Chapter Six: Gaining a Rare Treasure Through Hardship

As soon as he entered the mouth of the cave, he was greeted by utter darkness, with not a single ray of light piercing the gloom. He Zhi Xing was not accustomed to it at all. Fortunately, someone in the group had brought a flashlight, and as soon as the beam swept across the cave, a dazzling spectacle unfolded before their eyes. The spacious cavern was adorned with all manner of stalactites and stalagmites, large and small, twisted into fantastic shapes. Blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, indigo, red, and white—colors intertwined in a brilliant display, forming rows upon rows of exquisite, unparalleled natural wonders.

The three stone columns in the Ancient Buddha Hall stood at varying heights, solemn and serene like statues of the Buddha. Within the hall, the array of stalagmites seemed to radiate an aura akin to the Buddha’s light, filling the space with reverence. Some stone pillars resembled ancient banyans, so lush and abundant: "A shepherd boy leads cattle and sheep at dusk, near the tree, big and small caves reveal a heavenly realm."

Stalactites shaped like the Goddess of Mercy, lotus flowers, and the Star Lord of the Highest Purity seemed to leap out, while the sound of trickling water and flickering reflections conjured up illusions like a mirage. All manner of wonders were scattered everywhere. Just as they were about to enter the Heavenly Queen’s Palace, voices echoed from outside the cave, as if another group had arrived. The sound drew closer, and someone called out, “Captain Guo, take a team inside and have everyone come out. The provincial and municipal inspection group will be here tomorrow. We must ensure the cave is protected tonight. Remember, safety first, evacuate everyone!”

“Yes, Director,” came the reply.

More than ten police officers in uniform entered the cave. Captain Guo took the lead: “Everyone inside, listen up. We have been tasked with protecting this historic site. Please leave now. When the site opens in the future, you’re welcome to return. We appreciate your cooperation and apologize for the inconvenience.”

Captain Guo repeated the announcement two or three times through a loudspeaker, while the officers fanned out with flashlights, searching every possible hiding spot.

He Zhi Xing and his group heard the commotion and realized their visit had come to an end. Unwilling to leave empty-handed, he ignored the whimsical stones named “Immortal Elder,” “Immortal Crane,” “Fairy Maiden,” and “Fairy Child” at play, as well as the picturesque formations called “Heavenly Soldiers and Generals with Eagles and Chicks.” Quickly, he slipped away from the crowd, descended the steps, and came to the waterfall-like stone draperies. “A torrent plunges three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way fell from the Ninth Heaven.” At the shadowy pit beside the whitened stone falls, he nimbly climbed up several steps, wedged himself among the tangled crevices, and hid himself securely.

The officers entered but did not find him. They did, however, discover the group he had entered with: “Please leave at once. We are under orders to secure this area.”

After more than twenty minutes, the crowd was evacuated, leaving only He Zhi Xing, a child overlooked by the search. Soon, the police withdrew as well, and silence enveloped the cave. Not a soul remained, only the distant drip of water from stalactites striking the surface below. He could not tell the time; the cave was pitch black. Judging from their entry at about two or three in the afternoon, the police dispersing the crowd, and the present quiet, it must be evening by now. Boldly, he crawled out from his hiding place.

He was just about to climb up the central, broad top of the stone drapery “waterfall” when he heard noises from outside the Ancient Buddha Hall—someone slipping on pebbles by the water’s edge, and a faint warning, “Careful, Captain!”

Startled, He Zhi Xing slid to the ground, holding his breath, and quickly retreated to his original hiding crevice. Footsteps drew closer.

Flashlights meticulously scanned every corner. There were three people, all in military attire. This time, their search was even more thorough than before; they even climbed the more inaccessible rocks, shining their lights into every crevice. Soon, they reached the stone drapery near where He Zhi Xing was hidden. Cold sweat streamed down his face, and his heart pounded with dread: “If I’m found, I’m finished…”

Luckily, there was an indented crevice shielded by rocks, impossible to search unless one crawled inside. Only a child could squeeze in. It was somewhat reminiscent of the mythical cave where the Tang Monk imprisoned Sun Wukong, though larger, allowing him to wriggle out if he tried hard enough. Inside, the space expanded, with boulders blocking the way, forming a cave within a cave. Even if someone poked their head in, they wouldn’t see him—a marvel of nature’s making.

