Secret Ground

As everyone followed Situ Ping's terrified gaze, they indeed saw a stark white skeleton leaning against a sour jujube tree about four or five zhang away to their right. The dark eye sockets of the skull were staring at them, causing everyone's hair to stand on end and their grip on their weapons to tighten.

One would think that Situ Ping, being a woman of the martial world who had witnessed much bloodshed and participated in her fair share of arson and murder, wouldn't be scared by a mere skeleton. However, the ominous reputation of the sour jujube forest, the boundless mist, the chilling weather, and the collective pounding of hearts in their throats made her cry out involuntarily. Hermit Yanming and the others stopped, waiting for a moment. Seeing no movement from the skeleton, they resumed their steps. Situ Ping felt a bit ashamed, but the others didn't blame her. In such an unknown environment, anyone could lose control of their emotions; they all understood.

As the group ventured deeper, they encountered more and more white bones, even appearing on their walking path multiple times. They dared not avoid them and simply stepped over them. There were many human skeletons, and even more animal skeletons. It seemed that over the years, countless animals had strayed into this dense, mysterious forest, lost their way, and were unable to leave. They wandered until their strength was exhausted, finally lying down under the sour jujube trees, passing away with mournful cries. Thinking of this, the group became even more cautious. Their initial curiosity about the forest's power was completely extinguished. These individuals were already chosen by their elders for their meticulousness and resolute character, and they would not risk their lives for mere curiosity.

The dense forest seemed endless. After walking for a long time, the scenery remained the same. If not for the appearance of different skeletons, everyone would have thought they were lost. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any danger along the way, so they calmed their nerves, eager to press on and leave the forest as soon as possible.

As they walked silently for a long time, Situ Ping, being a local, began to feel restless. Perhaps this was what "stillness breeds movement" meant. She didn't know what the others were thinking, but her own thoughts had indeed begun to stir. The Fierce Tiger Gang was based in Lu Town, and Stone Man Peak was within their sphere of influence. Although they knew of the dangerous Five Claw Peak here, they had never figured out how to enter. They had guarded this place in vain, unable to access it. Now that they knew the way, wouldn't this place become their private garden? However, the other four factions were significantly larger than her own. How would they handle this secret land? Or would they be discarded like a broken toy once they were no longer useful? Her own life might be in peril.

Just as Situ Ping was lost in her worries and deliberations, her foot suddenly caught on a tree root, causing her body to tilt and fall to the right. Coincidentally, they were walking very close to the edge between two trees. As soon as Situ Ping felt her balance shift, she immediately collected her thoughts, kicked her leg in mid-air, and gracefully righted herself, landing steadily on the ground. However, her landing spot had shifted outside the space between the two trees, placing her next to a sour jujube tree. This sudden turn of events caused the others to stop. Hermit Yanming, Ma Xiangyang, and Wen Wenhai all turned to look at Situ Ping. Ma Xiangyang glanced at the tree root on the ground, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. They waited for Situ Ping to come from under the tree so they could proceed together. But then, a bizarre scene unfolded. Situ Ping turned and looked around, her gaze sweeping over them as if she didn't see them. A look of panic appeared on Situ Ping's face as she searched the surroundings again. She took a step forward but then hesitated, not daring to act rashly. Situ Ping's lips moved, as if calling out to them, but they couldn't hear her. Seeing this, Hermit Yanming quickly used his Secretive Sound Transmission to say to Situ Ping, "Can you hear me? Nod if you can." At this, Situ Ping's face lit up with joy, and she nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick. Hermit Yanming then said, "Turn left. Follow my instructions. Stop when I tell you to." Situ Ping nodded again and, following Hermit Yanming's instructions, faced the group and walked towards them. Strangely enough, after taking only four or five steps, Situ Ping reached the spot between the two trees where the group was. Situ Ping's eyes immediately brightened; she had clearly seen them.

Hermit Yanming didn't ask the reason for Situ Ping's fall, only asking, "What did you see just now?" Situ Ping said, her voice still trembling, "When I stood up, the surroundings were still the same sour jujube trees as here, no different. But I couldn't see you all. I shouted loudly, but no one responded. If you hadn't spoken to me, I would have started searching everywhere."

Hermit Yanming frowned in thought. Ma Xiangyang smiled and said to Situ Ping, "Gang Leader Situ, you must be more careful when walking. A moment's carelessness could cost you your life. Lu Town's great foundation would then belong to others. Take care of yourself." Situ Ping lowered her head and said, "Young Master Ma, I understand. I will be careful."

