Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1642 - 1639: Freehand Climbing

Zhao Weitao’s reaction was quite normal; never mind that he’s just an amateur climber—even professional climbers wouldn’t find it easy facing a cliff over five hundred meters high.

Five hundred meters is just over a lap on a track, but when it comes to a cliff, the physical exertion is vastly different. A hundred meters is as high as over thirty floors, let alone five hundred meters.

"Take it easy. It’s not like I’m asking you to climb the highest one," Lin Tian laughed lightly.

Liu Yuansi took a device out of his backpack, adjusted it for a while, and then said, "The cliff is one hundred and twenty-six meters high. Judging by the angle and the rock’s growth condition, it’s suitable for climbing." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Outdoor climbing is quite complex. Influenced by the wall’s angle and rock texture, climbing routes can vary greatly, testing one’s technique and adaptability more than artificial walls do.

"Xuanxuan, assist me in changing into my battle gear," Lin Tian opened his arms and joked with a smile, showing no trace of pre-climb nervousness.

Changing into battle gear was shorthand for changing clothes. Xiao Manxuan gave him a hard stare, but to others, it appeared charming.

However, the little girl obediently walked up to Lin Tian and reached out to unbutton his shirt. Yet, with each button she undid, her heart would skip a beat, and her pretty face would flush with shades of pink. By the time she had removed Lin Tian’s shirt, her blush had spread to the roots of her ears.

Once Lin Tian’s shirt was off, it revealed his robust upper body, with healthy skin and perfect muscle lines. The muscles weren’t exaggerated, but every inch exuded a sense of strength.

Under the sunlight, his body glowed with a healthy sheen, and this perfect physique struck the hearts of the women present. They realized for the first time that they could look at a man without blinking.

But Zhao Weitao and Liu Yuansi were intensely jealous, especially when they saw the two female companions they brought staring at him with stars in their eyes. Their jealousy was about to explode.

"Ahem, let’s move on if you’ve had enough of a look," Lin Tian gently said to Xiao Manxuan, making the little girl’s face turn even redder, like an apple.

Xiao Manxuan quickly squatted down, opened the bag to look for clothes, trying to hide her blush. Once her heartbeat finally returned to normal, she slowly took out a set of clothes still in its packaging box.

After dressing Lin Tian, the little girl quietly heaved a sigh of relief, and Xiao Na, Xiao Ya, and He Xiaofei felt a sense of regret for no apparent reason when they saw he was dressed.

Lin Tian moved his body vigorously a few times and found that the clothes fit very well. These were the equipment Zhao Weitao provided. One had to admit, the equipment was quite professional. The fabric clung to the body but didn’t feel tight, making it very comfortable and not obstructing climbing movements—specialized climbing attire.

Of course, these clothes, plus a big bag of equipment, were certainly expensive. However, to force Lin Tian into a climbing competition, this expenditure was nothing to him, as he was a rich kid.

This time without Xiao Manxuan’s help, he found a pair of new shoes. They were formal climbing shoes, smaller than the regular shoe size. This design aimed to prevent the climber’s foot from sliding within the shoe. Many times, a little slip on the cliff can cost a climber their life.

As to how Zhao Weitao knew his shoe size, Lin Tian guessed Zhao probably asked their school teachers for it, as they had reported their clothing and shoe sizes to the school for military training uniforms.

Seeing Lin Tian ready, Zhao Weitao walked to the cliff and began to observe the cliff wall, which is one of the basic steps in rock climbing. Climbers observe the cliff to mentally plan a climbing route. Those who climb without preparing first will most likely get stuck on the wall.

Zhao Weitao observed for a full twenty minutes and only began donning his equipment—main rope, harness, carabiner, pitons, and impact drill—after running through the plan in his mind.

Once geared up, he noticed Lin Tian hadn’t made any moves. Neither was he studying the cliff route nor gearing up.

With a slightly provocative smile on his face, he said calmly, "What, scared? Thinking of backing out at the last minute?"

Lin Tian looked at him amusedly and said, "You’re young, and already blind? Which eye saw me backing out? I was just waiting for you to finish gearing up so we could start climbing."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Weitao furrowed his brow deeply; then he realized something, and his expression changed instantly, "You want to free climb!"

"You got it right this time, free climbing indeed. The gear hinders my performance," Lin Tian said casually, as if free climbing were the easiest thing in the world.

For him, it was indeed not a difficult task, but Zhao Weitao wouldn’t think so. He wasn’t pleased, sneering coldly, "If you’re seeking death, I won’t stop you. But don’t drag us down too!"

"Don’t worry, Xiaoyi and the others can testify that this is my decision alone, nothing to do with anyone else," Lin Tian said coldly.

"Brother Lin, don’t..." Qiao Xiaoyi tried to stop him. He Xiaofei and Mu Binglan also wanted to speak, but only Xiao Manxuan remained calm—someone who could cross the iron chains of Qingshuang Pavilion would not fear free climbing.

Lin Tian raised his hand slightly to stop them from speaking further: "My mind is set. No need to say more. If we’re going to play, let’s play big."

"Hmph!" Zhao Weitao snorted coldly, "If you’re going crazy, I won’t accompany you. I’ll use my equipment, while you can go free climbing on your own."

"No problem. Even if I give you a head start, the competition results still stand," Lin Tian said generously.

Yet, Zhao Weitao and the others felt uneasy hearing this; they were the challengers, yet now they’re being given a head start.

"Zhao Weitao, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The sun is still behind us now. If you wait until noon when the sun’s overhead, you’ll have big trouble," Lin Tian urged him to start.

Lin Tian was not trying to scare Zhao Weitao. If the sun moved overhead, climbers would struggle to see their path clearly because sunlight would blind them every time they looked up—this is a very serious concern.

Zhao Weitao and Liu Yuansi looked up at the sky, and sure enough, Lin Tian was right. The two exchanged looks, and Liu Yuansi said, "The competition rules are simple: whoever reaches the top first, retrieves a plant from the top, and brings it safely back to the ground, wins."

"The climbing competition begins now," Liu Yuansi signaled the start.

Xiao Na and Xiao Ya quickly took out their phones to record videos, wanting to document the entire competition process—just in case Lin Tian tried to cheat.

"Lin Tian, you don’t mind if I film, right?" Xiao Manxuan asked with a sweet smile.

"Just make sure I look handsome in it, or I’ll cause you trouble," Lin Tian joked.

As He Xiaofei and the other two observed Lin Tian and Xiao Manxuan chatting and laughing, showing no signs of nerves for free climbing, they didn’t know what expression to put—with disbelief, they wondered—was this merely bravado, or true skill?

Zhao Weitao glanced at Lin Tian, then took the first step himself, grabbing the wall with both hands. He climbed quickly and methodically, reaching the height of one floor in no time.