She looked around and suddenly noticed several blurry figures on the sea not far away, busy underwater, seemingly digging for something.
"Look over there!" Shen Qingtang pointed to the sea and shouted.
Following the direction she pointed, everyone saw that after digging underwater for a while, a plume of black smoke suddenly rose from the surface of the sea.
Immediately afterwards, the ground beneath their feet began to shake slightly again.
"I understand!" Shen Qingtang exclaimed in sudden realization, "There is no river god at all! They dug things underwater, damaging the island's foundation, which caused the island to shrink and become part of the sea! Their child-snatching sacrifices were just a smokescreen to make us believe in the existence of a river god and prevent us from resisting them!"
Her words struck like lightning, illuminating everyone's hearts. Everyone looked towards the sea and, sure enough, saw those people still busy underwater.
"So that's how it is! They were all scammers!"
"That's outrageous! They've been lying to us for so long!"
"We can no longer trust them! We must rebel!"
The panic in the crowd gradually subsided, replaced by anger. Everyone realized they had been deceived and grabbed whatever weapons were at hand.
They wanted to fight to the death with those men in black and those underwater.
Looking at the scene before her, Shen Qingtang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew that as long as everyone united, they would definitely be able to defeat these bad guys and reclaim their homeland.
When the man in black and the mysterious figure underwater realized their plot had been exposed, they panicked.
They knew that once they lost the aura of the "River God," the fooled villagers and officials would never let them go.
Several fast-moving men in black scrambled towards the sea, screaming as they ran: "Shen Qingtang! You wait! The River God won't let you get away with this! You'll all be punished!"
Their voices were filled with fear and resentment, but their previous arrogance had long since vanished.
They quickly disappeared into the mist.
The remaining injured men in black were also swarmed by the angry villagers, beaten and kicked, and eventually tied up.
Shen Qingtang did not chase after those who had fled. She knew that the most urgent task was to stabilize morale and find a way to leave this place.
She looked around the island and was pleasantly surprised to find that, due to the influence of the previous spatial energy, the island not only produced abundant fruits, but also grew many edible wild vegetables and herbs, and even a wild rice paddy.
"Don't worry, everyone!" Shen Qingtang called out loudly, "There's enough food and water on the island, so we're safe for now. I've already contacted the outside world, and a boat will be here to pick us up soon!"
Actually, she had no contact with the outside world.
She planned to use her merits or the power of space again to try to travel back to the modern era. She held Pei Nian'an's hand tightly, silently repeating the thought of returning to the modern era in her heart.
Sure enough, a familiar dizziness swept over her, and the next second, she and Pei Nian'an found themselves in a modern port.
Shen Qingtang didn't dare to delay. She immediately exchanged the gold in her spatial storage for a large amount of cash and then purchased a large cruise ship as quickly as possible.
She was also equipped with a professional crew and ample supplies. During the purchase, she unexpectedly encountered several modern-day enemies—those who had betrayed her in the past.
A ruthless glint flashed in Shen Qingtang's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, she took advantage of modern legal loopholes and her own methods.
He wanted to ruin his enemies one by one, and have them die in despair.
Having resolved her biggest worry, Shen Qingtang piloted the cruise ship back to the island.
When the enormous cruise ship appeared on the sea, everyone on the island was stunned.
Pei Wuwang, Shen Minglan, Shen Mingzhao, Qin Wanqing, Qin Xian, Su Lingwei, as well as Pei Nian'an's parents and grandfather, all looked at this "giant" with disbelief.
"What...what is this?" Pei's father stammered.
“This is a cruise ship, a ship used for sailing at sea,” Shen Qingtang explained with a smile. “With it, we can leave here safely.”
Overjoyed, everyone boarded the cruise ship. Shen Qingtang did not bring Lu Jiaojiao, Lu Jin, Lin Peirou, or the villagers who had advocated sacrificing the children.
The officials wanted to plead for them, but Shen Qingtang coldly said, "Since they could watch their child die, they should have expected this outcome. If you feel sorry for them, you can stay and keep them company."
Upon hearing this, the officials immediately shut their mouths and dared not utter another word.
Lu Jin and Lin Peirou wanted to argue further, but the officials impatiently pushed them away: "Stop talking nonsense! Shen Qingtang has already done more than enough! Good luck to you!"
Lu Jiaojiao trembled with rage as she watched the cruise ship slowly sail away, her heart filled with resentment and bitterness. Just then, a sudden gust of wind arose, and a huge whirlpool appeared on the sea.
A tall, middle-aged man in a long black robe emerged from the whirlpool, a sinister smile on his face, his eyes filled with greed and desire. He was the "River God" the men in black had spoken of.
Upon seeing this, Lin Peirou's eyes lit up. She immediately adopted a pitiful expression and ran towards the "River God," pleading in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Lord River God! Please save me! That bitch Shen Qingtang abandoned me here! You must avenge me!"
As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her chest, trying to seduce the "river god".
The "River God" sized her up, a wicked smile creeping across his lips: "Little beauty, don't be hasty. I will naturally avenge you. However, you'll have to serve me well first..."
His voice was seductive, but his eyes were like those of a venomous snake.
Lin Peirou felt a chill run down her spine. But for revenge, for survival, she steeled herself and moved closer to the "River God." Little did she know that this journey would plunge her into an abyss of no return.
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