Chapter 26
Qian Hui had been planning to go to the Black Spine Mountain Base even before the Zombie Horde appeared.
Zhusun had once mentioned a Special-Grade Mutant Plant, and Nan Tingjin hadn’t been lying. Qian Hui couldn’t afford to miss any news about the plants in the Small Courtyard.
But there was an even more crucial reason…
Although they had won their direct confrontation with the Zombie Horde, it wasn’t enough.
The Plant Squad wasn’t strong enough; they could become stronger.
Xiaozhi, the man-eating flower, was being hunted by human supernatural ability users, while Xiaokui, the sunflower, was imprisoned by zombies. If even Special-Grade Mutant Plants faced such dangers, what about the lower-level, weaker mutant plants?
Qian Hui now truly understood that the plants were threatened by both humans and zombies. If he couldn’t change this situation, they might not survive much longer.
Even his own Plant Squad, despite their recent victory, could face even more perilous circumstances next time.
The fastest way to enhance the squad’s combat power was to find Special-Grade Mutant Plants.
Beyond that, he needed to forge connections with more new plants and nurture them by his side.
Qian Hui decided to first head to Black Spine Mountain and then return to the forest where he found Xiaozhi.
That area was a high-risk zone teeming with mutant plants, and the Handbook entries there were the most numerous.
He wondered if the plants would still remember him when he returned…
Qian Hui asked, “Can Xiaozhi and the others come too?”
Nan Tingjin replied, “Yes.”
“You said you’d make arrangements,” Qian Hui said, still anxious. “It won’t be dangerous, will it?”
“No,” Nan Tingjin assured him, holding him close. “I’ll be there.”
Finally reassured, Qian Hui nestled obediently in his arms.
The forest and the Zombie Horde were long behind them. Qian Hui relaxed, but he also felt utterly exhausted.
The massive purchase of Skill Points seemed to have drained his energy as well.
He buried his face in Nan Tingjin’s collar, inhaling his scent, and slowly drifted to sleep.
When he awoke, Xiaozhi had traveled far, arriving at the ruins of an unfamiliar city.
With no forest nearby, it found a relatively intact building and entered the ground floor.
Xiaozhi exhaled several breaths onto the floor, blowing away dust and debris, then opened its mouth to let the two humans and the Plant Squad emerge.
The environment here wasn’t too bad. It was a remote, low-risk area with few wandering zombies, as the scarcity of resources meant fewer human teams passed through.
The house was structurally sound, with windows that provided ventilation. Qian Hui bought several large towels and spread them on the floor as a makeshift carpet.
With no nearby water source, he purchased dozens of bottles of drinking water to wipe down and clean his plants.
Their battle with the zombie horde had earned the Plant Squad over eighty thousand in balance, making these expenses negligible.
The small washbasin he’d been using for crystal cores was now too small, so Qian Hui bought a larger one.
Xiaozhi had worked tirelessly throughout the journey. After being the first to be cleaned, it went to sleep, while the remaining plants waited in line.
After a nap in the safe location, Qian Hui’s spirits lifted considerably, and he belatedly felt a surge of happiness.
He hugged each plant in turn, praising them while checking their condition, administering a pill or two as needed, and offering their favorite snacks.
Xiao Baocai, the cabbage, and Pigguo, the apple, stood guard with small towels, occasionally helping out or handing Qian Hui water bottles.
Pigguo, new to the group, was a bit shy and quiet, but adapted quickly.
Zhusun was last in line. He carried his two layers of outer shell and bamboo knife, intending to clean himself.
But Xiao Baocai approached and proactively took the shell and knife from him.
Qian Hui picked up Zhusun and gently wiped it clean, including its delicate leaves and tiny limbs.
The towel carried too many scents, leaving Zhusun dizzy and feeling surrounded by a multitude of plants.
After cleaning Zhusun, Qian Hui purchased a bottle of Evolution Water.
“Thank you,” he said, placing the bottle in front of Zhusun. “This is for you.”
Following their recent battle, Zhusun’s loyalty had skyrocketed to 70%.
Though most of this was likely due to Xiaokui, Qian Hui still bought the Evolution Water for Zhusun, despite its short time in the Plant Squad.
Before the Zombie King appeared, Xiaokui had relayed information that Zhusun had specifically sought out and single-handedly killed a High-Level Zombie known for its tracking skills.
Zhusun was strong, had been a great help, and was intelligent enough that Qian Hui wouldn’t mind if it chose to leave after drinking the Evolution Water.
Besides, with ample funds available, a single bottle of Evolution Water was nothing, especially since it wouldn’t affect his ability to buy Revival Beans for the little mushroom.
Zhusun was utterly overwhelmed by the unexpected gift of Evolution Water.
Zhusun knew exactly what the Evolution Water did: it could rapidly evolve, making it incredibly valuable for any mutant plant.
It clung tightly to Qian Hui’s hand, nuzzling against him for a long time. After receiving the shell offered by Xiao Baocai and putting it on, it finally opened the bottle of Evolution Water and drank it down.
Just two minutes later, Qian Hui opened the Handbook, and Zhusun’s advanced skills had already refreshed.
[ Basic Skill: Blade Technique (80% accuracy)
Advanced Skills: Dual Blade Technique (70% accuracy) / Replicated Flying Dagger (90% accuracy)
Berserk Skill: Unknown]
Qian Hui didn’t yet understand what “Replicated Flying Dagger” meant. Then he saw Zhusun swing its bamboo blade toward an empty corner of the wall.
