Deep in the forest was a village with rows of two-story houses connected together. There were many people working in the village, and some children playing around. Li Ke looked at their straw mats and various containers, which were full of all kinds of insects.

Those people also sized up Li Ke and the other outsiders, but there was not much curiosity in their eyes. Judging from their appearance, they should be the original inhabitants of this area.

They were escorted onward, passing through the village and continuing forward until they came to a river five or six meters wide. They followed the river deeper into the area.

After walking for more than two hours, they finally stopped. Ahead lay a wide expanse of water, with a long stretch of interconnected islands in the center.

Some robbers stood on the shore waving flags, while Li Ke and his companions sat on the ground to rest and were given some leftover food to fill their stomachs.

A boat came from the island at a fast speed. Li Ke and the others sat and rested for more than half an hour before being forced back onto the boat.

Two small, open-top, oil-fired fishing boats came and took all of them on board.

Perhaps because they had entered their own territory, these robbers relaxed considerably. Ever since boarding the ship, they casually found places to sit, chatting, smoking, and joking around in small groups.

Li Ke and the others weren't strictly told how to sit, so she led the two people who were tied to her with a rope to stand on the side of the boat.

She was looking at the water, and Li Ke couldn't even be sure what kind of water this was.

The sea? Not big enough. A lake? Not quite. The water looks very good, quite clear, and you can even see mutated fish swimming in it. So far, this place gives a really nice impression.

"What are you looking at?" asked Li Ke with interest. This was the same person who had chosen Li Ke in the first place.

Hearing the question, Li Ke glanced at the man before returning her gaze to the water: "Look at the water, look at the fish. With so many fish, there must be some edible ones, right?"

The man smiled, his gaze still fixed on Li Ke's face: "These treasures aren't for us to eat. They have other uses, you'll find out later."

Seeing that the other party was quite interested in talking, Li Ke continued, "Is the island ahead your base? Now can you tell us what you want to do with us?"

The man was now quite brazen: "This is one of our main bases. As for you, you're quite useful. We can sell you to whoever wants you, or we can keep you for ourselves. You know, people with good physiques like you, especially healthy soldiers, are very popular in our business. Unfortunately, you soldiers are also the most difficult to deal with and the easiest to cause trouble."

Li Ke asked thoughtfully, "Which side is more advantageous? You've taken so many of our hostages, where are the others? Are they also on the island ahead?"

The man stared at Li Ke with a half-smile: "You have so many questions, but I only have one. Why don't you answer me first?"

Li Ke remained silent, waiting for the other person to ask a question. The man deliberately scanned Li Ke's body inch by inch with his gaze: "You're a woman, right? I forgot to tell you, here, the most valuable people are always beautiful and healthy women. You look very valuable."

Li Ke calmly countered, "How did you figure that out?"

A smug glint appeared in the man's eyes: "Eyes, a woman's eyes are different from a man's eyes. When you took off your mask, I even suspected you were gay, but once I saw through your disguise, I was certain you were a woman. The difference between a woman's eyes and a man's eyes is huge; the light is different."

Li Ke frowned slightly: "That's it?"

Feeling slighted, the man raised his voice and said, "Of course, that's not all. If you reveal even the slightest flaw, I'll follow that flaw to uncover other suspicious points about you. Your body odor is also different from a man's; a man's scent is always stronger, while a woman's is warmer. Although the way you walk is already very proper in approaching a man, your movements look too clean, which is also a flaw."

Li Ke turned to her two companions who had been invisible for a while: "Did you two realize I was a woman?"

Without the mask, her voice changer was temporarily unusable. Although she had practiced her voice, it still sounded somewhat different.

The two men stared at Li Ke for a while: "We didn't realize it before, but now that we hear what he said, it makes a lot of sense."

The man then said smugly, "Actually, your disguise was quite good, but unfortunately you ran into someone as experienced as me."

Li Ke continued, "You still haven't told me where you took our people? More than 80,000 people, surely they're not all on your island? Also, why didn't the hostages you sent come as requested on our list? What's their current situation?"

The man laughed and said, "We didn't arrest that many of you. We don't know where the others are. With so many people in so many places, how could we possibly find them one by one? Besides, the people you're trying to redeem must be quite useful. Such people might have already been sold by us or others, so there's no way to return them to you."

Li Ke's heart sank. It seemed that the road ahead had encountered a major setback and was not going to be easy. Li Ke lowered his head and looked at the mutated fish that occasionally swam by in the water, lost in thought.

She was tapped on the arm; it was the robber using the butt of his gun to bring her back to her senses. Li Ke saw the evil in his eyes and followed his gaze forward.

Ahead stood rows of sharp wooden stakes, each topped with a blackened skull and wrapped in bloody flesh.

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