Chapter 471: 471. Friend or Foe

Translator: 549690339

The last day of February.

In the early morning, lightning flashed, and thunder roared as heavy rain poured down in the region near Xingluo Island. The island was shrouded in rain, and from a distance, it looked like a massive gap had opened in the sky with a waterfall gushing down.

Xie Jun had taken some people to patrol the coast, but the rain was so heavy that visibility was blurred. They could no longer see the situation on the sea. The small wooden houses built by the beach had been blown away, and after securing the boats at the dock amidst the storm, they couldn’t seek shelter in the forest for fear of being struck by lightning. They had no choice but to return to the City Lord Mansion and ask Sheng Yue if they could disband and go back first.

Since Mo Yan left, Sheng Yue had moved into the forbidden area to live. When Xie Jun met him, he was folding paper airplanes.

After listening to Xie Jun’s report, Sheng Yue casually said, “Call everyone back. We’ll go out again when the storm stops.”

“Yes, thank you, Young Master Sheng.” Xie Jun left hurriedly and rushed back into the storm.

“Someone, come.” Sheng Yue called, and soon an old man with white hair appeared before him. He listened to the command and quickly left.

The storm did not subside until night had fallen.

As Xie Jun took his people to check the situation on the beach once more, the sky had completely darkened. A light rain continued to fall, and when looking out at the sea, it was pitch-black; only the sound of rainfall and waves could be heard.

“Are we going to guard this place throughout the night with this damn weather?” one elder’s grandson complained.

Though Xie Jun was the team leader, he didn’t dare to interfere too much. He replied, “The rain should stop soon. Young Master Sheng said that the next few days are crucial, and enemies may invade. We cannot let our guard down.”

“What enemies? Isn’t the Island Master just visiting his granddaughter? What other enemies could there be?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

Xie Jun shook his head, “I don’t know. We shouldn’t concern ourselves with such matters. It’s best not to say much.”

“I bet Feng Ming knows, but he’s locked up in the dungeon. Has he died already?”

Xie Jun frowned, “Get back to work!” He divided the night watch into three teams, including himself, and assigned each team to their own areas. If anything abnormal occurred, they were to send out a signal immediately.

“What’s the point of guarding this broken island? We can’t even go out. Who would come and attack this place?” someone complained to Xie Jun, “I have never been outside in my entire life! How long are we supposed to live like this? Since the Island Master’s granddaughter now has power, why not just follow her and enjoy a life of richness and honor!”

“Don’t say any more! It’s not our place to question the Master’s decision! Be careful not to let Young Master Sheng hear you!”

“Damn that Sheng, he’s been acting so smug lately. I regret not killing him as soon as he arrived on the island!”

“My dear sir, you may have a backer, but I fear losing my life. Please say less.”

“Humph! I think the peaceful days on this island are numbered!”

Xie Jun held an umbrella in one hand and a lantern in the other as he walked to the place where he had secretly spoken with Feng Ming that night. He paused for a while. Xie Jun knew Feng Ming was still alive and why he was captured. He had even thought about trying to save Feng Ming and then escape together. But after weighing the pros and cons, Xie Jun decided it was too risky and gave up on the idea.

“Captain, are we continuing in this direction?” someone asked from behind him.

Xie Jun recovered his senses, glanced at the sea, then turned around and said, “Let’s go.”

Those who were on guard duty at the coast were either discontented or worried. Still, they dared not go back to sleep, so they had to walk round after round in the rainy night.

Unbeknownst to them, the enemies they were guarding against had already sneaked onto the island before their patrol resumed at dusk.

To avoid running into Mo Yan on the way, Qiao Cong, Old Mu, and Cheng Yun had taken a detour. They had initially planned to arrive by noon today, but they unexpectedly encountered the storm.

At that time, the sea was extremely rough, and their boat almost capsized several times. However, they could not afford to delay any longer, as the first day of the third month was the next day. Moreover, in the middle of the sea, the closest land they knew was the island where Qiao Cong had once lived. But even in a day’s time, they could not make it there and it was even further from Xingluo Island, so there was no escaping the storm no matter where they went.

Thus, the three unanimously decided to brave the storm and keep moving forward. Fortunately, Qiao Cong had lived at sea for many years and experienced several storms. In the end, he managed to bring Elder Mu and Cheng Yun safely to Xingluo Island.

