Over the foggy Tianwu Strait, the twin moons in the sky turned into two blurry haloes, revealing a vague and pale light. The black tide lapped on the rocks as sharp as animal teeth around Hailing Island.
, turned into a messy and broken white foam, and then gathered again in the cracks and grooves of the rocks on the coast, with an unbearable stench.
However, in this gloomy silence, a bright orange light dimly lit up under the land bridge on the shore of the island. Under its guidance, a small boat emerged from the gray-black fog and quietly came ashore.
A figure in a cloak stepped out of the boat. At the moment, the person opposite who had been waiting for a long time with a torch was none other than Yuli, who was wearing a sea snake mask. The young general bowed deeply to the visitor, helped him get on his horse, and crossed
Cross the land bridge, follow a path hidden in the dense forest, and rush towards the Zhenlan Fortress on the north side of the main island.
"You mean, my nephew is still alive today?"
After the man in the cloak got on his horse, he immediately asked about Qi Ziyin. It was Qi Shouyu, the Marquis of Jinghai, who had come from the starry night in Mulu City.
"Before I sent the letter to the Governor, I was not completely sure. However, the general's speculation was not out of thin air, but I never thought that it would actually cause the Lord to take the risk of coming here."
Although he was driving hard, Yu Li was obviously afraid that the pudgy prince would punish him for his poor performance. This slight change in his mood could not escape the eyes of the other party. Qi Shouyu immediately cleared his throat and comforted:
"That day after you sent the bones to the Tingwei Division, there was no news, so I was worried that something had gone wrong. But now, it is useless to find out who is at fault. What is important is if you continue to let that person go.
As long as the child is alive, it will have an immeasurable impact on our great cause, and we must remedy it as soon as possible."
Yu Li immediately raised his hand on his horse: "Yes, I understand. However, the body in white clothes had been bitten by sharks to look like that. Could it be because Tingweisi was worried about the body of the king?
Deliberately concealing the results of the autopsy?"
"No. I personally inquired about this matter. I also re-examined the bones accompanied by the captain of the navy camp. It was confirmed that the epiphyseal lines on the extremity bones had been closed, and he also suffered from severe rheumatism.
, is not what a sixteen-year-old boy should look like at all." Qi Shouyu kept shaking his head, and then asked, "On your side, are you sure that the person you took is indeed the red-haired girl next to the young master?
?”
"Don't worry, Overseer. The general has met that little girl several times in the past years, and he will never admit his mistake."
"So, is that boy with black eyes still alive?" The pudgy prince became obviously alert, and the light shining from his eyes was like a bad wolf patrolling in the forest.
"It is unknown whether Jiang Yan is still alive today. But based on my understanding of his temperament, if he was among those Ding slaves at that time, he would not have easily allowed my men to take away the red-haired little girl.
.”
"Not necessarily, not necessarily. For the current plan, we should order all places to strengthen their vigilance. If any suspicious persons are found, report them immediately..."
As they talked, the two of them continued to move forward. Although Hailing Island was surrounded by thick fog, as the mountains continued to rise, the fog surrounding the island gradually sank to the feet, and the treetops revealed countless mountains.
The starry sky with clouds. As I walked, the front suddenly became brighter.
It is impossible for outsiders to know that there is a flat highland of 20 to 30 acres on the seemingly nowhere cliff in the north of the main island of Hailing Island. At this time, a solid fortress has been built with bluestone on the highland. It is the fortress called Zhenlan. Even after dark, the lights are still brightly lit inside the fortress. Groups of Dinnus line up to continuously transport wood and iron ore to the inside of the fortress. There is the clanging sound of iron smelting and casting. , also scattered with the wind, and could be heard very clearly.
"Lord Governor, we have already arrived at Zhenlan. It is already late now, and you are tired from traveling and traveling. Why don't you rest for the night and go to the prison tomorrow?"
Yu Li brought Gray Jade Hua to his crotch, and as he spoke, he was about to dismount, intending to enter the fortress first to make arrangements. But Jinghaihou waved his hand decisively:
"The king plans to interrogate that girl overnight. She will definitely be very strict and must use some extraordinary means!"
