Gods: Start with Goblins

The moonlight was dim, and the fog was getting thicker, adding a bit of weird atmosphere to the forest. Luo Dan and his group were cautious and didn't want to cause trouble on the way to the Monster Mountain Range, but fate always seemed to like playing tricks on them.

Suddenly, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps not far away, and a group of people were approaching them quickly. Luo Dan's heart tightened, and he whispered to his companions: "Everyone be careful, don't make any noise easily." Everyone nodded and looked ahead with vigilance.

But things went against their wishes. The more than 100 people walked straight towards them, with ill intentions in their eyes. The leader was tall and strong, with a playful smile on his face. He strode up to Luodan and the others and asked in a hoarse voice: "Where do you want to go?" The voice was particularly abrupt in the silent forest.

Luo Dan and his companions looked at each other and did not answer. They knew that sometimes silence was the best way to deal with the situation. Talking more would not help and might even cause unnecessary trouble. However, the group did not give up. Instead, they intensified their efforts. More than a hundred people quickly surrounded Luo Dan and his companions in a semicircle, trapping them in the middle.

Buck Yun's anger suddenly rose up. These people were really going too far! How dare a small group of super-class people be so presumptuous? Did they really think they were easy to bully? He clenched his fists tightly, his joints turning white due to the force, and exerted a little force on his feet, ready to take action at any time to teach these people a lesson.

Just when Bakyun was about to rush out, a hand was firmly placed on his shoulder. Bakyun turned around and saw that it was Luodan. Luodan shook his head slightly, his eyes showing calmness and composure, signaling him not to be impulsive. Although Bakyun was unwilling, he still suppressed his anger and glared at the people around him.

At this moment, the atmosphere around them was tense, like a string stretched to the extreme that would break completely if not handled with care. Mist swirled around everyone, and the moonlight was blocked layer by layer, leaving only a dim darkness, making it difficult to see each other's expressions, but one could clearly feel the tension and hostility in the air.

Under the moonlight, the leader had a big smile on his face, but a cunning light flashed in his eyes. He took a step forward and said in a loud voice: "To be honest, we are going to Xunlong Mountain Range, which is also the Monster Mountain Range. I believe you have heard that the two saints have died, and there may be great opportunities hidden there! I see that we all have the same goal, why don’t we go together? If you encounter danger on the way, our hundred people can definitely protect you!" As he spoke, he glanced at Luodan and others, and his pretentious tone was full of calculations.

In fact, this man had a lot of calculations going on in his mind. Recently, the monsters in the Monster Mountain Range had gone berserk for no apparent reason, and many sects had suffered heavy losses. Although there were about a hundred of them, they were still nervous in the face of unknown dangers. So, they thought of pulling a few "suckers" to act as shields in front of them, so that if something really happened, they could just run away quickly.

Luo Dan listened quietly, his mouth slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible sneer. In his eyes, the other party's little thoughts were as transparent as if they were transparent, and everyone knew Sima Zhao's intentions. However, Luo Dan thought about it and felt that this was a rare opportunity. These 100 people were like a natural barrier that could perfectly cover up their true identities. With so many people traveling together, even if someone wanted to track them down, it would be difficult to find their traces in this vast crowd, and it would not arouse the suspicion of others.

After making up his mind, Luo Dan immediately put on a cowardly expression, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he was frightened by the other party's words. He stammered, "This...is this possible? We are not as strong as you, and I'm afraid we will drag everyone down." As he spoke, he secretly observed the reaction of the leader.

The leader was secretly delighted when he saw this, thinking that Luodan and the others had taken the bait, and hurriedly patted his chest to assure: "Don't worry, just follow us and we will guarantee that you will be safe!" His voice became louder and louder, as if he really regarded Luodan and the others as his own followers, and even his orders were given with a bit of commanding air.

