L1LZDGD Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Nan Tingjin vanished into the night, leaving his squad behind.

Among the four members, two were most severely injured, their bodies riddled with multiple fractures.

Having lost their abilities, their physical condition now matched ordinary humans. Had the man-eating flower not been in a weakened state, they wouldn’t have survived its energy-charged attack at such close range.

The other two immediately began treating their comrades, rummaging through their backpacks for supplies and medical supplies.

Fortunately, shortly after the man-eating flower fled, their abilities returned, and their wounds rapidly healed. All that remained was to realign the broken bones.

The shorter man gritted his teeth in pain, confusion etched on his face. “What exactly happened back there?”

They had been fully focused on the man-eating flower, nearing mission completion with no guard up.

Moreover… the ability to temporarily disable their powers—whether from mutated plants, zombies, or human ability users—was something they’d never encountered before.

None could answer, their expressions turning grave.

Nan Tingjin had also left. The original plan had gone smoothly, requiring no intervention from him. Fortunately, his distance from the action meant he escaped injury.

In short, with the man-eating flower having escaped, luring it out again wouldn’t be easy. Whether the mission continued depended on whether Nan Tingjin could catch up to it tonight.

The injuries on their bodies would take at least two days to fully heal. They would wait for his orders after that.

After hastily bandaging their wounds, the team planned to leave the area to avoid waking nearby dormant zombies that might come hunting.

They supported each other as they walked, having just covered a short distance, when they encountered another group head-on.

The newcomers were Liang Jie, accompanied by a Mimosa used as a hunting dog. His gaze swept over the opposite group. “Why is it you?”

Just as the ability-disrupting shockwave erupted, Mimosa, stationed far on the other side, suddenly lifted its head, its leaves trembling slightly.

It had detected a stronger scent coming from that direction.

Liang Jie guessed part of the situation. “Did that pepper get into trouble?”

The surroundings were quiet, and Mimosa had detected something at a considerable distance. Only the use of the most powerful energy-stored attack would cause such a strong scent to spread.

With nightfall and zombies in hibernation, could it have encountered other humans?

Thus, Liang Jie and his subordinates quickened their pace, guided by Mimosa. Upon reaching their destination, they encountered four members of the Black Spine Mountain Base team.

The tall man assumed they had been nearby and came to investigate the commotion. Unwilling to elaborate, he simply stated that their missions didn’t interfere with each other.

As they prepared to leave, Liang Jie asked if they’d seen a small green mutant pepper.

“Mutant pepper? Never seen one,” his companion replied. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s the plant you’re looking for, right?”

“No such luck?” Liang Jie’s tone sharpened with suspicion. “Then why are you so badly injured? Did anything unusual happen…?”

The group exchanged glances, understanding the unspoken implication in his words.

Though the two teams had different objectives and mutual disdain, Liang Jie’s affiliation with the Sky Base and the Black Spine Mountain Base’s mission from the same source meant proper communication should have occurred.

Sensing Liang Jie might possess crucial information, they decided to share their recent ordeal in full detail.

When they were about to capture the man-eating flower, their abilities suddenly failed. They all got injured, and the flower escaped. Only Nan Tingjin remained to track it alone.

However, this green pepper thing? They’d never seen anything like it before.

Liang Jie frowned deeply. “So that’s what happened… That mutated pepper must be hiding in the shadows.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “Its ability is truly unique. It can completely disable the powers of all ability users in its vicinity for approximately three minutes.”

The Sky Base had captured that pepper two months ago and discovered its special properties. Mr. Wen had placed great importance on it, but the creature had managed to escape.

Just a mid-level mutated plant, and it’s severely injured to boot. It should be impossible for it to recharge its energy and attack again anytime soon. Liang Jie had thought the mission would be straightforward.

Yet despite searching for days and deploying hunting dogs, progress had only come tonight.

Liang Jie continued, “Mr. Wen has not yet prepared to announce its existence. Please keep this confidential for now.”

He then instructed his subordinate to distribute substantial supplies to the four individuals and promised to report this matter, increasing the mission’s compensation.

The four accepted the offer without hesitation. The short man, supporting his fractured arm, said, “You’d better explain everything to the leader yourself.”

Liang Jie nodded. “Of course.”

He inquired about the man-eating flower and Nan Tingjin’s departure direction, then arranged for two subordinates to escort the four-person team to a safe location.

