Seventeenth Master and the others dared not move around freely, and could only follow the peasant women into a huge room. The room was full of tables, chairs and benches. The peasant women skillfully took the tableware and walked to the long line to wait patiently.
Seventeenth Master suddenly realized that this was the White Lotus Sect's dining hall.
All the women followed the rules in an orderly fashion, queuing up to get their food before bringing it to the table to eat. After finishing their meals, they wiped the tables and chairs clean, and staff members were responsible for cleaning up the dishes. There was no arguing or pushing; everyone ate happily, chatting and laughing.
Seventeen was astonished by the sight of hundreds of people eating together. Since arriving on the island, he had not seen anything related to a cult, only women living in harmony. Seventeen even began to wonder if this was a paradise or a cult's lair.
Seventeenth Master was stunned. The woman behind him gently nudged him and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Aren't you going to eat?" Seventeenth Master and the others quickly nodded, took their utensils, and lined up in the queue. Soon, their food was served. Seventeenth Master hesitated, holding his plate, but finally took a risk and chose a seat in the busiest spot.
Seventeenth Master knew his ultimate goal was to find Fourteenth Master as soon as possible, but due to his limited mobility and the crowded and complicated situation, he dared not act rashly. He knew the only way was to first find clues from the women and then act after dark.
The Seventeenth Prince gave a signal, and the guards dispersed. The peasant women at the next table did not suspect these tall "women" and chatted while eating.
Seventeenth Master sipped his rice, his mind completely on them, wishing he could listen carefully. Just then, he suddenly heard a woman say the words "leader," and his heart tightened, his whole body trembling with tension.
"I haven't seen the leader come out much lately; he's been cooped up in his room the whole time..." The young woman casually picked at her food with her chopsticks, complaining softly.
The older woman beside him chuckled, "The leader isn't cooped up in his room; he has people keeping him company..."
This piqued the curiosity of another woman, who leaned over and whispered mysteriously, "Have you heard? There are men on our island!"
Seventeenth Prince's heart sank. A man? Could it be Fourteenth Prince?
"Impossible! No man has stayed overnight on the island for so many years. The male cult leader from outside never lets them see the true face of our place. How could there be a man here..." The young woman didn't believe it.
The older woman seemed to know something inside. She smiled knowingly and beckoned, drawing all the women closer. "Have you all forgotten? Our leader once willingly became a concubine for a prince of the Qing Dynasty. Later, the prince misunderstood her and almost kicked her out. Now, it's said that the prince has fallen on hard times, and our leader, in his mercy, brought him back to the island..."
Everyone was stunned, nearly screaming in shock, and quickly covered their mouths.
"Shh!" I only heard about this from the leader's maid, so you mustn't spread rumors! Our leader has been incredibly kind to us. If it weren't for him, we would have starved to death long ago. If the leader can find his own happiness, let alone a man! Even if the leader asked me to die, I would do it without hesitation..." The older woman's face was filled with righteous indignation.
The women around him nodded in agreement, and the Seventeenth Prince overheard their conversation. It turned out that this cult leader had once been the Fourteenth Prince's concubine, but if she loved the Fourteenth Prince, why did she massacre his residence? There were too many secrets here; the Seventeenth Prince could only uncover the truth by finding the Fourteenth Prince.
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