Chapter 458: 458. The Rebellion on Xingluo Island

Translator: 549690339

At the end of the first round, Sheng Yue won by one point.

Mo Yan’s expression remained unchanged, “Whether you want to stay here or go to the other side, I believe you can achieve great things.”

“Thank you for your praise, Master.” Sheng Yue nodded slightly, “I hope so.”

Both of them collected their chess pieces and prepared for the next round.

“I never mentioned to you that I have a daughter.” Mo Yan began, his expression somewhat regretful, “Her name is Mo Gui Xin. I had originally planned to take her back to the other side with me. But she’s not like me, and she’s not like my child. She’s like her mother and just wants to be an ordinary person. She doesn’t understand or accept what I tell her; she thinks I’m crazy.”

Mo Yan gave a self-deprecating smile, “My only child once wanted to kill me, just to save a stranger who had nothing to do with her. At that moment, I knew that I shouldn’t have had her. I don’t belong to this ignorant and backward world, and she doesn’t belong to me. So, she left, and I let her go without looking for her again. What could I do even if I found her? Kill each other as father and daughter?”

Sheng Yue knew why Mo Yan’s daughter had such a name, and he also knew that the “unrelated stranger” Mo Yan had mentioned, who Mo Gui Xin had tried to kill him for, was actually Sheng Yue’s mother. However, Mo Yan didn’t know this.

“I never thought that after so many years, I would still have blood relatives in this world.” Mo Yan sighed deeply, “Now, there is not only Su Liang, but she also has a child, a daughter, right? What’s the child’s name? Have you seen her?”

Sheng Yue nodded, “It’s a girl, named Gu Nuan. I haven’t seen her.”

“Gu Nuan?” Mo Yan repeated the two words, and his eyes suddenly softened, “She must be a lovely child… When Xin’er was born, I also thought of forgetting everything about that side and staying here. For a few years, I really tried not to think about the past, but in the end, I failed. I despise everything here, both the people and the environment are so backward and crude. I couldn’t convince myself to force myself to get used to these things, even for my daughter.”

As he spoke, Mo Yan’s gaze shifted from the shadows of the banyan tree on the wall to Sheng Yue’s face, looking as kindly as if he were his grandson, “You are right to want to go to the other side. Just having this idea puts you on a completely different level from the barbarians of this world. People like He Wei are pursuing power, and it’s just a joke. Frogs at the bottom of a well can only see a small patch of the sky above but have no idea how vast and fantastic the outside world is. That’s all they will ever know in their lives, but you and I are different.”

Sheng Yue nodded, “It’s thanks to you, Master, for showing me the way and helping me find the meaning of life.”

As for this title of “master,” He Wei didn’t know, and neither did Gu Ling and Su Liang. In fact, Sheng Yue was not only Mo Yan’s loyal subordinate but also his disciple.

“But…” Sheng Yue placed a chess piece on the board and asked Mo Yan a question, “Why didn’t Gu Ling ever think of going back?”

Mo Yan’s hand paused, the smile on his face disappeared, and then he pressed the chess piece in his hand heavily onto the board, snorting coldly, “He didn’t even know it was possible to go back, so he had resigned himself to his fate. Believe me, if he went back, he would never return to this barbaric and backward world for anyone.”

However, Sheng Yue shook his head, “I think Gu Ling is different.” He knew that Mo Yan was displeased, but he continued, “People are different from one another. Some, like Su Liang and Gu Ling, have only love and affection in their hearts, and they will still be the same even after experiencing a vast world.”

Mo Yan said coldly, “What are you trying to say?”

Sheng Yue placed another chess piece on the board, “What I’m trying to say is that when dealing with people like Gu Ling and Su Liang, we mustn’t have any illusions. There is only one way to deal with them: defeat them, control them, and leave them with no other choice.”

Mo Yan looked deeply into Sheng Yue’s eyes and slowly smiled, “Are you worried that I will be soft-hearted towards Su Liang because of our relationship?”

