Chapter 332 The Road is Made by People
Bai Ling folded the map neatly and stuffed it back into his tactical bag, his eyes sweeping across every nervous face present.
His voice was low, but every word was resounding. "The beast path is definitely not easy to walk on, but it's better than facing those debris flows that may collapse again at any time."
"The gullies carved out by the stream at least have a stable direction, and there's solid bedrock underneath. It's worth a gamble!"
Bai Ling quickly turned to a sturdy young man beside him and said, "Ah Le, you take the lead. Follow me and explore the road ahead fifty meters to understand the road conditions and assess the risks. Everyone else—"
His voice suddenly rose. "Establish a defense line on the spot and remain vigilant. No one can get hurt!"
"I'll go with you."
Xia Lili took a step forward and stood beside Bai Ling.
The night made her figure look petite among the tall rescue team members, but she was as firm as turquoise.
Xia Lili looked at Bai Ling: "Captain Bai. My night vision is an advantage."
"They are also more sensitive to the ups and downs of the ground and loose rocks, and can detect danger in advance."
Bai Ling gave Xia Lili a deep look, and without much hesitation, he nodded heavily and warned her, "The journey will be very difficult."
Xia Lili shook her head: "It's okay."
Without any unnecessary talk, the three of them quickly formed a reconnaissance team and walked cautiously down the slope along the broken branches, leaves and mud prints left by the wild boar's charge.
Less than ten meters into the depths, the first obstacle suddenly appeared before our eyes.
A huge fir tree was knocked down by the mudslide. Its trunk was thick and its branches were twisted and intertwined in a hideous way, completely blocking the already narrow ditch.
"I'll lift the trunk," Bai Ling squatted down without hesitation and clasped his arms around the wet and rough trunk.
"Ah Le, use your machete to clear these thin branches on the left to create space. Advisor Xia, please keep an eye on your surroundings and listen for any unusual sounds or movements."
"I understand." Xia Lili responded, but she did not just stand there.
Just as Bai Ling was trying to lift one end of the tree trunk, she quickly stepped forward and leaned over on the opposite side of him, holding the bottom of the trunk firmly with both hands.
"One, two, three—up!"
Bai Ling let out a low growl, a vein etched slightly on his forehead. To his surprise, Xia Lili, despite her thin frame, possessed considerable strength in her arms. Together, they lifted the tree trunk a palm's height.
Ah Le took the opportunity to swiftly swing his knife and cut off many of the branches.
Dirt and bark debris kept falling, leaving several black marks on Xia Lili's cheeks, making her look like a "little cat". However, she didn't care at all. Instead, she adjusted her gestures and exerted more force: "Lift it a little more! I can clean up some more on the right side!"
After nearly ten minutes of concerted efforts, pushing, chopping, and dragging, they finally cleared a narrow gap in this natural obstacle that was just enough for one person to bend over and pass through.
The three of them looked at each other. Although their faces were covered with mud and sweat, their eyes were brighter and more determined than before.
Before they had gone far, the second obstacle suddenly appeared before them.
A nearly vertical, slippery slope, shimmering with muddy light in the darkness.
The slope was covered with a thick layer of loose gravel and sticky mud, making it almost impossible to find a reliable foothold.
Xia Lili reacted incredibly quickly. The moment she missed her step, she reached out and grabbed hold of an old tree root stubbornly poking out from a crevice, quickly stabilizing herself. Half her body pressed against the slope, she immediately turned back and shouted, "One by one! Hold on to me!"
Bai Ling's heart was lifted: "Slow down, don't rush!"
Xia Lili was the first to put her left foot between the mud and rocks, tentatively stepped on it, and then stretched out her left hand.
Bai Ling was below her, struggling to hold up A Le's right foot, helping him find a stable footing amidst the constantly sliding gravel.
A Le gritted his teeth and moved down little by little with the help of the captain and Xia Lili's arm.
"Right, Ah Le, move your right foot half a foot to the right. There's a rock stuck there!"
"Captain, there are vines on your left that you can use to gain leverage!"
The three of them echoed and supported each other, taking every step with extreme caution.
Mud and water splashed all over their trouser legs and arms, and their breathing was heavy due to tension and exertion, but no one panicked.
After several minutes of difficult cooperation, they finally reached the bottom of the slope safely one by one. When they looked at each other, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, even though they were in a mess.
Before they could even catch their breath, the three of them had only walked forward for a short while when they discovered that the area ahead was completely buried by a large area of collapsed earth and rocks, leaving only a narrow gap between the bottom and the rock wall, from which water was constantly seeping out and mud was gurgling.
A Le volunteered to try first, but he got stuck in the middle just halfway through, and was in a dilemma.
Xia Lili quickly leaned over to observe, and soon discovered the key with her excellent observation skills: "Ah Le, look at the rock wall above you to the right. There is a clear bulge! Push there with your right foot, then turn around and tighten your abdomen. Go slowly and don't overdo it!"
Bai Ling immediately used his hands to support A Le's shoulders and backpack from the outside to provide stable support.
Xia Lili half-knelt in the mud, using a flashlight to illuminate the best path for him, while continuing to give clear and calm instructions: "Lower your left shoulder half an inch... OK, now slowly pull your left leg out..."
With the cooperation of the two inside and outside, Ale finally got through the narrowest area without any danger.
Xia Lili did not hesitate and quickly slipped sideways through the gap. Her movements were swift and steady, showing her good ability to adapt to the environment.
After passing through, she immediately turned around and handed the long branch in her hand to Bai Ling who was still at the other end: "Captain, hold on to this branch, I will help you guide the way."
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the three of them came upon a rocky beach washed away by a torrent. Stones of varying sizes were slippery and unstable, scattered and piled in the rushing water, and the sound of rushing water was incessant.
The three of them had to move forward slowly in a human chain: Bai Ling led the way, carefully testing the stability of each stone.
Xia Lili was in the middle, constantly whispering signals like "third from the left is OK" and "second from the right, be careful and loosen up."
A Le was the rear guard, supporting the front while keeping an eye on the movements behind him.
Every step was like walking on thin ice, but in the darkness there were only clear instructions and steady responses. The three of them cooperated well without any panic.
Bai Ling and A Le are old partners, but they were both very surprised by Xia Lili's outstanding performance. They now admired this airborne consultant very much.
When they finally stepped over the last shaky stone, the view suddenly became clear.
A mountain stream embedded deep in the valley meanders down, the water is crystal clear and you can see the bottom. Although there are gravel and broken branches everywhere, the passage is not completely blocked.
Xia Lili, with her excellent eyesight, was the first to spot the faint outline of a road in the distance through the gaps in the trees. "That should be the main road," she said, pointing in the direction. "It's not far, but there's no existing road in between."
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