Man Niao Niao was initially startled, but upon seeing the pile of what looked like still-steaming material, he chuckled and said, "That's clearly you, buddy, but alas... it's missing the flowers on top?" He glanced at Tan Ping'er, his face wearing a smile that was both deeply suggestive and utterly transparent.

I have always been quite confident in my IQ. While I might not be the pinworm in Man Niao Niao’s gut, seeing his actions and words, I instantly grasped his intent. Having shot himself in the foot, my expression grew somewhat awkward, and I forced myself to look away, too weary to engage with that blockhead.

"Huh? There's a girl over there. Shall we go ask her about that old man's origins?" My eyes immediately caught someone sitting in front of the stockade gate, seemingly carrying something on their back.

Man Niao Niao craned his neck to look. "Damn it, even with my 1.5 vision, I couldn't tell if that person was a girl. How can you four-eyes, you idiot, discern their gender?" He promptly kicked me again. Considering Tan Ping'er was still standing nearby, I couldn't be bothered to argue and took the lead toward the person.

As we drew closer, we realized the stockade gate was actually part of a very tall watchtower. Carved above the main door were several large characters: Yumu Stockade. The girl was sitting on a smooth, blue slab of stone in front of the gate, dressed in authentic Tujia ethnic attire—a blue, short-sleeved, cross-collared top, high-legged trousers with trim, and dainty, embroidered cloth shoes. The girl wasn't tall, but the exquisite Tujia outfit sculpted her figure with appealing curves, making her appear vibrant and bright, projecting an image of sharp capability; however, her face was slightly tanned, with beads of sweat tracing paths across it.

While we were sizing up the girl, she too was curiously observing these uninvited guests.

Tan Ping’er, confirming the person was indeed a beautiful woman, swept a quick glance at me and murmured, "Your eyes are sharp!" I detected a distinct note of jealousy in her voice, yet inexplicably, a surge of delight warmed me, making me feel slightly giddy, as if I’d downed a whole flask of potent corn liquor. While I was lost in my reverie, Man Niao Niao seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the girl. "Hey, little sister, are you from this Yumu Stockade?" The question was utterly amateurish; who else in this ancient stockade would dress so traditionally?

"Yes, I am!" the girl replied in a clear voice, carrying the clarity of a lark’s song. "Where have you esteemed guests traveled from?"

"We came from outside!" Man Niao Niao offered another piece of nonsense.

The girl wasn't offended, maintaining her sweet smile. "Then what brings you gentlemen to our stockade?" By now, she had switched to Mandarin, likely assuming we were tourists given Tan Ping’er’s distinctive appearance. Her perfectly articulated Mandarin was a thousand times better than Man Niao Niao’s regional dialect, and mine as well.

"We are here to inquire about a few things." Man Niao Niao actually managed to switch to Mandarin too. "What is your name, little sister?"

"My Han name is Xiang Qiaoqiao, my clan name is Elanguo, and my nickname is Qiao'er. You can call me whatever you like." The girl rattled off three names in quick succession, making us widen our eyes in surprise. At the same time, we were completely disarmed by the enthusiasm of this young woman called "Elanguo."

"Little sister Qiao'er, did you go gathering pig feed?" Man Niao Niao followed up smoothly, immediately reverting to the local dialect. Only then did we notice the bamboo wicker basket on her back, intricately patterned, filled to the brim with dewy green pig feed (wild greens for pigs).

"Yes, I did! Since you guests have traveled so far, why don't you come to my home for lunch?" Elanguo enthusiastically invited. "My grandfather knows many things; you can ask him whatever you need to know."

Hearing such good news, I quickly interjected, "Well... is that appropriate? We wouldn't want to impose."

Elanguo laughed lightly. "What’s the big deal? Let’s go!" Man Niao Niao eagerly rushed forward, took Elanguo's basket, and hoisted it onto his shoulder. "I hear all the men in the stockade love corn liquor. Since little sister Qiao'er is so kindly inviting us, we should go keep your grandfather company for a few cups!"

