Chapter 15
Outside the woods, a wind blew across the abandoned streets, filling the air with the rich scent of grass.
The giant carnivorous plant raised its head, its sharp fangs gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Watching helplessly as the man-eating flower rapidly grew larger behind Qian Hui, the members of the team in front were all terrified and utterly shocked.
Wasn't it said that... this man-eating plant was seriously injured and almost died?
Liang Jie witnessed the four people from the Black Ridge Mountain base being injured. The bones that were broken due to being thrown over by a huge force were undeniable, and they had no reason to lie.
Therefore, he was very confident that even if the man-eating flower appeared, it could only maintain a size of about two meters at most, and was nothing to fear.
If that chili pepper is still following the man-eating flower, it doesn't matter; it's just a mid-level mutated plant that can't use its stored energy attack for the time being.
Based on this deduction, Liang Jie and his team were actually well prepared, and the team consisted of high-level combat-type ability users. As long as they found the man-eating flower, they would definitely be able to capture it alive.
However……
The carnivorous plant before them was even larger than the one they had encountered during the zombie horde attack. Its shadow, which blotted out the sky, cast a shadow that nearly caused the team's hearts to stop.
But they were a well-trained team after all, and they responded immediately.
The captain raised his hand and unleashed a powerful wind blade, shouting, "Retreat!"
Two modified cars were parked a little further away on the roadside. Their bodies were reinforced and highly defensive; if we could get inside them quickly…
The group underestimated the immense power of a top-tier mutated plant in its prime, fueled by rage, when it unleashed its attack.
The carnivorous plant swung its stem, sending one of the lagging people flying and crashing heavily onto a protruding rock.
Its outer skin is thick and hard, and the air it exhales weakens all aggressive superpowers, killing another person in the blink of an eye.
The captain wanted to use the communicator to notify Liang Jie, but before his trembling hand could press the dial button, a presence rapidly approached from behind.
Screams rang out one after another, and blood stained a large area of the ground.
Qian Hui hugged the small cabbage and the soft vine, hiding in a corner, closing her eyes and covering her ears.
When they discovered these humans, it was too late to return to the forest immediately.
However, once inside the forest, the size of the man-eating flower is limited.
Furthermore, it recognized the scent of these people as being from the same source that had harmed the little mushrooms.
When the little mushroom was killed, the man-eating flower was also injured and was subsequently hunted by various parties, hiding for a long time.
Now that Qianhui has healed it, it finally has the opportunity to launch a full-scale counterattack. Since they have come to its death on their own initiative, it is impossible to let them go so easily.
Qianhui had also promised that once these humans were found, they would be handed over to the carnivorous plants for disposal.
The thought of the little mushroom wrapped in leaves made Qian Hui both sad and angry. He tried his best not to listen or look, and treated all the humans as zombies.
The carnivorous plant unleashed all its pent-up emotions on these people, its spiraling stems creating an area to prevent them from escaping too far.
However, it didn't notice that the person who was initially thrown into the air was still alive, struggling to climb down from the rubble.
Instead of modifying the car, he tried to find cover in a more distant location.
His choice proved to be correct, and he was indeed largely successful. The carnivorous plant was busy dealing with the remaining two and did not notice him.
However, just a few meters away from a low wall, a shadow was thrown over from mid-air.
It was a long, thin carrot with a sharp, knife-like end that pierced his heart precisely.
The man immediately stopped breathing and collapsed to the ground.
Moments later, the carrot crumbled into powder and vanished without a trace in the wind.
The carnivorous plant sensed something amiss and glanced over there.
In the distance, Carrot crouched in a corner, a blade of grass dangling from its mouth, secretly observing.
Ha, these few people can't handle it, and they need its help.
It had already smelled the carnivorous plant when it came after it, but it didn't want to meet the plant, so it ran away as fast as it could.
After discovering that the man-eating plant had encountered humans, the carrot turned back to see if it could win.
It was too dark, and it didn't see Qianhui hiding in the corner at all.
Carrot peeked around for a while longer, and after confirming that there was nothing for him to do, he turned and left.
It touched its head, pulled out a carrot thorn, and threw it far away.