Instantly, a second blade materialized, flew out, and embedded itself deeply into the wall before slowly fading away.
So… it had transformed from a melee fighter into a ranged attacker!
Zhusun’s eyes widened in excitement. It hugged Qian Hui again for a long time before running over to Xiaokui to show off its new skill.
By now, all the plants were resting. Qian Hui patted Xiao Baocai and Pigguo, encouraging them to rest as well.
Xiao Baocai tugged Pigguo away, and Qian Hui rose to approach Nan Tingjin.
“Are you really okay?” Qian Hui produced two Panaceas. “I think humans can take these too…”
Nan Tingjin pulled him into an embrace. “I don’t need them.”
But Qian Hui insisted on feeding him the pills.
Seeing the pills pressed against his lips, Nan Tingjin finally swallowed them.
Qian Hui watched him intently. “Do you feel anything?”
“Nothing,” Nan Tingjin replied.
“Alright…”
Qian Hui lowered his gaze and gently touched the Ruanteng coiled around Nan Tingjin’s neck.
Recalling the events after the Zombie King’s appearance, Qian Hui suddenly realized that the Ruanteng’s restraints seemed to have no effect on Nan Tingjin.
Originally, Qian Hui hadn’t intended to involve Nan Tingjin. He was the human leader they had “captured,” and the zombies’ target was solely the Plant Squad.
Nan Tingjin was formidable—Qian Hui had known this since their reunion. Now, he had gained a new understanding of his capabilities.
Perhaps… there was no longer any need to keep him “bound.”
Ruanteng seemed to understand Qian Hui’s thoughts. It released Nan Tingjin and smoothly returned to Qian Hui’s wrist.
Qian Hui gently touched Ruanteng’s leaves, then glanced nervously at Nan Tingjin.
Last night, Luobo had insisted on keeping him bound, arguing that it was the safest way to reach Black Spine Mountain Base, since they held the Leader’s life in their hands.
But now…
Yet Nan Tingjin showed no reaction to Ruanteng’s departure.
He remained as before, his aura subdued and gentle, with no hint of any intention to act.
Qian Hui recalled the game notification that had rewarded him with 50 Prestige Points for “winning a promise.”
The notification offered no further details or explanations, leaving the outcome shrouded in uncertainty.
But now, it seemed he could trust Nan Tingjin.
Several mutant plants around them were asleep, except for Lajiao, who remained alert, counting the crystal cores in its small wooden basin.
Qian Hui lowered his voice deliberately and quietly asked Nan Tingjin, “How are we going to get to the base?”
Nan Tingjin’s lips curved into a smile as he reached out to stroke Qian Hui’s silver hair.
Around four or five in the afternoon, three modified vehicles pulled up to the roadside.
The squad waited a long time, only venturing into the forest to gather information after confirming the Zombie King had left and wouldn’t return.
When they reached the center of the forest, they were met with a scene of utter devastation, littered with the remains of countless zombies. Their faces registered shock and disbelief.
Did those two Special-Grade Mutant Plants do all this?
The two members who had observed through binoculars earlier had only seen the mutated man-eating flower and the carrot spikes. After the man-eating flower retreated, they hadn’t noticed its mouth was stuffed to the brim.
“What’s this?” Someone bent down, gloved hands digging a clump of yellow material from the muddy ground.
He examined it closely, frowning. “…Corn?”
The sticky mass of corn had a strange odor and corrosive properties.
It looked like something mutant plants used to attack.
The squad quickly searched the area and found more bombs and fragments of pepper seeds. They carefully collected these items to take back to base.
They also examined several zombie corpses, identifying the wounds as having been inflicted by mutant plants. This confirmed that more than just two or three mutant plants were coordinating their attacks; there were likely five or six, or even more.
Then who was responsible for the horrifying scene before them? The squad’s first thought was the man-eating flower. Its energy-charged attacks could unleash shockwaves with similar effects, but according to the base’s knowledge, it shouldn’t be capable of such devastation.
In any case, they had to bring all the information they could find back to base.
One member of the team pulled out an old-fashioned camera and snapped several photos in quick succession.
Meanwhile, inside the abandoned low-rise building, Lajiao was boiling water with pepper seeds.
Luobo pulled several carrot spikes from his head, mashed them into a paste, and added it to the water, along with a bit of corn oil squeezed from corn dough.
Dissatisfied with the color, he tore a leaf from a Facaishu plant and threw it in.
Nearby, Qian Hui stood blindfolded.
He cautiously took a step forward, trying to adjust to his sudden loss of sight.
But with complete darkness before him, Qian Hui grew increasingly anxious and unconsciously reached out. “Xiao Jin?”
In the next moment, a familiar hand grasped his.
Qian Hui removed the blindfold and looked at Nan Tingjin, hesitating. “Are you sure this will work…?”
To infiltrate the human base, he needed a disguise, but the potion’s effects were temporary.
The Plant Squad was helping him prepare hair dye. Covering his silver hair should last for several days.
His eye color, however, couldn’t be changed and had to be completely concealed.
“Don’t worry,” Nan Tingjin reassured him. “This is the simplest way.”
Qian Hui could disguise himself as a human ability user, claiming his supernatural ability resided in his eyes and couldn’t be casually revealed. This explanation was plausible.
However, this meant he had to feign blindness, only able to move freely when alone with Nan Tingjin.
Qian Hui practiced several times, but perhaps due to insufficient time, he hadn’t yet grown accustomed to the sensation of being “blind.”
Nan Tingjin slowly pulled him into his arms, soothingly saying, “With me here, there’s nothing to worry about.”
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