Sneaking into the Village

Three Suns in the Sky.

The summer heatwave rose and fell with the river, reflecting dazzling light as the waves surged.

A clearing was set up in the center of the island where the wounded lay to rest. The area was surrounded by cloth, and the sun shone brightly outside. The shadows of the trees on the ground were sharp as knives, with distinct boundaries.

The cicadas, hiding in the crevices of the branches, chirped desperately, their eardrums trembling so much that they left afterimages.

Apart from this island, there is no land within a hundred miles around, so it is unknown how they got here.

Knock knock.

"A Shui, are you there? Are you awake yet?"

"They're here."

With a wave of his hand, Liang Qu caused all the white mist in the room to dissipate, turning into a pool of clear water that flowed into the Vortex Aperture.

He put on a coat, opened the door, and raised an eyebrow at Ke Wenbin was crouching down and acting suspiciously.

"Brother Ke, what's wrong with you...?"

"Shh, let's go inside and talk, let's go inside and talk."

Ke Wenbin winked and pushed Liang Qu into the room. Before closing the door, he deliberately peeked out, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then closed the door.

Liang Qu was completely bewildered, not knowing what Ke Wenbin was up to, and joked.

"Brother Ke, what do you want to do? I don't care, I'm a bachelor and nobody cares, but you're engaged to Scholar Su's granddaughter, it might not be good if word gets out."

"Pah, pah, pah, what are you talking about?" Ke Wenbin passed Liang Qu, went to the window, looked down, and after confirming that the environment was safe, whispered, "Let's go treasure hunting on the island together!"

Liang Qu's mind raced. "Treasure hunting?"

"Yes."

Ke Wenbin pulled out a low stool from under the long table, placed it under his bottom, and sat opposite Liang Qu.

"Do you think it's possible for a normal person to get onto the island now?"

"Cannot."

Liang Qu shook his head.

The entire central Islet Region chain was shrouded in Black Mist, and not only the islands but also the surrounding waters were filled with an ominous atmosphere.

All living things, even trees, were drained of their life force, withered and died, a truly terrifying sight.

Under such conditions, ordinary Martial Master cannot even get up there. The merit officers can only wait a few days until the Black Mist naturally dissipates before going up to the island to tally the battle merits.

"Yes, that's why I say this is our chance. The Evil-Warding Method is so difficult to master. Have you ever used it before today?"

Liang Qu shook his head again.

Ke Wenbin slapped his thigh. "That's right, we can't let such difficult things go to waste. There has to be a reward for our training! Brother Yue Long is Great Martial Master. He can hold his own with his strength, but he's a leader and has to set an example. He can't be like us. Now is our chance!"

Liang Qu understood what Ke Wenbin was up to.

No one can go to the island right now; they have to wait for the Black Mist to dissipate.

He was the only exception; he possessed a rare Evil-Warding Method and was not afraid of the black smoke.

The battle was over, black smoke filled the air, and many spoils of war were still piled up on the island, not yet collected! A chance to make a fortune! But he hesitated.

"Isn't it inappropriate to sneak onto the island?"

"What's wrong with that? We won't steal credit from others, and we won't leave the things on the corpses untouched. What belongs to whom shall belong to whom."

Let's go dig for Treasure Vault! With so many Martial Master, there must be some kind of Treasure Vault. We won't take much, just two or three items.

Don't be so greedy. Only take what you can use. Don't resell or buy and sell. The higher-ups will just turn a blind eye.

There's nothing new under the sun; if you want a horse to run, you have to give it grass.

Having grown up among the children of noble families, Ke Wenbin understands best the elusive and inexplicable "degree" of this situation.

When they arrive on the island in two days, some of the supplies will still be retained; they are just "selecting in advance."

What do you think?

Liang Qu fell into deep thought.

Before he could give an answer, faint footsteps sounded again outside the door, but instead of passing by his door, they stopped outside.

Knock knock.

The knocking sounded again.

"A Shui, are you there? Are you awake yet?"

This scene feels so familiar...

Liang Qu looked at Ke Wenbin.

"You guys didn't arrive at the exact time, did you? Did you know when I woke up?"

Ke Wenbin scratched his temple and swayed his toes.

The entrance to the corridor.

Xiang Fangsu looked around, her knuckles still on the wooden door, when the door creaked open.

He looked away, about to speak, when he suddenly caught sight of Ke Wenbin behind Liang Qu and changed the subject.

