Fan Sheng’s face darkened as he stepped forward and rebuked, “Huang Guiyu, what are you doing?!”
“Clan leader, even if you blame me, I still have to say it, right now the island can’t withstand any more trouble. Every household has someone sick. What do you mean by letting these outsiders come onto the island? Haven’t we been harmed enough?!”
Fan Sheng frowned: “What nonsense are you talking about? The clansmen falling ill, what does that have to do with them?!”
The burly man Huang Guiyu snorted coldly: “How is it unrelated? The witch doctor said that if outsiders come to the island these past two years, it will completely overturn Duofu! The gods have already issued a warning. Before, we listened to you and ignored it, and that’s why this plague happened!”
“That’s right! This is punishment from the gods. We can’t let outsiders onto the island again! Otherwise, even more clansmen will die!”
Fan Sheng: “Absurd! This is simply…”
“Yes, I’m the one in charge.” Jiang Fuyue cut in, signaling him with her eyes to shut up.
Fan Sheng choked, rubbed his nose, and fell silent, obediently stepping aside.
The stage was handed over to Jiang Fuyue.
Fan Ye watched from the side, eyes wide.
H-her father… how could he be so obedient to Sister Yue?
Huang Guiyu sized her up, then suddenly let out a cold snort tinged with disdain: “The people sent from outside really get worse each time. Last time at least it was a man. Now you send a little girl? Hey, do you believe I could knock half your head crooked with one punch?”
Liu Weihua, standing behind Jiang Fuyue, couldn’t help shrinking his neck.
Back then, it was this very burly man who had led people to drive away the medical team, and a fierce physical conflict had broken out.
They were a group of scholarly doctors, how could they compete with farmers who labored year-round and had strong bodies?
The outcome was obvious.
“Hit me?” Jiang Fuyue raised a brow. “You can try.”
“Hah!” Huang Guiyu laughed in anger. “These days, the younger they are, the bolder they get! Last warning, leave immediately, or don’t blame me for being rude!”
“Oh?” Jiang Fuyue remained calm. “How do you plan to be rude?”
“Heh! You won’t cry until you see the coffin! Brothers, grab your tools!”
At his command, everyone raised their weapons, pointing at Jiang Fuyue: “Get out of Duofu! Get out of Duofu!”
Fan Sheng’s expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to step forward to shield Jiang Fuyue behind him, suddenly a group of people filed out from the docked cargo ship.
Each of them held an electric baton, along with something like a spray.
Liu Sisi, dressed in black, walked at the front with a cold, murderous expression. She quickly led the group to surround Jiang Fuyue, protecting her so tightly that not even water could leak through.
“Why are there still people on the ship?”
“Are they also doctors? Why do they all look so intimidating?”
“What are they holding?”
“…”
The two sides confronted each other in silence.
Compared to Jiang Fuyue’s side, well-equipped and disciplined, Huang Guiyu’s group was clearly inferior.
When a well-trained team meets a rabble, it’s like regular troops versus a ragtag militia. No need to compare, the outcome is obvious.
“Fine! You actually brought weapons onto the island and still claim you’re not here to cause trouble?!”
Jiang Fuyue: “If we didn’t bring people or weapons, should we just stand here and let you beat us?”
Huang Guiyu choked!
He refused to believe it!
“Old Second, you go!” Huang Guiyu lifted his chin, signaling his second son to make a move.
The latter shouted and charged forward, intending to swing at one of the black-clad guards. His momentum looked impressive.
But before he could even touch the other party…
Pshhh…
After a burst of spray, Huang’s Old Second screamed, clutching his face. He couldn’t open his eyes at all, and tears streamed down.
“I, I can’t see? I’ve gone blind?!”
“Dad! Help! I don’t want to be blind! My eyes! My eyes!”
Huang Guiyu hurried over in distress. This was his strongest son, how could he go blind?
“Dad’s here, don’t be afraid…”
After calming his son, Huang Guiyu rushed forward and pointed at the black-clad guard: “What did you spray?!”
“OC plus CN.”
“What?” What OC? What CN?
“Oh, that’s natural capsaicin and police-grade tear gas.”
Huang Guiyu: “?” His chubby face was full of question marks.
Jiang Fuyue smiled and explained: “Simply put, pepper spray. Don’t worry, he won’t go blind.”
Huang Guiyu let out a long breath, but still refused to back down.
“Don’t think we’re afraid just because you have that pepper spray!”
Everyone: “That’s right! We’re not afraid!”
Huang Guiyu puffed out his chest, impassioned: “As long as I, Old Huang, am here, no matter what, you’re not setting foot on this island today!”
“Alright.” Jiang Fuyue nodded and casually said to Liu Sisi, “Take him away.”
Liu Sisi moved.
No one saw how she moved. In the blink of an eye, the arrogant Huang Guiyu had his hands bound and twisted behind his back, completely immobilized.
A collective uproar erupted.
“Y-you dare to seize Old Huang?!”
“Let him go immediately!”
“You come to Duofu and act wild, do you have any respect for the law?!”
“This is too much! H-how can she just act without warning?”
