Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Let’s give chase!”
Zong Shen pointed at the way down the mountain!
The old traveling horse was a large animal after all, and it would leave a very obvious hoofprint on such a mountain road.
At the same time, Zong Shen began to call out the strategy guide in his heart.
“I need to find my horse. Please guide me.”
“(Follow the arrow.)”
“(A drunk dwarf stole your horse. You have to be careful. That fellow is very strong.)”
A golden arrow appeared in Zong Shen’s vision.
Similarly, it pointed down the mountain.
Zong Shen did not dawdle. He dragged Iron Pole and started running.
They chased down the mountain.
As they ran, the advantage in speed that Iron Pole had was revealed.
After blending into the shadows, his speed was astonishing. Like a black shadow, he moved quickly under the shade of the trees.
The duo ran down the mountain.
In front of them was a burial ground and a wide grass field.
Zong Shen stopped in his tracks.
The arrow pointed straight at the grass field in front of them.
Not far from the mountain, there were a few sparse trees.
There were two shadows, one big and one small, standing by the tree.
“Huff… Huff…”
“Good fellow, you even dared to stop and rest!”
“If we catch him, we’ll definitely beat him up!”
Zong Shen panted and rolled up his sleeves while cursing.
“Continue chasing!”
He called for Iron Pole.
The two of them ran towards the trees.
They ran non-stop.
If Zong Shen’s physical condition had not been strengthened by the four attributes and his skills, he would not have been able to sustain such an intense run for long.
As the saying said, a dead horse runs while looking at a mountain. The two of them spent around ten minutes running for about three kilometers before reaching the few trees in the distance.
A dwarf with a full beard and light armor was lying under a tree, sleeping soundly.
The old traveling horse was casually placed aside and was leisurely munching on grass.
Zong Shen and Iron Pole had just walked a few meters when they smelled a strong smell of alcohol coming from the dwarf.
The smell alone was suffocating.
This was a grass field that was ventilated on all sides, yet he could still smell such heavy wine from a few meters away. Could it be that this dwarf in front of him had soaked himself in a wine barrel for a year?
After Zong Shen walked closer, a name popped up above his head.
[Bronzebeard Jiu Huo???]
[Race: Dwarf]
[???]
[???]
“(This guy is drunk. You can subdue him. He has advanced Blacksmith skills. He might be able to play some role in your territory.)”
A bunch of question marks appeared behind his name.
He didn’t look like a hostile monster. He truly looked like a mysterious native dwarf.
A lot of question marks seemed to indirectly show the capabilities of this drunk dwarf.
But this guy had stolen his horse. Zong Shen couldn’t just let it go.
Zong Shen walked over and squatted down beside him. He reached out and gently patted the dwarf’s face, which had turned red from being drunk.
This fellow’s skin was very rough. Even his face seemed to be filled with firm muscles. It was not soft at all.
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“Wake up!”
…
“Hu… Hu… Hu…”
The only response he got was a steady snore and the rising and falling of the dwarf’s chest.
Zong Shen’s face darkened. He really wanted to draw his sword and strike down this insolent drunkard.
However, he was also worried that he would provoke an extraordinary existence.
All of a sudden, he thought of a brilliant idea.
He first used the hemp he had looted from the storage box of the unlucky Lord and made several sturdy hemp ropes.
Then, he called upon Iron Pole to lift the dwarf.
He removed his light armor and the exaggeratedly shaped hammer from his waist.
There was only a pair of red striped underpants left on him.
Watching his chest hair flutter in the wind.
Zong Shen felt his anger subside slightly.
Using the rope to tie three rounds inside and outside, he suspended the dwarf’s legs in the air and tied him firmly to the tree.
To be absolutely safe, he almost tied this dwarf into a dumpling.
After everything was done…
Zong Shen took out a large wooden bucket filled with water from his storage compartment.
This was the spare water he had brought with him when he left the courtyard that morning.
He stood up, picked up the wooden bucket, and splashed half a bucket of clear water on the head of this drunk dwarf.
“Rumble…”
“Cough cough…”
“Which bastard dares to disturb my sleep!”
“I’ll bash your head in with a hammer!”
The drunkard dwarf quivered and cursed as he woke up. He wanted to pull out his hammer but found himself tied to a tree with his legs suspended in the air.
Even with his astonishing strength, he could not use it at this moment.
“Human boy, why did you tie me up?”
“Are you a hooligan or a bandit?”
“I’m a poor man. No one can take a copper coin from me except the tavern!”
He regained some consciousness.
He started to proactively speak to Zong Shen.
But Zong Shen smiled…
He reached out and took the old traveling horse.
“You stole my horse.”
“So I tied you up.”
Upon hearing Zong Shen’s words, the drunkard dwarf revealed a look of realization.
Then, he felt a little embarrassed.
He, who was not good with words, chose to remain silent.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking?”
“The entire continent is full of legends. The dwarves are brave, determined, unrestrained, and willing to work hard. I didn’t expect the dwarves to be good at stealing.”
“I want to know how you dwarves deal with thieves?”
Zong Shen deliberately said this in an attempt to anger him.
Sure enough, when the drunken dwarf heard Zong Shen’s words, his face instantly turned red again.
“Bullshit! Damned human brat!”
“I’m not a thief!”
When Zong Shen saw the expression of the drunken dwarf, the smile on his face became even wider.
“Then why is my horse here?”
“This is the old horse that was passed down to me by my elders. I have deep feelings for it.”
Zong Shen even pretended to be sad as he patted the head of the old traveling horse.
The old traveling horse was also very clever and intimately rubbed its head against Zong Shen’s arm.
Such behavior made the drunkard dwarf even more ashamed.
“I… I…”
“I’m sorry, human boy. I was drunk—”
The drunken dwarf realized that he could not quibble and chose to apologize in shame.
“I accept your apology.”
Zong Shen raised his head and said seriously.
He took the opportunity to invite him.
“I am a lord and am building a great territory. My territory currently lacks a skilled blacksmith.”
“Are you willing to help me?”
Zong Shen decisively extended an olive branch while the dwarf was feeling ashamed.
This was a dwarf whose stats were full of question marks and had advanced Blacksmith skills according to the guide.
It was said that the Dwarf Race was good at forging.
If a territory wanted to develop, it could not just have warriors who were good at fighting.
They also needed talents in all aspects.
Blacksmiths, tailors, city construction, management, and even farming and education.
They were indispensable for the development of a territory.
This drunkard was a genius!
Zong Shen had already decided to coax and trick this fellow back into his territory.
Upon hearing this, the drunkard dwarf hesitated..