had heard about the kobold mage and was coveting this magic item?

However, Kuru couldn't make items invisible yet.

Its intelligence was probably truly a gift from the Deities.

And Kuru was very angry hearing these humans threaten its life at every turn.

But it didn't affect its survival instinct.

It didn't understand what Nova wanted to do, but it understood the word "treasure."

"Spare my life, spare my life!"

It immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, "Handing over, treasure!"

It hesitated for a long time, and finally chose to give up its beloved treasure for its own life, taking out its most cherished possession--

"This is... a stick?"

Xin Xing looked at the wooden stick it held up and couldn't help but frown.

This wasn't what he wanted.

Kuru nodded vigorously and held up the staff to show him:

"Straight, a stick!"

Kobolds generally had very cold familial relationships.

But Kuru was not ordinary.

Although this was just a magical artifact used to communicate with the magic net, a relic left behind with that wizard's spellbook.

The staff was exquisitely crafted, straight, and wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, with a twisted texture at the top extending outwards, forming a claw pointing towards the sky.

It couldn't refuse such a straight stick.

It remembered that when it first picked up this straight staff, it happily danced the claw dance for three days, which was even more exciting than eating fresh pork.

It accompanied itself as it learned its first trick.

It would hug it to sleep at night.

It was its most important companion.

If it was to exchange for its own life, as a companion, it should also be happy to make a sacrifice...

It's just that the inexperienced Kuru didn't understand for now.

The treasures that it considered priceless might be worthless in the eyes of others.

"Are you messing with me?"

Xin Xing did not expect that this kind of low-intelligence creature, which should have had its scales stripped and used as spellcasting materials, would one day play such a low-level joke on him.

When people are too angry, they laugh.

So, with a "snap," he laughed and broke Kuru's staff--

"Rua!!!"

The straight staff split in two in front of Kuru.

It crawled to the broken staff, crying, trying to piece it back together seamlessly, but no matter how hard it tried.

Looking at the broken crack was like looking at its own torn heart.

"Where is your headband? Or do you have any other strange items..."

Seeing that the spellcaster was about to make things difficult, Tang Qi couldn't care about the long sword blocking his way--

He hadn't seen the ruins and the "Dragon Egg" behind Kuru yet.

So he quickly explained:

"Sir, it is a naturally intelligent kobold, and it does not wear any magical items."

"Naturally?"

Xin Xing glanced at Kuru strangely.

He had actually seen exceptions like Kuru--

It was a troll who wore a headband and loved to read.

When deciphering and researching spells, having such a treasure that could spark inspiration could often achieve twice the result with half the effort.

But he couldn't snatch that magical item from the other party.

Therefore, he set his sights on Kuru.

Now that he realized it was naturally intelligent, his previous interest vanished.

The Explosive Wolf, however, grabbed its scruff:

"A talking kobold... Those rich people with a morbid curiosity should be interested in buying one. It should be enough to offset the crime of stealing star plums.

Put shackles on it, throw it onto the cart, and take it away."

Several mercenaries grabbed Kuru's limbs and locked it onto the cart.

The Explosive Wolf finally looked at Tang Qi:

"As for you, a bard, right? Before you meddle in other people's business, you should always consider the price you'll pay."

"Where will I be taken?"

Tang Qi knew that as an accomplice in strategizing, he probably couldn't escape punishment.

"To the employer, of course."

As land under the jurisdiction of Dragon Gold City, everything in this small town was protected by the laws of Dragon Gold City.

Then he would probably be taken all the way to Dragon Gold City to be judged by the city's laws--

This is good, at least these people are reasonable.

After all, even if they drew their swords and lynched me, no one in this secluded town surrounded by mountains on three sides would say a word.

"Alright."

Since he was going to be captured either way, Tang Qi simply raised his hands, giving up his futile resistance.

"No need to trouble you, I'll do it myself."

He walked directly towards the mercenary holding the shackles and offered his hands. Once his wrists were securely locked, he followed closely behind the mercenary.

Catherine, who had arrived by carriage, knew she couldn't escape either, so she simply followed Tang Qi's example, saving time.

"Good, being sensible is a form of wisdom. It will save you a lot of physical suffering."

Explosive Wolf was pleased to see this.

He was just a mercenary hired to escort the caravan, earning money to protect the star plums.

If the employer hadn't promised to pay more, what did he care about whatever these prisoners had planned?

Tang Qi, with a heart full of unease, was pushed into the manor's stable.

Amidst a foul stench of manure, he looked up.

He never expected to run into an acquaintance.

Tang Qi couldn't help but lean closer and say:

"What a coincidence, you're here too?"

Black Snake, securely locked with a familiar long cangue and shackles, sitting in a corner pile of hay, couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth:

"..."