Chapter 538: So Many People Still Circle Around Her

Daoba hurriedly spoke: "This is the Divine Doctor Xue Tong of Hidden Cloud Valley!"

"This old gentleman is quite influential; he's the Old Valley Master of Sacred Medicine Valley!"

Xie Guzhou was startled: "You really invited the great master of Hidden Cloud Valley out?"

He clasped his fists and bowed: "Old Valley Master Xue, my apologies, I am Xie Guzhou."

Xue Tong waved his hand: "No need for polite words, who is my disciple's grandfather? Take me to see his leg quickly!"

Xie Guzhou beamed with surprise: "Really?"

Tuan Tuan hugged his neck: "He is my Master; my Master's words are certainly true!"

Xie Guzhou hurriedly led the way ahead: "Please, please."

The few of them arrived at the back courtyard.

Xuan Fu Weng, seated in a wheelchair, waved at Tuan Tuan: "Little Tuan Tuan, come see grandpa?"

Tuan Tuan slipped from Xie Guzhou's arms onto the ground, and in a few steps climbed into Xuan Fu Weng's embrace: "Grandpa! I brought the doctor back to you!"

Xuan Fu Weng was startled: "Who?"

Xie Guzhou said: "It's that great master from Hidden Cloud Valley, the Old Valley Master of Sacred Medicine Valley, Xue Tong."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Fu Weng was shocked and clasped his fists: "So it's Old Valley Master Xue, my apologies."

Xue Tong's face brightened, and he sat down with a sharp thrust on a stool.

Daoba babbled about how they invited the person, how Tuan Tuan remembered Xuan Fu Weng's leg, and how they returned to Main Camp to rescue the Princess Consort, recounting it all.

Xie Guzhou looked down at the Xiao Tuanzi in Xuan Fu Weng's arms, his face full of emotion: "You really are something, little ancestor! Uncle Xie, thank you!"

Xuan Fu Weng hugged Tuan Tuan, not knowing how to ease her pain: "Little Tuan Tuan, you truly are grandpa's good child!"

Daoba squeezed in, smiling broadly: "Little ancestor, the elder wants to treat the leg, shall I take you elsewhere to have fun?"

Xie Guzhou kicked him away: "Get out of the way! You've been with little ancestor these many days, now it's my turn!"

Tuan Tuan recalled what Xue Tong said when treating her mother: "When Master treats patients, he dislikes anyone chatting beside him; let's all leave."

Xie Guzhou lifted her from Xuan Fu Weng's body: "Old Valley Master Xue, then we'll all leave first, please feel free."

"I'll go tell them to slaughter a sheep; tonight we can roast one!"

Xue Tong smiled and nodded.

Xie Guzhou carried Tuan Tuan and headed out: "Uncle Xie will take you out to play!"

Tuan Tuan ran around the warehouse, followed by a string of horse‑gang men, each rough face beaming with smiles.

"Little ancestor, run more slowly!"

"Don't fall!"

"Come, uncle will let you ride a horse!"

Xie Guzhou stood aside, watching the rough men circle a Xiao Tuanzi, shaking his head and chuckling.

"Here, we only have goods and horses; there's not much you can play with."

Tuan Tuan stopped, looking down at the long shadow stretched by the setting sun.

She blinked: "We can play with the shadow!"

Xie Guzhou was startled: "Shadow? How do you play with a shadow?"

Tuan Tuan lifted her little foot, gently stepped on her own shadow on the ground.

"That's how you play!"

She stepped again, landing on the shadow's head.

The nearby men looked bewildered.

Daoba scratched his head: "Little ancestor, what's so fun about this?"

Tuan Tuan looked up, eyes sparkling: "You all join too! It's more fun when everyone steps together!"

She said, then began hopping, her little feet repeatedly stepping on her own shadow.

Sometimes on the head, sometimes on the belly, sometimes chasing the shadow's limbs to step on.

