L1LZDGD Chapter 23

Chapter 23

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If a sunflower appeared in the small bamboo shoot’s strategy guide, it meant the small bamboo shoot must have seen it before. Perhaps it even knew where it was.

Qian Hui was extremely excited and immediately headed in the direction Mimosa pointed.

The other plants still didn’t know what had happened. Luobo manipulated the carn thorns to follow behind him, constantly observing their surroundings, vigilance undiminished.

Lajiao hanging at the very bottom was caught by Tudou’s tail hook. It lowered its head and threw out two crystal cores, which Yumi and Tudou caught in their mouths.

The small bamboo shoot was clearly injured, yet it moved with surprising speed. Qian Hui followed the narrow path between the ruins, eventually returning to the original forest.

Mimosa sniffed the air intently, its leaves pointing toward a specific area within the woods.

Exhausted from its exertions, Zhusun, the small bamboo shoot, could no longer run further. It found shelter in a shrubbery, peeled away three layers of its protective shell, and carefully removed a sunflower petal from within.

This was a special gift from the sunflower before their escape last night, containing stored energy that could rapidly heal wounds.

The small bamboo shoot touched the petal repeatedly, reluctant to use it. As long as it avoided being found by zombies, it could hide in the forest for a few days, reassess the situation, and then find an opportunity to rescue the sunflower and apple.

Thus, Zhusun tucked the petal back in, prepared to rest briefly before searching for water to clean its wounds.

However, just as it finished storing the petal, it heard slightly familiar footsteps approaching.

Nervous, the small bamboo shoot shrank into itself, remaining motionless and praying not to be discovered.

It listened as the footsteps drew closer, stopping right in front of the shrubbery. There were also rustling sounds as something surrounded it.

“…Huh?”

It seemed like a plant was asking who was inside.

“It’s a bamboo shoot,” Qian Hui said, peering into the shrubbery. “I saw… some things. It might have seen Xiaokui before.”

At the mention of the sunflower’s name, Xiaozhi and Luobo immediately perked up.

In the old courtyard, most plants loved to fight, but Xiaokun the sunflower was the gentlest one. It would always heal the others’ wounds after zombie invasions.

Like Xiaofen the little mushroom, it wasn’t very strong and could easily be bullied by humans and zombies in this new place.

Luobo had once thought about finding the sunflower, but it didn’t know where to look.

Zhusun inside the shrubbery also heard Qian Hui’s words, feeling even more uneasy.

Xiaokui… Does that mean the sunflower?

Zombies were cruel and heartless, and humans weren’t much better. Did Qian Hui also want the sunflower’s power? Did it want to catch it and keep it locked up?

Before the small bamboo shoot could think more, leaves outside the shrubbery were pushed aside.

“Hello,” Qian Hui tried to talk to the small bamboo shoot. “Have you seen Xiaokui? It’s a sunflower. It’s my friend…”

Friend? Unbelievable.

Zhusun looked at Qian Hui with a cautious eye, secretly holding a bamboo knife behind its back. Its other hand prepared to take out the hidden petals.

This strange human was accompanied by not just one, but multiple highly powerful mutated plants.

Realizing it couldn’t win in a fight, Zhusun needed to find a way to escape. It had already traveled so far, hiding in this remote place, yet somehow it had still been discovered…

The shrubbery stood eerily quiet, as if completely empty. Yet Mimosa was certain—the small bamboo shoot was definitely inside.

While Qian Hui hesitated, the Luobo lost patience and couldn’t wait any longer.

It pulled out its carrot spear and swung, chopping off the upper half of the shrubbery in one strike.

With the dense foliage gone, the small bamboo shoot was suddenly exposed.

Yumi took the opportunity to throw a cornball over. Zhusun reacted quickly, drawing its bamboo blade and slicing the cornball in half.

When it looked up again, half of the shrubbery was surrounded by a circle of mutated plants.

The silver-haired, red-eyed youth from before was crouching in front, with another human standing not far behind—one who also looked like they weren’t to be trifled with.

Zhudun gripped its bamboo blade, remaining motionless for a moment, trying to find an escape opportunity.

Qian Hui said patiently, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I just want to find my friend.”

Lajiao nodded nearby, and seeing this, Tudou also nodded, hiding the mini-timer bomb in its hand.

