Chapter 59: Goblin Camp

The sound rang a few times and then stopped; Rui Tong lightly brushed a branch, quietly moving toward the source of the sound in the thicket. After walking a dozen or so steps, she pushed aside the grass, and ahead lay a fluffy creature crouched in the underbrush, its body covered in golden‑yellow fur, two tusks protruding from its mouth, a long snout emitting a low growl, eyes blazing at Rui Tong, ready to strike at any moment.

"Illusory Pig?" Rui Tong said. This Illusory Pig is naturally gentle; unless it feels threatened, it rarely attacks people on its own and usually runs away at the sight of a person. Yet Rui Tong, only a few steps away, remained frozen on the spot.

Upon closer inspection, she saw that beneath its belly it was protecting seven or eight piglets about a foot long.

Luo Ye saw Rui Tong stop in the thicket, walked over, and asked, "What did you find?"

"Illusory Pig. Don't come closer, retreat," she warned. From the pig's demeanor it was clear it could strike at any moment; hearing the words from behind, the piglets beneath were frightened, and before Rui Tong finished speaking, the Illusory Pig abandoned its young and lunged at her.

The attack was ferocious; anticipating she couldn't block it, Rui Tong quickly tapped one foot, vaulted upward, causing the Illusory Pig's lunge to miss and land on a branch above. The adult Illusory Pig, having missed, saw another person approaching ahead, abandoned Rui Tong, and instead lunged at Luo Ye behind.

Rui Tong was startled; an adult Illusory Pig's attack and defense are comparable to a young, strong level‑9 Blade Badge Warrior, while a mother protecting her piglets can unleash potential up to level‑10 or higher. Luo Ye knows no martial arts; if the Illusory Pig were to hit her, she would surely lose her life.

At that moment, Luo Ye saw a ferocious monster charging at her, let out a startled scream, stood frozen, and felt she was about to be struck directly.

In desperation, Rui Tong leapt toward the piglets in the grass, cradling a still‑blind Illusory Piglet in her hands, causing it to emit continual struggling cries.

The tactic worked; the adult Illusory Pig heard its piglet's cries, turned its head, saw it already in Rui Tong's hands, grew even more ferocious, dropped the nearby Luo Ye, and rushed toward Rui Tong.

"I'm luring it here; go inform the Lord quickly," Rui Tong said, then, holding the piglet, jumped onto a tree, thinking she could stay safely aloft and keep it attracted. Unexpectedly, the mother, seeing its piglet taken, leapt fiercely from below, its four hooves clamping the trunk, and in an instant scrambled up.

Rui Tong had to abandon the tree and jump to a nearby clearing; the Illusory Pig went berserk, moving oddly fast, then chased after her. Rui Tong led it erratically through the forest; after a while, although it couldn't catch her, it still failed to lose her...

Luo Ye sprinted downhill, her clothes torn in several places by branches, yet she didn't notice and kept running to the tent by the creek.

"Lord—Lord—"

"Why the panic, what about Rui Tong?" Li Bucai had just finished setting up the tent, had just heard Luo Ye's scream, and was about to go see.

"Illusory... Illusory Pig..." Luo Ye panted, "We found an Illusory Pig in the forest... Rui Tong... Rui Tong got trapped by the Illusory Pig... Let me... let me tell the Lord."

"Oh? Illusory Pig?" Li Bucai's eyes lit up, and he asked quickly, "Where?"

Luo Ye pointed behind her.

Li Bucai told Wan'er and the others, "You stay here first; I'll go check." Then, following Luo Ye's lead, he walked up the hill.

When the two arrived, only a few Illusory Piglets were crouched there, continuously squealing; Rui Tong and the adult mother pig that had chased her were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are they?"

"She was just on that tree, chased by a huge monster, and then disappeared; she hasn't gone far, I think." Luo Ye said, covering her mouth with both hands; just as she was about to shout Rui Tong's name, a large hand suddenly clamped over her lips, preventing the sound from escaping.

