Chapter 553: Let's try it out tomorrow

Xiao Er looked at Shatuke, suddenly understood: "The chief wants me to have my young lady help find this Wu Jin Mud?"

Shatuke nodded: "I'm also desperate, grasping at any remedy."

He gave a bitter smile: "But just now I asked, this little thing has never entered that spice shop, yet it can say where the documents are hidden."

He paused: "So I thought, maybe she really can find it."

Tuan Tuan pursed her lips: "I'm not called little thing! I'm Tuan Tuan!"

Shatuke was stunned.

"Besides," Tuan Tuan lifted her little face to look at him, dead serious, "you're the big guy."

Daoba covered his mouth, nearly laughing out loud.

Shatuke lowered his head to look at the upright Xiao Tuanzi before him: "Okay, Tuan Tuan."

"Are you willing to give it a try, help me find that Wu Jin Mud and save the several hundred lives of Shazhoubao?"

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Sure! The thing you're looking for is black and soft, right?"

"Yes."

Tuan Tuan brushed off the pastry crumbs on her hands: "Then I'll go check."

Shatuke immediately raised his voice to order: "Take them to search every corner of the fortress! Don't miss a single spot!"

"Yes!" Several burly men responded and entered, leading the people out.

After a little more than an hour, the group returned to the room.

Tuan Tuan shook her little head and plopped down: "There's nothing you're looking for here."

Shatuke's heart sank; he fell silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

"Forget it." He stood up, looked at the crowd, and said, "Everyone, please leave as soon as possible."

Xiao Er furrowed his brows: "What does the chief mean?"

"I will immediately tell everyone in the fortress to leave tonight."

Shatuke spoke calmly: "Since this person is certain the Wu Jin Mud is here, if they see an empty fortress, they'll likely hunt down the group."

"I'll stay behind to contend with them to the end, so the group can flee as far as possible."

Daoba exclaimed anxiously: "Isn't that just throwing away your life?"

Shatuke did not answer.

Kang An raised his hand, then lowered it.

He raised it again, then lowered it.

Tuan Tuan asked: "Xiao An'an, what do you want to say?"

Kang An stiffened all over, shook his head, and pulled his hand back behind him.

Shatuke rose and walked to the door, his voice low: "I have painstakingly managed this place for decades; I never imagined being driven to such a dead end by a villain I've never even met."

Tuan Tuan looked at his tall back: "This uncle is a good person!"

"He's protecting the locals here! I need to think of a way to help him."

"But that whatever mud really isn't here!"

"Otherwise, why not give him one?"

Tuan Tuan laughed: "It's just something black and soft, right?"

Everyone turned their heads toward her in unison.

Tuan Tuan blinked: "I have a way!"

Shatuke rejoiced: "What good idea do you have?"

Tuan Tuan's eyes darted, she stood up, grabbed Xiao Er and Lu Qi's hands, and headed out: "Wait a moment for me."

The three went out; inside, Shatuke, Daoba, and Kang An looked at each other, eyes wide.

Tuan Tuan walked back and forth on the street with her head down, her big eyes scanning the ground.

"This one's no good, that one's no good either."

Xiao Er and Lu Qi silently followed behind her, not knowing what their young lady was looking for.

"But no matter what the young lady wants to do, just accompanying her is fine."

Suddenly, Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "This one's good!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi lowered their heads to look, and were stunned.

"It was a lump of dark brown dog feces, glistening with an oily sheen in the sunlight."

Lu Qi swallowed with difficulty: "Miss, are you talking about this dog feces?"

"Yes!" Tuan Tuan nodded, examined it carefully, very satisfied: "Soft, black, just right."

Xiao Er's brows knotted into a ball: "Miss, soft is soft, but the color is off quite a bit—Wu Jin Mud is supposed to be as black as ink, while this is clearly dark brown."

He paused: "Moreover, it reeks to high heaven—how could it possibly pass off as the real thing?"

Lu Qi also urged: "Miss, I understand you want to save these people."

"How about this: I and Elder Xiao will stay behind, letting Daoba take you and Kang An back to the horse gang first."

Tuan Tuan blinked: "No need. Uncle Xiao Er, I need a box that can hold this."

Xiao Er resignedly turned and walked back into the room.

After a moment, he came out holding a palm-sized exquisite wooden box and handed it to Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan lowered her head to look at the box, then at the dog feces on the ground, her little face scrunched up: "How do I put it in?"

