Chapter 278: Leaving the Island

Chapter 278: Leaving the Island

Mr. Xiang’s expression became strange. “You and I are related?”

Watching Meng Wan’s calm and fearless demeanor, he wondered how he had never known of such a figure in the Xiang family.

Since they both bore the surname Xiang, Meng Wan figured he was either a nephew or grandson of Mr. Xiang, and he was not intimidated at all. “My master is Xiang Yun.”

Mr. Xiang’s pupils contracted, and he blurted out, “You’re Meng Wan!”

Meng Wan narrowed his eyes slightly, quite surprised—this kid actually knew who he was?

Guo Qixiu, though unaware of who Meng Wan was, couldn’t allow the two sides’ experts to join forces.

“Capture that young man first!” he ordered his retainers.

Uncle Heng was formidable in skill, and this young man named Meng Wan was clearly the leader. The strength of the sturdy young man beside him was still unknown.

But with four second-rate experts under his command, killing a defenseless young man with all their might would be a piece of cake!

At present, third-rate experts were the mainstream, and second-rate retainers were rare and hard to come by. Meng Wan hadn’t expected a small island to hide four such experts.

“Nephew, are you just going to watch your uncle get beaten? Once Guo Qixiu catches us, you’ll be next.” Meng Wan sat unmoving on the rock, letting Chi Yu fight four opponents alone. After ten moves, Chi Yu was already at a disadvantage.

Seeing him still fanning the flames, Guo Qixiu quickly said, “Rest assured, Mr. Xiang, our Gibbon Island wouldn’t dare offend the Xiang family’s direct line.”

Even without Guo Qixiu’s words, Mr. Xiang and Uncle Heng remained motionless, showing no intention to intervene. Mr. Xiang even sneered, “Rest easy—after you die, I’ll avenge you.”

Meng Wan’s smile faded. The Xiang family’s direct line, huh? Very well.

“Chi Yu, fall back.”

Chi Yu, clutching his injured arm, retreated while fighting. The four men, each wielding different weapons—blades, spears, staves, and clubs—pursued relentlessly.

A sea breeze had risen from the ocean, and Chi Yu kicked over the bonfire in front of him. Thick smoke billowed, swept chaotically by the wind, blinding Chi Yu and the four pursuers, and spreading rapidly.

“Young master, be careful.” Uncle Heng, an old hand, swiftly pulled Mr. Xiang back.

The four second-rate experts came to their senses and tried to retreat, but it was too late. They were too close to the smoke and had already inhaled several breaths before holding their breath.

“Not good!”

“Despicable!”

Among the four, the weakest collapsed to one knee, while the other three grew dazed and unsteady.

“Chi Yu!” Meng Wan barked.

Chi Yu, momentarily stunned, snapped back to alertness at Meng Wan’s shout. He turned and slashed at the nearest man’s neck. The man tried to dodge, but his movements were far too sluggish.

The next instant, blood sprayed, and the nearest man clutched his neck as he fell.

With one down, the rest were easier. Even combined, the three were weak and numb, unable to withstand Chi Yu’s heavy blade. He cut them down like melons, and when he straightened up, half his body was drenched in crimson blood.

In the distance, Guo Qixiu had retreated to the back of the crowd, but even the ordinary thugs before him were swaying and dazed.

Chu Ci had dosed nearly everyone with knockout drugs. Apart from himself, even Meng Wan and Chi Yu, who had taken the antidote in advance, barely held on.

The reason Meng Wan remained seated was simply that he couldn’t stand at all.

Among those present, Uncle Heng was the least affected. Mr. Xiang’s knees had also gone weak. The ordinary thugs, farther away but of weaker constitution, were now largely incapacitated.

Mr. Xiang gave a bitter laugh, gesturing at the fallen crowd. “Is this your sincerity? Pretending to seek cooperation while intending to spare no one? The Meng Fulang of legend wasn’t this treacherous.”

If the timing weren’t so off, Meng Wan would have been curious about the rumors concerning him.

“Chi Yu, don’t chase him.” Meng Wan called back Chi Yu, who was about to pursue Guo Qixiu. With Uncle Heng watching warily nearby, Meng Wan didn’t dare let Chi Yu leave his side.

“Xiao Ci, go bring those merchants over.”

Besides Chi Yu and Uncle Heng, only Chu Ci still had the strength to move.

Some of the merchants had attended the mermaid tomb ceremony; others, oblivious, were ordinary people lured by Guo Qixiu. They were now terrified, clearly frightened by Chi Yu’s bloody killings. Two even tried to flee with Guo Qixiu.