At the same time, in the dungeon of the fortress, Ning Yue closed her naked feet under her skirt, but she still shivered. She had lost her shoes when she was taken to the black ship, and now she was half The stone cell buried underground absorbed the moisture from the sea and became increasingly cold and biting.
The girl brought her hands to her mouth and rubbed them gently. Although she was very glad that when they were on the boat before, Jiang Yan and Qi Ziyin did not conflict with the soldiers wearing sea snake masks in order to save themselves. However, at this moment, But she desperately hoped that someone could comfort her and tell herself that this was just a nightmare.
After being locked up for a whole day, there was no new movement outside the cell door. This made the girl start to feel uneasy, and she began to worry that her red hair was too conspicuous, and that the identity of her companion would inevitably be exposed in the end. Or maybe the people on the black ship locked themselves here for some other purpose.
Through a transom window that was only the size of a palm, Ning Yue looked out of the dungeon and prayed devoutly to the stars in the sky. Suddenly, a series of rapid footsteps sounded outside the door, which made her heart suddenly twitch. After all, the girl She had no idea what she was about to encounter. At this moment, she was as frightened as a hare in a cage, squeezing her body into a corner of the stone room. The iron door on the stone wall in front of her was completely out of her control. It is the only barrier that separates her from danger.
With a "click" sound, the copper lock on the iron door was opened from the outside. What caught the girl's eyes was the major general who she had seen before during the day, carrying a broad-backed saber. But now behind him, there was also a low figure. The short man wearing a cloak. Without any hesitation, Ning Yue recognized him as the man who ordered Luo Jianli to hunt down her and her companions three years ago, almost causing the three of them to die in the human bone underground palace under the general's temple. That mysterious person!
"Everyone, please retreat. I can be left here alone."
The mysterious man waved towards Yu Li and flipped down the cloak on his head with his backhand, revealing a face full of flesh. Seeing that face, the red-haired girl did not show any surprise at all, she just used His blue eyes stared at the other party without blinking, because the visitor was none other than the expected short and fat prince, Marquis Jinghai.
Qi Shouyu also understood that the girl in front of him had already figured out his identity. He chuckled, and his voice echoed in the stone room, appearing extremely cunning:
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I have no intention of harming you."
"We should have guessed that you, the bad guy, are causing trouble! Now that the fox has exposed its tail, the guy with the mask probably likes the toad eyes following you, right? You two are insidious, cunning, cold and selfish. , a ruthless, despicable, vile, bastard, what are you going to do with me?"
At this point, Ning Yue knew that she was in a desperate situation and there was no need to be afraid anymore, so she vented all her thoughts and cursed.
Marquis Jinghai laughed: "Little girl, you are very smart. Before I said anything, you have already guessed so many secrets that I have tried hard to hide for a long time. But in this world, who doesn't have secrets? ?Now I just want to make an exchange with you, okay?"
"Bah! Who wants to make an exchange with you!" Ning Yue spat hard.
"Aren't you willing? But if you are willing to make an exchange, I will promise to give you your freedom?"
Qi Shouyu was still smiling, but he approached the girl step by step. Ning Yue still wanted to hide far away, but the length of the iron chains tied to her hands and feet was limited after all, and she soon became unavoidable.
"Little girl, could it be that your problem of not trusting others was something you learned from Baili? But that's right. Now that you know too many of my secrets, how can I let you go so easily? However, If you refuse to agree, my virtuous nephew Yin may not have the chance to see the sun tomorrow again."
"You bunch of beasts, what do you want to do with Ziyin?!"
The pudgy prince paused and started telling lies. But Ning Yue was a pure-hearted person, so how could she defeat the old fox who had been in the officialdom for decades? After just a few words, she fell into the opponent's trap. The trap was easily caught.
"Zi Yin is indeed still alive!"
Marquis Jinghai looked like he had seen through the other party completely. He put his hands on his hands and laughed, then turned around and patted the iron door behind him. He said to the young general waiting outside: "You heard me, my nephew is still alive now, you Know what to do!"
