Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain by Jin Yong (38 page)

The cavern turned out to be quite a shallow hole underground. Peace and Curio landed right on top of Sign. A piercing shrill sound ensued, hurting the ears of the people hanging over the rim. They at once pulled the trio from the pit.

Immediately Tree remarked, "Heaven knows: the treasure might be hidden inside this very cavern. Miss Tian, what did you see down there?"

Sign nursed the swelling bruises which she had received when bumping into the rocks and mumbled angrily, "I found nothing in the pitch dark."

Down Tree jumped, holding a flickering firebrand. The underground cave was no more than ten feet in diameter. Frozen hard rocks and icicles covered its walls. Detecting nothing out of the ordinary, Tree then leaped back onto the ground.

Suddenly Radiant and Third cried out in alarm: a subterranean opening to the east had sucked Radiant in while one to the south had engulfed Third. Valour and Prime each immediately pulled one out. The snowscape was treacherously pitted with sinkholes and vertical shafts. The Company stood their ground, not daring to move, lest they should be swallowed by the hidden snares.

Tree broke out with a sigh, "Master Wish of the eyrie has been living on the Jadeite Pinnacle for several decades, and he has failed to discover where the treasure was hidden. But he has neither the poniard nor the map. He is utterly lost, as far as I know. Yet here we are, this very minute, on this low mountain, and we are at the end of our tethers, too: we are worse off than he."

After a while they sat down, on the very spots where they had been standing so cautiously. Increasing hunger gripped them. They felt worn out and depressed.

Third felt anew the pain in her wound. With clenched teeth she bandaged the cut by pressing down her hand. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the poniard in Tree's hand. The glare from the dazzling snow made the pyrope mounted on the blade blaze with adamantine brilliance. Third had been escorting consignments with her husband for many years; countless numbers of gems and jewels had passed before her eyes. Yet somehow she found this jewel rather different. An idea crossed her mind, prompting her to approach Tree, "Great Master, would you mind letting me have a look at your knife?"

Tree pondered to himself: Third counted as one of the weak and frail and she was sorely wounded on her leg. What harm could she do? Thereupon, he handed her the poniard. Third took the weapon and studied it intently. The gemstone, without facets, was set with the back uppermost. The top and base of a cabochon stone should respectively be rounded and flat. In the hands of a skilled lapidarist, both the top and base can be polished to look alike. But such delicate variance fails to deceive connoisseurs of lapidary art. Having detected something strange, Third hastened to offer her views, "Great Master, this jewel has been set with its back uppermost. A story may somehow be contained."

Tree found himself flustered. Third's remark started him thinking to himself, "Her words may bring good counsel. However, the first thing to do is to pry it open and have a look."

Immediately, Tree took back the poniard. He drew out a dagger from his side and directed strength to the tips of his fingers. Tree worked gently at the base, applying the pointed end of his blade. The girdle at once sprang off the setting. Tree picked up the gem and studied both sides carefully. Nothing unusual could be found. Then he turned to the setting in which the pyrope had rested.

"It is here!" Tree finally cried.

Inside the indentation was a countersunk arrow-head pointing towards north-northeast. At the far end of the arrow head was embossed a minute globule. Tree could not contain his ecstasy. He was sure that the centre of the small depression corresponded to the summit of the mound. After working out the distance and its exact bearing, he proceeded to advance, taking one cautious step at a time. When he reached what he had established to be the exact site, he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to collapse, as he had expected. Down rolled Tree into an underground opening. This time the old monk was prepared. After regaining his footing, he immediately kindled a firebrand and melted the snow. A cavernous passage stretched forward a long way. Tree immediately walked towards the dark zone. Hawk and the remaining party soon leapt down to join in the adventure.

The fire died out after a short while. Groping their way in the dark, the Company wound around a complex passage of interlacing sinuous and subangular passages. After walking around the maze for a long time, they still could not see the end of the tunnel.

Presently Curio broke out, "I shall go and fetch some wood." He dashed out of the cavelike passage and returned with a large bundle of dry wood. Then he set a torch alight. Brash and unmannerly though he was, Curio still exhibited a pleasing side to his character: he took bold strides and never faltered. Presently, he led the Company, marching foremost, holding a firebrand aloft.

