嫩草影院地址一二三

Chapter 476: 476. Just waiting for Mo Yan

This was not good news for those who wanted to leave Xingluo Island as soon as possible. However, the people on the coast were still busy building ships. Most of them had already packed their belongings, waiting to set off.

Gu Ling secretly left the forbidden area without being detected by the two elders who were guarding it. He had visited the City Lord Mansion to save people last year and had become very familiar with the distribution of buildings on the island due to the information provided by Min Rou. He quickly found the place where he had agreed to meet Feng Ming.

It was the garden of the City Lord Mansion, where there was a jade-like green lake. It wasn’t very big, but the scenery was extremely beautiful. By its side stood a three-story Bajiao Pavilion designed and built by Mo Yan himself. The top floor of the pavilion offered the best view on Xingluo Island and was quite concealed, with numerous tall trees surrounding it.

At this moment, the people on the island were in a state of panic. The smartest had already fled, while the slow-minded were struggling to find a way to escape, fearing that Sheng Yue and the two elders might suddenly make a move to stop and kill them. So aside from the forbidden area, people were either building boats or hiding, not daring to wander around.

Gu Ling climbed to the third floor of the Bajiao Pavilion, where Feng Ming had lowered the curtains on three sides. The curtain facing the forbidden area was only lifted halfway, allowing a view of the situation inside.

Feng Ming sat on it, and as soon as he saw Gu Ling coming, he stood up and gestured that they needed to be careful. Only half of the area was safe, while the other half might be seen by others.

Gu Ling nodded, didn’t observe the situation on the island, but sat down and started eating the food prepared by Feng Ming.

Feng Ming glanced at the forbidden area again, then turned his gaze back and sat down opposite Gu Ling, “Has Your Highness seen Sheng Yue? How is he?”

“I’ve met him. He wants to cooperate.” Gu Ling replied.

“Does Your Highness trust him?” Feng Ming asked.

Gu Ling shook his head, “No, I don’t. Let’s wait for Mo Yan to come back. Be careful not to let anyone in the forbidden area other than Sheng Yue discover us.”

Feng Ming nodded, “Understood. If we kill those two elders now, Mo Yan will know we’ve arrived as soon as he comes back.” It wouldn’t be a big issue if something happened elsewhere on the island and people left, but nothing could happen in the forbidden area.

Once Gu Ling had eaten enough, Feng Ming looked at the gloomy weather outside. “If it rains heavily, it’ll be safer for young master Qiao and the others to come ashore, but the boat might be discovered at that time.”

“It won’t be a problem.” Gu Ling had faith in Qiao Cong, who had lived on the sea for many years. Experience was important.

“Where does Your Highness plan to stay tonight?” Feng Ming asked.

“Where is Sheng Yue’s courtyard?” Gu Ling asked in return.

Feng Ming stood up and pointed towards a certain direction within the City Lord Mansion, “It’s over there. Does Your Highness want to stay at Sheng Yue’s place? It’s a good idea, as ordinary people wouldn’t think of it, and Sheng Yue won’t come out of the forbidden area.”

They had agreed with Qiao Jing and the others to come ashore again in three days, and there was enough dried food and fresh water on the boat for them to use.

Before long, Gu Ling entered Sheng Yue’s courtyard.

It was deserted, with no people around, and even those who walked nearby would take a detour, fearing Sheng Yue might be inside and cause trouble for them.

Gu Ling entered Sheng Yue’s room, closed the door, and began searching all over the room.

However, after searching all around, he didn’t find anything of value. There were not many possessions in Sheng Yue’s room, which was quite simple considering his position on the island.

So, Gu Ling lay down on the bed and took a nap to conserve energy.

By the time Gu Ling woke up, it was dusk. The weather seemed to be rainy in the afternoon, but it cleared up suddenly. There was no rain after all.

Today’s sunset was especially brilliant, covering Xingluo Island with a radiant red halo.

Gu Ling stood by the window, gazing at the sky outside, and let out an almost inaudible sigh. He didn’t know whether Su Liang was safe at home or had already been captured by Mo Yan. Both possibilities were plausible. At this point, he had to face whatever situation arose and do his best to solve problems.

After a while, Gu Ling left Sheng Yue’s courtyard and returned to the Bajiao Pavilion in the garden.

Feng Ming was still there, but he had left during the interlude.

“Your Highness, about half of the people on the island left today. Many who haven’t left yet are waiting for the ships to be completed, and they may leave overnight,” Feng Ming updated Gu Ling after secretly investigating the island’s situation a quarter of an hour ago. Under these circumstances, some people still chose to stay, but very few remained outside the forbidden area. Leaving Xingluo Island meant a wide world and a potential future, continuing to follow Mo Yan offered no hope.

Seeing Gu Ling looking towards the forbidden area, Feng Ming sighed, “There is a woman who claims her two sons were taken away by Sheng Yue. The family’s boat is ready to go, and the men don’t intend to care about the kids anymore. They just want to leave. I even heard them say that they can have as many children as they want after they settle down outside. However, the woman refused to leave, even after being dragged onto the boat, she jumped into the water and returned alone. The family didn’t bother with her anymore, and now she’s kneeling outside the forbidden area, begging Sheng Yue to release her sons.”