Just then, Lord Shen, who had been hiding among the crowd, suddenly collapsed. A merchant who had been chatting amiably with him over the past few days, weak-kneed, tried to help him up, only to see Lord Shen’s face flushed red, eyes bulging, and a terrifying “heh heh” sound escaping his throat—a ghastly sight.

Not only him, but two other foreign merchants showed the same symptoms.

This terrified the others. “You… you poisoned us!”

Their eyes locked onto Meng Wan, who looked the most villainous.

Meng Wan pointed at himself with a wry smile. “Me? Poison you? Do I look that idle? Don’t you know what you’ve eaten yourselves?”

Chen Zhenlong immediately recalled the recent encounter at the mermaid tomb. His face turned grim. “It’s the mermaid pearls we swallowed—they’re tainted.”

Meng Wan gave him a look that said, “Smart of you.” “Do you think Gibbon Island summoned you all here so mysteriously just to sell you a few mermaid pearls?”

“We’re all prominent merchants from various regions. Even just the networking benefits of being invited here are immense.” Some still believed they were honored guests.

But others, like Chen Zhenlong, were more clear-headed. “They wanted to poison us, to use us as leverage, to drain our wealth endlessly?”

“That underestimates us.”

Many of these merchants were self-made; their fortunes and family honor outweighed everything. If they were harmed, their sons and grandsons wouldn’t let this foreign island go unpunished.

“You’re all shrewd, of course you wouldn’t willingly hand over your assets while sober. But what if you ended up like Lord Shen?” Meng Wan pointed to the three men on the ground, who were now in the throes of addiction, crying, drooling, and howling for more mermaid pearls.

In just a few words’ time, they had been reduced to wrecks.

The other merchants swallowed involuntarily at the sight.

“Wan Geer, I also took a mermaid pearl. Will I end up like… like them?” Chen Zhenlong’s lips trembled. He had been the first to swallow one.

Meng Wan counted on his fingers. “Yeah, going by the timeline, you’ll all start showing symptoms soon. Maybe not as severe as Lord Shen and the others, but you’ll definitely suffer.”

No sooner had he spoken than Chen Zhenlong clutched his stomach. The others also showed varying signs of distress.

Ambo translated Meng Wan’s words for the foreign merchants, and fear spread among them.

“Wan Geer, I recall that young man with Brother Tang is a physician. Could he treat us?” Chen Zhenlong was half in real pain, half terrified, his face and head drenched in cold sweat.

Meng Wan was surprisingly agreeable. “Of course. Xiao Ci, go check on Master Chen.”

Chu Ci rose and walked over to Chen Zhenlong and the others, taking their pulses one by one, then nodded solemnly to Meng Wan.

“Young physician, what about our poison?” Facing a life-threatening crisis, the merchants grew restless.

Chu Ci couldn’t answer them, so Meng Wan explained, “Everyone, Physician Chu’s meaning is that your poison can be cured, but it’s a bit troublesome.”

These merchants were all shrewd individuals, and immediately said, "As long as Physician Chu can cure the poison in us, any rare treasures we can find will be offered up willingly."

"There's no need for rare treasures, but there are indeed many medicinal herbs unavailable on this island. For now, Physician Chu can only suppress your poison; everything will have to wait until we leave Gibbon Island," Meng Wan said, standing on a rock and gazing at the distant coast.

Dawn was approaching, and a pale fish-belly white appeared at the horizon where the sea met the sky. A familiar Fu ship sailed steadily toward them.

Meng Wan and Chu Ci stayed by the shore, relighting a bonfire, while Chi Yu waited eagerly at the dock.

Just as the Fu ship was about to dock, three bursts of fireworks suddenly shot up from the direction of the island's Taoist temple, vivid against the brightening sky.

Meng Wan sighed, "Quite beautiful, but it's a pity my husband can't watch it with me."

The advancing Fu ship abruptly halted, clearly because the crew had understood the signal sent by Guo Qixiu.

Everyone was anxious—they had no way to contact the outside world, and the Gibbon Island Fu ship was their only hope of escape.

But Chi Yu was still warming up by the shore, showing no intention of stopping the ship, and Meng Wan remained equally unhurried.

"Meng Wan! You sure are patient. Do you plan to stay on this island forever?" Mr. Xiang, knowing Meng Wan's intentions, gritted his teeth as he watched the Fu ship's crew, who seemed to realize something was wrong and were preparing to turn back.

Meng Wan said casually, "This island has mountains and rivers, food and drink. I won't starve to death, so why should I be in a hurry?"

