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

Upon hearing the question, Da Niu did not retreat or flee. Instead, he deliberately moved forward in a flustered manner, his shoulders drooping and his hands and feet trembling with excessive fear.

His hands were covered in horse manure, black and smelly.

The bulging sack of excrement around his waist was still dripping down.

His clothes were tattered, his trousers were worn out and covered in mud and excrement, and his face was also covered in filth.

He stumbled and ran toward the dense forest and the mountain hollow, his eyes filled with panic.

"Stop! Don't move!" someone shouted sharply from the forest. The bowstring was drawn taut, and an arrow shot straight toward Da Niu's heart. Da Niu's pupils contracted slightly, and he pretended to trip over a branch, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

The arrow was embedded in the mud behind him, its tip still trembling.

Da Niu trembled with fear and immediately collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, waving his hands wildly in front of him, revealing his filth. A pungent, fishy stench wafted over on the wind.

His face was filled with terror as he stammered into the woods, "G-heroes...please don't shoot! I...I'm just a farmer from the next mountain, making a living...I'm not a bad person!"

One of the figures in the woods frowned, not revealing himself, but warily watching the person crawling on the ground.

The man had disheveled hair, unsteady steps, and his clothes were tattered. He had a bundle wrapped in leaves around his waist, which had probably been torn in his haste and was full of horse manure.

They certainly don't look like spies carrying weapons and lurking in the shadows.

After a few rustling sounds, a masked guard dressed in black emerged from the woods, took two steps forward, and sized up Da Niu: "What are you doing in these deep mountains? Sneaking around like this!"

If this person says he went into the mountains to hunt...

A cold glint flashed in the black-clad guard's eyes.

"I...I came to collect manure!" Da Niu lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head. He pointed to the bundle at his waist, his voice aggrieved and embarrassed: "A few days ago, there was a lot of rain. After the rain stopped, I went into the mountains to collect mushrooms. From afar, I saw that there seemed to be wild animals passing through this forest. When I got closer, I saw that there was a lot of manure, so I thought I would take advantage of the good weather today to collect it."

"Everyone in my village has left, all the livestock are dead, and the crops we planted have no manure..."

The black-clad guard's eyes suddenly darkened: "Nonsense! You're strong and healthy, with all your limbs intact and your legs nimble. How could you be the only able-bodied young man left behind when the villagers migrated?! If you continue to spout lies, I'll cut out your tongue!"

Da Niu secretly pinched his thigh hard, the piercing pain bringing tears to his eyes. He choked up and said, "To tell you the truth, sir, I was originally a soldier in the Northwest Border Camp. A long time ago, the border suffered a great defeat, and the soldiers in the camp were scattered and sent back. I ate tree bark and grass roots all the way, and endured wind and rain to finally find my way back to my homeland."

But when I got home, the huge village was completely deserted. Not a single neighbor or villager was left. The mountain roads were blocked by mudslides. I, and everyone in my village... all of us were dead..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he buried his head and burst into tears, his tears and snot mingling with the mud and horse manure smeared on his face. The stench grew stronger and stronger, causing the black-clad guards in front of him to instinctively take two steps back.

They were aware of the defeat in the Northwest last month, and it was from then on that the court was in complete chaos.

He endured his discomfort and carefully examined the person lying on the ground. He could vaguely make out that the person's clothes seemed to be of the style from the Northwest. However, he was just a low-ranking soldier. Even if he wasn't lying, they couldn't let him stay here.

He gestured behind him with his hand.

killed.

A chill ran down Da Niu's spine, and his sobs abruptly choked: "Sir, I grew up in Luan Yun Ridge since I was a child. I know every mountain and ravine in the area by heart. I can find my way even with my eyes closed. I'm also incredibly strong and eat very little! Elsewhere is in chaos due to war, and there's no way to survive in the village. Please, sir, give me a way to live. I'm willing to serve you!"

The black-clad guard's hand gestures suddenly changed, a calculating glint in his eyes.

He is strong, knows how to farm, and is familiar with the mountains and forests.

Familiarity... that might lead them to the hidden place they've been searching for.

It's possible to keep them for a while; it's not too late to kill them after we've used them up.

He abandoned the idea of ​​killing him and used his toe to pick up a pebble, which he then accurately smashed into the bull's forehead.

The stone broke the skin, and blood flowed down the bull's forehead.

A thick hemp rope was thrown to the ground in front of the bull: "Tie your hands together and follow me."

Da Niu then dared to slowly raise his head and, through the gaps in the forest, vaguely saw that there were four or five guards in black standing behind the trees, two of whom were leading two fat and strong horses.

He quickly picked up the rope. "Sir, could you tie only one hand? I really can't bear to leave all this horse manure on the ground. You see, I was able to follow the trail here, so... if I clean it up, it will save you some trouble. I'm quick, so it won't delay your journey."

Before the other person could speak, Da Niu hurriedly added, "Horse manure can not only be used as fertilizer, but it can also be used as firewood when dried. In the eyes of us farmers, this manure is more precious than our own flesh and blood. It's a real shame to leave it by the roadside."

The man in black grew impatient with his nagging, yet also felt there was some truth to it, so he could only snap at him, "Enough with the nagging! If you're going to pick it up, pick it up cleanly. If you leave even the slightest trace, I'll let you eat it all!"

"Okay, okay, thank you, sir. You are a good person, I will definitely clean it up properly!" Da Niu bowed and scraped repeatedly, his body hunched over.

A hint of joy flashed in his eyes.

The group continued their journey along the rugged mountain path, with Da Niu following behind the horse, bending down to pick up the scattered horse manure along the way.

Those people wouldn't wait for him, and he didn't have time to look for Kuoye anymore. So he pulled open the hem of his tattered clothes, carefully tucked the contents into his clothes and into his arms, a simple and satisfied smile on his face.

It was as if he were holding gold, not excrement.

Every time the black-clad guards turned around and saw him covered in filth, busy at work, they felt disgusted by his stench, frowned with disgust, glanced at him, and quickly turned their heads away. They were too lazy to get close to watch over him and focused most of their attention on the movements in the surrounding mountains and forests.

Under the cover of collecting manure, Da Niu secretly made subtle marks with his fingertips at several hidden intersections.

That was a secret code he, Xinghua, and Doctor Chen had agreed upon earlier to prevent them from getting separated.

After trekking through layers of dense forest for nearly an hour, as the sky gradually darkened, the group finally settled in a secluded mountain valley surrounded by mountains.

Simple wooden houses and tents can be vaguely seen in the open area.

The leader of the men in black led the bull to a pit more than half a person deep outside the camp and threw it in.

"Stay put and behave yourself. If you dare to run around, I'll break both your legs."

The ox rolled into the deep pit, still desperately protecting the horse manure in its arms.

After landing, he noticed a person curled up in the corner of the pit, with disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and his back to him.

Hearing someone land, he didn't move an inch.