L1LZDGD Chapter 22

Chapter 22

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The soft light, reminiscent of sunlight, bathed even the distant unlit shadows with warmth.

The sunflower stood at the center of the iron cage, surrounded by several small plants curled at its edges.

These small plants bore various injuries, which slowly healed under the glow’s radiance.

Late at night, when the basement’s zombies had completely fallen asleep, a small bamboo shoot quietly opened its eyes.

It rolled over and rose, tearing off a layer of its protective shell to reveal fully healed wounds beneath.

The small bamboo shoot approached the sunflower, carefully touching its leaves in gratitude.

Then, it moved to the front and began straining against the bent steel bars, trying to pry open a larger gap so the sunflower could escape.

However, the high-level zombie had reinforced the bars with its ability, making them not only exceptionally hard but also corrosive.

The small bamboo shoot’s hands were quickly burned. The sunflower’s leaves reached out, pushing it away just in time.

The sunflower’s glow intensified slightly, healing the small bamboo shoot while gently urging it backward.

The small bamboo shoot understood the sunflower’s meaning, its eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

But there was still work to be done; time couldn’t be wasted.

The small bamboo shoot returned to its corner and pushed aside a piece of tile.

Beneath the tile lay a tunnel it had dug over several days, leading to the outside.

Unfortunately, its limited strength and the need to avoid zombie detection meant the hole could only be so large. There was no way to bring the sunflower along.

Without delay, the small bamboo shoot woke the other plants and prepared to escape through the tunnel.

Including itself, four small plants could fit through the hole. However, an apple in the group was too injured to move and needed more treatment and couldn’t join them.

Originally, the small bamboo shoot planned to wait until the apple recovered more before trying to dig a larger tunnel.

But the apple feared they’d be discovered if they waited too long, insisting the small bamboo shoot take the others first.

The apple was so insistent that the small bamboo shoot had no choice but to agree.

Before leaving, the small bamboo shoot came back to the sunflower, mustered its courage, and gently rubbed against its leaves.

The zombies remained dormant. The small bamboo shoot dared not make a sound, silently vowing with its eyes to return and save the sunflower.

One by one, the four plants burrowed into the cave. Apple slowly pushed the tile over to seal the entrance.

As dawn broke, the basement zombies stirred from their slumber and quickly discovered the plants’ escape.

Only a sunflower and an apple remained in the cage. The enraged advanced zombie tore open the iron bars, dragged out the apple, and slashed its body with razor-sharp claws before hurling it back inside.

This daily ritual had continued for days. The small plants imprisoned with the sunflower suffered repeated injuries, forcing the sunflower to heal them constantly.

During these healing sessions, nearby zombies absorbed endless streams of light and energy.

The apple, already weakened from previous injuries, now lay severely wounded. The sunflower spread its leaves like a shield, protecting the fallen plant behind its body.

Due to the sunflower’s usefulness, zombies wouldn’t attack it. They would growl fiercely, then direct other zombies to chase after the apple or capture new ones.

***

In the morning, Luobo caught a fish in the lake.

It climbed ashore, clutching the fish as it excitedly ran away, ignoring the water hyacinth chasing after it, which left a trail of “gurgle gurgle” bubbles in its wake.

The water hyacinth muttered under its breath, claiming the fish was its own.

The carrot turned a deaf ear and took the fish to Qian Hui, intending to cook and eat it.

But the game shop didn’t sell cooking tools, and all food was biscuits and other preserved items. Qian Hui examined the fish, unsure how to proceed.

Several plants gathered around to study it. They dug out the organs and threw them away. Lajiao contributed some pepper seeds, and after much struggle, they finally managed to roast the fish.

Luobo tore off the most perfectly cooked and best-looking piece for Qian Hui. He took a small bite, but found it unpalatable.

The rest was divided among the plants. They didn’t mind the taste and licked the fish bones clean.

Yumi, the corn, even collected a few fish bones, storing them in its cornball to use as hidden weapons.

The water hyacinth by the shore continued its “gurgle gurgle.” Drawn by the commotion, Qian Hui went to investigate and casually fed it some bread crumbs.

