Through the Jungle in the Rain

“Are you going with me?”

Ning Shu said earnestly, “Let me tell you, I dream about you every day, I can't let you run around recklessly anymore, I have to keep an eye on you!”

Lu Zhe thought about it and felt that having someone by his side to keep watch, lend a hand, and help with anything would not be bad.

But there couldn't be too many people, in case something dangerous happened and they couldn't all be taken care of.

“Alright! This time just me and the monitor is enough, the others can stay in the cave, use candles for fuel, play around, if they have free time continue digging the cave. We better not go anywhere before the two of us come back!”

Shen Bing nodded: “Don’t worry, with this heavy rain we can’t go anywhere anyway! But the rain is too heavy now, I think we should wait for it to lighten up a bit before leaving!”

Lu Zhe nodded: “That works, let’s get prepared in the meantime!”

Then he also changed into a swimsuit and swim trunks.

To prevent lightning strikes, he did not bring any guns or knives, only a backpack, empty bottles, and after thinking about it, swimming goggles, a plastic breathing tube for airplane oxygen supply, and a snap bowl.

In addition, some ropes and a 1.5 meter long bamboo stick.

He used a Type 30 Bayonet to whittle one end of the bamboo stick into a very sharp point for self-defense.

Using palm and banana leaves, he and Ning Shu each handmade a raincoat.

After another two hours, the heavy rain finally subsided a bit.

Lu Zhe looked at his watch: “Can’t wait any longer.”

As soon as they stepped out of the cave entrance, despite wearing the so-called “raincoats”, their bodies were instantly drenched by the rain.

The purpose of these “raincoats” was to prevent rainwater from pouring directly onto their heads and bodies, as that would cause discomfort.

Outside the cave, they saw the twisting crocodiles again.

Sure enough, the special binding gave them a special kind of pleasure, and they were eagerly displaying their vibrant vitality.

Walking forward a few steps, not far away in a water pit coiled the big python that had swallowed the cobblestone.

Its body was sunk in the water, with its neck stretched straight to keep its head above the water surface, vomiting desperately as if fighting for its life, which gave Lu Zhe a sense of awe and poignancy.

Ning Shu shouted, “It looks quite miserable!”

Seeing this sight, Lu Zhe also felt compassion.

He thought for a bit and said, “Yeah! Let's hurry to the hot springs, see if the sweet potatoes are okay, then rush back. I can’t bear to see it suffer like this either, let’s end its misery when we get back!”

“How to end it?”

Lu Zhe contemplated: “Beheading probably would be less painful!”

“It would be grateful to you.”

The wind still roared fiercely and the rain still poured heavily. Everywhere was filled with whirring and rumbling sounds. Even standing close together, Lu Zhe and Ning Shu had to shout to communicate.

In fact, Lu Zhe could hear her just fine. He just felt that instantly reacting as if he could hear very clearly would be disrespectful to Ning Shu who was shouting her throat out.

Besides, shouting like this was quite amusing.

“Entering the jungle in heavy rain is very dangerous, you have to stick close to me at all times!”

“Isn’t that a no-brainer! Do you think I’d dare wander off?”

“Alright then!”

The two held hands and entered the jungle!

Only now did Ning Shu understand why one couldn't enter the jungle in heavy rain!

To be frank, the dense foliage blocked a lot of rain from falling directly, with much of the rainwater flowing down along tree trunks and branches.

But there were streams of water everywhere, and the occasional leaf cup filled with water would suddenly flip over when unable to hold the weight, as if pouring a bucket of water directly onto your head!

But these were all trivial matters!

None of them could cause fatal harm to the body!

The crux of the problem was the water on the ground!

The water converging from higher elevations into streams and streams rushing down the mountain!

It was almost one stream every three steps, one river every five steps. Some temporary mountain streams even carried gravel and mud, similar to mudflows.

The key was they kept changing course. One would carefully find a relatively steady spot, only for a huge wave of water to suddenly surge over, far more thrilling than manmade waves.

In this situation, the slightest inattentiveness could result in being washed away!

To avoid this, Lu Zhe took out the red rope again.

“You can't be serious?”

“If you don't want to be washed away, let me tie you up obediently!”

“Are we finally going to take it to this point?”

“What point? Do you understand survival or not?!”

“Alright alright, anyway we’re one man and one woman, and I don’t have your strength, do as you please.”

Lu Zhe mulled over Ning Shu's words, feeling there was some special deeper meaning!

He should play along!

After finishing tying her up, he unabashedly planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Is it coming?”

“Enough, my goddess monitor. Don't think indecent thoughts, this is just safer so you won't be washed away!”

Ning Shu looked at herself, “This looks so weird!”

“You have clothes on, what’s weird, looks perfectly normal!”

Lu Zhe said insincerely, taking Ning Shu's hand, “Follow me!”

He tied safety ropes along the densely rooted trees, then in the streams sought steady boulders and protruding tree roots to slowly lead Ning Shu forward.

A trip that normally took a dozen minutes took almost an hour to reach the creek!

This creek was different from the others.

Even when it didn't rain it was a mountain stream, and it was because of this stream that Lu Zhe decided to move from the bear cave here.

But now, the originally small creek had formed a turbulent, surging torrent under the storm!

The roaring waters thundered deafeningly, ceaselessly scouring the land. The small animals that normally lived here fled as far away as they could when they heard this sound!

To reach the hot spring cave, one had to ford this raging current!

Judging by the current’s speed, forcibly wading across was tantamount to suicide.

Forget about people, even if one drove a Haomazu, one still wouldn't dare try to cross such rapids!

“What now, Lu Zhe?”

Lu Zhe nodded, “Can you swim?”

“I can swim, but I can't surf! And I don't have Sun Wukong’s courage to leap through the waterfall veil into the Water Curtain Cave.”

“Who told you to leap through a waterfall veil!” Lu Zhe pointed at the lake downstream not far away.

At this time, large amounts of mountain streams poured into the lake, then surged out again from the southern bank of the lake, forming a new river flowing towards the distant shoals.

“Although the mountain stream is turbulent, the lake surface is relatively calm except for the heavy rain. We can swim across the lake to bypass the mouth of the mountain stream, then get ashore on the other side.”

Ning Shu nodded: “Not bad, the great survival expert does have good ideas!”

“Alright!”

The two staggered to the lakeshore.

The pouring rain raised a layer of spray over the lake surface, making Ning Shu somewhat worried, “Even if our heads are above water, how can we be sure we can breathe freely on the surface?”

“Definitely not, but trust me I have a way! Put on your goggles!”

“Oh!”

“Ready?”

“Always ready!”

“We are the marooned children's brigade!”

“The masters of the deserted island!”

“Must be us!”

“Tik tok tik...hey hey hey...”

Before Ning Shu could finish singing, Lu Zhe grabbed her and together they jumped into the water!

The water surface was filled with the deafening roar of torrents, but underwater it was another world!

Instead, bubbles gurgled around the ears. The muffled and oppressive feeling made Ning Shu feel as if she were about to suffocate.