Elanguo thanked Man Niao Niao and led us into the watchtower. Upon entering, we discovered the structure had two levels, each about ten meters square. On the right wall of the lower floor, a stone stele was inlaid, its inscription clearly visible.

"This inscription details the origin of the watchtower’s construction," Elanguo said, pointing to the text. We moved closer to read; it recounted the building of the tower to defend against the White Lotus Society. "So this tower was built against the Lotus Sect?" Man Niao Niao feigned depth. "Have White Lotus members appeared here before?"

"Of course, they have. Not far from our Yumu Stockade are Baizhang Gully, Nü'er Stockade, Bailianjiao Flat, and Tongluo Pass—all places where the White Lotus Society was active in the past. The most mystical among these are Tongluo Pass and Nü'er Stockade."

"In what mystical way?" Man Niao Niao asked with great interest.

"Tongluo Pass is right next to our Yumu Stockade. Opposite it, a rock formation looks like a giant gong, and a stone pillar resembles a gong striker. At Tongluo Pass, there is a large stone drum. When I was little, I used to sing a nursery rhyme: ‘Gong faces drum, silver fifty-five thousand. If someone can figure it out, they can buy the entire Chongqing Prefecture.’ That song is about Tongluo Pass…"

Man Niao Niao grew more animated, his eyes lighting up. "Listening to that song, does it mean there’s buried treasure from the White Lotus Sect nearby?"

"I wouldn't know about treasure. Our villagers aren't concerned with it; we just value a leisurely life with enough food to eat. Besides, how can you possibly determine there’s buried treasure nearby based on one nursery rhyme?" Elanguo winked playfully, offering a cunning smile.

Man Niao Niao kept up a lively conversation with Elanguo, so engrossed that the other three of us couldn't interject a single word. I couldn't help but feel anxious; this guy always latches onto beautiful women and gets caught up in pleasantries, forgetting the main business. We weren't here in Yumu Stockade for sightseeing, after all. Just as I was about to remind Man Niao Niao to watch the time, the fellow followed Elanguo up to the second floor of the tower. We had no choice but to follow. Up there, we discovered the floor was empty but swept spotlessly clean. The four walls were riddled with latticed observation holes, clearly used by the early stockade dwellers for watching and firing weapons.

We then heard Elanguo explaining to Man Niao Niao, "...The ridge beneath this watchtower is called 'Golden Carrying Pole,' and our people call this tower the 'Stockade Neck'..." Man Niao Niao’s attention was clearly not on humble place names like 'Golden Carrying Pole' or 'Silver Carrying Pole.' He interrupted Elanguo, asking, "What's so magical about that Nü'er Stockade you mentioned?"

"I heard this from my grandfather. Legend says that when the Tusi Queen Consort Qin led her attendants up to Nü'er Stockade, the Qing army attacked. Even a cannon made by hollowing out a large Paulownia tree couldn't breach the defenses. Negotiations failed because the Qing commander broke his promise. Finally, the Qing army adopted a strategy of encircling but not attacking. The female soldiers on the mountain had to kill and eat their horses and other animals, and eventually, when they ran out of tree bark and white clay, Lady Qin had no choice but to lead her attendants to jump off the ten-thousand-foot abyss. Some say they died; others say they opened oiled paper umbrellas when they jumped and survived... Haha, it’s just a legend; few people delve into it."

Man Niao Niao sounded slightly disappointed. "That's the extent of the magic?"

Elanguo smiled. "Isn't that magical enough?"

...

While Elanguo and Man Niao Niao exchanged remarks about the wonders of Nü'er Stockade, I was pondering the mention of Tusi Queen Consort Qin. Did this Qin lady have any connection to Qin Cheng at Tangya? It was highly likely they belonged to the same clan.

Just as I was about to ask Elanguo, I noticed Man Niao Niao had called her back downstairs again. We could only follow mutely behind, listening to the lively exchange between her and Man Niao Niao.

Throughout Elanguo's narratives, I was astonished to learn that she was a university student currently doing an internship, attending a prestigious university in Beijing. She had returned to Yumu Stockade to visit her elderly parents and grandfather and help her parents with whatever she could during the busy farming season. This made me look at the simple yet radiant Tujia girl in a new light. After spending half a day with her, I couldn't detect any hint of airs from a university student—truly remarkable!

