Chapter 126: Cloud Valley

Hidden, incredibly hidden!

If it weren’t for Shen Lie precisely leading them here and pointing out the entrance, they would never have found it.

From any angle other than standing directly in front of it, there was no way to see the stone crevice. And even when standing directly in front of the entrance, one might still not think much of it. At first glance, it just appeared to be a crevice between some rocks. Someone of Shen Lie’s size would have to turn sideways to squeeze through, and further inside, it seemed like it was just more rock.

Yes, visually, it looked like solid rock beyond the initial crevice. Only by squeezing through would one discover a turn leading further inside. Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had only discovered this hidden world while hiding from a black bear.

While adults saw this place as hidden and safe, the children were awestruck by the mysterious and majestic peaks that seemed to touch the clouds. They were so captivated that they hardly noticed the entrance.

Shili Village was also in the mountains, but it was completely different from the depths of these mountains. Since entering the inner regions, the landscape here had redefined the children’s perception of mountains.

Not only were the peaks much taller and more dangerous than those outside, but everywhere they looked, they saw greenery — the kind of lush green that only grows where no humans have tread.

As the wind swept through, the green waves of the mountains rolled and the leaves rustled, accompanied by the sounds of insects and birds. Such scenery had been common since they had entered the inner regions, but back then, they were tense, on guard against wild beasts, snakes, and the sudden onslaught of a mountain storm.

But now, this was to be their future home.

Seeing, hearing, and smelling the aroma of the vegetation, they felt an entirely different emotion. It was like stumbling into a hidden paradise, a newfound, extraordinary wonder.

All the children, without exception, tilted their heads back to look at the mountain peaks, their small faces full of amazement.

“So high!”

“It reaches beyond the clouds! If we climb up, will we reach the sky?”

“So beautiful! What does the sky look like? Do gods live there?”

Shen Ning tugged at her elder brother. “Big brother, have you ever climbed to the top? Did you really reach the sky?”

Sang Luo smiled, and Shen Lie laughed, “I’ve been up there. Whether it reaches the sky, I’ll take you to see for yourself someday.”

At the mention of climbing the mountain, the group of children instantly became excited, chattering enthusiastically.

The three Xu siblings also looked up, with Xu Yin holding onto their grandmother’s clothes. She gazed at the peaks and clouds, listening to the lively birds’ songs, feeling a dreamlike, surreal sensation.

“Grandmother, are we here? Will we live here from now on?”

“Yes, we’ll stay here until the outside is safe again.” Mrs. Xu’s face relaxed, her son was right. This place might be austere, but it seemed as safe as staying in Shezhou with the Wang family. In fact, it would be much harder for refugees to find such a hidden spot in these deep mountains. She could hardly imagine how Shen Lie’s group found this place and what it was like inside.

Chen Dashan, noticing everyone glancing towards the stone crevice, smiled and called out to Shen Lie, “Let’s go. Move those stones inside. It’s too much effort for me.”

It turned out that from the beginning, Shen Lie had placed several large stones at the inner end of the narrow entrance to prevent wild animals like wolves from entering the valley.

Although Shen Lie was two years younger than Chen Dashan, his strength was astonishing. Whenever Shen Lie wasn’t around, moving those stones was a significant challenge for Chen Dashan. However, sealing the entrance was necessary to ensure the safety of those guarding the grain and organizing the cave. Despite the difficulty, he had no choice but to move the stones.

Hearing Chen Dashan’s request, Shen Lie laughed, set down his things, and headed into the crevice. The stones were placed at the far end, requiring a long walk to reach. After more than a quarter of an hour, Shen Lie finally emerged, indicating the depth of the mountain itself.

Shen Lie came out, smiling. “Alright, put down the baskets and packs. Small bundles can be carried in, but larger items like quilts need to be unwrapped, rolled into long strips, and taken in bit by bit.”

The children, bursting with curiosity, eagerly crawled into the crevice. Since there was no danger inside, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan didn’t stop them. One child after another followed, their faces beaming with excitement. Shen Ning and Chen Xiaoya helped Xu Yin, who lagged behind.

Sang Luo smiled at Grandma Chen and the others, saying, “Let’s go in and have a look too.”

Everyone had been eager to go inside. Hearing Sang Luo’s suggestion, they put down their things, picked up the small bundles, and followed the children into the crevice. Grandma Xu also hurried to follow with her grandchildren.

Finally, Zhou Cunzheng, Shi Dalang, and the others went in.

The crevice was long, and halfway through, Sang Luo heard Huzi and Erniu exclaiming in awe. Chen Xiaoya, Shen Ning, and Xu Yin were anxiously asking what was happening.

Before they got an answer, Chen Xiaoya also exclaimed, “We live in Yungu!!!”

When Sang Luo emerged from the crevice, her view suddenly opened up. Looking up, she understood what living in Yungu meant. The narrow valley was flanked by towering peaks and cliffs, their tops hidden from view. The cliffs were covered with deep green and light green vegetation, and the uppermost parts were shrouded in clouds. Truly, it was like living in a cloud-filled valley.

