Chapter 18: The Smell of Death is in the Air

Stepping outside of Leah's cabin, Yoze with Leah in tow was amazed to see that every direction was covered in white mist.

"You said that you would let me go, why is there such thick mist surrounding your cabin? How am I supposed to have left on my own?"

" I thought that my benefactor was filled with pure kindness but to find that there was a trick behind your words I don't know what I can believe anymore." Yoze sighed as he looked into Leah's sparkling eyes.

"I didn't lie!" Leah shook his goat head in denial.

"It is a misty day. As long as you followed a single direction you would have made it out of the mist and be able to reorient yourself."

Leah had given up on escaping Yoze and could only rely on the faint hope that Yoze would keep his promise of letting him go after a few days.

"Okay, since you helped me I'll trust you once." Seeing that Leah was cooperating, Yoze trusted that he wouldn't try anything funny since he was still under his control.

With that Yoze stepped into the white mist. Several hours later Yoze found himself nearing Jade city's entrance with a goat in hand.

By the time Yoze made it to the gate for inspection, he was met with weird looks from the inspector. It wasn't every day that they saw someone carrying a goat, especially a scholar carrying a goat.

Luckily, Leah had listened to Yoze's warning before they made it to Jade City to not talk or let anyone suspect that he was a special goat. If Leah accidentally slipped up he might be treated as a demon or some kind of goat monster.

Leah would be experimented with and skinned alive to see what was allowing him to talk. After hearing the horrors of what would happen to him, he repeatedly nodded his head and swore that he wouldn't let out a peep at anyone.

"Yes, I'm taking this goat with me, is there going to be a problem or do I have to get a special ticket?"

"There is no issue at all, you may enter the city... just keep an eye on your goat or someone might steal it and turn it into goat stew."

Leah unconsciously trembles in fear after hearing the guard's kind advice.

"Thank you, if we meet again I'll buy you dinner."

Stepping into Jade City, made Yoze remember that his father must have worried sick from him not coming home last night. So he picked up his speed and walked towards the house he rented out instead after the incident of Yoze becoming too heavy.

When he arrived, Yoze felt a Stench tickle his nose as he grew closer to the door. The Stench became stronger and stronger.

"This Stench seems similar to what rotting corpses must smell like." Yoze felt sick smelling the Stench and he thought if the Stench became even stronger he would have thrown up.

Yoze had a bad feeling in his gut and didn't bother to reach for his keys and busted through the door.

"Ahh, who there!?"

Yoze felt a wave of relief come off his shoulders when he heard his father's voice, he sounded more tired than he remembered but it meant that the Stench wasn't coming from his dad's dead body.

"Dad it's me!"

"Yoze so it's you? Why did you bust through the door? And why didn't you come home last night? Did you spend the night with a girl?" Yoze's father fired question after question with a worried look on his face which cleared up when he said his last question.

Being peppered with questions Yoze didn't know where to begin. Just as Yoze was going to speak his nose twitched as the Stench of rotting corpses smashed into his face.

Yoze froze as he identified that the source of the Stench was coming from his father.

"Dad, do you smell anything? "

"No, why? The house is as clean as you left it and I'm not one to give up washing so there shouldn't be a stink." Yoze's father had a look of confusion on his face as he sniffed the air.

"Nevermind," Yoze silently shook his head, as the bad feeling in his guts grew.

"Sorry, dad from not coming home yesterday. I was training last night and fell asleep."

"That's alright, Yoze." Yoze's father sensed that Yoze was in a bad mood and did something to cheer him up.

"Come eat, I prepared your favorite dishes."

Yoze felt his spirit perk up a bit after hearing that some of his favorite dishes were waiting for him and decided to figure out what was going on after having a meal.

"Thanks, Dad, I haven't eaten all day."

After eating until he was full Yoze took Leah to his room to ask him if he smelled the scent of rotten corpses too. He had a feeling that the Stench was tied to his new talent and wanted to get more information about it from an expert.

"Sir Goat, this will be your new home for the next couple of days and I will just be asking you questions during this time. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

"That seems fine as long as you keep your promise of letting me go after a few days." Leah nodded his head in submission.

"Of course, I always keep my promises, anyways do you smell the stench in the air?" Yoze's face went stern as he asked this important question.

"Yes, the stench of rotting corpses. It's coming from the old man you call your father. He should be reaching the end of his Lifespan and close to death."

"How long does he have left?" Yoze's mood dipped as he had a feeling this was what it meant. He had a faint hope that he was wrong but with Leah's confirmation he could only swallow the cruel reality.

"From how intense the smell of death around him is, I reckon that without medicine or other methods to increase his lifespan he should only have a year left."

"How long can he live with the proper medicine?" Yoze's eyes flashed with hope.

"In theory he could live forever with the right medicine, however with my skills, which I believe are one of the best in the area, I can only produce medicine that can let him live for another six months."