Qian Hui tried to show friendliness, taking out the few pills he’d picked up and placing them again near the small bamboo shoot.

Zhusun stared at the pill, then at Qian Hui, showing no reaction whatsoever.

It was injured, and Qian Hui knew it wouldn’t trust him so easily. Under normal circumstances, he might have set down the pill and left it alone, giving the small bamboo shoot more time to accept it.

But Qian Hui wanted to find the sunflower more than anything else. He was worried the small bamboo shoot might try to escape again, wasting precious time.

He waited for a long time, gradually losing patience.

Seeing the small bamboo shoot still so wary, Qian Hui said harshly, “…Grab it.”

Luobo had been waiting for this order. It leaped up from the grass.

Lajiao and the others, used to fighting zombies with Luobo, also entered combat mode by reflex and rushed toward the center of the shrubbery.

Qian Hui quickly added, “Be careful not to hurt it!”

Luobo still had some sense. It avoided the small bamboo shoot’s wounds, grabbed it by the waist, and lifted it up.

Zhusun was still struggling fiercely. It threw a bamboo knife at the carrot, but Yumi blocked it.

Then several plants pinned it down. Tudou forced open its mouth and shoved the pills in one by one.

The pills dissolved as soon as they entered, quickly disappearing down the throat. There was no choice but to eat them. Zhusun angrily wailed.

Then it glared back, its expression even fiercer than before.

As the medicine took effect, the pain in its wounds faded, and the bamboo shoot’s voice gradually softened.

So it’s something that can heal… Zhusun thought. But there must be side effects, or they’re planning to force me to do something…

Unaware of the bamboo shoot’s thoughts, Qian Hui placed his right sleeve cuff beside it.

“Xiaocao, sniff quickly,” he asked. “Does it carry Xiaokui’s scent? It’s a sunflower… also a special-grade one.”

Mimosa on the sleeve cuff slightly enlarged, lifting its leaves to search the bamboo shoot’s body.

The bamboo shoot had spent the previous night with the sunflower and still carried one of its petals. The intense scent of the unfamiliar special-grade xenoplant clung to it.

Moreover, Mimosa detected traces of danger within the scent.

There seemed to be another plant… also injured.

It immediately raised its head, leaves turning in another direction.

“Found something?” Qian Hui asked, delighted. “Is it far from here?”

It was getting late. If the destination was far, they could depart the next day.

Mimosa shook its leaves, indicating it wasn’t far. It then hooked Qian Hui’s fingertip and patted it, seeming somewhat urgent.

Lajiao was the first to guess Mimosa’s meaning, letting out a soft “woo” sound.

Qian Hui’s other friend… was in a bad situation?

Learning that the sunflower might be in danger, Qian Hui grew anxious, unable to wait even a moment longer.

He paid no mind to Zhusun and rushed toward the direction indicated by Mimosa.

Luobo tossed the small bamboo shoot into the grass and hurried after them.

Zhusun crawled up to see Qian Hui and the surrounding plants swiftly leaving, including another human who had been quietly standing nearby.

Feeling a bit bewildered, it looked down at its wounds, which were already mostly healed.

Watching the direction Qian Hui had left in, Zhusun hesitated for a moment, then picked up its bamboo knife and dashed after him.

Following Mimosa’s guidance, Qian Hui left the forest and returned to the abandoned streets.

To speed up, Xiaozhi increased its size, allowing Qian Hui and Nan Tingjin to sit on it. It carried all the plants and swiftly moved through the ruins.

The sunflower’s location was indeed not far. Xiaozhi only traveled forward for less than twenty minutes before stopping in front of a collapsed low-rise building.

Luobo looked around and realized they were still very close to where they’d encountered the zombies earlier.

Xiaozhi lowered Qian Hui to the ground. Standing before the collapsed building, it gazed up at the tall ruins. “Is Xiaokui here?”

Then it noticed Mimosa’s leaves pointing downward…

At that moment, three or four wandering zombies caught the scent of living beings and roared as they charged toward them.

Luobo slapped its forehead, then shot dozens of spikes toward the approaching zombies.

It sensed this situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Abandoning its usual carefree attitude, it turned to Qian Hui and let out a “woo” sound, signaling him to focus on his search.

This place was likely where zombies hid during their nightly rest. With dusk approaching, more zombies might appear.