On the path ahead, everyone became even more cautious, knowing that the dense forest was not as peaceful as it seemed. Any misstep could lead to them being trapped within and losing their lives. Situ Ping didn't realize that the others now knew that shouting loudly was useless; only Secretive Sound Transmission would work. This profound martial art was not something everyone could perform. Moreover, it was better to be careful than to place one's hope in others.

After walking for about the time it takes for four or five incense sticks to burn, the white bones on the path gradually decreased, and the mist thinned. They could see the edge of the dense forest. Indeed, before long, they saw a light in the distance. Hermit Yanming still led the group, proceeding cautiously with winding movements according to the incantation. No accident occurred. The group followed the incantation, passing the last tree, and safely emerged from the dense forest, greeted by a scene that left them dumbfounded.

Before them lay a warm, spring-like secret land. The area wasn't very large. In the center was a large lake, with white mist rising from its surface. Beside the lake was a small stone house, and surrounding the house were several fields planted with crops, which were not clearly visible from a distance.

Led by Hermit Yanming, everyone stepped into this place that hadn't been visited by anyone for hundreds of years.

Hermit Yanming said to everyone, "According to the booklet, there is no longer any danger once we enter the secret land. You can walk around freely, but for safety, I suggest we stick together and follow me." With that, he walked towards the lake.

As they reached the lake, a wave of heat washed over them. They saw small bubbles rising from the lake's surface. Hermit Yanming crouched down and first found a branch to put into the water. Seeing no abnormality, he pondered how to determine the water's temperature. Tan Wu stepped forward, took an egg from his bosom, and said sheepishly, "I like to drink raw eggs. I had a few left from yesterday. This is a good opportunity to test the water's heat." He then wrapped the egg in cloth and placed it in the lake. After a short while, he took the egg out; it was indeed cooked. This immediately dispelled everyone's desire to enter the water for a closer look.

It seemed that the temperature in this land was vastly different from the outside, likely due to the lake water.

They walked along the lake towards the only stone house, assuming the treasures they sought were inside. After walking halfway around the lake, they saw no animals and encountered no danger, finally putting their minds at ease. It seemed the owner's will had not lied.

Surrounding the stone house were several plots of medicinal fields. Most of the herbs planted there were unfamiliar. After all, they were not pharmacists from specialized sects. Even the knowledgeable Hermit Yanming only recognized a few of the herbs, such as Panax Notoginseng, Ginseng, Atractylodes Macrocephala, and Golden Sunflower. These common herbs outside appeared exceptionally precious here. The reason was simple: any medicinal herb that had grown there for three hundred years or longer would be extraordinarily valuable. Not to mention the other unknown herbs, which were likely things lost to time over the years. Regardless of what was inside the stone house, the herbs in this garden alone were priceless treasures for any sect.

Everyone gazed longingly at these precious items, wondering how they could take them back. Hermit Yanming, however, frowned and said to them, "I didn't expect such valuable medicinal herbs to be grown here; it's beyond our expectations. I'm not sure how we'll take them out. Let's go to the stone house first, and we'll figure out a way when we come out. These herbs aren't going to grow legs and run away, so don't be greedy." Everyone smiled and followed Hermit Yanming towards the stone house.

It was a very simple stone house, so simple it had no door. Hermit Yanming walked to the empty doorway and hesitated to enter. Although the book clearly stated there were no more mechanisms, it was wise to be cautious. He thought for a moment, picked up a stone from the ground, and threw it inside. He listened intently; only the sound of the stone hitting the ground was heard, with no other commotion. Hermit Yanming then entered the stone house, dagger in hand, followed by the others.

From the outside, the stone house looked small, but upon entering, they realized it was quite spacious, resembling a large hall rather than a living quarters as they had imagined. The hall did not have thick dust accumulated on the floor from being unoccupied for a long time. Instead, due to the lack of a door and good ventilation, the room had no dusty smell.

Directly opposite the hall was a smooth wall, which was bare. It felt like a portrait or something important should have been hung there in the past. Below the wall was a long table and a square table. On the long table was an incense burner, and quite a distance from the incense burner sat a flat, square box. On the table below the long table were four casually placed square brocade boxes, antique in appearance, with patterns not seen today. On either side of the square table were three chairs, all placed casually. Each chair had a cushion on it. The wall on their left was bare, with a hole in it, presumably a window. The wall on the right had three paintings hanging on it. One depicted a man in brocade clothing, holding a saber, riding a horse; another depicted a scholar in white, a sword at his waist, walking leisurely; the last painting depicted a woman with a white veil covering her face, her posture graceful, holding a long whip, standing beside a small bridge.

The three paintings were not very clear due to the erosion of time, and there were no inscriptions on them, making their meaning incomprehensible. The group could not determine if the one-armed swordsman was depicted within.