Then the carrot suddenly jumped up, grabbed the end of the thorn, and was carried along gliding.
On the carnivorous plant's side, after taking care of the last member of the team, it came to a corpse not far away and sniffed it.
It really does taste like carrots.
The carnivorous plant immediately looked up and called out softly.
There was silence all around, and nothing at all.
...
They ran away again.
The man-eating flower turned back to Qian Hui's side, shrinking its size to two or three meters.
It was quite restrained when it killed, hardly using its teeth to bite directly, and there wasn't much blood on its body, as it had just wiped itself with human clothes.
Qian Hui touched the tip of the man-eating flower's nose and quickly checked its body: "Are you alright? That's good..."
The carnivorous plant rubbed against his palm, pointed in a direction with its leaves, and gestured a carrot pattern.
"Did Radish go over there?" Qian Hui sighed silently. "We'll find a way to find it later. Let's go back first."
It was already dark, and Nan Tingjin didn't know if he was still waiting for him in the same spot.
Qianhui climbed onto the back of the man-eating flower's neck, and the flower swayed its stem before quickly disappearing into the forest.
On the other side.
Three hours had passed since it became completely dark, and Nan Tingjin sat quietly under the tree.
Qianhui did not return.
He might have been delayed for some reason, but with a carnivorous plant in its near-peak form by his side, he shouldn't have been this late.
Or perhaps... Qianhui simply doesn't want to go with him and doesn't plan to come back.
Just like the night the man-eating flower escaped, Qianhui kissed him, but then immediately left.
Qian Hui probably didn't know that she wasn't very good at lying and couldn't hide her feelings, so she didn't quite understand Nan Tingjin's true intention in taking her away.
So it seems he never intended to go back with Nan Tingjin after tonight.
If he's unwilling, then let's leave it at that for now.
Nan Tingjin's lowered eyes were dark and gloomy, and the surrounding mutated plants sensed the danger and moved away.
The communicator inside his coat vibrated again, sending a message urging him to get up. Nan Tingjin stood up.
He opened his communicator and replied, "Return to base."
—
The carnivorous flower knew about Qianhui's agreement with Nantingjin, and the time spent in the evening was mainly due to it. It felt guilty and wanted to take Qianhui back as soon as possible.
As they left, they took a winding, circuitous route in pursuit of the carrots. At this moment, the carnivorous plant raised its head high, carefully discerning the direction, preparing to take a shortcut.
It darted swiftly through the woods, skillfully dodging branches, and then suddenly stopped halfway through.
The man-eating flower had a hostile look in its eyes and carefully sniffed the scent emanating from it.
Surprisingly... there was another group of people.
Moreover, there was a familiar chili seed scent mixed in with this aroma.
In the distance, Chili ran frantically, trying to shake off the human superhuman behind her.
It secretly followed Liang Jie's team all the way, and after discovering the direction indicated by the mimosa, it originally intended to rush to inform Qian Hui in advance.
It knew it was dangerous to stay in the woods, but after being cared for by Qianhui for so long, it couldn't bring itself to leave.
However, Chili overestimated herself. There were too many mutated plants in the forest. Sensing a large number of unfamiliar auras approaching and seeing Chili's suspicious behavior, she naturally regarded this unfamiliar face as an intruder.
Chili pepper struggled forward, unable to move quickly at all, and was eventually discovered by Liang Jie's team while fighting with a winter melon.
It fought back fiercely, injuring one of the humans, then turned and fled, but the pursuit behind it never stopped.
In the end, Chili was surrounded by the squad again.
Several human superhumans approached cautiously. Liang Jie had warned them that this chili pepper was more important than the man-eating flower and had to be captured alive.
It has a fierce temperament and may resort to extreme measures to avoid being captured again.
Liang Jie knew that Chili could understand, and continued to persuade her: "As long as you are willing to help us, you can have as many crystal cores as you want."
The mimosa plant, temporarily rendered useless, was tied to a tree.
Liang Jie raised his hand, signaling his subordinates to take action.
Just then, several chili seeds flew towards the people in the group one after another. While they dodged, the chilies seized the opportunity to rush into the distance.
It hadn't run more than a few steps when its legs were covered in a clump of mud, and it collapsed to the ground.