After the subordinates and the four-person team left, Liang Jie’s expression turned grim.

This development was completely unexpected.

From the four’s description, the pepper seemed to have been assisting the man-eating flower. Without its interference to disable the team’s abilities, the man-eating flower would never have escaped.

Mutated plants were generally independent, with few instances of mutual cooperation. Could they have known each other? Or did their shared predicament of being hunted create a temporary alliance?

Even if both plants escaped together, the man-eating flower was severely injured, and the pepper was merely a mid-level mutated plant. Both had just used their energy-storing attacks, leaving them at their weakest moment.

As long as they found the plants, capturing them would be straightforward.

With Nan Tingjin also present, and the leader of the Black Spine Mountain Base leading the pursuit, success seemed guaranteed.

Liang Jie gave the order: “Continue the chase.”

Under the night sky, Qian Hui followed the man-eating flower’s silhouette through vast stretches of urban ruins.

Ruanteng strained every fiber of its being, propelling him forward with desperate urgency, yet still failed to close the gap.

Finally, Qian Hui watched helplessly as the man-eating flower’s form shrank into the distance, vanishing before a dense forest.

When he reached the edge, he hesitated before the pitch-black woods, uncertain whether the creature had entered the forest or hidden among the ruins.

A warning sign stood at the forest’s edge: “Danger Zone (District 10)”

At that moment, a game notification popped up:

[ Geological disaster detected. Seek shelter immediately. ]

A violent earthquake struck moments later, collapsing walls and ruins. Qian Hui scrambled away from the danger.

Lajiao, having regained some energy, emerged from his pocket and pointed toward the forest, indicating the man-eating flower’s presence within.

Without further hesitation, Qian Hui plunged into the darkness.

The forest swallowed the moonlight completely, leaving only shadows. Without Ruanteng’s guidance, he would have stumbled twice within the first few steps.

His cheeks and hands were scratched by branches, but he didn’t stop walking, continuing straight toward the direction Lajiao had pointed.

Along the way, Qian Hui took a moment to buy some medicine—blood recovery potions, mana recovery potions, and two of the most expensive Panaceas.

Lajiao leaned in to sniff, then picked out the mana recovery potions to eat, leaving the rest untouched.

While stealthily hiding, it hadn’t been discovered by humans or injured; it was simply exhausted.

Qian Hui also fed Ruanteng one of the potions, then stored the rest away.

Fortunately, he’d saved up quite a balance earlier that remained unused. Once they found the man-eating flower, he could buy even more supplies.

Lajiao habitually lay in Qian Hui’s arms, its nose twitching as it sniffed out traces of the man-eating flower’s scent, occasionally guiding Qian Hui.

In truth, Qian Hui’s entry into the forest was dangerous. This dense vegetation zone was a perilous area where many mutated plants lurked, waiting to strike.

Encountering a bad-tempered plant that wouldn’t allow any of its kind to approach its territory—let alone someone with zombie-like characteristics—was a real risk.

Lajiao was gambling that Qian Hui truly knew the man-eating flower and wouldn’t give up easily.

The arrival of a special-grade mutated plant would intimidate all surrounding flora. Staying close to it would likely ensure safety.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Qian Hui finally stopped and scanned his surroundings.

The pepper had ceased its guiding role, and the man-eating flower lay somewhere nearby.

Yet the scattered aura’s range proved too vast to pinpoint its exact location.

Qian Hui circled the area, calling softly, “Xiaozhi?”

The silent forest offered no response, save for the whisper of his footsteps.

As he advanced further, rustling emerged from the adjacent undergrowth.

He rushed over, parting knee-high weeds to reveal a palm-sized oval shadow that leaped straight at him.

Ruanteng yanked Qian Hui aside, sparing him from impact. The shadow crashed into the foliage with a wet “pop,” smoke rising from the impact site.

Before Qian Hui could react, the shadow rolled away with a gurgling sound, vanishing into the opposite thicket.

[ Unbonded mutated plant detected. Field Guide entry activated. ]

The shadow manifested before Qian Hui, though he couldn’t clearly see it—the brief contact failed to establish a bond.

Opening his Field Guide, Qian Hui found a newly illuminated card featuring a potato.

