The little one's purse connects the two worlds, turning a desolate village into a paradise.

Zhao Hu's slow, deep voice echoed in the village chief's courtyard. He slowly recounted the information he had overheard when he went to rescue Gou Ya, as well as the analysis of the others. He then meticulously described the details he could recall when he discovered the horse manure and went to investigate with Da Niu.

Gou Ya lowered her head, her brows furrowed, and muttered to herself softly, her fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the yellow mud at her feet.

The village chief and the others didn't mind that she didn't speak, and continued to discuss countermeasures and study the things and books that Ya Ya had brought back.

Why would a distinguished person come to such a remote place as Luanyun Ridge, surrounded by mountains with only a few scattered villages on both sides of the ridge?

There are still people suspected to be soldiers stationed there.

Could it be that something is really hidden, just as the expert analyzed?

Hiding things...

Hiding something?!

Gou Ya suddenly sat up straight, her eyes brightening.

She remembered the grove where she used to hide acorns. The grove was located in a depression, dark and damp all year round, and few villagers would go there.

That's why she dared to hide her stored grain there.

Deep in that forest, there was a clearing against the mountain. When you stepped on it, the ground seemed different from the solid ground elsewhere; it seemed... to be hollow?

She initially thought it was a trap dug by hunters in the mountains, but after stepping on something unusual, she quickly moved away and didn't dare to linger.

Looking back now, the place was secluded and remote, and there were no large prey animals in the forest. Perhaps something was hidden down there?

Gou Ya rubbed her temples, needing to think about it more carefully. The mountain wall was covered with vines, and through the gaps, it seemed like there was something inside, but she hadn't seen it clearly at the time, thinking it was insects or snakes.

……

Deep within the Chaotic Cloud Ridge.

After several tests over the past two days, Da Niu has remained consistent, just a naive and reckless mountain boy. Because he has been on the battlefield, he is a bit bolder than the average mountain villager, but there is nothing else suspicious about him.

The fifth brother even pretended to evacuate the guards, making the two people in the pit think that everyone in the camp had left.

The two of them didn't make any move and just stayed obediently at the bottom of the pit.

It shouldn't cause any major trouble.

The two guards in black exchanged a glance. The one who had brought Da Niu in first took a few steps toward the edge of the pit, pulled out a piece of paper, and said, "Kid, stand up and look at this map. Do you know where this place is?"

Da Niu's pupils dilated for a moment, but he quickly regained his honest and simple expression. "Alright, big brother, let me see. I should recognize most of the ones around here."

"Hold it carefully, don't break it."

Da Niu reached out and took the paper.

This is a simple hand-rubbed map, with only a few rough lines and symbols.

Anyone else would not have been able to find the location, but Da Niu recognized the marked spot on the map at a glance.

It wasn't because he grew up in Luanyun Ridge; there are so many mountains in the ridge, how could he possibly recognize them all?

Instead, this was the very road that he, Doctor Chen, and Xinghua had taken a detour to get here!

This is the grove where Gou Ya directed them to find the grain she had hidden!

Da Niu's fingers twitched extremely slightly, but quickly returned to normal. He frowned, making hissing and clicking sounds.

"Hmm, I don't understand this picture at all?"

"Tsk, brother, is this really a map of our Chaotic Cloud Ridge? Hmm... what do all these strange symbols mean?"

He pretended to be struggling to decipher the drawing, holding it in both hands and examining it repeatedly.

Da Niu knew perfectly well that in the eyes of this group of people, his only purpose was to guide them in the search for treasure; once they found it, his life would be in danger.

For now, we can only grit our teeth and keep dragging it out, but we can't hold on much longer. In the eyes of those so-called upper classes, people without value are less than livestock, like wounded soldiers in a military camp.

Even if they survive, if they require too much medicine and become disabled, they will still be abandoned in a mass grave.

Xiong Bo, who was standing to the side, saw all of this. He leaned against the earthen wall, looked down at his hands covered with calluses and scars, and his eyes flickered with a deep emotion.

This kid is clearly dawdling on purpose.

He had been faking it all before. This kid knew all along that once the other party found the target location by following the map, his life would end the moment he finished his task.

He's quite a clever young man.

Regardless of which group he came from, or whether he was really just a farmer from the mountains.

Xiong Bo was determined to help this kid.

Not for any other reason than to gamble on a possibility, a chance for revenge.

The men in black would remind him every day to think about his family, using them as leverage. But Xiong Bo knew his family had probably already met with misfortune…

After he appeared and followed this group of people, his family became worthless to them, and even after he found the treasure and unlocked the mechanism, it was of no use to them.

All he could rely on were his hands.

Now it seems there's still one more glimmer of hope.

"Can't you read? The triangle symbol indicates our location, and the pentagon is the target we're looking for. Take a good look again!" The fifth man in black frowned, pinched his nose, and left after uttering those words.

The big ox slowly slid back down the earthen wall and sat back on the ground.

Tiger and his father don't know what's going on, or if they can see the marks he left. If his father comes up with a way to get here, he still has a good weapon and can at least help with some of the burden.

He knew his father's temperament well; he wouldn't easily send someone over unless he was absolutely certain.

If there's really no other way...

Da Niu buried his head in his knees. He could only take those people with him, hoping that once they found the item, they would not come to Luan Yun Ling again, and that Lotus Village could remain peaceful and undiscovered.

It's a bit of a pity.

I haven't even had a chance to taste that golden, plump, and fragrant braised duck leg yet.

The sun gradually rose from behind the mountains.

The dampness in the mountains was somewhat diluted.

A thin figure carrying a worn-out bamboo basket walked briskly through the mountains.

She didn't bring any sharp weapons, not even a sickle.

He was wearing only a faded, colorless cloth shirt, which swayed slightly in the forest breeze.

Zhao Hu has difficulty walking, Xinghua is weak, and the others are all elderly. After counting them, only Gou Ya, who is in the best condition and has the most strength, is able to make this trip.

Gou Ya propped herself up on her knees, her long, messy hair falling loosely.

This expedition was not only a decision made after discussion among everyone, but also something she actively requested herself.