Chapter 7: Forcing Me to Kill

"Enough, get lost!" Wang Chong really couldn't stand the sight of his cowardly display.

The green-skinned goblin scurried over ten meters away, turned his head and started cursing: "You green-skinned monkey, and the rest of you, just you wait. I'll go back and tell them you're all in this together. Just wait for King Usa' wrath. When the time comes, I'll wring that green-skinned monkey head of yours right off…"

"Damn it!"

Wang Chong's fury flared up in an instant.

He took off after the green-skinned goblin.

But although the green-skinned goblin was a coward, he was plenty fast on the run. The moment he saw Wang Chong chasing him, he vanished in a flash, weaving through the woods as if strolling on flat ground.

What a talent! Wang Chong's face was a picture of utter bewilderment.

When he came back, the other few goblins were still right where they'd been.

"Why are you still here?" Wang Chong glared at them.

His anger hadn't faded yet. That green-skinned goblin had been truly hateful — cursed at for no reason at all.

"Waaah… we're done for. Hanik's definitely going back to tattle…" The few goblins huddled together, sobbing.

"Pah! Another pack of cowards!"

Wang Chong felt sick just standing near them. He didn't even want to eat. He wanted to skirt around them and keep moving.

"You can't leave!"

The few goblins wailed and threw their arms around him.

"What now? You're clinging to me?" Wang Chong raised a fist the size of a clay pot.

With a whoosh, the goblins all scattered.

Seeing Wang Chong wasn't chasing them to beat them, they immediately dropped to the ground and kowtowed to him.

"Are you sick? That guy goes back to tattle — can't you tattle on him too?" Wang Chong really couldn't watch any longer.

They were all honest folk, bullied into what a state — no wonder they were like this.

"My lord, you don't know. The green-skinned goblins are famous for being cunning, and Hanik is the worst of them. He normally doesn't even look at us green-skinned goblins. Now that he has an excuse, he'll definitely kill us." One goblin plucked up his courage to speak.

"Stop with the 'we we' — who's 'we' with you? Let me tell you something: if you keep this up, then say nothing more, and I won't bother either." Wang Chong's face was dark as iron.

Damn, this just won't end, will it!

"Yes, my lord." The goblin kowtowed hurriedly. "My lord, anyone can see you're a good man. For the sake of… uh… that… please, help us out."

Screw me!

Wang Chong felt the blood rushing to his forehead. He struggled to hold it in. "Fine, stop handing out good-guy cards. State your business — how do you want me to help you?"

"My lord, as long as you let us capture you and take you back, we'll have redeemed ourselves…"

"Screw your whole family!" Wang Chong truly couldn't take it anymore. He strode over and kicked the speaking goblin flat on his back. "Giving you face, aren't I!"

"Drop dead for all I care! Whoever bothers with you is the grandson!" Wang Chong turned and stalked off.

These goblins were just too servile — utterly beyond saving. No matter how kind Wang Chong's heart was, it would never reach the point of cutting off his own flesh to feed a tiger.

He made up his mind: no matter how they begged, no matter how pitifully they acted, he absolutely would not get involved.

"My lord, don't be angry. We're doing this for your own good. You don't know how fearsome King Usa is. If you come back with us, we'll say you volunteered to serve King Usa. When the time comes, the few of us brothers will follow your lead. We'll get in touch with a few others we're on good terms with — who knows, you might even become a squad leader…" The goblins refused to leave, just trailing behind Wang Chong, pouring out earnest pleas.

"Get lost, you brats!"

Damn it! Take me for a fool?

"My lord, I have an eighty-year-old mother above me, and below me, wailing babes in —"

"Drop dead!" Wang Chong charged over and stomped on his face.

The goblins scattered in a fright with a whoosh.

"Hmph. Now you know how fierce I am." Wang Chong dusted off his hands smugly and continued on his way.

Before long, those few goblins caught up again.

"My lord, thirsty, right? We just fetched some water — sweet as can be!" One goblin eagerly offered water cupped in a broad leaf.

Believe it or not, after all that fussing with them, Wang Chong really was a bit thirsty.

"Cut the act." Wang Chong wouldn't fall for it.

"My lord, there's no water source for a long stretch ahead. You should drink some. Don't worry, we won't make any demands." The goblin said.

"Let's get this straight first — you're the ones insisting on giving me this. Even if you do make demands, I won't agree."

Wang Chong took the water, getting his terms in first.

"Of course, of course, we're not that sort either." The goblin beamed.

Wang Chong hadn't drunk water in ages, had worked himself into a bellyful of anger with them, and had been hollering at the top of his lungs — his throat had long been parched.

He gulped it down in a few swallows.

"Burp~"

"Nice." Wang Chong felt the water was awfully sweet.

"My lord, you've drunk the water, so shouldn't we…" The goblin sidled up with a shameless grin.

Wang Chong glared at him. "Want me to beat you to death? Believe it or not?"

"Aiya! There's no justice! Our lives are so bitter…" The goblin flopped down on the ground and started throwing a tantrum, rolling about.

Wang Chong was completely thrown off by them.

"What exactly do you want?" Wang Chong felt utterly drained.

"My lord…" The goblin, seeing an opening, immediately grinned and sidled up.

"If you're still trying to get me to surrender, just stop right there. The words 'surrender' don't exist in my dictionary." Wang Chong said.

"My lord, we really are doing this for your own good. Once Hanik goes back and tattles, King Usa will definitely fly into a rage. When the time comes, you won't be able to escape either. You don't know how brutal King Usa is — every few days, he eats a goblin. Over the years, several hundred goblins have been eaten by him. For the few of us brothers to have survived is really not easy. Please, have a heart…" The goblin wept, nose running and tears streaming.

"Sigh!"

Wang Chong let out a breath, looked at the goblin before him and said: "What's your name?"

"My humble name is Suona."

"Suona? What a fine name. You must love music very much."

Wang Chong continued, "Suona, since Ursa is so vicious, why do you not flee?"

"Flee?" Suona was stunned.

He seemed never to have considered this question.

"Why should we flee?" Suona countered.

"Because you do not wish to die, so you must flee," Wang Chong said.

"Even if we offer you to the Great King, we need not die," Suona said.

"Then you should just go and die." Wang Chong did not wish to speak further.

Suona gave a signal, and the remaining goblins all lunged forward, grabbing Wang Chong's thighs and launching into another round of desperate pleading.

"Do you really think I dare not kill?"

Wang Chong grew furious; with a thought, the great sword appeared in his hand.

The piercing cold gleam frightened the goblins, their faces changing drastically as they shrank back.

"Tch! You spurn kindness!" Wang Chong sheathed the great sword back into his storage ring.

"We do not care about face; we want our lives!" Seeing the great sword vanish, Suona lunged again, clutching Wang Chong's thigh.

"Heavens! This is forcing me to kill!" Wang Chong felt as though a volcanic crater pressed upon his chest, ready to erupt at any moment.