Chapter 405: Stone Shadow: The Nest (Part 1)

I was very resistant to recalling the Queen Mother of the West's final experiences; there was a physical aversion. So as soon as I connected the scene before me with those previous ones, I suddenly felt that this cliff face had become hideous. The bluish-black stones and the holes in them made the entire mountain look like the rotten, perforated corpse of a giant beast, with green moss like pus and fungi on the carcass. I hadn't felt this way at all before. Fortunately, it was only for a moment; Xiao Hua's Sichuan guy interrupted my dark thoughts. A few locals unloaded all the ropes from the mules, and under the Sichuan guy's guidance, they tied the ropes to rock climbing anchors—small devices that could be inserted into rock crevices and lock instantly.

We had a complete set of climbing gear: harnesses, descenders, locking carabiners, slings, helmets, climbing shoes, chalk and chalk bags. The world's first climbing association was from the Soviet Union, but all these items were made in Switzerland. They looked very reassuring.

However, Xiao Hua didn't strictly follow the rules. He took off his jacket, dragged the rope and hooked it around his waist, and started free climbing in just a vest. He was very thin with no obvious muscles, but for some reason, he climbed the cliff like an acrobat, doing moves I couldn't even imagine. For example, hanging by one hand from a protruding rock, using the strength of his waist to swing his foot far onto a tree, hooking the tree with the top of his foot, then letting go and swinging his entire body upside down. If he couldn't reach the rock protrusions above, he would quickly flip over on the cliff, hooking with his instep while head-down, then instantly flip upward with force. He did it with not just efficiency but also a special kind of grace.

What was most astonishing was his speed. I truly understood what was meant by "flying over eaves and walking on walls." Except for particularly difficult sections, his entire climb was extremely fast, even faster than walking. But even so, it took him nearly four hours to reach the top. When he got to the high part, I could barely see his position. It wasn't until he threw down a rope that they confirmed he had reached the summit.

Everyone below clapped sincerely. I couldn't help but show admiration, thinking to myself, "When this guy studied opera, he must have also learned Journey to the West."

Using the rope he had taken up, we hoisted all the equipment up with a pulley. Seven ropes were dropped down from above, forming seven auxiliary climbing "ladders." I didn't know exactly what those ropes were for, but thinking of Xiao Hua's skill, I suddenly realized these ropes might be prepared for me.

I didn't feel any shame, only fear. If it was just climbing up and staying there, maybe I could accept it. But if I had to constantly shuttle among these ropes, damn, I really couldn't guarantee I could hold on that long without falling to my death.

Afterwards, a few guys from Sichuan set up the so-called "nest." It was made of steel bars, something like a claw. The claw could hold a sleeping bag, and the sleeping bag and the many attachment rings on the claw were connected to the cliff using six metal rings.

I understood the definition of "nest." This thing was a place for us to sleep on the cliff. Indeed, it could only be called a nest.

Xiao Hua's guy told me that this was invented by Finns. It was a device used by bird photographers to film a species of eagle that lived on cliffs, making them very hard to observe. They made this claw, and using this sleeping bag, you could live on the cliff without setting foot on the ground for months. There were too many caves on the cliff face; for us to search them all would take at least a week or two. And this cliff was too high; for an ordinary person to climb up might take an entire day, so we had to stay up there.

The nest would be placed at the top of the cliff, where there was more sunlight, less moss, and no dampness. The final step was to hoist me up.

I had some climbing experience, so I didn't embarrass myself too much this time. But when I reached the middle of the cliff and looked down, all I saw was a green canopy of trees. I felt a bit dazed, remembered the fault line at the edge of the Snake Swamp, and many things flashed through my mind. I couldn't help but marvel at my own change. In the past, arriving at such a place would have made my legs weak, but now I could be so calm.

By the time we reached the top of the cliff, the sun was already setting. It was the true summit, with almost no place to stand. It was covered with low trees and shrubs. Under the dim yellow light of the setting sun, the distant, majestic yet gentle snow-capped mountains became mysterious, while a wispy white mist swirled around the surrounding sheer cliffs and valleys. In the twilight, the shadowy parts of the mountains were already pitch black. The cooking smoke from a distant mountain village, combined with all this, created a surreal and eerie atmosphere.

Xiao Hua sat on a rock, his feet dangling in the air over the abyss below. He looked at the snow-capped mountains, his eyes filled with a profoundly solemn expression.