Lu Qi chuckled, looked around, picked up a thin wooden plank from the roadside, crouched down, and gently scooped.

The dog feces landed steadily on the wooden plank with a soft thud.

Lu Qi flicked his wrist, and the dark brown lump slid neatly into the box, fitting perfectly.

Tuan Tuan nodded in satisfaction, untied the embroidered pouch at her waist, and pulled out a black little stone.

"Second Uncle, hold me."

Xiao Er bent over and held her in his arms.

Tuan Tuan nestled in his arms and muttered, "Let everyone who wants Wu Jin Mud see it as Wu Jin Mud!"

Then she added with a sly look, "Only when they try to use it will they see it's dung!"

After speaking, she loosened her little hand, a faint light flashed, and the little stone vanished.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi stared fixedly at the box; nothing changed, it was still a lump of dung.

Lu Qi scratched his head: "Miss, this, this is still dung."

Tuan Tuan laughed: "Take it in to show them, tell them I found Wu Jin Mud!"

Lu Qi was half‑believing, half‑doubting, he reached out and lifted the box.

The three returned to the room.

Daoba came forward: "What is this? Did you really find it?"

Lu Qi steeled himself, placed the box on the table: "Miss found it, this is what's inside."

Shatuke carefully opened the box lid, his eyes instantly brightening: "Exactly! This is it! Exactly as the rumors said!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance, both faces full of disbelief.

It's clearly still that lump of dung!

Daoba leaned in for a look, opened his mouth to speak.

Kang An wrinkled his nose, raising his hand.

Tuan Tuan hurriedly shushed them.

Daoba closed his mouth, eyes wide as saucers, and Kang An lowered his hand.

Shatuke cradled the box, unable to put it down, staring at it for a long while before lifting his head to look at Tuan Tuan: "Little… Tuan Tuan, you've saved hundreds of lives in my Shazhoubao!"

Tuan Tuan smiled sweetly.

Xiao Er stepped forward: "Chief, you needn't worry."

"Isn't the day after tomorrow the three‑day deadline? Will someone come to take it then?"

"We all have some martial ability; we'll stay here these few days, watch them take it away, then leave."

"However, this place isn't suitable for a long stay; the chief should still make plans early."

Shatuke nodded repeatedly in thanks: "I've thought of that too; after they leave, I'll arrange for everyone to move elsewhere."

"If they come again, we'll give them an empty building!"

He carefully put the box away, then took a piece of luxurious‑looking felt and covered it tightly.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi: "……"

The following night.

Shatuke's room was pitch black.

Everyone hid in the darkness, holding their breath, motionless.

The box containing dung sat quietly on the table.

Suddenly, the window latch moved slightly, and several black shadows slipped in soundlessly.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi's eyes narrowed: "That movement! Those weapons that are neither blade nor sword — these are the very people who have been chasing Miss all along!"

The leader of the black‑clad men walked to the table, reached out, picked up the box, opened it gently, and curled the corner of his mouth.

He carefully slipped the box into his bosom, waved his big hand, and vanished silently into the night.

Several adults let out long breaths, Kang An's eyes widened, and Tuan Tuan broke into a happy grin.

Early the next morning, Shatuke personally saw them out of Shazhoubao: "Tuan Tuan, we're also leaving this place; may we meet again if fate allows!"

"All right!" Tuan Tuan replied cheerfully, turned her head to look at Kang An sitting in front of Lu Qi, "Xiao An'an, let's go home!"

Kang An nodded: "Having Tuan Tuan, I too have a home."

"Gallop!" Several people spurred their horses and raced full speed toward the Main Camp.

A few days later, Jingcheng.

The Masked Man held the exquisite wooden box in his hand.

Several black‑clad men bowed and said: "Sir, after obtaining it we dared not delay; we rushed back overnight."

The Masked Man said lightly: "You've worked hard."

"This time you did well; the Wu Jin Mud is in my hands, and whatever key Xiao Yuanhang holds will probably never be completed."

He reached out and opened the wooden box; a black object lay inside, its surface faintly shimmering with flowing luster.

He took out the "Wu Jin Mud", brought it close to his eye for careful examination: "Is this the Western Regions treasure?"

He nodded satisfied: "Tomorrow I'll take it out for a test, to see if it's as miraculous as the rumors…"

No sooner had his words fallen than a foul stench, blocked by the bronze mask on his face, nearly choked him.