When they approached the shore, it happened to be right after the biggest wave of the storm had passed. The coast was unguarded, so they quickly went ashore and let the boat drift away with the waves. This was to prevent the boat from being discovered. After all, when it was time to leave, they would probably have already stirred the snake’s nest, so they could just seize a boat from the dock of Xingluo Island.

Elder Mu carried a large double-shoulder bag on his back, designed by Su Liang, with a waist strap for support and a waterproof layer inside. The explosives they brought with them were in this bag.

After landing, the three quickly hid in the dense forest. They knew there were landmines in the forest, so they followed Gu Ling’s example when he infiltrated the island and walked on the trees instead of the ground.

The plan was to sneak in, with darkness providing the perfect cover.

The three of them spent about half an hour in the forest, also resting. During this time, they saw Xie Jun leading people through the forest toward the beach. Gu Ling had told them not to actively look for Feng Ming.

When the time was about right, Elder Mu, who had been to the island before, led the way, with the three of them keeping a distance and remaining vigilant as they secretly approached the center of Xingluo Island.

They had all seen the map of Xingluo Island that Gu Ling had brought to Jiaye City, complete with the detailed distribution of the buildings on the island drawn by Su Liang. It was not difficult to figure out where the forbidden area was.

Apart from the storm that had almost capsized their boat earlier, everything had gone smoothly so far. The three of them cautiously avoided any people and got closer to the forbidden area. After quietly observing the surroundings for a while, they silently infiltrated the forbidden area. It didn’t take long for them to see that there was a light in Mo Yan’s room, with someone moving inside.

Wouldn’t it be Mo Yan still on the island… Just as this thought crossed the minds of the three, the door opened and a gray-robed old man came out of the room, holding something in his hand and heading deeper into the forbidden area.

According to the portraits Gu Ling had shown them, the man’s height and appearance did not match Mo Yan’s.

And the three of them were targeting the cave deep in the forbidden area, not Mo Yan’s room.

No matter whether Mo Yan was still on the island or not, they had already arrived and would still follow the original plan.

Elder Mu made a gesture, and the three continued deeper into the forbidden area.

A faint light emanated from the cave, and Elder Mu coldly watched as the old man, who had come out of Mo Yan’s room earlier, entered the cave and quickly left.

As expected, there was someone inside the cave.

Elder Mu guessed that this important place would be guarded by either Mo Yan, who might have never left the island, or Sheng Yue, who Gu Ling thought might have been left behind to guard the forbidden area. Whoever it was, they could directly bomb them.

However, according to Ying Ying, who had been inside the cave before, the entrance was almost a hundred meters away from the pool that Mo Yan cared most about. If they put the explosives outside the cave, it would be difficult to destroy the pool.

Therefore, they had to go in, and the closer the explosives were to the pool, the better.

This was also arranged. Elder Mu would go. Originally, Cheng Yun said that he would go inside, reasoning that as Gu Ling’s substitute, he would have the chance to talk whether he encountered Mo Yan or Sheng Yue. But Elder Mu rejected this idea. The reason was simple: the person going in must be able to kill without hesitation, but for Cheng Yun, that was a bit difficult. He had returned to secular life and started eating meat again, but he hadn’t broken his vow to never kill. It might happen soon, but they couldn’t let him take a chance on it. He himself didn’t have confidence in this, and under such circumstances, even a second’s hesitation could lead to being killed by the enemy.

As such, among the three of them, the most calm and the best with guns was Elder Mu, making him the best choice.

There was no sound coming from the cave. After signaling to Qiao Cong and Cheng Yun, Elder Mu carefully approached the entrance of the cave. On his face, he wore a Ghost Mask, on his back, he carried a bag of explosives. He had a gun tucked away in his sleeve, and on his body were three types of hidden weapons and five types of poison.

Hold his breath and concentrating his mind, he walked close to the wall, making sure to avoid casting a shadow on the floor that might alert those inside. Before entering, he had already prepared himself mentally: if he encountered Mo Yan, he should not hesitate and shoot him immediately. Waiting one second longer might result in being captured by Mo Yan’s magic treasure. If he encountered Sheng Yue, he should also kill him immediately; he was not one of their own. After killing the person guarding the forbidden area, he would quickly place the explosives and fuses, then leave and ignite them…

With each careful step, Elder Mu ventured deeper into the cave, and the light inside grew brighter.

