Entering the Forest

The person who brought Zhang Xiaohua and the others spoke up, teasing the big man, "Look, Butcher Liu is hurting good people again. This young brother here comes from Guo Village and brought news of your daughter. I bet you were so scared you forgot all about it."

Butcher Liu didn't seem to mind the villagers' chatter. He patted Zhang Xiaohua's shoulder, making Zhang Xiaohua wince. "I can tell this young brother is a magnanimous person. Why would he care about such a small joke?"

Looking at the large hand that was accustomed to slaughtering pigs, Zhang Xiaohua thought to himself, I'd love to care, but you'd have to give me the guts for it. Please, let's not get too familiar. My body is still quite delicate. Out loud, he said, "How could I dare? You must be Sister Liu Yueyue's Father. Your imposing presence is just as she described!" He then added mentally, More like a bear's presence.

Hearing this, Butcher Liu's heart filled with joy, and his eyes narrowed. "Yueyue told you about me? She... Right, how did Yueyue and Qianqian end up in your Guo Village? Are they both doing alright?" It was about time he remembered to ask about his daughters.

Mr. Liu spoke up from the side, "Let's go inside first. Judging by the young brother's calm demeanor, I suspect the two daughters are fine."

After speaking, he ushered Zhang Xiaohua, his companions, and the villagers into the house. The villager who had led the way said, "I won't be coming in. I'm heading back, and I'll call Liu Kai back for you."

Mr. Liu nodded in thanks and watched the villager leave before inviting Zhang Xiaohua inside for a chat.

As Zhang Xiaohua entered the courtyard, he saw that the small yard was about the same size as his own home's. It was arranged simply, without the abundance of farming tools found at his place. The stove didn't seem to be outdoors, and there were about two rooms in the front, with two more on each side. He wondered why Liu's family, with only three people, needed so many rooms. As he walked into the main room, he noticed the differences. Upon entering the Liu family's main hall, one could see a painting of an elderly scholar. In front of the painting were several plates holding fruits, pastries, and other items, seemingly for offerings. On the left wall hung a painting of a snowy scene with people appreciating the snow in a pavilion. The right wall had several calligraphy pieces, written in a vigorous, flowing style that suggested good skill, though Zhang Xiaohua couldn't read them.

In the center sat a square table with a teapot and several cups, along with a plate of snacks. Two chairs were placed on either side of the table. Along the walls, there were smaller square tables with chairs, each holding a potted plant. Looking at the four corners of the room, each had a plant in a pot.

Zhang Xiaohua gazed at this room, so different from his own small home, and thought, Is this the difference between scholars and farmers? His own home, under his mother's care, was also quite tidy and clean. There were paintings on the walls too, but they were just New Year's prints of deities pasted up. His mother didn't seem to think of placing potted plants. A thought struck Zhang Xiaohua: If Sister Liu were to manage our home, what would it be like?

Lost in thought, Zhang Xiaohua stood there. It wasn't that he was lost in contemplation, but rather that he didn't know where to sit. His own home only had a few chairs, and they usually stood. The Liu family, with their teacher, had so many chairs; there must be a proper way to use them. He didn't want to make a mistake by sitting incorrectly.

Seeing this, Mr. Liu quickly invited Zhang Xiaohua and his companions to take seats. Then, Butcher Liu brought them cups of tea. Zhang Xiaohua took a cup and drank it down in gulps. He smacked his lips; the water tasted really good. Seeing him finish, Butcher Liu quickly poured another cup. Zhang Xiaohua and the others had walked all morning and were very thirsty. The water was so delicious that the two of them drank four cups before stopping. Butcher Liu's eyes, like Mr. Liu's, were filled with gratitude. Although Butcher Liu was a rough man who slaughtered pigs, he understood that these people had traveled such a long distance, were so thirsty, and all for the sake of bringing good news about his daughter.

As Zhang Xiaohua finished his water and was about to speak, he heard hurried footsteps from outside. Soon, a scholar, about the same age and height as his elder brother, ran in. This must be Liu Kai, Liu Qian's brother. Liu Kai entered the room and first paid his respects to Mr. Liu and Butcher Liu. Then, Mr. Liu introduced Zhang Xiaohua and the other person to Liu Kai. Liu Kai then bowed in greeting. Zhang Xiaohua and the other person, not quite understanding the etiquette, followed suit and returned the bow. Liu Kai then asked Mr. Liu, "How is my sister?" Looking at this scholar, who was clearly much thinner than his elder brother, Zhang Xiaohua thought, Ah, scholars really have a lot of etiquette. This Brother Liu is quite composed, asking only after so many greetings. If it were Butcher Liu, he'd have blurted out the question immediately. Oh, and he must be resenting Brother Liu for coming at the wrong time. He couldn't help but glance at Butcher Liu, who was also anxiously waiting for Zhang Xiaohua to speak.

Indeed, before Mr. Liu could speak, Butcher Liu interjected, "Have some water first. This young brother hasn't spoken yet, and you've already returned."

