Chapter 247 | Chapter 248 | Chapter 249
Chapter 247: The Mutated Pine Tree
Kuang Biao had been depressed for a long time now. By the time Huai Yu walked over, it wasn’t even nagging anymore.
In stark contrast, Xiao Kui, not far away, had already exceeded a height of ten meters. If things kept going like this, it might even surpass Kuang Biao!
Now, even when Huai Yu looked up with her head tilted back, she could barely see the shape of its flowers clearly.
Looking at it this way, Kuang Biao’s heart had truly broken too early. If he had held out until now, he probably wouldn’t have been able to accept his girlfriend being taller and sturdier than him.
After all, although he was young, he was also highly sensitive about his dignity.
“Kuang Biao?” Huai Yu called out softly.
“What do you want?” Kuang Biao shook his bamboo leaves, his voice no longer as loud as before.
Huai Yu kind of wanted to laugh, so she quickly redirected the topic: “I plan to take Zhou Qian into Sanqing Mountain in a couple of days. Tell me about any dangerous mutated creatures up on the mountain!”
“Dangerous ones?” Kuang Biao perk up slightly, then said overbearingly, “There are truly very few things on the entire mountain that could be considered dangerous to me.”
Huai Yu didn’t believe a word of it!
“If you’re really that amazing, why were your roots practically plowed out of the ground by other trees the very first time we met?”
“Why? Why should there be a why?” Kuang Biao argued, “Several trees ganged up on me at once. I—I—I was just letting them have their way, what’s wrong with that?”
“Oh.” Huai Yu gave a perfunctory reply, recalling his miserable state when he was thrown around and beaten in front of the Rose Corridor, as well as the vines in the bamboo grove tunnel that still hadn’t been retracted.
She flipped open her notebook: “Anyway, just tell me what mutated creatures you remember on the mountain.”
As she spoke, Zhou Qian walked over as well: “I’ll listen too, to prepare myself mentally.”
With an extra listener, Kuang Biao finally pushed the depressing thought of Xiao Kui to the back of his mind and seriously recalled his life on the mountain:
“I also ran up the mountain from below, so I’ll first tell you about the mutated ones in my memory—the one that left the deepest impression is the massive pine forest occupying the outer perimeter of Sanqing Mountain.”
“That old pine tree is completely shameless. It loves shooting pine needles the most. When I first arrived, my leaves were pierced all over by it!”
“According to other trees, if its pinecones mature in autumn or winter, being hit by them is like getting blasted by a cannonball. It can pierce right through my bamboo stalks with a single shot.”
“Oh, and another thing, it seems to be able to control pine pollen…”
Huai Yu blinked, feeling that this description sounded both unfamiliar and strange yet somehow familiar.
Zhou Qian’s expression turned serious: “I remember internal files having records of that. That pine tree has likely lived for many years. The core of that entire pine forest is actually just that single tree; the rest are merely smaller pine trees it reproduced to guard itself.”
“And because plenty of tourists used to visit it in the past, it actually developed intelligence after mutating.”
“Particularly that pine pollen. At the very beginning, when humans were at their most guarded, the pine pollen it released was normal. But once you venture deep inside, the pine pollen of the entire forest will suddenly detonate, forming a thick cloud of brownish-yellow mist.”
“Once inhaled into the lungs, a person has to have their stomach cut open to clear every single grain out one by one just to save their life.”
Hiss!
Huai Yu sucked in a breath of cold air: Was it that terrifying?!
Thank goodness she had never encountered it!
After Zhou Qian finished speaking, seeing Kuang Biao frantically shaking his leaves in agreement, he suddenly knitted his brows and looked at Huai Yu:
“Where did you get those pinecones you brought to trade with me for the tarp the first time?”
Huai Yu quickly reassured him: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Although those were gathered on Sanqing Mountain, they were just from an ordinary, large mutated pine tree. It has a very good temper, not like the one Kuang Biao is talking about.”
Zhou Qian thought about those large pinecones that showed absolutely no abnormalities, nodded, and continued listening to Kuang Biao’s narrative—
“There’s also a mutated creature that seems to live in the water. I don’t know what kind of fish it is, but it’s incredibly strong. It can change colors and blend directly into the water, making it very hard to spot.”
“If you see a clear, bright pool of water on the mountain, whether you put a hand or a foot in, a huge chunk of flesh will be ripped off instantly…”
Huai Yu’s heart pounded like a drum: “Thank goodness, thank goodness. I only caught some fish, shrimp, and crabs to enrich the pond. The two large, ordinary fish I got before were sold long ago… and that black fish that went missing, though it was very strong, it didn’t bite people…”
Heavens! Ignorance truly was bliss; she had no idea so many dangers were hidden on the mountain.