[ Potato

Presumed mid-level

Unbonded

Encountered Attack, Hidden Strategy Unlocked: Timid and cautious yet with hidden potential, prefers to feign weakness and probe enemy capabilities. Skilled at escape and camouflage. Do not approach carelessly. If it confirms your strength is inferior, congratulations—you’ve been targeted! Prepare for material losses. Enjoys sweets, swimming, and sunbathing. ]

Such a small potato could actually be a mid-level creature.

Whether alarmed by the man-eating flower’s aura or having encountered Qian Hui, it was likely on high alert.

Qian Hui moved away from the potato’s escape path, continuing his search for the man-eating flower.

His stamina gradually gave out. After half an hour, he was forced to stop and rest.

He’d already circled the area twice, finding nothing.

Leaning against a tree trunk, Qian Hui ate some food to replenish his energy.

It was too dark to see anything. Chewing on a biscuit, he decided to resume his search after dawn.

Unable to sleep, Qian Hui gazed up at the pitch-black tree silhouettes.

Once he found the man-eating flower, he wanted to understand what had happened and where the other plants had gone.

If possible, he’d even like to bring Nan Tingjin home with the plants.

Qian Hui silently swallowed the last bite of biscuit, preparing to store the remaining portion.

As he organized the wrapper and reached for his pocket, his fingertip suddenly stung.

Crack!

Smoke suddenly rose from the nearby grass, startling Qian Hui. He hastily dodged to the side.

A familiar oval-shaped shadow leaped up. The sprouts from four small pits transformed into limbs, snatched the biscuit from Qian Hui’s hand, and swiftly disappeared.

Qian Hui sat frozen in place, rubbing his reddened fingers.

Neither Lajiao nor Ruanteng had noticed the potato’s approach. Ruanteng tried to chase after it, but Qian Hui stopped him.

“Never mind,” Qian Hui sighed. “This might be its home.”

Besides, only two biscuits remained—not particularly valuable anyway. Giving them to the potato wouldn’t hurt.

He moved to a spot where the weeds weren’t so thick, huddled with his knees drawn up, and waited for dawn.

When morning came, Qian Hui’s energy returned.

Lajiao sniffed carefully. The man-eating flower’s scent lingered—it hadn’t left.

But where could it be hiding? Qian Hui scanned the dense jungle, searching aimlessly.

With daylight’s wider view, he carefully navigated through the trees and even found a small lake.

The lake water was clear, with a few pink lotus flowers floating on its surface. Qian Hui had just taken a few steps closer when he saw the game’s notification.

[ Unbonded mutated plant discovered. Field guide entry activated. ]

Before Qian Hui could open the field guide, the pink lotus flowers on the lake’s surface gently swayed and disappeared into the water with a “whoosh”.

He stopped walking, not moving any closer, and slowly walked along the lake’s edge in another direction.

Everywhere was covered with bushes, shrubs, and even the dense crowns of trees—all potential hiding places for the man-eating flower.

Qian Hui kept looking around. Before leaving the lake, he accidentally saw a small mark on a tree trunk.

The mark had probably been carved some time ago, looking like a mushroom-shaped pattern that was very familiar.

Qian Hui froze and walked toward the tree.

He had seen this pattern many times in the plant courtyard—it was the little mushroom’s mark.

It loved leaving its mark everywhere, including the courtyard gate, roof eaves, and the trunk of the giant tree where it slept.

The little mushroom was pink and glowed at night. Qian Hui liked to call it Xiaofen.

It had the best relationship with the man-eating flower, often playing together.

If the little mushroom was here, then the man-eating flower must also be here.

Qian Hui tensed up, carefully approaching the tree trunk.

He crouched down and called out, “Xiaofen! Xiaozhi!” Receiving no response, he reached out to part the thick foliage, revealing a small tree hollow beneath.

The hollow was barely palm-sized, pitch-black inside with nothing visible.

“Is that you, Xiaofen?” Qian Hui called again. Suddenly, a faint breeze drifted out from the tree hollow.

The grass leaves swayed slightly. Lajiao, who had been hidden in Qian Hui’s pocket since early that morning, kept his head buried deep. Ruanteng remained on high alert, ready to whisk Qian Hui away at any moment.

“Woo…”

A low growl emerged from the tree hollow, attempting to intimidate and drive away the intruder.

Recognizing the man-eating flower’s voice, Qian Hui exclaimed in delight, “Xiaozhi! It’s me…”

The growling stopped abruptly, as if startled.

