Chapter 54: Remarkable

The plain handkerchief seemed to have something embroidered with silver thread.

Before Wei Mingxuan could clearly see it, the foreman on patrol approached, holding a torch in one hand and a whip in the other.

Seeing Wei Mingxuan and Wang Gui standing there, he raised his eyebrows and lashed out with the whip, scolding, “Are you slacking off? If it weren’t for the fact that you two are too weak to cause trouble in the mine, you wouldn’t even get this easy job!”

“Don’t think that just because you can write a few characters you’re something special. If I catch you slacking off again, I’ll toss you both to the back mountain to feed the wolves!”

After the foreman finished his warning, he turned and walked away grumbling.

Wei Mingxuan and Wang Gui then turned back to the dark pile of ores in the shed.

From behind the pile of rocks, the equally dark black dog emerged, releasing the handkerchief it had in its mouth and gently placing it in front of Wei Mingxuan.

Wei Mingxuan bent down to pick up the handkerchief, catching sight of the orchid pattern embroidered in silver thread, his eyes widening in shock. “Where did this handkerchief come from?”

Seeing his young master staring at the dog while asking questions, Wang Gui facepalmed. “Young Master, asking it won’t get you any answers!”

“This is my sister’s handkerchief…”

In addition to the orchid pattern on the front, Wei Mingxuan felt a character embroidered on the back of the handkerchief with his fingertip. It was the character “Lan,” crafted by his sister Ningshuang.

“This dog isn’t from the mine; it must have been sent by my sister.” Perhaps it was the work of the mysterious Tianshu Pavilion.

“Have the young ladies come looking for us?” Wang Gui exclaimed in delight. “That’s wonderful! We’ve been saved!”

In just the past two days, more than five refugees captured with them had died. If it weren’t for the young master’s quick thinking and ability to speak, they might not have landed this current job and would have been beaten to death for not mining enough.

Thinking of the scene during the day when the refugees were whipped until bloody, with no place to escape, Wang Gui couldn’t help but shiver. The joy on his face turned into worry as he said, “But there are so many people at the mine, and they even keep wolves. How will the young ladies save us?”

“Let’s not be too anxious.” Wei Mingxuan harbored doubts as well, but he forced himself to remain calm.

He then squatted down, tearing off the hem of his inner clothing, dipped the tip of his brush in ink, and wrote the character “An” on it.

Then he said to Wang Gui, “Take out something that Wang Mama and the others can easily recognize.”

Wang Gui thought for a moment and pulled out a fragrance pouch that had already been torn. This was something he had received from a young maid in the kitchen, intending to keep it until he got older.

He had planned to let his mother propose marriage, but now they were separated. The only solace was that the maid’s mother worked on the young lady’s estate. When the Wei family was in trouble, she had requested a deed of emancipation from the madam and was taken to the estate.

“My mother knows this pouch.”

“Let’s use this.” Wei Mingxuan took the pouch, then picked up a small piece of broken ore from the ground and stuffed it into the pouch. He then handed both the pouch and the piece of his inner clothing to the black dog. “Take these back, and my sister will know you’ve successfully found us.”

“Will it understand?” Wang Gui was quite worried.

The black dog, however, glanced at him with a hint of disdain, opened its mouth, and swallowed both items in one go, holding them firmly with its sharp teeth.

“Be gentle, you little ancestor!” Wang Gui exclaimed hastily.

The black dog turned around, facing him with its rear end, and while its sharp teeth remained clenched, it loosened its grip on the pouch, no longer rubbing it forcefully.

Wei Mingxuan’s doubts were instantly dispelled by the black dog’s intelligent behavior.

He extended his hand, and seeing that the black dog didn’t dodge, he gently patted its head twice. “Go on, be careful and don’t let those people at the mine see you.”

The black dog let out a “woof” from its throat, then turned and ran out, disappearing into the night in no time.

“……”

Dozens of miles away, on an open field far from the mountains.

As the dawn broke, the Wei family members, having packed their belongings, gathered around a bonfire, sipping the porridge that Wang Mama had just cooked.

The porridge contained two roasted ducks they had retrieved the previous day. The unique smoky flavor of the preserved meat, combined with the savory aroma of mushrooms and the richness of the rice porridge, was truly unique.

The Wei family members, however, were distracted while drinking, constantly turning their heads to look towards the east, at the outline of the mountain range bathed in the morning light.

Wei Yunlan, in particular, was weighed down with worry, a sense of regret creeping in.

Seventh Lady Yu vaguely knew that Wei Yunlan had sent the black dog from yesterday to find Wei Mingxuan by following his scent. While dogs have a more sensitive sense of smell than humans, it seemed quite incredible to rely on a single dog to find someone.

“Miss Wei, beasts are difficult to tame. That black dog might not return so quickly.”

“But my master has dispatched a lot of people to search for Master Wei’s whereabouts these past two days. We should receive news soon.”

As if by coincidence, Seventh Lady Yu’s words had just finished when a black speck was seen approaching from afar against the morning light.

The small speck continuously grew larger, its swift movements exceptionally majestic.

It could only be the black dog that had defeated the alpha wolf the previous night.

Jiayan, who was squatting by the bonfire, jumped up excitedly, “Auntie, the big dog is back!”

As she spoke, the black dog’s figure had already dashed close.

Wei Yunlan noticed that what it had in its mouth was no longer the handkerchief she had given it.

Upon receiving it, she saw it was a torn piece of fabric and a fragrance pouch that had come undone.

“This is Han Dynasty Cloud silk, cool and breathable. Mingxuan has always used this kind of silk for his inner clothing.” Although the piece was too dirty to discern its color, Madam Gao recognized it with a twist of her fingers.

Wang Mama beside them exclaimed excitedly, “That fragrance pouch is something Young Master always carries with him!”

Suddenly, there was a moment of silence around the bonfire.

Looking at the black dog squatting in front of Wei Yunlan, wagging its tail, everyone’s eyes were filled with amazement and fervor.

This black dog truly was remarkable!

In just one night, it had actually found the person!

Seeing the somewhat blurred yet still recognizable character “An” on the fabric, the last half of Wei Yunlan’s anxious heart finally settled.

As long as the person was safe, it was only a matter of time before they were found!

Wei Yunlan slowly exhaled a breath of relief.

She thought to herself, this life was indeed different from the last.

“……”

To the west of the Capital.

A group of people was galloping northward on horseback.

The leader wore a dark robe, gripping the reins with one hand pressed against the saddle, while holding a precious sword sheathed with a cloud and dragon pattern.

Suddenly, he slightly tightened his knees, slowing down his horse.

Raising the hand that held the sword, a pair of sharp claws landed on the raised sheath.

The man swiftly pulled off the message tube tied to the claw, scanning the contents of the letter, his eyes flashing with intrigue.

How many more extraordinary things did this person possess?