Eagle Beak Cliff

　　    On the western mountainside of the main peak of Tiandang Mountain, there juts out a cliff whose shape strikingly resembles a male eagle perched with wings folded, its head tilted westward. The dark-colored rock exudes an air of solemn intimidation. It sits directly opposite the summit of Micang Mountain. Eagle Beak Cliff has also become a mysterious scenic highlight of Tiandang Mountain. Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, in the battle between the Wei and Shu armies over food supplies, Cao Cao’s troops were defeated at Tiandang Mountain. In panic, they hastily transported provisions from Micang Mountain, where their grain was stored, down the mountain. Zhuge Liang dispatched Zhao Yun and the veteran general Huang Zhong to provide support, seize Micang Mountain, and set the Wei army's food supplies ablaze. Forced to lead his army in person, Cao Cao found his troops short on rations, exhausted, and trapped, leaving him no choice but to retreat to the area near Huangnigang to the east of Mian County. Tiandang Mountain gradually shifted from fierce warfare to post-battle tranquility. Under Zhuge Liang’s direction, the Shu army encouraged farming, helping people return to their homes, restore production, and recover from the war.

　　    The Tiandang Mountain region, having endured the ravages of war, was left barren, with starving people filling the roads. Someone speculated that food might have scattered across Micang Mountain, where Cao Cao’s troops had once stockpiled grain, due to the hasty retreat. A group was led up the mountain, but no grain was found—only a rugged, uneven terrain dotted with holes of varying depths from pecking. Disappointed, they returned. One night, several villagers living at the foot of Micang Mountain heard noises coming from the mountain, suspecting people were digging for food on the summit. Armed with bows, arrows, and shovels, they quietly ascended and hid within the woods to observe. In the barren center of the mountaintop, a dark shadow moved—it seemed human, yet not. The villagers broke out in cold sweat. Someone drew their bow and angrily shot an arrow. The shadow let out a cry, soared into the sky, and flew off in the shape of an eagle toward Tiandang Mountain in the northeast, disappearing halfway up the slope. The next day, people discovered a giant eagle-like form atop Tiandang Mountain, perched in the woods and gazing into the distance. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a massive rocky cliff. Some speculated about why the forest-covered Micang Mountain had bare soil at its summit: one theory suggested that during Cao Cao’s campaign to Hanzhong, his army’s grain got wet and swelled, and unsure how to deal with it, a clever local woman suggested turning the swollen rice into dough to make baked cakes. But to feed the large army quickly, and because baking took too long, she simply spread the rice paste in steamers and steamed it—thus inventing Hanzhong rice noodles. Learning from this mishap, Cao Cao, when storing grain on Micang Mountain, added lime—a desiccant—to prevent mold. This alkalized the soil, making it difficult for plants to grow again. Another theory claimed that after the war, humans and birds competed for food, and that the eagle had been shot and subsequently took revenge on Micang Mountain. These tales compel reflection: it was not the fault of man, nor the fault of the eagle, but rather the root of war. Without war, there is peace, and only then can humans and nature coexist harmoniously.