Chapter 9

Nan Tingjin continued forward, and just as his aura was about to fade away, he entered a low-rise building.

The low-rise building was mostly collapsed, and there were drag marks on the debris on the ground.

Nan Tingjin stopped in front of a wardrobe: "Come out."

The surroundings were quiet. After a while, the cabinet door was pushed open a crack from the inside.

The gap widened, revealing half of Qian Hui's face.

He glanced nervously behind Nan Tingjin to make sure the other humans hadn't followed, then pushed the cabinet door open a little further.

Qian Hui crouched in the closet, her expression timid: "Will...will you kill me?"

He was just a hair's breadth away from being hit by the broken wall that was thrown at him. Luckily, the soft vines helped him escape quickly.

And the brick piercing the pillar, if I'm not mistaken, should belong to Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui hid here immediately, not daring to go any further, but Nan Tingjin still found her...

Nan Tingjin stepped forward, squatted down, and glanced at Qian Hui.

If there were no injuries, then it must have just been frightened.

He gave an irrelevant answer: "Going north is a low-risk area."

Ordinary humans and people with superpowers occasionally pass through the safe zone, but Qian Hui's appearance is too conspicuous, so it's best for her to stay in the low-risk zone.

Although low-risk areas are poor in resources, they have almost no intermediate or higher-level zombies or mutated plants.

Before reuniting with the four members of the team, Nan Tingjin originally intended to shake off Qian Hui, but he ended up following along anyway.

He should have killed Qian Hui the moment she approached him to avoid further trouble.

But he didn't, and perhaps he himself couldn't explain the specific reasons.

Since we don't want to kill her, we have to keep her alive for now. No one can touch Qian Hui, no matter where she comes from.

Qian Hui understood the meaning behind Nan Tingjin's words, pursed her lips, silently shrank back, and closed the cabinet door a little.

He turned his head away and ignored the other person, pretending not to hear.

Nan Tingjin stared at Qian Hui's profile for a while before standing up.

“This is not a place for you,” he said, glancing at the soft vines wrapped around Qian Hui’s arm. “There are man-eating flowers nearby.”

Since Qian Hui knows how to control plants, even if he hasn't heard of the man-eating flower, the other mutated plants should be afraid when they smell its scent.

This super-grade mutated plant has always been a source of fear for all species, including zombies.

However, some time ago, Sky Base did something that made the man-eating flower go berserk for a long time. It was injured once, and recently it was injured a second time by the superhuman team and the zombie horde, so it went into hiding.

Coincidentally, another mutated plant they had captured escaped, and they couldn't spare more manpower for the time being, so they issued a bounty, which was accepted by the Black Ridge Mountain base.

Even when the man-eating plant is injured, it is still far superior to ordinary mutated plants.

"Man-eating flower?"

Qian Hui was startled and suddenly pushed open the cabinet door.

However, Nan Tingjin left as soon as he finished speaking, and Qian Hui only saw his back when she came out.

Just to be on the safe side, he didn't choose to give chase, fearing he might be discovered by other humans.

Qian Hui hesitated for a moment, then hid back inside.

He was right when he overheard that Nan Tingjin and his companions were indeed also looking for the man-eating flower.

Then he definitely can't leave.

In the past two days, Qianhui has been thinking about the time when the man-eating flower left.

It had so many wounds from being bitten by zombies; I wonder if they've healed.

When he first woke up, Qian Hui might not have known what to do, but now he basically understands how to play the game and can buy medicine for it.

Qian Hui was worried and decided to stay away from the human team, and go check if there was any movement.

Chili tugged at Qian Hui's sleeve, her eyes asking inquiringly, "Huh?"

That human doesn't seem to be lying; the man-eating flower really is nearby. Isn't Qianhui going to leave?

It was quite nervous... That was a man-eating flower, a top-tier mutant plant. If a single leaf came down, these little plants would only have the chance to run for their lives.

Qian Hui lowered her head and saw fear in Chili's eyes.

“It’s alright, I’m not leaving,” he shook his head. “The carnivorous plant… is my friend.”

The premise is that the man-eating flower didn't forget him like Nan Tingjin did.

Chili paused for a moment, her expression subtle.