The sky had darkened, and Gu Ling couldn’t see the crying woman outside the forbidden area, nor could he hear her voice.

“Did anyone look for the girl?” Gu Ling asked Feng Ming.

Feng Ming sighed again, “I found the little girl’s family, and they had already left her behind.”

At this time, inside the forbidden area, Sheng Yue was dining with the two boys, while the little girl was asleep again.

An elder entered, and Sheng Yue asked what was going on. The elder glanced at the two children and gestured to Sheng Yue to talk privately.

Sheng Yue stood up and walked outside, stopping at the entrance of the cave without actually going out.

“Master Sheng, the fathers and uncles of those two boys have run away. Their mother is crying outside the forbidden area,” the elder informed.

Sheng Yue’s expression was indifferent, “Even if I return her sons now, the three of them won’t be able to leave. Don’t bother with her.” With that, he turned and went back inside.

One of the twins saw Sheng Yue returning and asked again, “Master, can we go home and sleep tonight and come back tomorrow?”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “No.”

The eyes of the two boys dimmed instantly, and they silently clasped each other’s hands, not daring to make a sound. After their meal, they obediently went behind the stone screen to sleep, where blankets were laid out.

The mute servant came in to collect the dishes and brought hot water.

There was no bed for Sheng Yue in the cave, so he sat cross-legged by the water pool with his eyes closed, facing outside, and with the little girl lying on the small bed within reach.

Gu Ling and Feng Ming stayed in the Bajiao Pavilion until just before midnight, then secretly went to check the coast. There were fewer people than during the day, but some were still building boats under lanterns, while others were carrying their luggage, waiting to leave.

As things stood, apart from the forbidden area, there would be hardly any people left on the island after tomorrow.

On the way back to the City Lord Mansion, Feng Ming asked Gu Ling whether they should intervene on behalf of the woman crying outside the forbidden area, “The night is cold, and she won’t last long like this.”

“Do you know her?” Gu Ling asked in return.

Feng Ming nodded, “Her name is Awu, and she seems to be from the Peng family. I’ve seen her taking her two sons to pick mushrooms before and exchanged greetings with her, so I guess we know each other.”

“What did you say her name is?” Gu Ling asked again.

After Feng Ming answered once more, Gu Ling seemed lost in thought.

“Could Your Highness know her identity?” Feng Ming asked. Most of the women on the island were captured, and there were only a few who were born here, like Min Rou. Peng Wu was brought back to the island by an elder from outside to be his granddaughter-in-law, but that elder has died last year in the capital city of Qian Country.

“Not sure, perhaps.” Gu Ling said. He had heard that a former veteran of Yuanliang Country who had a good relationship with Su Liang, Peng Wei, originally had a great-granddaughter, who was the sister of Peng Fan, but she had died in an accident when she drowned. When her body was found, it was already unrecognizable. That was about seven years ago, and Gu Ling didn’t pay much attention to the name of the deceased Miss Peng at the time. But the woman named Peng Wu on Xingluo Island, with twin sons around 5-6 years old, might be Peng Wei’s deceased granddaughter.

Gu Ling thought of the pair of twin boys he saw in the cave during the day. At the time, he didn’t pay much attention, but now that he knows the name Peng Wu, Gu Ling feels that the eyebrows and eyes of those two children resemble Peng Fan

Originally, Gu Ling did not intend to act hastily for fear of startling the snake and being discovered by others on the island other than Sheng Yue. He thought that the woman would eventually return and would not die, so it wasn’t time to take care of her yet. And there was no way to take those two boys away from Sheng Yue’s side.

However, since the woman might be Peng Wei’s granddaughter, Gu Ling let Feng Ming have a look. It’s not because Peng Wei’s granddaughter was more important than other women on the island, but if this woman came from a military family and was strong-willed, she wouldn’t cause them trouble.

As for those who have already left Xingluo Island, Gu Ling will settle accounts with them afterwards, and save those who need to be saved.

Late at night, the City Lord Mansion on Xingluo Island was very quiet, with almost no light.

The door to the forbidden area was tightly locked, and there were no lanterns hanging. As Feng Ming approached cautiously, he heard a hoarse cry.

Feng Ming waited for a while, and seeing no movement in the forbidden area, he quickly rushed forward, pulled up Peng Wu who was sitting on the ground, covered her mouth, and dragged her into the shadows.

“It’s me, Feng Ming.” Feng Ming whispered.

Peng Wu stared at him incredulously. They had known each other before, and Feng Ming had returned to be the captain of the Coast Guard and was imprisoned in the dungeon. He was a somewhat famous person on the island.

Upon seeing Feng Ming’s face, Peng Wu immediately calmed down.

Feng Ming held her hand and ran in the direction away from the forbidden area, all the way into the garden, and finally stopped at the Bajiao Pavilion.