One of the team members has the ability to control rock and earth objects, which is perfect for using in this kind of forest.
Chili kicked her legs hard, managing to shake off most of the mud, but as she listened to the rapidly approaching footsteps, she felt despair.
Its charged attack was just a little short; the chili seeds alone couldn't defeat so many humans.
Little did I know that its departure during the day would be the last time it saw Qianhui.
It's a pity I haven't finished the cookies Qianhui gave me; I should have known better than to skimp on them...
Another clump of mud covered the chili pepper. As the flashlight beam shone over, Liang Jie stepped forward.
As he got closer, he noticed something on Chili's back that looked like... a mini backpack.
He asked in confusion, "What is this...?"
Moreover, Liang Jie felt that this chili pepper was much stronger than when it had just escaped.
Behind them, the mimosa plant under the tree was unattended. Suddenly, it raised its leaves and shrank back in fear.
The subordinate brought over a cage and was about to put the chili peppers inside when the unexpected happened in an instant.
Three members of the team were equipped with energy detection instruments, which were operating at high speed simultaneously.
In the pitch-black forest, a medium-sized carnivorous plant swam over and swatted away the human standing next to the chili pepper.
"A man-eating flower!" Liang Jie was initially delighted, but quickly realized what he meant, "Wait..."
The carnivorous plant wasn't very large, which matched his guess, but it was so fast, how come it showed no signs of serious injury?
In the blink of an eye, two more people were attacked by the carnivorous plant, and Chili took the opportunity to break free of the mud and stand up.
Upon seeing the familiar carnivorous plant, Chili almost wanted to cry.
A super-mutant plant has come to its rescue!
Even after realizing the situation had changed, Liang Jie still refused to give up.
He had finally found both plants, but if he returned empty-handed again, he would be too ashamed to go back to the base.
Furthermore, due to the limitations of the forest environment, the carnivorous plant cannot exert its true power. If we can hold it off, it would be fine to just capture the chili pepper.
Liang Jie had no time to ponder why the carnivorous plant would help Chili Pepper, so he instructed his subordinates to change their strategy.
Although the man-eating plants launched a fierce attack and several people were injured, they managed to hold out longer than the outer teams by utilizing the terrain of the forest.
Meanwhile, two other people quietly circled around to the back and caught up with Chili.
After the chili pepper broke free of the mud, it ran away. Its charged attack wasn't ready yet, and staying behind would only make it vulnerable to being accidentally injured by the man-eating flower, so it wouldn't be of much help.
The two spotted Chili running away into the distance and rushed over, only to find Chili burying her face in someone's arms.
"Who is that?" one of them asked in shock, lowering his voice, "Am I seeing things...?"
A figure in the distance squatted down and picked up the chili pepper, seemingly to comfort it.
I've never heard of anyone from any other base coming here...
But no matter who it is, if the mutated chili pepper is in his hands, he is the enemy of the team.
The two men quickly approached, shouting, "These are our plants! Hand them over now!"
The other person then activated their special ability to knock the figure down.
Qian Hui clutched the chili pepper tightly in her arms, stood up, and took a half-step back.
The soft vines were ready to help him leave at any time, and the man-eating flower also noticed the situation and left the people around it to come over.
However, something even faster than it appeared and blocked Qian Hui's path.
A potato fell from a tree with a "pop" and started to smoke.
Caught off guard, the two mistook it for a weapon and quickly retreated.
Then, they quickly realized that what had fallen into the grass was a potato the size of a palm.
Potato leaped up, stretched out his arms to protect Qianhui behind him, and glared angrily at the two of them.
Then it whistled loudly.
The surrounding grass immediately began to sway and rustle.
As the commotion drew closer, a four-leaf clover suddenly leaped out, its fan-sized leaves resembling iron plates, and began to attack by flicking its hair.
Not only four-leaf clovers, but also corn, morning glories, and so on—all are mutated plants.
The potato wasn't idle either; it set its sights on the larger number of humans near the carnivorous plant and rushed over to sit down in the grass.
"Bang--"
This skill had the power of a small bomb; several people couldn't dodge in time, and a crater was blown into the bushes.
