What a beautiful mountain!

Green pines and cypresses, splendid peaks and peculiar rocks, possess the beauty of clouds and mountain springs. Apes leap and eagles sing among green bamboos and dense forests, undisturbed by the world of mortals.

"What a wonderful place!" Fang Chang exclaimed, as he walked halfway up the mountain. His eyes lit up as he admired the beautiful scenery not far away.

From this vantage point, one can see a spacious, flat hill nestled quietly among the continuous peaks, shrouded in clouds and mist.

On one side of the hill, there is a small open space surrounded by dense forests. Behind it lies the mountain's ridge line, reaching deep into the clouds. In front, a long and bottomless cliff stretches out, separated from Fang Chang by a deep valley of tens of feet, with no risk of flooding.

A stream originates from a mountain spring above, gathering mountain trickles and flowing alongside this place into the deep valley, its sound clear and refreshing. Dense vegetation and woods spread far and wide, and small animals seem to move indistinctly within.

What a clean, comfortable, and blessed place!

Fang Chang looked around, and a flash of inspiration flickered in his heart. Realizing that an opportunity was approaching, he couldn't help but rejoice secretly: "This place is destined for me."

He needed to find a way to approach and observe the surroundings. Fang Chang anticipated that it would require some effort.

Tightening the luggage on his back, he lightly stepped on protruding stones and branches that could support him, deftly approaching the flat open space from the mountains.

Midway, Fang Chang paused on a slightly larger stone, identified the direction, and noticed that the sun had passed its highest point.

To reach his destination, he realized he still needed to circle the peak. The distance was considerable, and the mountain quite steep.

Looking upwards, clusters of vines wound and layered, with a few hanging down like long ropes reaching towards the ground.

With an idea in mind, he found a thick vine, compared its length and position, tested its strength, and then, putting his hands together, kicked off hard!

"Ho!" Fang Chang exclaimed as he swung lightly to the opposite side of the mountain.

Feeling the solid ground beneath his feet, he immediately let go of the vine and grabbed nearby bushes.

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A few small stones rolled down the hillside, startling small animals below, causing them to jump around.

Adjusting his rough clothing, Fang Chang climbed up tens of feet, and with a turn, he stood on firm ground. The sun shone through the tree branches, casting spots of light on him, enhancing his heroic appearance.

Wearing a square scarf like a scholar, Fang Chang moved nimbly and gracefully, as if a part of the mountains, rivers, and earth.

Beyond the woods was the open space he had seen earlier. The soil was fairly thick, though rocky patches protruded here and there.

Finding a small, clean spot with few weeds, Fang Chang unloaded his luggage, preparing to settle down.

Inside Fang Chang's luggage were a few changes of clothes, an old set of bedding, some needles and threads, a pack of coarse salt, half a piece of leftover dry food, and two books. Other than that, there was nothing else.

He surveyed the area. Peaks of exquisite beauty, draped in light clouds and mist, varied in height and distance, faintly surrounding this flat hillock. Monkeys jumped and played on the tall, continuous trees.

Fang Chang identified the direction again. The spot he stood on was a huge gentle slope, with a high mountain rising into the clouds to the north, and gradually rising terrain stretching towards the cliff to the south.

The east and west offered wide views, likely granting the beauty of the morning sun. Tomorrow's morning scenery would be worth looking forward to. The wind blew from the mountains, bringing freshness and coolness that felt comfortable on the face.

The next step was to light a fire.

The mountain mist and dew made Fang Long's hair, clothes, and shoes feel damp. Although Fang Chang was no longer afraid of heat and cold, he still felt uncomfortable.

Surrounded by forests, collecting firewood was simple, as dead branches and leaves were everywhere. Yet, many were not dry enough. Fortunately, Fang Chang found some dry grass under a sunlit rock, which pleased him greatly.

The mountain stream was just a few steps away. Fang Chang walked over, scooped up a handful of water to drink, then returned to the firewood pile, selecting a large piece of cypress and a straight, hard branch.

The process of making a fire was uneventful. He maintained downward pressure and quickly rubbed the branches together for nearly half an hour before seeing sparks.

Gently placing the spark on the dry grass, he carefully blew on it until flames began to rise.

First, he added thinner branches, and as the fire grew stronger, he added thicker ones. Then he placed damp firewood nearby to dry by the flame's heat.

Fang Chang toasted his coat dry, untied his hair to dry it, then tied it up again. Finally, he took out the last half of his dry food, skewered it on a branch, and roasted it. This was the only remaining and most suitable cooking method given the conditions.

The scent quickly wafted away.

On nearby trees, monkeys jumped around. A peculiar white-haired monkey observed quietly, behaving differently from the others.

It squatted on the tree, watching the entire process.

Regarding this strange human's odd behavior, the spirit monkey had a simple thought: Should I throw a stone at him?

Ultimately, the white-haired monkey used its acquired wisdom to resist this idea and stopped its fellow monkeys.

Having happily finished his delicious roasted dry food, Fang Chang added more firewood to the fire, then walked into the woods. He intended to build a shelter before dark, as he could withstand the night's dew, but his luggage couldn't.

Only three long logs were needed to construct a triangular shack, the simplest shelter. Finding suitable logs in the dense surrounding woods wasn't too difficult.

He dragged the wood to the fire, added more firewood to prevent it from going out, then walked to the stream, bent down, and picked up stones.

The creek was filled with various stones. Fang Chang chose a thin, sharp one as a stone knife, cut some vines at their base, and found a clean broad-leaved tree, cutting down long branches and leaves with the stone knife.

He moved the fire, tied some branches and leaves together as a broom, and swept the ground clean. The ground, warmed by the campfire, was dry, though slightly hot at first.

Removing excess branches from the three long logs, he formed a sturdy shack frame. Then, Fang Chang tied slender branches on both sides with thin, cut-down rattan, and spread broad-leaved branches and leaves over it, constructing a suitable temporary shack.

The sun began to set in the west.

Fang Chang spread hay inside the shack, opened his luggage, took out the bedding, and laid it out. He then tossed the rest of his belongings inside.

Stepping back, he admired his work.

A green triangular shack stood on the open space, with sundries piled inside, a blazing bonfire facing the shack's exit, and several firewood piles nearby. The scene had an aura of wandering.

It was a good start, and he felt satisfied.

As the sky gradually darkened, Fang Chang entered the shack, surrounded by the chirping of crickets in the grass. Since crossing over, today was the first time he felt so relaxed and connected to this world.

The white-haired monkey nearby continued observing, growing more frightened as it watched.

It had observed so long that its body felt numb.