The large ship slowly sailed into Syrup Village's waters and quietly docked beside Xia Yu's small boat.
Then, on the deck that had been empty just moments ago, figures began appearing one after another.
"This is…"
Watching the figures continue to emerge, Xia Yu paused in slight surprise."Marines?"
He wasn't mistaken—the people appearing on the deck were all marine soldiers dressed in standard Marine uniforms.
"Well then…"
Xia Yu shook his head with a smile. "Looks like I was overthinking it!"
Seeing that the ship belonged to the Marines, Xia Yu didn't linger and decisively began his tour of Syrup Village.
Taking his time, he wandered through the entire village, even climbing to the highest hill to take in the panoramic view of this paradise-like place. Before he knew it, half a day had passed.
It wasn't until dusk that Xia Yu finally made his way into the village itself.
At sunset, smoke from cooking fires curled up from rooftops of varying heights. Under the glow of the evening sky, Syrup Village—wrapped in drifting smoke—radiated simplicity, purity, antiquity, and tranquility.
Feeling the calm and rustic charm of the village, Xia Yu couldn't help but sigh in admiration:
"The sunset is infinitely beautiful—only here in Syrup Village!"
"Although the word count's off, it still kind of rhymes… Could it be I actually have the talent to be a poet?"
Gurgle… gurgle…
…Alright.
Hearing his stomach protest, Xia Yu dropped the narcissism and headed straight for the largest and most luxurious house in the village.
As he walked—
Xia Yu suddenly realized something was wrong.
At this hour, the villagers who had gone out to work should have already returned. The children should be playing outside their homes, waiting for the delicious smell of dinner.
But along the way, he hadn't seen a single villager returning—nor any children playing outside.
Even though smoke rose from nearly every household, not a single sound could be heard!
"What's going on?"
The deeper he went into the village, the stronger his sense of unease grew.
When he finally passed through the village and looked toward the largest "villa" ahead, his gaze sharpened instantly.
In front of the most eye-catching mansion in Syrup Village, hundreds of villagers were crouched on the ground—men and women, young and old alike.
In front of them stood more than a dozen marine soldiers in neat formation, each holding a rifle aimed directly at the villagers.
Could these Marines be impostors?
With that thought, Xia Yu no longer hesitated and quickened his steps.
"Don't move!"
At the mansion's entrance, a marine soldier wielding a saber paced back and forth in front of the villagers, shouting coldly, "Anyone who dares move will be executed!"
Meanwhile—
Inside the courtyard, Kaya, her mother, and the butler were crouched on the ground, trembling with fear.
At the gate, Kaya's father was speaking with a middle-aged man who appeared to be an officer.
"Sir, there are truly no thieves here, and absolutely no pirates!"
Although Kaya's father held great prestige in Syrup Village, he didn't dare act recklessly in front of these unreasonable marine soldiers.
To the villagers of Syrup Village, these Marines were nothing short of a nightmare.
Every so often, they would show up under various excuses, deliberately causing trouble—only to extort money and valuables.
And as the wealthiest family in the village, Kaya's father naturally became their prime target.
"Enough nonsense!"
The middle-aged officer waved his hand and said coldly, "Search the place!"
"Sir, please—please…"
Seeing this, Kaya's father panicked completely. He hurriedly stopped the soldiers about to rush inside and suddenly produced a box from behind his back as if performing a magic trick. "This is something I bought during my last trip. If you officers would accept it—"
Before he could finish, the officer snatched the box and opened it.
Inside was a valuable necklace.
The officer sneered coldly. "You think one necklace is enough to dismiss me? Do I look that easy to fool? Men, drag him away—"
"You—let go of my father!"
Kaya, who had been crouching beside her mother, rushed forward without hesitation when she saw her father being dragged away. She threw a series of clumsy punches at one of the marines.
"You're courting death!"
Enraged at being hit, the marine raised his hand and swung it toward little Kaya.
At the critical moment—
Kaya's father lunged forward, pulling her into his arms as he rolled away!
Seeing this, the marine grew even more furious and immediately raised his rifle, aiming straight at Kaya's father.
"Ah—!"
"N-no, don't—don't come closer!"
"H-how dare you attack a marine!"
At that very moment—
A voice filled with fear suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard gate.
Hearing the sudden commotion, the marine about to fire paused for a moment, then turned to look at the middle-aged officer.
"Go check it out."
The officer waved his hand, then looked at Kaya's father with a cold smile.
"Seems your village isn't as peaceful as you claimed."
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