Chapter 126: Cloud Valley

"So well-hidden!"

"If Shen Lian hadn’t precisely led us here and shown us the entrance, we’d never have found it."

Unless standing right in front of it, this crevice in the rock is invisible from any other angle.

Even when directly facing the entrance, it seems merely a fissure between boulders. A person of Shen Liel's stature must sidle through sideways, and only then will it become apparent that beyond lies more than just stone.

Indeed, at first glance, it appears to lead only into a rock wall. It was only when Shen Liel and Chen Dashan sought refuge from a black bear in this crevice that they discovered it turned inward, revealing an entirely different realm.

While the adults appreciate the concealment and safety, the children marvel at the mystical and majestic sight of the mountaintops piercing the clouds, their gazes still not fully committed to the entrance itself.

The village of Ten Li is also nestled in the mountains, yet these deep mountain landscapes present a stark contrast. Ever since their flight into the hinterlands, the children’s understanding of mountains has been completely redefined.

The peaks here are not only taller and more treacherous than those outside, but everywhere one looks is lush greenery, a verdant expanse untouched by human presence.

As the breeze sweeps through, the mountains undulate like green waves, with the rustling of leaves and the lively chatter of insects and birds. Such scenery, common along their journey deeper into the mountains, went unappreciated as they were alert for wild beasts, snakes, and sudden mountain rains.

But now, this is to be their new home.

With a renewed focus, taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the vegetation, they feel as if they've stumbled upon a secret haven, filled with wonder and rarity.

The children, without exception, crane their necks to gaze at the mountaintops, their faces alight with awe.

"It's so high!"

"Taller than the clouds – could climbing it lead us to the heavens?"

"It's so beautiful! What's it like in the sky? Do immortals live there?"

Shen Ning tugged at her elder brother's sleeve, "Big brother, have you ever been to the mountain top? Did you reach the sky?"

Hearing this, Sang Luo’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and Shen Liel laughed, “I’ve been up there. Not quite the sky, but I’ll take you someday. You can see for yourself.”

The mention of climbing the mountain sent a buzz of excitement through the group of children.

The three cousins from the Xu family also looked up in wonder. Xu Yin, clutching her grandmother's dress, gazed at the peak and clouds, her ears filled with joyful and lively bird songs, lending a dreamlike, surreal quality to the moment.

"Grandma, have we arrived? Will we live here now?"

“Yes, until it's peaceful outside, this will be our home,” said Xu's grandmother, her face relaxing into a smile. She knew the simplicity here couldn't compare to their life in Shezhou under the protection of the Wang family. Yet, in terms of safety, hiding in such a concealed location in the deep mountains was far more secure than any shelter in the towns or counties. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Shen Liel and his group found this place, let alone what it was like inside.

Chen Dashan, noticing people's curious glances toward the narrow entrance, beckoned Shen Liel, “Let’s go. You better move those rocks. It's quite a task for me.”

Initially, when Shen Liel discovered this place, he placed large rocks to seal the narrow entrance from the inside to prevent wild animals like wolves from entering the valley.

Although Shen Liel was two years younger than Chen Dashan, his strength was remarkably greater. Chen Dashan struggled to move those rocks and knew the entrance had to be sealed for the safety of those guarding the supplies and organizing the cave, yet it was a challenging task.

Laughing at Chen Dashan’s comment, Shen Liel set down his load and headed towards the passageway. The rocks were placed deep inside the entrance, requiring a lengthy walk to reach. It took more than fifteen minutes for Shen Liel to re-emerge, indicating the difficulty of moving the rocks and the depth of the mountain itself.

Shen Liel emerged, chuckling, “Okay, everyone, put down the carrying baskets. Small bags can be brought inside, but the large items like bedding tied together must be unrolled and carried in separately.”