Zhou Qian looked at her: “Are you scared? If you’re scared, take some time to give it serious thought.”
“What Kuang Biao mentioned are just the things in its memory. In reality, nearly all the plants in the entire Sanqing Mountain have mutated to some degree. It’s just that some possess intelligence and some don’t.”
“If it weren’t because they are too formidable, and the mountain is so vast that we can’t casually use heavy weapons out of fear of starting a fire, making it easy to defend but hard to attack, why would our camps merely station themselves here rather than daring to thoroughly clear them out?”
Really?
Huai Yu recalled her experiences going up the mountain a few times: it felt like there really weren’t that many mutated plants! Could they be exaggerating too much?
But since she was here to gather information, she dutifully noted down these key points in her notebook, deciding that she must be extra vigilant when she went up Sanqing Mountain in a few days.
…
Kuang Biao narrated the stories with vivid color, painting the entire Sanqing Mountain as a perilous den of monsters where stepping in casually meant certain death.
Huai Yu’s notes filled three whole pages. Looking at all the hazards listed, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows again.
If she really went by this data, this trip to Sanqing Mountain would definitely be fraught with danger at every turn! The way she had just walked straight up the mountain in the past made her look like a complete idiot!
This was exactly what Zhou Qian had intended.
Toward the end, Kuang Biao’s words became increasingly exaggerated, heavily utilizing dramatic flair to highlight his own extraordinary nature, which only made the little girl’s expression tighter and tighter.
All along, even though Huai Yu constantly emphasized that she was very cautious and cherished her life, every time she brought up the wilderness, she was brimming with excitement and anticipation. This mindset was absolutely unacceptable.
Now, using Kuang Biao’s mouth with Zhou Qian providing extra details from the side, they finally got the little girl to take the danger of mutated plants seriously.
However, considering she had already been up the mountain so many times, and given that even the Rose Corridor hadn’t resisted her wood-type affinity, going up the mountain this time might not be as terrifying as imagined.
In any case, they would treat it as a practice run before heading into the wilderness.
Zhou Qian subconsciously rubbed his left leg. After a period of integration, the Boston ivy had already woven perfectly with his nerves, making it feel as if he had never lost that leg at all.
His combat capability was actually much stronger now than before his retirement.
Therefore, simply exploring the mountain should be enough to guarantee Huai Yu’s safety.
After all, everyone knew that most of the mutated plants on Sanqing Mountain had hosted countless tourists before the cataclysm. As long as one didn’t do anything reckless, taking a loop around the outermost perimeter was still perfectly safe.
Chapter 248: Is Wu Yue Going to the Wilderness?
Sanqing Mountain was a trip they would have to make sooner or later, but before that, Huai Yu had already woken up extra early, waiting with joyous anticipation to buy her car.
If the earliest bus hadn’t been at 7:00 AM, she would have rolled out of bed at 5:00 AM and dashed straight over.
Not only her, but Zhou Qian was quite looking forward to it as well.
He used to have a vehicle back when he was in the Defense Army. Although he hadn’t had any personal matters to attend to back then, and his vacations were pitifully few, he’d had one at his disposal nonetheless.
Yet now that he had truly become a laborer, he was forced to rely on his two legs. To be precise, he only had one real leg right now.
Though the two of them had never deeply scrutinized the nature of their current relationship, it felt remarkably similar to how he and Zhou Ning used to depend on each other. Except Zhou Ning had been more obedient and compliant.
As for Huai Yu…
Though she appeared entirely fragile and gentle on the outside, Zhou Qian thought about how she had ordered him around over this past period and made a strict mental distinction between the two.
It was like… Zhou Qian pondered, and realized that if they were a trio of siblings, Zhou Ning would be the more sensible and considerate middle sister, while Huai Yu was the mischievous youngest sister who used her delicate appearance to mask her sly intentions.
With this convoluted family equation mapped out—Huai Yu getting a car meant he effectively had a car, too.
In short, the two checked their respective point balances once more during the interval of waiting for the bus, running the numbers again: it should be enough!
They boarded the bus empty-handed once again. Since the temperature wasn’t too high early in the morning, quite a few passengers got on when the vehicle stopped at the Jin Yuan residential complex. Seeing another large crowd of aunties board, Zhou Qian instinctively pulled down his hat, shrinking into the corner with his head lowered.
