Before them lay a fertile, flat, and exceptionally broad stretch of land, surrounded by mountains.
House after house, each brimming with Miao character, had sprung up from the ground. Some nestled against the mountains, while others stood close together. A clear stream flowed from the deep mountains ahead, winding through this land, which seemed like a paradise hidden from the world.
Many Miao homes had been built along both banks of the stream.
Three bridges crossed the water, each very different from the others. One was a wooden bridge, the simplest kind: two huge logs lashed together and laid across the banks, enough to serve as a bridge.
Another had been built from large stones, rough but sturdy. It spanned a narrow stretch of the stream, with heavy stone slabs laid on top—the simplest and most practical way to build a bridge in the Southern Border.
The third was an arched bridge in the style of the Central Plains.
The three of them took it all in. As they walked farther, the crowds grew thicker, and the place became livelier. Most of the people they had passed earlier spoke Miao, leaving the three of them utterly bewildered. They couldn't understand a word.
"This place really is a paradise hidden from the world," Jin Ping'er said with a sigh.
Zhang Xiaofan and Wild Dog Daoist felt the same.
Along both sides of the road, stalls sold furs, Mineral Ore, raw meat, and other Southern Border specialties. A few even displayed jewelry and jade trinkets from the Central Plains.
"Let's find somewhere to stay first. We can worry about the rest once we've settled in!" Zhang Xiaofan reminded the other two, who were gazing around at the stalls with keen interest.
Two of the three were injured. It really wasn't the time