Chapter 131 Obtaining the Frozen Beehive
Shen Lingning took a deep breath. Even she, a girl who grew up in Shanghai and lived in Songtaogou in recent years, knew how dangerous this would be.
But she didn't bother to weigh the pros and cons!
This is her daughter's life!
Shen Lingning did not go in immediately. She carefully observed the traces around the cave entrance and confirmed that no large wild animals should have entered or left recently.
Then he took out a military flashlight from the side pocket of his backpack, put it in his mouth, checked the dagger tied to his leg, took a deep breath, bent down and crawled in carefully avoiding the moss and broken ice.
The cave is very narrow at first, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
After walking a few dozen steps, the ground became slippery and the air was filled with a cold, damp smell of earth and minerals.
The flashlight beam swayed in front, illuminating only a limited area. The surroundings were dark rocks, and occasionally the sound of dripping water echoed in the empty cave, making the silence and mystery even more apparent.
If it were an ordinary person, he would have been terrified long ago, but Shen Lingning was thinking about his daughter, and he actually had a huge courage and moved forward step by step.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a faint light came from the front and a cold wind blew.
Shen Lingning perked up and quickened his pace. The exit was actually in the middle of the other side of the mountain wall, blocked by some vines and dead branches.
She pushed aside the obstacles, and the scene before her suddenly became clear!
This is a deep valley surrounded by mountains!
The temperature in the valley seems to be slightly higher than outside. Although it is still cold, many plants remain green. There are even some small flowers that should not bloom in this season dotted along the stream at the bottom of the valley.
The valley is open, with a thin mist in the distance. Some collapsed stone tablets and dilapidated foundations of stone houses can be vaguely seen, as if telling the history that people once lived here.
There was a strange mixed aroma in the air, like the scent of many herbs intertwined together.
Is this the secret "Medicine King Valley" that Mr. Chen mentioned?
It is indeed a strange place isolated from the world!
Shen Lingning didn't have time to marvel, she kept the purpose of this trip in mind.
honeycomb!
Mr. Chen said that the "Dripping Rock Bee" likes to build its hive on cliffs that drip water all year round and are cold and humid.
She carefully observed the cliffs on both sides of the valley and soon locked onto a towering cliff on the shady side of the valley, with wet water marks on it and covered with moss.
She approached the bottom of the cliff cautiously and looked up carefully.
Sure enough! In the upper middle of the cliff, near a sunken rock crevice with water constantly seeping out, there was a gray-brown, irregularly shaped beehive larger than a washbasin!
Because of the cold weather, the surface of the beehive seems to be covered with a thin layer of frost. It is silent and there is no sign of bee activity. It is exactly what Mr. Chen called a "frozen nest"!
Found it!
Shen Lingning was filled with ecstasy!
She didn't expect it to go so smoothly.
But then came a huge challenge: the beehive was at least ten meters above the ground, the cliff was slippery and covered with moss, and there were almost no handholds for climbing! How to get up?
Shen Lingning didn't act rashly. She put down her backpack and walked around the bottom of the cliff, looking for the best climbing route, while her brain was working rapidly.
Climbing directly is too dangerous and the success rate is extremely low.
Casting with a rope?
There are no reliable big trees or rocks to fix on the cliff top.
Chisel with an ice pick?
The noise was too loud, the cliff rocks were hard, and the efficiency was too low.
Space can hide her, but it can't send her to the top of a cliff...
She carefully observed the cliff directly below the hive and found a slightly raised rock platform. Although it was small, it might be enough for a person to stand.
A plan gradually took shape in her mind.
She pulled a sturdy climbing rope from her backpack and carefully checked its length and load capacity.
Then, instead of climbing directly from the bottom, she chose a relatively easier place on the side. Using an ice axe and rock cracks, she climbed hard to a narrow foothold about two or three meters above the small platform.
This process was extremely physically demanding. The cold rocks made her fingers numb, and she slipped several times, breaking out in cold sweats.
But she gritted her teeth and persevered.
After stabilizing her body, she tied one end of the rope firmly around her waist and tied a noose on the other end. Then she carefully lowered the rope, trying to use the noose to loop around the small raised platform.
Once, twice...the mountain wind disturbed the noose and it always flew away.
My arms were sore and shaking from the continuous exertion, and my fingers were a little out of control.
Shen Lingning gasped, forced himself to calm down, estimated the wind speed, and tried again...Finally!
The noose accurately caught the protruding rock!
She carefully tightened the noose, and after making sure it was securely fixed, she slowly shifted her body's center of gravity over. With the help of the rope, she landed carefully on the narrow platform that could only accommodate her feet, like swinging on a swing!
Now, she was only inches away from the huge beehive!
You can even smell the faint scent of honey and wax from the honeycomb.
The frozen bees were silent.
She steadied her breath and took out a specially prepared large thick canvas bag and a sharp military dagger from the side pocket of her backpack.
Shen Lingning's hands froze in mid-air, his heart beating wildly in his chest.
That reflection in the cracks is definitely not natural! How could there be man-made objects near the beehive on this rarely visited cliff?
Her strong sense of vigilance made her immediately restrain all her movements. She clung to the cold rock wall like a gecko, trying to minimize her presence.
She held her breath, carefully turned her head, and tried her best to look towards the crevice.
The light was dim, but she could vaguely make out that it seemed to be a... metal edge?
Like a part of some tool?
She waited patiently for a few minutes. There was no movement inside or outside the crevice, only the whimpering sound of the cold wind blowing across the cliff.
We can’t wait any longer, Fubao can’t wait.
Shen Lingning made up his mind and decided to take a risk.
With swift movements, she slashed with her sharp military knife, precisely severing the main root connecting the hive to the rock wall. The heavy, frost-covered hive sank suddenly, caught by her pre-prepared thick canvas bag. She quickly tied the bag shut, the whole process clean and efficient, with only a few gentle "snaps."
Finally got it!
She carefully secured the heavy honeycomb to her backpack and was about to return the same way she had come when a strong sense of curiosity and uneasiness drove her to take another look at the crevice.
She gritted her teeth and carefully used her dagger to widen her view of the gap.
I see it clearly this time!
There was no single tool inside, but a long, well-hidden object wrapped in oilcloth. The metallic reflection came from the edge of a strange shovel head sticking out from one end of the package!
The shovel head has a very special shape, like a semi-cylinder, with sharp edges.
There seemed to be a few small items scattered around, also wrapped in oilcloth, which looked somewhat like antiques.
This is definitely not a place where ordinary mountain people would hide things!
And it’s hidden so secretly!
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