Zhou Qian extended his hand. “Let me see the notes you took yesterday.”
Huai Yu rummaged through her satchel and pulled out the notebook.
Zhou Qian flipped through the booklet page by page to check them over. The first thing he looked at was that mutated fish that could blend into the water. Logically speaking, they ought to be vigilant, but limited by the natural habits of fish, as long as they didn’t approach any water sources, they would most likely be fine.
Next was that mutated red pine that had gradually expanded from a single tree into an entire forest—it was incredibly unpredictable, so they would need to actively avoid pine trees along the route.
Right after that was a section near a stone cave along a wooden plank path with a specific landmark, where the corners were covered in fungal spores that would take root and grow inside human flesh if one wasn’t careful.
Though the damage wasn’t immense, it would continue to scatter spores as it grew. The parasitized person would suffer from a weakened constitution, making it exceptionally tedious to deal with.
Kuang Biao was a bamboo plant, after all, and hadn’t roamed many parts of Sanqing Mountain. It was far too overbearing in claiming territory, so the other trees couldn’t stand it. The trees that possessed emotions after mutating didn’t care to communicate with it, meaning the details it had spat out in a few brief sentences were extremely sparse.
For instance, a pair of mutated orchid mantises loved nothing more than perching on wild grass stems by the water, disguising themselves as flowers to admire their own beauty day and night…
Zhou Qian was left completely speechless when he read this part.
There was no need to worry about this type; they didn’t even plan to go near water.
There was also a Daoist temple on the mountain, which reportedly contained an incredibly powerful and overbearing mutated plant that the other mutated flora didn’t dare approach lightly…
Zhou Qian silently placed an asterisk next to this entry. Huai Yu had once mentioned she came down from the mountain. How could a person suddenly lose their memories yet come down from Sanqing Mountain completely unscathed?
This place was worth investigating.
Connecting this back to the dreams she had been having, Zhou Qian opened his communicator and sent a message to an old friend—
[Could you do me a favor and find out if General Wu Yue ever went deep into Sanqing Mountain after he made a name for himself?]
This kind of itinerary shouldn’t be a state secret. Even though it might be a bit troublesome to look up since he had only just achieved fame back then, it shouldn’t be entirely untraceable.
Since Wu Yue wasn’t a good person in Huai Yu’s dreams, could the changes that occurred to her be directly linked to him?
As the bus gradually neared the city center, the communicator’s signal grew stronger. Before long, his friend replied:
[They actually just finished migrating those files into electronic archives a while back. I’ll find a way to ask around—why, did you also hear the rumor that he’s leading a team into the wilderness again this winter?]
Zhou Qian’s brows knitted: [He’s going in person?]
That shouldn’t be.
General Lin had already vanished into the wilderness. To maintain general political stability, there was actually no need for him, as the Garrison Officer, to risk entering the wilderness again.
After all, except for Flower City, even though the creatures in the wilderness were restless elsewhere and looking to attack the cities, the Garrison and Defense armies stationed across the regions were fully capable of holding the outermost perimeters.
Coupled with the regular annual culling operations, the wilderness was not currently the primary defensive priority.
As the strongest ability user—though after Huai Yu’s subtle, long-term influence, Zhou Qian no longer believed he was the strongest.
However, since he held the position of Garrison Officer, his mere existence served as a deterrent to the restless surrounding nations. Why would he personally venture into the wilderness when the situation wasn’t even severe?
This wasn’t like that bitter period in the past when entering the wilderness was an absolute necessity. General Lin had been forced to go, whereas Wu Yue…
Zhou Qian pondered this for a long time. But he was, after all, quite far removed from the upper echelons, and certain information wouldn’t be casually disclosed to ordinary citizens. He could only silently wonder if some new variable had arisen in the wilderness.
Unexpectedly, shortly after he sent his reply, his friend called him directly. Zhou Qian glanced at Huai Yu, who was enthusiastically leaning over the seat in front of her to listen to the other aunties gossiping, and silently answered the call.
“Some things are better left unsaid over text—there are a few rumors floating around. Just rumors, mind you, I can’t guarantee they’re true!”
“Word is that the higher-ups aren’t particularly fond of him, and the Garrison troops under his command aren’t entirely submissive either. Everyone is guessing that he’s heading into the wilderness to establish his own authority and prestige.”
“Of course, there’s another rumor saying that for some reason, he’s heavily in debt on the outside, and he’s going into the wilderness to quickly rack up points. But that one sounds like complete nonsense. After several years of the cataclysm, how could someone with his abilities possibly end up buried under a mountain of debt?”
