Cruel Heart

It was only when we actually started climbing that we realized how difficult it was. Although we had left our large backpacks in a pile, trusting they wouldn’t be taken by animals in such a short time, everyone was soon drenched in sweat after climbing less than 50 meters.
Here, climbing this mountain is nothing like hiking at a tourist spot like Huangshan or Huashan. No matter how high the mountains or how perilous the paths, those places still have human-made trails with steps for easy climbing. However, climbing Mount Yuangong is akin to rock climbing. Earlier in the journey, the girls were quite mindful of their appearance, avoiding mud puddles and frowning if their clothes got dirty. But now, in some places, they have to crawl through, almost belly-crawling, and being careful is all they can do to keep their clothes from tearing, let alone staying clean. Fortunately, everyone came prepared, wearing cheap, durable clothing. Liang Yingwu had actually prepared camouflage uniforms for everyone, but due to opposition from the girls (they found them too thick and ugly), he didn’t enforce it. Now, with clothes and pants torn, some might have to wear the camouflage uniforms. I grabbed a small tree with my left hand and tested the grip on a protruding rock with my right a couple of times to ensure it could hold my weight before pulling myself up over the steep section quite nimbly. Ahead, Lu Yun and Liang Yingwu were waving, indicating that the path would be easier from here on. Occasionally, there were screams, mostly from the girls. Without needing to look closely, I knew why; I had to push aside or use some thick branches on my way up. Shennongjia is a paradise for wildlife, where not only the plants are robust and odd-looking, but the insects too. Sometimes, when you move a rock, you might see a foot-long centipede slither out; shake some waist-high grass, and a few black shadows would rise with a shrill buzzing. Thankfully, everyone had applied a local repellent ointment, dark and with an odd smell, possibly containing ground snake and insect parts, which kept most pests at bay when applied to hands, feet, face, and neck. However, if attacked despite these measures, it was likely venomous, necessitating immediate emergency action.