Chapter 688: with translation of chapter title

The Big Dipper? Xiao Ningyuan's heart stirred, and he quickly rose and walked over.

Lu Qi picked up a flint and moved close to the shard: 'Indeed there is!'

Tuan Tuan placed both hands on it, gripping the shard's two ends, and gave a gentle pull.

The shard's pattern didn't budge.

Tuan Tuan blinked, tilted her little head, and stared at it for a moment.

Xiao Er said: 'Miss, do you want this? I'll pry it off for you.'

Tuan Tuan shook her head, not being polite at all, placed her small hands on the shard and pushed hard inward.

A basin-sized clump of earth suddenly collapsed inward; after a puff of dust rose, a pitch-black opening was revealed.

Xiao Er hastily hugged her and stepped back several paces.

Old Zhao brought the men over and surrounded the area.

'How did a hole appear here?'

'I don't know; we've been here for how many days, and we never noticed it before!'

Lu Qi held up the flint and extended it into the hole, looking around: 'No one! But there are quite a few large chests.'

Chests? Could it be another treasure from the previous dynasty?

Xiao Ningyuan ordered: 'Tear down this wall and go in to see what's inside.'

'Yes!'

The earthen wall wasn't thick; on the contrary, it was considerably thinner than an ordinary wall.

Several dozen soldiers worked together, and shortly they broke open a doorway large enough for one person to pass through.

After the dust settled, everyone, holding flints, filed in one after another.

A modest-sized dark chamber held six wooden chests neatly stacked, all covered in dust.

Xiao Ningyuan commanded: 'Open them all and have a look.'

Old Zhao led a few soldiers forward and pried open the outermost chest with the tip of his blade.

The chest lid creaked open, and a strong musty smell burst out, making several people cough and step back repeatedly.

Old Zhao covered his nose and leaned in to see: the chest was stuffed with dried medicinal herbs, the leaves already blackened and curled.

He tried to pick some up, but as soon as his hand touched them, they crumbled into powder.

'This is sanqi herb!' a soldier knowledgeable about herbs stepped forward, picked up a bit of the powder, rubbed it, sniffed, and sighed, 'What a pity.'

'It's a good hemostatic herb, but it's completely rotted and unusable.'

The second chest was opened, and its musty odor was even stronger.

'Bai ji, immortal crane herb...' the soldier identified them one by one, feeling more and more distressed: 'All fine things, such a waste.'

When the third chest was pried open, a pungent smell rushed out.

Inside the chest lay several layers of oil‑paper bundles, each wrapped tightly, with a coat of wax on the outside of the paper.

Old Zhao picked up a bundle, smelled it, and his eyes lit up: 'Gunpowder!'

Xiao Er placed Tuan Tuan in Xiao Ningyuan's arms, reached out and took a bundle, carefully opened it, pinched a bit between his fingers and rubbed it: 'It's still usable.'

Old Zhao smiled narrowly and said: 'This is good stuff!'

The fourth and fifth chests also contained gunpowder.

When the sixth chest was opened, inside lay a series of fist‑sized ceramic jars.

'Child‑mother thunderbolt bombs!' Tuan Tuan pointed her little hand at those jars.

Xiao Er picked up a jar and examined it closely; it was exactly the same as the one found at Old Crow Mountain!

'They are child‑mother thunderbolt bombs,' he said, roughly counting them: 'Only thirty, not many, but fortunately they are well preserved and all usable.'

The soldiers had all witnessed the power of the child‑mother thunderbolt bombs, and they grinned broadly.

'We've really struck it rich!'

'Our chances of victory have increased again!'

Xiao Ningyuan looked around and couldn't help remarking: 'Whoever designed this secret passage really thought of everything, even stocking medicines and weapons.'

Lu Qi nodded: 'If Miss hadn't noticed the Big Dipper on that shard, these things might never have seen the light of day.'

Tuan Tuan poked her head out of Xiao Ningyuan's arms, swayed it proudly, and said: 'I told you, that shard is the prettiest!'

Everyone burst into laughter.

Xiao Ningyuan patted his sister's back, looked at Old Zhao, and said solemnly: 'Old Zhao, tell the person who will bring supplies tomorrow.'

'Have your younger brother examine the shards on the walls of the other eight secret passages carefully.'

'Whatever is in this passage should also be present in the other eight.'

'Exactly!' Old Zhao smacked his forehead: 'How did I not think of that!'

His eyes shone with excitement: 'Young Master, rest assured, I will definitely bring it!'

With such great news, he wished he could rush straight to Xiao Ningchen right now.

Tuan Tuan tugged at her brother's collar: 'Big brother, may I take that shard?'

Xiao Ningyuan smiled: 'Sure! Of course you can.'

Upon hearing this, Xiao Er hurriedly rummaged on the ground, wiped the shard bearing the Big Dipper clean with his sleeve, and handed it to her: 'Miss, put it away.'

'Thank you, Uncle Er!' Tuan Tuan happily took it and stored it in her little embroidered pouch.

Old Zhao suddenly recalled: 'By the way, Young Master, where are you staying now?'

'What if the Second Young Master wants to find you?'

'It wouldn't be easy for him to find us.' Xiao Ningyuan pondered: 'If your younger brother has news, have him deliver it to the last house on Yudai Lane in the northeast of Jingcheng.'

'The National Preceptor lives there now; we often go there, so please have him pass the message along.'

"Alright!"

Xiao Er stared at the gunpowder in the box and said, "Lao Zhao, move some to the front."

"If those Eastern masters get in and you can't hold them, blow them up, seal them here, and then quickly go out to find the Second Young Master to report."

"In any case, you must not let them take the secret passage information out."

"Good idea!" Lao Zhao solemnly nodded, "Don't worry!"

The few of them said goodbye to Lao Zhao and hurried back to the secret chamber.

When everyone heard, their hearts all relaxed.

Xiao Ran placed a hand on his chest and said, "Great, Xiao Ningchen will know tomorrow; we discovered gunpowder again in the secret passage, and this is something Jingcheng cannot bring in."

"Finally something solid," Feng Zhou nodded, "Even if those Eastern people go there, they'll have to leave their lives behind."

Chen Hao looked at Tuan Tuan and said, "Tuan Tuan, you really are a little lucky star! If it weren't for you, the secret passage might have been ruined entirely."

Tuan Tuan hugged Xiao Feifei and said, "I just wanted that beautiful porcelain shard!"

"Who would have thought there was a hole there!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Early the next morning, the Masked Man entered Lu Wu's small courtyard and sat in front of him.

Lu Wu looked at him and asked, "Lord Dingzun, what brings you here?"

The Masked Man said lightly, "The two Shadow Blades I sent out the past two days have not returned to report."

"They don't seem to obey my orders as you said."

He fixed his gaze on Lu Wu's eyes and asked, "Did you do something?"