The children couldn't contain their excitement and hurried towards the narrow passage. With no apparent danger inside, Shen Liel and Chen Dashan allowed them to explore. One by one, a trail of eager children of all sizes followed suit, their faces alight with joy. Shen Ning and Chen Xiaoya brought up the rear, pulling along Xu Yin.

Sang Luo watched with amusement and suggested to the elder ladies, “Let’s go in and have a look.”

Eager to explore, the adults quickly set down their burdens and, carrying small bags, followed the children into the crevice. Xu's grandmother hurriedly joined them with her grandchildren.

The last to enter were Zhou Lizheng, Shi Dalang, and the others.

Halfway through the long passageway, Sang Luo heard exclamations from the front, followed by Chen Xiaoya and Shen Ning's eager queries.

Before they could finish asking, Chen Xiaoya also began to shout in awe, “We're living in Yun Valley!”

As Sang Luo stepped out of the passage, the view opened up dramatically. Looking up, she finally understood what it meant to live in Yun Valley. The narrow valley was flanked by steep, towering cliffs on either side, draped in varying shades of green foliage, while the top was enshrouded in mist, giving the impression of dwelling amidst the clouds.

The anxiety of the nine-day journey through treacherous terrain melted away in an instant. Sang Luo's eyes curved into a smile, and she beamed as Shen Liel joined her, remarking, “The place you’ve found... if the cave was just a bit higher, it could have been a celestial dwelling.”

The place exuded an ethereal charm.

Sang Luo now understood why Shen Liel said it was impossible to descend the valley from the other side of the mountain. It was like a recluse's hideaway from a martial arts saga, nestled at the bottom of an unscalable cliff. The sheer walls, as if chiseled by axes, leaned inward, making descent virtually impossible. Just standing on the edge was nerve-wracking, fearing a fall would lead to certain doom.

Seeing her delight, Shen Liel's smile widened, “It's like this in the morning with the fog. When the sun is out, the light filters through, creating another kind of beauty.”

Shen Liel advised everyone, “Be cautious of where you step, and use sticks to clear the bushes before passing through.”

The area was lush with vegetation, and while Shen Liel and Chen Dashan had scouted for large wild animals, detecting snakes and insects hidden in the grass was much trickier.

Everyone understood the need for caution, especially as they neared their destination, where letting one’s guard down could lead to trouble.

With this reminder, the excited children resumed their vigilance, though their faces still beamed with smiles. Even the usually reticent Chen Ershan couldn't help asking, “Brother, Brother Liel, where will we live?”

Before Chen Dashan or Shen Liel could respond, voices echoed from afar, calling, “Dashan, Ershan! Mother!”

The group looked towards the voices to see Qin Fangniang and Gan Shi hurrying towards them along the mountainside.

As they drew closer and saw everyone was safe, they both relaxed. Noticing the unfamiliar Xu family, they were initially taken aback, but after Sang Luo’s introduction and learning they were related to Xu Zhanggui, they warmly greeted Xu’s grandmother, recalling Xu Zhanggui's past kindness.

After brief exchanges with Zhou Lizheng and his wife, they questioned why everyone had come, worried about turmoil outside.

Hearing from Zhou Lizheng about the conscription and taxation, they sighed in relief that most of the grain had already been transported.

Leading the group into the valley, Qin Fangniang inquired about Chen Dashan’s father and grandfather, asking if they stayed behind to guard the grain.

Chen Dashan nodded and, after a pause, shared the peril they faced on the return journey. “Dad got lightly injured, but it's okay now with the ointment. To avoid further strain on their injuries, I switched the guards, letting them rest.”

Qin Fangniang, concerned about the men's injuries, felt relieved to hear they were treated and recovering.

The journey was fraught with danger; they too had encountered wild beasts on their way. Fortunately, everyone was skilled in archery and fighting, and the poison concocted from the family recipe, along with the costly medicinal herbs bought by Shen Liel, had been a great aid, ensuring their safe passage through the wilderness.

