Up the Ridge

Luo Jun glanced up and down at Li Shi, understanding what she meant.

"Find a rock to squat on, but not in the weeds, so you don't get poked."

Li Shi blushed and walked over, holding her stomach, and squatted on a rock for convenience. Luo Jun sat nearby, taking a rest.

After a while, a scream came from Li Shi's direction.

Luo Jun thought she had fallen, so he quickly rushed over. To his surprise, Li Shi was still squatting there. When Li Shi saw Luo Jun, she screamed again.

"Hey, can you stop yelling!"

Luo Jun hurriedly shouted, and Li Shi quickly said, "There's no tissue! And don't look!"

Luo Jun shook his head and took out a dagger, cutting a small branch from a nearby tree. He flattened the branch and threw it directly in front of Li Shi, about a meter away. Li Shi looked at the flattened stick with confusion.

"What's this for?"

"You can either wipe with your hand or scrape with the stick, don't make a fuss."

Li Shi looked embarrassedly at the stick. A few days ago, there was still water to wash with, but now she had to scrape with a stick?

The thought of that scene gave Li Shi goosebumps. She felt like she had become uncivilized, like a wild person who lived off the land.

"No, I refuse to use a stick!"

Li Shi refused stubbornly and looked around. She found some leaves nearby and reached out to carefully wipe herself.

Luo Jun didn't have time to see what she was doing.

Before long, Li Shi's cries came again. Luo Jun emerged from behind the bushes, not looking at her but at something else, and asked.

"What happened now?"

"My leaf tore! There's hair on this leaf! Ah, I'm going crazy!"

Only then did Luo Jun look over and see that the leaves she picked had fine hair on them. He couldn't help but shake his head. "It serves you right. Don't get up, if you get those plant hairs on your pants, you'll be in trouble!"

Luo Jun ignored her and walked straight over.

He took out a bamboo tube from his pocket, which was Li Shi's own drinking water.

"I'll pour it for you, you wash it yourself. Otherwise, if you finish all this water, today's trip will be in vain."

Li Shi felt embarrassed but had no choice.

She had to give in to Luo Jun.

After she cleaned up, they continued on the journey. Every now and then, she would still smell her fingertips, with a bitter expression on her face.

Luo Jun couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"You brought this upon yourself. I told you not to listen. Just wash in the stream when the time comes, isn't that enough?"

"We don't even know exactly when it will come. Won't the pants get dirty? We don't have so many pants to change. It's just frustrating," Li Shi complained.

"You, little girl. When you first came with me, I thought you were quite diligent, but I didn't expect your princess-like behavior to show up now," Luo Jun wondered if he had mistaken her.

"I... I'm not afraid of hard work. It's just that these living conditions are so unbearable. It feels like we've lost our dignity," Li Shi expressed her discomfort.

Luo Jun sighed, "Dignity is not obtained through these things. In war-torn areas, it's already a blessing for children to survive. Girls your age would have already married or been forced by some beast, giving birth to two or three children without knowing their fathers. We're on a deserted island now, so you shouldn't worry so much. If we encounter armed groups, they would immediately capture women like you and take them to their camps for humiliation. Only then will you truly understand what it means to have no dignity."

Luo Jun's words made Li Shi realize her princess-like behavior.

She had only thought she could endure hardships, but most of the time, Luo Jun was the one taking care of her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have it so easy.

"I know I was wrong, and I'll adapt," Li Shi said.

Luo Jun reached out and pinched her cute nose.

"Uncle, have you fought in many battles?" Li Shi had never come into contact with anyone who had been in a war, apart from Luo Jun. She was curious and asked.

Luo Jun fell silent for a moment.

"War is not something fun. It's a hell on earth. Many people who return from there no longer live like humans, nor do they resemble ghosts," Luo Jun said with a low and helpless voice.

"What about you? Do you have any psychological problems?" Li Shi asked directly, raising such a sensitive question. Luo Jun only glanced at her and didn't get angry at her ignorance.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen a psychologist," Luo Jun said, quickening his pace. Li Shi looked at his tall figure and thought about that day during the evacuation when Luo Jun seemed like a different person. She probably understood some of it.

Perhaps he only transforms into a beast when the crisis approaches.

As they continued north, the surrounding trees and weeds gradually decreased.

This was a characteristic of high mountainous areas; the higher the peak, the fewer trees there were. Some alpine grass would appear, and the shrubs visible from the foot of the mountain would disappear at a noticeable speed.

After two and a half hours, Luo Jun and Li Shi finally reached the mountain ridge, and an open expanse lay before them.

In front of them were endless hills and forests, while their current location was on the slope of a mountain resembling a reclining dragon. They had climbed up the southern slope of this mountain, and now that they had reached the ridge, they had the opportunity to feel the northern breeze.

The northern air was even colder. Although the two of them were sweating from the climb, they still felt a stinging sensation on their skin when the wind blew.

The two stood there for more than a minute, gazing at the distant forest edge shrouded in clouds.

"Oh my god, is this still an island? Why can't we see the edge?" Li Shi exclaimed, looking at the forest in the distance. Luo Jun was also shocked. He followed the mountain ridge and looked towards the mountain top.

It would take at least three more hours to reach that position, but even standing at the mountaintop might not provide a clear view of the island.

Because it seemed that the island was perpetually covered in mist!

This reminded Luo Jun of the experience during the landing, with strange winds and thick fog. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why it was not easy for people to find this place.

However, without climbing to the mountaintop, one could still see the coastline from this location, looking south.

Due to the dense vegetation below the mountain, Luo Jun couldn't observe if there were any rivers or streams. To find a river, he would indeed have to seize the opportunity to climb this mountaintop.

Even though climbing to the mountaintop wouldn't reveal the complete appearance of the island, finding a river shouldn't be a problem.

On such a large island, there must be rivers on this high mountain.

Having a river meant not having to worry about going hungry in the future. Hunting in winter wouldn't be an easy task, so finding a river was of utmost importance.

Furthermore, to avoid the armed forces, it was necessary to set up another shelter in case of emergencies, so there would be a place to take refuge.

The only thing that puzzled Luo Jun was where exactly those armed forces or indigenous people were hiding.