“It’s most likely because General Lin’s legacy is a tough act to follow. If he doesn’t showcase some real prowess, he won’t be able to carry out his work smoothly in the future.”
Zhou Qian found himself agreeing.
In fact, looking back now, the emotions General Wu had displayed when he tried to force his way into Huai Yu’s cabin had been incredibly urgent.
At the time, Zhou Qian had assumed it was because the matter concerned General Lin, which warranted handling things as a special case.
But if he was desperate to establish his authority, or rather, if he wanted to confirm as quickly as possible the news of General Lin’s demise to dispel everyone’s illusions… that was also highly probable.
Furthermore…
There were things Zhou Qian hadn’t mentioned to Huai Yu, but when General Wu had emerged from the treehouse covered in injuries, he had felt deeply disappointed in his heart.
As a fellow Garrison Officer, a mere protective talisman left behind by General Lin for Huai Yu had been enough to wound him. Whether it was due to a momentary lapse of focus or a genuine lack of capability, it displayed very poor combat awareness.
But it was better not to mention any of this to Xiao Yu.
She already looked down on General Wu quite a bit to begin with, and she never made any effort to hide it. The moment she heard this piece of news, her disdainful attitude would only grow more absolute.
If that happened, and she inadvertently let that attitude show when she followed the Garrison Army into the wilderness this winter, and he noticed it…
Chapter 249: The Car!
Zhou Qian’s worry was absolutely necessary.
Although their plan was only to follow far behind the Garrison Army, that didn’t guarantee there would be zero contact.
Once they encountered danger, the Garrison Army would definitely lend a hand if it fell within their combat range. If her hidden emotions leaked out and were noticed at such a moment, it would be impossible to predict whether the other party would try their absolute best to save her or hesitate out of a subconscious reflex in a life-or-death crisis.
Thus, despite the immense resentment Huai Yu harbored in her heart, Zhou Qian never referred to Wu Yue directly by name in front of her.
Furthermore, he still remembered that phone call General Wu had made when he first returned to the Imperial Capital, as well as that photograph projected onto the screen. Though Zhou Qian had stated with absolute certainty at the time that they didn’t look alike, Huai Yu was currently growing up.
In the five months from their first meeting until now, she had transformed from a tiny, scrawny fifteen- or sixteen-year-old into what now looked like a slightly slender young woman of eighteen or nineteen.
Zhou Qian couldn’t guarantee whether she would bear a resemblance to that photograph by November. Nor could he guarantee whether General Wu would, on a sudden whim, want to see this person who shared the same “name” with his own eyes.
Thinking of all this, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but feel a bit of a headache.
After all, when he was in the Defense Army, he rarely had to use his brain for anything other than tactical combat plans.
He turned his head to study Huai Yu. Summer was drawing to a close, and he had already been tanned pitch-black, yet her skin remained as white as snow, making her look like an innocent, carefree girl who knew nothing of the world’s troubles.
Right at that moment, Huai Yu turned her head, her eyes sparkling like crystals, and whispered, “Zhou Qian, they’re talking about their children! I listened in and found out there are several single girls! Do you want to look for a partner?”
As she spoke, a hint of sympathy leaked into her eyes. “Otherwise, you’ll just end up like your friends, still bachelors even now.”
Though being a bachelor didn’t seem bad, Zhou Qian didn’t have any other family besides himself. It felt a bit lonely.
Zhou Qian instantly felt that all his internal wrestling and deep deliberations from a moment ago had been entirely pointless.
With a fool like her right in front of him—who thought about absolutely nothing besides eating, drinking, and heading into the wilderness—she didn’t worry about anything else at all!
Consequently, he pressed his rough, large hand against her face. “Worry less about that and instead think about how you’re going to learn to drive. Otherwise, did you buy this car for me?”
Huai Yu was instantly poked in her sore spot!
It was true. Although she had saved up enough points to buy a car, who would have thought she didn’t know how to drive? Chen Xing had even said that there weren’t even driving schools anymore, so she could only rely on Zhou Qian to teach her.
And looking at Zhou Qian now, his skin was so dark, and there was a scar on his face; he looked like the type who would have a rather hard time finding a partner.
Why was he so dark anyway?
Huai Yu gave a sheepish smile. “Brother Zhou Qian, we’re a family. What’s mine is yours. Our Rose Manor is my land, and it’s your land too. We don’t divide things between us.”
Zhou Qian sneered. “Think I haven’t been digging the vegetable patch hard enough, so you’re dangling a carrot?”
