Gods: Start with Goblins

The forest was filled with damp mist, and the torches around the camp flickered, casting mottled shadows on the ground. The voices of the tall and thin man and the short and fat man trembled unconsciously, with mixed emotions, both worrying about the young master and feeling helpless about the situation.

"You don't know," the tall and thin man approached Luo Dan, as if he was afraid that others would hear this shocking secret, "those forces were suspicious of each other and fighting each other at the beginning, and no one was willing to cooperate easily. But the death of Tiansheng Taoist and the Beast King was too strange. They searched the entire mountain range and couldn't find even a clue."

The short and fat man nodded repeatedly, his face full of anxiety. "Yes, such a big thing must have a huge secret behind it. They searched for a long time and finally locked their target on our young master, determining that he was the only witness who could tell the truth."

The tall and thin man's voice was filled with resentment. "There is no other way. In order to get the news, those forces thought about it and finally agreed to unite. They have captured the young master and brought him to this mountain for three days. They have tried every possible means, such as torture, mental torture, and even using forbidden techniques to force a confession."

The short and fat man sighed, tears welling up in his eyes. "Poor young master, even when he was tortured to death, he never gave in. He knew in his heart that once those secrets were revealed, the consequences would be disastrous. Not only would it bring disaster to the sect, it could also cause greater chaos."

Luo Dan frowned slightly, with a solemn expression on his face, "Are those forces so cruel? Aren't they afraid that the young master will really be tortured to death, and then they will get nothing?"

The tall and thin man smiled helplessly, "They are already blinded by anger and don't care about that anymore. They think that as long as they can get even a little useful information out of the young master, any price will be worth it. Moreover, they are still hoping that the young master will definitely give in at the last minute."

The short and fat man clenched his fists, his eyes full of unwillingness, "Our sect also wants to save the young master, but facing so many powerful forces united, we have no ability to resist. We can only watch the young master suffer and can do nothing."

At this time, a cold wind blew, and the flags in the camp fluttered, as if silently protesting against Shangguan Bowen's fate. Luo Dan looked into the depths of darkness, thinking to himself that he must find a way to rescue Shangguan Bowen as soon as possible, otherwise his life would be in danger. And in the face of this complex situation, with the open and covert struggles of various forces, how can he cleverly deal with it to find a glimmer of hope?

The night was getting darker, the chill was coming like a tide, the light of the campfire was swaying in the wind. Buck Yun had been pretending to rest not far away, but he actually heard everyone's conversation clearly. Hearing about the tortures Shangguan Bowen had suffered, he could no longer bear it, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, the joints turned white due to the force, and there was a "crackling" sound between the knuckles, which was a manifestation of extreme anger.

His chest was heaving violently, his eyes were burning with rage, and his inner resentment was like a volcano about to erupt. For the so-called opportunity of the two Holy Sees, these forces were so cruel and insane! Are they really going to do everything for the illusory benefits? Buck Yun roared in his heart, but reason told him not to act rashly.

He knew very well that the Heavenly Saint Taoist and the Beast King had not left any special opportunities, and he and Luo Dan had not gained any benefits. But now, the innocent Shangguan Bowen had to endure all this pain, just because of the greed and delusion of those forces. Buck Yun turned his head slightly and looked in the direction of Luo Dan, his eyes revealing firmness and determination, as if conveying his determination to Luo Dan: no matter what, Shangguan Bowen must be rescued and he must not be tortured again.

At this time, the trees around the camp rustled in the cold wind, as if they were also lamenting for Shangguan Bowen's experience. Buck Yun took a deep breath and tried to calm his emotions. He knew that impulse could not solve any problems. Next, he must discuss with Luo Dan and work out a comprehensive rescue plan to rescue Shangguan Bowen safely from this heavy siege and danger.

Under the dim moonlight, Buck Yun's brows were twisted into a knot, and he was full of worry about Shangguan Bowen. He knew that the only reasonable speculation was that those forces were so persistent that they were eyeing the treasure of the monster clan. And this treasure happened to be obtained by Luo Dan.