Liu Kai sat in the chair opposite Zhang Xiaohua, not rushing to drink his water, but looking expectantly at Zhang Xiaohua, waiting for him to speak.

Zhang Xiaohua then introduced himself and recounted the events of the previous day in detail. However, he was careful not to mention the specific amount of money the two bullies had paid.

Zhang Xiaohua's speaking skills weren't very good, and he stumbled over his words. Nevertheless, the four people in the room listened with bated breath. Mr. Liu, Butcher Liu, and Liu Kai turned ashen. Butcher Liu even jumped up from his chair several times, but Mr. Liu gently restrained him each time.

After Zhang Xiaohua finished, Butcher Liu quickly poured two more cups of water for him. Everyone else also had a cup. It seemed that not only the speaker was parched, but the listeners were also nervously dry-mouthed.

After drinking, Mr. Liu walked up to Zhang Xiaohua and bowed deeply. "I, an old man, thank your father and son for saving my daughter." Liu Kai and Butcher Liu also quickly bowed. Zhang Xiaohua was startled and jumped down from his chair. Why were they bowing again when everything was going well? He quickly returned the bow in an awkward manner.

Zhang Xiaohua comforted them, saying, "Sister Liu and the others are staying at our home now and are doing well. You don't need to worry." In truth, everyone knew their relatives were safe, but without seeing them rescued with their own eyes, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

After everyone was seated again, Mr. Liu said, "From Guo Village to our place, Xiaohua and the others took a whole morning. I don't think we can bring the children back today. How about this: Second Brother, you go back first and have your wife prepare lunch. Let Xiaohua and the others eat first. After the meal, let Liu Kai go with Xiaohua and the others to Guo Village, and we'll all go to pick up the children tomorrow. What do you think?"

Butcher Liu said, "No, let me go first. I'm worried. It will be dark when we go to Guo Village later, and it will be safer if I accompany them."

Mr. Liu thought about it and agreed.

Lunch was at Butcher Liu's house. Since Liu Qian wasn't there, Mr. Liu's family had no one to cook. Liu Yueyue's mother, knowing her daughter was safe, wanted to entertain their benefactors. She prepared an exceptionally lavish meal. Zhang Xiaohua, whose stomach was already rumbling and who hadn't eaten braised pork in a long time, ate until he was full and fat.

After lunch, Zhang Xiaohua and the other two, along with Butcher Liu, set off back to Guo Village. We'll leave them for now. A few hundred miles away, at Five Claw Peak, a different scene was unfolding.

When the shadow passed between the two sour jujube trees that morning, Hermit Yanming had already darted into the trees. It was fortunate that he was a martial artist with exceptionally sharp eyesight; otherwise, it would have been difficult to see clearly. The others hadn't even realized what was happening and could only stare blankly at Hermit Yanming's retreating back. Hermit Yanming wasn't angry. He called out loudly, "Aren't you coming?"

When everyone reached the two trees and examined them closely, they seemed no different from other sour jujube trees. Hermit Yanming smiled and said, "No need to search. They are definitely no different from the others, otherwise, it wouldn't have been made so complicated. Now, we are about to enter the forest. Take out the hides you have." The few people complied and took out their hides. Hermit Yanming said, "Get some fresh blood and smear it on the upper back of the hides." After speaking, he took out a dagger, cut his finger, and smeared it on the hide. Ma Xiangyang, Wen Wenhai, and Tan Wen followed suit, and a line of text appeared on the hides: "Go straight ten trees; go back six trees; go left six trees; go right eight trees." Then Hermit Yanming arranged them according to the pattern, forming the incantation for entering the forest: "Go straight ten trees, go right eight trees, go back six trees, go left six trees."

Hermit Yanming said, "Alright, everyone prepare yourselves. We're about to enter the forest. I'll lead the way, followed by Young Hero Ma and Young Hero Wen. Heroine Xue and Gang Leader Situ will be in the middle, and the Tan Brothers will be at the rear. Everyone stay alert, follow closely, and don't fall behind!"

The sour jujube forest before them had lost its nighttime gloom, but the bright sunlight still couldn't penetrate the dense woods. The mist in the forest was thick, making it impossible to see the end. A cold wind blew through the treetops, whistling, but it seemed unable to dispel the mist.

Hermit Yanming took out his dagger and marked the two sour jujube trees. Then, he cautiously passed between these two unremarkable trees, and the rest followed in single file according to the agreed-upon order.

The mist in the forest was quite dense, obscuring vision beyond ten zhang. The humidity was also very high, and soon everyone's clothes and shoes were soaked. To prepare for unexpected dangers, everyone held their weapons, and they now felt the chill. The sour jujube forest hadn't been entered by anyone for many years. The ground was covered in thick fallen leaves and rotten jujubes, making walking difficult. The branches and leaves of the sour jujube trees grew extremely densely, intertwining with each other, sometimes blocking the path. However, no one dared to rashly cut the branches, for fear of causing some unforeseen event.

Just as everyone was diligently moving forward with their heads down, they suddenly heard Situ Ping's startled cry: "Look over there."