They weren’t given even a moment to react.
The clansmen shouted angrily, but not a single person dared step forward.
The earlier bold cry of “we’re not afraid” now sounded like a joke.
They looked at each other. Without Huang Guiyu, they were nothing but scattered sand.
As for Huang Guiyu, after a moment of shock, anger surged. He opened his mouth to order everyone to grab their weapons and fight head-on,
But the moment he opened his mouth, it was stuffed shut.
“Mmm! Mmph—” Fight! Don’t mind me!
Unfortunately, no one could understand him.
Liu Sisi patted his greasy face, expressionless: “If you don’t want your tongue cut off, behave.”
Huang Guiyu: “!”
What kind of background did these little girls have? They were even fiercer than them, spraying eyes, cutting tongues at the drop of a hat…
Meanwhile, the accompanying team burst into cheers.
“Sister Yue is awesome!”
“Savages need rough methods to deal with!”
“Serves him right!”
“He actually dared to get physical with Sister Yue, asking for death!”
“By the way, have we seen these black-clad people on the ship before? D*mn! They’re so cool!”
“They were probably arranged on a separate ship? Anyway, I didn’t see them.”
“They’re not here as medical staff, are they?”
“No,” the staff member in charge of overall transport coordination shook his head. “I’ve seen the registry. These people were specially approved to accompany the team as bodyguards to protect Professor Jiang’s personal safety.”
“Wow! Sister Yue’s treatment, so cool!”
“She’s now a pillar of China’s scientific research, a national treasure-level academic big shot. Having bodyguards is standard operation, okay?”
“Say no more, Sister Yue is forever god-tier!”
Jiang Fuyue had Liu Sisi take Huang Guiyu away, then calmly directed everyone to unload the supplies.
Soon, the team successfully brought the materials onto the island.
As for the islanders who had gathered because of Huang Guiyu, seeing how strong the opposing side was, and that they had professional guards, they dispersed on their own without needing to be driven away.
Fan Ye swallowed and muttered “D*mn, that’s awesome.”
She stared curiously at Liu Sisi.
“Why are you staring at me?” Liu Sisi frowned, her tone not very friendly.
Fan Ye didn’t mind at all: “Are you Sister Yue’s bodyguard captain? Do you know martial arts? You’re so cool!”
Liu Sisi: “…”
Over there, Fan Sheng stood together with Jiang Fuyue.
“Your temper hasn’t changed at all after all these years.”
This time Huang Guiyu had truly kicked an iron plate.
Jiang Fuyue curled her lips: “I think you’ve become much gentler.”
The beast cub who used to pounce and bite at the slightest provocation had now turned into a refined, elegant gentleman.
“Ahem…” Fan Sheng rubbed his nose. “Didn’t you tell me to cultivate myself, learn self-control?” And also to read more and keep clean!
Jiang Fuyue: ? Did I say that?
Meeting the man’s somewhat dangerous gaze, she shrugged: “Alright…”
“You…” Fan Sheng paused for two seconds, “your appearance is different from before.”
Jiang Fuyue raised a brow: “Only my appearance?”
“…And your age.” That doesn’t match either.
Even so, Fan Sheng knew she was Lou Mingyue, forever Agata!
Jiang Fuyue pondered for a moment, then replied with three words: “A strange encounter.”
Fan Sheng nodded.
Now she was a bit surprised: “You believe that?”
“Whatever Agata becomes isn’t strange.”
The incarnation of Goddess Yue naturally has countless forms; the fact that she could return was already the greatest blessing.
“Huang Guiyu is from the Huang family, one of the three big clans?”
“Mm.” Fan Sheng nodded, then added, “a collateral branch.”
“Even collateral branches are this arrogant now?”
Twenty years ago, during the time Lou Mingyue helped Fan Sheng clear obstacles and support him in becoming clan leader, the ones who caused the most trouble were those three families.
Later, she dealt with them until they were completely subdued and didn’t dare stir trouble again. Who would have thought that after twenty years, they would revive again!
“Uh!”
Fan Sheng: “Actually, my relationship with those three families now is… pretty good.”
Jiang Fuyue raised a brow: you sure?
“Ahem! Huang Guiyu doesn’t count. He’s just a side branch. The reason he’s jumping around so much is because he supports the witch doctor.”
“The witch doctor? Since when did Old Man Fu become good at brainwashing people?”
Twenty years ago, the witch doctor on the island had the surname Fu, and everyone called him Old Man Fu.
He was obsessed with traditional Chinese medicine, had a gentle personality, and held a high status among the clansmen.
Back then, Fan Sheng was able to take power successfully largely because he had Old Man Fu’s support.
But the old man was also famously stubborn.
Before coming to the island, Jiang Fuyue had mentioned during her call with Fan Ye that if necessary, the witch doctor could be controlled.
She had been worried that Old Man Fu’s stubborn temper might flare up and put him at odds with Fan Sheng.
“You two fell out?”
Fan Sheng lowered his eyes: “Old Fu… passed away ten years ago. He died of old age, very peacefully.”
Jiang Fuyue froze.