The leader of the Black Ridge Mountain base is your boyfriend, and the super-grade mutated man-eating plant is your friend... You're quite something.

Chili thought of Nan Tingjin's attitude towards Qian Hui these past two days and fell into deep thought.

Could it really be true?

Qianhui, unaware of what Chili was thinking, also comforted Ruanteng and took out food from her pocket to feed them.

The baby cabbage is still not awake, but judging from its condition, there's no need to worry for now.

Coincidentally, there was another game prompt, and Qianhui opened the encyclopedia, and Ruan Teng's loyalty had also reached 80%.

Looking at chili peppers, the percentage barely increased from 5% to 10%.

Perhaps because soft vines and small cabbages are both low-level plants, their survival is already quite difficult, so it is already very rare for them to encounter someone like Qian Hui who provides them with three meals a day.

Intermediate-level mutated plants are more cautious and wary, and need to be "conquered".

Yesterday, the game told Qianhui that after the beginner period ended, a new guide tip appeared in the encyclopedia, which would only appear after triggering hidden information.

As for top-tier mutated plants... you'd be lucky to even encounter one; everything else depends on fate.

However, both plants have reached 80% loyalty, so we can check their preparation information now.

After confirming that it was safe outside, Qianhui hid in the closet and studied it carefully.

[Variety]: Mini Cabbage

[Preparation Details]: None available (Area/Start Time/Mission Instructions/End Time)

[Variety]: Soft Vine

[Preparation Details]: None available (Area/Start Time/Mission Instructions/End Time)

[Gameplay Introduction]: Place your plants in designated areas and add tasks or time limits. Your plants will move around on their own even when you are not around.

Example 1: "Soft Vine" is in preparation, area range (selectable), start immediately, kill three level 1 zombies, no time limit.

Example 2: "Mini Cabbage" is preparing for battle. Area range (selectable). After 1 hour, it will patrol and alert the host when any creature approaches. The battle will end after 9 hours.

It also states that once a plant's loyalty reaches 80%, it has established a close connection with the host and the game system, enabling communication through methods such as long-range radio waves or human communicators.

Even when the plants are not with Qian Hui, or when he is resting at night, he can still use the preparation system to issue commands to make the plants do anything for him. If they successfully kill a zombie, the balance will automatically increase.

After each preparation, it's best to reward the plants; otherwise, they may become unhappy, their loyalty may decrease, and in severe cases, they may even run away from home.

Qian Hui read it carefully, then lowered her head and touched the leaves of the soft vine.

I feel like... I don't need it right now.

He turned off the game and rested quietly against the wooden board.

Outside, the four-person team made their arrangements and took out the zombie heads.

One of them captured a mid-level zombie last night and sealed it away using his frost ability. Now that it's thawed, he's bound its hands and left it nearby.

The zombie, with its head hanging around its neck, could only move within a small area. It could smell food but couldn't see any people, and would occasionally let out angry roars.

The group moved a distance away and hid in the shadows, waiting for the man-eating flower to appear.

During this time, a young member of the team asked in a low voice, "Will this even work?"

“Probably,” his companion replied. “The man-eating plant has a bad temper and must hold a deep grudge against the high-level zombie that injured it.”

Zombies' cries are usually not very different; they use instruments to detect energy, while mutated plants recognize scents.

The high-level zombie hadn't been dead for more than a few days, and its head was hanging around the neck of the mid-level zombie. Combined with the man-eating plant's own scent, there was a 70-80% chance that it would believe it.

Qianhui also heard the zombies' movements and quietly came out to investigate.

He didn't see the location of the human team or Nantingjin; he just circled around the area.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the scorching sun enveloped the ruins.

Qian Hui wasn't bothered by the heat and didn't even break a sweat as she stood guard in front of the low building.

The distant cries of zombies attracted some low-level zombies, which he lured away and then killed.

The human team had vanished without a trace, and Qianhui suspected they might have left.

But the zombies' cries remained fixed in one direction, which he found unusual, so he decided to wait patiently.

On the other side, the team members were also waiting anxiously.

Is it not going to work? The carnivorous plant clearly smelled the scent yesterday and came nearby, and its energy was detected.