Luo Dan suppressed his disdain and exchanged glances with Bakyun and the others. They all understood and nodded slightly, pretending to be grateful and agreed. In this way, the two teams, who were originally wary of each other, temporarily reached a "cooperation" because of their own calculations. The fog in the forest became thicker and thicker, gradually covering the figures of the people. In this hazy night, a team slowly moved towards the direction of the Monster Mountain Range. No one knew what kind of crisis and opportunity was waiting for them ahead.

Seeing that Luodan and others agreed so readily, the leader's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible sense of pride, but his face was full of hypocritical smiles. He waved his hand and said with pretended concern: "Very good, very good! I heard that the road ahead is not safe and there are many dangers. You guys walk in the front. If you encounter someone chasing you, you can detect it in advance, which is safer, right?" As he said that, he patted Luodan's shoulder hypocritically.

Luo Dan sneered in his heart, but remained calm on his face. He nodded slightly, "Thank you very much." Then he led his companions and walked silently to the front of the team. In the night, the forest was eerily quiet, with only the rustling sound of people stepping on the fallen leaves.

Shangguan the Butcher, who was walking beside Luo Dan, had a face as black as the bottom of a pot, and was full of dissatisfaction. He had always been a loner, and hated working with others, let alone being used by others. The little tricks of these people were so obvious, how could Luo Dan agree so easily? In his opinion, it would be better to just take action and wipe out all these more than a hundred people to save trouble later. If there were too many people, once they encountered danger, they would easily drag each other down, and it would be difficult to escape at that time.

Butcher Shangguan came close to Luodan and lowered his voice with displeasure in his tone: "Luodan, these people obviously want to use us as a shield, why did you agree? In my opinion, we should just take action and get rid of them all, so as to avoid any more nonsense." There was a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, and his hands unconsciously clenched the weapon at his waist.

Luo Dan turned his head to glance at Shangguan the Butcher, his eyes were soothing, and he said softly: "Don't worry, although they have bad intentions, they are also useful to us. With them around, our identities can be better hidden. Besides, if we act now, if we alert others and expose our whereabouts, it will be more trouble than gain."

Shangguan the Butcher listened, although he still felt a little unwilling, but he also understood that Luo Dan's words made sense, so he could only grit his teeth, suppress his anger, and said in a muffled voice: "I hope your method is useful. If something goes wrong, don't blame me for being rude."

At this time, the team continued to move forward. The trees around them were dim in the night, like monsters with bared fangs and claws, which made people feel creepy. And the more than one hundred people were following Luo Dan and others slowly, with malicious smiles on their faces, as if waiting for something... Shangguan the Butcher was full of doubts, his brows twisted into a knot, and he was about to refute, but Luo Dan noticed it first, smiled playfully, and winked at Shangguan the Butcher and Buck Yun beside him, signaling them to come closer. The sound of insects around rose and fell, as if accompanying the tense atmosphere. Luo Dan lowered his voice and slowly explained: "Don't be afraid, it's still unknown who the shield is."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a cunning light flashed in his eyes, and continued: "Anyway, we have to enter the mountains eventually. Our identities are too easy to arouse other people's suspicion." Luodan paused, his eyes swept to the more than one hundred people behind him. They were talking in low voices in twos and threes, and cast malicious glances from time to time.

"But look at these people. They are obviously disciples of a certain sect." Luo Dan pursed his lips. "With them here, it will be much easier for us to enter the mountains. They think we are a shield, but they don't know that we can also use their identities to cover ourselves."

Shangguan the Butcher nodded, not quite understanding, and his frown relaxed slightly, while Buck Yun nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes. "So that's how it is," Buck Yun said softly, "Luo Dan, you are really thoughtful."

Luo Dan waved his hand, still with that playful smile on his face, "This is just a temporary measure. Once we enter the mountains, we will find a chance to get rid of them. Now, let them be proud of themselves."