After eating the bread, the water hyacinth immediately quieted down and slowly swam toward the center of the lake.

After clearing away the remnants of the fish meal and erasing their overnight traces, the plant team set out again.

The man-eating flower didn’t grow larger in the forest, so Qian Hui walked alone while checking the game’s information.

Due to the time wasted earlier at the Safe Zone, both the main and side quest progress had slowed down.

Now, the main quest required three more intermediate zombies to complete, while the side quest was even further behind.

He needed to raise the loyalty of three high-level mutated plants to 40% and six intermediate mutated plants to 50%.

Two intermediate plants were still missing, and the team only had one high-level plant—Mimosa—whose loyalty wasn’t sufficient.

Qian Hui considered whether to stay longer in this forest environment rich with mutated plants. If he fed enough plants, some would eventually be willing to follow him.

But the most challenging part was those three high-level mutated plants. High-level plants were only below the special-grade, and their numbers seemed very limited.

Since Qian Hui had awakened, most of the entries in his Handbook were low or intermediate level. Only Mimosa was a high-level plant.

High-level plants were likely the most vigilant, making them reluctant to show themselves easily.

Qian Hui deliberately slowed his pace, stopping to check every game notification. He fed nearby plants he found, and if he couldn’t find any, he left the food in the bushes.

Tudou seemed a bit disgruntled and tried to sneak back for its stolen item, but Lajiao stopped it, grabbed it, and tossed it to Qian Hui.

Qian Hui caught Tudou and fed it a piece of candy, which cheered it up. The potato then began purring and rubbing against Qian Hui’s hand.

With Xiaozhi and Luobo—two output-type super-grade mutant plants—by their side, their presence was quite domineering. When entering new environments, many plants had already hidden themselves away.

Luobo went ahead to scout, sitting boredly on a tree branch as it waited for Qian Hui to catch up.

At this rate, how long would it take them to find all the plants in the courtyard?

It seemed capturing a single leader wasn’t enough. Perhaps they should try occupying an entire human base and then find a Zombie King to fight…

Making a big commotion might attract the attention of other plants.

But… Luobo turned to examine the plants around Qian Hui and shook its head silently.

Even with itself and Xiaozhi, their chances of capturing a human base were slim. At most, they could sneak in and abduct someone.

The carrot then shifted its gaze to Nan Tingjin, staring at him for a while before looking away.

At noon, the plant team stopped in the woods to rest.

After lunch, as usual, Qian Hui would spend some time alone with Nan Tingjin. The plants had grown accustomed to this and tactfully avoid disturbing them.

Nan Tingjin sat beneath a tree, massaging Qian Hui’s hands.

Qian Hui leaned against his chest, flipping through the newly illuminated plants in his morning Handbook instead of taking an afternoon nap.

“Are you not sleepy?” Nan Tingjin murmured.

Qian Hui mumbled a vague response and closed the game interface.

He truly wasn’t drowsy. After a moment of quiet contemplation, his gaze fell upon the wooden tail ring adorning Nan Tingjin’s hand.

Qian Hui traced the ring’s surface. “Next time… I’ll make you a new one. This one’s worn out and doesn’t look nice anymore.”

Nan Tingjin’s fingers stilled. “Did you make this?”

Qian Hui had mentioned it once before, but never elaborated. Later, when he’d written Nan Tingjin a letter, the character “Hui” in the text bore an uncanny resemblance to the one engraved on the ring.

“Mhm,” Qian Hui nodded. “If I make a new one and give it to you again… maybe you’ll remember then.”

Nan Tingjin remained silent, continuing to massage Qian Hui’s fingertips.

His lack of response made Qian Hui think he wasn’t believing him. He tilted his face upward slightly.

“I know you’ve been here for so long that even the ring has withered…”

Unable to resist, Qian Hui wrapped his arms around Nan Tingjin and whispered, “I’ll stay by your side from now on. I won’t leave you again.”

