Chapter 161: Keikkaku

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"No worries. I will try to keep you safe later as well"

He will keep them safe later? What exactly did this black-haired kid mean by that?

Was… Was there another goblin horde coming? If that was the case, then that would mean the nearby village wasn't safe. Were these mysterious men here to protect them from the next horde?

"!!!", the mother's thoughts were interrupted when she felt a warm and soothing feeling envelop her back. The numbing pain that was caused by the huge gaping wound on her back was slowly disappearing. The mother quickly looked towards the black-haired kid, who then winked at her and placed his finger on his lips, signaling for her to stay quiet.

"Oh! They are starting to retreat! Follow it!", Lu Man shouted as he raised his axe, "Don't let them get out of your sights!"

The mother could not help but look around her. it didn't even take a minute, the goblins that ambushed her and her son were now all but gone. "Were… you sent by the city to aid us?", she said in a weak voice as she tried to get up.

"No", the black-haired kid shook his head, "We were sent by fate", he said in a very cool voice as he flicked his silky black hair.

"Newbie!", Lu Man pointed his axe towards Viel, "Guard the local or take her to the nearby settlement, you will only get in the way in killing the target!"

Hearing these words, Viel just shrugged his shoulders, he didn't really care about the objective in the first place, he was here on a very top-secret mission. However, his new teammate, Sima Bu, could not help but furrow his eyebrows.

"I don't think it is fair to leave him here!", he commented.

He was, however, completely ignored by Lu Man as he just scoffed and went on to chase the goblins that retreated. "T...this…", Sima Bu clicked his tongue.

"Go with them", Viel looked at Sima Bu.

"What?"

"Just go with them, I am fine here"

"But-"

"I will follow you after I take them to the nearby village", Viel raised his thumbs up towards Sima Bu.

Hearing this, Sima Bu placed his hand on his chin. He could not help but feel conflicted. He was the one who suggested that they make a team, it will be somewhat awkward if he just leaves Ling Ling here alone to fend for himself.

"It's fine, mister", once again, Ling Ling spoke, "Those four also seems to be interested in escorting the locals to the nearby village, I won't be alone"

Sima Bu turned his head. Ling Ling was right, It would seem that there were four other explorers that stayed in the area, presumably to go to a nearby village to gather intel just in case the target is not in the direction the others run off to.

And so, with a sigh, Sima Bu nodded his head. "If the target really is there, I will try to delay so you can at least get a hit on it, the reward will be better than nothing"

Ling Ling slightly chuckled in response and nodded his head. Sima Bu then proceeded to run towards the direction where the others headed to. They couldn't have gotten far, the terrain in the forest was like miniature hills, causing them to make each of their steps careful and planned.

Viel watched as Sima Bu disappeared deeper into the forest.

"Is there a village nearby?"

As soon as Sima Bu was gone, one of the four people that remained besides Viel quickly approached the mother.

"Y...yes", the mother spoke softly. She then once again lifted her son, who seemed to have fallen unconscious due to everything that has happened to them.

Hearing the mother's words, the four glanced at each other simultaneously before nodding.

"We will escort you there", one of the men said, "Please, lead the way. I can carry your son for you", he reached out his hand.

But before the man could approach the family, Viel grabbed the little boy from his mother and awkwardly carried him on his shoulders.

"It's fine, I'll carry the boy"

"This…", the mother could not help but hesitate. The black-haired kid seemed to be only a bit older than her son, but seeing as he could lift her son with ease, it should be fine. But just who are these people to possess this kind of strength?

The mother shook her head. That didn't matter now. What matters is that they were saved.

"Tch…", seeing Viel carry the boy, one of the men could not help but click his tongue.

"Please, miss. Lead the way", Viel said. Seeing the men's actions and the way they react, Viel was now sure of it. These people were from the Heaven Bamboo sect. It was time… for the 2nd phase of sister Xing Cai's plan. A silent giggle came out of Viel's mouth as he slightly smirked.

"O...okay", the mother closed his eyes for a while before taking a huge breath. "Please… follow me", she said as she started walking in a certain direction.

The mother wasn't lying. It did not even take a quarter of an hour for them to arrive in a small village. It was similar to the destroyed village where the portal is positioned, houses made of wood that were stacked upon each other like bricks.

"Mother!"

As soon as they stepped inside the village, a shout came running towards them. The owner of the voice was a girl, more or less the same age as Viel.

"Nina!", the mother quickly ran towards the girl that was approaching them. The two embraced each other as tears started dripping from their eyes.

"I thought the goblins already had you!", the girl called Nina could not help but tighten her embrace. When they got separated during the evacuation due to an ambush, she thought that she would never meet her mother and brother again. But here she was.

"These… people helped us", the mother sniffled as she wiped the tears from her face, she then motioned towards Viel and the four other people behind him.

"T...thank you for helping my mother and brother!", Nina bowed. The other villagers, who were watching from the side, also started to approach one by one to give their thanks to the group.

"Thank you very much!"

"We offer you our thanks!"

"There's no need for the thanks, we only did what was right", one of the four men slightly chuckled as he raised his hand, "We will protect you until our comrades have defeated the targe… The goblin Necromancer King"

"Goblin Necromancer King!?"

"So there was a necromancer king leading the horde this time!?"

"Is that why their numbers were almost endless?"

"We are all going to die!"

"Were you… sent by the city to protect us!?"

The villagers started whispering and clamoring at the same time as soon as they heard the word Goblin Necromancer King.

"We are not from the city, but… we will protect you", one of the men smiled as he walked near the villagers. He then squinted his eyes, as if he was trying to assess something.

One of the men then approached Viel, "You can go to the subjugation team, we can protect the villagers here", he said as he grabbed Viel by the shoulders.

"No, I think I will stay", Viel said, not even looking at the hand of the man who touched him.

"Y…", the man was about to say something, but he quickly stopped himself as he took a deep breath. He then looked at one of his companions, their expressions complicated.

"Ah!", hearing that Viel was going to stay, the mother she saved earlier hastily approached him and grabbed his hands, "Then please, let me cook something for you!"

"Oh", Viel quickly smiled, "...I am a bit hungry, will there be any sweets after?"

"S...sure", the mother chuckled awkwardly, she then looked towards the four other men, "Come, all of you are invited!"

The four men once again looked at each other with complicated expressions. But after a few seconds, one of the men nodded and soon disappeared after that.

He appeared in front of Viel, and without warning, he kicked him.

A loud rumbling explosion resounded in the air as Viel flew straight inside a nearby house, piercing through the wooden walls.

"!!!"

"Why did you do that!?", the mother's eyes widened as she lightly backed away in shock. She was about to run towards Viel to see if he was alright, but the next words of one of the four men made her freeze in her tracks.

"Hand over all of your children… or we will kill all of you"

"W...what?"

All of the villagers could not believe what they just heard. They all looked at the man, their eyes blinking in confusion.

"You heard us"

The four men raised their hands, summoning their weapons and pointing them towards the frightened and shocked villagers.

Meanwhile, while the village was filled by the noises of the villagers' gasps, Viel, who was lifelessly sprawled on the floor, slowly formed a smile on his face.

He then muttered something, and as soon as he did so, his long black hair wriggled like worms and started to change color, green- similar to the hair color of the majority of the villagers.

He then placed his hand on his face and released a quiet but ominous chuckle,

And then, he quickly parted his fingers, revealing one of his eyes as he whispered in a very cool tone,

"...All part of the plan"