Mimosa also grew anxious. It detected multiple layers of injured scents, each one building upon the last over days of accumulation.

The plant leaped from Qian Hui’s sleeve, its body swelling as it cleared debris from beneath the collapsed building.

Xiaozhi joined in, using its massive head to smash through the rubble. It carried away chunks of stone with its jaws, tossing them aside.

Luobo single-handedly dealt with three mid-level zombies. When more approached from another direction, they were forced back by a burst of exploding pepper seeds.

Just then, Zhusun approached from a distance, peering cautiously.

Mimosa beside Qian Hui was formidable; it must have been this plant that found both him and the sunflower.

However, Zhusun considered the current situation favorable. Regardless of Qian Hui’s motives, if they clashed with the zombies, mutual exhaustion would create an opportunity to rescue the sunflower.

Zhusun stealthily drew closer, waiting for the right moment to act.

Meanwhile, the gap beneath the collapsed building widened, revealing a staircase leading to the basement.

Mimosa sniffed at the stairwell entrance before slithering inside. Xiaozhi pushed aside a section of rubble to enlarge the opening, allowing Qian Hui to follow swiftly.

As they descended into the dimly lit space, Xiao Baocai in Qian Hui’s pocket emerged and spat out a cabbage lantern.

Nan Tingjin remained outside, with Luobo and Lajiao handling the zombie onslaught. By now, Qian Hui was accompanied only by Xaio Baocai and Facaishu the Money Tree.

Xiaozhi shrank its massive form and followed them down.

They descended the stairs until a faintly lit basement came into view.

The source of the glow lay in a corner nearby.

Qian Hui rushed over in excitement, then froze momentarily before scrambling forward anxiously.

“Xiaokui, it’s me…” He crouched down, his breath hitching as he stared at the iron cage. “What happened to you…”

A familiar sunflower stood in the corner, confined within an iron cage made of steel bars, trapped in a narrow space.

Qian Hui had initially thought the sunflower might be injured, hiding in a secluded spot to heal. He never imagined it would be imprisoned.

Upon seeing Qian Hui, the sunflower became equally excited.

It silently approached, its soft leaves reaching through the gaps in the cage to gently touch Qian Hui’s hand.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll get you out of here…” Qian Hui reassured, trying to open the cage. He couldn’t find any switch, and as soon as his fingertips touched the dark red steel bars, they were instantly burned.

Xiaozhi squeezed over in time, its sharp teeth biting down on several steel bars before pulling with force.

Thud!

With a dull sound, the ability-infused steel bars snapped.

Qian Hui quickly pulled the sunflower out and looked down to discover a mutated red apple in the corner.

Outside, more and more zombies were approaching.

Luobo unleashed a group attack, sending a shower of carrot spikes flying through the air. Combined with Tudou occasionally throwing bombs, they managed to deal with most of the zombies.

Lajiao and Yumi guarded the stairwell entrance, ensuring no stragglers escaped.

Nan Tingjin stood nearby, still restrained by Ruanteng. For now, he didn’t need to fight or be protected.

When the iron cage in the basement broke, the ground trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Moments later, the enraged roars of zombies echoed from the distance.

It was a high-level zombie.

Luobo’s expression turned grave as it prepared to split off more spikes.

Under the dimming sky, a tall and robust zombie appeared at the edge of their vision.

It let out two more howls before charging toward the low building.

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight mid-level zombies materialized, seemingly returning from a hunt with the high-level zombie.

Dozens of carrot spikes flew out in a fierce assault, but mid-air, they were suddenly halted by a red glow.

The red glow acted like a solid glass shield. The spikes only penetrated halfway through, with the remaining halves corroded by the red light, drastically reducing their lethality.

So it was a zombie with defensive ability.

Luobo remained calm and composed, directing the other three plants to coordinate their efforts.

Just a high-level zombie. Easy to handle…

As Luobo thought this, another roar echoed, and a second high-level zombie appeared.

Luobo’s expression darkened further, spewing out more spikes.

The second zombie moved with alarming speed, darting through the rubble. With its red glow aiding it, no ranged attacks could stop it.

Its target was Luobo, aiming to strike from the side.

Just then, a massive “boom” erupted as stone slabs flew. Xiaozhi burst from the ground in time, jaws clamping around the zombie’s right leg.

The zombie screeched, wrenching free and retreating. It spotted Qian Hui emerging from the basement with the sunflower.

