The bandits worked in unison to assemble the Centipede Mountain-Hanging Ladder into a long, formidable structure, leaning it against the wall of the cavern. The iron claws at the top bit firmly into the rock face, anchoring it securely.
Chen Yulou tested the ladder’s stability before grabbing hold and beginning his ascent. Partridge Whistle followed closely behind. Zhao Ze, however, ignored the ladder provided by the bandits and began to climb the rock face with his bare hands.
As Chen Yulou reached the mouth of the cavern, he secured a section of the ladder against the stone wall, slipped inside, and then used it to move rapidly up and down the rock face. Partridge Whistle untied his Daoist robe and wrapped it around his waist, revealing the tight-fitting leather armor he wore underneath. He pulled the tendons at his back taut, causing tempered steel barbs to spring out from the inner side of his armor—the "Mountain-Piercing Armor" of the Banshan school. This suit, fashioned from the hide of an earth shark, was both waterproof and fire-resistant, allowing him to climb with agile, claw-like precision.
Chapter 245