Now, as it approaches its previous location, the energy hasn't dissipated yet, and it hasn't left.

Nan Tingjin sat with the team at a slightly further distance, remaining silent.

Since he didn't say the plan was canceled, we'll just keep waiting.

Among the group, one had some knowledge of mutant plants, especially the plants that had been discovered most frequently in recent years.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps it wants to confirm whether the zombies are also looking for it."

If you happen to bump into someone, you can tolerate it and ignore it, but if they actively come to your door to provoke you, you can't swallow your anger.

Strangely enough, the birth of the mutated plant initially shocked everyone.

Animals bitten by zombies only die, but plants, which are considered the most harmless, begin to have life and thought.

In the post-apocalyptic world, humans and zombies are locked in a conflict. Any mutated plant that helps either side will disrupt the balance and cause the other side to perish rapidly.

As a result, the mutated plants hate both humans and zombies, leading to the current situation where the three sides are attacking each other.

In any case, the man-eating plant will probably take some action; as long as it reveals its specific whereabouts, that will be enough.

The team continued to wait patiently, and before they knew it, night had fallen.

After finishing her dinner, Qianhui took the three plants and hid back in the closet.

Zombies will hibernate at night, and distant noises will gradually fade away.

Still haunted by the daytime attack, Qianhui decided to wait until tomorrow morning to assess the situation before making any further plans.

He closed the wardrobe door, curled up, and went to sleep.

In the latter half of the night, the roars of zombies rang out again.

Qian Hui was startled awake and suddenly opened her eyes.

Amidst the ruins, a mid-level zombie is forced to awaken from its slumber, attempting to break free of its bound hands.

It sensed a stronger and richer aura, and a sense of crisis made it instinctively seek new cover to hide in.

In the distance, the team members perked up.

"They're here."

Under the cover of night, a huge, dark shadow blocked out the moonlight.

The man-eating flower's injuries have not yet fully healed. Its size has shrunk somewhat since its last appearance, but it is still as tall as a three-story building.

Its thick flower stem rolled through the ruins, quickly reaching the location of the intermediate-level zombie, and then it opened its mouth to bite.

The zombie couldn't dodge; one of its arms and half of its body were torn apart, and its head, which was hanging around its neck, fell off.

The carnivorous plant spat out the remains in its mouth and tilted its head slightly.

The zombies died too easily, which aroused its suspicion.

Then, looking down at the ground, he saw the head of a zombie that had been dead for a long time roll to his feet.

The man-eating flower swished its stem, angrily slapping the head open.

It realized it had been tricked and turned to find the culprit.

At that moment, the four members of the team acted simultaneously, surrounding the carnivorous plant from all directions.

Not far away, Nan Tingjin stood on the ruins, watching the carnivorous flower finally appear.

He didn't make a move yet. The four-person team all had high-level abilities, and a thick ice wall quickly condensed, trapping the man-eating flower inside.

The carnivorous plant tries to break through or climb over the ice wall, but its leaves freeze upon contact, becoming stiff and unable to move.

Another person's special ability is to generate lightning; with a wave of their hand, large swaths of dark clouds gather in the sky.

The remaining two are both physical-type, and although they can only strengthen a part of their bodies in a short period of time, it is enough to unleash amazing power.

At the same time, Qianhui ran towards the carnivorous plant.

He also discovered that the man-eating plant had shrunk in size and was being besieged by a human team.

A rumble of thunder sounded, and two bolts of lightning struck the carnivorous plant precisely. It withstood the attack, turned its head, and swung its stem, smashing the wall that was crashing down on it.

Compared to the horde of zombies led by the two high-level zombies, the human squad in front of them was clearly more threatening, and the man-eating plant was also injured.

Qianhui was very anxious and wanted to go and help.

Chili peppers tried desperately to stop it, tugging at the sleeves a few times to no avail, then turned to the soft vines and whimpered.

Do you want to watch him get himself killed?!

Neither the carnivorous plants nor the superhumans over there are things they can handle; even if they get close, they might get accidentally injured.

After a moment's hesitation, the soft vine wrapped around Qian Hui's upper body and arms, binding him tightly to a section of a crooked street lamp.

