Chapter 21: Twenty-first Night [Two in One]
From mutant plants to food to mutant animals
Wu Yan, who originally had great doubts about the whereabouts and final use of this piece of meat, hesitated when he saw the finished product that Yun Wanwan had been busy with for half a day.
There still weren't many seasonings, but Yun Wanwan used her best ability to remove most of the violent energy from the mutant beast meat. The grilled skewers were fragrant and exuded a deadly temptation.
Wu Yan smacked his lips and said gravely, "Wanwan, you must be reluctant to see the person you saved with such great difficulty die just like that, right?"
It was clearly a piece of poisonous meat, but how did Yun Wanwan turn it into something so delicious that Wu Yan felt like he had to taste it to rest in peace even if he died.
Hmm, must be an illusion.
As for Wu Yan's words, Yun Wanwan didn't quite agree, "It wasn't that difficult..."
"Um?"
"It's not really a rescue, is it? I just did it for the sake of convenience. You don't really need to take it to heart."
Wu Yan: “…”
Perhaps it was merely a matter of convenience for Yun Wanwan, but for Wu Yan, it was a lifesaver. Even without Yun Wanwan's help, he would have been able to leave this place alive, but the damage to his mental strength would have been severe, perhaps even irreversible.
What awaits him is the fate of spiritual collapse. Even if he is alive at that time, his life will probably be worse than death.
Just like the talented major general in the alliance who appears once in a thousand years, he was so brilliant and talented in the past, but now he has become a legend, and no one knows what his current situation is.
Skipping over this topic, Wu Yan's self-awareness was very clear: "Wanwan wants to experiment with these, right? I think I'm still capable. Even if something goes wrong, Wanwan won't just stand by and watch, right?"
This person uses idioms quite well.
Yun Wanwan spread her hands: "It's really hard to say."
Yun Wanwan herself wasn't sure what the consequences of eating it would be. But she hadn't planned on letting Wu Yan eat it. She'd brought these back not only to understand energy composition, but also to explore more food sources. She really didn't want to end up drinking that nutrient solution. Even if she could eat boiled mushrooms every day, it would still be horrible.
It would be fine if I didn’t know. After eating delicious food, who would have the patience to drink nutrient solution?
Not to mention Yun Wanwan, a soul that had never been baptized by nutrient solution. She also tried the nutrient solution that Shi Kane gave her. The taste of eating soil and gnawing minerals did not change at all even after it was converted into liquid.
When Wu Yan reached for the barbecue skewers with a fearless attitude, Yun Wanwan stopped him: "I'm not kidding, this is not prepared for you."
"Wanwan you!"
At this moment, Wu Yan didn't know whether to be surprised by Yun Wanwan's courage or upset about losing the opportunity to try the kebabs.
Wu Yan stopped Yun Wanwan with his backhand. His playful expression seemed to reveal a hint of nervousness. "Wanwan, can you please let someone like me, who has a thick skin and strong muscles, try this opportunity? I'm not kidding, this isn't my first time eating mutant beast meat."
Yun Wanwan: “Hmm?”
Considering Wu Yan's background, this kind of thing is not impossible.
Wu Yan then smiled and said, "High temperatures can also eliminate a certain amount of pollution. Therefore, when absolutely necessary, we have eaten both mutated plants and animals."
If you don’t eat, you will definitely starve to death, but if you eat, you can still survive.
This was something that did not exist in Shi Kane's cognition or his original body's memory. Yun Wanwan suddenly understood that the unpleasant taste of the nutrient solution and the inability to move freely in the cognition of Shi Kane and his original body were already the greatest torture. At the bottom of society, humans who could not even guarantee the most basic nutrient solution might really take risks and try those foods wrapped in highly toxic substances.
High temperature can eliminate a certain amount of pollution, but only a part of it. Most of the remaining toxins will be absorbed and then damage the body bit by bit. It is not difficult to imagine what the consequences will be.
What Wu Yan didn't say was that these plants and animals actually always have some places with less pollution. After being exposed to high temperatures, the pollution will become even less. With his physical fitness, this amount of pollution can be completely metabolized over time, but more people will be tortured by pollution, fall into deep illness, and then die twistedly.
