They passed quite a few small towns and villages along the way.
Strangely, the people in these villages were almost all men. Women were nowhere to be seen.
Even in a remote, underdeveloped region, the imbalance was too extreme.
Thinking of the wanted notices, Zhou Sining imagined some grim possibilities.
But he kept them to himself. He could not be sure the pirates were responsible. For all he knew, this place was simply so conservative that women were not allowed out in public.
They continued on and soon came across another village.
Unlike the others, this village stood near the sea on hilly ground. Small huts of wood and blue grass dotted the mountainside, with a neat white path winding upward between rows of crimson herbs. The whole village looked as beautiful as something from a fairy tale.
The sight caught everyone's attention. The girls immediately wanted to stop and take in the scenery.
No one objected. Everyone could appreciate beauty.
But as soon as they reached the village entrance, a dark-skinned young woman wearing red ornaments stopped them. She said the village was preparing for a festival and outsiders were not allowed in.
They could not force their way in when they had been told no. Regretting the missed opportunity, they turned toward the next town.
They had not gone far when Mo Fan could no longer stand it.
"I'm interested in their festival. I want to take a look. You go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you before dark."
It was not really the festival that interested him. The Condensed Evil Pearl had reacted to Vanilla Village, and Mo Fan wanted to find out why.
What secret could a little village hold that caught the Condensed Evil Pearl's interest?
"Me too! I'm coming!" Jiang Shaoxu jumped