The rhythmic clop of the horses' iron-shod hooves reverberated along the path, echoing amidst the dense bamboo groves that lined the trail.
Inside the swaying carriage, an uneasy tension hung in the air. Ji Wuye sat impassive, his chiseled features betraying no emotion as he gazed stoically through the window, surveying their surroundings with a practiced eye. Across from him, Song Jia fidgeted restlessly, her delicate brows furrowed as she stole furtive glances at her taciturn companion.
The carriage driver was none other than the ‘injured’ coachman himself, who actually only needed rest, having been ‘healed’ by Song Jia the night Ji Wuye received the letter from the beggar sects. It turned out the coachman had already known about Song Jia's healing skills before the fight with the Dark Wolves.
‘No wonder Uncle apologized earlier,’ Ji Wuye thought inwardly. Though he mostly didn't care, it was quite disturbing to see his plan ruined by her clueless personality.
As the carriage crested the rise, the lush bamboo gave way to craggy terrain and dizzying cliffs that plunged into shadowed ravines. The scenery shifted once more as they emerged onto a wind-swept plateau, a shimmering alpine lake glittering like a jewel amidst the rugged peaks.
An uneasy silence descended as the horse snorted and stamped their hooves, nostrils flaring at the metallic tang that saturated the air - the unmistakable copper tang of fresh blood.
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On the other hand, Ji Wuye's piercing gaze locked with Song Jia's widened eyes as realization dawned upon them both.
"We have arrived, heroes," the coachman announced solemnly, his gravelly voice weighted with grim portent as he descended from his perch.
In an instant, Ji Wuye and Song Jia alighted, the carriage door swinging open to reveal the macabre scene laid out before them. "Impossible..." Song Jia breathed, her face ashen as she regarded the grotesque figures with a mixture of horror and disbelief. "Those are the same creatures we slew in the Tower." Her voice trembled.
"The goblins..." Ji Wuye's crimson eyes narrowed as he briefly surveyed Song Jia's stunned expression before shifting his gaze forward. There he saw the grotesque green-skinned creatures they had encountered on the third floor of the Tower, now emerging in the village.
The once pristine bamboo-tiled roofs were left in ruin, gaping holes marking where the goblins had hurled tiles, shattering them with raucous laughter. Wooden doors hung ajar, some lying collapsed on the ground, serving as crude stepping planks for the goblins to perch upon.
Though morning had just broken, the village air hung thick and choking with dust kicked up by chaos.
Everywhere Ji Wuye looked, villagers fought desperately against the goblin onslaught.
But something seemed amiss. 'Why are there goblins here? Isn't this a dark attribute Dungeon?' Ji Wuye pondered inwardly. Under his watchful crimson gaze, he saw the villagers were slaying three goblins simultaneously with practiced strikes.
Yet...the goblins never relied on individual might alone.
"Argh!!" A villager's anguished cry rent the air as he was surrounded, daggers piercing from three sides. The goblins leered at each other, plucking out one of the villager's eyes with a sickening pop. Their grins widened as they seized the man's head, preparing to inflict even more grotesque torment.
However...
Despite these horrific sights unfolding, Ji Wuye noticed how Song Jia remained rooted, eyes wide and body rigid, watching helplessly as innocent commoners were slaughtered without lifting a finger to aid them.
This caused Ji Wuye to frown, both at the situation and at Song Jia's abnormal condition. "Sist-" Just as he was about to snap her...
SWOOSH!
A sudden gust of wind whipped around them, and unexpectedly, the first to take action was the coachman, dual jians gripped in each hand.