Its bloodshot eyes burned with fury. It roared, commanding the other zombies to seize the sunflower.

But with the man-eating flower’s addition, the plant team’s combat power surged. Even the first high-level zombie had been wounded by Luobo’s spikes.

Qian Hui was shielded by Facaishu the Money Tree’s leaves, Nan Tingjin at his side, eyes scanning the area.

The sunflower nestled in Qian Hui’s arms, its radiance spreading to instantly recharge all surrounding plants.

At that moment, a gaunt, stunted mid-level zombie crept closer, unnoticed.

Tudou was busy preparing bombs when the zombie, hidden behind the ruins, stared intently at the sunflower.

Just as it was about to attack, a green shadow suddenly descended from the sky.

Zhusun swung its bamboo blade, slicing through the zombie’s forehead and throat in one swift motion.

The severely wounded zombie collapsed to the ground. Zhusun leaped down and delivered a final, fatal blow.

With the zombie eliminated, Zhusun sheathed its blade and turned to look at the sunflower.

So… was it a mistake in judgment?

The sunflower nestled in Qian Hui’s arms, clearly relaxed and trusting—it was definitely familiar.

Recalling Qian Hui’s earlier words, Zhusun felt a pang of regret.

If only I had believed him sooner. At least I didn’t delay saving the sunflower.

With more zombies still lurking nearby, Zhusun tightened its grip on both blades and resumed assisting.

Meanwhile, after finding the sunflower, Qian Hui received a game notification: “You have formed a special bond with a Grade A mutated plant. Loyalty increased to 100%. Reward: 20,000 points.”

As he shielded the sunflower in hiding, another notification arrived:

[ [Small Bamboo Shoot] Loyalty has significantly increased to 50%~ ]

Huh?

Qian Hui stared in astonishment. When he first found the small bamboo shoot, its loyalty had clearly been at 0.

Through the leaves of Facaishu, he scanned his surroundings and spotted the familiar silhouette of the small bamboo shoot, also engaged in attacking zombies.

Including the small bamboo shoot, all offensive plants had considerable combat experience and fought with great bravery.

Two high-level zombies were dealt with by Luobo and Xiaozhi. Working in perfect coordination, they forced both zombies into a corner. Xiaozhi shattered the red protective glow with a single bite, followed by a shower of carrot spikes that rained down.

As night fell, the battle came to an end. The small bamboo shoot finished off the last low-level zombie, and Qian Hui received a game notification:

[ Third Faction Conflict has ended. Congratulations on our victory! Reward: 80 Prestige Points. ]

Over twenty zombie corpses lay scattered around, the stench in the air heavy and the commotion they’d caused significant.

Xiaozhi carried the two humans and all the plants, preparing to return to the forest for the night.

On the way back, Qian Hui looked back to see the small bamboo shoot following closely behind, only then feeling completely at ease.

Half an hour later, Xiaozhi stopped by the lake.

They had returned to their original resting place, where the water source made it convenient to wash off the dirt.

Zhusun also arrived, panting. For now, it kept its distance, hiding in the shadows as it observed cautiously.

Qian Hui sat under the tree, surrounded by plants that had all gathered around him.

Luobo and Xiaozhi were the most excited, while the other plants, being the first to meet the chief healer’s special rare plant, were equally curious and thrilled.

Yumi, being the bravest, secretly touched the sunflower’s petals, feeling their warmth.

The sunflower’s leaves gently brushed against all the plants, greeting them one by one.

It remained quiet, its faint yet gentle glow like a night lamp, conveying friendship and happiness.

This seemed to be Xiaokui’s unique ability—communicating through light and energy, naturally radiating warmth and affinity.

Qian Hui had also brought along the apple, which peeked timidly from his pocket, observing the surroundings.

Now that it was safe, Qian Hui held the sunflower, tidying its slightly disheveled petals while feeding it a Panacea.

Xiaokui could heal all living beings, but it too needed time to recover its energy.

Remembering its ordeal, Qian Hui felt sympathy. “Don’t be afraid, Xiaokui,” he said. “We’ll protect you… I’m glad we met Zhusun this afternoon. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known where to find you.”

He shared some of his own experiences with the sunflower, deliberately omitting any mention of the little mushroom.

