The island was alive with birdsong and fragrant flowers, its scenery as lovely as a painting. Mist curled around the layered green mountains, lending everything an ethereal, sacred air. It was like stepping into a heavenly palace.
A few hundred meters from the shore, a castle came into view. Grand and luxurious, it resembled a Western palace, complete with gardens and ponds. Before long, women's laughter drifted from inside. Several women in sheer swimsuits ran lightly out of the building, followed by a well-built man. They chased one another, laughing all the way, then leaped into the pool together.
The strangers' arrival did not surprise them, and they made no attempt to restrain themselves. They went on playing in the pool as if no one were there. Seeing the man with a woman in each arm, Ye Chen watched a moment longer, feeling a pang of envy.
"What do you think?" Obi asked with a smile. "Looks like a pleasant life, doesn't it? That man used to be a pirate. He's only been here a few months, but look at him now. He's having such a good time that he probably wouldn't leave even if you tried to drive him away."
They continued deeper into the island. Houses grew more numerous, as did the people they met. Everyone seemed to live in comfort. Every home was as large and beautiful as an estate, and whether its owner was a man or a woman, they dressed splendidly, wore gold and silver, and went everywhere surrounded by attendants.
The men lived like kings and the women like queens. Just as Obi had said, everyone seemed happy. But as Ye Chen watched, he noticed a problem: the hierarchy here was rigid. People were far from equal. In one household, the master sat above