Qian Hui struggled desperately: "Let me go..."

The vines weren't too strong, avoiding any pain from constriction, but they still prevented him from moving forward.

Chili pepper poked half its body out, its eyes serious: "Waaah!"

Qian Hui couldn't break free, but he also understood that his abilities were limited, so he forced himself to calm down.

"There must be a way, I... I have to help..." He opened the game and haphazardly browsed through the store.

There are quite a few items in the building materials and weapons section; with Qianhui's current balance, she can barely pick one to buy.

But Qianhui didn't recognize any of these things, which had names like "three-shot machine gun," "missile head," and "sprayer."

Before purchasing, he couldn't see how to use it. Just as he was feeling lost and helpless, the carnivorous plant in the distance was struck by lightning one after another, letting out a mournful roar.

It still wanted to climb over the ice wall, enduring the intense pain, and stuck one of its flower stems to it.

The squad, of course, wouldn't allow it to escape. The short guy stood guard outside, picked up the tall stone pillar, and smashed it down.

Lightning dispelled the darkness, and Qianhui witnessed this scene.

"No..." He was about to cry, his thin shoulders trembling, and he decided to just pick one he could afford.

At this moment, Chili grabbed Qianhui's wrist.

"Woo woo..." Its gaze was firm, as if it had made up its mind. It turned its head to look at the man-eating flower, and then pointed to itself.

Then, Chili Pepper popped out of her pocket and stood in front of Qian Hui.

Qian Hui stared at it blankly: "You..."

Chili nodded.

Yes, my leg was healed the day before yesterday, and I've been hiding it from Qianhui and the other two plants.

Judging from Qian Hui's reaction, she probably really does know that man-eating flower.

If he insists on saving the other person, I might be able to help.

Let's just consider it as Qian Hui's protection and care for me during this time. I'll help him one last time before I leave... It's not because I'm too heartbroken to see him.

"Waaah." Chili instructed Soft Vine to guard Qian Hui, then turned and leaped onto the ruins, heading towards the carnivorous flower.

Watching Chili's retreating figure, Qian Hui instantly understood: "Don't..."

He was worried that Chili might get hurt if she went alone.

Qian Hui struggled again, but Ruan Teng didn't let go of him, choosing to listen to Chili.

Even if the order is given using the preparation system, the plants need to cooperate. Qian Hui had no other choice but to assure the soft vine, "I won't get too close, I'll just go over and take a look."

Ruan Teng's loyalty was too high, and his attitude had softened.

It was also worried about the chili pepper, so it let go of Qianhui and climbed onto his shoulder as usual to help him travel.

On the other side, the small figure of the chili pepper approached.

The four-person team was busy dealing with the man-eating flower and couldn't pay attention to what was behind them, but it couldn't hide under Nan Tingjin's nose.

Nan Tingjin recognized the plant next to Qian Hui, and when he turned around, he saw that Qian Hui was also coming this way.

Qian Hui didn't listen to him. Not only did she not leave, she even dared to approach him.

Nan Tingjin frowned and glanced in the direction of the squad.

Given the current situation, he doesn't even need to lift a finger; the man-eating plant can be captured alive.

Amidst the ruins, Qian Hui hurried on her way, but Ruan Teng suddenly stopped.

He looked up, and Nan Tingjin appeared before him.

The fact that Nan Tingjin was not with the team attacking the man-eating flower gave Qian Hui a glimmer of hope.

He strode forward and grabbed Nan Tingjin's hand: "You know those people... can you make them stop?"

Nan Tingjin glanced down at them, but didn't move: "Why?"

“The man-eating plants there are my friends,” Qianhui stammered, “You can’t…you can’t hurt them.”

He still remembered the fate of the man-eating flower he had witnessed, and he wanted to stop it no matter what.

“Friend…” Nan Tingjin repeated softly, his face expressionless, “You are not allowed to go over there.”

He seemed unconcerned about Qian Hui's words; he simply wanted to stop him.

Even if she isn't discovered by the rest of the team, if she gets too close by accident, a single bolt of lightning could kill Qian Hui right there.

I didn't kill him so that he would go and die now.

Qian Hui noticed Nan Tingjin's attitude and knew that he probably wouldn't help, so she left him and prepared to go over by herself.