“It’s good we’ve arrived safely. This valley is still secure.”

While leading everyone towards the mountainside, Qin Fangniang and Gan Shi explained they had cleared a narrow path, about two feet wide, along the mountainside. The freshly uprooted grass minimized the risk of snakes. The inward slope of the mountain here meant even a cleared path was hidden from view from above, enhancing their safety.

A turn along the path revealed a different landscape: a deep valley. The place where Qin Fangniang and others were staying was a sizable cave on the right side of the mountain, right after the turn. The cave entrance was barricaded with a makeshift wooden wall and door, sealing off the entire cave for protection against wild animals and snakes.

The wooden door, now open, revealed Qin Fangniang and Gan Shi who had just come out of the cave after hearing the noise.

Qin Fangniang explained, “This is the first cave at the entrance of the gorge. It’s quite big, so we stored the grain here after transporting it. It's also where we rested after carrying the grain. In the future, we'll live in other caves deeper in the gorge. There are eight caves of various sizes inside, enough for each family to have one. The deeper we are in the valley, the thicker the mountain walls, reducing the chances of our noises reaching the entrance and being heard by outsiders. This makes it much safer.”

Sang Luo glanced inside the cave, noticing several simple wooden racks with bags of grain neatly stacked. Empty racks were likely reserved for grain yet to be transported.

One side of the cave had dry grass and three newly made straw mats. There were also prepared animal skins, presumably from beasts hunted along the way, which now served as blankets to ward off the night’s cold.

Outside the cave, a makeshift clay stove was constructed for cooking, with earthen pots and pans nearby.

With several empty racks, Qin Fangniang cheerfully suggested, “Some grain is still to be brought in, so feel free to use these racks to store your things for now. It’s better than leaving them on the ground.”

Everyone knew more items were yet to be moved in. Transporting them from outside to inside the cave required several trips.

Each family chose a rack to store their belongings and immediately went back out to help move more items inside.

Transporting the belongings inside required everyone’s effort, resembling an ant moving house. It took seven or eight trips to finish. Bulkier items like baskets couldn’t fit through the cave entrance, so Shen Liel and Chen Dashan skillfully hid them halfway up the mountainside. Once all the grain was inside, they planned to see if they could hoist these items down from the top using vines.

When Qin Fangniang saw live chickens and ducks being brought in, she was both surprised and delighted: “We have chickens and ducks too?”

Having chickens and ducks meant the children could enjoy fresh eggs in the future.

Seeing there were no roosters among the chickens, Qin Fangniang showed visible disappointment. Rooster crows could easily reveal their location, no matter how thick the mountain was.

Without a rooster, the eggs laid wouldn't be fertile, nullifying any hopes of hatching chicks. Fortunately, they had a drake, offering some consolation. They couldn't keep many chickens, but ducks were a viable alternative.

Shen Liel and Chen Dashan used leftover thin wood from the door and rack construction to build a simple chicken coop not far from the cave entrance. They placed their six chickens and ducks inside. Shen Ning, who was particularly fond of the poultry, busied herself with finding wild greens to feed them.

After moving all their belongings into the cave and resealing the entrance with large stones, everyone was eager to explore the valley.

Those who had been here before understood their eagerness and, being tired from transporting grain, decided to rest. Shen Liel, Chen Dashan, Qin Fangniang, and Gan Shi led the newcomers to explore the valley.

The valley's scenery was spectacular, rivaling the beauty outside. Even if the ground was covered with wild grass potentially hiding snakes, it didn't detract from the overall allure of the gorge.

As Shen Liel once described, the valley was about one-third the size of the Ten-Li Village settlement area. Despite its modest size, it boasted lush vegetation, exuding wild beauty and mystery. A small waterfall and stream added life and movement, not to mention the essential water source.

The sounds of water, birds, and insects blended into a beautiful symphony, cleansing the soul.

Sang Luo, who had lived in the mountains for several years in her previous life, found the gorge's scenery captivating.