Xiaokui probably still didn’t know about the little mushroom, and Qian Hui didn’t want to upset it. He planned to find a better time to tell the story later.

Hearing the small bamboo shoot’s name, the sunflower lifted its head.

Qian Hui discreetly pointed in a certain direction and whispered, “It’s over there, too afraid to come closer.”

Relieved that the Zhusun was unharmed, the sunflower gently wrapped its leaf around Qian Hui’s hand.

Hidden behind a tree, Zhusun peeked out secretly, finally feeling at ease.

Thank goodness. Qian Hui really is the sunflower’s friend, not some villain.

Zhusun studied the other plants around Qian Hui, then glanced at the sunflower in his arms with a hint of envy.

Most mutated plants wouldn’t even interact with their own kind, let alone humans or zombies.

The idea of plants working together was unimaginable. Since the apocalypse began, Zhusun had only grown close to the sunflower.

But seeing the plants with Qian Hui, Zhusun thought maybe it wasn’t so bad.

With companions around, it would be harder to get bullied.

Remembering its time trapped in the basement, Zhusun still felt anger.

But escaping didn’t mean total safety. It remembered encountering some particularly strong zombies…

After some thought, Zhusun retreated to a safer distance and climbed a tree to keep watch over Qian Hui and the sunflower.

Meanwhile, three modified cars stopped by the roadside.

Someone emerged from the sunroof of the car, raised binoculars, and observed.

“Many zombies died over there… What happened? Did someone steal that sunflower?”

They were from the Sky Base. A few days ago, a team passing through this area had detected the energy emitted by the sunflower.

But the sunflower was guarded by a large number of zombies, and the team lost two members, nearly failing to return.

After learning of the sunflower’s existence, the base immediately sent people to investigate the situation.

They had deliberately chosen the night, when zombies were dormant and less likely to be discovered, to first roughly estimate the number of zombies before making plans.

But now it seemed… they might have come too late?

“Stolen? By who…” His companion frowned deeply. “Is there a base nearby? Could it be another group of zombies?”

“Let me check the map… It definitely wasn’t zombies. They wouldn’t do this.”

Though zombies of different ranks led separate hordes, they would never slaughter their own kind under any circumstances.

The companion in the back seat was still examining the map when his Energy Detector suddenly beeped.

His face paled. “There’s extremely high energy… It might be the Zombie King! We need to leave immediately!”

The Zombie King’s appearance could also be due to the missing sunflower. If discovered, they would likely all die here.

The three modified vehicles retreated silently, quickly disappearing into the night.

In the corpse-littered ruins, a few stones tumbled to the ground.

Above the completely collapsed low building stood an unusually tall figure.

Its skin was pitch-black, limbs and head unnaturally elongated, and crimson eyes lacked any white.

Gazing at the ground covered in corpses and the empty basement, the zombie’s bones and joints creaked softly. A low growl, mixed with anger, escaped its throat.

***

After the battle, the plants, now dirty and grimy, jumped into the lake to wash themselves.

Yumi found the small bamboo shoot hidden in the tree and called out to it as if they were old friends.

Zhusun remained stiff and silent. Only after Yumi left did it slowly slide down from the tree.

The sunflower, somewhat exhausted, curled up with the apple in Qian Hui’s arms and fell asleep.

Still concerned, Qian Hui sent Xiaozhi to hurry the plants to the lake for washing. Once they finished bathing, they would rest in a more distant area.

Xiaozhi nodded and left, but then footsteps approached.

Nan Tingjin sat down beside Qian Hui. Feeling the familiar warmth of his body close by, Qian Hui couldn’t resist moving closer and nestling into his embrace.

Though they had successfully rescued the sunflower, Qian Hui’s heart was still filled with lingering fear.

He held the plants in his arms, burying his face in Nan Tingjin’s neck and nuzzling against him.

Nan Tingjin wrapped his arms around Qian Hui, gently stroking his silver hair. “Are you looking for special-grade mutant plants?”

Qian Hui hummed in response. “They’re all my friends.”

Nan Tingjin added, “There’s one at Black Spine Mountain too.”

Qian Hui froze, lifting his head. “R-really?”

“Truly,” Nan Tingjin said, gently touching his cheek. “Come back to the base with me. I’ll take you to find it.”

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Translator’s Note:

Sunflower/Xiaokui and Apple/Pingguo entered the family~

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