"You..." Seeing that Meng Wan was not budging, Mr. Xiang finally gave in. "Uncle Heng, you go too."

Meng Wan forced poor Uncle Heng, old and unable to swim, into the water. Chi Yu found a door plank and used it as a makeshift raft, with the two of them on board, heading toward the Fu ship.

Half an hour later, the Fu ship continued on and docked smoothly at the pier.

The merchants eagerly boarded, abandoning their servants and attendants.

"Wan Geer, wait up!" Xia Yuan came running out of nowhere, with Feng Chu looking disheveled beside him, and the young servant nowhere to be seen.

"I... we..." Xia Yuan was out of breath.

Meng Wan cut him off, "Alright, Lord Xia, I know what's going on. As long as you're okay, let's board the ship first."

The crew had already been subdued by Chi Yu and Uncle Heng, leaving only a mute helmsman at the wheel.

"Husband, I found a child. He's not mute," Chi Yu said, bringing a boy over.

Chen Zhenlong recognized the boy. "He was the one who delivered the jade tokens that day!"

Hearing this, Chi Yu also remembered. "Husband, I think he really was that child at the Beihai ferry."

Meng Wan crouched in front of the bound foreign boy and asked a question no one had expected.

"Who carved these jade tokens?"

The boy was startled. "Jade tokens? Yan brought them. I don't know who made them."

"Yan?" Meng Wan found the name vaguely familiar.

"Meng Fulang, my master wishes to discuss something with you," Feng Chu said, having changed into clean clothes to fetch Meng Wan.

He and Xia Yuan had taken a wrong turn and ended up at another small hidden dock on Gibbon Island, but there were no boats left there.

"Meng Fulang, we've been gone for a long time and still haven't found any news about the prince. Going to Ningping Prefecture now would just waste more time. How about we change course and head directly to the nearest Guang'an Prefecture?" Xia Yuan was so anxious that he had blisters at the corners of his mouth.

Meng Wan began to feel unwell as soon as he boarded the ship. He said weakly, "Lord Xia is right. Whatever you decide, I'll follow."

Xia Yuan then asked, "But isn't it too conspicuous to bring this whole shipload of people? Shouldn't we put them ashore?"

Meng Wan couldn't help but smile, which, combined with his frail demeanor, carried a unique charm. "Lord Xia is joking. We're sailing at sea—where would we put them? Let them come with us to Guang'an Prefecture."

Xia Yuan stroked his messy beard. "Meng Fulang is right. That's what I was thinking too. Our priority is finding the prince."

Meng Wan did his best to reassure him. "Don't worry, Lord Xia. These merchants might even be able to help us." The Yu merchants might not be of much use, but don't forget there were many Annam merchants among them.

Guang'an Prefecture was the nearest prefecture to Gibbon Island, and under full sail, the Fu ship could reach it in less than a day.

They disembarked at the Guang'an Prefecture dock. The Xiang family master and servant had vanished without a trace; Meng Wan noticed they were gone when he left the ship, and the tightly bound boy had been taken with them.

Meng Wan spent some silver to hire a large group of dockworkers, instructing them to escort the Fu ship's crew to the local authorities and report the matter.

He didn't know if it would help, but it was better than killing them all or letting them go.

"Everyone, I won't waste time on pleasantries. There's an old saying in Yu: 'A kindness should be repaid.' I saved your lives. If you don't repay me, even heaven would not allow it," Meng Wan said solemnly, holding the "antidote" made by Chu Ci.

The merchants who hadn't been invited by Guo Qixiu to the merperson tomb left the ship immediately. The remaining merchants all fixed their eyes on the pills in Meng Wan's hand.

Two of these merchants had businesses in Guang'an Prefecture, and the first thing they did after disembarking was to find a doctor to examine them.

As expected, they were indeed poisoned—with a very rare toxin that was incurable, or even properly diagnosed.

"Just tell us if you want money or manpower. As long as we can manage it, please speak freely, sir," the merchants said, having inferred from others' attitudes that Meng Wan's status seemed unusual. They all spoke very respectfully.

"Easy enough. I'm not threatening you with these antidotes. I just want to borrow your connections to gather some news from the Annam capital."

With that, Meng Wan then distributed the pills to everyone.

All of them tacitly refrained from taking the pills on the spot. Even Chen Zhenlong, who had a good relationship with Xia Yuan, carefully tucked the pill into his sleeve.

They were truly scared and wouldn't dare take anything without caution, planning to have it examined by a doctor first.