Northern drought and approaching warfare make taxes and corvée labor increasingly heavy. The youth Shen Zhaowen accidentally offends the powerful Zhou Bin and learns that his father and other able-bodied men have been sent to Heifeng Pass, their lives hanging in the balance. To protect his family, he adopts the impoverished girl Sanya, stores grain and medicine in advance, and leads his entire family to move into a cliff cave. Cold snaps, famines, epidemics, and the Lin family's pursuit arrive one after another, while refugees and villagers at the foot of the mountain clash constantly. Relying on hunting skills, strategy, and a sense of responsibility, Shen Zhaowen turns danger into safety time and again, ultimately uniting the villagers to repel the mountain bandits and safeguarding his family and a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos on the ruins after the raging fire.