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

At the crack of dawn (3-5 a.m.), Luanyun Ridge was as dark as ink. The mountain wind howled and rustled through the forest, casting a cool, whistling shadow. The faint embers of the campfire flickered and burned in the camp.

The night patrol's dragging footsteps sounded only once in a long while, weary and lax, precisely the time when vigilance was most relaxed.

In the stinking pit, Da Niu lay sprawled out, half a tattered cloth wrapped around his waist, fast asleep, his nose even snoring softly.

Awakened by the cold, Xiong Bo looked at his bedding, which had been inexplicably half-rolled away, and tried to pull it off, but couldn't budge it.

This young man not only didn't move an inch, but his snoring frequency didn't even change.

You're really carefree.

Xiong Bo sat up, clutching half a tattered cloth.

By tomorrow at the latest, these people in the camp will definitely make this kid lead the way. Whether he can find it or not, he can tell that he's trying to stall, but he can't stall any longer.

Xiong Bo stared at the damp ground, pondered for a long time, and finally moved over quietly, groping and poking Da Niu with his finger.

"Hey, wake up."

Da Niu didn't respond.

He increased the force and poked it a few more times.

"Who poked my kidney?" Da Niu scrambled to his feet, clutching the camouflage fanny pack next to his kidney.

"Shh, keep your voice down." Xiong Bo's low voice rang out in the darkness.

"Brother Bear, why are you poking me in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Da Niu patted the small pouch at his waist, his thoughts racing.

This person hasn't spoken to me for the past two days. What's he up to now, coming over in the middle of the night? Is he trying to trick me into running away so that everyone outside will focus on me so he can escape? Or does he have some other scheme?

Xiong Bo had no idea that Da Niu had thought of so much in such a short time. He lowered his voice even further: "You know where that thing is hidden in the mountains. You're deliberately dragging your feet and not telling me. You're trying to buy time."

Da Niu raised an eyebrow slightly and clenched his fist. Was he going to knock the person out or just knock them out?

"I advise you not to waste your energy and delay any longer." Xiong Bo listened for a while, and after confirming that no one was approaching, he continued, "Do you know the origins of these people? They are not ordinary mountain bandits or brigands, but direct guards under the command of Prince Wei, the legitimate son of Prince Su of the current dynasty."

"These people are acting ruthlessly under orders. Do you think you can drag this out indefinitely? At most, you can hold out until dawn tomorrow. If you still can't find your way by then, you'll be useless. If you were working for another vassal king, I wouldn't advise you."

But I see you have no connection with the court; you're just an ordinary person. Don't wait any longer; you'll only drag them down."

Da Niu's heart tightened.

They've actually gotten involved with a vassal king!

The military commander was the highest-ranking official they had ever heard of, and now, hearing this man's words, the situation seemed even more dire than they had imagined. But could what he said be true?

Xiong Bo didn't hear Da Niu's reply, but he wasn't in a hurry. He paused for a moment to give Da Niu time to process the information he had just shared, and then continued, "I heard from them that the hiding place is full of traps and hidden weapons, and it's dangerous at every turn. After dawn, they will definitely force you to lead the way into the mountains. Be smart then, and I will find a way to trap those people inside. Find an opening and escape as soon as possible."

You're familiar with this mountain forest, and you're young; I'll do my best to stall for time for you.

Da Niu's eyes were deep and his heart was full of suspicion.

He had no connection with this man; calling him "Brother Xiong" was merely a ploy to extract useful information. The man's sudden offer of assistance was highly unusual. How much of this man's statement was true?

He shook his head. If Xinghua or his father were here, they would definitely be able to figure it out.

But I have to admit that what this person said makes sense; I really can't hold out for much longer.

The sound of dragging footsteps came from afar. Xiong Bo didn't say anything more, but just forcefully pulled back the half of the bedding that Da Niu had taken away and wrapped it around himself.

Da Niu looked up at the dark shadows of the trees outside the pit.

I've already made up my mind.

……

On the other side of the deep mountains, Gouya and Xinghua were making their difficult journey.

The night obscured the path, and the ground was littered with withered branches and rocks that made them stumble. The two walked carefully through the dense forest, one in front of the other.

The heavy electric mahjong machine was carefully hidden in the bamboo basket behind him, covered with weeds. A hole was cut out at the bottom of the basket for the switch; when needed, one only needed to press the hole to turn on the machine.

The electric dominoes handle in his hand was tightly wrapped with straw rope, making the originally light handle feel heavier, and every step he took was particularly strenuous.

During the day, Gouya could travel lightly and reach this mountain path in an hour. But now, with a heavy load to carry and the care of Xinghua beside her, the night road was difficult to traverse. The two dared not make a sound, walking very slowly, stopping and starting, cautious at every step.

Heavy breathing could be faintly heard in the quiet mountain forest. Cold sweat kept seeping from their foreheads, and their coarse cloth clothes were already soaked with dampness and sweat, clinging to their bodies and taking away the little heat they had left when the wind blew.

They trudged along in the dark, stumbling and struggling, for more than three hours before finally reaching the woods and finding a safe and secluded spot to rest.

"Will those people come today? Can we... succeed? Does this thing really work?" Gou Ya clutched the tightly wrapped straw rope handle, hiding in the weeds, her palms covered in cold sweat.

"It's been three days. Yes, they won't give us lowly people much time. Gouya." Xinghua stared fixedly at the darkness ahead: "We've already made the decision, so we must trust our judgment and just do it. We'll only know the outcome after we've done it. Grandpa and Grandma are still waiting for me to come home for dinner."

Gou Ya didn't say anything.

The machine in her basket was the most powerful one, which was said to be able to bring down even strong oxen and horses in an instant.

This is the trust the villagers have in her.

In any case, she would make sure Xinghua could come home for dinner.

……

Zhao Hu climbed to the top of the mountain, panting, and looked down into the pitch blackness.

The last time I went into the mountains at night was for something related to a neighboring village.

The mountain chill seeped into his bones, and the old injury in his knee ached from the cold. He held his breath and carefully parted the grass, searching for the best hiding place. Dawn was just around the corner.

He strung the whistle he had taken out of the entrenching tool together with a straw rope and hung it around his neck.

Will those people leave today?