Thinking of this, Buck Yun couldn't help but sigh softly. This so-called treasure was just a space magic weapon. It couldn't make the cultivator's strength soar in an instant as those forces imagined. But those people were blinded by greed, so how could they believe this?

The night around them became increasingly dark, and occasionally a few unknown beast roars were heard, adding to the tense and depressing atmosphere. Buck Yun was filled with melancholy, knowing that the plan to rescue Shangguan Bowen was far more difficult than he had imagined. In order to pry the secret of the treasure from him, those forces would definitely keep a close watch on him, and perhaps even the strong men of the Half-Step Saint would be by his side.

He subconsciously touched the weapon at his waist, his hands trembling slightly, a manifestation of anger and helplessness. In this dangerous environment, every step is like walking on thin ice. If they are not careful, not only will they fail to save Shangguan Bowen, but they themselves will also fall into an irretrievable situation.

Bakyun looked up at Luodan, only to see him talking to the two men with a calm expression, but Bakyun knew that Luodan must be racking his brains to think of a solution at this moment. They had to act as soon as possible, but they couldn't act rashly, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

The campfire in the camp was about to go out, with only a faint spark flickering in the darkness, just like their slim hope at the moment. Buck Yun took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that in this complicated situation, only by keeping a clear mind and cooperating with Luo Dan tacitly could he find a glimmer of hope and successfully rescue Shangguan Bowen.

In a corner of the camp, Shangguan the Butcher crossed his arms over his chest with a complicated expression on his face. He shrugged helplessly at first, muttering to himself that he had originally wanted to come to the Monster Mountain Range to join in the fun and see this legendary treasure land, but who could have expected to be involved in such a complicated and difficult incident.

Listening to the tall and thin man and the short and fat man talking about Shangguan Bowen's experience, Shangguan the Butcher felt that the development of the situation was far beyond his imagination. Recalling the previous battle with Luo Dan and others against the Ximen family, although it was also a fierce battle, it was nothing compared to the current situation. This time, they were facing many powerful forces with ulterior motives, and the difficulty was increased by more than a hundred times.

Shangguan the Butcher narrowed his eyes slightly, looking through the jumping bonfire, looking at Luo Dan and others who were talking. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this matter is too tricky, every force is not easy to deal with, if there is a slight mistake, they will all lose their lives. But when he thought of Shangguan Bowen being tortured to death and becoming a victim of the struggle for power among the big forces, Shangguan the Butcher felt pity again. "Alas, this kid is too pitiful," Shangguan the Butcher muttered in a low voice, "He was dragged into this storm for no reason, and those forces are really unscrupulous." He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, and his inner sense of justice and compassion began to take effect, making him more determined to help Luo Dan rescue Shangguan Bowen, even if the road ahead is full of thorns and difficulties.

At this time, the roar of monsters could be heard faintly in the forest outside the camp, as if it was the prelude to this dangerous rescue operation. Shangguan the Butcher took a deep breath and suppressed his inner uneasiness. He knew that since he had decided to participate, he must go all out, together with Luo Dan and Buck Yun, to rescue Shangguan Bowen from the hands of those powerful forces.

After the tall and thin man and the short and fat man received Luo Dan's spirit stones, their attitude towards him became warmer, and their words showed a bit more genuine concern. The tall and thin man approached Luo Dan, his expression was quite solemn, and he lowered his voice and said: "Brother, listen to my advice. Since you are just a casual cultivator and don't have a strong sect to back you up, it's better to leave early."

As he spoke, he looked around warily, as if he was afraid that someone would hear their conversation. "You don't know how tense the situation is right now. Those big forces are desperate to gain benefits from the matter between Tiansheng Taoist and the Beast King. If several sects fight over interests, the situation will definitely get out of control."

