When everyone followed Situ Ping's terrified gaze, sure enough, some four or five zhang to their right, a ghastly white skeleton was leaning against a Sour Jujube Tree. Its dark skull sockets stared straight at them, making everyone's hair stand on end. The hands gripping their weapons tightened again and again.
Situ Ping was, after all, a seasoned figure of the martial world. She had seen no small amount of bloodshed and had done her share of killing and arson—how could a mere skeleton frighten her? Yet the Sour Jujube Forest's fearsome reputation, the boundless mist, the bleak chill of the weather, and everyone's hearts lodged in their throats compelled her to cry out. Hermit Yanming and the others stopped and waited a while, but seeing no movement from the skeleton, they finally set off again. Situ Ping felt somewhat ashamed, but no one blamed her. In such an unknown environment, anyone could lose control of their emotions. They all felt the same unease in their hearts.
As the group ventured deeper, they encountered more and more white bones. They even appeared repeatedly along their path, yet no one dared detour around them; they simply stepped over them. There were many human skeletons, and even more skeletons of all kinds of animals. Presumably, over the years, animals that had accidentally entered this dense forest had wandered innocently into this strange and mysterious place, become lost here, and never found a way out. They had circled about until their strength was exhausted, then lain beneath the Sour Jujube Trees, wailing as they departed this world. Thinking of this, the group became even more cautious. Any notion of testing the forest's power was thoroughly extinguished. These people had all been chosen by their elders for their careful conduct and steadfast hearts; naturally, they would not throw away their lives for a scrap of curiosity.
The dense forest seemed endless. After walking for quite some time, the scenery remained exactly the same. If not for the different skeletons appearing along the way, they would have thought themselves lost. Fortunately, they had encountered no danger so far, and their minds gradually steadied. They only wanted to press onward and leave this forest as soon as possible.
After walking with their heads down for so long, Situ Ping, the local snake, began to have restless thoughts. Perhaps this was what it meant for stillness to breed the urge for movement. She did not know what the others thought, but her own thoughts had indeed begun to stir. The Fierce Tiger Gang had always been based in Lu Town, and Stone Man Peak also lay within the gang's sphere of influence. Though she had long known that Five Claw Peak contained such a perilous place, she had never known the way in. She had guarded this place for nothing, unable to enter it. Now that she knew the method, would this not become her own backyard in the future? Yet the other four powers were far greater than hers. How did they intend to deal with this Secret Realm? Or would she become a discarded pawn once she had outlived her usefulness? Her life might well be in danger.
Just as Situ Ping was caught between gains and losses, turning things over in her mind, her foot suddenly caught on a tree root and her body tipped to the right. By coincidence, they were walking close to the edge between two trees. The instant Situ Ping felt herself losing balance, she immediately gathered her thoughts. With a kick in midair, she straightened her body lightly and landed firmly on the ground. However, she had landed outside the space between the two trees, beside a Sour Jujube Tree. This sudden turn of events made the others 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 look in his eyes. Everyone waited for Situ Ping to come out from beneath the tree so they could continue together, but then a bizarre scene unfolded. Situ Ping turned and looked around, her gaze sweeping over everyone as though she could not see them. Panic appeared on her face. She searched around her again, lifting a foot as if to walk, only to set it back down, not daring to make any unusual move. Situ Ping's lips moved as though she were calling to them, but no sound reached them. Seeing this, Hermit Yanming hurriedly used Secretive Sound Transmission to tell Situ Ping, "Can you hear me? If you can, nod." Wild joy immediately appeared on Situ Ping's face, and she nodded over and over like a chick pecking at rice. Hermit Yanming continued, "Turn left. Listen to my instructions. When I tell you to stop, stop." Situ Ping nodded again, turned to face the others according to Hermit Yanming's directions, and began walking toward them. Strangely enough, after merely four or five steps, Situ Ping reached the space between the two trees where the others stood. Her eyes immediately lit up; clearly, she could see them now.
Hermit Yanming did not ask why Situ Ping had fallen. He only asked, "What did you see just now?" Still shaken, Situ Ping replied, "When I stood up, the Sour Jujube Trees around me looked just like the ones here. There was no difference at all, but I simply couldn't see any of you. No one answered no matter how loudly I shouted. If you hadn't spoken to me, I was about to search around again."
Hermit Yanming furrowed his brow in thought. Ma Xiangyang smiled at Situ Ping and said, "Gang Leader Situ, you must watch your step. One careless mistake, and you may lose your life. Lu Town's fine foundations would then belong to someone else. Take care." Situ Ping lowered her head. "Young Master Ma, I understand. I will be careful."
For the road ahead, everyone became even more cautious. They now knew that this dense forest was not as peaceful as it appeared. Once something went wrong and they became trapped within it, their lives would be left here. Situ Ping did not know it, but the others did: shouting loudly was useless. Only Secretive Sound Transmission could work. Not everyone knew this profound martial art, and it was better to be careful than place one's hopes in others.
