Chapter 577: It is also a serious crime

The group exchanged glances, and everyone understood.

Xue Tong let out a cold snort, raised his hand and pointed at the crowd before him, dragging his finger across: "So that's how it is—whatever shopkeeper, gate guard, cook, or helper..."

He pointed at each one in turn: "And you, you, you! You're all in on it together!"

Everyone instantly exploded in an uproar.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

"How are we suddenly a gang?"

"You're crying thief while being the thief!"

Every face flushed with anger, as if they'd suffered a tremendous injustice.

Xiao Ningyuan gave a cold laugh: "You've gone to a lot of trouble, cooking up such a complex scheme just to seize our belongings."

Xiao Er's hand rested on his sword hilt.

Several guards, seeing this, stepped forward in unison, poised to draw their swords.

The discussion died away, many people stepped back a few paces, and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

The short soldier, however, showed no panic: "Without evidence, you can't just spout nonsense."

"We're not even from the same mother—where would a gang come from?"

The tall, thin soldier nodded: "Exactly, that's what you say wherever you go."

He glanced at Xiao Er's hand on the sword hilt and sneered: "What, you wanna fight?"

"Sure," he said, stepping forward and pointing at the courtyard, "unless you can hack down every old and young person here, leaving no survivor."

"Otherwise, wherever you go, you'll have nowhere to plead your case."

The short soldier kept nodding: "But since you were able to rescue someone yesterday, you surely wouldn't do something like this, right?"

The two exchanged a smile, wearing the look of having you all figured out, shameless to the extreme.

Hearing this, everyone felt they'd found their backbone, immediately stepped forward a few paces, and began shouting:

"It's clearly you who caused harm and still deny it!"

"Now you want to pour all the dirty water on us!"

Lu Qi's fists clenched until they cracked.

Xiao Er's hand tightened and loosened on the hilt, then tightened again.

The guards' faces turned ashen one by one.

Xiao Ningxun's brows knitted tightly.

He knew the soldier spoke the truth; with so many witnesses and Abudu's fate unknown, no one could clarify things.

No matter which government office it went to, this could only be a muddled case.

Xiao Ningyuan suddenly recalled the Golden Camel Tribe: "Our carriage bears the Golden Camel Tribe's bell—don't you fear they'll come seeking revenge?"

The short soldier snorted: "Who in the Western Regions isn't afraid of the Golden Camel Tribe?"

He looked innocent: "But we didn't rob you, either."

The tall, thin soldier added: "Right—we hurt no one, stole no goods, and the Golden Camel Tribe's bell works only on bandits, not officials—hehe."

"As long as the person doesn't return, your loss is a foregone conclusion!"

Xiao Ningyuan was speechless, while Kang An glared at the two soldiers like a young wolf cub, fierce and hostile.

Xue Tong's old face flushed red: "You! You lot! You're utterly lawless!"

Just then, a soft, childlike voice piped up: "If that person from yesterday shows up, can we just leave?"

Everyone's gaze turned toward the source of the sound.

Tuan Tuan lay in Xiao Ningxun's arms, turned her head, and stared at the two soldiers with big, blinking eyes.

The short soldier blinked, then smiled: "Exactly. If you can hand over the person, and he's still alive, then you have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, got it!" Tuan Tuan grinned and patted her older brother's arm.

Xiao Ningxun understood, lifted her up a bit, and held her tighter.

Xiao Ningyuan, Xiao Er, and Lu Qi stepped forward together, standing before Xiao Ningxun and firmly shielding Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan lowered her head, untied the embroidered pouch at her waist, fumbled inside for a while, pulled out a dingy, broken grass stalk, and muttered softly:

"Let the injured person from yesterday walk here on his own!"

Having said that, she loosened her small hand; a faint light flashed, and the broken grass stalk vanished.

The next moment.

"Click." A soft sound came from the far end of the courtyard, near the corner.

Everyone turned their heads to look.

All they saw was a wooden plank on the ground, gently pushed up from below to create a gap.

Then it was fully pushed open, and a hand caked with mud reached out from within.

Abudu crawled out, covered in earth, his injured arm still dangling before him, using hands and feet together, his face grimy with dirt.

He stood at the hole, looking utterly bewildered, as if he had no idea where he was or how he'd managed to crawl out.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared at Abudu, mouths agape; the two soldiers' smiles froze on their faces, and the shopkeeper's eyes nearly popped out.

Xiao Ningyuan burst out laughing: "What? Don't you recognize him? Isn't this the Abudu you've been looking for?"

The shopkeeper's eyes darted; he reacted in a flash, rushed over a few steps, and flung his arms around Abudu, his voice full of astonishment and joy:

"My good brother! How did you end up in the cellar? You've scared us half to death!"

The shopkeeper pulled Abudu to the center of the courtyard: "Good brother, what happened to you?"

The group all let out a sigh of relief at once.

Xiao Ningxun kissed Tuan Tuan on the face: "Well done!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi finally released the breath they'd been holding in their chests; thank goodness the young lady was there!

Xiao Ningyuan looked at the two soldiers: "See? He's hiding safely in the cellar, not a hair harmed!"

Kang An said: "Exactly!"

Xue Tong burst out laughing: "Good disciple! You really have something! Make them furious! Satisfying! Now that you're alive and well, what else could they possibly say?"

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands, laughing deep-dimpled in her brother's embrace: "You didn't want to see him? He's here!"

Abudu looked at the people filling the courtyard, as if waking from a dream: "I hid in the cellar because last night, while in the room, I heard movement outside."

"Peering through the crack in the door," he raised his hand, pointing at the group: "I saw them sneaking about, dagger in hand, standing at my door!"

The group: "......?"

The fat fellow slapped his thigh: "See? We were right! Abudu himself saw it!"

The cook chimed in: "Abudu isn't an idiot; seeing someone with a knife at the door, of course he'd hide!"

The shopkeeper patted Abudu on the shoulder: "Good buddy, lucky you're quick-witted!"

The short soldier chuckled at the group: "Ah, I see! Looks like you attempted murder but failed!"

The tall, thin soldier said: "The truth is out! Still, even though Abudu isn't dead, your attempted murder is equally a serious crime."

"Leave your belongings, and we'll let this go; otherwise, come with us to jail to talk it out."