"Shh... someone's coming, stay quiet," Li Bucai whispered softly. After Luo Ye nodded, he released his hand, lifted her, and leapt onto a nearby large tree, hiding within the dense canopy.

Soon, the sound of branches snapping underfoot came from not far away, gradually drawing nearer. From the density of the noises, it could be judged that at least a small squad of unknown creatures was approaching.

As the sounds drew closer, suddenly a clump of low branches split left and right in his view, and two green‑hued humanoid monsters poked their heads out of the thicket, looked around, spotted several Illusory Piglets in the grass, waved backward, emitted "squeak" calls, and led seven or eight of their kind out of the bushes.

Among the four green monsters at the rear of the group, two crossed branches into a cross to form a makeshift stretcher, collectively carrying a bound adult Illusory Pig lying on its back; the fresh blood continuously dripping from its mouth showed it had just been captured.

"Goblin?" Li Bucai thought to himself. From their appearance, these green monsters resembled the blue‑toothed Goblins that had previously attacked the camp, but they were much bulkier than those earlier ones.

Li Bucai knew how high the Illusory Pig's attack power was; he hadn't expected it to be at the bottom of the food chain here, captured by a few Goblins. It was certain that these Goblins' combat strength far exceeded that of the scattered soldiers who had previously raided the camp.

Rui Tong had just been here sparring with the Illusory Pig, and in an instant vanished; this Illusory Pig must be the one Luo Ye and the others saw, right?

These Goblins have lived on this continent all their lives, are carnivorous, and understand the Illusory Pig's habits well; they know this Illusory Pig is still in its lactation stage, and after capturing the adult, they specifically search nearby for its piglets.

"Could something have happened to Rui Tong?" Li Bucai shook his head, then added, "Rui Tong is a shrewd girl; if she encountered Goblins and fought, she would at least be able to shout so we'd know. Moreover, her lightness skill surpasses mine, so she shouldn't be in danger!"

Li Bucai concluded Rui Tong would be fine, waited quietly on the tree for a while, until the Goblins below bundled several Illusory Piglets with vines into a string, slung them over their shoulders, and headed back the way they came.

After they had gone a short distance, Li Bucai jumped down from the tree holding Luo Ye, and instructed, "You go back first and tell Wan'er about the Goblin encounter so she can be on guard. I'll go to rendezvous with Rui Tong and will be back soon."

After Luo Ye left, Li Bucai pursued those Goblins, keeping a distance behind them as they moved into the valley.

When they turned onto the western slope of the Dark Valley, after walking a short distance, a stone stairway appeared, winding toward the summit; the Goblins carried the Illusory Pig, and upon reaching the stairs, they ascended toward the peak.

They turned a corner, and Li Bucai emerged from the woods, following them from a distance. The stone steps were rough, showing signs of human repair; the edges, nearly worn smooth by rain, suggested they were remnants from many years ago.

Li Bucai trailed the Goblins, passing several gentle platforms; as dusk fell, specks of fire lit up the summit, indicating the Goblins' lair. From the number of flames, the group seemed no larger than fifty or sixty.

As the flames drew nearer, hundreds of meters below the ridge, a sheer cliff like a knife edge loomed ahead, with a sizable clearing at its base. The fire originated there; under its glow, one could faintly see a dozen or so weather‑worn, dilapidated stone houses encircling the clearing, each doorway flanked by a Torch, and a fresh bonfire had just been built in the center, where five or six Goblins were continuously adding firewood.

At that moment, only a dozen or so Goblins were visible.

While Li Bucai was peering over the edge of the empty ground, he faintly heard a chorus of Goblin "squeaks" from below the mountain. On the clearing, a Goblin that heard the sound moved toward the entrance, blocked on both sides by other Goblins, with no way forward or back. Seizing the moment while the Goblin on the clearing was still far away, Li Bucai slipped into the shadows, leapt onto a two‑story‑high boulder beside it, intending to hide, but saw a black silhouette on the stone wriggle briefly…