As they were talking, the road ahead became narrower, the trees on both sides became denser, and the night seemed to get darker. The leader suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Speed ​​up, don't dawdle!" Luo Dan and the others looked at each other, silently quickened their pace, and continued to move forward towards the unknown monster mountain range. A thrilling adventure seemed to be quietly opening...

The moonlight flickered between the mottled shadows of the trees, and Luo Dan's eyes were somewhat deep in the darkness. In his heart, Shangguan Bowen's situation has always been an unresolved mystery. He was not sure whether Shangguan Bowen was really caught, so hiding his identity was crucial. If he was exposed rashly, once he entered the mountains and found that it was just false news, the three outsiders would be in a desperate situation, and it would be difficult to get out of it.

Luo Dan frowned slightly and said to Buck Yun and Shangguan the Butcher beside him: "Our current identity must not be exposed. This is the top priority." His voice was low, but with unquestionable firmness.

Buck Yun nodded calmly, "Let's take it one step at a time." His tone was open-minded. In his opinion, with these one hundred people as a cover, they can hide quietly. Moreover, in the long run, they can be used to provoke conflicts between several forces at the right time. This may be more effective for the plan to rescue Shangguan Bowen. Thinking of this, Buck Yun's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible gleam.

"Let's follow them first and find out the situation in the mountains." Buck Yun whispered, "The sect behind these people should have some roots in this area. Their actions may provide us with a lot of useful clues."

Shangguan the Butcher was still a little unhappy, but after listening to the two, he reluctantly accepted the situation. "Hmph, let's see what these guys can do." He muttered, and his hand unconsciously touched the weapon at his waist, as if he was ready to deal with any emergency at any time.

At this time, the team was still moving forward in the darkness. The surrounding mountains and forests were so quiet that it was a bit depressing. Occasionally, a few low roars of unknown beasts were heard, adding a bit of tension to the atmosphere. The conversations of the more than 100 people were faintly heard behind them. They seemed to be discussing their plans after entering the mountains, completely unaware that Luo Dan and others were making their own calculations in their hearts. Luo Dan and the other two walked in front of the team calmly. The night covered their expressions, but it could not hide the vigilance and determination in their eyes. A complicated game was slowly unfolding with their footsteps.

Under the dim sky, the group dragged their slightly tired steps forward for another thirty miles. As they got closer and closer to the Monster Mountain Range, a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere filled the air, as if a pair of eyes hidden in the dark were spying on them.

Finally, they arrived near the Monster Mountain Range. However, the scene before them stunned everyone. Hundreds of people had erected layers of fences along the only way to pass, forming a solid defense line. Anyone who wanted to approach the mountain was ruthlessly blocked. Obviously, there seemed to be a major discovery in the mountain range, and those forces that had entered in advance were now guarding against it and would never allow others to come and compete for resources.

Seeing this, the leader of the 100-man team looked gloomy, and his anger instantly ignited. He straightened his clothes, strode out, and said righteously with an unquestionable majesty on his face: "Do you know who we are? We are disciples of the Shangguan Sect! The young man who knows the secret of the mountain is the young master of our sect! Our sect has made such a great contribution to this discovery, but now we can't go in and find out what's going on? If you dare to stop us, when our sect knows about this, we will definitely send people to take you all away. Don't blame us for being rude then!" His voice echoed in the empty field, with a bit of threat.

After hearing this, the guards showed a hint of hesitation on their faces. They exchanged glances, as if they were weighing something. But soon, a middle-aged man who looked like the leader stood up. He was burly, with his arms folded across his chest, and a look of disdain in his eyes: "Hmph, what Shangguan Sect? We don't care about that. The higher-ups have ordered that no one is allowed to enter except for the forces that have already entered. If you have any objections, go and talk to the higher-ups, don't mess around with us here!" His tone was tough, leaving no room for negotiation.

For a moment, the atmosphere became tense. Both sides were on edge, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of gunpowder. Luo Dan and others stood in the team, watching all this quietly. (End of this chapter)