Following behind him was a large group of Iron Cannon Foot Soldiers, carrying matchlock guns on their backs, clad in fine armor, and wielding the best weapons. Although their movements were not entirely in sync, the chaotic mix of footsteps and the clatter of armor created a slightly noisy sound that echoed along the mountain path behind them.

Clang, clang, clang...

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

——All of this imparted an unparalleled sense of security.

There's a saying that there's strength in numbers. With so many people moving together, all fully armed, even the soldiers' faces showed no signs of excessive panic or fear. Instead, they appeared energetic, especially invigorated by the recent first encounter battle, which greatly boosted their morale.

Although halfway up the mountain, an eerie fog enveloped the area. Walking along the mountain path, the dense trees on both sides cast vague shadows, and things further away were unclear, only outlined in silhouette. Yet no one felt particularly frightened.

Because being surrounded by a large crowd made them subconsciously feel that nothing could go wrong, and even if something did happen, it wouldn't be their bad luck. Even if it was their misfortune, there would surely be someone nearby to support them...

Presumably, everyone shared this mindset.

Gu Mo himself also felt the experience was fully engaging, because compared to exploring alone, where every danger and threat had to be cautiously faced in solitude, the current scenario was an entirely different extreme—truly exhilarating.

It's like a horror game; playing alone can be terrifying, but if a group connects online together, it instantly becomes silly, and there's no fear at all.

......

Next, it was just a straightforward push up along the mountain path.

As expected, an unknown number of Demon Ghosts lurked within the fog, originally wandering purposelessly on the mountain, but any living intruder in this fog naturally became their target for concentrated attack.

Unfortunately, they hit a brick wall. This group was not only numerous but also well-equipped and relatively well-trained. Coupled with the presence of someone with unusually high combat power leading them, the swarming Demon Ghosts did not savor the fresh flesh but instead became souls claimed by gunfire and blades, each and every one.

They transformed into someone's experience, and to varying degrees, dropped some items.

While most were just barely better than nothing, currently of no use and possibly of no future use either, he collected them all. After all, a player's nickname is "Hoarder," and a good Hoarder collects everything, whether useful or not.

Moreover, not everything was just filling space; there were some fairly useful items.

In another battlefield close to the mountaintop, the battle had concluded shortly after it started. Gu Mo decapitated a small Hungry Ghost before him, and its body toppled to the ground, filling the air with a stench and spilling foul blood. However, no light gathered to form an item pellet, so he pinched his nose in slight disgust and turned away.

The soft, shimmering light on his blade had dimmed considerably after the journey's battles and wear, becoming almost invisible now.

Of course, using a single Enchantment talisman until now had fully recovered its cost, proving to be incredibly cost-effective. So Gu Mo did not hesitate to apply another Purification Talisman to refresh the enchantment buff's duration.

As one of the first Yin Yang Technique talisman skills he learned, he had stored quite a few of these talismans during this period, tallying up to nearly twenty. As system-acknowledged skill-created products, these items could be carried in the inventory, so he certainly didn't need to be stingy with them now.

He glanced around and found the surroundings littered with corpses again, the mountain path scattered with Demon Ghost bodies lying in disarray.

Some had been riddled with bullets, others had their heads chopped off, still others impaled and pinned to trees by long spears...

As the journey progressed, not only did Gu Mo become more adept at slaughtering the small Demons, but everyone else did too, and the soldiers' teamwork improved. Against waves of Demon Ghosts, as long as there wasn't an overwhelming number, it quickly turned into an efficient assembly-line massacre.

Of course, the main reason was the black-haired girl's incredible strength. She always dispatched the most troublesome and vicious enemies first, and even if any unexpected problems arose, she would manage to handle them.

Silently giving Hidechika a thumbs-up, Gu Mo looked up, realizing that just a bit more uphill led to the end of the path where the splendid architecture awaited—a residence constructed by Saito Dosan in the deep mountains of Mino. Though visible from halfway up the mountain, reaching it still took some time.

"This is it, Lord Mo..."

The Monkey beside him gasped, saying, as he had exerted himself climbing, but the physical exertion was significant with the burden of armor and weapons. Not to mention, after continuous battles along the way, any normal person would feel exhausted.

"This is Lord Dao San's residence, though I haven't been here before, so I can't say what the situation is up there."

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