Er Island.
The dock. A sea vessel docked.
A man in coarse cloth leaped off the ship, calling out to the crew to begin unloading. A loading truck was parked nearby.
As the cargo handlers disembarked, they moved the goods onto the truck.
A woman with delicate features, her head down, mingled with the cargo handlers and got onto the loading truck.
"Miss Yin, we're about to depart."
The man in coarse cloth sat in the passenger seat of the truck and said to the woman in the rear carriage.
Yin Xue nodded, "Okay."
She lay back in the carriage and closed her eyes.
After days adrift at sea, she was truly exhausted. However, thinking of the Ouyang family in peril, she couldn't afford to be concerned about herself.
She wondered how that fellow Ouyang Kai was doing.
Thinking of this man, Yin Xue felt an ineffable emotion. Their interactions during their innocent youth, to now when both were in their thirties, had ultimately fostered a faint affection.
A few days prior, when she went to examine little Tang Ran's health, she overheard the Jin family patriarch mentioning that the Ouyang family was in trouble.
The Jin family was sending reinforcements.
Without a second thought, she decided to accompany them, acting as a doctor.
Whether for her master's old friend, Lord Ouyang, or for that detestable Ouyang Kai, she couldn't stand idly by.
...
They changed vehicles midway and arrived at a residence on Er Island.
Yin Xue alighted from the truck and followed Captain Xiao, sent by the Jin family, to the living room to discuss matters.
About forty people were already in the living room, arranged in formation.
"Captain!"
The forty people shouted in unison.
The man in coarse cloth was named Xiao Jie, the most capable subordinate of Jin Xiao.
He was the first to infiltrate Er Island, then befriended the leader of the Er Island military. He deliberately avoided pursuit by the Er Island military and, according to a plan, transported personnel to Er Island in batches, totaling nearly forty people to date.
Xiao Jie nodded slightly at them, then said, "According to my intelligence, a group of forces will secretly land on the island from the east coast tonight. A few of you will come with me."
He pointed to five people in the front row and continued.
"This time, we only need to observe in secret, without alerting them. These people are not from the Er Island military. They are likely the rogue forces from Lijing Island, thinking along the same lines as the young master, wanting to use Er Island as a base and gradually annex Lijing Island."
The five people responded in unison, "Yes!"
Seeing this, Yin Xue spoke up, "I'd like to join this operation as well."
Xiao Jie looked at Miss Yin with confusion, "Miss Yin, although this is just an observation, it may not be without danger. If..."
"If I were afraid of danger, I wouldn't have come."
Yin Xue said indifferently.
She was not an ordinary weak woman. Having learned martial arts and medicine from her master on the mountain, all the bodyguards present were no match for her.
Even if there was danger, she would never be a burden.
This was her confidence.
Xiao Jie thought for a moment, then agreed. He had heard of this prominent figure from the Yin family in the Southern Territory.
"Alright, we depart at seven tonight. Everyone go rest for now."
The people dispersed, and Yin Xue returned to her room upstairs to rest briefly. Time had come.
At seven in the evening, the sky had already darkened.
Yin Xue followed Xiao Jie and others to the outer wall of a manor. From afar, they could see a group of people walking towards the back gate of the manor.
"They're here," Xiao Jie said in a low voice.
"Have their identities been ascertained?" Yin Xue quietly watched the approaching group and asked in a low voice.
"No, they are most likely the opposition party from Lijing Island," Xiao Jie replied.
Yin Xue remained silent, her eyes fixed ahead, her gaze slowly falling upon one of the men.
This man's eyes were covered with a black cloth. He was held by men in white on both sides, and his steps were a little weak and unsteady.
But his build, his lips, and his nose...
He resembled someone greatly.
"He..." Yin Xue exclaimed in shock.
"What's wrong? Miss Yin?" Xiao Jie asked, noticing Yin Xue's expression.
He knew little about the Ouyang family. His current presence on Er Island was also due to the instructions from young master Jin Ye.
His task was to gather as much information as possible here.
However, Miss Yin seemed to have some connection with this Ouyang family...
Yin Xue did not conceal it. Her clear eyes gazed steadily at the approaching man, and she said softly, "The one with the blindfold, he looks like Ouyang Kai."
"Ouyang Kai?"
Hearing this name, Xiao Jie was taken aback. The young master of the Ouyang family?!
Wasn't Ouyang Kai said to be trapped on Lijing Island?
How had he ended up on Er Island now...
Xiao Jie continued to ask, "Miss Yin, are you sure?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Yin Xue's delicate face, and she shook her head, "Not sure, let's wait and see."
In her memory, that fellow had never appeared so down and out.
Yet, her gaze remained fixed on that figure, revealing a trace of unnoticeable worry...