After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 240 Breaking the Cocoon

At the end of the official road, a cloud of dust rose, and the figures of three women gradually became clear.

Tao Yao skipped and hopped ahead, looking at this and touching that.

Zhao Jihua and Xia Li followed behind, watching her with doting eyes.

After spending days and nights together, Zhao Jihua and Xia Li, without any airs of being masters or mistresses, gradually became like sisters to each other.

Tao Yao saw the fiery red wildflowers covering the hillsides by the roadside and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, look! These flowers are so beautiful!"

Xia Li laughed and said, "There's a saying in my hometown: 'Don't pick the wildflowers by the roadside...'"

"I'll only pick a little bit!"

She ran over and picked a handful, smelled it first, and then handed it to Xia Li and Zhao Jihua: "Smell it, it smells so good!"

Zhao Jihua pushed the flowers away from her hand and gently tapped her head: "You caused trouble last time because of picking flowers, why don't you learn your lesson?"

Tao Yao swayed her body, sticking out her little tongue: "Oh dear... that was an accident~"

Xia Li smiled and tucked a flower into Tao Yao's hair: "It's alright, all girls like flowers. Besides, she's still young." As she spoke, she looked Tao Yao up and down, "She's so pretty, the flower is beautiful, and she's even more beautiful."

Zhao Jihua said irritably, "You just keep spoiling her. If something happens to her later, you'll be busy cleaning up her mess!"

She never imagined her words would come true!

That's a story for another time, of course.

At this moment, Xia Li smiled and changed the subject: "It's getting dark. There's a village ahead. Shall we go take a look?"

Zhao Jihua nodded: "Okay, let's go and see what life is like for ordinary people at the bottom of society."

As soon as the three of them stepped into the village, they immediately felt an eerie atmosphere.

The village was unusually quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog emphasizing the deathly stillness.

However, what surprised them most were the women coming and going.

Almost all of them were six months pregnant, but their faces showed no joy at becoming mothers; instead, they were exhausted and numb.

"This village is so strange, why are there so many pregnant women?" Tao Yao couldn't help but mutter to herself, her eyes wide with confusion.

Zhao Jihua added, "That's right, this is the time when men should be coming back from working in the fields, but there aren't any men on the road."

Xia Li frowned slightly and looked into the distance: "These fields are all abandoned. Where are the men going out to cultivate them?"

A hint of wariness flashed in her eyes: "Don't make a fuss yet, ask someone first."

Just then, they saw a woman walking hurriedly towards them.

Zhao Jihua quickly stepped forward and called out to her.

When she was stopped, the woman was slightly taken aback.

When he looked at them, there was surprise in his eyes.

Then, somewhat nervously, she asked, "Girls, what...what's going on?"

Before they could reply, the woman hurriedly added, "I have urgent matters to attend to at home, so I really can't delay any longer!"

Having said that, he turned and left quickly without looking back, like a startled rabbit.

Only Zhao Jihua and the other two remained standing there, watching the woman's departing figure, filled with doubt.

From the few words they gleaned, the three became increasingly convinced that the village held a hidden secret.

It seemed as if pairs of eyes were watching their every move from the shadows.

Zhao Jihua said in a low voice, "This is not the place to talk. Let's find an inn to stay in first."

"Ah."

……

Night fell quietly, and an eerie stillness filled the village.

Xia Li, Zhao Jihua, and Tao Yao sat around in a room at the inn, discussing their next steps.

Suddenly, a slight sound came from outside the window.

The three of them instantly became alert.

Before they could react, a pungent cloud of smoke seeped in through the crack in the door.

They felt a wave of dizziness, their consciousness gradually blurred, and the scene before them became indistinct.

……

When they woke up again, they found themselves in a room decorated in an ambiguous manner, with red candles flickering and curtains hanging low.

Xia Li struggled to get up, but found her body limp and powerless.

He inwardly cried out in alarm, realizing he had been drugged.

But when did they take the Chinese medicine?

Just then, the door creaked open.

A sleazy-looking man walked in, a malicious smile on his face:

"Ladies, once you're here, don't even think about leaving. Be good and do our big client a few more kids."

At this moment, Tao Yao woke up, terrified: "W-what do you mean? Don't come any closer! Ah! Get away from me!"

The man touched this girl's face, blew on that girl's skin, and grinned lewdly.

"Haha, this skin is really good-looking, it will definitely fetch a high price."

"Sell?" Zhao Jihua understood; the group was safe for the time being.

So she pretended to comply, hoping to get information out of him.

Xia Li took the opportunity to distribute the antidote to the children.

Zhao Jihua trembled with fear and said, "We're so good-looking, who are you going to sell us to? Aren't you afraid someone will find out?"

The man laughed triumphantly, “How could that be? You can’t leave this village anyway, you have to give birth to some boys for the village.”

Xia Li was furious, but calmly said, "We're drugged, how can we have a child now?"

The man listened, then pulled out a pill. "Taking this will restore your strength, but don't even think about running away. Just wait patiently for tomorrow's clients to come and choose a suitable mother. The only way out is for you to get pregnant and give birth to a son!"

The three then realized that this village was actually a den of iniquity for surrogacy.

A surge of anger welled up in Xia Li's heart. She tried to resist, but the effects of the drug had not yet worn off, making her movements slow.

"You beasts, how dare you do such a heinous thing!" Zhao Jihua shouted angrily, his eyes filled with disgust and contempt.

The man, however, was unimpressed and sneered, "This is our village's livelihood; it's none of your business."

Taking advantage of the man's approach, Tao Yao suddenly launched an attack, kicking the man's groin with all her might.

The man screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three of them got up, helped each other, and stumbled out of the room.

It was pitch black outside. They fled desperately through the maze of alleys, with the shouts and footsteps of villagers echoing behind them.

In the chaos, they hid in a dilapidated woodshed, not daring to breathe.

The footsteps grew closer, and Xia Li and the others' hearts leaped into their throats.

Just when they thought they were about to be caught, a voice suddenly came from the corner of the woodshed:

"Quick, come this way!"