From Wu Yan's brief words, Yun Wanwan realized what was happening, but still did not obey Wu Yan's wishes.
The smile in Wu Yan's fox eyes faded a little. "Wanwan, are you unwilling? Don't worry, I can hunt for you every day. This meal is not a big deal, right? Just let me taste it first, okay?"
Another point is that even if his body could withstand the pollution of this barbecue and slowly digest it, he didn't think Yun Wanwan's body could bear it.
The little girl looked young and frail, how could she - wait, Wu Yan suddenly realized a problem, a problem that he had overlooked because it was too natural, and his eyes trembled suddenly.
Seeing the change in Wu Yan's expression, Yun Wanwan smiled even more happily. Wu Yan must have remembered that she could survive freely in an environment full of polluted air without relying on any protective equipment, which meant that these pollutants could not cause any harm to her at all.
This also includes the mutant beast meat in front of you, which looks extremely poisonous to ordinary people.
"Tsk, Wanwan doesn't even give me the chance to share the good and bad times with you." Wu Yan knew that he was being reckless, but he didn't intend to give up this opportunity.
He had eaten food that had been burned to a crisp, so what about this incredibly delicious-looking kebab? When hunting, he had specifically picked the least contaminated parts to bring back, worried that Yun Wanwan's research might lead to something unexpected.
So he should be able to eat it, he must be able to.
"One skewer will do, seriously." Wu Yan raised a finger and shook it, indicating that he was actually quite easy to raise. "And I can hunt more mutant beast meat tomorrow, including all kinds of parts and varying degrees of contamination, seriously!"
He repeatedly emphasized that it was true, and what he said sounded like the truth.
Watching Yun Wanwan's work, Wu Yan had a rough idea of what she wanted. He thought the piece of meat he had brought back out of kindness might not be of much use to Yun Wanwan. He also understood how important it would be to improving human living conditions if Yun Wanwan could find a solution.
Especially for someone like him who struggles at the bottom of society, how much hope can his life gain by spending every day on a bottle of poor and strange-tasting nutrient solution?
A temporary sacrifice is necessary, and Wu Yan feels that he can totally do it!
"Don't be polite to me Wanwan!"
In terms of skills, Yun Wanwan is no match for Wu Yan now. With Wu Yan's amazing physique, he can break Yun Wanwan's slender wrist with just one finger. He is afraid of such an embarrassing thing, so he carefully controls his strength, which is more strenuous than fighting with Shi Kaien.
Yun Wanwan didn't argue with Wu Yan, and while he continued to fight, she casually passed the kebab into his hands. Judging from Wu Yan's expression, he didn't seem to realize it yet. It seemed that besides misunderstanding her strength, the bigger reason was that this man's fighting skills were not as good as she imagined.
Wu Yan, who "grabbed" the barbecue skewers, did not waste any time and stuffed the skewers into his mouth in the blink of an eye.
In fact, due to the lack of seasoning, the barbecue should not taste very good. However, as long as the heat is right, barbecue can be delicious with a little salt or even no salt, not to mention people like Wu Yan who have never experienced the impact of delicious food.
The food they eat is either nutrient solution or burnt charcoal. Even if the barbecue is tasteless, it is still amazing to Wu Yan.
"hiss!"
Wu Yan was too anxious when he took the first bite and swallowed it without tasting the flavor. But even so, he could feel the unique taste. But before he had time to savor it carefully, he swallowed it.
Seeing Yun Wanwan remain motionless, only smiling at him, Wu Yan knew he was overreacting. He immediately slowed down, savoring the remaining barbecue. It was more elastic than he had imagined, and the firm texture of the meat that fell between his teeth was far more juicy than he had imagined.
It turns out that this is what food that has not been burnt into charcoal looks like.
What astonished Wu Yan even more was that the contaminated impurities that once permeated the meat, the toxins that would have caused excruciating pain, were surprisingly difficult to detect. Perhaps it was Yun Wanwan who transformed that dangerous taste into a pungent, stimulating sensation, creating a different sensation.
Anyway, considering Wu Yan's physique, this little bit of toxin can only slightly irritate his tongue, and before he can react, it will be dissolved by his strong physique.