After another four or five incense sticks' worth of time, the white bones along the road gradually grew fewer, and the mist thinned. It seemed they had reached the edge of the forest. Sure enough, before long they saw light in the distance. Hermit Yanming still led everyone forward in a winding route according to the mnemonic verse, with even greater care. No mishap occurred. After passing the final tree according to the verse, the group safely emerged from the dense forest, greeted by a scene that left them dumbstruck.
Before them lay a Secret Realm as warm as spring. The land was not very large. At its center was a great lake, white mist rising from its surface. By the lakeshore stood a small stone house, while several plots of farmland surrounded it, planted with vegetation that could not be clearly seen from afar.
Under Hermit Yanming's lead, they stepped into this place that no one had set foot in for hundreds of years.
Hermit Yanming said to everyone, "According to the booklet, there is no more danger after entering the Secret Realm. You may move about without worry. But for safety's sake, I suggest we still act together and follow me." With that, he took the lead toward the lake.
When everyone reached the lakeshore, a wave of hot air rushed at their faces. They saw small bubbles gurgling up from the water. Hermit Yanming crouched down and first found a branch to place in the water. Seeing nothing unusual, he pondered how to determine the water's temperature. Tan Wu stepped forward, took an egg from his clothes, and said sheepishly, "I like drinking raw eggs. There were still a few left over from yesterday. This is just right for testing the water's heat." He wrapped the egg in cloth and lowered it into the lake. Before long, he took it out. Sure enough, it was cooked. This completely dispelled everyone's thoughts of entering the water to investigate.
It seemed the temperature in this patch of heaven and earth differed vastly from that outside, and it was likely related to this lake water.
Everyone proceeded along the lakeshore toward the only stone house. The treasures they anticipated were presumably inside. After walking halfway around the lake without seeing a single animal or encountering any danger, everyone finally relaxed. It seemed the owner's last testament had not deceived them.
Several medicinal fields surrounded the stone house. Most of the medicinal herbs growing within were unrecognizable. After all, they were not pharmacists from a specialized sect. Even Hermit Yanming, broad in knowledge as he was, recognized only a few varieties: Panax Notoginseng, ginseng, Atractylodes Macrocephala, Golden Sunflower, and the like. Yet these medicinal herbs, so ordinary outside, were exceptionally precious here. There was no other reason: any Medicinal Herb that had grown for three hundred years or more would be extraordinarily valuable. Not to mention the other unrecognizable medicinal herbs, which were likely things that had already been lost to the world over the years. Never mind what might be inside the stone house—just the medicinal herbs in these fields were priceless treasures to every sect and school.
Thus, everyone stared eagerly at those precious things, pondering how they could take them back. Hermit Yanming, however, frowned and said, "I never expected such precious medicinal herbs to be planted here. This is beyond our expectations. We do not yet know how to carry them out. Let us go to the stone house first and think of a way when we come back out. These medicinal herbs have no legs; they cannot run away. There is no need for everyone to covet them so eagerly." Everyone broke into smiles and followed Hermit Yanming toward the stone house.
It was a very crude stone house, so simple that it did not even have a door. Reaching the empty doorway, Hermit Yanming unexpectedly did not dare enter. Although the book had stated clearly that there were no more mechanisms here, one must always guard against others. After thinking for a moment, he picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it inside. He listened closely and heard only the sound of the stone striking the floor, with no other movement. Only then did Hermit Yanming enter the stone house with a dagger in hand, while the others followed behind him.
The stone house looked small from outside, but once inside, everyone discovered that it was actually quite spacious. It resembled a great hall rather than the living quarters they had imagined. Nor had the floor accumulated thick dust from having been unattended for so long. Instead, because it had no door and was well ventilated, there was not even a dusty smell in the room.
Opposite the entrance stood a smooth wall, completely bare. It felt as though portraits had once hung there, or perhaps something had once been enshrined there. Beneath the wall stood a long table and a square table. There was an incense burner on the long table, and far from it sat a small, square, flat box. On the table below the long table, four square Brocade Boxes were placed casually about. They had an antique elegance, their patterns unlike any seen today. Three chairs stood on either side of the square table, arranged at random, each with a meditation cushion on it. The wall to everyone's left held nothing, only an opening that was presumably a window. On the wall to their right hung three paintings. One depicted a man in brocade garments, holding a saber as he rode forward on horseback. Another showed a scholar in white, a sword hanging at his waist as he walked leisurely along. The final painting portrayed a woman, her face veiled in white gauze, her figure graceful and supple, holding a long whip as she stood beside a small bridge.
The three paintings had been eroded by time and were no longer very clear. There was no writing on any of them, making their meaning impossible to discern. Nor could anyone determine whether the One-Armed Swordsman was among them.