Green Monster Epic

Chapter 203: Returning in Triumph

The outcome of the challenge was decided from the very beginning. How could a mere level 6 hobgoblin possibly defeat a mid-tier professional who had already advanced?

Flower Serpent didn't hold back. Even though he knew his opponent was far weaker, he treated him as an equal the moment he attacked.

The result was predictable. Tony had no resistance against Flower Serpent's Three Shadow Strike sword technique. He didn't even know which of the three illusory figures to attack with his steel axe. By the time he finally decided to swing, the three shadows had vanished, and Flower Serpent's cold, thin sword was crossed against his neck.

Tony despondently dropped his weapon. The cold touch and killing intent on his neck kept him from making any rash movements, fearing for his life.

"I lost!"

"Yes, please fulfill your promise."

"I'll let you go back now. Explain things clearly to your people, and then have them leave the camp and accept our orders. Otherwise, you should know what will happen."

Flower Serpent calmly lowered his thin sword. He always took battles seriously, especially one that concerned the leadership of a goblin tribe.

"Alright, I'll go back and explain it to them now."

Tony nodded quickly, not even daring to pick up his discarded steel axe. He turned and ran towards the tightly closed village gate.

Soon, an even louder commotion erupted within the village. Flower Serpent and Ah Xiao could even hear fighting. But just as Ah Xiao was about to lose patience, the gate of the Roland tribe's village slowly opened. A group of goblins, filled with apprehension, reluctance, and bewilderment, walked out of the gate, waiting for the new leader to speak.

"Shorties, remember this: my name is Ah Xiao Greenfield, and I'm a companion of the guy who fought your useless leader earlier. From now on, you're all part of the Greenfield tribe. You better listen to me obediently, or this thing in my hand doesn't have eyes!"

Flower Serpent remained silent, ceding the floor to Ah Xiao. When it came to intimidation and threats, Ah Xiao was far more effective. He stood before the tense, frightened hobgoblins with a ferocious expression, waving his spiked club menacingly, scaring them into a daze.

"However, that guy and I aren't the strongest in our tribe. Our Greenfield tribe's chieftain, Allen Greenfield, didn't come this time. According to his instructions, you will all be going to our Greenfield tribe's village with us."

"So, you all better hurry back and pack your things. I'll give you two magic hours, and then we'll set off for Green Lake."

"Don't even think about running away. Your short legs can't outrun the Greenfield tribe's warriors. Anyone who dares to run will have their legs broken. And don't think about resisting. The lizardmen and trolls behind you are what happens to those who resist."

As he spoke, Ah Xiao suddenly dragged over an old lizardman with a broken leg. In front of everyone, he raised his spiked club and brought it down. The unfortunate creature's skull shattered on the spot, and crimson blood and white brain matter oozed from his orifices. An eyeball even rolled out of its socket, hanging from a tendon on its vacant face.

Flower Serpent and Salu didn't even have time to stop Ah Xiao. With the deed done, they didn't say anything, other than their faces darkening slightly, letting Ah Xiao do as he pleased.

After this display, the hobgoblins became extremely docile, their frightened expressions replaced with a hint of flattery and submission. On the other hand, the lizardmen, having suddenly lost a member, were mostly filled with sorrow, their prospects for the future looking bleak.

"However, considering you're all goblins, as long as you follow our chieftain's arrangements, you'll directly become villagers of the Greenfield tribe, enjoying the same treatment as us."

"Behave yourselves, and don't let me see any rebellious behavior! Remember!"

Salu hadn't expected Ah Xiao to be so eloquent and brutal, but the effect he achieved was excellent, saving them a lot of trouble.

"Don't bother bringing those broken bowls and rotten plates. They take up space and are useless!"

When the hobgoblins packed up their belongings, carrying bundles taller than themselves, Flower Serpent and Ah Xiao's faces darkened.

Flower Serpent didn't care, since he wouldn't be the one suffering. But Ah Xiao couldn't stand it. He wanted to report back to Allen quickly. He stepped forward and kicked a hobgoblin's bundle to the ground, tearing it open and inspecting the contents. As he threw out the junk, he said coldly,

"Except for your daily clothes... Forget it, don't even bring those. Just pile up the ironwood, fir wood, and whatever else you have in your village, and make a drag frame for us to haul back to the village. The chieftain will issue you a new batch of clean clothes!"

"Does your tribe have any of those shiny but soft metals? Those transparent, flawless stones of various colors? Or things left over from raiding caravans? You have to hand those over to us."

Pinching his nose, Ah Xiao picked out the hobgoblins' smelly, oily clothes and threw them aside in disgust, afraid that fleas and bugs would jump onto him, completely forgetting that their village's living conditions were even worse than these hobgoblins' just over two years ago!

"Ah??!!"

Tony and his tribesmen were dumbfounded. Although the wilderness was hot year-round, it was still cold at night, and the temperature difference between day and night was significant. If they lost these clothes for warmth at night, their small bodies would suffer greatly.

"Just throw them away. Our tribe will issue them to you, as a reward for handing over your gold, silver, and jewels."

Flower Serpent stood up at this moment. He agreed with Ah Xiao's approach. Ever since Allen brought back Phillip, the former nobleman from human society, Phillip, unaccustomed to the dirty atmosphere of Green Lake Village, strongly suggested to Allen that Green Lake Village should pay attention to personal hygiene and establish public toilets, etc. After more than a year, the results were remarkable, and the goblins' slovenly character was greatly improved. The strange smell emanating from the tribesmen and the stench of feces and urine that used to be seen everywhere in the village gradually disappeared.

After getting used to this kind of life, when the goblins looked back at their previous life, and even the lives of the neighboring tribes, they unknowingly took on the contemptuous gaze that outsiders had towards them wilderness people.

"Oh!"

Tony dejectedly took out a small, black, oily leather pouch from his luggage and handed it to Flower Serpent. Flower Serpent casually opened it and saw that it contained only a dozen gold coins, dozens of silver coins, and a few small yellow crystals the size of fingernails.

"Alright, let's go."

After discarding most of the useless items, the hobgoblins' packs were smaller and no longer as bulky as before. At the same time, their village's houses were torn apart in a mess. The ironwood, hard fir, and tough peach branches that could be used to burn charcoal were cleared out by Ah Xiao and his men, and then made into simple drag frames, just in time to use the existing labor force to drag them towards Green Lake.

Before sunset, Flower Serpent and Ah Xiao led a long, snake-like line back to Green Lake Village. The Green Lake Village villagers, who had discovered their tracks early on, came out one after another, surrounding the road leading to the mountaintop plaza, examining this group of unfamiliar faces with curious eyes, causing Tony and the others to feel nothing but fear.