“If… if you can’t remember, it’s okay,” Qian Hui continued, his words stumbling over each other. “If you do everything we used to do, you’ll fall in love with me again…”

His thick, light eyelashes fluttered, his expression earnest yet tinged with anxiety.

Qian Hui didn’t know if his method would work. He’d considered what would happen if Nan Tingjin never regained his memories.

Would he… stop loving him?

Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze and asked something unrelated, “Am I your boyfriend?”

Qian Hui, slightly confused, nodded. “Yes.”

“When you’re with your boyfriend,” Nan Tingjin pressed, “do you only do these things?”

Qian Hui froze, then realized what Nan Tingjin meant. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded again. “Mhm.”

Nan Tingjin had been captured for five days now. Qian Hui had initially claimed to teach him about their past, but in reality, he’d only demonstrated hand massage.

Moreover, Qian Hui only permitted him to obey commands. He wouldn’t hold him too long, lest Ruanteng threaten him with its leaves.

After enduring this performance for so long, Nan Tingjin’s patience was gradually wearing thin.

He leaned closer, guiding once more, “Have you kissed before?”

Qian Hui nodded. “I have.”

“How did you kiss?”

Without hesitation, Qian Hui gently kissed the side of Nan Tingjin’s face.

Nan Tingjin remained silent for a moment, his eyes unreadable. “Just like that?”

Qian Hui hummed in agreement, sensing no issue.

Nan Tingjin took his hand, his voice slow and deliberate. “With a boyfriend, there’s more than just this.”

“What else is there?” Qian Hui asked, bewildered.

Nan Tingjin studied him for a beat before tightening his grip, pulling Qian Hui into his embrace. His entire demeanor shifted, movements becoming more forceful—a stark contrast from his behavior days prior.

Unaccustomed to this intensity, Qian Hui instinctively turned his face away, only to receive a heavy kiss on his cheek.

A firm grip seized his chin next, accompanied by Nan Tingjin’s breath hovering dangerously close. Panicking, Qian Hui pushed at him. “You…”

Sensing Qian Hui’s distress, Ruanteng’s leaves flashed to life, pressing against Nan Tingjin’s throat.

With darkened eyes, Nan Tingjin restrained himself and released Qian Hui. He settled beneath the tree, carefully masking his aura until his usual harmless facade returned.

Qian Hui stood frozen for a moment, as if petrified. He finally touched his kissed cheek, still tingling from the contact.

Just as the lunch break ended, Yumi rushed over to urge them to depart.

Qian Hui snapped out of his daze and stood up, hugging the corn. “Mm… let’s go.”

The team cleared their traces and continued moving in the same direction.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, several modified vehicles were driving through the streets.

Nan Tingjin hadn’t been heard from for days… The Safe Zone refused to give up and dispatched more people to search everywhere.

But they couldn’t detect any residual energy from the special-grade mutant plant anymore. Without any specific clues or direction, their search was like trying to find a needle in the ocean.

The longer this dragged on, the more anxious the people of the Black Spine Mountain Base became.

They worried even more that something might have happened to Nan Tingjin. With that mutated pepper around, humans who had lost their abilities stood no chance against the powerful mutated plants.

In the end, some different voices emerged within the base.

“Just in case, shouldn’t we choose a new leader?”

“Do you want to die…? We don’t have any definite news yet. The leader might return tomorrow.”

Though the base didn’t have many decent people, it was Nan Tingjin’s terrifying strength that kept everyone in line. Without him, the subordinates wouldn’t be so obedient.

But choosing a new leader… now was too soon. At least they should wait a bit longer.

Everyone harbored their own thoughts, but on the surface, they continued searching for Nan Tingjin’s traces.

In the afternoon, the plant team arrived at the edge of the forest, nearing the ruins of the city.

Luobo suddenly cried out, and Yumi and Lajiao, being the fastest runners, rushed over to investigate.

The forest’s edge bore traces of recent combat. Two human corpses lay on the ground, their faces gnawed beyond recognition and emitting a foul odor.

They appeared to have been attacked by zombies. The injuries were too severe; they had died before turning into zombies, likely about five or six days ago.