Mighty pillars hewn from ice had decked the underground passage for centuries, sprouting adamantine crystals, shearing keen and sharp. Century picked up a rock, with which to knock off the rimy stalactites and stalagmites in his way. Each member of the Company had harboured evil intentions on their ascent of the mountain. Knowing that the gems and treasures would soon be within their grasp, they now turned to concerting their efforts, readily giving each other a helping hand.

The Company turned another bend in the cold dark underground passage.

"Look!" Sign suddenly cried out.

She pointed her finger at a glistening object on the ground, near Curio's feet. Curio bent down and picked it up. It was a tiny bodkin, fashioned in gold. An ideogram "An" meaning "Peace" was engraved on it. The weapon was identical to the one Sign had last handled at the foot of the mountain. Full of suspicion, Curio looked over his shoulder and bawled out at Peace, "So you have been here after all!"

"Have I been here before?" Peace fired back at Curio. "Do you see any burrow dug by feet?"

"Of course there are no footprints inside this lava tube," Curio tried to reason with himself. "But how has this bodkin of his been found inside this tunnel?" Piqued deep inside, Curio was close to venting his spleen. Opening his palm, he showed Peace the tiny gold bodkin, shouting, "Is this not yours? Your name is clearly inscribed on it!"

Peace glanced at it and shook his head, remarking, "I have not set eyes on it before." Curio grew furious. He turned his hand around and flung the bodkin to the ground. Immediately, he grabbed Peace and spat in his face, storming, "You liar! I watched her take your bodkin as a keepsake."

The Company, now thronging the tiny underground passage, found it almost impossible to turn around. Peace, therefore, could not duck away. Curio's was no empty gesture: it was a full gob of spittle. This threw Peace into a terrible rage. He snapped up his right leg, thrusting it smartly in Curio's stomach. His hands at once went for Curio's limbs. Parading the move Swallows Tracking Nest, Peace pummelled blows right at his front. Curio trembled. He flung the torch to the ground. His right fist struck a warning blow, a straight punch in Peace's face. Suddenly the fire went out. All about them hung the darkness, hollow and immense. Curio and Peace hurled abuse at each other. The sounds of fighting could be heard also. With whipping legs and tight fists, the two rival lovers showered blow after blow, each aiming true and fast. In the end, they rolled to the ground, grappling and wrestling in a bundle.

The remaining Company found this both amusing and irritating. Exhortations followed. The Company tried to tear the combatants away, but Peace and Curio would not be denied. Suddenly Sign cried out, "I shall never speak again to the one who persists in fighting." Her words inspired fear in their hearts. Peace and Curio, very reluctantly, began to loosen their grip on each other and got back on their feet again.

Prime was heard speaking quietly in the dark, "This is Prime. Go and find a flame to light the fire. Mind you do not lavish your jealous wrath on the innocent. Your fists and legs paid me tribute, too." Prime held out his hand and groped on the ground. He reached the firebrand and once again lit it. Curio and Peace each presented a pitiful spectacle. Both had black eyes and swollen noses, and they were out of breath. They planted themselves with their fists upraised as they darted angry looks at each other.

Sign fumbled inside her bosom and drew out a golden bodkin. She also picked up the other bodkin from the floor. Turning to Curio, she asked, "These two weapons do indeed come in a pair. But who told you that he gave them to me?" Curio was at first lost for words but was finally able to prevaricate, "If he did not give them to you, where did you get them? How did his name come to be engraved on these two bodkins?"

Century took the bodkin. He glanced at it and posed Curio a question, "Your Master is Pastoral Tian. Who was your Grandmaster?"

Taken by surprise, Curio ventured to answer, "Grandmaster? He was the father of my Master. Peace was his first taboo name and Panther his middle."

"That is it!" Century sneered. "Peace Panther Tian. What was his secret weapon?"

Curio began to wonder, "I ... I never met my Grandmaster."

"You never met him. But your Uncle Valour was taught martial feats by Panther himself. You ask him," commanded Century.

Valour interrupted before Curio could ask him, "Curio, let us stop all stupidity now. Your Grandmaster employed as secret weapons these two matching bodkins." Curio was dumbfounded. However, it did little to wipe the suspicion from his mind.

Tree turned to Peace and Curio, remarking, "If you two wish to settle the amorous accounts that lie between you with a duel, by all means grapple each other to death outside. We would rather find the hidden treasure."

