In the deep waters of the swamp, the light was dim.

If you looked deeper, it was pitch black like ink.

In the cockpit, Bai Xingxing was sitting in the driver's seat, his dark red eyes wide open, staring outside the cabin.

"Aw!"

Fortunately, the foxes had strong night vision, otherwise, they would have crashed.

From the gramophone beside the cockpit, came the voices of Bai Taiyang and White Moon.

"Ying ying aw aw aw!"

"Aw aw ying ying!"

These were the sounds coming from the rear cabin observer, providing information to the driver in the front cabin.

Quanquan Hu, sitting on a small chair, holding a Bronze Mask, sometimes looking at it, sometimes looking out the window.

"Aw aw aw?"

...Are you sure? Is it this place?

The mask trembled slightly, as if nodding.

Quanquan Hu and Bai Xingxing exchanged a glance, looked at each other in confusion, then looked outside the cabin, glancing left and right, but saw nothing here but water and silt.

Of course, the foxes could understand, it was quite normal, after all, thousands of years had passed, the mask couldn't provide such precise locations.

In cases like this, they were very experienced...

Bai Xingxing pushed the control stick.

"Aw!"

The tail of the Big Mushroom Ship immediately dived downward, probing into the silt at the bottom, gently swirling, slowly scraping, stirring up a large area of turbidity for an initial probe.

"Ying ying ying."

"Aw aw aw."

From the ship's reaction, the silt at the bottom was quite solid, without much sticky mud.

"Aw aw aw aw?"

"Aw aw aw!"

Confirming that the operational conditions were acceptable, Bai Xingxing pushed the control stick again, decisively letting the Big Mushroom Ship sink entirely to the bottom, slithering across the swamp floor...since conditions were poor down there, let the Big Mushroom Ship, with its body, touch bit by bit, feel bit by bit.

...

Splashing...

Amidst a loud splashing sound, the Big Mushroom Ship raised its head from underwater.

The large mushroom mouth, bulging, obviously had eaten a mouthful of things!

This was something the Big Mushroom Ship had touched with its body, there might be treasures inside!

The Big Mushroom Ship slithered ashore.

With a clatter... it spit out the mouthful of things onto the shore.

Pop!

A crisp sound, but it was Quanquan Hu's plump body squeezing out of the cabin.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The other brothers also squeezed out of the cabin.

"Aw aw aw!"

"Ying ying ying!"

They cheered, rushing towards the pile of things.

But when they looked at the pile, it was mostly stones stained with river mud, hard, dirty, and angular.

Quanquan Hu took the lead, clamping the Bronze Mask under his arm, extending his front paw, and began to paw through the pile of stones.

The other brothers, too, were full of excitement, began to sift through.

Several foxes quickly and effortlessly sifted through the pile.

Quanquan Hu's paws were empty, having found nothing.

What about the brothers?

"Aw aw ying ying?"

...Did anyone find an Immortal Artifact?

A group of foxes shook their heads.

"Aw aw ying aw?"

...Did anyone unearth any documents?

The group of foxes still shook their heads.

"Ying aw aw aw?"

...Did anyone find a Bronze Vessel?

The group of foxes still shook their heads.

"Aw aw aw ying ying ying?"

...Then, what did you find?

White Ears held up a piece of mud-stained, limp thing, wrist-thick, the texture unclear, at first glance like a vine?

But when White Ears shook and rubbed it, it emitted the sound of bronze friction and collision.

"Aw?"

Bronze?

Damaged Immortal Artifact?

Immortal Artifact Fragment?

Having dug through so much trash, the foxes were knowledgeable... An Immortal Artifact, even if externally intact, might have faulty internal patterns. If the exterior was damaged, ninety-nine percent it was junk.

Quanquan Hu took the Bronze Mask from under his arm, holding it in his paws, looking into its eyes with his dark red gaze, seeing the mask's eyes tilted, embarrassed, avoiding eye contact.

"Aw aw aw aw ying ying!"

...It's alright, after all, it's been so long, remembering incorrectly is normal, brother, you keep leading the way, point to the next spot!

Foxes are very smart, they can understand many things completely...

For example... after thousands of years, Fox Mountain has changed greatly, the mask's memory of Fox Mountain when brought to today, would naturally have errors, not so precise.

For example... the mask itself is also thousands or tens of thousands of years old, foxes need to respect it, need to understand its occasional senility.

But!

It will not always make mistakes, it will not always be wrong!

Even if it just points to one correct location, finds even one Immortal Artifact... that would be worth it!

Could they find nothing at all?

"Aw?"

Quanquan Hu frowned slightly, then shook his head gently... with the mask as an insider, there would definitely be results! It's impossible to find nothing!

...

A day rushed by, and night fell on Fox Mountain.

In the howling gale, the dormitory hall became lively again.

Tonight, they weren't watching the West Ridge Little Volcano Military Factory, some gathered in circles playing games, some grouped together bragging and chatting, some gathered around the master, fuzzy heads resting on the master's shoulders, watching documents together with the master.

"These Ancient Immortals, their interrogation of the Immortal Martial, was quite brutal!

"Is this method purely for research? Really without personal vendettas?"

Bai Mo read the documents while pondering.

...

Black Nose, Dark Circles, and Black Tail, these three brothers, were waiting in a corner of the dormitory with a stack of lunch boxes... Quanquan Hu and Bai Xingxing didn't go to the canteen for dinner. The lunchboxes were reserved for them, filled with Golden Purple Taro, salt and pepper seasoning, and osmanthus honey.

"Ying ying ying?"

"Aw aw aw?"

...Why didn't this group go for a meal?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com