An unknown pitfall trapped the unsuspecting Su Xiaoning and Su Qingcai.
A series of noisy footsteps sounded around the pit, followed by a group of people poking their heads in. Su Xiaoning looked closely and recognized them as the people who had kidnapped Ding Yi and Bing Er yesterday!
"I knew something was off yesterday. There seemed to be other people around here. And sure enough, they walked right into the trap!"
The leader ignored Su Xiaoning's surprised and angry look, ordered his men to bring Su Xiaoning and Su Qingcai out of the pit, and then shoved them around, not knowing where they were going.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Xiaoning clung tightly to a large tree by the roadside and shouted, "What do you want to do with us? I'm not going with you!"
"Whether you want to leave or not is not up to you," the leader sneered, and with a wave of his hand, a group of people rushed forward to pull Su Xiaoning away.
"Let her go!"
Su Qingcai's expression was grim. He stepped forward and knocked down several people closest to Su Xiaoning. He held Su Xiaoning firmly behind him and glared angrily at the unfriendly person in front of him.
The leader didn't take Su Qingcai seriously at all and ordered his men to keep attacking.
After all, two fists can't fight four hands, and Su Qingcai had only recently recovered. Before long, he was defeated, and a group of people rushed in, pulling at him and Su Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning still clung tightly to the tree, her sleeves torn to shreds, yet she refused to let go.
In the midst of the chaos, the leader suddenly seemed to sense something and unconsciously looked at Su Xiaoning's arm. When he saw the koi fish mark glowing red, he was immediately taken aback.
"Let them go!"
Hearing this, the people who were pulling at Su Xiaoning glanced at her arm, seemingly remembering something. Upon seeing the koi fish mark, they looked at each other in disbelief, their gazes even filled with awe.
The leader walked up to Su Xiaoning. Su Xiaoning thought he was going to attack her and was about to shout angrily, but unexpectedly he suddenly knelt down in front of her with a pious expression.
“Your Holiness, we were blind to your greatness and offended you. Please forgive our sins.”
The others followed suit and knelt down, prostrating themselves on the ground in a very humble posture.
This sudden turn of events left Su Xiaoning at a loss.
"What are you talking about? I... I'm not some saintess..."
"No, you are the Holy Maiden!" The leader's gaze was firm. "The koi fish mark on your arm is the best proof!"
Unexpectedly, they worshipped the koi fish mark so much. Su Xiaoning didn't know what connection they had with the mark, and stood there in a daze, not knowing how to respond.
Seeing her bewildered expression, the leader stood up and said respectfully, "Holy Maiden, these things cannot be explained by us alone. Why don't I take you to the tribe to see our chief? The chief will be happy to see you, and your companions have not been harmed in the tribe."
Su Xiaoning looked at Su Qingcai with some difficulty. Su Qingcai seemed to have not expected things to develop either. After thinking for a moment, he nodded to Su Xiaoning.
They had nowhere to go and also had to consider the safety of Ding Yi and Bing Er. Even if it was a dangerous place ahead, they had to go and try.
...
Su Xiaoning and Su Qingcai were taken to the tribe, where the tribe's chief, Wang Fan, personally received them with great respect.
Su Xiaoning couldn't help but ask, "What's the connection between you and the koi fish mark on my body? Why do you call me Saintess?"
“There is indeed a connection, but that goes back a hundred years.” Wang Fan laughed and began to recount the past events.
"Actually, we are not native to this island. A hundred years ago, our ancestors were naval officers in the capital. They were living a carefree life, but they were persecuted by corrupt officials. In their time of crisis, our ancestors received a hint from a woman with a koi fish mark and brought their families to this island by boat to seek refuge."
"Our ancestors multiplied and thrived, passing down the teachings that we should always treat those with the koi fish mark with respect. Now that we encounter the koi fish mark again, it is time for us to be born."
Wang Fan's gaze was sincere, his eyes looking at Su Xiaoning without a trace of impurity.
Su Xiaoning was taken aback, not expecting that the people on this island had such a past. "You've stayed here far from worldly affairs, and now that you've met me, you want to leave this world?"
“Exactly.” Wang Fan nodded. “If you want our help, we will go through fire and water, even at the cost of our lives.”
“Well… I don’t really need your help.” Su Xiaoning scratched her head and pushed Su Qingcai out from beside her. “He’s one of my men, and we need him right now. Why don’t you help him with his work? I don’t care about these things.”
Just as Su Qingcai mentioned that he wanted to find someone to build ships, this opportunity came along.
Following Su Xiaoning's gaze, Wang Fan carefully examined Su Qingcai. His piercing eyes gave Su Qingcai a strange feeling, as if his true identity had been exposed.
“Since the Holy Maiden has spoken, we will certainly help you. However, we have conditions.” Wang Fan withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “Our ancestors forbade us to work for anyone in the court, especially members of the royal family, except for the Holy Maiden. May I ask what this young master’s identity is?”
Without a second thought, Su Xiaoning immediately said, "I understand. Don't worry, he's not a member of the royal family."
At the time, Su Qingcai only said that he was indeed of unusual status, but did not specify what his identity was. Because of her trust in him, Su Xiaoning never doubted him.
To everyone's surprise, Su Qingcai remained silent, his gaze towards Su Xiaoning somewhat complicated.
Ding Yi and Bing Er, who had been rescued, were standing next to Su Qingcai. Seeing that things were not going well, Ding Yi, not wanting Su Qingcai to lose such an ally, quickly stepped forward and said, "My young master is just an ordinary person. He has only been resented by people in the court. Please rest assured, leader."
"Is that so?" Wang Fan still smiled, but his words seemed to have a deeper meaning.
He did not give a clear answer, but simply stood up and said calmly, "It's getting late. Please, Your Excellency and your friends, get some rest. We can discuss this matter later."
After saying that, Wang Fan left the place.
It was only then that Su Xiaoning realized something was wrong. She carefully recalled Ding Yi's slightly nervous expression and Su Qingcai's strange attitude, and a sense of foreboding crept into her heart.
Could it be that Su Qingcai's true identity is even more shocking than she imagined?
Seeing that Su Qingcai had not left, Su Xiaoning immediately asked:
"Can you tell me your real identity?"
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