As he was about to round the corner, Elder Mu held his breath and stopped, listening intently. Inside, it was still very quiet, with no sounds at all.

Elder Mu tightened his grip on the gun in his hand. According to the map drawn by Gu Ling, he would soon be able to see the pool at the deepest part of the cave. Whoever appeared in his line of sight, he would kill them immediately!

However, in the next moment, when Elder Mu’s shadow appeared under the bright light, he raised his gun with a startled expression, immediately let go, and retreated back into the shadows.

But in that instant, Elder Mu had already been discovered.

“It’s Elder Mu, right?” Sheng Yue’s voice came from not far away.

Elder Mu’s eyes were cold, gritting his teeth and trying to calm himself down. The reason he didn’t take action when he saw the people by the water was that he didn’t see Mo Yan or Sheng Yue, but a group of children!

Those kids, about seven or eight of them, lay quietly by the water, ages ranging from two to three to around seven or eight years old. They seemed to be either sedated or asleep.

Not to mention Elder Mu didn’t expect this, even Gu Ling hadn’t anticipated encountering such a situation!

“Elder Mu, there’s no one else here. You can come out and talk. I won’t do anything to you.” Sheng Yue’s voice came from behind a stone screen by the water.

Elder Mu took a deep breath without showing himself, still hiding but he spoke, “Young Master Sheng, what are you doing?”

Sheng Yue’s voice was calm, “Elder Mu has already seen it, so there’s no need for me to say much. Mo Yan asked me to stay behind and guard the forbidden area since I had anticipated that you would be arriving soon.”

“Haven’t you forgotten that you agreed to cooperate with my apprentice?” Elder Mu said coldly.

Sheng Yue replied, “I haven’t, but our agreed cooperation doesn’t include the destruction of the forbidden area. I’m not sure how much Elder Mu knows about the secrets of Gu Ling and Su Liang, but I clearly told them what I wanted. If they remembered our cooperation, they wouldn’t have chosen to destroy this place since it’s important to me too.”

Elder Mu now knew everything and understood what Sheng Yue was talking about. The so-called cooperation is mutual exploitation. At that time, Su Liang and Gu Ling needed Sheng Yue to help convey information to Mo Yan and then return to the island to eliminate the He Family. Because Sheng Yue was not wholehearted with Mo Yan, Su Liang and Gu Ling chose to keep him.

What Sheng Yue said now wasn’t wrong either. He told Su Liang and Gu Ling that he wanted to go to the world where his mother’s previous life was.

However, at this moment, what was said didn’t matter. Just like Elder Mu had planned to kill Sheng Yue when he saw him, Sheng Yue was also clear that Su Liang and Gu Ling would definitely choose to destroy the forbidden area, but this didn’t make him waver in his plan. Even before tonight, Sheng Yue had the chance to genuinely stand with Su Liang and Gu Ling, but as he said to Feng Ming, he had no friends, no enemies, only what he wanted to do.

These children were all born on the island. Perhaps they wouldn’t be good people when they grew up, but now they were just innocent children who hadn’t done anything evil. They shouldn’t have to accompany Sheng Yue to his grave just because they were born on Xingluo Island.

Elder Mu couldn’t bring himself to take action, and even if Gu Ling came personally, she wouldn’t be able to do such a thing.

In this round, Sheng Yue had already won.

Elder Mu didn’t put down the gun in his hand, and while sticking to the stone wall of the cave, he asked, “Where’s Mo Yan?”

“Why don’t you ask where Feng Ming is?” Sheng Yue countered.

At this point, it was a direct indication that Feng Ming had been exposed.

Elder Mu frowned, “Just say what you want to say!”

Sheng Yue really said it, “Feng Ming is in the dungeon. Elder Mu should know very well where the dungeon is.”

“What do you mean?” Elder Mu asked coldly, “Do you want me to save Feng Ming? What’s your purpose?”

“Purpose? I’m friends with Su Liang and Gu Ling,” Sheng Yue said.

Elder Mu snorted coldly, “Spare me the nonsense.”

“Hehe, I have no ulterior motive, I just think Feng Ming is a talent, and it would be a pity if he died. Since you’ve all come, why not take him with you?” Sheng Yue said, “Consider it a gift for Gu Ling and Su Liang. I hope that when we meet again, they can show me some mercy.”

“You know very well what you’ve done.” Elder Mu said coldly.