“You’ve returned, are there others with you?” Anxiously, Peng Wu grabbed Feng Ming’s arm and asked, “Is that Divine Doctor Su with you?”

Feng Ming shook his head, “No. I have a question for you, please answer truthfully. Before you came to this island, you had a family, right? Where is your home?”

Peng Wu’s beautiful face was gaunt and haggard, her eyes reddened and swollen. When she heard Feng Ming’s question, she pressed her lips together, hesitating for a moment. After coming to the island, besides her real name, she had never mentioned her background to anyone, and there were very few who even knew her family name. Feng Ming had made a special effort to inquire. She knew that no one could help her escape, and the men on the island were all like wolves and tigers, while the women were merely possessions of the men. At first she tried to escape but was caught and beaten badly. Later, after having children, she couldn’t leave anymore.

However, thinking that Feng Ming was considered a traitor of Xingluo Island, Peng Wu still answered his question, “My home is in Yao City, Liang Country.”

Feng Ming then asked, “Was your grandfather General Peng Wei?”

Peng Wu widened her eyes, “How did you know?”

“I’ll take you to meet someone.” Feng Ming said and climbed up the ladder in the middle of the pavilion.

Peng Wu hurriedly followed and, due to being physically exhausted, almost fell but still managed to climb up.

Gu Ling was at the top, but Peng Wu didn’t recognize him. He was only astonished by his stunning appearance.

“My name is Gu Ling. My wife is a close friend of your grandfather,” Gu Ling got straight to the point. He had heard the conversation between Feng Ming and Peng Wu below, and Peng Wu’s appearance was quite similar to Peng Fan’s aunt, whom Gu Ling had seen before.

Peng Wu was dumbfounded. She had dreamed day and night of leaving this demon cave, but all she received was daily disappointment because she had witnessed her own death being staged by the person who captured her. Her clothes and everything with her identity were taken and placed on someone else’s body. Over the years, the thought of her family believing her dead and not looking for her weighed heavily on her heart. But sometimes she felt it was a good thing that her family believed she was dead because not knowing her fate would be an even greater torment.

“Your brother’s name is Peng Fan, and your father’s name is Peng Qian,” Gu Ling said.

“Yes! My father, he…” Peng Wu’s eyes filled with tears in an instant. She remembered her father being in poor health and didn’t know if Peng Qian was still alive.

“Your grandfather, your parents, and your brother are all alive,” Gu Ling said with a faint expression. “My wife cured your father’s illness.”

Peng Wu was overwhelmed with great joy. Her legs suddenly gave out, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, but Feng Ming caught her and helped her sit down.

“Thank you… Thank you all… Please, save my children! They’re only six years old!” Peng Wu tried to kneel before Gu Ling again.

Gu Ling glanced in the direction of the forbidden area, “I saw your two sons today. They’re alright, just under Sheng Yue’s control. I can’t bring them out for now.”

“You’ve seen them? They’re really okay?” Peng Wu cried out in joy.

“I’ll do my best to get you off Xingluo Island and send you home. In the meantime, you need to take care of yourself and not do anything unnecessary,” Gu Ling said as he looked at Peng Wu.

Peng Wu nodded repeatedly, “I understand. I can’t save the children. It’s up to you. I won’t cause any trouble! Rest assured!”

“Send her back to where she’s staying,” Gu Ling instructed Feng Ming.

Peng Wu insisted on kneeling and bowing to Gu Ling before being escorted away by Feng Ming.

Feng Ming returned Peng Wu to her residence on the island, an isolated house outside the City Lord’s Mansion. All the others had already fled, leaving her alone.

“That must be the famous Beautiful Gu, right? I’ve heard about him since I was a child,” Peng Wu said, slightly relieved. “He and Divine Doctor Su are our family’s benefactors.”

Feng Ming advised Peng Wu to eat something and go to sleep. She would stay here for now. During the day, she could wander around near the forbidden area and then return to avoid arousing suspicion.

“I understand what you mean. I’ll be careful. You all be careful too!” Peng Wu expressed her gratitude.

Apart from the first day on the island when Gu Ling met Sheng Yue, the two hadn’t crossed paths for the next two days. Sheng Yue remained rooted in the forbidden area, while Gu Ling wandered around the island, watching as the people became fewer and fewer.

By the third day, the only ones left on the island were those inside the forbidden area, Peng Wu who refused to leave due to her sons, and Gu Ling and his group hidden away.

Qiao Jing and the others arrived on the island at a planned time, hiding the boat in a cave beneath a cliff that Feng Ming had told them about. Few people knew about this place, and most of them had already left. Feng Ming met the group and led them to Gu Ling.

Learning that Gu Ling found Peng Wei’s long-deceased granddaughter on the island and that Peng Wei also had two great-grandsons in Sheng Yue’s hands, Qiao Jing couldn’t help sighing, “At least it’s good news, but we should do our best not to let Mo Yan and Sheng Yue know about their mother’s connection to us. At this point, all we can do is wait for Mo Yan’s return.”