Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Descending the Mountain Chapter 358: Chapter 358: Descending the Mountain Bai Xiao and Liu Yun supported the stretcher, their faces somber and silent. The checkpoints they passed along the way were a matter of life and death. They couldn’t afford any mistakes—not just for their own lives but for others’ as well.
The injured man on the stretcher was covered with a raincoat. In this weather, a heavy rain could come at any moment, sudden as it was quick, faster than a child’s changing face.
Every inch of the ground beneath their feet was like a man-eating monster. Everyone walked carefully; many mountain paths were barely paths at all. Like the steep downhill slope they were navigating then, without a real path, the two comrades at the front had to carry the stretcher on their shoulders, while the two at the back nearly crouched down—those in the middle not only shielded the injured man on the stretcher but also helped stabilize it both front and back. If the balance was off, they had to coordinate quickly or risk a disaster.
Bai Xiao hardly noticed the stinging cuts on her face from the roadside weeds, sharp as knives. They should have covered a three-hour distance, yet it took them nearly four. By dawn, they finally retreated to the camp below.
When the teammates met them and took over the stretcher, they almost collapsed to the ground exhausted. It’s essential to note that carrying a stretcher required the combined strength of several people and cooperation, which was utterly different from carrying an injured person alone, which would have been much easier.
The two injured were quickly loaded onto a vehicle and sent to a hospital further back, as the local conditions were unsuitable for surgery. Bai Xiao and her team stayed at the camp, where ten medical personnel were housed in the safest part of the valley, which was surrounded by steep mountains acting as natural barriers, while other camps were situated on either side of the cliff. Behind them was a village where local villagers lived—they were born and bred there and had never left this piece of land in their entire lives.
Despite the disarray caused by enemy forces, these villagers still couldn’t bear to leave their homes.
When Bai Xiao and Liu Yun returned to the camp, they almost immediately fell asleep, utterly exhausted after two days of ordeal.
They had been at the border for less than a week, but it felt like a year had passed.
Especially the difficult task of crossing rugged mountains made them realize this was the real battlefield.
In her dreams, Bai Xiao saw An Zhiyuan smiling at her, bright as the spring blooms in February, embracing her warmly, lifting her high up while they held each other’s gaze, each reflected in the other’s eyes.
Awakening from her sleep, Bai Xiao joined the ranks of those nursing the injured. Many of the injured could not be moved to hospitals further back except those in exceptionally grave condition and were treated locally in makeshift medical facilities.
They had a constant stream of injured to care for, which was significant as they were responsible for the logistical support of all the injured from five different positions.
The task was daunting.
Just the daily cleaning of wounds and the necessary gauze for disinfection were part of their duties. Supplies such as medicines and gauze might only arrive once a month, bundled with food and weapons, which meant they had to conserve as much as possible. Reusing gauze was common, and disinfection followed by drying in the sun was their only method.