Potato got up, wiped his blackened face, and ran to the other side to fry it again.
Liang Jie frowned deeply, and sensing the danger, he secretly retreated.
All the plants were frantically attacking the human squad, greatly reducing the pressure on the carnivorous plants.
Another money tree came to Qianhui's side, its thick leaves growing larger and larger, protecting Qianhui completely.
Qianhui touched its leaves and said sincerely, "Thank you."
He originally planned to escape to a farther place and hide in the cabbage shell, never expecting that the plants would come to his aid.
Chili was also very touched and happy, and couldn't help but chuckle twice while holding Qian Hui's hand.
Qian Hui felt a pang of heartache as she took out a panacea and fed it to the animal: "What are you doing here? Luckily, Xiao Zi found you..."
Feeling guilty, Chili buried her head and took the medicine.
Looking at the human team not far away, Qian Hui said worriedly, "Why don't you...why don't you come with me? It's too dangerous outside."
The humans who wanted to catch the chili pepper were still unwilling to give up, and Qianhui was not at ease leaving it alone outside.
With me by your side, you have the formidable strength of a man-eating plant, making it impossible for ordinary human teams to contend with you.
But Qianhui was also worried that the chili pepper might not agree, and what if it refused...
Chili immediately looked at him and nodded vigorously: "Waaah!"
It seemed like it had been waiting for those words. Qian Hui exclaimed happily, "Really? Then you're not allowed to run around anymore..."
[Green chili pepper's loyalty has reached 80%~]
Qian Hui was stunned for a moment, then even more delighted, and patted Chili's head: "Good girl!"
The little cabbage also peeked out of the pocket and rubbed against the chili leaves.
The battle outside was drawing to a close when two game notifications popped up.
[The second faction conflict has ended. Congratulations on our victory! Reward: 50 Prestige Points]
[Hidden quest triggered! Rewards have been credited to your account balance!]
[You appear to have successfully thwarted some of the enemy's schemes! Gain an additional 200 Faction Points and 2 hidden items, "Disguise Potion".]
Qian Hui opened her backpack, and sure enough, there was a new item inside.
[Disguise Potion] x2
[Price]: Obtained through a hidden quest.
[Usage]: For use only by the host and the host's plant squad. After drinking, holding one's breath and concentrating will allow one to change their appearance to the desired form and race (zombie, human, plant), and conceal themselves and all traces within a one-meter radius. Duration: 2 hours.
The potion has a short duration of effect but many uses. It can not only transform you into whatever you want, but also conceal your presence and the presence of other creatures around you, making it an excellent item for infiltrating enemy territory.
Qianhui read the instructions carefully, then put them in her backpack without paying attention to them for the time being.
The entire squad was dead, and the man-eating plant returned to his side.
The battle ended, the money tree retracted its leaves and returned to its original state, and the other plants gathered around it.
At the very front was a potato, standing with its hands on its hips looking smug, as if it thought it was even more powerful than a man-eating plant.
Qianhui bought it several pieces of candy and used leaves to wipe the dust off its face: "Thank you."
He touched each of the other plants, feeding them food and snacks, or even medicine.
Then, Qianhui sat on the back of the man-eating flower's neck.
Some plants took the food and left, while others boldly perched on Qianhui's backpack and on the head of the man-eating flower.
Potato, being the most outgoing, sat on Qianhui's shoulder.
The carnivorous plant, along with Qianhui and the other plants, returned to the location where Nantingjin was.
However, when the carnivorous plant returned to the distance at top speed, Nan Tingjin was not there.
"Xiao Jin?" Qian Hui frantically searched the vicinity, and after confirming that no one was there, she followed the path they had taken in their search for the zombies to the stream where they had first rested.
But there was no one there, and not even any items or traces were found.
Qian Hui stood blankly in the woods, somewhat at a loss: "Has he left?"
But he did return much later than promised, and Nan Tingjin, unable to wait for him, may have left directly.
Qianhui squatted on the ground, wondering what to do.
These past few days, Qian Hui's interactions with Nan Tingjin have been so smooth that she almost forgot that Nan Tingjin has no memory of his past, and that he has only known Qian Hui for less than half a month.