“Go on, go find a partner for me. Once the two of us start a family and live our lives, we’ll have to divide the property clearly—is the vegetable patch yours or mine?”
His tone was incredibly sarcastic. Huai Yu could tell he was teasing her, so she gave a huff. “Isn’t it just stepping on the gas pedal? Who can’t do that!”
…
The bus rattled and swayed, and the temperature was simply too hot. By the time they stepped off, both of them were somewhat listless.
Fortunately, Boss Tang was already waiting. The moment he saw them arrive, he started his vehicle without another word.
Presently, he brought the two of them to a residential complex located very close to the highway entrance. It was also an unfinished complex, but a few of the buildings had been completed long ago. The three garages on the first floor were what Gao Ming had previously chosen as his “home.”
Two of them stored his various bizarre pieces of experimental equipment and materials, while the remaining one housed his car.
“There, that guy Gao Ming used to be incredibly wealthy. He lived in a Qinghewan villa and had seven or eight modified vehicles in his garage.”
“But now, only this one is left. During those years of the cataclysm, he spent a fortune on this car. The entire chassis and body utilize a new type of biological material that is highly resistant to corrosion and punctures, and the tires are also a special product. He relied precisely on this protection to traverse the wilderness.”
Whether the defensive capability was good or not couldn’t be determined in a short glance. However, the vehicle before them possessed a domineering and fierce exterior, with massive tires and high ground clearance. The car itself was very large, offering a spacious interior, and the truck bed seemed even larger than Chen Xing’s vehicle.
Although it no longer looked brand new, there were no major damages to be seen overall; it was clearly a rare find.
Particularly because Gao Ming possessed good aesthetic taste. The entire vehicle had a colorful, vibrant exterior, but the colors interlinked bright and dark shades in an expert arrangement. It didn’t look gaudy at all; instead, it resembled a magnificent painting of Sunflowers.
A vehicle like this driving through the wilderness would be far more eye-catching than those bright red, purple, or fluorescent cars.
It was a completely different style of beauty compared to the Garrison Army’s vehicles.
Huai Yu’s heart instantly thumped in her chest. She thought to herself that even if this car was a bit more expensive than the market price, she would be completely fine with it!
It was truly beautiful!
She tugged at the hem of Zhou Qian’s shirt. The latter remained completely unfazed. “Can I take it for a spin?”
That was an absolute yes.
Boss Tang deftly handed over the keys and smoothly guided Huai Yu into the back seat. “Come, come, come, feel it for yourself! This car’s shock absorption utilizes a new technology from recent years! Once you’ve been to the wilderness, you’ll know that those roads are just paths we’ve trudged out bit by bit, completely rugged and bumpy.”
“In the past, even the newest off-road vehicles would be shaken to pieces if they went into the mountains.”
“But this one is different; it’s exceptionally stable! Even if you put a flowerpot inside, it won’t tip over despite all the bumps along the way.”
“When the time comes, one person can drive while the other rests or stands guard in the back seat, and it won’t be too uncomfortable.”
While he spoke, Zhou Qian had already inspected the interior of the car, a flicker of satisfaction emerging in his eyes. At this moment, he started the vehicle. Hearing the steady, deep hum produced by the engine, a pleasant surprise color his face. “The horsepower sounds very strong.”
“Of course!” Boss Tang grew proud. “Gao Ming never kept anything of poor quality in his hands! He used to be a playboy in his youth, racing cars, getting into fights, frequenting bars… Then, after turning twenty, he suddenly turned over a new leaf. He stayed home to cultivate his mind, brewing tea and sweeping snow, acting with such refined poise you wouldn’t believe it.”
“He knows his stuff when it comes to cars, too. He threw a lot of premium materials into this one after the cataclysm to piece it together…”
“How many points?!” Huai Yu asked, unable to contain herself any longer.
According to the usual process, she should have picked out a few flaws first to haggle over the price—but between her and Boss Tang, who was counting?
It was better to go straight to the point!
Boss Tang indeed did not disappoint. He pondered for a moment. “He gave me full authority over this car. I know he doesn’t want to sell it, but he’s truly becoming more and more reckless with his life lately. It’s best to quickly let the car go while he happens to need a massive amount of contribution points.”
“To be honest, giving it to Xiao Yu puts my mind at ease as well.”
Boss Tang smoothly gave the price: “Sixty-five thousand points! For a car of this quality, if you don’t understand it, Xiao Yu, just have your brother ask around—it’s absolutely impossible to find it on the market for lower than seventy thousand!”
