During a famine, young Lin Chang'an and his family are driven out by their clan leader. At the brink of despair, he binds himself to an Intelligence Mountain-Digging System. Following its guidance, he discovers honey and mountain spring water on Black Wind Mountain, which he trades for food. He subsequently unearths precious gastrodia tubers and grain supplies hidden away since the previous dynasty. By chance, he saves Shen Yan, the son of a county magistrate who is living under an assumed identity. Lin Chang'an fights against local bullies who oppress the common people, secures the legal rights to reclaim and cultivate a barren mountain, and uncovers evidence of illegal salt trafficking that brings down the criminals. He opens a mountain-produce shop, discovers an iron ore deposit in the mountains, and establishes a partnership with a wealthy merchant. Just as his workshop is steadily taking shape, the system issues a warning: a devastating locust plague is about to sweep across the northern frontier. The supplies and grain seeds stored on Black Wind Mountain will become the only lifeline for the people of the region.