Seeing Qian Hui's dejected expression, the carnivorous flower came over and rubbed against it, whimpering softly as it apologized and comforted her.
Qianhui opened the map and looked at the marked directions.
He desperately wanted to chase after Nan Tingjin to see if he had returned to his base; perhaps he hadn't gone far...
At this moment, Qianhui suddenly realized that the location of Nantingjin's base was on the same side as the direction the carnivorous flower had told him about the carrot's departure.
A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes, and he asked hesitantly, "Xiao Zi, I want to go find him... and Luo Bo is in that direction too."
In Qian Hui's heart, the resurrection of Nan Tingjin and the other plants and mushrooms is very important; they are his only concern and relatives in this strange world.
The carnivorous plant hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
It knew what kind of personality Carrot had; it loved to join in the fun and fight, and it was sure to be found wherever there were many people and many zombies.
Since we're in the same direction, we can go look for her. Although she doesn't like Nan Tingjin, she doesn't want to see Qian Hui sad either.
Just then, Chili came over and used a twig to draw a human shape on the ground: "Huh?"
Its eyes asked inquiringly, "Has the Southern Court lost its throne?"
That's easy. It knows where Nan Tingjin went and the exact location of his base.
But going directly like that is definitely not an option, Chili said, giving Qianhui a serious look.
Blackridge Mountain Base is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and there are several smaller bases in the surrounding area, where the human population is large.
Although not everyone has the equipment to detect energy, Qianhui still needs to be fully prepared.
So that night, Qianhui stayed overnight in the woods, deciding to rest before setting off again.
He woke up early the next day, cleaned and packed all his belongings, and bought a new coat with a larger hood and a scarf to cover his silver hair and red eyes.
After everything was ready, Qianhui picked up the little cabbage and the soft vine, while the chili pepper skillfully slipped into his pocket.
The carnivorous plant waited nearby, preparing to carry Qianhui away from the deserted area before hiding itself.
Just then, the grass stirred, and a potato and a few other plants emerged.
Qianhui stepped forward, squatted down, and said goodbye to them: "I have to go now, and I may not be back for a while."
He left two or three packets of biscuits in the woods; the plants seemed to enjoy them.
Upon hearing this, Potato scratched his head and thought for a while before suddenly jumping onto Qian Hui's lap.
It pointed to itself, then to Qianhui, indicating that it wanted to go too.
Qian Hui asked cautiously, "Would you like to come with me?"
Potato grunted in agreement, looked down and saw Chili in his pocket, then squeezed in and lay down as well.
Chili grumbled in dissatisfaction and shifted its body.
Seeing this, the money tree couldn't resist either. Its leaves wrapped around Qian Hui's fingers, wanting him to take it with him.
Another familiar-looking corn cob came over. This forest was really boring; following the super-mutant plant might be fun.
So, the plant team gained three more members, and the money tree and corn were hidden in the backpack.
Qianhui touched the other three in her pocket, and there was a soft vine on her wrist.
He straightened his coat and finally prepared to set off, climbing up the back of the carnivorous plant's neck.
—
Three days later.
The man-eating flower led Qianhui through the city ruins to a sign that read "Safe Zone (Sector 5)".
A safe zone means that there are very few zombies and mutated plants inside, making it suitable for human habitation.
The carnivorous plant shrunk its size beforehand and hid in Qianhui's backpack.
Qian Hui pulled her hood up and entered the safe zone.
The journey wasn't particularly fast; the man-eating plant needed to constantly watch out for humans to avoid being discovered, and also take down a few mid-level zombies along the way.
Coincidentally, the carnivorous plant found several traces of carrots along its path.
There were zombies killed by radish thorns, leaving holes in their heads; and there were radish chunks that fell into the water and failed to decompose in the air.
As they approached the safe zone, the carnivorous plant became increasingly puzzled.
Did the carrot also come to the safe zone? But what is it doing here?
After entering the safe zone, Qianhui encountered several humans after walking only a few steps.
There were three people traveling together, and another person, like him, was also walking alone on the road.
Qian Hui was very nervous, keeping her head down, afraid of being discovered. She clutched a bottle of disguise potion in her pocket.
Fortunately, this area is a free zone and does not belong to any base. Unless you know the person passing by, they will not easily approach or talk to you.
