The view ahead suddenly opened up. Not far away, a waterfall thundered down from the cliff, like a white dragon plunging into the sea, stirring up waves and filling the air with mist.

　　A mountain breeze swept by, bringing cool moisture and a refreshing feeling all over.

　　After the white-dragon-like waterfall crashed down, it coiled and settled, forming a vast emerald lake. The lake was expansive, its water level unchanging, suggesting there must be an outlet somewhere.

　　Except for the area a few yards below the vertical waterfall where the water churned, the rest of the lake was as smooth as a bronze mirror. The stronghold also had a large lake, but it never had such a breathtaking waterfall!

　　“A paradise on earth is nothing more than this.” Adam Carter looked around, feeling that while this place wasn’t suitable for raising horses, it was perfect for seclusion.

　　Wildflowers of unknown names bloomed along the lakeshore, the green grass was tranquil, and no wonder the cool mist carried a faint fragrance.

　　Adam Carter dismounted, led the horse to the lake to drink, and wandered about. He saw that except for the long gorge they had come through, the distant surroundings were all sheer cliffs, with no other way out.

　　Finding a dry spot, he sat cross-legged. Adam Carter smiled and said, “Although we haven’t found a pasture, this place surpasses a paradise. Let’s rest for the night and make plans tomorrow. Everyone’s been rushing around all day—it’s been too exhausting.”

　　Seeing that he was a bit disappointed yet still considerate of everyone, the group was touched and quickly comforted him: “Young master, there’s no need to worry. We’ve made it through all these years, a few more days won’t matter. Take it slow, we’ll find a good place eventually.”

　　“Young master, didn’t you say Rome wasn’t built in a day? Our pasture won’t be found in just a few days either.” Frank Reed also tried to reassure Adam Carter.

　　Rusty asked awkwardly, “What kind of horse is Rome? Why is it built, not raised?”

　　Frank Reed scratched his head. “Young master said it’s a very big kind of horse, about as big as the Eastern Capital.”

　　“Nonsense.” Brian Cooper cursed, “There’s no horse that big in the world.” Then, realizing he might have been rude, he looked at Adam Carter and said, “Young master, I wasn’t calling you nonsense, I meant Frank Reed.”

Section Eleven: Sheep Growing Inside the Cliff

　　The brothers joked and bantered. Adam Carter gave a wry smile and didn’t bother explaining that Rome was a city, perhaps still being destroyed and rebuilt even now. He got up, took the bamboo tube and pheasants from his saddle, and filled the tube with fresh water.

　　The group exchanged smiles and got up as well.

　　The young master was extremely clever, but what was most admirable was that he always led by example, never putting on airs. Even when it came to cooking, he always did it himself, never just giving orders.

　　Everyone respected him, not just because he was the young master, but because he treated everyone like brothers.

　　Adam Carter drew the dagger from his boot, gutted several pheasants, and cleaned them by the lake. Frank Reed and Brian Cooper brought over a few rabbits to help. Rusty, nimble as ever, climbed a nearby tree, chopped off a suitable branch, gathered dry vines, and started tying together a wooden rack. Charles Walker, Arrow, and Samuel Harris didn’t stay idle either—one went to tend the horses, while the other two collected dry branches and grass.

　　Everyone was long used to camping and cooking outdoors, so they all got to work in an orderly fashion.

　　Adam Carter finished cleaning the rabbits’ innards and handed them to Frank Reed and Brian Cooper.

　　“Young master, we can handle this ourselves,” Brian Cooper said, getting to work, though he just smacked his lips together.

　　“You? I’m afraid we’d end up eating shit,” Frank Reed said doubtfully.

　　Everyone burst out laughing, and even Adam Carter couldn’t help but laugh. Without pausing, he dug up some wet mud from the lakeshore and smeared it over the pheasants, which had been gutted but not plucked.

　　Meanwhile, Rusty had already set up the rack and dug a pit in the ground.

　　The two exchanged a knowing smile.

　　Adam Carter tossed the mud-covered pheasants into the pit, and Rusty silently filled it in, piled dry branches and grass on top, took out a fire striker, struck it a few times, lit the grass, and set up the rack.

　　On the other side, Frank Reed and Brian Cooper had already skewered the rabbits and set them on the rack to roast.

　　The group kept up their banter, enjoying themselves immensely.

　　When the rabbits were roasted golden and dripping with oil, the aroma was so rich that everyone couldn’t help but swallow.

　　Rusty quietly moved the fire aside, and the group dug up the spot where the pheasants had been buried. They pulled out the now hard-shelled mud-baked chickens. Adam Carter picked up a stone and gave one a hard whack. The shell cracked open, and the feathers came off naturally, revealing white meat and a mouthwatering fragrance.

　　Adam Carter was always highly independent. He had traveled far and wide, using the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed, and had learned many wilderness survival skills after coming here.

　　None of them were professional cooks, but if thrown into the wild forests or deserts, they would never starve—the only difference was how skilled they were at cooking.

　　Everyone’s mouths watered as they took what they wanted. After eating their fill, Frank Reed leaned comfortably against a short tree, burping, “Why bother robbing horse traders? If every day was like this, with no hard work, wouldn’t that be great?”

　　Brian Cooper looked around and said, “This place is really damn nice. I thought the stronghold was already good, but I was just a frog at the bottom of a well. If only we had a few more women, it’d be perfect. Arrow, don’t you think so?”

　　Arrow chewed his food slowly and carefully, as if it were a rare treasure. Brian Cooper could only turn away and say, “This kid always eats like he’s starving to death. Just watching him makes me nervous.”

　　Arrow grinned but didn’t reply.