He Zhi Xing lay hidden, noticing the outsiders remained still for a long time. He was about to peek out when a sudden beam of light shot inside, making him jerk his head back in terror, sweat pouring down his face. Someone outside shone a flashlight around, but He Zhi Xing pressed his small hand tightly over his chest and curled up, barely daring to breathe.

After a few moments, the light vanished, and the group left. Soon, their footsteps faded into the distance. He Zhi Xing, soaked in cold sweat as if an eternity had passed, covered his mouth and whispered, “Mother, that scared me to death…”

Resuming his plan, he exerted himself to climb up the stone drapery again. At the top, beside the “waterfall,” he found another hiding spot—a shallow cave, enough to conceal half his body, the rest exposed. But in the recessed part, he discovered something strange: a narrow, elongated opening, too tight even for his ten-year-old frame. “Heavens, why make it so difficult?” He silently cursed the cave’s design. He poked his head in and heard a weak dripping sound—drip, drip—then saw, by the faint light trickling from above, many white, sparkling stalactites, large and small, dazzling the eye.

Suddenly, a delicate medicinal fragrance wafted to his nose. He inhaled deeply, exclaiming inwardly, “Wow, what a refreshing scent!” Excited, he thought, “I’ve found it!” Fortunately, he made little noise, and the sound was absorbed by the chamber with the ancient stalactites, not reaching the Heavenly Queen’s Hall outside. His discovery of this hidden grotto was inextricably linked to a small wooden figurine he carried; he could not explain it, but he had been drawn here and felt compelled to stay.

From his old backpack, he took out a small woodworker’s hatchet—one of the few tools he had prepared, along with a five-meter coil of rope, some medicinal herbs, and some dry food. The cave opening was still too narrow for his body, so he began widening it on both sides with the hatchet. Before long, he had carved a gap just wide enough for a child to squeeze through. Gathering his tools, he peered inside, made sure it was safe, and wriggled in, leaping down into the passage.

The drop was not deep—he landed with a soft thud on solid ground beneath a large, pointed stalactite. Aside from a few scratches from jagged rocks, he found himself by the edge of a small pool, surrounded by scattered pebbles and sand. Standing, he moved to a dry spot, pulled out a lighter, and lit a torch made of pine wood. As the flame grew brighter and he was about to look around, a faint rustling sound caught his attention.

He looked toward the noise. Two meters away, at the edge of the uneven stone wall, a dark green snake, slightly larger than a quail’s egg, slithered swiftly toward his feet. He cursed inwardly, “Damn!”

He fumbled for his hatchet, but the snake was already coiled around his leg and bit down hard.

“Aaah!” He Zhi Xing cried out, grabbing the snake’s neck with one hand as his torch fell from the other. Gripping his hatchet, he swung with all his might, severing the snake’s head. Only then did the serpent loosen its grip and fall to the ground, convulsing before lying still.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he rolled up his trouser leg to examine the bite on the side of his thigh, now swollen and inflamed. He quickly tore off his sleeve to bind his leg tightly, then scooped up sand from the pool to press around the wound, forcing blood and venom out. He knew that any delay could lead to unconsciousness or worse. He pressed hard until the blood oozed from black to red, aware that some poison would inevitably remain, seeping into the tiny blood vessels and tissues.

After roughly cleansing the wound, he fished out the crushed herbs from his tattered bag. On a palm-sized flat stone, he placed the small wooden figurine, used it to pound the herbs, and poured water over them, grinding them to a pulp. He gathered the fallen torch fragments and set them aside on a nearby rock. Noticing something was missing from the herbal aroma, he suddenly realized, “Ah, the millennium stalactite…”

He approached the largest stalactite, watching as a fragrant droplet formed at the tip. He quickly caught it with his mouth and swallowed. Instantly, a cool, soothing sensation flowed down his throat, a comfort beyond words. Without hesitation, he used his little hatchet to chip off a sliver of the ancient stalactite and mixed it with the pounded herbs. He applied the prepared poultice to his wound, which brought a cooling burn. Then, finding a clean, open spot, he sat cross-legged and, before he knew it, fell asleep.

He awoke in the second half of the night, shivering with cold. Lighting a pine torch from his old bag, he remembered his original purpose. He located the largest stalactite, chopped off the pointed tip where the precious drops formed, and stored it away. Only this ancient stalactite yielded the rare essence; none of the others did.

With his injury bandaged, he hacked steps into the rock with his hatchet, and, struggling with all his might, carried the piece of thousand-year-old stalactite out of the cave. It was a harrowing escape, but he succeeded.