All the anxiety from the past nine days of trekking through mountains vanished in an instant. Sang Luo smiled, just as Shen Lie came in. She said, “If the cave were a bit higher, this place would be a perfect paradise.”

It was incredibly enchanting.

She also understood why Shen Lie had told her not to descend from the mountains on the gorge side. In martial arts dramas, this would be the hidden valley of a reclusive master, with sheer cliffs that seemed insurmountable. Even standing at the edge, one would worry about falling and being shattered to pieces.

Seeing Sang Luo’s approval, Shen Lie smiled, “In the mornings, it’s like this with clouds and mist. When the sun is high, the fog disperses, and the sunlight makes it even more beautiful.”

He also reminded everyone, “Be careful where you step, and use the branches to check the grass before passing.”

The vegetation was dense, and although he and Chen Dashan had scouted the area, hidden insects and snakes were harder to spot than large animals.

Everyone understood and remained cautious. Shen Lie was concerned that now, at their destination, they might lower their guard and face danger.

After his warning, the excited children became more cautious, but their smiles remained. Even the usually quiet Chen Ershan asked, “Brother, Brother Lie, where will we live?”

Before Chen Dashan or Shen Lie could answer, someone called out from a distance, “Dashan, Ershan! Mother!”

Everyone looked to see Qin Fangniang and Gan hurrying along the mountainside.

As they approached and saw everyone safe, they sighed in relief. Seeing the Yu family, they were surprised at the unfamiliar faces. After introductions, they learned the newcomers were the family of Shopkeeper Yu, leading Qin Fangniang and Gan to warmly greet Grandma Yu, thanking her for her son’s past help.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Cunzheng and his wife, they nervously asked why everyone had come, fearing the situation outside had worsened.

Upon hearing from Zhou Cunzheng that more soldiers and taxes were being levied, Qin Fangniang and Gan sighed in relief, thankful that they had managed to transport most of their grain.

Leading everyone towards the gorge, Qin Fangniang asked Chen Dashan, “Where are your father and grandfather? Are they staying behind to guard the grain?”

Chen Dashan nodded and, after some thought, decided to share their recent encounter with danger. “Father sustained a minor injury, but we had some hemostatic medicine. He’s fine now after using it. I was worried that the journey might aggravate his injury, so I switched out the guards to give them some rest.”

Qin Fangniang was initially worried upon hearing about the injury but felt relieved after learning it was treated successfully.

The journey was perilous; they had encountered wild animals. Fortunately, everyone was skilled with archery, and thanks to the special concoctions from their family and the potent arrow poisons bought by Shen Lie and his wife, they were able to traverse the mountains and forests safely.

“It’s good to arrive safely. This valley is much safer.”

While speaking, they led everyone to a path along the mountainside. Qin Fangniang and Gan had cleared a narrow trail about two feet wide, recently removing grass to minimize the risk of insects and snakes. The mountainside sloped inward, ensuring that from above, neither the path nor those walking on it could be seen, providing great safety.

Around a bend, a new view unfolded—a deep, elongated valley. Qin Fangniang and her group stayed in a cave on the right side of the mountain after the bend. The cave was large, with a makeshift wooden wall and door made of round logs at its entrance to keep out wild animals and snakes.

The wooden door was open, and it was from this cave that Qin Fangniang and Gan had heard the commotion and come out to meet the group.

“This is the first cave in the gorge. It’s quite large, so we initially stored our grain here. Those of us transporting grain also rest here. When we settle, we’ll move to other caves deeper in the gorge. There are eight more caves, so each family can have one. Living deeper inside, the thick mountains and high peaks will ensure that any noise we make won’t be heard at the entrance, keeping us much safer.”

Sang Luo peeked inside the cave, noticing numerous makeshift wooden shelves stacked with bags of grain, with a few empty shelves likely reserved for more supplies yet to arrive.

On one side, dry grass was spread out, with three straw mats freshly woven from rice straw and some prepared hides, indicating the danger they had faced on their journey. These hides would now be useful for warmth at night.

A simple stove made of earth stood at the cave entrance, surrounded by clay pots and pans for cooking.

Qin Fangniang smiled, “We have more grain to transport, so there are still many empty shelves. Each family can take a shelf to store their things for now, so they don’t pile up on the ground.”

Everyone understood there was more to bring in. Transporting items from outside the mountains required several trips.

Each family chose a shelf, placed their belongings, and immediately went back out to move more items.

With everyone helping, it took seven or eight trips to bring everything inside. The round, bulky baskets couldn’t fit through the narrow crevice, so Shen Lie and Chen Dashan hid them halfway up the mountain. Once all the grain was transported, they would try to use vines to lower them from the cliff.

When the live chickens and ducks were finally brought in, Qin Fangniang was pleasantly surprised, “We have chickens and ducks?”