After a moment, a small leaf cautiously poked out. Within the dark hollow, a single eye peered out at the outside world.

“Xiaozhi?”

Qian Hui stood outside, his silver hair and red eyes looking exactly as he remembered.

Muffled sounds came from the tree hollow, like leaves accidentally hitting the trunk. Then there was a moment of silence.

“Woo…”

The voice this time carried no threat, only disbelief mixed with shock and delight.

A round purple head squeezed out from the tree hollow as the man-eating flower, Xiaozhi, eagerly emerged, “Wooing” its way into Qian Hui’s embrace.

Qian Hui held it tightly, sighing in relief. “So you were here…”

Thankfully, Xiaozhi still remembered him.

Xiaozhi’s body had shrunk considerably like since their time in the plant courtyard. Its branches and leaves clung tightly to Qian Hui’s wrist, the horn on its head repeatedly rubbing against his palm.

It continued to softly “woo,” looking both excited and aggrieved. Its moist black eyes kept glancing at Qian Hui as if confirming his presence.

“Don’t be afraid,” Qian Hui soothed. “It’s me.”

Xiaozhi’s body was covered in wounds, the most severe one seeping green blood. Leaves had been hastily applied to staunch the bleeding.

Heart aching, Qian Hui quickly produced several medicinal pills and fed them to Xiaozhi.

The game displayed several notifications, all regarding the man-eating flower. They indicated that Qian Hui had successfully bonded with a special-grade mutated plant, rapidly increasing its loyalty to 100% and rewarding him with a substantial balance boost.

Qian Hui had no time to dwell on this. He quickly bought several high-grade medicinal pills.

Xiaozhi accepted them all without hesitation, swallowing them whole. The wounds on its body began healing visibly.

It also consumed several Mana Regeneration pills, which should have restored its energy. Yet it still appeared weak and exhausted.

Qian Hui sat on the grass, feeding the flower more food and water.

“I… I came here a few days ago,” he said. “I saw you then. I’ve been looking for you, and Xiao Jin…”

Xiaozhi half-closed its eyes, tilting its head against his arm. When it heard Nan Tingjin’s name, it managed a feeble wave of its leaves.

Qian Hui looked up at the tree trunk marked with a mushroom symbol. “Is Xiaofen here too?” he asked.

At the mention of the little mushroom, Xiaozhi’s body stiffened slightly.

It made no sound, simply closing its eyes and slowly curling itself into a ball.

Qian Hui didn’t understand. He wondered if Xiaozhi had gotten separated from the little mushroom.

Lajiao crouched nearby, silently observing Qian Hui and then Xiaozhi.

It then emerged from the pocket as Qian Han held the man-eating flower, no longer hiding.

So Qian Hui and this super-grade mutated plant were truly friends—and apparently close ones at that.

Though severely wounded, the plant could be quickly healed with Qian Hui’s medicine.

When that happened, he’d no longer need me.

But since it was leaving anyway, having the man-eating flower by Qian Hui’s side meant there was nothing to worry about.

Lajiao scratched its head, gazing at the surrounding forest, thinking this might not be such a bad place to stay.

Suddenly, it caught a whiff of something unusual. It jumped onto Qian Hui’s arm and warned with a sharp “Woo!”

Qian Hui turned to see a familiar figure emerging from the trees in the distance.

It was Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui hastily stuffed Lajiao into his pocket, grabbed Xiaozhi, and fled.

He assumed Nan Tingjin had come to capture the plant, completely forgetting what he’d done the previous night.

At the same moment, Nan Tingjin looked up and spotted Qian Hui’s retreating figure.

The natural path through the forest twisted and turned. Changing direction, he took a shortcut to chase after him.

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Translator’s Note:

Good day, readers! You meet me again!

So, in this chapter, we finally got to see Xiaozhi. Actually, I once wrote the man-eating flower as Shi Ren Hua is in Chinese in the system. As for Xiaozhi, it’s like a nickname means Little Purple, because the color of the man-eating flower is purple!

For any errors in the translation, please forgive me, hehe. This project is an MTL work and I have a little knowledge about Chinese language. All I could depend on is the internet. But don’t worry, I tried my best to give it some editing for accuracy, especially gender and the names. If you have any suggestions, feel free to type in the comment section~

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