Sheng Yue shook his head, “I’m not worried about that. I just believe that when dealing with that couple, we must be tough. There is no room for negotiation with them.”

Mo Yan noddedlightly, “I was originally worried that you would be won over by Gu Ling and Su Liang. Now it seems I was overly concerned.”

In the midst of their conversation, the second round ended, and Sheng Yue won again.

“Never mind, you can go back and rest, and then take charge of the island’s defense.” Mo Yan waved his hand, and the ruby ring on his finger sparkled dazzlingly in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

Sheng Yue left Mo Yan’s courtyard and returned to his residence at the City Lord Mansion.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw He Wei standing in the courtyard waiting for him. He Wei’s ear was not bandaged, but it had stopped bleeding and still looked very scary.

As the courtyard door closed behind him, He Wei quickly walked over, grabbed Sheng Yue’s neck, and slammed him against the wall. His eyes were full of maliciousness, “You despicable bastard! You actually betrayed me! What on earth are you trying to do? Have you been conquered by Su Liang, like my granddaughter Min Rou? How did she conquer you? Did she let you into her bed? Is that what you wanted?”

Sheng Yue swung his palm, pushing He Wei away, coughed twice while clutching his chest, and said coldly, “Mind your language. Su Liang is the Master’s granddaughter. If I tell the Master how you insulted her, do you think he would really turn a blind eye? Su Liang is more noble than you He Family servants, whether the Master cares about her or not.”

When He Wei heard the words “servant,” he was completely infuriated and drew his sword to attack Sheng Yue. Soon, He Wei’s two sons also joined the fight.

It didn’t take long for Sheng Yue, who had only one hand left, to get injured.

He Wei’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. Sheng Yue had been gone for so long and yet still had Mo Yan’s trust. Mo Yan cut off one of He Wei’s ears today, but did not punish Sheng Yue, who had also deceived him. This made He Wei realize that he had lost Mo Yan’s favor, and as long as Sheng Yue was alive, the He Family’s power on Xingluo Island would soon fall into his hands!

However, He Wei still had some sense left. If he and his sons killed Sheng Yue in broad daylight, they would definitely anger Mo Yan. Although He Wei was increasingly dissatisfied with Mo Yan, it was not time to turn against him yet.

“Stop!” He Wei called off the attack and ordered his sons to stop, “Enough!”

Sheng Yue looked at the wound on his arm, still appearing calm.

He Wei hated Sheng Yue’s face the most, as if nothing could touch or frighten him. He Wei said coldly, “Let today’s matter end here. If you dare to spout nonsense in front of the Master again, I won’t be so polite next time! Let’s go!”

Sheng Yue watched the He Family father and sons leave his courtyard before turning and returning to his room.

“Father, why did you let him go? He’s a cripple. Even if we kill him, can the Master really hold a grudge against our He Family? Who on this island dares to disobey our He Family?” He Wei’s son was puzzled. In the time Sheng Yue was missing, members who originally advocated for him had been removed by the He Family. Two of them were found hanged in a grove by the sea. Actually, the two wanted to escape but had no ill intentions. They just couldn’t survive on the island anymore after being excluded by the He Family both openly and in secret.

And two others, who had been sent by Mo Yan to search for Sheng Yue, hadn’t returned either.

Upon hearing his son’s words, He Wei’s anger burned even hotter, “Shut up!”

His other son, seeing that no one was around, whispered into He Wei’s ear, “Father, we can’t stand this humiliation any longer… Our He Family played a huge role in establishing the power on Xingluo Island. You were loyal to the Master for your whole life. Who could compare to your achievements and hard work? Yet in the Master’s eyes, your status is lower than that of that cripple Sheng Yue! We can’t swallow this resentment!”

“That’s right, Father! If we continue like this, when will it end? Father, you have already sacrificed half of your life for the Master, and our sister died outside. Let’s just seize the magic treasure and make our He Family the Master!” He Wei’s eldest son also joined in.