Wu Yan, who was originally worried about the reaction to the toxin, now only thought that the meat he brought back was too little.
A moment ago, he was still asking Yun Wanwan without any respect, "Just one string will do", repeatedly emphasizing "really", but now he realized that one string really was not enough, but the words had already been thrown to the ground, could he still pick them up?
No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't bring himself to ask for another string at this moment. After all, that was Yun Wanwan's food ration, and he didn't have the face to do it.
Moreover, he saw clearly that after Yun Wanwan processed the originally large piece of meat, the portion that was actually taken out for consumption was actually not much, only about ten or so small skewers at most.
Yun Wanwan ate three skewers and then stopped.
It was indeed delicious, but the original body had never been exposed to food before, and her gastrointestinal tract was actually very weak. Let alone the mushroom soup before, this kind of greasy food was still quite heavy. She didn't want to vomit and have diarrhea after eating it - and it was all because of the toxins.
Wu Yan's stomach is different. For a stomach that can tolerate even charred food, it is natural for it to accept barbecue.
"Give it all to me?" Wu Yan was flattered by such courtesy. The smile on his face almost disappeared, and his fox eyes widened.
"In order to avoid wasting food, I'll trouble you to take care of the rest!"
Wu Yan gritted his teeth. This was no big deal. It was simply a blessing from heaven. He could even eat ten more skewers!
He is the Iron Stomach.
With a swift, yet cautious, swift devotion, Wu Yan quickly finished off the few remaining skewers of barbecued meat. He vowed, "I'll go again tomorrow. Besides the mutant beast meat, does Wanwan need anything else? I've seen those scent leaves and the powder you used. Is there anything I can help you with?"
The fragrant leaves were created by Yun Wanwan, but the powder, salt, and black flame can indeed help. The problem is,
"Wu Yan, if I remember correctly, you are a member of the Star Pirates, right?"
Yun Wanwan's words were a bit conservative. Wu Yan was clearly the leader of the Fiery Star Pirates. He had an entire large-scale pirate group under his command that dominated the universe and had dominated for many years. Even the Dandelion Legion was troubled by the Fiery Star Pirates. Otherwise, after discovering Wu Yan's whereabouts, Kane would have personally gone out to hunt down Wu Yan.
Wu Yan is really powerful. He only has a tattered A-class mecha in his hand, which he didn't know where he got it from. After modifying it with immature technology, he can still fight back and forth with the Dandelion Legion.
If such a talent is given an S-class mecha, he will probably be able to fly into the sky.
What a pity.
Shi Kaien also values talent, but when it comes to people like Wu Yan, Shi Kaien feels he has no idea where to start.
The unruly Wu Yan would never bow to the empire. No matter how talented he was, he would not be used by the empire. In fact, Wu Yan's feelings towards the empire were more inclined towards hatred and hostility.
But when Shi Kaien didn't know, Wu Yan had already lowered his head silently, as if just to see Yun Wanwan more clearly, but there was an additional emotion in his mind that he himself didn't quite understand.
When Yun Wanwan mentioned the Star Pirates, Wu Yan's heart trembled, and the smile on his face froze for a moment. "Yes, the Blazing Star Pirates, Wanwan, have you heard of them?"
Yun Wanwan shook her head. Before Shi Kaien mentioned it, Yun Wanwan knew nothing about these space pirates. After all, her original body's memories were free of such things. Her original body's brain was too small to accommodate much besides love.
To the original body, space pirates were a group of unforgivable thugs who were too far away from her life.
Wu Yan's relaxed posture made him look very comfortable, but his fingers couldn't help but curl up, revealing a hint of nervousness. "The reputation of the Blazing Star Pirates is quite impressive. Look, I'm so powerful that even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has to come out in person, and I still can't defeat them!"
Yun Wanwan burst out laughing: "So His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has become your standard of measurement?"
Wu Yan: “Uh.” That’s not the case.
But in the eyes of these lower-class people, people of His Royal Highness's class were truly beyond their reach. No matter how much they hated the Empire and the Royal Family, they had to admit that those people were indeed superior to them.
