Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Drunken Dwarf
Editor: Atlas Studios
"Let’s pursue!"
Zong Shen pointed towards the road down the mountain!
The old traveling horse, after all, was a large animal, and it would leave very noticeable hoof prints on such mountain paths.
Meanwhile, Zong Shen also began to summon the strategy in his mind.
"I need to find my horse, please guide me in the right direction."
(Just follow the arrow)
(A drunken little dwarf stole your horse, you should be careful, that guy is very strong)
A golden arrow appeared in Zong Shen’s vision.
It also pointed in the direction down the mountain.
Zong Shen didn’t dawdle and started running with Tiezhu.
They chased down the mountain.
While on foot, Tiezhu’s speed advantage became apparent.
After merging into the shadows, his speed was amazing, like a black shadow moving quickly under the tree shade.
The two of them sprinted to the bottom of the mountain.
In front was the burial ground and the vast grassland.
Zong Shen stopped walking.
The arrow in front pointed directly toward the grassland.
A little distance from the mountain edge, there were a few sparsely scattered big trees.
Two shadows, one big and one small, rested under the trees.
"Huff... Huff..."
"Good fellow, you’ve got the nerve to stop and rest!"
"When I catch you, you’ll surely get a good beating!"
Zong Shen panted, cursing and rolling up his sleeves.
"Keep chasing!"
He called out to Tiezhu.
The two of them ran quickly towards the few trees.
The two rushed all the way.
If it weren’t for Zong Shen’s physical fitness being strengthened by the Four Major Attributes and skills, he wouldn’t have been able to sustain such intense running.
As the saying goes, "Gazing at the mountain slows down a horse," they spent about ten minutes running roughly three kilometers to those trees.
A dwarf with a thick beard, dressed in simple light armor, was lying under the tree, snoring away.
The old traveling horse was casually left to graze on the grass nearby.
As Zong Shen and Tiezhu approached within a few meters, they smelled a strong alcohol odor emanating from the dwarf.
Just taking a whiff felt overwhelming.
This was a grassland open on all sides, yet they could still smell such a heavy alcohol scent; could this dwarf have been soaking in a barrel of alcohol for a year?
Once he got closer, a name appeared above this fellow’s head.
[Copperbeard·Wine Fire???]
[Race: Dwarf]
[???]
[???]
(This guy is drunk, you can easily subdue him, he has high-level blacksmithing skills, maybe he can be of some use in your territory)
A bunch of question marks appeared behind his name.
It seems he might not be a hostile creature, possibly a mysterious indigenous person of the Dwarf Race.
The many question marks seemed to indirectly indicate this drunken dwarf’s strength.
But since this guy stole his horse, it couldn’t just be let go.
Zong Shen approached, squatted next to him, and gently patted his face, reddened from the alcohol.
This guy’s skin was rough, and it seemed even his face was packed with solid muscle, not soft at all.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Wake up!"
...
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
What responded were only the steady snores and the rise and fall of a solid chest.
Zong Shen had a helpless expression, really wanting to draw his sword and give this brash drunkard a slash.
But he was worried about provoking a formidable existence.
Suddenly, he thought of a solution.
He first used some hemp obtained from the storage box of that hapless lord’s storage grid to make several sturdy ropes on the spot.
Then, he called over Tiezhu to pick up the dwarf directly.
He removed all the light armor and the exaggeratedly styled large iron hammer from the dwarf’s waist.
Leaving him with nothing but a pair of large shorts with red stripes.
Watching his chest hair flutter in the wind.
Zong Shen felt a sense of relief.
With layers of hemp rope, he hung the dwarf’s legs in the air, firmly tying him to the tree.
For extra security.
He almost tied the dwarf up like a dumpling.
After finishing all this.
Zong Shen took out a large wooden barrel filled with water from his personal storage grid.
This was the backup water he brought when he set out in the morning.
He stood up, picked up the barrel, and directly poured half a bucket of fresh water onto the drunken dwarf’s head.
"Glug glug glug..."
"Cough cough..."
"Which bastard dares to disturb my sleep!"
"Just watch how I won’t smash their head with my hammer!"
The drunken dwarf awoke with a start, cursing and trying to reach for his iron hammer, only to find himself with his legs hanging in the air, tied to a tree.
No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t exert his power in this state.
"Human kid, why did you tie me up?"
"Could you be a roving bandit or a robber?"
"I’m just a poor guy with nothing to his name, apart from the tavern, no one can take a copper plate from me!"
He regained some clarity.
And began to actively communicate with Zong Shen.
But Zong Shen just smiled.
He reached out to lead over the old traveling horse.
"You stole my horse."
"That’s why I tied you up."
Upon hearing this, the drunken dwarf looked enlightened.
Then felt a little embarrassed.
He didn’t know how to talk, so he chose to stay silent.
"What’s wrong, why don’t you say something?"
"The entire continent holds tales of the Dwarf Race’s bravery, tenacity, uninhibited and hands-on work ethic, yet I didn’t expect this race to excel at theft too."
"I want to know, how does the Dwarf Race handle thieves?"
Zong Shen said this on purpose, trying to provoke him.
Sure enough, when the drunken dwarf heard Zong Shen’s words, his face turned red again.
"Nonsense! Damn human kid!"
"I’m not a thief!"
Seeing the drunken dwarf’s expression, Zong Shen’s smile widened.
"Then why is my horse here?"
"This is an old horse passed down by my elders, I have a deep bond with it."
Zong Shen, putting on an act, pretended to be sorrowful, gently touching the old traveling horse’s head.
The old traveling horse smartly nuzzled Zong Shen’s arm affectionately.
This display made the drunken dwarf even more ashamed.
"I... I..."
"Sorry, human kid, I was drunk..."
The drunken dwarf realized he couldn’t argue, and chose to apologize in shame.
"I accept your apology."
Zong Shen raised his head, speaking with sincerity.
Then he seized the opportunity to issue an invitation.
"I am a Lord, building a great territory, and currently, my land is short on skilled blacksmiths."
"Would you be willing to assist me?"
Zong Shen decisively extended an olive branch while the drunken dwarf harbored guilt.
This was a dwarf filled with question marks and possessing high-level blacksmithing skills.
It’s said that the Dwarf Race excels at forging.
A developing territory cannot rely solely on warriors skilled in combat.
It also requires talent in various aspects of construction.
Blacksmiths, tailors, urban construction, management, agriculture, and education.
Are all indispensable areas for territorial development.
This guy was indeed a talent!
Zong Shen had already decided to coax and persuade him back to his territory.
Upon hearing these words, the drunken dwarf began to hesitate.