“Is Elder Mu talking about these kids? Don’t worry, they’ll be fine, they’re just sleeping. But if you don’t leave, they can only continue to sleep in the cave, and if they catch a cold, it won’t be good. I’m sure Elder Mu wouldn’t want to see innocent children getting sick,” Sheng Yue said, “As for using these children to guard the forbidden area, that wasn’t my idea, it was Mo Yan’s. If Gu Ling and Su Liang had killed me back then, you wouldn’t be able to leave today, and these children would truly be harmed.”

“Why didn’t you catch us?” Old Mu frowned and asked.

“I’ve already said, I’m friends with Su Liang and Gu Ling, and I don’t want to embarrass you. As for how to explain it to Mo Yan later, that’s my business.” Sheng Yue said, “Please leave as soon as possible, Old Mu and your friends outside. You can save Feng Ming, but don’t upset anyone else, otherwise, I won’t be able to help you.”

Old Mu raised his gun once more and appeared, looking at the sleeping children beside the pool and the stone screen blocking Sheng Yue. Gritting his teeth, he said, “You’d better take care of yourself!” and swiftly ran out.

When Qiao Cong and Cheng Yun saw Old Mu coming out, they thought he had succeeded.

Qiao Cong brightened his torch, ready to leave, but when Old Mu reached him, he pressed down on his hand, “No luck, let’s go!”

Qiao Cong didn’t understand, but they had agreed to listen to Old Mu this time. He knew Old Mu’s character and that he had spent a lot more time in there than expected. Something must have happened beyond their anticipation. The three quickly left the forbidden area.

Rescuing someone from the dungeon was much simpler.

It was late at night, and they could use poison without anyone noticing.

Feng Ming was asleep when he suddenly saw people coming to rescue him, he was surprised.

Without causing any disturbance, the three took Feng Ming out of the dungeon and quickly left the City Lord Mansion.

When they learned they needed a boat, Feng Ming led the way. He knew of a hidden dock because there were fewer patrols on the south shore.

After that, everything went smoothly. Feng Ming led them to successfully avoid the guards on the coast and found a suitable boat, leaving Xingluo Island.

After sailing a few hundred meters out to sea, Qiao Cong finally asked Old Mu, “What exactly happened? Why did it not work out? Did that old bastard Mo Yan catch and let you go? That’s impossible!”

Old Mu shook his head, sighing deeply, staring at Xingluo Island growing farther away in his line of sight, “Mo Yan wasn’t there, it was Sheng Yue. He captured a group of children and guarded the pool in the cave. What else could we do?” Now they couldn’t use the explosives. If they alerted people on the island, they would definitely be surrounded and unable to escape.

Qiao Cong cursed, “That bastard! Su Liang and Gu Ling should have killed him back then!”

Old Mu shook his head, “Don’t forget that he took the initiative to show up. He knew that Su Liang and Gu Ling wouldn’t kill him at that time because Mo Yan was the biggest threat. And he’s right, we couldn’t have resolved what happened in the cave tonight if it wasn’t for him.”

Cheng Yun sighed, “What does he want in the end?”

Seeing the three people silent, Feng Ming hurriedly spoke up, “There’s something! I met Sheng… Sheng Yue during the day!”

Old Mu frowned, “What happened?”

Feng Ming said solemnly, “Now it seems that Sheng Yue anticipates you will come and plans to save me. He told me something. At that time, I was a little confused, but now I understand that he deliberately told me to pass it on to you!”

“What is it?” Cheng Yun asked.

“Sheng Yue said that the Mo Yan who went to the appointment on the first day of March is a fake!” Feng Ming frowned, “The real Mo Yan has already left the island, and probably went to the capital city!”

Upon hearing this, the three became alarmed.

Old Mu quickly calmed down, “Why would Sheng Yue tell you these things? Why didn’t he directly say it when I met him earlier?”

Feng Ming pondered, “In my opinion, he wanted to show us that he has everything under control and that our Master shouldn’t underestimate him.”

Cheng Yun’s expression was puzzled, “Is Sheng Yue a friend or an enemy?”

“He’s not on our side, but he’s not with Mo Yan either. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let us go and reveal important information to us.” Old Mu stared, “Anyway, he’s not a madman who likes to kill, which can be considered a good thing. We should hurry back. Mo Yan is fake, so nothing will happen to Gu Ling, but our home is not safe!”