The next second, his wrist was grabbed by Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui struggled: "Let me go!"

Nan Tingjin possessed immense strength, far surpassing the previous attempts by Ruan Teng to stop him.

Qian Hui used all her strength but couldn't pry his fingers open even a little bit. She even buried her head in Nan Tingjin's hand and bit it.

Unfortunately, his teeth were blunt and didn't resemble a zombie at all; he could only manage to leave a shallow mark on the skin.

Nan Tingjin remained silent, while Qian Hui was both angry and anxious: "You..."

The situation with the man-eating flower was becoming increasingly urgent, and he didn't know how Chili Pepper was doing. His temper and courage suddenly flared up, and he kicked Nan Tingjin.

Nan Tingjin remained unmoved, and Qian Hui, at her wit's end, recalled their past interactions.

Because they can't see each other every day, Qian Hui sometimes does things that Nan Tingjin doesn't like, and his mood will worsen, forcing Qian Hui not to do those things again.

For example, Qianhui wanted to help the plant courtyard and took the initiative to help resist the invasion of other zombies, but she lost blood herself.

But Nan Tingjin is also easily softened, and Qian Hui has a way of coaxing him.

Although he has forgotten many things now, he may not understand why he went to find the man-eating flower.

Qian Hui took two steps forward and suddenly threw herself into Nan Tingjin's arms, wrapping her other arm around his neck.

“Xiao Jin…” Qian Hui nuzzled against Nan Tingjin’s neck and kissed his cheek.

The soft touch quickly disappeared, and he lost his balance. Nan Tingjin was momentarily dazed and instinctively reached out to steady him, and his grip loosened somewhat.

At that moment, an unexpected change occurred.

[A mutated plant has entered a berserk state near you. Please take cover! (From the "Green Pepper" encyclopedia)]

[A mutated plant has entered a berserk state near you. Please take cover! (From the "Carnivorous Plant" encyclopedia)]

[You have successfully learned about the "Green Pepper's" berserk skill. You can view it in the character encyclopedia.]

An explosion rang out, and a powerful shockwave spread outwards, raising a large amount of debris and dust.

The epicenter of the shockwave was the carnivorous plant.

The thick ice wall melted in an instant, and the person standing in front of it was terrified: "I can't use my abilities!"

The same was true for the other three; the dark clouds above dispersed, revealing the bright moonlight.

Immediately following, accompanied by the carnivorous plant's roar, its charged attack finally erupted.

The second shockwave followed immediately. This time it was clearly different. The violent airflow was almost tangible, directly knocking over the nearest person and leaving them several meters away.

Nan Tingjin's side was also affected, and his supernatural abilities were temporarily disabled.

In the chaos, Qianhui broke free from his restraints.

Ruan Teng immediately took action, helping Qian Hui dodge the flying debris and quickly move away.

Without the supernatural attacks, the man-eating plant was finally free.

However, it was also severely injured. The previous shockwave was about to dissipate and it was unlikely to last much longer. Leaving immediately was the safest decision.

It swung its flower stem, sending a section of broken wall hurtling towards the four members of the team, before turning and running away.

A game notification popped up immediately afterward.

The first factional conflict has ended, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Let's keep fighting!

Qianhui arrived nearby, and Ruanteng found Chili lying in the corner, panting, and moved over with Qianhui.

Chili peppers, smelling a familiar scent, wearily opened their eyes.

Qianhui picked it up and followed the direction the man-eating flower had gone without lingering for a moment.

The man-eating flower was more seriously injured and urgently needed treatment; he absolutely could not lose it again this time.

A moment later, when Nan Tingjin returned to the team, the carnivorous flower and Qian Hui had both disappeared.

All four members of the squad were injured. The tall man pointed in one direction: "It escaped over there."

That direction is a high-risk area, and it's a forest.

There are many mutated plants inside, as well as advanced zombies. Their chances of winning if they chase after them now are slim.

Nan Tingjin's eyes were deep and he walked in the direction he pointed.

"The leader?" the tall man asked.

Nan Tingjin didn't even turn his head, leaving behind the words: "Treat yourself, there's no need to follow me."