More than twenty years had passed, old acquaintances had aged or died. Although she had long been mentally prepared, hearing it still brought a sense of melancholy.
After a moment, she adjusted her emotions: “Then who is the witch doctor on the island now?”
“Mr. Zhong.”
“?”
“He came to the island eighteen years ago and studied pharmacology under Old Fu. He surpassed his master. After Old Fu passed, he naturally inherited the position of witch doctor.”
Zhong?
Jiang Fuyue couldn’t help frowning, this reminded her of a mortal enemy from her previous life who had the same surname.
Seeing that her father and Sister Yue were discussing matters, Fan Ye didn’t go over to disturb them. Instead, she kept chattering to Liu Sisi. Most of the time she was the one talking, with Liu Sisi only occasionally responding, but she still enjoyed it endlessly.
Finally, after they finished discussing…
“Sister Yue!” Fan Ye rushed over, bypassing her father, and grabbed Jiang Fuyue’s arm. “Thank you for coming!”
“A promise once made can’t be broken.”
“You’re so nice! Come to my house first, settle down, and have something to eat?”
“No need.”
“Hm?”
Jiang Fuyue: “We’ve prepared.”
Fan Ye: “?”
“Professor Jiang!” At this moment, a young man ran over. He was one of the accompanying staff, though not medical personnel. He spread out a blueprint. “We’ve preliminarily selected these three locations. Please take a look and decide.”
Jiang Fuyue glanced down: “Location number two.”
“Mm-hmm! I also think number two is better than one and three, mainly it’s spacious and convenient for activities.”
Fan Ye was puzzled, what were they planning to do?
Her question didn’t last long, because that very night she saw it with her own eyes.
On the previously empty tidal flat, after nightfall, a cluster of prefabricated houses had been set up!
No one knew what material they were made of, not only were they sturdy, but they were also ventilated and heat-dissipating.
Living inside, it wasn’t stuffy at all.
Jiang Fuyue’s team camped there.
In the middle of the prefab houses was a large open space. Several iron pots were set up on simple stoves. A few chefs stood on ladders, wielding shovel-sized spatulas as they vigorously stir-fried, the rich aroma spreading far and wide.
Nearby, huge steamers puffed out white steam, cooking white rice, braised pork belly, and steamed ribs with rice flour!
The scent of meat drifted with the sea breeze, floating into the homes of islanders downwind.
“D*mn! Who’s eating meat at this hour?”
“The kids are crying from the smell!”
“Can’t they close their doors and windows?”
“Bad luck!”
“…”
Fan Ye stood at a high point, watching the curling cooking smoke and bright lights below.
Yes! They had even brought generators. Bulbs of all sizes lit the entire area brightly!
She finally understood what Jiang Fuyue meant by “we’ve prepared.”
Fan Sheng: “It’s been a long, long time since we’ve seen the light of lamps. Feels unbelievable, doesn’t it?”
Fan Ye nodded vigorously.
Unbelievable? This… was simply a miracle!
Soon, the commotion attracted a large number of islanders,
“Oh my god! What kind of kerosene lamp is that? It’s so bright! And it can even hang on a pole?”
“Is that a whole pig? They’re eating an entire pig in one meal?!”
“H-how are there houses? How did they build them in less than a day?”
“Mom, I’m hungry. I want meat…”
“Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! You dare touch those outsiders’ food? If you get poisoned, it serves you right!”
“Waaah! I want to eat! I want it! Even if I die from poison, I still want it!”
“Dad, I want some too, it smells so good…”
The children couldn’t hold back anymore and started crying and making a fuss. But weren’t the adults secretly swallowing their saliva too?
How could these people eat so much meat?
One pig could feed their entire family for a whole year!
And those bright glowing spheres, so dazzling, yet like little suns, lighting up the night as if it were daytime.
Crying, exclamations, curses, and complaints rose and fell one after another.
In the past, Fan Ye had told them countless times how advanced and developed the outside world was. She had talked until her mouth went dry, yet not a single person believed her.
Now, the achievements of modern civilization had suddenly appeared before their eyes.
Everyone was stunned…
Late at night, for the islanders, this was usually the time they would already be fast asleep, dreaming.
But tonight, they were destined to toss and turn, unable to sleep.
The scenes they had just witnessed replayed over and over in their minds. Those things they had never seen before filled them with unfamiliar fear, yet also irresistible curiosity.
“Hey, did you see that bright thing just now?”
“Mm.”
“You’ve gone out to sea with fishing boats before, you’ve seen more than others. Do you know what it is?”
“A lamp.”
“Ah! The one you said can light up an entire house brightly without burning kerosene?”
“Mm.”
“That’s amazing! If only our house had one too…”
The man frowned: “You want one?”
“N-no… I know the clan rules. I was just saying. We absolutely can’t let outsiders or those strange things affect our unity!”
They must not be contaminated! Must not be tempted! They had to hold the line!
The woman silently repeated it three times in her heart before gradually calming down.
At that moment, a child’s crying came from inside.
The woman got out of bed to check. Soon, her worried voice sounded: “Hey, our child’s fever is back again, and he’s shivering. What should we do?”
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