The short and fat man also echoed, his face full of worry: "Yes, brother. A casual cultivator like you is the easiest to be affected in this kind of melee. Once the fight starts, the various forces will not care whether you are innocent or not. As long as you get in their way, they will attack you without mercy. By then, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

The tall and thin man sighed heavily and patted Luo Dan on the shoulder: "Although we have known each other for a short time, I accepted so many spirit stones from you because I was truly thinking about you. You have also seen that just for a little groundless news, those forces were able to be so cruel to our young master. If a fight really breaks out, the means will only be more cruel."

Luo Dan frowned slightly, pretending to be scared and hesitant: "But... I came all the way here, and I'm really unwilling to leave like this. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go."

The short and fat man said quickly, "Brother, as long as the mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Things in this mountain range are too complicated, and you can't get involved. If you really have nowhere to go, wait until this is over and come back to Shangguan Sect with us. With your cleverness, you will definitely make a name for yourself in our place."

The tall and thin man nodded and said, "Yes, leave now and find a safe place to hide. It won't be too late to come out after the storm has calmed down. Otherwise, if a fight really breaks out, it will be too late for you to regret it."

The light of the bonfire flickered in the night wind, reflecting the troubled face of the leader. Luo Dan looked at him eagerly, his eyes full of expectation, as if he would be able to let go if he asked a few more questions. The leader frowned slightly, clenched his hands unconsciously, and struggled in his heart.

"Brother, it's not that I don't want to tell you," the leader gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "but all of this is the secret of our sect, and we really can't tell outsiders easily. You also know that we disciples are under the pressure of the elders. If they know that I have leaked the secret, I will definitely be severely punished when I return, and I might even be expelled from the sect."

Luo Dan nodded as if he understood, but he could not hide the disappointment on his face: "I understand your difficulties, brother. But I really want to know, this is too important to me. I promise, I will never tell anyone what you said."

The leader looked at Luo Dan's sincere expression and hesitated again. He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then he said, "It's not that I don't trust you, brother. But this matter is really too sensitive. Think about it, our young master has been arrested, and those forces are watching. If they knew that someone in our sect leaked the news, who knows what kind of trouble it would cause."

Luo Dan lowered his head slightly, pretending to be depressed: "I understand, brother. I am too ignorant and shouldn't have embarrassed you."

The leader felt sorry for Luo Dan when he saw him like this. He patted Luo Dan on the shoulder and said, "Brother, don't lose heart. When this is over, if there is a chance, I will tell you more. Now, you should listen to me and leave this place quickly and find a safe place to hide."

At this time, there was a faint sound outside the camp, as if someone was walking. The leader's face changed, and he looked in the direction of the sound vigilantly, and whispered: "Let's not talk about it for now, I have to go and take a look. Be careful and don't run around." After that, he turned around and walked towards the sound, leaving Luodan standing there, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Luo Dan had sharp eyes and instantly understood the leader's concerns. He secretly thought of a countermeasure in his heart. With a perfect smile on his face, he took out a delicate small cloth bag from his arms without panic. With a light shake, a thousand spirit stones poured out, shining with an alluring light under the reflection of the campfire.

The leader's eyes widened instantly, full of shock and greed, and he swallowed subconsciously. Seeing this, Luo Dan smiled and handed the bag to him, saying, "Brother, I know this matter is difficult for you. These spirit stones are my little gift. I hope you can help me and reveal some information to me. I promise that I will never cause you any trouble."

The leader's hand trembled slightly, and he wanted to take the bag, but he was a little hesitant. In his mind, reason and desire were fighting fiercely. At this moment, Luo Dan grabbed a handful of spirit stones and threw them to the people around him. Seeing this, everyone cheered and scrambled for it, with excited smiles on their faces.

Luo Dan looked at the reactions of the crowd and was secretly pleased. He knew that these spirit stones were a huge fortune for these ordinary disciples, equivalent to their annual salary. As long as they could all taste the sweetness, things would be much easier. (End of this chapter)