Qian Hui approached. Luobo, unwilling to let him witness such a scene, hung from a tree branch and prepared to cover Qian Hui’s eyes.

But having seen numerous zombie corpses along the way, Qian Hui’s ability to withstand such sights had grown considerably.

He glanced briefly at the bodies, noting their similar attire. Both wore shoulder patches and sleeve cuffs with identical markings.

The bloodstains made the symbols hard to see. Qian Hui took a step closer for a better look, feeling he’d never seen these markings on Safe Zone road signs. These people probably weren’t from there.

At that moment, Nan Tingjin stepped forward and said, “They’re from the Sky Base.”

As if agreeing with him, Lajiao threw a stone at the corpses.

Xiaozhi approached, sniffed the bodies, and let out two low growls.

It didn’t recognize the base’s symbol or remember its name. All it could do was detect the scent’s direction, confirming it was allied with Liang Jie from before.

Mimosa hiding in the sleeve shuddered and retreated deeper into the fabric.

It recognized that symbol too. During its imprisonment with companions, it had seen it countless times on the walls.

Qian Hui frowned slightly, silently repeating “Sky Base” in his mind.

With the man already dead, there was no need for further action. The team pressed forward, Luobo leading the way, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

Ordinary humans wouldn’t dare venture out now. Those two must have been ability users. The corpses’ condition suggested they’d encountered high-level zombies—this area could be extremely dangerous.

Remembering the scent from last night, Luobo tensed up, gripping a carrot spear tightly.

As they fully entered the city ruins’ streets, Qian Hui noticed no area-marking signs. He resolved to find mid-level zombies for tasks before dark, then return to the forest for the night.

The plants had no objections. After walking further, Luobo suddenly let out a soft “whoo.”

Standing at the highest point of a ruin, it pointed in a specific direction.

Qian Hui couldn’t see and asked, “Luobo, are those zombies?”

The carrot nodded, looking in that direction.

There were three zombies in total, all of intermediate level, swiftly moving through the ruins as if fleeing.

Wait, they’re not fleeing…

Luobo narrowed its eyes and studied carefully, spotting a small green flash.

It was a mutated plant, only half the size of a palm, but moving with incredible speed.

The three zombies were precisely after it, hot on its tail.

Before, Luobo might have hesitated whether to help in such a situation.

A plant too weak and unable to hide properly—even if saved once, there was no way to ensure its safety. Plants also preferred fighting alone, not used to having companions nearby.

But now it was different. Qian Hui cared for all mutated plants, unable to bear seeing them hungry or injured.

Luobo made a swift decision and threw out his thorns, gliding over.

Lajiao, who usually fought zombies alongside it, followed closely behind, showing no hesitation.

Qian Hui, still unaware of what was happening, climbed onto Xiaozhi’s back and looked up to see what was happening.

In the distance, three mid-level zombies detected the approach of unfamiliar scents and slowed their movements.

When they saw four mutated plants charging toward them, two corn balls containing fish bones and a potato bomb dropped from the sky.

One of the zombies, already nearing high-level status, commanded its companions to dodge.

Luobo immediately recognized its strength and signaled the other three plants to leave this one to him.

Over the past few days, the plants’ coordination had grown increasingly seamless. The potato tossed another bomb coated with chili seeds, which exploded into a shower of scorching fragments.

At this moment, all three zombies’ attention was drawn away from the mutated plants they’d been attacking.

In the corner, the small bamboo shoot caught a breath. It tore off a piece of its outer skin to staunch the bleeding, then tightened its grip on two bamboo blade knives.

After escaping with several other small plants during the night, it had brought them to a slightly safer place.

Originally, it could have left then and there, but the sunflower and the apple were still trapped in the basement. It couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

So the small bamboo shoot secretly returned, hoping to find a way to help the sunflower escape when the basement zombies went out hunting.

However, the zombies guarding the low building hadn’t strayed far. They caught the scent of the bamboo shoot and came chasing after it.

The small bamboo shoot fought fiercely, killing two low-level zombies and one mid-level one. But there were too many zombies, and one was about to evolve into a high-level one.