Especially for someone like Kane who has amazing strength, the level he reaches is beyond their reach.
"So you're just going to stay here and the Pirates won't have to worry about it?"
Wu Yan curled his lips and said, "Perhaps they can live better without me."
Those guys have been wandering in the starry sea with him, without even a place to call home. This time they were being chased by the Dandelion Legion, and he took away most of the pursuers, so the guys should be a little more relaxed.
He keeps a low profile during this period. As long as he doesn't commit crimes again, the Dandelion Legion's attention will be on him, and his group of old friends will be safe for the time being.
"Is it my vacation time now?"
Behind Wu Yan was a piece of metal stake that had been pulled back from somewhere. Leaning against it at this moment seemed particularly comfortable.
Unlike Shi Kaien, who worried about the living conditions here and felt that this situation was not good for Yun Wanwan, Wu Yan was quite comfortable in this environment. Having lived in the ruins since childhood, constantly dealing with garbage, the biggest difference between this place and the environment he was used to was the abundance of various shades of green—well, it was also much cleaner and tidier. Even the parts she had scavenged from the ruins were meticulously cleaned by Yun Wanwan, and each piece seemed to have an unexpected function, as if it was meant to be, making it hard to ignore its origin as a discarded piece of trash.
These green creatures wouldn't attack him, at least not openly. They would just play little tricks on him behind Yun Wanwan's back, all within his control. These harmless pranks were actually quite amusing to watch.
He never knew that mutant plants could have such a side. The scenes of fighting with mutant plants were like hallucinations to him. These terrifying creatures could actually be so well-behaved and unruly, and could only do small tricks in secret. It was an eye-opener for Wu Yan.
Everything I saw and knew was brought to me by Yun Wanwan.
"Wanwan, look at this!"
It was another day of hunting. Wu Yan was so familiar with the place that he seemed to live here too. Before he even arrived, he was already greeting Yun Wanwan from afar.
He didn't know if it was his imagination, but when he went out today, the feeling of being watched had intensified, but the gaze didn't seem malicious. He felt that the mutant plants in the forest seemed to know that what he was doing was to cooperate with Yun Wanwan. They were still wary of him, but their hostility was much less.
They were all just some clever, opportunistic people. They couldn't get close to the garbage dump to hunt those mutant animals, so they used him as free labor, right? But I have to say, the journey back and forth was much faster, and the vines that tripped them were gone.
His mood improved, and so did his luck. His hunt today was particularly successful, and the wounds on his body weren't noticeable; they were the kind that could heal with a lick. He also discovered that Yun Wanwan didn't like the smell of blood, but was very sensitive to it. Before returning, he cleaned up the blood on himself and the blood stains on his prey.
"This should be enough for today, right? Is there anything else I can do?"
Wu Yan stretched out his arms.
Yun Wanwan looked at the prey that Wu Yan brought back. Besides being surprised, she was speechless.
Yesterday, they brought back carefully selected pieces of meat, the least contaminated and toxin-laden parts of the mutants, the edible essence. But today, they brought back not only the corpse of a whole mutant, but also a small animal that seemed to be a buy-one-get-one-free deal.
alive.
In addition to the lush greenery, it was also the first time that Yun Wanwan saw living animals in this world.
Yun Wanwan blatantly ignored the mutant animal corpse that looked like a leopard but had antlers. Her attention was now focused on the tiny animal, only the size of a palm, trapped in a metal shell by Wu Yan.
It looks like a puppy that has just been born, but it has a pair of exceptionally long ears and a small bump on its head. I think it might grow a horn when it grows up.
It looked like a little kid, but had fierce eyes that were totally inconsistent with its appearance. It first turned towards Wu Yan, who had brought it here. Its blood-jade eyes glared at Wu Yan fiercely, and a provocative and threatening "grunt" sound kept coming out of its throat.
It's like saying, it's not easy to mess with.
It's just too small and too fragile. Its appearance and voice are just cute, without the majesty that a ferocious beast should have.
Yun Wanwan used to raise many spiritual pets, big and small, fighting and non-fighting, and her hill was always very lively.
Seeing this ferocious little guy who couldn't hide the panic in his eyes, Yun Wanwan's heart melted.
