"Please make yourselves at home. After you finish your meal, I won't personally see you off off the island. Protector Zhou, please have Madam Qing see the guests off later."
Murong Qiao slowly left her seat, while Protector Zhou sat on the table with his arms crossed, watching us. Through the golden mask, I felt his eyes were constantly staring at me, making me feel a little uneasy.
"This is our island's specially brewed coconut wine, please!"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and said, "Protector Zhou, I am not good at drinking."
Protector Zhou remained unmoved, and poured two cups of wine for himself, placing them in front of Jiang Chen and me.
"After you've drunk this pot of wine and eaten these two dishes, Madam Qing will see you off on your way off the island. Here, I'll drink first as a sign of respect!"
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Jiang Chen hesitated for a moment, then picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp. After that, he picked up my glass and said, "She doesn't drink alcohol, so I drank it for her."
"good."
Protector Zhou poured a few more cups.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Chen and he had drunk several cups together. The difference was that Jiang Chen also drank my share, which was double that of Protector Zhou. I was secretly worried, wondering if there was something wrong with the wine, but seeing Protector Zhou drinking one cup after another, I felt a little relieved.
Soon, the coconut wine in the wine jug was finally finished. Protector Zhou stood up and said, "You two can leave now that you have finished your meal."
After saying that, he leisurely left his seat, leaving only Jiang Chen and me in the hall. I was secretly worried. Judging from this attitude, it seemed that he wouldn't let us leave until we finished these two dishes and drank all the wine. What kind of hospitality was this? My grandfather's way of doing things was really hard to agree with.
Jiang Chen picked up a locust and placed it in front of me: "Xiao Mo, have you ever eaten one?"
I shrank back, a chill running down my spine. I've never eaten it, and I never want to.
Jiang Chen sighed, "I never dreamed I'd be invited to eat this one day. Really, **..."
How could a pampered young master like him, who lived a life of luxury and even transported fish from the Ussuri River, have imagined such a scene? I looked at him with guilt.
He closed his eyes, frowned, and put the locust into his mouth.
I quickly said, "Don't eat it!"
"If we don't eat, we can't leave. Do you think we're more likely to force our way out, or would it be easier to leave after eating these things?"
In my opinion, it should be the latter.
I whispered nervously, "Could it be poisonous?"
"Probably not, I just saw Palace Master Murong eat it."
I gritted my teeth and said, "But I really don't dare to eat it. If I eat these, I will never enjoy food again for the rest of my life."
Jiang Chen sighed and frowned helplessly: "Xiao Mo, you've seen it too. If we don't eat, we can't get away. It seems that I'll have to eat it for you."
I looked at him, touched. He really was a grown man, responsible and dependable. He frowned, swallowed the two plates of food. Luckily, there weren't many; there were only a dozen or so locusts and silkworm pupae.
After Jiang Chen finished eating, I didn't want to look at him anymore.
Jiang Chen drank a few sips of tea, his voice filled with anguish, and said solemnly, "Xiao Mo, you know how much I've suffered for you, right? For the rest of your life, you have to take responsibility for me. Don't ever betray me."
My heart softened, and I lowered my head in silence. It was all my fault that he was dragged into this mess. The thought of his stomach being full of locusts and silkworm pupae filled me with deep remorse.
"Let's get out of here quickly." I made up my mind that I would never come to this godforsaken place again.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Chen had just stepped out of the palace gate when his steps suddenly faltered, and he bent over, clutching his stomach.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"My stomach hurts so much." He was covered in cold sweat, and his voice was trembling slightly.
I hurriedly helped him up, my heart sinking. Could those two dishes be poisoned? But I saw Murong Qiao eat them too, and Protector Zhou drank quite a bit of the wine. What was going on?
Seeing Jiang Chen's pained expression, I was anxious and scared, my mind in turmoil.
"He has been granted eternal life and will never be seen again."
With a simple and understated remark, Protector Zhou approached.
He was dressed in black, and the golden mask on his face gleamed brightly in the sunlight, making him look mysterious and eerie.
What does "never to see each other again" mean?
"Oh, it's a poison developed by the old palace master. There are two kinds of powder, which are harmless when taken alone, but they are deadly when mixed together. That's why it's called 'Eternal Separation.' It's a very good name. First, it means that these two kinds of powder must never meet, otherwise it will be a deadly poison. The other meaning is that if you are poisoned by this, you will soon be separated from your loved ones forever."
He spoke slowly, as if wanting me to hear him more clearly. I realized that he had put the poison in the food and the wine separately. She only ate the locusts and silkworm pupae, while he only drank the wine. Therefore, only Jiang Chen was poisoned.
I angrily asked, "Why did you poison him?"
He walked up to Jiang Chen and stopped, glanced at him a few times, then suddenly turned his gaze to me: "Because of you!"
"Me? Why?"
"The Palace Master wants something from you in exchange for his antidote. It doesn't matter if you refuse; just take him away and we can prepare for his funeral in three days."
"What is that?"
"You should know, right? It's something the Palace Master gave you."
The thing she gave me? A thought flashed through my mind—could it be the Chongshan Sword Technique? But if she already gave it to me, why would she want it back? Could it have been a mistake last time? If she wanted it back, she could have just said so. Why did she have to plot against me? Could it be that she really has no feelings for me at all, and hates me because of me?
Before I could speak, Jiang Chen interrupted, "The Palace Master only gave her a gold lock and a few pieces of clothing."
Protector Zhou sneered twice: "You two might as well think it over carefully on the island and see if there is anything else. It would be best if you could come up with something in three days, otherwise, since there is no burial site on this island, we will have no choice but to throw this young master into the sea to feed the fish."
I was both shocked and frightened, and extremely angry, yet I dared not retaliate for fear of causing harm.