058

The old man was busy dealing with the situation, and although he stopped blowing the whistle, the little lizards obeyed the command and continued to attack Xie Suian.

While dodging, Xie Sui'an pulled a tinderbox from his bosom. He spotted the thatched hut, leaped over it, lit the tinderbox, and threw it on the roof.

This thatched hut is the sunniest spot in this dense forest; the dry thatch is flammable.

In an instant, flames licked at the thatched hut, igniting a raging fire that sent the lizards on the hut scattering in all directions, emitting a dense cacophony of low, hoarse hisses in their terror.

Seeing this, the old man angrily shouted "Hey!" and pursed his lips in preparation to change the command, but Qin Sang hit his lips directly with a stone hidden weapon.

His mouth was injured, so he couldn't make a sound. The little lizards couldn't receive his commands and started running around frantically to escape.

Xie Sui'an finally had a free hand and flew over to help Qin Sang, so the two of them were now truly attacking from both sides.

The old man was no match for Xie Suian and was subdued by him with a grab and a kick.

Fearing he might be cheating, Qin Sang immediately tore off a piece of her hem, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it tightly into his mouth.

Seeing this, Xie Sui'an said, "If you gag him, how am I supposed to ask him questions?"

Qin Sang clapped her hands, thought for a moment, and squatted down in front of the old man: "Old man, are you the one who handles corpses on this island?"

The old man glared at Qin Sang, then stubbornly and arrogantly raised his chin, closed his eyes, and made up his mind not to say a word.

Qin Sang glanced at Xie Suian with a smile: "What can you get out of a stubborn old man like that? Just tie him up," she stood up, "tie him up and throw him into the fire to burn, or," she turned to look at the monitor lizards in the iron cage, a wicked smile on her face, "you could throw him in to feed them, isn't he worried about these beasts not having enough to eat..."

Xie Sui'an's face darkened: "...Wouldn't that be a bit cruel?" He was determined never to see the lizard eating people again, and he still couldn't bear to look at the lizard with its round belly in the iron cage.

At this moment, the old man opened his eyes again and made a few furious "woof woof woof" sounds. Clearly, he was also afraid, afraid that he would really become food for the lizard.

Qin Sang smiled and said, "So you're finally willing to speak properly?"

The old man snorted irritably and turned his head to the side.

Qin Sang knew that this meant he was willing to answer, so she asked, "Are all the male and female servants on this island abducted from outside? Once they're in, they can't get out, right?"

The old man grunted annoyedly through his nose.

Qin Sang: "If any of them refuse, throw them in here to feed the lizards?"

The old man hummed in agreement again.

Xie Sui'an couldn't help but ask, "How do we get out of this island? Besides the pier we came from, where else is there an exit?"

The old man shook his head and mumbled something.

Xie Sui raised an eyebrow: "What did he say?"

Qin Sang touched her chin: "He seemed to say... but I didn't quite catch it."

"..." Xie Sui'an had no choice but to point in another direction and say, "Then ask him if you can get out by walking forward from here."

Upon hearing this, the old man closed his eyes and became even more enigmatic.

At this point, Qin Sang analyzed, "We came in from the women's area, which is to the east. We didn't see anyone carrying a corpse when we came in, so the corpse you saw just now must have been brought in from the men's area. In that case, the jungle we are in now must be between the men's and women's areas, and its location is either in the center of the island or by the lake. If it's by the lake, we should head north!"

She pointed in a direction perpendicular to the gravel path, making a firm promise.

“But there’s no road over there.” Xie Sui’an frowned.

Qin Sang: "Roads are made by people walking on them. Think about it, probably no one had the guts to wander around the island like we did before, and no one who did would have the skills to subdue this cunning old man. So naturally, not many people walked on it."

Xie Sui'an looked helpless: "Are you sure?"

Qin Sang didn't want to waste time here. The fire at the thatched house was scorching, and the wind had spread it to the nearby woods. Thick smoke was billowing from here, and someone would probably arrive soon. She immediately took off Xie Sui'an's outer garment, tied the old man up, and threw him aside.

"Let's go, we'll see if we try."

Xie Sui'an was speechless: "...Try again?"

“Otherwise, what better way do you have in this situation?” Without waiting for a reply, she pulled him into the pathless jungle. “I bet if we go this way to the west, we’ll end up in the men’s quarters. If we go that way, we’ll definitely get caught red-handed.”

"Then why don't you go south?" he pointed in a direction.

Qin Sang said with certainty, "Because we should have landed on the island from the south. Going south would be like walking into a trap."

Xie Sui'an was being pulled along by Qin Sang, feeling helpless and doubtful: "Should be? No way, I remember walking around most of the island since I came up here..."

"Okay, okay, stop talking, they're catching up soon!"

***

The pathless jungle was particularly difficult to traverse, with a thick layer of fallen leaves that were damp and slippery. Fortunately, both of them were skilled in martial arts, so they managed to move relatively quickly.

After walking for about half an hour, Xie Sui'an and Qin Sang stopped at the same time and looked at each other.

There was no road ahead; beyond the bushes and vines stood a high vermilion wall.

"I'll go take a look first." Xie Suian pressed Qin Sang down and walked silently for a while. Soon, his gaze passed over the high wall, and through the gaps in the leaves, he saw a mansion with double eaves and upturned corners.

I quietly walked to the foot of the high wall and listened carefully. The other side of the wall was silent, as if no one was guarding it.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes and flew to the top of a nearby lush branch, using the leaves to conceal himself while observing the situation on the other side of the wall.