He Wei frowned deeply, “Both of you, be quiet! How can you say such nonsense?” However, since he didn’t stop them from speaking at first and only spoke up after listening to them, it meant that he didn’t completely disagree with his sons’ thoughts. He was just hesitating.

But soon, He Wei received a report that Mo Yan had ordered all defenses on Xingluo Island to be handed over to Sheng Yue, with everyone else acting on his orders.

This was equivalent to Mo Yan openly slapping He Wei in the face by putting newly returned Sheng Yue in a higher position than everyone else on the island. It made the He Family’s authority on the island a complete joke.

This directly led to He Wei, who had been hesitating, to finally make up his mind under the constant instigation of his children. Not only that, but many people also followed them.

Today was New Year’s Eve. Following the continuous failures of Xingluo Island over the past year, Mo Yan’s reputation had fallen. The elders on the island knew that their martial arts skills were not much worse than Mo Yan’s, with masters everywhere. What they were genuinely afraid of was Mo Yan’s magic treasure that could create “miracles.” If the magic treasure could change hands, why did they have to be Mo Yan’s servants?

After having his ears cut off, being stripped of power, and controlled by his own children and grandchildren, He Wei’s suppressed ambition quickly swelled, leaving him with no choice but to rebel.

And the first step in the He Family’s rebellion was to spread a certain truth across Xingluo Island: their greatest enemy, Su Liang, was actually Mo Yan’s own granddaughter.

Knowing this was enough to break the resolve of the martial arts masters who had originally followed Mo Yan, hoping for power and riches one day: so their failures were because Mo Yan was unwilling to kill his own granddaughter? The biggest spy on Xingluo Island turned out to be Island Master Mo Yan himself! Mo Yan already had control of the world through his bloodline, so how could they have any chance to rise? This made their loyalty and sacrifices for Xingluo Island over the years seem like a huge joke!

Meanwhile, He Wei naturally became the people’s choice and was elected as the new Island Master. Their time of action was on New Year’s Eve.

Mo Yan, who was in the forbidden area, seemed unaware of everything, and He Wei was deeply wary of Sheng Yue, who was like a venomous snake in his eyes. Thus, the first order he issued after becoming the new Island Master was: Kill Sheng Yue; he is a traitor and has submitted to Gu Ling and Su Liang.

However, when night fell and several masters charged into Sheng Yue’s courtyard, they found it empty. Sheng Yue’s whereabouts remained a mystery even after searching the entire island, and the two subordinates he brought back during the day were also gone.

By now, He Wei had realized that something was wrong, but once the arrow was on the bowstring, he had to shoot. The rebellion had begun and there was no turning back. Their next target, their real enemy, was Mo Yan, who had ruled Xingluo Island for decades. Only by eliminating Mo Yan and seizing his magic treasure could He Wei become the new king of Xingluo Island.

New Year’s Eve.

The red lanterns all around Xingluo Island were lit, illuminating the New Year paintings and Fu Lu characters on the doors. But tonight, no one could eat their New Year’s Eve dinner in peace, nor keep vigil.

Women and children locked their doors, while men gathered near the forbidden area holding torches, surrounding the mysterious forbidden area where they could not enter casually.

The forbidden area was surrounded by high walls, with one gate guarded by two elders, who were Mo Yan’s trusted subordinates. These two did not yield to He Wei and were no longer guarding the gate.

“Father, could Mo Yan have escaped?” asked He Wei’s son.

He Wei, surrounded by others, walked over. He was still unmasked and had not bandaged the wound of his cut ear. It was intentionally left exposed, so everyone would know how Mo Yan treated him.

“We can’t even find Sheng Yue, could they both have escaped?” He Wei’s grandson He Peng was a bit excited and wanted to kick down the gate.

He Wei pulled his grandson back, “Don’t go in recklessly. Sheng Yue might have escaped, but Mo Yan wouldn’t leave.” There were treasures inside the forbidden area, and Mo Yan had guarded them for a lifetime. If he could leave, he would have done so long ago.