She mused that living here in seclusion, away from the chaos, wouldn't be so bad, although it was just a thought.

As the children marveled in awe, Shen Liel, keeping an eye on Sang Luo, noticed her fondness for the place and smiled, detailing the environment more intricately. He pointed to a cave behind a tree: “That’s the second cave from the entrance. While the nearby mountains are tall and densely wooded, constructing houses would be visible from above. Our primary residence will still be in the caves.”

Addressing Chen Dashan and Qin Fangniang, he inquired, “Have you chosen a cave yet?”

Qin Fangniang chuckled, “Not yet. We wanted to wait for everyone before deciding.”

Shen Liel replied with a smile, “That’s perfect. Everyone’s here now, so we can choose our caves. For now, we’ll stay in this large cave where the grain is stored. During the day, we can start preparing the selected caves, think about furnishings, and plan the layout. Once we’ve transported all the grain, we can begin settling in.”

Continuing the conversation, they entered the large cave.

"This cave is just up a slight incline. The entrance is more than a zhang wide, about over four meters in modern terms, roughly the width of a room. Inside, it’s deeper, around six to seven meters, and even wider. It's not a regular shape, more irregularly rounded, with protruding spots on the walls and ceiling that one must be careful to avoid bumping into. These, however, can be smoothed out later."

"Sang Luo estimates the cave to be over forty square meters, quite spacious."

"We also checked out the other caves one by one. They’re spaced apart, and not all are at the mountain’s base; two are actually mid-mountain. Well, not exactly halfway up – one is about four to five meters from the ground, and the other seven to eight meters, but effectively, they’re still at the base."

"Out of the nine caves, excluding the one at the entrance of the canyon not meant for living, there are eight others, six at the base of various peaks, with two positioned slightly higher."

"The largest is the one seven to eight meters above the ground. Except for skilled climbers like Shen Lian and Chen Dashan, it's unreachable for most. However, Shen Lian explained that this isn't really a cave due to its immense size; it’s more like a tunnel that nearly crosses the whole mountain, resembling a waterway or limestone cave, though now, of course, there’s no water."

"These caves seem naturally formed, with no signs of human excavation. Sang Luo suspects they might be related to geological changes, possibly ancient waterways transformed over centuries. Who knows?"

"Shen Lian quietly told her that the outlet resembling a rabbit hole is located deep in the highest cave."

"Therefore, that cave is also not suitable for living."

"Firstly, any noise might carry outside the mountain, and secondly, it’s too high for anyone to reside in."

"The preferred choices are actually the six caves located within the inner canyon, where except for one slightly smaller cave of about thirty square meters, the others are quite roomy, around forty square meters each, with the largest nearly fifty square meters."

"Larger families like the Zhou and Lu households could manage by squeezing in."

"As for the quality of life, well, let's not discuss that right now. They are fleeing disaster, so having a place to shelter from wind and rain is already a lot to ask for."

Shen Lian inquired, "Does anyone have a preference?"

The villagers tacitly agreed, with Zhou Village Head smiling, "You and the Chen family should choose first. After all, you and Dashan found this place. We'll pick afterwards."

Granny Chen added with a laugh, "You and your wife pick first, Shen Lian. Choose whatever you like. We’ll just be neighbors with you."

Hearing this, everyone chuckled, agreeing to let Shen Lian and Sang Luo choose first.

Hearing himself referred to as "young couple", Shen Liel couldn't help but smile, appreciating the sincere gesture from the others. He thanked them with a laugh, ignoring their teasing, and turned to look at Sang Luo.

Choosing their future cave home naturally depended on Sang Luo’s preference.

“A’Luo?” he inquired gently.

His eyes asked silently but clearly, "Do you have a preference?"

Shen An and Shen Ning also smiled brightly, both looking at Sang Luo, “Big sister, you choose. We’ll follow your decision.”