Chapter 22: Treasure in Peril, Golden Finger to the Rescue

The sensation of being watched grew increasingly intense, like thorns pricking my back, impossible to shake off. I constantly felt that a pair of eyes in the shadows was greedily fixed upon us, as if we were two pieces of fresh meat.

He Yunsheng, too, sensed that something was amiss. He was no longer his usual lively, energetic self; instead, he stuck to my side like a faithful little bodyguard.

Sure enough, the inevitable arrived.

One day, a group of men in black appeared at our doorstep like ghosts. Each one looked ferocious and murderous; one would have thought they had walked right off the set of a gangster film. They brandished gleaming blades, clearly not the sort to be trifled with. My heart sank—the news of the treasure had leaked.

The leader, a hulking man with a face full of jowls, spoke with a voice like a booming bell that made my eardrums vibrate. "I hear you two little runts dug up the treasure our boss lost? Hand it over if you know what's good for you, otherwise..." He dragged out the last word, the implication of his threat chillingly clear.

I forced myself to remain calm, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than a grimace. "My good man, haven't you made a mistake? We don't have any treasure; we’re just two poor..."

"Enough talk!" the man interrupted impatiently. "We have already investigated thoroughly; the items are here! Hand them over, unless you want to suffer the consequences!"

He Yunsheng gripped my hand tightly, his small face deathly pale, his entire body trembling. I squeezed his hand back, offering him a sliver of comfort. I knew I couldn't panic; I had to find a way to stall for time and hope for a turn of events.

"Sir, even if we had found something, you must at least tell us what it is, right? You can't just claim it’s yours because you say so," I said, trying to remain level-headed and reason with them.

"Hmph, what is there to discuss with low-lives like you!" The man sneered and waved his hand. "Search the place!"

The men in black swarmed in, turning the house upside down, leaving everything in complete chaos. I was burning with anxiety; those treasures were my lifeline! If they took them away, wouldn't I be devastated? My eyes darted around as my brain raced to find a countermeasure.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me.

"Wait!" I shouted, drawing everyone's attention.

"What? Had a change of heart? Planning to hand it over willingly?" The man looked at me with a smirk.

I smiled mysteriously. "I can give you the items, but..." I paused, deliberately whetting their appetite, "...you must first answer a question for me."

The man grew impatient. "What question? Out with it!"

I pointed to the old locust tree in the courtyard and said slowly, "Do you know what is buried under this tree?"

The men exchanged glances, clearly not expecting such an irrelevant question. The leader grew even more restless and waved his hand. "Stop with the hocus-pocus! What could possibly be under this tree? Hand over the goods!"

I offered a cryptic smile. "Under this tree lies a treasure far more valuable than what you are looking for!" At my words, the man froze, eyeing me suspiciously, as if trying to judge the truth in my claim.

I pressed my advantage, pointing to an inconspicuous mound of dirt beneath the locust tree. "Right under there. If you don't believe me, why not dig and see?"

This, of course, was a lie.

During the commotion, my "cheat" suddenly reacted! There was actually a hidden compartment in this dilapidated house! I stole a glance in the direction the cheat was pointing—it was behind the stove!

I felt a surge of joy; heaven really hadn't shut all the doors! If these fools went to dig up the tree, I could use the opportunity to relocate the treasure hidden behind the stove.

They took the bait! Like men possessed, they grabbed their tools and began digging under the tree. I chuckled inwardly, while on the surface, I feigned a look of immense pain, sighing and mourning.

Taking advantage of their distraction, I pulled He Yunsheng and slipped behind the stove. Following the intuition of my cheat, I pressed a loose brick on the stove. With a crisp "click," a small secret chamber was revealed!

We scrambled inside, and oh my—it was filled with gold, shimmering jewels, and treasures even more numerous and precious than what we had found before! It seemed my cheat had leveled up!

I hurriedly grabbed a few items that looked ordinary but were actually worth a fortune and stuffed them into my robes. Then, I pulled He Yunsheng out of the chamber and returned to the courtyard.

By then, the men had dug the area under the tree to bedrock, naturally finding nothing. The leader roared at me in a rage, "You played us!"

I spread my hands in feigned innocence. "I was telling the truth! If you don't believe me, why not dig a little deeper?"

As the leader prepared to lash out, I quickly took out the trinkets I had tucked away and waved them in front of him. "How about this? I'll give you a few small things as an apology. How does that sound?"

The man's eyes went wide as he stared at the glittering items. He hesitated for a moment before snatching them from my hand, inspecting them closely, and breaking into a greedy grin.

"You're a sensible one!" He waved his hand. "Boys, let's move!"

The men in black took the loot and vanished in a flash. I watched their retreating backs, the corners of my mouth curling into a cold smirk.

He Yunsheng asked worriedly, "Sister Wan'er, are we really just going to let them go?"

I patted his head. "Don't worry, this is only the beginning..." I looked down at a small jade pendant I had specifically retrieved from the chamber; it was carved with a strange symbol. I narrowed my eyes. This symbol... I felt as though I had seen it somewhere before.