He Wei signaled to another elder to call out to Mo Yan, “Mo Yan! All these years, we have been loyal to you, but in the end, we gained nothing! The world you promised us has ultimately ended up in your granddaughter’s hands! We’ve lost so many brothers because we believed your lies. Now, you must give us an explanation!”

“Explanation!” The crowd’s emotions surged, chanting together.

He Peng shouted, “Mo Yan! Come out if you dare! Why should all the treasures in the forbidden area belong to you? They belong to everyone on Xingluo Island!”

As soon as he said this, echoes of agreement erupted.

Seeing He Wei didn’t stop him, He Peng was even more encouraged. He kicked the door hard, snatched a torch, and threw it inside the wall, “Mo Yan, hand over the magic treasure that belongs to Xingluo Island! We can spare your life and let you meet your granddaughter! Let’s see if she’ll recognize you!”

“Hand it over! Hand it over!”

As the torches lit up the sky, a fire started within the forbidden area, but still, no one responded to the commotion outside.

He Wei was growing uneasy in his heart. In fact, he couldn’t be sure if Mo Yan’s magic treasure could change hands. With today’s events, he could no longer bear to serve Mo Yan as a servant. Even if he couldn’t get the magic treasure, he had to get rid of Mo Yan; otherwise, there would be no prospects for the He Family!

He Wei pointed at two people, “You two, go in and check.”

The two immediately stepped back, knowing that going in now, with the uncertain situation, they might be the first to meet the Yama King.

However, other unselected people naturally supported He Wei’s order. If those two didn’t go in, it might be their turn next. Especially since He Wei had chosen young people with no roots on the island.

Soon after, the two reluctantly leaped over the high wall and entered the forbidden area.

“Mo Yan, I’ve sent someone to invite you out. If you have any requests, just mention them, and we can discuss them.” He Wei pretended to call out again.

But the two who entered the forbidden area made no sound, and the fire inside did not spread. The situation remained unclear.

So He Wei sent in two more people, with the same result.

The torches thrown in afterward also failed to ignite a large fire inside the forbidden area.

As time went on, the men gathered outside began to feel uneasy, as if the sinister darkness behind them contained Mo Yan, who could make them disappear with just a wave of his hand.

Even He Wei’s face couldn’t stay composed as he heard his son suggest using explosives, forsaking the treasure, and blowing up the forbidden area. He couldn’t decide and was still unwilling. Without the magic treasure, he doubted whether he could control the masters on Xingluo Island…

At that moment, He Wei heard someone behind him say, “Why is the ground shaking?”

The next moment, He Wei saw the high wall in front of him tilting toward him. He thought it was an illusion, and subconsciously turned to run, only to disappear along with the surrounding people and the high walls into the dark night…

In the forbidden area, Sheng Yue watched Mo Yan withdraw his hand from the ground, stand up, open his eyes, and saw that many things that had been in front of them earlier had disappeared. The big banyan tree they had seen during the day, the stone table in the courtyard, even the ground had become bare, and the walls were gone, leaving their vision even more open.

It was terrifying, as if a typhoon had just swept through their surroundings, ravaging everything on the ground so thoroughly that it was as if those things had never existed at all…

Seeing the horror in Sheng Yue’s eyes, Mo Yan smiled contentedly, “I never thought you would make such a face.”

“Master, this… it’s incredible.” Sheng Yue marveled, “That magic treasure can even take people in! Are they… still alive?”

Mo Yan nodded, “They’re alive. With a single thought, I can send them back to where they belong.” He then took off the ruby ring and handed it to Sheng Yue, “He Wei thought it was this, but it’s just a souvenir.”

Mo Yan looked up at the starry sky, “Everything that I can touch can be taken into the small world I possess. Of course, the space inside is limited, but it’s enough to teach them a lesson.”

Sheng Yue respectfully returned the ring to Mo Yan, who put it back on its original finger, “Master, with such power, Gu Ling and Su Liang are no match.”

“In consideration of Su Liang being my granddaughter, I will give her a choice when the time comes.” Mo Yan snorted coldly.