It couldn’t hold on any longer, wounded and about to be caught—

The small bamboo shoot cautiously peeked out, studying several unfamiliar plants.

Are they here to help me?

Plants usually don’t have much fondness for their own kind. The small bamboo shoot only trusted the sunflower.

Seeing that the four plants’ strength was considerable, they should be able to handle the three zombies. After some thought, it decided to quietly leave.

The small bamboo shoot shoved the bamboo blade into its back shell, covered its wound, and turned to flee quickly.

It hadn’t run far when it heard movement in the ruins again.

Human footsteps approached. The small bamboo shoot’s expression turned serious as it quickly burrowed into nearby debris to hide.

“Is this the place?” Qian Hui approached slowly, Mimosa on his sleeve leading the way.

Mimosa had detected a wounded unfamiliar plant, reminiscent of when it first encountered Qian Hui. Unable to resist, it wanted to help.

Following the leaf’s guidance, Qian Hui crouched before a pile of debris.

As expected, a notification about unbound plants nearby popped up. He carefully reached out and removed half a brick.

Beneath the brick, a dirty green bamboo shoot shrank back in panic.

“Don’t be afraid,” Qian Hui whispered, “I’m not a bad guy…”

Just as he spoke, the small bamboo shoot burst forth from the debris, brandishing its bamboo blade and swinging at Qian Hui.

Though tiny and injured, the shoot’s attack carried surprising force.

A powerful green wind surged forward, but Xiaozhi swiftly extended its head, blocking the attack and swallowing it whole.

The bamboo shoot froze, realizing it had encountered another plant—one that seemed quite advanced.

Injured and outmatched, it retreated rapidly, warily watching Qian Hui and Xiaozhi.

Zombie… No, wait—not a zombie? A human?

With plants?

The small bamboo shoot saw a mini cabbage peeking out from Qian Hui’s pocket, half its body visible as it curiously examined the bamboo shoot.

“Are you injured?” Qian Hui asked, forcing a friendly smile. “I can help you heal.”

He placed several pills on a slightly cleaner brick and slowly pushed it closer.

Qian Hui opened his Handbook and discovered that this bamboo shoot, roughly the size of a cabbage, was actually a high-grade specimen.

[ Species: Small Bamboo Shoot – Zhusun]

[ Grade: High ]

[ Status: Severe Injury, Unhealed ]

[ Loyalty: 0% ]

The information revealed not only was it a high-grade mutated plant, but also an offensive-type specimen.

However, its condition was poor, urgently needing treatment.

Yet when faced with the pills Qian Hui offered, the small bamboo shoot remained motionless, not even glancing at them.

After waiting patiently for a while, Qian Hui retreated further with Xiaozhi.

Just then, Luobo and the others successfully eliminated three zombies and flew back impaled on Luobo’s thorns.

When Qian Hui turned to look, Zhusun seized the moment to kick away the brick holding the pills and swiftly escaped.

Luobo caught sight of the fleeing bamboo shoot’s back. “Huh?”

Qian Hui quickly picked up the pill and asked worriedly, “Where did it go?”

Mimosa at his sleeve lifted its leaves and pointed forward.

The small bamboo shoot was injured, and there might be wandering zombies nearby. Qian Hui couldn’t help but feel concerned and decided to go check on it, at least to deliver the pill.

But this was a high-level mutated plant, so it must be more vigilant.

So Qian Hui bought another strategy guide to find out its preferences, hoping to make it trust him quickly.

[ Small Bamboo Shoot ]

[ High-level mutated plant ]

[ Strategy Guide Purchased: Cautious and Patient, Brave and Wise. Don’t be deceived by its small size—its strength is no less. Skilled in close combat, it’s a plant that uses a knife. Due to excessive caution, it often hides its true strength, disguising itself as weak. It won’t easily trust anyone. Enjoys drinking tea and working out, admires the special-grade mutated plant sunflower. ]

“Admires… sunflower?”

When Qian Hui saw the last part, his eyes slowly widened.

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Translator’s Note:

New mutant plant entered the group! The small bamboo shoot, Xiao Zhusun!

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