Chapter 218: New Home—Treehouse and Stone Cave
After finishing their roasted meat, the two lay down on the tiger hide that had just been peeled off.
Snuggled together, they talked about their plans for the future, sketching out the life they would build ahead. But Nan Xun was far too tired—mid-sentence, she drifted off to sleep.
When Nan Xun woke up the next morning, A Mang was wiping her face and body with a damp piece of animal hide. Beside them were two roasted sweet potatoes and some fruit—clearly picked by him early that morning from the forest.
Most fruit at this time had already ripened, fallen to the ground, and rotted. Who knew how long he’d searched to find just these few.
Nan Xun’s heart felt sweet. She bit into the fruit, then stuffed a couple into A Mang’s mouth as well. They each took a sweet potato too.
A Mang hadn’t planned on eating, but when Nan Xun personally fed him, he froze for a moment—and the peeled roasted sweet potato was already pushed into his mouth.
After eating one sweet potato, A Mang also ended up nibbling on A-Xi’s fingers.
After a simple breakfast, the two set off again.
To the north was A-Xi’s tribe; to the south, the massive Ala Mountain tribe. A Mang clearly had no intention of relying on any tribe, and led Nan Xun straight toward the southwest.
When they were tired, they rested. Once rested, they continued on. With A Mang carrying such a massive saber-toothed tiger, they didn’t need to worry about food for the time being. After five or six days of efficient travel, they finally discovered a new water source.
It was a flowing stream. Though it couldn’t compare to the great river outside the cannibal tribe, it was still five or six meters wide—more than enough for the two of them.
A Mang led Nan Xun farther downstream. When the river widened by another meter or two, he finally stopped.
They began surveying the surrounding terrain, looking for an ideal place to settle.
Suddenly, Nan Xun spotted something. Her eyes lit up, and she excitedly pointed toward a small rocky hill. “A Mang, look! There’s a stone cave on that hill!”
The rocky hill wasn’t very big—more like a sloping rock face, about seven or eight stories high. Its surface was covered in patches of green and yellow grass, and dotted with pale purple bell-shaped flowers. These bellflowers only bloomed in autumn, blossoming in clusters. Several cascaded down the rock slope, swaying gently in the wind, releasing a faint, pleasant fragrance that refreshed the senses.
Nan Xun grew even more excited. The cave sat about seven or eight meters above the ground, and a massive slab of rock jutted out in front of it—like a balcony.
If they lived in that cave, it would be like having a small two-story home. Perfect.
The only problem was how to get inside, because the slope on that side was extremely steep—almost vertical.
Nan Xun’s gaze shifted and landed on a towering tree not far from the cave.
The main trunk was so thick it would take five or six people to wrap their arms around it. Its branches weren’t tangled or chaotic—just a few strong, sturdy limbs. By cutting away some middle branches, they could easily build a luxurious treehouse with a corridor. The side branches would serve as natural supports, while the inner branches could pass straight through the floor as pillars.
Then they could build a suspension bridge between the treehouse and the cave on the rocky slope.
The treehouse could be made from wood or bamboo. Bamboo would be cooler, perfect for summer breezes, and faster to build.
As for climbing the tree—thick vines hung down everywhere. Grab one, and you could swing right up.
Nan Xun quickly shared all her ideas with A Mang. He stared at her wide-eyed, clearly stunned by her imagination.
He had no idea what a treehouse or suspension bridge looked like, but after Nan Xun’s explanation, those vague concepts slowly took shape in his mind.
Earlier, while following the river downstream, they had passed a bamboo grove—perfect material for building both the treehouse and the bridge.
Winter would arrive in less than half a month. They couldn’t afford to delay. Once they decided, they got straight to work.
A Mang cut and split bamboo, while Nan Xun twisted grass ropes. They worked together, resting when tired, and roasting bits of meat from the saber-toothed tiger when hungry.
A Mang’s efficiency was astonishing. In just five days, he brought everything Nan Xun had envisioned to life.
The treehouse was over fifty square meters, with one bedroom and one living area. Thick bamboo formed the frame, shaved bamboo slats made the walls, covered by bamboo boards on the outside. The roof was layered with halved bamboo tubes laid crosswise, topped with dry grass to prevent leaks.
Outside the treehouse was an L-shaped wraparound corridor with railings—luxurious to the extreme.
The suspension bridge was finished too. Eight or nine meters long, it connected the treehouse to the cave.
Building the bridge wasn’t easy. A Mang climbed up from the gentler side of the slope, then used ropes to lower himself onto the rock ledge outside the cave. After fixing two wooden posts there, he finally secured the bridge.
Once everything was in place, A Mang used leftover bamboo poles to build a simple woodshed beneath the treehouse, just for storing firewood.
“A Mang, you’re amazing!” Nan Xun leapt onto him excitedly, hugging him and kissing him hard several times.
They’d spent days and nights building the treehouse without much intimacy. Now that the little wild leopard threw herself at him, A Mang naturally didn’t hold back—pinning her down in their new home and thoroughly “celebrating.”
With the luxurious treehouse finished and the bridge complete, the two eagerly crossed the bridge into the stone cave.
The construction had caused quite a stir, yet no beasts had appeared from the cave—it seemed safe. Still, A Mang cautiously had Nan Xun stand guard at the entrance while he went in alone with his spear to check.
Moments later, Nan Xun heard A Mang exclaim.
It wasn’t fear—it was delight.
A Mang rushed out, grabbed Nan Xun, and pulled her inside.
From the outside, the cave entrance looked only about one person tall and two people wide—but inside was a whole different world.
The interior was vast and tall, nearly as spacious as half the rocky hill itself. Besides the main chamber, there were two smaller side caves carved into the walls—basically a two-bedroom, one-living-room ultra-luxury stone villa!
A Mang loved the stone cave even more than the treehouse. He couldn’t wait to move all their belongings inside, then used dry grass and animal hides to make a massive, luxurious bed—big enough for Nan Xun to roll around on.
He also found a large stone inside, flattened both ends, and used it as their table.
Nan Xun started arranging her bottles and jars. The two smaller caves were perfect—one for storing food, the other for miscellaneous items.
Thinking that this place would be her and A Mang’s home from now on, Nan Xun felt a tiny bit complicated inside.
A world of just the two of them—Heh. A sweet kind of trouble.