"Wen Bin? What are you doing here?"

Ke Wenbin retorted, "Why can't I be here?"

Xiang Fangsu was speechless.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

The ship swayed slightly, and the sound of the river tide could be faintly heard.

"Why don't we come inside and talk?"

Liang Qu broke the silence.

Xiang Fangsu hesitated for a moment before following him into the room.

When he came in, he found Liang Qu sitting on the edge of the bed. The only stool was occupied by Ke Wenbin. There was only a toilet and a long table.

He thought for a moment, then leaned against the long table and spoke frankly.

"Ke Wenbin came looking for you. That kid's the most cunning, so I won't hide anything from him..."

"Hey, explain yourself clearly. What do you mean by 'I'm the most insidious'?"

Ignoring Ke Wenbin, who was rolling up his sleeves, Xiang Fangsu continued, "He's here to ask you to come to the island, right?"

Liang Qu glanced at Ke Wenbin, too embarrassed to say no.

"I knew that kid was cunning!"

Ke Wenbin was furious. "Damn it, aren't you?"

"At least I wasn't the first one here."

Xiang Fangsu shrugged.

Before the two could reach a conclusion to their argument, footsteps sounded outside the door again.

The room fell silent, the three of them holding their breath.

Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin exchanged a glance and a bizarre idea came to mind.

Will anyone else come? Knock knock.

The knocking sounded for the third time.

Ouch! Liang Qu reluctantly got up and opened the door, only to find Ran Zhongshi standing outside! The other two immediately felt a toothache.

Ran Zhongshi didn't speak, but just peeked around and looked at his surroundings.

Upon seeing Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin inside, they revealed an expression that said, "Just as I expected."

"I knew you'd be here."

The warships were for combat transport, not for vacations and tourism. Even if there were single rooms, the conditions were limited.

Four people squeezed in at once, making it really crowded.

Ran Zhongshi looked left and right.

Liang Qu sat on the bed, Ke Wenbin sat on a chair, and Xiang Fangsu sat sideways on the long table. All that remained was a toilet bucket.

He chose to stand.

Ke Wenbin chuckled, "Big Brother Ran, you're in charge of logistics, I never expected this..."

"Hey, hey, hold on! I'm not like you guys, I'm just here to deliver a message." Ran Zhongshi denied it outright, saying directly, "Brother Yue Long said that the bulk goods Cannot Move, and the others are two items per person, no more than that, any more will be confiscated!"

The other three people in the room gasped, and the room temperature rose three degrees.

Did he think his plan had been seen through long ago? Ran Zhongshi sneered. They had grown up together since childhood. He knew exactly who in the clan school was not doing well in their studies and who had cheated on which exams. If the elders in the family gave them a reward, they would share it equally.

Xu Yuelong was much older than his classmates, but the elders knew him. They often met during holidays, when visiting each other, or when exchanging skills. They also often went hunting together in spring and autumn.

He can tell whether his men are going to have a dry or runny bowel movement just by looking at their bottoms.

"Two pieces it is."

Ke Wenbin and Xiang Fangsu agreed.

Something is better than nothing.

Liang Qu rubbed his hands together, full of anticipation.

He had wanted to ask Yang Dongxiong beforehand if he could go, just to be on the safe side, but with Xu Yuelong's tacit approval, there was no problem.

That's the second-in-command of the Ping Yang County River Conservancy Office; he was ordered to pick up the scraps! Besides, the island where Perfected Elephant Grandmaster died might not be safe; who knows if there might be some strange things left behind on the island.

It's a good thing to be able to bring Xiang Fangsu and Ke Wenbin along. Two high-level thugs can help vouch for them, and if something goes wrong, the taller one can take the blame.

When are we going?

Ke Wenbin looked out the window at the three suns. "Let's go tonight. It's too crowded and hot during the Celestial Person. It'll be cooler at night. Let's ask for a small boat, say we're going fishing, and then we'll turn around and go to the island to dig for something."

"Let's meet again after dinner. Remember to bring your gear; the island might not be safe."

"Good."

After a brief discussion of the plan, everyone prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute."

Ran Zhongshi called to the three who had stood up and said in a low voice.

"My sister's sword broke off at the tip last night... Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand, I understand."

"I'll make sure to get a really good one for Ying Meizi!"

"Alright, it's nothing."