"Everyone, this place is remote and dangerous—only those truly at the heart of our cause could have found it. Since we’re all here, and the code words checked out, there’s no need for further concealment." The man known as Dongfang Jibai spoke, looking not yet fifty, tall and thin, sporting a Daoist topknot. "Though we share the same path, we’ve all kept our distance under the oppression of that witch. The fact we’re gathered today proves her tyranny. The righteous are many, the wicked few—today we have Heaven’s favor. I am Walter Huan, lord of Wuluo Island. Greetings, heroes."
"Oh, so it’s Lord Huan—pleasure to meet you..." Amid a flurry of polite bows and greetings, Jill Young finally understood: these folks were holding a secret meeting, but nobody actually knew each other beforehand—which meant she still might not get exposed.
"Let me introduce myself as well." The man called Wunao Zesi was in his thirties, solidly built, with a big bushy beard like Yan Chixia: "I’m Terrence Bar, lord of Tielin Island!"
"So you’re the legendary master craftsman, Lord Bar—pleasure’s all mine!" The crowd launched into a wave of flattery, and Terrence Bar grinned, bowing to everyone, clearly enjoying his moment in the spotlight.
Next up was the one called You Dong Ze Sheng, a man just over forty with a long, flowing beard, dressed like a scholar: "Heroes, I am William Bo, lord of Weihongdao Island."
"We’ve long heard of Lord Bo’s wisdom and sense of justice! With you here, that witch won’t stand a chance!" Immediately, the crowd started up again, praising and hyping him. Walter Huan and Terrence Bar’s expressions kept shifting—wherever there are people, there’s drama, and even this tiny group of three hundred couldn’t help but stir up a bit of intrigue.
After the flattery marathon, everyone turned to Jill Young. All three hundred men stared at her, their looks suddenly complicated—some were dazzled, some smitten, some awestruck. Of the four who’d exchanged code words, only Jill hadn’t introduced herself. The recently-slapped Walter Huan bowed and asked, "Esteemed heroine, you are...?"
"Sigh..." Jill Young shook her head and decided to just come clean—no point playing games with this bunch of wild imaginations: "Me? I just took a nap here, I’m really just a random passerby."
Walter Huan immediately laughed: "You must be joking! Ah, you’re testing our powers of observation, aren’t you?"
Yep—these folks really do have wild imaginations! At this rate, even Jill Young was curious when she’d finally get exposed!
First up was William Bo, stroking his beard: "I’ve long heard Lady Flora of Furong Island is a peerless beauty, no less than the legendary Xi Shi or Wang Zhaojun. Seeing you today, it’s clear the rumors are true—you must be Lady Flora!"
Someone immediately chimed in, stirring up the crowd: "Oh, so you’re Sister Flora!"
"Flora my foot!" Jill Young couldn’t take it anymore: "Who’s Sister Flora?"
"Ha! Lady Flora may be beautiful, but I doubt she compares to this young lady. Besides, Lady Flora isn’t famous for her internal energy—so how could you be her?" Terrence Bar piped up next, giving Jill Young a once-over, his eyes flashing. "It’s freezing here, but you’re barely dressed and not even shivering—your cheeks are rosy. You must have at least forty years of fiery internal energy. So, I say you’re Lord Phoenix of Fengming Island!"
"Oh!" someone immediately shouted, "So you’re Lord Phoe—"
"Stop!" Jill Young waved her hand, officially losing patience: "Call me Phoenix and I’ll lose it!"
"So you’re not Lord Phoenix either?" Walter Huan looked Jill Young up and down, pondering. "Among us island lords, there aren’t many women like you. If you’re not Lady Flora or Lord Phoenix—then you must not be an island lord at all."
Jill Young clapped her hands: "Now you’re finally getting somewhere." After all that nonsense, Walter Huan was actually making sense. She gave him an encouraging look: "Go on, tell everyone the truth! Hurry up and expose me so I can leave—if I stay any longer, I’ll catch whatever fool disease you’ve all got."
