Chapter 556

Tuan Tuan clenches a little fist and waves it: "Who's the villain? I'll go beat him for you!"

Kang An lifts her head, looks at her, eyes flashing, "Tuan Tuan, you're really kind to me!"

He continues writing: "It's the person that Dad rescued."

"Huh?" Tuan Tuan widens her eyes: "So that person was a villain! A big villain!"

Two big tears splash onto the paper.

Kang An lifts a hand, wipes her face, continues writing: "They stayed at home for several days before leaving; I kept hiding in the tree, too scared to come down."

"Even after they all left, I still didn't dare to go down, until my arms gave out and I fell from the tree."

"I went home, took a quick look, kowtowed to Dad and Mom, then hurried away."

"I didn't dare stay in the Western Regions, so I ran toward Zhongyuan."

"But I didn't know anywhere, so in the end I could only hide in Shazhoubao."

"I didn't dare let anyone know who I was, until I met Tuan Tuan."

He puts down the pen, his blue eyes glistening with tears, silently staring at Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan jumps down from Third Brother's arms, walks to his side, snatches the pen from his hand, and gives him a big hug.

"Xiao An'an," her voice soft, with a sob, "you'll never have to be afraid again."

"You have me, plus my dad, mom, and brothers, and also Uncle Xiao Er and Uncle Lu Qi."

"They'll be yours too, we'll be together, okay?"

Kang An clings tightly to Tuan Tuan, tears streaming down in strings.

Xiao Ningxun lets out a long sigh, Xiao Er shakes his head.

Lu Qi curses angrily: "Damn it! What a beast!"

Feng Zhou opens his mouth, wants to say something, then swallows it back.

After a while, Kang An wipes away her tears, then lifts a hand to wipe the tears from Tuan Tuan's little cheek, and sits back at the table.

He lifts the pen and writes a list: "Nitrate water, mutton oil, grass ash…"

"Add water to these, use a strong fire, repeatedly boil until viscous, then soak the raw stone in it."

"After three days, scoop it out, and you'll see the black, soft Wu Jin Mud."

Feng Zhou's voice trembles: "Then, it can be used?"

Kang An nods, writes: "You can try whether you can repair that key from earlier."

Tuan Tuan grips the stone, shaking her head frantically: "No! This is something your dad gave you, you can't use it!"

Kang An is startled, tears instantly flow down again.

Xiao Ningxun pats his sister's little head: "Tuan Tuan is right, it can't be used."

Tuan Tuan stuffs the stone she holds into his hand: "Xiao An'an, put it away properly."

Kang An looks at the stone in her hand, thinks for a moment, then rushes out of the tent.

The few of them hurriedly follow out.

Kang An looks around, puts the stone on the ground, picks up a large stone nearby, and smashes down onto the stone with force.

Tuan Tuan exclaims: "Xiao An'an, what are you doing?"

Kang An smashes a few more times, the stone cracks into two halves.

He picks it up, puts one half back into his arms, and hands the other half to Feng Zhou.

Tuan Tuan understands: "Xiao An'an, you're really clever!"

Xiao Ningxun steps forward, grabs one hand, and leads them back to his own tent.

He picks up the paper Kang An wrote, hands it to Feng Zhou: "Try it according to this; it's Kang An's feelings for Tuan Tuan, be very careful."

Feng Zhou takes it, pats Kang An's shoulder: "Thank you, don't worry, I won't waste a single thread of it."

Having said that, he strides out quickly.

Xiao Ningxun looks at Kang An: "The calamity that struck your family all stems from this Wu Jin Mud; your father was certainly not just an ordinary blacksmith."

"Do you remember any other relatives in your family? I can help you find them."

Kang An thinks for a moment, shakes her head.

Xiao Ningxun asks again: "Kang An, you used to be able to speak; because you saw what happened that day, you became like this now, right?"

Kang An nods.

Tuan Tuan's eyes flash: "Xiao An'an, so you couldn't speak because you were ill!"

"Come! I'll take you to find my Master; he's powerful and will definitely cure you!"

Having said that, she grabs Kang An and rushes to go out.

Xiao Ningxun pulls his sister back: "Don't rush; there's no need for you to go again. Brother will send someone to bring Old Valley Master over."

