Chapter 25: Alibaba's Treasure

With two days remaining until the Prince’s ball, Mu Rongxun began wandering outside the city. He recalled that Cinderella’s mother was no simple character, and he was currently searching for the location of her grave. Eventually, he had coaxed the information out of Cinderella through subtle inquiries.

Only after learning the specific location did he set off. It turned out the grave was not outside the city, but rather a short distance from Cinderella’s family estate. There, he saw the tombstone and a towering tree behind it, where two pigeons were perched and chirping.

Mu Rongxun’s gaze was instantly drawn to the tree. To his eyes, the dense darkness emanating from it was as striking as light in the middle of the night. Others might not sense it, but as one who possessed darkness himself, he was particularly sensitive to its aura. Furthermore, the two pigeons on the tree were no ordinary birds.

"I am a traveler as well, and as a friend of Cinderella, I wish to help her," he said calmly to the tree. "However, while I am proficient in combat, I am helpless in other matters."

The tree suddenly began to sway without wind, its branches and leaves thrashing wildly. The two pigeons flapped their wings incessantly.

"Cinderella is not living a good life. A prince has arrived in the city, and she wishes to attend the ball, but she is too plain—she has no beautiful clothes, no fine shoes, and no jewelry. I possess no magic and cannot help her myself, so I wanted to ask if you have a way."

"How did you find me?" A blurred human face suddenly appeared on the trunk, and a hoarse woman’s voice emerged.

"I have my own methods," Mu Rongxun replied, his expression calm, though inwardly he knew he had gambled correctly: Cinderella’s mother was indeed no ordinary person.

"I am already dead; my soul merely clings to this tree so that I may watch over my daughter when she comes by," Cinderella’s mother said quietly. "I only know black magic, and my magic would only bring her misfortune, so I cannot help her either."

"I see..." Mu Rongxun felt disappointed. In the original story, who was it that helped Cinderella? He certainly couldn't conjure up things like glass slippers!

"While I cannot personally intervene to help her, I know someone who can!" the face on the tree spoke again.

"Who?" Mu Rongxun asked hurriedly. As this concerned his mission, he had to make the best preparations possible.

"Go find Aladdin!" it prompted.

"Aladdin?" Mu Rongxun was puzzled. What did this have to do with Aladdin?

"Back then, the Forty Thieves swept through many kingdoms and plundered countless treasures. At that time, Aladdin’s father, Ali Baba, secretly made off with a great deal of the loot, including a miraculous treasure," the face recounted slowly. "Ali Baba was insatiable; he wanted more. Not only did he steal the entire share of the Forty Thieves, but he also signed a contract with a demon to grant himself immense wealth."

Mu Rongxun’s mind was in a whirl. What was all this? Was this the fairy tale from his childhood? Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves? Aladdin and the Magic Lamp? Could these really be linked together?

Despite his confusion, he listened calmly.

"Ali Baba eventually paid the price for his greed, and his soul was taken by the demon. However, his treasury remains, guarded by the demon. Anyone who tries to take something from it will be killed."

"Then what is the point of finding Aladdin?" Mu Rongxun wondered, even considering whether he should summon a guardian to seize the lamp.

"Aladdin is different," the face explained. "He is Ali Baba’s son. Therefore, the demon allows him to take one treasure from the vault. But remember, he can only take one. When the time comes, have him take the magic lamp, and use one of the wishes to make my daughter the most dazzling girl at the ball!"

Mu Rongxun nodded. "But I don't know where the treasury is!"

"Take Aladdin to the forest outside the city. There is an old witch there who possesses a map. You can find the treasure location using that map, but remember: do not speak to her, otherwise you will both become her slaves!"

With those words, the tree returned to its original state. Mu Rongxun departed, though he vaguely felt he had forgotten to ask a question. Unable to recall it, he didn't dwell on it; he would find Aladdin first. He had been wandering the city for days, and since the royal capital was small, he already knew where Aladdin lived.