"Wait a moment!"
Before he was paying attention, Yun Wanwan had already approached the little mutant beast, which made Wu Yan's eyes change.
Yun Wanwan's fragile physique is visible to the naked eye. This little mutant beast should not be underestimated. Although it looks like it has not been weaned yet, its sharp teeth can be seen in its mouth, and its hidden claws can leave hideous scratches on hard metal.
"Be careful, this thing is fierce."
He picked for a long time before he found the sturdy alloy and made a small cage to put the little guy in. The inside of the cage was already scratched by the little guy. Maybe it was tired, or it felt that there were more threats in the forest, so it reluctantly calmed down and lay in the cage without moving.
Wu Yan was not unfamiliar with this posture. The little guy was quite shrewd. He was gathering his strength and waiting for the opportunity!
Never take any mutant animals lightly. Many mutant animals even use their harmless appearance to deceive humans just for hunting.
"Yes, it's quite fierce." The fierce little guy couldn't help but show his sharp white teeth when she approached.
I believe that as long as she dares to get close, this cute little guy will definitely be able to bite her bones off with one bite.
Never underestimate the power of mutant animals.
But never underestimate her.
Yun Wanwan looked up at Wu Yan and said with a smile, "You brought it back just to give it to me, didn't you?"
"That's true, but mutant animals are truly dangerous. Don't underestimate their size; they already possess the most basic attack power. Even if you're not afraid of contamination, you'll still bleed and feel pain if you get hurt by them."
Why bother?
"If Wanwan gets hurt, I'll feel bad too!"
Everything was fine at the beginning, but he had to add this sentence at the end, which gave Yun Wanwan goosebumps all over her body.
"So what are you going to do? Just keep it trapped like this? Do you want to tame it?"
Just as mutant plants can be artificially purified for a new round of cultivation, mutant animals can also be domesticated through a series of means, but the number of mutant animals that can be domesticated is extremely rare and they are also extremely expensive on the market.
Wu Yan caught this little thing just for fun. On the way back, he did think about taming it and then giving it to Yun Wanwan. With Wu Yan's straight-man aesthetic, he also thought that this little thing was very cute and Yun Wanwan would probably like it.
But when Yun Wanwan moved closer to the little thing, Wu Yan suddenly felt that this was not a good idea.
Yun Wanwan is a treasure now. If Yun Wanwan is hurt because of his actions, not to mention that Shi Kane will definitely beat him up, he himself will not be able to get over it in his heart.
But he really didn't know how to tame mutant animals. Wu Yan looked down on the methods circulating on the market. He felt that torturing mutant animals just to make them submit temporarily was better than just putting an end to them.
"Forget it, get out of the way." Yun Wanwan stretched out her hand to push Wu Yan away. She didn't need to use any force. Wu Yan was afraid that she would hurt her wrist when resisting Yun Wanwan's weak strength, so she retreated quickly, but was still within reach. If there was any accident, Wu Yan could take action at any time.
Yun Wanwan didn't care about Wu Yan's cautious look. All her attention was now on the little animal in front of her.
The vast spiritual power drawn out from the sea of consciousness did not attract Wu Yan's attention because Yun Wanwan deliberately avoided Wu Yan, and also because her spiritual power level was much higher than Wu Yan's.
The little fellow who was hit in the face by this mental power suddenly became stunned. The fear and panic in his blood-jade eyes disappeared, leaving only confusion and surprise.
Yun Wanwan's mental power was very gentle, so gentle that the little guy felt like he was back in his mother's arms. The warmth and sense of security that he loved so much enveloped him, and he couldn't help but quiet down.
Wu Yan: Huh?
Yun Wanwan was clearly just squatting beside the cage, quietly looking at the little animal, without even a flicker in her eyes. The little fellow, who was originally grinning, suddenly became quiet, his fierce eyes became wet, and he looked at Yun Wanwan foolishly.
Wu Yan felt that his eyes at this moment might be the same as this little guy's.
Just as silly and naive, just as confused.
The author has something to say:
Wu Yan: This is how life experiences become richer.
Shi Kane: Let me go! I want to deal with this pirate leader.
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