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墨書 Inktalez
It seemed that this place was definitely not suitable for living; this was what they called the "Killing Ground."
According to the "Cave Forest Secret · Ten Fiends": The second word "Kill" refers to a land that has once been struck by thunder, causing even the Dragon God to tremble in fear. On the surface, it appears that this place is prone to lightning strikes, which would disperse any good fortune. However, the deeper meaning indicates that a massacre fueled by resentment had occurred here, making it a gathering place for Vengeful Spirits.
That thing appeared after a thunderclap. From my observations, it seemed that the thunder released energy that could temporarily break the mysterious seal, thus unleashing a source of energy. As for where that thing was, I knew it was nearby in this cave.
We absolutely could not stay here; if we lingered too long, misfortune would follow, and we would attract resentment.
That night was filled with restless awakenings and dreams repeating themselves until I finally made it to dawn...
The chirping of insects and birds greeted the bright sunlight, as if nothing had happened at all. The three of us reached a unanimous decision: we would move. Only a fool would choose to stay here. We had enough food for three to four days, giving us time to build a comfortable makeshift shelter.
First, I assigned tasks. I would go into the mountains to cut bamboo and wood. Bowl and Xiao Xiao were responsible for weaving coconut leaves to use as roofing. After I had cut about seventy or eighty pieces of wood and several dozen bamboo stalks, they had only managed to weave around twenty coconut leaves due to their inexperience.
Second, we continued... Our speeds improved significantly.
Time passed, and finally we reached the fifth day... The materials were nearly ready, so we began constructing our simple shelter. I chose an excellent location based on feng shui; it could block the wind and was relatively dry.
That spot was located by the sea, shielded by a bush, with flat land behind us. From the sea, our structure would be completely hidden; if any trouble approached, we could quickly retreat into the forest from the house. Once the house was completed, I planned to set up a formation along this mountain path to lead any pursuers astray.
We cleared a flat area and gathered several posts about the thickness of a bowl from the sea. Using fire, we performed simple carbonization on the outer layers of the posts. Then we tied sharp stones to sticks to create makeshift shovels. The soil was quite loose, allowing us to easily dig many holes.
We placed the posts into the holes and backfilled with soil, then firmly packed it down until the posts stood upright.
At this point, I began constructing the roof. I chose bamboo for the roofing material. I took two pieces of bamboo, each the thickness of a cup, and made a slit in the middle. By folding them, they could completely encase the bamboo that served as the beam. Next, we applied this principle to create two rectangular bamboo frames, each five meters long and three meters wide.
Once the bamboo frames were completed, I inserted two pieces of bamboo as the side ridges into the four corners of the frames. I added two more crossed pieces of bamboo for stability. After securing everything in place, we moved on to adding the roof. At this time, we set up the eaves and firmly secured them with rattan.
When everything was ready, the coconut tiles we had crafted earlier came into play. Making coconut tiles was relatively simple; it involved folding coconut leaves, which resembled feathers, in half and weaving them tightly together using a weaving technique. These tiles could guarantee a lifespan of three to four years.
We laid the coconut tiles in order from bottom to top. It took us about an afternoon to finish one roof, while another roof took most of the day.
After that, we began constructing the main structure. We used wood for the supporting columns and considered bamboo for the walls and partitions.
I dug several grooves for the ground columns where I could place the floor pillars. I installed eight pillars: one on each side and two at the front, middle, and back. Once the pillars were in place, I tied them securely with rattan. Then I slightly shaved down some wooden planks and arranged around sixty to seventy pieces on top of the ground columns, creating a solid wooden floor that looked quite nice.
Next came erecting the beams. We raised six main beams along with the ground columns. Once the pillars were upright, we added horizontal beams; since we didn't plan on living there long-term, we tied them tightly with rattan. Soon enough, the main structure of the house was built. The three of us lifted the roof and placed it on top of the beams; it fit perfectly. We clapped and laughed together—after all our hard work, we finally saw results.
Once the house was basically complete, it was time to start on the finishing touches. We needed to enhance the walls of the house. I used a time-saving method by splitting large bamboo poles open and arranging them upright side by side. Then I secured them with two sets of wooden sticks above and below, resulting in a sturdy yet aesthetically pleasing wall.
We completed several finishing tasks after that. Once the walls took shape, we cut windows into them and crafted a bamboo door. The entire house measured about thirty square meters—considered a luxury on this island. Damn it, I finally got to enjoy days filled with warmth and flowers facing the sea.
From a distance, this building looked like a thatched cottage; up close, it still resembled one. However, only those who lived inside could truly appreciate its benefits—not only was it warm in spring and cool in summer, but it also offered a view of the sea. At night, lying down allowed one to gaze at the stars. Forgive my lack of culture; all I could think of was a line from a poem: "The bright moonlight before my bed!"
Afterward, we added a retractable ladder and constructed a drainage ditch around the house's pillars to effectively prolong its lifespan while removing surrounding weeds to prevent mosquitoes.
Our shelter had an impressive name: Stilt House. This type of construction is quite common in southern regions; it helps avoid moisture while preventing snake and insect attacks.
From the perspective of archaeology, many sites from China's Neolithic period, such as the Hemudu Culture, Ma Jia Bang Culture, and Liangzhu Culture, have revealed wooden piles buried underground, along with beams and planks on the base framework. This indicates that stilted buildings had already emerged at that time.
At the Hubei Qichun Maojiazui Site from the Western Zhou period, larger stilted structures were also discovered. The pottery models of stilted buildings unearthed from the Neolithic site at Jiangxi Qingjiang Camp featured roofs with long ridges and short eaves. Four Bronze Stilt House Models found in the Yunnan Jinning Shizhaishan Tomb also exhibited similar roofing styles, representing the primitive characteristics of stilted architecture.
In the Yunnan Xishuangbanna region, Dai architecture largely retains this feature, with living spaces above and storage or livestock below.
Our own architecture could be considered a form of this style. I often imagine that if scholars of archaeology were to discover our buildings years later, they would likely engage in a whole new round of discussions.
Days passed without sight of a single vessel on the sea, nor was there an airplane in the sky; it truly felt like a desolate land! After tidying up our dwelling, we found our food supplies dwindling, and we were hesitant to venture deep into the mountains. After all, there was a group of wild boars in those woods, which posed a significant danger.
As I was lost in thought, a voice called out to me. "Brother Xia, what are you daydreaming about? This is the ocean; come with me to watch the sunset!" Upon hearing this, I couldn't help but smile. This person was indeed a cheerful spirit, always romantic no matter where they were. However, since I had nothing else to do, it would be nice to stretch my legs.
"Alright! I will follow your lead!" I lazily got up and took my Azure Dark Sword with me; after all, this island had an eerie quality about it. My companion was bursting with excitement as they ran over, grabbed my hand, and laughed heartily. "This is my good brother!" The words were quite cheesy!
We walked together to the beach and reached the edge of the sea, where we saw a dazzling fireball slowly sinking down. Walking on the soft sand, we found a smooth boulder and sat down side by side. On this lonely island, it was a rare moment of romance—though brief, it held profound meaning…
Just as we were immersed in the afterglow of the sunset, we heard a series of rhythmic drumbeats coming from the other side of the island!
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