The Mourning Crone Bird

Liu Sishan looked ahead and said after a moment's observation, "I can see the Rainforest."

"Funny, I can see a forest too, but I'm not sure it's the Rainforest," Zhang Shouzhong said.

Zhao Yanhu gave him a scornful look. "What's there to be unsure about? A rainforest has more plants and heavier humidity. The difference between that and an ordinary forest is obvious."

"But it looks pretty humid over here too," Zhang Shouzhong argued.

Zhang Ping laughed. "Fatty wouldn't lie, but I trust Sisi's judgment."

He stepped beside Liu Sishan. When the others saw that, they silently joined her too. Zhang Shouzhong was left speechless and had no choice but to follow.

"See? That saves us a pointless argument," Zhang Ping said with a grin.

"Am I really that unreliable?" Zhang Shouzhong asked, caught between laughter and exasperation.

"Depends who you're compared with," Cheng Xuejie said with a smile. Everyone else looked as though they agreed.

"All right, let's get ready to enter the Rainforest," Zhang Ping said. "Oh, Mr. Situ, what do we need to do in there to pass?"

"You'll find out when you go in," Situ Shibai said, keeping them in suspense.

"All right, everyone hold hands," Liu Sishan said. "Let's go."

They all joined hands, and Liu Sishan led the way. The instant they left the woods, the scene before their eyes changed completely.

The woods they had been standing in were overcast, but the moment they entered the Rainforest, brilliant sunshine greeted them.

Ancient trees grew thickly all around. Countless vines and saplings formed a green sea, above which other plants spread into a vast canopy. Higher still lay a netlike layer of intertwined vines, with the crowns of the ancient trees at the very top.

Sunlight filtered down through layer after layer, leaving irregular