Strange Things in the Canopy

Lu Zhe caught another snake and earned another potential point. After eating the eyeglass snake the first time and the Burmese python the second time, the girls were not as afraid of snakes anymore.

"Oh, it's just a harmless little snake. Can I touch it?" Tang Xiaoguo asked curiously.

"Go ahead!" Lu Zhe straightened the snake's body. "Everyone can touch it a bit!"

Tang Xiaoguo poked the snake's belly with her finger. Every time she poked it, the snake would wiggle around uncomfortably.

"Huh, this is...a very strange feeling!"

Ning Shu also came over and grasped the snake's body with her hand. "Wow, it's quite thick and still moving. I can feel it pulsing strongly! How exciting!"

Lin Qianqian shook her head. "I still don't dare..."

Jiang Yao smiled. "What's there to be afraid of? Watch me!"

After saying that, she slipped her hand into Lu Zhe's shirt.

"Not bad abs."

Lu Zhe helplessly said: "Yao Yao, take your hand out. I'm telling you to touch the snake!"

Jiang Yao shrugged disdainfully. "Then I'm not interested!"

Shen Bing smiled. "I'll pass. Police academy taught me how to handle snakes already."

"Then why don't you handle this one?"

"Uh..." Shen Bing looked at the squirming snake and couldn't help but shiver. She smiled awkwardly, "I'm better at making fires actually. Speaking of which, we'll have to cook this thing well before eating it, right..."

Lu Zhe was nonchalant. "Sure, you make the fire and I'll handle the snake. The rest of you set up the hammocks."

Shen Bing moved next to Jiang Yao and whispered: "Hey honey, didn't you say it was so easy to start fires with condoms? Do you still have one? Let me borrow it."

Jiang Yao took out a condom and handed it over. "Here!"

After taking it, Shen Bing suddenly realized a new problem:

"To use this thing to start fires...it has to be filled with water, right?"

"Yeah, last time we filled them with seawater."

Shen Bing straightened her back and looked around. "Tsk, but we're quite far from the seaside here..."

"Oh right, what should we do then?"

"Maybe use the drinking water we have?"

"No way, we barely have enough fresh water. How could we waste it like this?"

"We'll pour it back into the bottle after lighting the fire!"

Jiang Yao hugged her belongings anxiously and nodded. "Okay, but don't use mine. I'm...a bit of a clean freak!"

Shen Bing imagined pouring the condom water back into the bottle for drinking later and felt very uneasy all over! What if Lu Zhe had used it with one of the girls? She would be drinking their fluids!

"What should we do then?"

She was the one who volunteered to start the fire. It would be too embarrassing if she couldn't produce a single spark while Lu Zhe had finished handling the snake.

She is a policewoman after all! Can't disappoint the people!

Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of a way! Yes, it had been used in some survival shows before!

"Hey Yao Yao, do you still need to pee?"

Jiang Yao shook her head. "I just went earlier! Wait...Sis Bing don't tell me you're going to..."

"Shhh!" She whispered, "There's no other way."

Then she hinted at the other girls, "Have they gone already?"

"Yeah they all went!"

Shen Bing was stunned. Could it be...she had to use her own then?

Oh well! It was nothing compared to survival!

Seeing no one was paying attention to her, she went behind a tree, undid her belt...

"What am I doing...whatever, it's nothing for the sake of survival!"

It was much more difficult for women to do this than men, but Shen Bing had stronger determination and willpower!

Soon, she was holding a slightly yellowish water ball in her hands!

Jiang Yao was shocked. "Sis Bing, isn't that going overboard..."

"Shh...don't tell the others!"

"Fine, but you're keeping that thing from now on!"

"Alright alright!"

Shen Bing found a spot with sunlight shining through and started making fire!

The transparency was a little lacking but she still managed to ignite the tinder.

This showed that even urine in a round bag could be used to start fires in the wilderness!

The fire was lit. Lu Zhe had finished handling the snake too. This time, he skewered bamboo sticks and threaded the snake meat onto them in segments before roasting over the fire. He sprinkled on some salt and chili powder!

This heavenly snake delicacy once again earned the unanimous approval of all the girls!

The girls were lying in hammocks, airing their little feet while eating spicy snake skewers and chatting happily away.

After eating their fill and resting for a good while, they packed up and needed to continue their journey!

Lu Zhe followed the initial path he had mapped out. But the thorns and vines grew denser and denser.

Just 2-3 kilometers took them 4-5 hours to traverse!

It was past noon when they finally reached the mountain base!

The mountainside was too steep. After circling most of the way, they still could not find a suitable place to ascend.

Seeing that nightfall was approaching, Lu Zhe suggested making camp there and starting a fire before sunset. They would look for an ascent point tomorrow!

Hearing the eerie howls of unknown creatures in the woods made everyone break out in goosebumps!

Needless to say, it would be exceptionally dangerous tonight. They must have someone stand guard!

And not just one person!

After discussing, everyone came to an agreement!

8pm to 11pm, Ning Shu and Tang Xiaoguo would stand guard.

11pm to 2am, Shen Bing and Jiang Yao would take over.

2am to dawn, Lu Zhe and Lin Qianqian would be on watch.

And so, something frightening really happened in the middle of the night!

Around 1am, Shen Bing and Jiang Yao were roasting themselves by the fire and chatting. Just then, they saw something unusual.

"Sis Bing, look over there!"

Ethereal moonlight filtered through the dense branches, casting mottled shadows on the canopy. Amidst the silhouettes, a human figure seemed to be lurking amongst the shadows of the trees!

Not just Jiang Yao, even Shen Bing was scared into a cold sweat!

"What is that!"

The others were awoken by the commotion. Lu Zhe asked, "What's going on?"

"There's...there's someone!"

How could there be someone this deep in the mountains?

"You're not seeing things, are you?"

"Where?"

Jiang Yao and Shen Bing pointed at the same time towards the air. Everyone looked in that direction simultaneously!

On a tree, a shadowy figure was plastered against the trunk. A passing breeze made its arms sway lightly, like a ghost, making everyone's scalp tingle uncomfortably!

"A ghost!" The girls shrieked in terror, huddling closer to Lu Zhe.

Lu Zhe also felt strange but he was a materialist - he didn't believe they would encounter supernatural events in the dead of night.

"What exactly is that thing?"

"It can't be a corpse, can it?"

Shen Bing pondered, "It looks like a puppet, look at how it sways when the wind blows it!"

Lu Zhe stared hard. Indeed it seemed not very heavy, its arms swaying left and right with the gentle breeze.

But when he looked up further, cold sweat still broke out.

Lu Zhe steadied his emotions before calmly saying, "Perhaps it really is a dead body."

"No way!"

The girls were scared out of their wits.

"Should we hurry up and leave this place?"

"Yes, every extra glance makes me feel awful all over!"

"I'm traumatized!"

"How can I even sleep, I'll definitely have nightmares!"

Lu Zhe thought for a bit. "We can't leave for now. There's still something important we must do!"

Shen Bing asked, "What...what are you going to do?"

"Get it down! First see what it actually is, then check its body for any usable supplies."

All five girls freaked out.

"Lu Zhe, calm down!"

"Yes, we already have plenty of supplies!"

"Everything we need!"

"No need to desecrate the dead!"