10: Investigation

Ten falcons circled and patrolled the sky, their sharp eyes constantly scanning the dark green forest below.

"Caw—!!!" A sharp, piercing eagle cry suddenly broke the silence of the forest, and the falcon circling high in the sky abruptly turned south!

"It seems we have a new discovery." Through the psychic link with his troops, Su Jin could clearly perceive the emotions transmitted by the falcon.

"Go, follow." Su Jin commanded, and the team immediately moved, quickly advancing in the direction the falcon had flown.

After passing through a dense forest, an open space appeared before them.

At this moment, a group of ragged humans were fleeing for their lives, and behind them, seven or eight green-skinned Goblins, brandishing rusty weapons, let out ear-piercing shrieks as they pursued relentlessly.

"It's humans." Zhui Yun spoke, with a hint of surprise in his tone, "It looks like they're running for their lives."

"Save them." Su Jin's command was concise and decisive.

Before he finished speaking, the Strong Bow Soldiers had already drawn their bowstrings taut.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!

Sharp arrows tore through the air, whistling as they precisely targeted the Goblins.

The Goblin pursuers were not many in number to begin with, and against the well-trained Strong Bow Soldiers, they were practically targets. Bai Xiao, Mu Yang, and other melee units hadn't even had a chance to engage before the Goblins fell straight to the ground.

"Th-thank you, my lord, for saving our lives!" A middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader, still shaken, quickly ran over with the remaining survivors, dropping to his knees with a "thud," his voice trembling.

"Get up." Su Jin said, his tone calm, "Who are you? And why were you being hunted by Goblins?"

"My lord, we escaped from a Goblin Camp." The middle-aged man replied, with a hint of grief and indignation in his voice, "My name is Wang Fang, and I used to be the village chief of a village in Nigu Forest, but a while ago, a Goblin army raided our village. Everyone was captured and taken to the Goblin Camp. We finally found an opportunity to escape…"

"I didn't expect to run into Goblin stragglers again shortly after escaping into the forest. Fortunately, we met you, my lord."

"Oh?" Su Jin raised an eyebrow, "Nigu Forest? Are you very familiar with this place? And there's a Goblin settlement?"

"Yes, my lord." Wang Fang nodded, "We have lived here for generations and are quite familiar with this forest. About ten kilometers further south from here is the border of Nigu Forest and Sunset Plain. The Goblin Camp that captured us is on Sunset Plain, and that camp still holds many people like us who were captured…"

"My lord," Wang Fang suddenly spoke, with a hint of trepidation in his tone, "Can you take us in? We are willing to serve you."

"Take you in? Yes, but you must obey my commands," Su Jin slowly said to the ragged, emaciated survivors before him.

"Your subordinate Wang Fang is willing to die for you."

"Thank you, my lord, greetings, my lord! Thank you, my lord." Wang Fang and the others were overjoyed and wept with gratitude upon hearing this.

"Bai Xiao," Su Jin turned to the Spirit Pivot Sword Servant beside him, "Take them back to the territory first and have Li Yi make arrangements."

"Wang Fang, you come with us. We're going to check out the Goblin settlement."

With the instructions given, the team split again. Bai Xiao led the survivors, excluding Wang Fang, back towards the territory under the escort of several soldiers. Su Jin, meanwhile, took Wang Fang and the remaining elites, changed direction, and headed towards Sunset Plain, to the Goblin Camp that imprisoned humans.

............

A crude circular wooden fence enclosed a large flat area, with sharpened tops and some haphazardly tied animal bones and rags, barely counting as defensive fortifications. Inside the fence, low shacks and tents were scattered chaotically, and an indescribably foul, musky odor mixed in the air, faintly discernible even from a distance.

Many green-skinned Goblins carried crude weapons and walked inside and outside the fence, their shouts rising and falling. In addition, many humans were numbly performing various hard labors under the whips of Goblin overseers. In the center of the camp, there was also a flag made of unknown animal skins and bones, with distorted patterns drawn on it, now swaying weakly in the wind.

This Goblin Camp was several times larger than the one they had previously annihilated. A rough glance showed at least four or five hundred Goblins active, making it seem like a tough nut to crack.

At this moment, Su Jin was half-crouching on an open-view dirt slope, using the pile of rocks in front of him to conceal his figure, observing the Goblin Camp in the distance.

Wang Fang, beside him, said in a hoarse voice: "My lord, this Goblin Camp has a permanent population of over five hundred Goblins. Their leader is You Bu, Chieftain… They have been frequently going out recently, catching people in Nigu Forest. The Day of Sacrifice must be approaching, and they need a large number of sacrifices."

"Day of Sacrifice?" Su Jin repeated, his tone unreadable, but his eyes grew colder, "Sacrificing humans?"

Wang Fang nodded, his voice sinking: "Yes, my lord. They especially like… like to sacrifice children, saying that… that children's souls are purer…" His voice choked here, clearly recalling some painful memory.

Su Jin observed in silence. Five hundred Goblins sounded intimidating, but upon observation, their discipline was lax, their equipment was shoddy, and their numbers were greatly inflated.

Although he didn't have many subordinates, most of them were Bronze-tier elites, and there was also Bai Xiao, the Spirit Pivot Sword Servant. If they worked hard for a few more days and recruited more troops, taking down this camp shouldn't be a problem.

"You Bu, Chieftain… sacrifice…" Su Jin's lips curled into a cold arc, "It seems we need to work harder to 'visit' this leader You Bu, Chieftain."

This was not only about rescuing his compatriots but also a large wave of potential residents and… evolution points! Su Jin calculated in his mind, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at the sinful Goblin settlement below.

"Wang Fang, do you know how long until the Day of Sacrifice?"

"My lord, by my reckoning, there are still seven days."

"Seven days… that's enough."

"Let's go back for now. We'll come back in a few days to 'deliver' them a big gift." Su Jin took one last look at the ugly flag, then turned and left.

Wang Fang stared blankly at the distant settlement, where not only his painful memories of enslavement lay, but also his fellow villagers and companions whose fates were unknown.

Hearing Su Jin's words, he suddenly snapped back to reality, seeing the young lord already a few steps ahead, his back appearing unusually steady amidst the light and shadow of the forest.

"My lord…" Wang Fang opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but didn't know where to begin. Could this lord truly have the ability to confront such a powerful Goblin settlement?

Su Jin did not turn back, only pausing his steps slightly. "In seven days, let those green-skinned mongrels know what happens when they provoke the wrong people." His voice was not loud, yet it carried a sense of power.

Wang Fang's heart trembled. He no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, suppressed all his emotions, and quickly followed Su Jin. Although this young lord's actions were unfathomable, the confidence and decisiveness he exuded inexplicably made one feel that perhaps… there truly was hope.

The group quickly followed, and soon, this small team, like drops of water merging into the ocean, quietly disappeared into the depths of the dense Nigu Forest, leaving behind the sinful settlement, for now still immersed in its savage and ignorant order, completely unaware of the impending destruction.