Xie Guzhou watched, amused: the shadow can be played like this?

"Come, come, come, everyone!"

He rushed forward first; Tuan Tuan hopped aside, and this step landed just beside the shadow.

Daoba followed, Tuan Tuan jumped back, and this step fell on the other side.

Tuan Tuan clapped her small hands, laughing: "Missed it!"

The horse‑gang men came one after another, all charging forward.

The courtyard instantly became lively.

A group of rough men surrounded a Xiao Tuanzi, each stepping on her ground shadow one after another, scrambling forward.

"Ha ha, I stepped on it!"

"I also stepped on little ancestor's shadow!"

"You stepped on my shadow, fool!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi watched side‑by‑side, grinning; my lady truly is loved by everyone!

Tuan Tuan smiled with curved eyebrows, weaving through the crowd, her little feet never stopping.

The shadow, following her endless jumps, was stepped on by pair after pair of big feet.

Soon, night fell.

The courtyard lit up, a long table was set.

It was piled with jerky, milk cake, wild fruits, and a whole roasted lamb golden and juicy.

Xue Tong and Xuan Fu Weng also arrived, and everyone sat around the table.

Tuan Tuan obediently put the best lamb leg meat into her own bowl, then picked up a piece and placed it on Xuan Fu Weng's plate: "Grandfather, this meat is delicious, try it quickly."

Xue Tong coughed once.

Tuan Tuan quickly placed another piece on his plate: "Master, this is more fragrant, quickly take a bite!"

Xue Tong finally smiled satisfied.

The Horse Gang's men stared at Tuan Tuan, eyes full of longing.

Tuan Tuan grabbed a piece of milk cake and stuffed it into her mouth: "So delicious!"

She looked at everyone: "Come on, eat up!"

The men silently placed their plates before her: "We also want to eat what Xiao Zuzong gave us."

Exactly! It's definitely the most delicious!

Xie Guzhou frowned: "What chaos are you causing! Don't you have hands?"

Be quick, help yourself!

Tuan Tuan hurriedly said: "I'll do it, I'll do it!"

She placed each dish from the table into the men's bowls: "Uncles, thank you for your hard work in bringing grain for my father."

The men's faces instantly lit up: "Little Ancestor really knows how to speak!"

What's that! We love most going to bring grain to the Main Camp!

Amidst joyous cheer, a hearty dinner was finished.

Xuan Fu Weng looked at Tuan Tuan's swollen belly: "You've eaten too much, you can't just sleep; you need to run."

Tuan Tuan jumped off the stool: "I still want to play with shadows!"

The sturdy men shouted in agreement: "Good! We'll accompany Little Ancestor in playing!"

Thus they played for a full hour until Tuan Tuan grew tired and could no longer step; then Xiao Er picked her up: "Miss, let's go, it's time to sleep."

Tuan Tuan let out a small yawn: "Mm, shadows are really fun!"

No one noticed that deep within the shadow, something was writhing wildly.

Each time it was stepped on, that thing shuddered violently.

It wanted to flee, but being merely a shadow, it could only stay put, enduring alternating trampling by a pair of small feet and the big feet of a group of rough men.

Jingcheng.

Lu Wu sat cross-legged on a mat, eyes tightly shut, veins bulging on his forehead.

His body twitched uncontrollably with each distant stomp.

One twitch, then another...

His face turned from white to red, then to blue, and finally darkened faintly.

He gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse: "Don't step on me! Don't step on me!"

Only after finally waiting for Tuan Tuan to finish her meal did he get a brief respite, then it started again.

Lu Wu could no longer hold back; a mouthful of old blood surged to his throat, which he forced himself to swallow.

She! She actually stepped on my shikigami! And she brought a crowd to trample it together!

How is it that after leaving the Main Camp, there are still so many people surrounding her!

Wait, wait until my barrier is completed tomorrow, then I will let you...

Ouch! Don't step on me!