Having chickens and ducks meant fresh eggs for the children. However, noticing the absence of a rooster, she felt a bit disappointed. Without a rooster’s crowing, which might reveal their location despite the thick mountains, the eggs wouldn’t be fertilized for hatching more chicks. Fortunately, there was a drake among the ducks, offering some comfort. They couldn’t raise many chickens, but having ducks was also good.

Using leftover materials from the doors and shelves, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan built a simple coop outside the cave and placed the six chickens and ducks inside. Shen Ning, especially fond of the chickens and ducks, immediately went to gather wild vegetables to feed them.

By now, everything was moved inside, and the entrance was resealed with large stones by Shen Lie. With some free time, everyone was eager to explore the valley.

The first arrivals smiled, understanding the newcomers’ excitement. They, too, were tired from transporting grain, so they rested while Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, Qin Fangniang, and Gan led the newcomers deeper into the valley.

The valley’s scenery was truly beautiful, not inferior to the outside. Even with the tall grass hiding potential dangers like snakes, the overall beauty of the gorge was undeniable.

As Shen Lie had described, the valley was about a third the size of Shili Village’s settlement. While not very large, its lush vegetation exuded a wild and mysterious charm. A stream flowed down from the distant mountains, not a large waterfall but a picturesque sight nonetheless. The presence of water added to the valley’s vitality.

The sounds of water, birds, and insects created a harmonious symphony that seemed to cleanse the soul.

Sang Luo, having lived in the mountains in her previous life, was captivated by the valley’s beauty.

For her, this place wasn’t just a temporary refuge. If she preferred the tranquility of the mountains, she could imagine living here indefinitely.

The children exclaimed in awe. Shen Lie, noticing Sang Luo’s apparent fondness for the place, smiled and provided more detailed explanations. Pointing to a spot in the distance, he said, “There’s a cave behind those trees. It’s the second cave from the entrance. The peaks surrounding the gorge are high, and the trees are dense, but if we build houses, they could still be seen from above. So, we’ll primarily live in the caves.”

Upon reaching this point, Shen Lie asked Chen Dashan and Qin Fangniang, “Have you chosen your caves yet?”

Qin Fangniang smiled, “Not yet. We were waiting for everyone to arrive before making a decision together.”

Shen Lie chuckled, “That’s perfect. Now that everyone is here, we can start choosing the caves. For now, we’ll all stay in the large cave where the grain is stored. During the day, we can clean and arrange the caves we choose, think about making some furniture, and figure out how to set things up. Once we’ve transported all the grain, we can settle in properly.”

With that, they entered the cave.

The cave was located just up a slight slope, with an entrance over ten feet wide—about four meters in modern measurements, roughly the width of a room. Inside, the cave was deeper, about six or seven meters, and it widened further in, with an irregular, roughly round shape, full of protruding spots on the walls and ceiling that could be hazardous but could be smoothed out later.

Sang Luo estimated the cave to be at least forty square meters, spacious enough.

They then inspected the other caves, which were spaced apart. Not all were at the base of the mountain; two were a few meters above ground level, one four or five meters up, and the other seven or eight meters up. Technically, these were still at the mountain base.

Out of nine caves, excluding the one at the gorge entrance meant for storage, there were eight livable caves: six at the base and two slightly higher up.

The largest cave, seven or eight meters above ground, was inaccessible to most except Shen Lie and Chen Dashan due to their skills. This one wasn’t a typical cave but a massive tunnel-like formation spanning almost the entire mountain, resembling a waterway cave, though it was dry now.

These caves appeared naturally formed, likely due to geological changes, perhaps ancient waterways from millennia ago.

Shen Lie quietly told Sang Luo that the “rabbit hole” exit he mentioned was deep inside the highest cave, making it unsuitable for habitation due to noise potentially reaching outside and its height.

The six relatively normal caves within the inner gorge were preferable. Except for one smaller cave about thirty square meters, the others averaged around forty square meters, with the largest near fifty square meters. Large families like the Zhou and Lu could manage in these caves.

In terms of living quality, this was a refuge from disaster. Having such shelter from the elements was more than enough to be grateful for.

Shen Lie asked everyone, “Have you chosen any favorites?”

The families showed mutual understanding. Zhou Cunzheng smiled, “You and the Chen should choose first since you discovered this place. We’ll pick after.”

Chen Granny laughed, “Ah Lie, you and your wife should pick first. We’ll be happy to be your neighbors.”

Everyone laughed, encouraging Shen Lie and Sang Luo to make the first choice.

Hearing “you and your wife,” Shen Lie couldn’t help but smile, understanding their sincerity. He thanked them, ignored their teasing, and turned to Sang Luo.

Choosing their future home, naturally, it was Sang Luo’s decision.

“A Luo?”

Without saying a word, his eyes clearly asked, Do you have a preference?

Shen An and Shen Ning, with smiles, also looked at Sang Luo. “Big Sister, you choose. We’ll go with your decision.”