Chapter 174: Shameless Goblins!

"Ook! Ook!"

Amid the shouts, a horde of goblins suddenly surged from the forest, surrounding Nio and his party completely.

"G… goblins!"

Nio and his men had still been dreaming of the happy life awaiting them back in Eagle City.

They never expected so many ugly goblins to burst forth so suddenly.

"Ook! Ook!"

As the goblins prepared to attack, Nio hurriedly shouted, "Great goblins, don't attack us! We'll pay with gold coins for our lives!"

"Besides, we have a titled knight here—he's very powerful. Fighting us would be a bad deal for you!"

"Ook? Gold coins?" The goblin leader immediately halted his followers, his eyes darting, "Show the gold coins, Ook!"

Seeing the goblins had no intention of attacking, Nio felt both relief and pain—but still quickly fumbled in his chest and pulled out… one gold coin!

"One gold coin? Too little, Ook! Charge! Kill these two-legged human sheep!" The goblin leader's face turned green with rage.

"No, no, no! I have more! Don't rush! Don't rush!"

Nio broke into cold sweat, no longer daring to deceive these goblins.

Soon, ten gold coins were pulled out, along with the sack of silver and copper coins taken originally from Storm Baron's Keep.

But seeing the goblins far off still weren't satisfied, he immediately ordered his men, "Quick! Give me all your money!"

"This…"

"Hurry up, damn it! We'll sort it out once we're safe!" Nio barked in desperation.

Thinking of the large amount of gold Nio still carried, his men finally pulled out their heavy money pouches one by one.

"Great goblin, this is all our gold! We give it all to you—spare us!"

The goblin leader's eyes rolled again, and this time he nodded in satisfaction.

"Ook! Drop the money!"

Nio and his men immediately placed the coins several meters ahead, then waited for the goblins to collect them.

The goblin leader, accompanied by dozens of followers, walked forward slowly and began picking up the pouches one by one.

Gazing at the golden and silver gleam in his hands, the goblin leader's moss-green, ugly face broke into a wider grin.

"Good! Good! Ook!"

"Great goblin, can we go now?" Nio, now relieved, asked cautiously.

The goblin leader turned to Nio with a mocking sneer. "Go? You won't go anywhere. You're food for great goblins! Boys, kill these two-legged sheep…"

"You filthy, shameless goblins!" Nio was stunned by this sudden betrayal.

"Kill! Ook! Ook!"

Before Nio and his men could react, the goblin leader's dozen bear goblins charged forward.

Meanwhile, the surrounding goblins launched their full assault.

"Two-legged sheep, kill you and not only do I get your gold—you'll make a delicious meal! What's wrong with being deceitful? Ook!"

As he spoke, he muttered to himself, thinking of the guides: "After this, I'll kill those two-legged sheep guides too. Even if they told the truth, so what? Only fools let them live! Ook!"

Damn it!

Luckily, Lei Meng hadn't heard the goblin leader's shameless words—otherwise he'd have jumped up right then and there and cut them both down.

As the battle erupted ahead, the goblin leader, clutching the gold coins, retreated happily to the forest's edge.

He glanced at Lei Meng and the others hidden behind the bushes—seeing them utterly still—he temporarily ignored them, focusing only on the battlefield.

But the goblin leader didn't know that Lei Meng had already untied himself.

He hadn't moved yet because he needed to wait until Nio was dead.

So Lei Meng and his men continued listening to the cries of battle outside the trees.

Naturally, Nio wouldn't make Lei Meng and the others wait long.

Though his party had a ten-man cavalry squad and even a titled knight among them,

goblins were filthy, treacherous land-skins.

They excelled at overwhelming opponents with numbers.

They were masters of mobbing.

In moments, even the squad's sole Bronze Knight was wounded, and four or five cavalrymen lay dead.

"Damn goblins, scum, bastards—you broke your word!"

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Amid his furious curses, Nio was pierced simultaneously through the abdomen by several bone spikes.

Jiu!

As Nio was critically wounded, a piercing cry echoed from hundreds of meters above.

Lei Meng and Mi Gen exchanged glances and moved instantly.

Lei Meng exploded forward, his aura surging around him—he smashed five goblins and two bear goblins to the ground with a few thunderous punches.

"What's going on, Ook!"

The goblin leader up front heard the commotion and turned around, cursing.

But the next instant, he saw a hand and a fist the size of a mortar heading straight for his face.

The hand seized his collar; the massive fist slammed into his nose.

Thud! The goblin leader's head reeled, golden stars flashing endlessly around him.

"If you don't want to die, do exactly as I say!"

Before the goblin leader could comprehend what had happened, a short blade was pressed against his throat.

"N… don't kill me, Ook! I surrender! I'll obey you!"

Instantly, the goblins in battle heard the sound of a bone whistle.

The whistle's command: cease fighting, stand still.

The goblins and bear goblins stared at each other, hesitating, frozen in place.

The surviving cavalrymen and the Bronze Knight didn't dare delay—they didn't question why the goblins had stopped, but seized the moment to break through the encirclement.

Once the remnants had escaped, the bone whistle sounded again—this time ordering the goblins to retreat immediately.

But goblins weren't stupid; they soon realized something was wrong.

Soon, the goblins noticed their leader was being held captive.

Yet they dared not advance—they feared for their leader's life.

"Mi Gen, let's go!"

"Yes, Knight Commander Lei Meng!"

Immediately, Lei Meng and his men began moving, dragging the goblin leader with them.

As they moved, all the other goblins and bear goblins followed obediently.

Thus, the battlefield was left with nothing but corpses.

Splash! Splash!

Several figures descended from the sky.

It was Gervas and Evlan, riding Zuiyue.

After all, that sack of gold was still on Nio's person.

Even more pleasing to Gervas was that when he reached Nio's side, the man was still alive!

"You… you…"

Nio's eyes had nearly dimmed to gray.

But the moment he saw Gervas, they instantly cleared.

His face flushed crimson.

Of course, this wasn't due to improved health—it was rage.

Nio wasn't foolish—he instantly understood: this entire scheme was Gervas's doing.