Willow swept a glance at her three subordinates, who looked at her expectantly. She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows with amusement, seeing how nervous they were.
"Alright, I've already surveyed the reef. Although our boat-handling skills aren't great, we can use our internal energy to control objects. So, after the rain stops tomorrow morning, you will order people to construct rafts. Each person can ride a raft out to sea. Let's see how those pirates fare. We are all quite skilled in internal energy and can control rafts. This will be more agile than how those pirates handle their ships, so our fighting will be much faster. You don't need to worry anymore."
As Willow spoke, Dai Mei, with her enchanting face, beamed like a flower. She tossed her long skirt, and the silver bells chimed. She leaped to Willow's side and said sweetly, "My Lady, you are always so clever. You have no idea how worried I was. Quickly, look, have I gotten any white hairs on my head?"
Willow looked at her coquettish display and reached out to tap her forehead. "You, you just know how to act spoiled. Did you flirt with that pirate captain? Is that why he's set his sights on you?"
Chu Feng and Duanmu heard their leader's words and burst into laughter. Dai Mei glared angrily at the two of them and complained aggrievedly, "If he were a bit thinner, fairer, taller, had bigger eyes, a more prominent nose, smaller lips, then perhaps I would have flirted with him. But that person really doesn't look human, so I saved my flirty glances."
Laughter immediately filled the grand hall, everyone amused by Dai Mei's words. The wind blew in, carrying a faint, damp scent of the lake. Outside, the rain gradually lessened, and the sky began to lighten. Mirror Lake seemed to have calmed its fury, the sound of waves crashing against the shore much softer, almost inaudible.
Willow's three subordinates suddenly remembered a question: their leader was, after all, the Empress of the current dynasty. How had she left the capital to come to Carefree Island? And where was her personal maidservant, Cui'er?
As the three thought of this, they put away their previous smiles. Dai Mei cautiously asked, "My Lady, why did you leave the capital? Where is Cui'er?"
Willow stretched her limbs, appearing very tired. Traveling for several days had indeed exhausted her. She glanced back at her three subordinates. "I left the imperial palace. Cui'er doesn't know; she'll return to the Prime Minister's mansion."
"Ah?" Three exclamations were uttered. Upon receiving their mistress's stern gaze, they quickly shut their mouths. Dai Mei reached out and held Willow's hand. "My Lady, you must be tired. I'll take you to rest."
Seven Star Tower occupied a vast area, with numerous pavilions and towers in the back. The subordinates' living quarters were self-contained courtyards; each few people had a pavilion courtyard.
Willow and her three subordinates shared a grand pavilion. The environment was elegant, with strange peaks and grotesque rocks. The rugged stones were piled up as screens. In short, many things on Carefree Island were constructed from stones.
The remaining materials were transported from outside by large ships, then repacked into smaller boats for delivery. It was quite troublesome.
However, it was successfully built. Moreover, various formations were arranged around Seven Star Tower, and the treacherous Mirror Lake surrounded it, making it a veritable natural paradise. Even the pirates who wanted to occupy this island never succeeded.
Their current provocations were not just about wanting people; the pirate captains also desired Carefree Island as a dowry. However, they didn't know that Carefree Island was the property of Young Master Qi Ye.
Dai Mei led Willow into the central pavilion. The interior was elegantly and freshly decorated, with a bedroom, a parlor, a study, and a courtyard. Everything was complete, showing the meticulous preparation for their mistress.
Dai Mei lived in a courtyard next to her mistress's, directly opposite. Chu Feng and Duanmu resided a bit further away.
Since there were no maids on the island, everyone managed their own affairs. Dai Mei attended to all of Willow's needs. Willow, worn out from days of travel, fell asleep under Dai Mei's care.
Surprisingly, she slept very soundly, with only a slight worry about Cui'er. Everything else was wonderful.
On the second day, as she was sleeping soundly, she vaguely heard distant and near noises outside. She frowned in annoyance. She hated being woken up when she was sleeping, not waking up naturally. Annoyed, she turned over, glanced at the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, rubbed her eyes, and called out, "Dai Mei, Dai Mei."
Dai Mei hurried in, her face glistening with sweat. Her slender waist was graceful, and the silver bells on her feet made a pleasant sound as she walked. On her small, jade-like feet, she wore a pair of red embroidered shoes, without any binding cloth, revealing her fair and tender skin. The red and white contrasted, creating an indescribable allure. This woman was simply a born seductress. No wonder the pirate wanted to marry her.
"What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?"
"My Lady, those are pirates, shouting outside. They come to shout every morning," Dai Mei said with a hint of helplessness. Who could blame them, as they were all landlubbers? The pirates had lived at sea for years, so their water skills were excellent.
"Tell Chu Feng to get them to start building rafts. I was just thinking of meeting them, and they've actually come."
Willow stood up. Ever since Seven Star Tower was established, she, as the leader, hadn't yet displayed any skill to awe people. Today, she would let the subordinates of Seven Star Tower see that she wasn't famous for nothing.
Willow let out a cold laugh, got up, and instructed Dai Mei to style her hair as a man. From now on, she would dress as a man, as long as the people in Seven Star Tower knew she was a woman.
Dai Mei nodded and quickly helped her mistress get ready. A lake-blue robe, Chu Feng's robe, had been altered. Now, when worn by her mistress, it fit perfectly. Her long hair was flowing, her blue robe was magnificent, and her face was delicate. Looking from top to bottom, she was simply a beautiful, polished young gentleman. Willow casually glanced at herself in the bronze mirror. She really looked quite handsome, she thought, chuckling inwardly.
The two of them walked out of the bedroom, out of the pavilion. Outside, the sky was clear. Last night's rain had washed all the lush trees on the island to be even greener. The sky was a brilliant blue, without a single cloud.
Duanmu and Chu Feng had already led a group of people to prepare bamboo rafts. Everyone carried a large raft, ready to set out. The pent-up frustration they had endured during this period was finally about to be released, and they were incredibly excited.
"Let's go," Willow commanded coolly, and they all headed towards Mirror Lake.
The lake water was clear, as bright as a mirror, hence the name Mirror Lake. The lake surface was completely devoid of the turbulent waves of yesterday.
It was now as gentle as a beauty, washing away all impurities with her sketched and painted hands. It turned out that Mirror Lake's outlet was the Chu River. The tides surged, and the wind calmed the waves, making it as beautiful as a landscape painting.
Swarms of wild egrets flew over the water surface, their wings flapping, stirring up ripples that spread outwards in circles.
At this moment, a luxurious large ship was anchored outside the reef. Many menacing pirates stood on the ship. When the pirates saw a stunningly beautiful youth appear, accompanied by people from Carefree Island, they couldn't help but point and laugh mockingly, extremely arrogant.
Willow stared coldly. The pirate captain, dark and fat,