He wasted no time. With only two days until the ball, he had to hurry. When Mu Rongxun found Aladdin, the boy was being mocked and belittled. Aladdin was deeply dejected, having run off to a secluded corner to weep in sorrow. He had never met his father, only hearing from others that he was a great, or at least wealthy, man. His greatest dream was to own a large house where he and his mother could live. For this, he had vowed to find his father’s hidden treasure. Yet, for years, others had ridiculed him, striking him down time and again. Gradually, he had grown to doubt himself, though he was too stubborn to admit defeat. But after being mocked once more, his defenses finally shattered.

Mu Rongxun stood behind him, silently watching him cry without saying a word. After a while, Aladdin wiped his tears with his sleeve and turned to leave, only to discover someone standing behind him.

"Who are you?" He was startled, then immediately felt a wave of shame and anger at being caught crying. He could already imagine himself being mocked as "Aladdin the Crybaby." "Are you here to mock me, too?"

"Do you want to find the treasure your father left behind?" Mu Rongxun watched him calmly, his words dripping with temptation.

"Do you take me for a fool? No one believes me!" Aladdin rolled his eyes; he had long since stopped falling for such tricks used by the street crowds.

"I know where Ali Baba’s treasure is hidden, and I can take you to it," Mu Rongxun said steadily.

"You think I’m that stupid? If you really knew where the treasure was, why wouldn't you take it yourself?" Having grown up on the streets, Aladdin was no naive child.

"Only you can enter to retrieve it," Mu Rongxun explained. "I have no need for the treasure; I only need you to retrieve one item and grant me a favor afterward."

"I don't believe you!" Aladdin curled his lip, finding this person utterly unreliable.

But his expression changed in the next instant.

"Alright, alright! I’ll go with you! I agree to your conditions—not just one, I’ll agree to ten, a hundred!" Aladdin’s attitude did a complete one-eighty, suddenly finding the man before him extremely trustworthy. The reason was simple: one look at the blade pressed against his throat told him exactly how "reliable" this person was.

Seeing him finally submit, Mu Rongxun didn't do anything further. "My condition is simple: you retrieve the lamp, and then grant me one wish."

"That’s it?" Aladdin was genuinely surprised that he didn't even want any of the treasure.

"What good is treasure? I’m not short on money," Mu Rongxun said, taking the lead.

Aladdin followed close behind. It wasn't that he hadn't considered running, but after seeing the speed at which the man drew his blade, he dared not risk it. Moreover, in all these years, no one had ever believed his claims—this was the first time. And since the man was willing to take him, he decided to follow, even if he suspected it might be a lie. After so many years, he didn't mind being deceived one or two more times.

"Where are we going?" Aladdin asked once they were on their way.

"First, we get the map," Mu Rongxun said, heading straight for the forest mentioned by Cinderella’s mother. Once they had the map, things would be much easier. Because he knew the specific location, they could head directly toward their destination.

He remained skeptical of what the tree had told him and was merely checking it out for now. He maintained a skeptical attitude toward everything, having been burned too many times to trust easily.

Once they left the city, Aladdin opened his mouth to speak several times but held back. In truth, he had far too many questions, but his concerns kept him silent. Mostly, it was because Mu Rongxun gave off an "approach at your own risk" aura that frightened him.

Mu Rongxun, for his part, was glad for the silence. It was better if they weren't close; he couldn't be bothered to answer too many questions. For him, this arrangement was perfect: he would complete his mission, Aladdin would get what he wanted, and they would be square. Once it was over, they would go their separate ways with no strings attached.

The road outside the city was rugged and infested with wild beasts, forcing Aladdin to stay close to Mu Rongxun, fearing an attack. Mu Rongxun feared no beasts, only the strange magic of this world. The curses here were bizarre and varied—one could end up in an eternal sleep, turned into a pig or a frog, or cursed with ugliness—things beyond imagination. That was precisely why he had to be extra cautious. He didn't want to capsize in the gutter at this late stage; that would be too pathetic.

Once this mission for Cinderella was complete and the threat of death was gone, he would only need to find the right person, return to Fairytale Town, verify his hypothesis, and complete the main quest to return home.