Walter Huan slapped his palm, declaring with all the certainty of a TV detective: "I’ve got it!"
Alright, just spit it out already!
"If you’re not an island lord, then you must be a cave lord! Legend has it that when the Frost Hollow technique is fully mastered, black hair turns white—I can’t believe I forgot that! Guess I’m getting old. But I never expected the Frost Hollow Lord to join our cause—my deepest respect!"
Jill Young couldn’t help but shake her head and clap—who knew revealing her identity would be this hard? What a world!
Seeing Jill Young clap, Walter Huan assumed he’d nailed it, and immediately felt a scholarly superiority, nodding to everyone with a smug grin. But someone hidden in the crowd snorted: "Hmph, hasn’t Frost Hollow always been close to that witch? Who knows what you’re up to here? Maybe you’re her spy!"
Whoosh—all eyes turned to Jill Young, and the looks weren’t friendly. Some quietly gripped their weapons—big knives, long swords, everyone was packing. The mood turned tense.
But then William Bo spoke up to calm things down: "Gentlemen, no need to get worked up. Frost Hollow may be near the witch’s territory, but that just means they suffer more oppression. The Frost Hollow Lord coming here alone proves their sincerity. Let’s not jump to conclusions. If we start fighting among ourselves, the witch will be laughing!"
After that, the crowd exchanged glances and slowly put down their weapons.
Couldn’t blame William Bo for speaking up—Jill Young looked way too chill. Any undercover agent, once exposed or even suspected, would be panicking. But Jill? She’d be munching popcorn like it was a show. No way she looked like a spy. And if she was just a nobody, fine—off with her for secrecy’s sake. But everyone was convinced she was a top-tier expert, so nobody dared make a move.
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, click next page to continue reading!)
So, squinting away, Jill Young still hadn’t been exposed.
Just then, a tiny spark flickered across the dark sky in the distance, shooting upward before bursting with a pop. It was a primitive firework—not as grand as the modern kind, but in the pitch-black night, it was enough to draw everyone’s attention.
Seeing the spark, the crowd immediately cheered: "We did it! We did it! Lord Shade pulled it off!"
The firework exploded more than ten miles away, but soon after, Jill Young’s ears picked up a faint pattering sound. It was footsteps—fast ones—racing up the mountain and leaping to the summit. Whoosh! A short figure in black appeared at the peak, carrying a bundle on his back.
He looked at Walter Huan, who nodded. Then he spoke: "Everyone, Shade has fulfilled the mission—we’ve succeeded."
"Awooo—!" Hundreds of weapons were raised skyward, and the mood instantly turned jubilant.
"Gentlemen!" Walter Huan raised his hands and called out: "Our islands and caves have long suffered under that witch’s oppression. Today, we must rise up and resist! If the Thirty-Six Isles and Eighteen Hollows unite, that witch won’t know what hit her. Sadly, some have been swayed by her petty favors and forgotten justice! But those here are true heroes. Let’s swear our oaths and seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance—let’s storm Tianshan!"
Everyone roared: "Storm Tianshan!"
Terrence Bar joined in: "Down with the witch!"
"Down with the witch!"
William Bo finished with a shout: "Sworn in blood!"
"Sworn in blood!"
"Good! Since everyone is decided, let’s not delay any longer." Walter Huan waved his hand. "Lord Shade, bring up the item—we’ll raise the flag and set out!"
"Roar, roar, roar!" The crowd’s excitement exploded—these men, tall and short, fat and thin, were hyped up like they’d just downed a gallon of pure adrenaline. Their shouts echoed through the mountains. Jill Young couldn’t help but think: if an avalanche buried them all right now, that would be one epic ending.
Lord Shade nodded, took the bundle off his back, untied the straps, and revealed—a baby! Well, technically, Jill Young could describe it in proper OB-GYN terms thanks to Su Muhua’s influence: a newborn. The little one was less than a month old, skin still a bit wrinkly, soft and pink and adorable, all wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The cold wind made its tiny face turn pale.