Chapter 446: What a coincidence!

The guards rolled the soft armor into tight long scrolls, then bound them securely with thin cords.

The three thousand pieces of soft armor were divided into twelve shares; besides Tuan Tuan and Xiao Er, even Xiao Ningyuan was included, each person receiving one share.

Xiao Ningyuan looked at the neatly wrapped bundles on the stone platform and said, "Everyone, split up to find an exit! There must be a way out of this cave!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing that, everyone scattered and carefully searched the cave.

Xiao Er felt his way inch by inch along the edge of the pool, while Lu Qi looked up and examined every line on the cave ceiling.

The guards lightly tapped the stone walls with their sword scabbards, then bent down to inspect every bump and indentation on the floor.

But after more than an hour had passed, no one had found an exit.

Xiao Ningyuan furrowed his brows: "Let's all rest for a moment, recuperate, and look again later."

Everyone found a dry spot to sit down, all feeling somewhat anxious; the treasure had been found, but how to get out?

Inside the cave it fell silent for a moment, except for the constant ding-dong of water in the pool.

Xiao Ningyuan pointed to two guards: "Once you're out, you two must set off immediately and rush these soft armors back to the Xibei Main Camp."

"Yes!"

Tuan Tuan kept squatting beside the grass, gazing at those lush green blades.

The leaves were thick and lay flat against the ground, each plant connected to the next, spreading out like a carpet, extremely pleasing to the eye.

She reached out her little hand and lightly touched the leaf of a small grass.

That leaf suddenly curled up, tightly wrapping itself into a roll, as if frightened, seeming to come alive.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "How fun!" She then reached for another leaf.

The leaf curled up again.

"Big brother! Second uncle! Come look quickly!" She stood up, pointing at the patch of grass, "This grass moves!"

Hearing her voice, everyone gathered around and formed a circle.

Xiao Ningyuan squatted down, carefully touched a leaf, and was also surprised: "It really is!"

Lu Qi said, "What kind of grass is this? I've wandered the martial world for so many years and have never seen anything like it; it's truly extraordinary."

Xiao Er pondered, "Perhaps it's a rare species that only grows in this extreme cold, surviving on the pool's warm vapors; being so different, it must be a kind of spiritual herb."

"Spiritual herb!"

Tuan Tuan suddenly thought of Mo Zhanggeng: "If Divine Doctor Grandfather were here, he'd surely know what kind of grass this is."

"He loves to study these strange and unusual spiritual herbs."

She thought of the Sacred Medicine Valley: "Right, we can bring some back!"

She tugged at Xiao Ningyuan's sleeve: "Big brother, shall we dig some up to take back? Let these two uncles first send them home for Mother to plant."

"When we return to Jingcheng later, we'll send some to Divine Doctor Grandfather—he'll surely be delighted! Maybe we can even use it to save lives."

Xiao Ningyuan rubbed her little head: "All right, then let's dig up a few plants by the roots and take them."

"Big brother, you're wonderful!"

Tuan Tuan happily squatted down and carefully cleared away the soil beside the grass clump.

The guards came forward one after another to help, pulling out their short daggers to loosen the earth, digging up five or six plants roots and all, then wrapping them in cloth.

Tuan Tuan pointed at a particularly luxuriant specimen: "Uncle, should we dig this one? It's the biggest!"

"Sure thing! The Princess wants it, so we must bring it back!"

Hearing that, several guards gathered around.

"Wow! Great eye—this plant is truly huge! Its roots must be substantial too, brothers, step back a bit so we don't damage the roots."

"All right!" A few people stepped back a few paces, surrounded the plant, and together plunged their dagger tips into the soil.

But then they heard a soft "ding" sound, as if they had struck something hard.

"Huh?" They glanced at each other—was there something down there?

One of them said, "Hold your positions; the noise is coming from me."

He drew his knife and cleared away the soil beneath.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi came over, and together with him they completely cleared away that patch of dirt, revealing a stone slab the size of a palm.

"Could there be another cave?" Xiao Ningyuan's gaze darkened as he pulled Tuan Tuan behind him.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance, then both continued to carefully clean along that stone slab.

Not long after, a stone slab three feet square was exposed, with a rust‑covered iron ring set in its center.

"Could this be the exit?" Everyone's spirits lifted; they crowded in together, and light instantly sparked in their eyes.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi gripped the iron ring and pulled upward with all their strength, but the stone slab didn't budge an inch.

Four guards stepped forward at once; everyone shouted in unison and exerted force together.

Finally, the stone slab was slowly lifted, revealing a pitch‑black opening.

A gust of musty, dust‑laden air rose up from it.

Xiao Ningyuan brought a match close to the opening and saw only a narrow, steep stone staircase leading downward, its destination unknown.

Lu Qi glanced at the dark staircase and said, "Brothers, shoulder the soft armor! Take the young lady's spiritual herb—don't drop it!"

"Xiao Er, you carry the young lady and follow the young master; these two brothers, follow me down first, the rest will bring up the rear."

"Yes!"

Xiao Er hoisted Tuan Tuan onto his back; the others shouldered the bundled soft armor and spiritual herb, and the group proceeded single‑file down the stairs.

The stone steps wound downward, growing deeper with each stride.

The match's glow flickered on the damp stone walls, stretching out everyone's shadows.

Xiao Ningyuan frowned and asked, "Why does it keep going down?"

"Perhaps it's a case of going down first then up," Xiao Er replied, "the person who hid the treasure left this path, so they must be able to get out; we just don't know where it leads."

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around his neck, her small face pressed against his shoulder, yawned, closed her eyes, and fell asleep from exhaustion.

They walked for a full half hour when a flat slab of rock blocked the way ahead.

The rock was set into a wall of stone, joining the surrounding surface so seamlessly that without close inspection it would be impossible to notice.

Lu Qi said, "Brothers, let's push it open together!"

"Good!"

Several people braced against the rock, gave a low shout, and exerted force together.

The rock slowly slid open a crack, and a bitter cold wind rushed in, swirling fine snow particles that slapped everyone in the face.

After staying in the cave for a long time, they suddenly inhaled such fresh air, and everyone's spirits were jolted.

Lu Qi narrowed his eyes and looked out through the gap.

The sky had darkened; a cold crescent moon hung on the horizon, shedding a clear radiance.

"Wait here, I'll go check it out," he said, stepping out of the cave mouth and looking around.

Not far ahead, a familiar tent lay quietly in the snow, emitting a warm, flickering firelight.

This is exactly the leeward mountain hollow we were in before climbing the mountain!

Lu Qi poked his head back into the cave with a mischievous grin: "Guess where we've ended up?"

Everyone shook their heads in puzzlement.

Lu Qi smiled: "It's our own tent! What a coincidence! We're back!"

Everyone first stared in surprise, then joy surged in their hearts; a few guards couldn't help but punch each other's fists: "We're finally back!"

The sleeping Tuan Tuan was startled by the cheers and mumbled, "Uncle Er?"

Xiao Er reached back and patted her: "Sleep, Miss; we'll be home soon."

"Home..." Tuan Tuan tilted her little head and fell asleep again.

Xiao Ningyuan let out a long breath, and his taut nerves finally relaxed.

Lu Qi waved his hand: "Let's go, brothers!"

They filed out one by one, and Lu Qi, with a few others, restored the rock at the cave mouth to its original state.

Everyone looked at the tent that seemed warm and comfortable, and they all smiled: "Returning with a full load, this trip was not in vain!"

"That's right!"

Trampling through the deep snow, they walked toward that glow.