After looking for a long time, it was indeed quiet and deserted. Just as he was about to get down, he felt a gust of wind behind him, which startled him so much that he slapped it back.

However, upon recognizing the person, he was too late to stop. Fortunately, Qin Sang deflected his palm strike with a Tai Chi Bagua technique. The two grabbed each other and supported each other, barely managing to avoid falling from the tree.

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me over there?!" Xie Sui'an touched Qin Sang's breasts, blushed, paused for a moment, and then growled.

Qin Sang pushed him away and looked outside indifferently: "What's going on? Where is this?"

The house across the wall had yellow tiles and black walls, and was newly renovated. The surrounding flowers and plants were also precious and lush. It was obviously much more solemn than the simple and charming huts she had seen along the way. Qin Sang thought to herself, could this be the residence of the island's owner?

But if it's the master, why isn't there even a single guard?

“It seems we really have gone the wrong way,” Xie Sui’an whispered in her ear. “We can’t get out this way.”

"It's alright, since we're already here, it's fine to go and take a look."

As Qin Sang spoke, she tried to fly towards the wall, but Xie Sui'an grabbed her: "Are you crazy?!"

Qin Sang turned around, blinking her bright, dark eyes: "What did you say?"

Seeing this, Xie Sui'an became somewhat intimidated: "It's so dangerous outside, what do you want to do going out?!"

Qin Sang looked at the exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters of the mansion and said, "I think there's a high chance that the island's owner lives here. I'd like to go and take a look."

Xie Sui'an was greatly puzzled upon hearing this: "Take a look? And then what? What are you going to do? What can you do?"

Qin Sang found it strange: "Just because you can't do anything now doesn't mean you can't do anything in the future. Besides, this kind of drug island is a den of iniquity, a breeding ground for human trafficking, murder, and a scourge to the country and its people. It will definitely be eradicated in the future. As the grandson of the Prime Minister, are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"

"..." Xie Sui'an sighed helplessly, "Of course someone will take care of this kind of thing..."

Qin Sang paused, then sighed softly, "That makes sense. Never mind."

Her slender figure leaped lightly over the wall.

"!!" Xie Suian gritted his teeth and had no choice but to follow.

***

Qin Sang landed on the blue brick ground and cautiously looked around. She felt that the surroundings were unusually quiet, which made her scalp tingle. She was afraid that a hidden weapon might fly out from the surroundings at any moment.

Fortunately, after walking a few steps, there were no hidden weapons.

Xie Sui'an also landed, still with his heart in his throat.

The two walked cautiously for a while, back to back, and after finding that there were indeed no guards, they finally relaxed their vigilance slightly.

Suddenly, Qin Sang took a deep sniff and felt that there was a strange fragrance in the air. This fragrance was not the kind of incense that was usually burned. The fragrance was mixed with a hint of fishy sweetness, which made people feel uncomfortable. She subconsciously covered her nose with her sleeve and reminded Xie Suian: "Be careful."

The two landed in the backyard of the house. Because of the dampness, the bluestone slabs on the ground were covered with slippery moss, indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

They cautiously approached the back window of the house and could faintly hear the sounds of string and wind instruments flowing out.

The music was quite elegant, unlike the chaotic and vulgar music found in dance halls; it had the air of a master.

Then, the two heard faint laughter, but the sound seemed to be coming from the front hall, so it was not very clear from the back.

The two exchanged a glance and prepared to walk around to the front of the house.

There were still no guards. The surrounding trees were deep and towering, and the vines grew wildly and unrestrainedly, creating a messy and desolate atmosphere that made one's heart tremble.

The two walked along the path beside the side wall for a while, when suddenly they saw a person in the distance, looking drunk and tilting his head as if he was looking them up and down.

Xie Sui'an was taken aback, but Qin Sangren reacted immediately. She quickly put on a weak and boneless appearance, snuggled into Xie Sui'an's arms, and reached out to flick his chin with her finger: "What a handsome young man, give me a smile."

Xie Sui'an understood immediately. He smiled and pulled Qin Sang close, pressing her against his chest. His chin almost touched her smooth forehead. He laughed and said, "You are quite slender and beautiful, young lady."

Qin Sang felt rather uncomfortable being held so tightly, so she whispered in his ear, "You're a little weaker..."

The woman's soft voice trembled in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine, and his body actually... reacted.

With a quick movement of his throat, he subtly shifted his position, pulling her close to his side, lowering his head, and smiling with a wicked yet alluring charm.

"Qin Sang..." If I can persuade my grandfather not to let you become his adopted granddaughter, I will marry you. What do you think?

For some reason, he had a fleeting impulse to say that to her.

He felt that since he had already set his mind on this, he couldn't just watch her become his sister, and he should let her know how he felt.

But the words caught in his throat, and he hesitated. What if he couldn't do it? What if his grandfather insisted on his own way, and he couldn't do it? How would the two of them face each other then? How would she face herself? What would be the consequences if she shared his feelings?

He swallowed the rest of his sentence.

"Hmm?" Qin Sang looked up at her, her voice as gentle as spring water, "What are your orders, young master?"

Xie Sui'an chuckled; she was still teasing him.

He turned his head to the side, pretending to kiss her cheek, but asked, "Has she left?"

Upon hearing Qin Sang's "hmm," he immediately released her and stepped back a step, spitting out two words through gritted teeth: "Let's go."

Seeing him stride confidently, his clothes fluttering, Qin Sang stood there for a moment, lost in thought.