Yu Li's voice came from outside the door: "I will personally lead the people to search for it, and when I find it, I will kill him on the spot!"
Ning Yue felt a buzzing sound in her head, and in her ears she could hear a group of soldiers shouting and running away outside the door. No matter how much she begged, the pudgy prince remained unmoved.
However, Qi Shouyu did not open the iron door and leave. He just looked at the girl in front of him quietly, who had an obvious foreign style, as if he was admiring a beautiful work of art. After a long time, he spoke again, but He changed the topic and seemed to be talking to himself, but also seemed to deliberately say it to the red-haired girl in front of him:
"I was fortunate enough to read an ancient scroll, which said: There is a country called Cangyu in the depths of the Chanying Sea. The country is home to a beautiful sea monster that can transform into a human form and is so beautiful that it is incomparable..."
After hearing this, Ning Yuedeng stopped crying immediately, with an increasingly frightened look on her face, and lowered her head, not daring to look into the other person's eyes.
The pudgy prince narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, maintaining that cunning smile as if his evil plan had succeeded:
"It seems that the legend of Cangyu Kingdom is not false. I have been sending people to search for living sea monsters for decades. Now I can see it. It is indeed worthy of its reputation! Do you know that the power emanating from your body , rare in the world. Although ordinary people can't tell it apart, anyone who is proficient in some simple magic can easily detect it. Do you really think you can hide it and tuck it tightly?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
The girl denied it. Unexpectedly, the other party suddenly took a step forward, stretched out his right hand and clamped her neck tightly:
"The reason why I rushed to the island overnight is not just for the child Ziyin, but also because the legendary leader of the sea monster in Cangyu Kingdom masters a powerful magic called Xixi, which can change the color of mountains and rivers. , the sun and the moon have no light. It is said that this technique is a miracle left by the ancient ancestors, and it is the most powerful force in the world. Now, please tell me honestly, where is the Cangyu Kingdom located in the Chanying Sea? , and what secret method should we use to get there?"
"I - don't know - what you are talking about!"
After learning the real purpose of the other party's trip, Ning Yue immediately shook her head like crazy, her messy red hair looking like a flower about to wither. However, Qi Shouyu was not moved at all, and actually stretched out his left thumb to press on Above her Yintang, she whispered:
"Do you think that since people on land have banned the secret arts of witchcraft for hundreds of years, no one can break the transformation spell cast on you? Do you think that if Zi Yin and the black-eyed kid see the girl? Zhenrong, will they still like you as much as they do now?"
Following the curse muttered by the other party, Ning Yue felt as if her body had suddenly been tortured like a knife or an axe. The pain made her curl up involuntarily. But no matter how she kicked and resisted, Jinghai Hou's hand on his throat never relaxed at all.
Gradually, a change gradually appeared on the girl's skin. Although it was still fair, it revealed patches of fine, scale-like lines. Not only that, several obvious cheek clefts also reappeared behind her ears, leaving them exposed. There is a thick webbed membrane between the slender fingers and toes.
"No! I beg you, don't tell them!"
In this way, the last line of defense in Ning Yue's heart was finally completely defeated. She always thought that the transformation spell cast by Granny Cen was a high-level magic spell in the clan, but she didn't know where the short and fat land man opposite her came from. Chu Xi came up with a way to crack it, and she had no way of knowing how the other party guessed her identity. The secret that the girl had carefully hidden since she landed on land has now become a sharp arrow piercing her heart. It made her despair.
"I have a kind heart, so I will give you some time to think about it. However, my patience is still limited. I advise you to carefully choose every word you say to me in the future and make every decision correctly. If you choose the wrong answer, I can guarantee that you are not the only one who will suffer, but there will also be those you care about!"
Qi Shouyu stopped reciting the curse and continued to question him, and just allowed the limp girl to slowly slide to the ground against the stone wall of the prison. The heavy iron door reopened and closed, leaving only Ning Yue in the cell dejectedly. She was leaning on the corner, panting weakly. Her blue eyes were already filled with tears of despair.
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