He looks at Lu Qi: "Brother Lu, please take people and go, leave two behind to tend Old Valley Master's spirit herbs, so he can come properly to treat Kang An."

"Alright!" Lu Qi turns and leaves.

Two days later, Xue Tong arrives at Main Camp and gives Kang An a thorough diagnosis and treatment.

Tuan Tuan watches anxiously nearby; when Master pauses, she hurriedly asks: "Master, can Xiao An'an's illness be cured?"

Xue Tong glances at his disciple: "He's suffered a massive shock, causing qi and blood stagnation."

"For this illness, medicine won't work."

Tuan Tuan gets anxious: "Then what should we do?"

Xue Tong pats her head: "Why the hurry? Master is here."

He pulls a needle case from the medicine box, opens it: "I can use golden needles to unblock his meridians, so he can speak a few simple words."

Tuan Tuan's eyes light up: "Really? Then Xiao An'an can speak!"

Xue Tong shook his head: "But I can only say: good, no, these."

"If you want him to chatter on like you do," he glanced at Kang An: "We have to wait for his heart knot to untie before we can."

Tuan Tuan was already overjoyed: "Xiao An'an, did you hear that?"

"You'll be able to talk soon! When you can speak, you must first call my name!"

Kang An looked at her, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he nodded.

Xue Tong picked up a golden needle: "Lie still."

Five days later, Xue Tong gently pulled out the last golden needle: "Open your mouth, give it a try."

Kang An blinked, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

Tuan Tuan leaned against the bedside, looking at him: "Xiao An'an, don't be scared, take it slow!"

Kang An turned his head to look at her, his Adam's apple rolled, and his lips moved again.

An extremely soft, hoarse voice squeezed out from his throat: "Tuan... Tuan!"

Tuan Tuan's eyes widened instantly, then she let out an "Ah!" and sprang up, kicking her little legs as she ran around inside the tent.

"Xiao An'an can call Tuan Tuan now! Xiao An'an can call Tuan Tuan now!"

She ran two laps, then threw herself into Xue Tong's embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and shaking him vigorously: "Master! You're so great! You're amazing!"

Xue Tong was shaken until his head swam: "Enough, enough, stop shaking me, Master—this old skeleton of mine is going to fall apart from your shaking!"

Tuan Tuan let go of him, turned, and rushed out again.

Outside the tent, Xiao Er followed behind, shouting: "Miss, slow down!"

Tuan Tuan's short legs churned wildly as she sprinted all the way toward the central command tent.

As the curtain was lifted, Xiao Tuanzi shot straight in and launched herself into Xiao Yuanhang's arms.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Xiao Yuanhang caught her in one swift motion: "What's wrong? Why are you running so fast?"

Tuan Tuan lifted her face: "Xiao An'an can call Tuan Tuan now!"

Xiao Ningyuan blinked in surprise: "That fast?"

"Right! Master cured him!" Tuan Tuan writhed in her father's arms: "He can call Tuan Tuan now!"

Xiao Yuanhang laughed, picked up his daughter and stood: "Come on, let's go see that child together."

The three brothers rose to their feet as well.

Just then, the tent flap was flung open again.

Feng Zhou rushed in.

He was covered head to toe in black ash, a few strands of his hair sticking up, holding something high in his hands, his voice cracking: "Key! Key! I've pieced together a key!"

Everyone turned their gaze to what he held.

It was a miniature Heavenly Son Sword!

Everyone gathered around.

Xiao Ningyuan sucked in a breath of cold air: "It's truly a natural perfection! You can't see any trace of it having been broken!"

Xiao Ningxun took the key, turned it over and over several times, his eyes full of astonishment and delight.

Xiao Yuanhang kept nodding: "Good! Excellent!"

Tuan Tuan looked at the key: "Daddy, when are we going back to Jingcheng?"

Feng Zhou's smile froze instantly, he scratched his head: "Well, that's all I managed to piece together."

Xiao Ningchen furrowed his brows: "What do you mean?"

Feng Zhou put on a bitter face: "The Wu Jin Mud is used up; it's not enough—there are still six more needed."

Tuan Tuan blinked, her eyes rolling: "Then let's go to the Western Regions! We'll find more Wu Jin Mud to avenge Xiao An'an's parents!"