Leaving the watchtower, our eyes were suddenly dazzled. Initially, I had assumed Yumu Stockade was merely a collection of ordinary stilt houses. However, the scene before us made us realize we were profoundly mistaken. What greeted our sight was a vast, basin-like area, sloping down from west to east. The gentle slopes on all four sides were terraced fields, row upon row. The fragrance of rice wafted over with the wind, interspersed with the occasional mournful yet melodious mountain songs. The clear, rustic sound of cattle bells reached our ears, stirring up a chorus of birdsong—we heard them but couldn't see them. Wisps of smoke curled up between the green bamboo groves and ancient buildings. The sounds of chickens and dogs mingling, and the calls of parents summoning children, felt exceptionally warm.

I almost suspected I was dreaming. Could this possibly be the "Peach Blossom Spring" described by Tao Yuanming?

Amidst the shock, I didn't forget to gaze into the distance. I saw many large trees, but none were the suoluo trees recorded in the silk manuscript, which caused a slight disappointment. I had intended to ask Elanguo, but seeing how animated her conversation was, and noting that the mysterious old man hadn't specified this location as the suoluo's hiding place, I dismissed the idea.

As we walked, we listened to Elanguo’s crisp descriptions of "Yumu Stockade"—

Before the Qing Dynasty, almost all inhabitants of Yumu Stockade lived in cliff dwellings. Many existing cliff caves used for dwelling, weaving cloth, pressing oil, and minting coins can still be found. Yumu Stockade is surrounded by precipitous cliffs, with two stockade gates at the front and back. Once the gates are shut, it seems isolated from the world. The stilt-house architectural style of the Tujia people, the simple village customs, and the well-preserved groups of grand, exquisitely crafted ancient tombs dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, combined with the deep cultural heritage of ancient bluestone—all blend naturally with the mountain scenery and pastoral environment, lending an air of ancient elegance. This small world, built with immense piety by the ancestors of the Yumu Stockade people, brought refinement to the primitive village, serenity to the clamorous human world, solace to the yearning heart, and vitality to continuous life. The stockade is steeped in the culture of ancient bluestone: the castle-like ancient blockhouse standing proudly at the 'Stockade Neck'; the ingenious and lifelike inscriptions, plaques, carvings, and reliefs on the ancient tombs; the "Admonition to Sons" chiseled onto bluestone slabs; the ancient plank road carved into the cliff face; as well as the ancient city walls, stone mills, stone jars, stone tables, stone stools, stone basins, stone rollers, stone ladles, stone paths... every item is a perfect fusion of bluestone and the people of Yumu Stockade.

The entire stockade has only one entrance and one exit controlled by a card gate, a unique geographical feature rarely seen elsewhere in the country, utterly singular. The paths within the stockade are perilous. The "Ladder Lift" is built atop a sheer cliff, with each step made from a strip of stone inserted into the rock face on one end and suspended in mid-air on the other. The "Hand-Hold Rock," chiseled straight into the cliff like a crescent moon, is slick with moss on the steep rock. Daring to climb it makes one’s soul hang near the heavens; it is known as the "Sky Ladder," truly embodying the saying, "The road to Shu is difficult, more difficult than ascending to the heavens." The tomb markers inside the stockade are massive, like a city within the mountains. The tomb carvings are exquisitely detailed and varied: the image of dragons and phoenixes coupling, the Tai Chi diagram of snakes and phoenixes, ingenious in conception; the transformations of fish and dragon, grass and dragon, human and dragon—so vivid and lifelike they stir the imagination endlessly. The customs and traditions of the Yumu Stockade people are ancient, with the worship of the Heavenly Son Yat, sitting alive through the night, memorial halls, cliff tombs, and the ritual of crying at weddings—these ancient customs and folk practices are still thriving.

As we walked, listened, and observed, we felt as though we were dreaming, like a group of defiled mortals who had accidentally stumbled into a fairyland!