Prime led the way, holding the torch aloft. The underground tunnel soon turned a corner. As the space was constricted and becoming narrower, the Company had to wriggle through, bending low. At times, their heads struck ice sprouting from the cavernous roof, causing them pain. However, the thought that the treasure must be close cheered them.

After walking for the time it would take to drink one bowl of tea, the Company found themselves coming to the end of the passage. A little way ahead, a mighty, round boulder loomed atop another monstrous, spherical rock. The two massive stones blocked the way ahead. Ice had frozen in the cracks and crevices between the two boulders, turning them into one adamantine, giant formation. Prime pushed it with his hand, but the huge boulder stood fast. Prime looked over his shoulder and asked Tree, "What are we to do now?" Tree scratched his head, and remained silent.

Fortune counted as the purest incarnation of common sense among this group of brash fellows. He smiled quietly to himself before proceeding, "Two round boulders stacked one on top of the other are bound to be movable. Only they are now locked tight by the ice." Tree was delighted to hear this, saying, "That is correct. All we need to do is to melt the ice." Prime moved the fire closer to the huge rocks to thaw the ice sealing them. Curio, Radiant and the others quickly rushed outside and returned with bundles of wood and logs for the fire. The fire was burning more and more fiercely; the ice melted in no time. Fragmented crystals jangled to the ground.

More than half of the massive ice block wedged between the boulders had already melted. Tree grew impatient. He thrust his hands on the rock, summoning up all his bodily strength. The pedestal boulder stood fast. Gradually, more ice thawed. Tree tried once again to push the rock. Wobbling a bit, the boulder rolled to the side. A huge doorway was suddenly outlined, though not a crack or a joint had been visible before. An incredible natural creation indeed!

The Company grew excited, exclaiming loudly. Valour assisted Tree with the door. They pushed it wide open. Tree picked up a piece of wood from the fire and marched first into the hidden gallery. The rest of the Company immediately followed him inside, each holding a fiery torch. Beyond the rock door, the jewels and gems made a fiery sparkle, dazzling all their senses. Mouths agape, the Company were in a daze, barely able to breathe.

They were in a vast recess cut from the rock. Jewels and gold were lying about in mountains. Unfortunately an icy and pellucid armour shrouded them. It could well be imagined this must be the work of the henchmen of the Dashing King. After depositing the treasure in this limestone honeycomb, they had then splashed cold water over everything. The cavernous area was snow-bound all year. The glazed gems, embalmed in crystalline ice, stayed adamantine like diamond. The Company all stared fixedly at the precious metals and stones, entirely rapt. For a while, words were frozen in their lungs. Silence filled the void. Suddenly, deafening cheers filled the vault. At length, Tree, Century and the others hurled themselves against the ice, hugging it. They still had no words with which to express their joy.

Suddenly Sign shrieked out in alarm, "Another one!" She pointed to a further den. After the flaming brands were brought closer, two dark figures came to light. Both figures had planted themselves by a wall.

Mortal terror struck the Company. They had never expected to find cave-dwellers. Could there be another entrance to the cell? They at once whipped out their weapons and drew threateningly closer. Some time passed, but the two black forms stayed silent. Tree howled, "Who is there?" The two men inside simply ignored the question.

The two quiet figures remained still for some time. The Company, panic stricken, waited in ever-increasing suspense. Tree broke the silence and began, "Veterans of great esteem, whoever you may be, please present yourselves and meet us." The echoing walls magnified Tree's voice to a resounding bellow, making all ears feel uncomfortable. Still no answer came from the two. Neither did they move forward.

Tree held his torch aloft and advanced a few paces. It became obvious that the two grey shapes were on the other side of a glacial plate. The slab, like a crystal wall, divided this bitterly cold grotto into two recesses, the front and the rear. Tree plucked up his courage and edged around the solidified vitreous partition. These two figures looked as haggard as cadavers. They had not stirred an inch. They looked as if they were piqued at the paralytic points. Tree cast away all his fear, shouting out to the Company aloud, "Come and follow me." He hurried around to the other side of the crystalline ice wall, in great strides. The pair struck him as eerie. They remained as if afflicted by rigor mortis. Whirling the blade in his right hand, Tree shone the firebrand closer to the two immobile faces. He convulsively drew in a deep breath of cold air. It was clear that the two men had been dead for some time. They looked hideous. Their sinews and their facial muscles were distorted in death. A sudden dread and horror fell on the Company.