# 1203
Chapter 1204: Idol Trainees
Several burly men dragged a wooden cart across the desert, advancing slowly.
Boisterous shouts and bickering echoed through the air. The ancient language, as it reached Lin Qiye's ears, automatically transformed into Chinese he could understand.
"Do you think we can beg for much wine today?"
"At least 40 kilograms, right? Last time we brought back too little, and the city lord was not happy."
"Wasn't it because Old Seven secretly drank several kilograms on the road? Otherwise, we wouldn't have only had 20 kilograms left when we got back."
"Old Six, Old Six? Say something! Always like a tight-lipped fellow. How are we supposed to cheer up the Wine God with that attitude?"
"Ah, forget it. He's been like this since childhood. We'll just have to speak up and work harder today."
"..."
Following them as they left the city and headed east into the desert, Lin Qiye's confusion deepened.
Wine God?
What in the world was that?
After walking for about half an hour, the group of men finally stopped in front of a dried-up oasis.
They set down the wooden cart behind them and gathered around an empty depression in the ground, stacking nearby branches together. One of the burly men crouched beside the branch pile and vigorously rubbed to create fire.
"Everyone ready! This time, we'll use the dance we rehearsed last night!"
The other burly men dispersed to various corners as if facing a great enemy, staring intently at the black cave opening in the center of the depression, and spoke solemnly.
"Understood!"
Sssht—!
The man rubbing for fire successfully ignited the branch pile. A wisp of flame rose from the edge of the puddle, curling smoke ascending into the sky.
The moment this flame appeared, the small stones scattered throughout the puddle began to tremble slightly.
Hidden behind a sand dune, Lin Qiye let out a soft "hm?" and focused his gaze on the black cave in the center of the puddle.
After several seconds of trembling, a golden wine jar suddenly flew out from the cave, hovering above the puddle as if searching for the fire source.
At the same time, the men surrounding the puddle simultaneously crouched down like sumo wrestlers and clapped their hands heavily above their heads!
"Hey——!!"
The crisp clap and the men's roar immediately attracted the golden wine jar's attention.
Following this, the men encircled the puddle, moving their bodies powerfully and beginning a dance that was both masculine and aesthetically pleasing.
With whooshing, wind-breaking body movements, they opened their mouths wide and chanted something in an obscure language, like an ancient blessing song echoing over the dried oasis.
They sang and danced, all their gazes fixed on the golden wine jar hovering above the puddle. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down their cheeks, showing just how hard they were trying.
Lin Qiye stared in shock, mouth agape...
What was this?
Ancient idol trainees?
What shocked Lin Qiye the most was that as these men sang and danced, the golden wine jar in the air seemed to grow excited. It swayed its body enthusiastically, as if cheering on the burly men.
Splash—!
As the jar's movements grew more intense, rose-colored wine poured frantically from the jar's top, pouring into the dried-up puddle and gradually forming a wine pool.
A refreshing fragrance of wine弥漫ed through the air. The burly men dancing by the puddle kept swallowing, smiles spreading across their faces.
As the final beat fell, the men simultaneously stopped, gasping for breath.
The golden wine jar leapt excitedly, as if applauding for them, and with every jump, even more wine splashed out.
"Send off the Wine God!"
The men bowed respectfully to the golden wine jar in unison. Old Six, who had been maintaining the flame, quickly stamped out the fire. The wine jar, in good spirits,盘旋了一圈 before returning to its cave.
Once the jar disappeared, the men immediately erupted into cheers, unloading empty barrels from the cart and quickly filling them from the wine pool.
"Wine that pours out when excited... Is this also a divine artifact that Gilgamesh collected back then?"
Lin Qiye had witnessed the entire process, his eyes full of shock.
The men finished emptying the wine from the puddle, loading the wooden cart to the brim. Their smiles wouldn't stop.
"Good heavens, there must be at least sixty kilograms this time?"
"Seems like the dance we rehearsed all night actually worked."
"This time back, the city lord should reward us handsomely!"
"Hahahaha... Let's go, back to the city!"
"I, I need to go relieve myself." Old Six spoke up, looking somewhat uneasy.
"Tch... Go, go. We'll set out once you're done!"
Amid the cheerful chatter of the burly men, Old Six quickly left the oasis to find a suitable place.
Lin Qiye's eyes narrowed. Sensing the opportunity, he instantly transformed into a wisp of night and followed.
Old Six climbed over a sand dune. Seeing no one around, he began to undo his belt.
At that moment, a heavy blow slammed into the back of his head. His eyes rolled back, and the entire person collapsed onto the sand, knocked unconscious.
Lin Qiye, draped in a black cloak, stood calmly behind him. A brilliant magical glow bloomed from beneath his feet.
When the light faded, his appearance had completely transformed into that of the fallen Old Six.
He opened his mouth, imitating Old Six's voice with a few simple phrases, then turned and walked back toward the group.
"Old Six is back! Let's go!"
"Let's go, let's go. Back to find somewhere for a drink!"
No one noticed anything unusual about "Old Six." Together, they pulled the heavily-loaded cart toward the city.
Following these men, Lin Qiye successfully entered behind the jet-black city walls.
This city had existed within the King's Treasury for who knew how many years. Because it was isolated from the world, there were essentially no unfamiliar faces from outside. If he didn't transform into a native who already existed in the city, he would be discovered immediately.
And this consistently quiet and reticent "Old Six" was undoubtedly his best choice.
After passing through the city walls, numerous buildings with ancient stone architecture appeared before him. For a moment, Lin Qiye felt as if he had traveled back thousands of years to some magnificent city filled with history.
"The brothers are back from seeking wine!"
"Oh, it's you guys? How was the harvest today?"
"Hehehe, see those carts full of wine barrels behind us? Sixty kilograms today!"
"Sixty kilograms?! So much?"
"..."
The wooden cart rumbled over the uneven stone road, emitting dull thumping sounds. Some city residents gathered around, curiously chatting with the other burly men, expressions of shock on their faces.
Perhaps knowing that Lin Qiye, this "Old Six," didn't like to talk, or perhaps his interpersonal relationships were simply poor, no one came to chat with him. This suited Lin Qiye's intentions perfectly.
His gaze swept calmly over the surroundings, then suddenly landed on the doorframes of these houses, his brow furrowing slightly.
Almost every household had an antique bronze medallion hanging above their door, its surface etched with mysterious and complex patterns.
Lin Qiye recognized these medallions.
When Gilgamesh had just walked out of the sickroom, Merlin had given him a similar fragment.
These were medallions of the Kingdom of Uruk.