The humans merely glanced at Qian Hui before hurriedly leaving via another path.
Just then, a car pulled up behind them, and the person in the back seat leaned out and shouted to Qian Hui and the others, "Hurry up and go back! It's not safe lately."
The car body has a large pattern painted on it, which should be the logo of some base.
After giving the warning, the vehicle continued forward and disappeared around the corner.
With no one around, Qian Hui stopped and turned to look at the stone pillar to one side.
The stone pillars were probably road signs or similar structures, with some symbols carved on them and a piece of paper with writing on it pasted on them.
Qian Hui approached and slowly read aloud the contents: "North District... traces of the Zombie King discovered; West District discovered a top-grade mutated plant... carrot!"
The backpack behind her shifted, and Qian Hui patted it reassuringly.
Sure enough, the carrots were here too...
Qian Hui, filled with anticipation, continued walking briskly forward.
Previously, when passing a road sign made by a human, Chili pointed out to him that Nantingjin's base was called... Black Ridge Mountain.
However, Chili warned Qian Hui to be careful and not to get too close, as Qian Hui planned to find the exact location first.
After walking a long way, a simple house appeared in the distance, with a lot of people gathered around it.
Another person was standing in the middle of the road, holding a mechanical instrument in his hand.
Qian Hui slowed her pace and drank the disguise potion with her eyes closed.
He tried hard to imagine what a human looked like, but all he could think of was his own face, except that his hair and eyes were black.
When he opened his eyes again, he raised his hand and touched his hair.
[Disguise potion successfully used. Please note the time limit. Your current appearance is—human.]
Qian Hui breathed a sigh of relief and walked forward nonchalantly.
He was still very nervous, pinching his palms.
Upon arriving near the house, the person standing in the center looked towards Qian Hui.
His appearance was striking, yet he seemed like a complete stranger. The man exclaimed, "Wait, who are you...?"
Qian Hui resisted the urge to turn around and run away, and stopped in her tracks.
"Which base are you from?" The man approached, sizing up Qian Hui a few times. "Are you the new one? What's your name again... Shiratori?"
Before Qian Hui could answer, he blurted it all out himself, and Qian Hui nodded in agreement: "Mm..."
Due to the effects of the camouflage potion, all plant scents in the pockets and backpack were masked and could not be detected by the instruments.
The man had no idea that the person in front of him was not human, and that there was a bunch of plants hidden in the backpack.
He was quite friendly. Seeing that Qian Hui looked young, he couldn't help but advise her, "Don't go out alone at times like this. The outer edge of the safe zone isn't necessarily safe now, so be extra careful."
Qian Hui glanced at him and nodded again: "Mm."
He said again, "Thank you..."
At that moment, two modified cars drove up from behind.
The guards responsible for watching the inner intersection immediately directed others to make way, clearing space for vehicles to pass.
Qian Hui was also standing to the side. He was much more relaxed now and looked around curiously. Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar face.
Nan Tingjin was sitting in the back seat of one of the cars, his profile flashing by.
Qian Hui was slightly stunned and subconsciously chased after him, but was stopped by the guard who had spoken to her earlier.
"Watch out, there's more behind."
Several more modified vehicles with similar appearances, bearing the Blackridge Mountain base logo.
In the blink of an eye, the original car was no longer in sight. Qian Hui looked on anxiously, "That..."
“Oh,” the guard explained, thinking he was just curious, “they’re from Blackridge Mountain Base. They’ll be assisting with the defense.”
The Blackridge Mountain base is in a rather unique location; getting here requires taking a detour and then entering the inner circle from this intersection.
“Although the situation doesn’t seem too good,” the guard added, “the Southern Chief is here this time, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Nan…” Qian Hui frowned slightly, “Nan Tingjin?”
The guard nodded and lowered his voice: "Don't shout it out, show some respect."
Qian Hui looked blank, as if she was frightened, and after a while she nodded blankly.
turn out to be……
He is the leader of the Blackridge Mountain base.
At the same time, Nan Tingjin turned his gaze away from the scenery passing by the window.
He was still agitated, and even then, he seemed to see Qian Hui in the crowd.
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