Down the Mountain to the Heart of the Island

Lu Zhe believed that since they relied on the creek, it should be easy to come across some animals drinking water.

He searched along the creek downhill, listening intently and observing carefully. Soon, he caught a pungent stench.

Following the smell, he found a few peanut-sized animal droppings under a clump of trees.

Since the stench was faint, mixed with a subtle herbal fragrance, Lu Zhe guessed they probably belonged to some small herbivorous animal.

As he picked one up, information about mouse deer flashed in his mind.

He was overjoyed!

He rolled it open. It was still fresh!

That meant the little creature was not far!

It looked like he had found dinner for tonight.

Then, he took out his slingshot from behind.

He crouched low and crept forward carefully, afraid to startle the precious protein in the woods.

Parting some leaves, he indeed saw two fawn-sized mouse deer frolicking by the creek.

They moved nimbly and adeptly, occasionally surveying their surroundings, appearing extremely alert and cautious.

Lu Zhe dared not get too close.

When one bent down to drink, he pinched out a pebble and took aim!

Hopefully he would not miss this time and strike true with one shot!

"Whoosh!"

The pebble still veered slightly off course. The two mouse deer were startled, one leaping backwards and the other forwards.

This was a trait of herbivorous mammals. When faced with danger, they would instinctively flee in different directions to divide the predator's attention.

The one that jumped back quickly disappeared into the woods with rustling sounds.

The one that leapt forward actually plunged right into the creek and dove underwater.

When Lu Zhe walked over, he only saw the mouse deer poking its head out at him like a seal.

Lu Zhe understood that diving was a mouse deer's survival tactic, but it came at a great cost. Once its fur got drenched, it would be hampered for a long time.

Lu Zhe sighed, "You might have gotten away from other predators, but next life don't play this game with humans."

Then, Lu Zhe simply hauled it out and knocked it dead to gain an ability point.

Weighing it in his hands, it was barely over three pounds!

Could you believe this was the size of a fully-grown deer?

Just then, the sun had set. Lu Zhe completed his task and sauntered back to camp with the mouse deer.

By now, the two girls had chopped quite a bit of firewood and kindling. The bonfire crackled vigorously.

They were using the remaining ropes to weave a hammock, almost done.

Indeed, having flint greatly freed up manpower. He would have to make more when there was a chance.

Ning Shu saw Lu Zhe return: "Chief, you finally came back. You had us worried sick!"

"I am the Chosen One. How could those plebeians in the woods possibly pose a threat to me!"

Tang Xiaoguo said, "Can you guys stop with the classical Chinese already? Little Brother Zhe, what did you catch?"

"Deer!"

"Where is it, darling?"

Lu Zhe tossed the mouse deer on the ground.

Both girls gaped. "This is...a deer??"

Tang Xiaoguo examined it. "Lu Zhe, you didn't kidnap a newborn fawn, did you!"

Ning Shu smiled. "Are you sure this isn't a squirrel?"

"Tiny as it is compared to a squirrel, this is genuinely a deer. Just look at its hooves if you don't believe me. And let me tell you, this is a fully grown one."

The two girls inspected the hooves. "Damn, it really is!"

"This can't be some new species, right?"

"No, it's a mouse deer, also called chevrotain. It was once thought to be extinct but has been rediscovered in recent years. There isn't much meat on it. We still have some mushrooms left. Let's braise some mushrooms to eat."

"Sure, let's prepare it together."

They removed the head, skinned and disemboweled it. The three-pound mouse deer was left with only one and a half pounds of meat.

After washing it clean and dicing it, they cooked it with mushrooms.

They scooped the scum, added some chili peppers and lemongrass, and finally a pinch of Ning Shu's salt.

Soon a mouthwatering aroma drifted out.

They blew on a piece to cool it before popping it in their mouths. The rich flavor of meat filled their palates.

Lu Zhe believed that if deer meat were categorized into grades, this kind would certainly be top-tier.

No wonder the species was on the brink of extinction. Overhunting by humans likely played a role.

He wondered if the creature could be domesticated.

Just then, Ning Shu noticed something and her expression tightened abruptly. "Lu Zhe, look over there!"

Lu Zhe turned his head. Fifty meters behind him on a tree, a pair of glowing eyes peered at them intently.

It was that clouded leopard again.

Tang Xiaoguo felt the hairs on her nape stand up.

"Good gracious, that beast came back!"

"It's got its eyes set on us now, huh."

Lu Zhe pondered, "I guess the meat aroma attracted it over. Cooking makes the scent more intense but it's not actually suitable for them to eat."

Ning Shu said, "Still, having it stare at us like that sure makes me uneasy. Can we drive it off?"

"Simple. Watch me!"

Lu Zhe picked up a rock and got to his feet. He hurled it at the tree.

The rock banged loudly against the trunk, startling the clouded leopard. It nimbly leapt onto another tree and turned to flee.

"Don't worry. It's vicious but gutless."

"Didn't you say it was a man-eating leopard?"

Lu Zhe smiled candidly. "I was deliberately trying to scare you so you wouldn't fall sleep at night. But having just arrived in this place, someone still needs to be on watch tonight."

Ning Shu nodded. "That works out perfectly. There was only enough rope left to make one hammock, barely fitting two people. Why don't you two take it tonight while I stand guard?"

"Lack of rest could hamper our overall traveling speed. It'd be better to take shifts. " Lu Zhe checked his watch. "It's 7:30 PM now. Let's turn in at 8. First shift from 8 to 11:30 PM goes to our squad leader. I'll take the second watch from 11:30 PM to 3 AM. Xiaoguo will be on duty from 3 to 6:30 AM until morning. While one person keeps watch, the other two can sleep soundly. Any objections?"

Then, Lu Zhe and Tang Xiaoguo squeezed into the one hammock.

After a month of surviving together, the initial awkwardness between the genders had long vanished. Tang Xiaoguo nestled naturally into the crook of Lu Zhe's arm and fell soundly asleep.

The night passed peacefully.

July 15th, the 36th day stranded on the deserted island...

The three finished the leftover meat soup from last night and continued their journey.

Lu Zhe led them through the jungle all day until finally descending the mountain and arriving at the island's hinterland.

If they had kept walking in this direction, they would have reached their intended destination for building a new home.

But now, they had to make haste and circle back from the eastern beach to the ridge's reverse side to locate their companions in the bear cave, before transporting everything together over there.

By nightfall, they finally arrived at the long-absent beach. Just then, thunder rumbled.

It actually started pouring again.

Indeed, the July southwest monsoon had come to Southeast Asia, marking the advent of rainy season.