Chapter 31: Flourishing Dead Wood

Chapter 31: Flourishing Dead Wood

With so many crystal cores harvested and the entrance and exit of the parking lot securely sealed, the building became much safer. Zhou Yun began to urge Guan Yuanfeng to focus on cultivation.

For three consecutive days, Guan Yuanfeng absorbed twelve crystal cores each day, and by the third day, he was able to absorb fifteen crystal cores in one go before feeling the flow of psychic energy.

When Zhou Yun took his pulse, he used a thread of wood-attribute psychic energy to sense the crystal cores within his meridians. He could feel that Guan Yuanfeng's pulse was strong and vigorous, his qi and blood flourishing, but his crystal cores seemed to emit light outward and couldn’t be controlled freely. It was unexpected that he had entered the second stage.

With the mutated eagle meat and mutated electric eel almost finished, and having absorbed so many crystal cores for cultivation, he still hadn’t advanced to the next stage?

An ordinary psychic would have smoothly entered the second stage by now, able to cast three or more skills, which was the mark of the second stage, indicating a more proficient manipulation of psychic energy.

Could it be, he gazed at Guan Yuanfeng, firstly his meridians were very wide and majestic, his physique excellent, thus requiring more flow than ordinary psychics. Secondly, being a dual-attribute psychic, he required even more crystal core energy. Thirdly…

His legs probably needed more energy to grow.

Zhou Yun pondered, and Guan Yuanfeng, seeing his serious expression, asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Zhou Yun said, "I'm thinking that your physical condition is very strong, and since you're a dual-attribute psychic, you might need more psychic energy than most people. I'll give you some extra nutrition; you need to keep supplementing."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Zhou Yun decided, "I'll make ginseng stewed chicken for you later, and I'll give you an acupuncture session tonight."

A thirty-year-old wild mountain ginseng, with a long, dense root structure, had mutated after the red fog descended. After Zhou Yun used his psychic abilities to stimulate its growth multiple times, it had developed a complete three-section root.

Zhou Yun slowly dug out this best mutated mountain ginseng, seeing its thick body had clear, iron-like patterns on its skin, and its roots were robust. This single ginseng weighed a jin.

Before the apocalypse, if you tried to sell such a plump, round ginseng, people would have laughed it off as a fake, like a water radish.

Satisfied, Zhou Yun looked at it. This was the one.

Top-quality fresh ginseng stewed with a freshly killed free-range chicken, the aroma was so enticing that Zhou Yun placed a full large basin of ginseng chicken in front of Guan Yuanfeng. "Eat it."

Seeing that Zhou Yun was serious, Guan Yuanfeng felt a bit helpless. The last time he had astragalus stewed chicken, he was woken up in the middle of the night from the heat...

But the ginseng chicken soup was truly fragrant. The golden chicken broth, tender and smooth chicken legs, semi-transparent chicken skin with a hint of yellow chicken fat, were all fragrant and overflowing.

He started by just drinking a sip of the soup and found it so rich and delicious that he couldn’t stop.

Zhou Yun also drank a bowl of soup but urged Guan Yuanfeng to eat more. "This is good stuff. I've been saving this old mountain ginseng for a long time. Don’t waste it. Eat more so your legs can recover sooner."

Guan Yuanfeng thought that even if muscles and nerves could regenerate, how could bones regenerate? It seemed impossible for the legs to grow back perfectly, which defied medical principles, so he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

Zhou Yun corrected him seriously, "How can you say bones can't regenerate? Have you heard of limb lengthening surgery?"

He made a pulling motion with his hands, "By breaking the leg bones and using a device to pull the broken ends in opposite directions, the already closed growth plates are reopened, and the bones grow and heal by themselves. This surgery carries the risk of infection and amputation, but people still take the risk for the sake of height."

"You need to have confidence in yourself. The apocalypse has come; what miracle can’t happen?"

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Under Zhou Yun’s watchful gaze, and since he was indeed very hungry and the chicken smelled so good, Guan Yuanfeng really did finish that whole ginseng chicken.

After finishing, Guan Yuanfeng had to do some archery in the gym and some strength training to try and digest the heat from the ginseng chicken soup.

He had never had ginseng chicken soup before and discovered for the first time that people were right about ginseng being highly nutritious. Ever since he finished that ginseng chicken, he had felt full of energy. If his legs were still there, he would have loved to run a few laps immediately.

After exercising, he went downstairs to shower, and when he came out, he saw Zhou Yun, who had just been tinkering in the medicinal herb garden for half the day, returning. Zhou Yun was disinfecting needles and, seeing him, said, "Take off your shirt and get on the bed."

Guan Yuanfeng knew that once Zhou Yun entered his role as a doctor, he would unconsciously adopt a tone that brooked no disobedience.

Without saying much, he followed Zhou Yun's instructions, taking off his clothes and lying face down on the bed.

Zhou Yun pressed his sturdy, broad shoulders onto the bed, ignoring Guan Yuanfeng's instinctive urge to struggle. "Don't move. I need to needle the acupuncture points near your tailbone to stimulate the nerves in your legs. The nerves and acupoints here are very dense, and if I'm not careful, I could puncture the rectum, so I have to be cautious."

Guan Yuanfeng remained still, allowing Zhou Yun to lift his clothes and needle him one by one.

Guan Yuanfeng wondered if he was being too sensitive, but today the qi sensation from the needles was very pronounced. Each needle sent a steady wave of warmth coursing through his muscles and nerves.

The sensation shot through his nerves like a bolt of lightning, reaching the site of his amputation, causing a mix of soreness, tingling, and pins-and-needles.

It wasn't pain, but the combination of soreness and tingling in his muscles and nerves was quite unbearable.

He gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists, his muscles tensing up, then relaxing, his body shaking constantly.

A fine sheen of sweat began to bead on his skin, and his breathing gradually became uneven and shaky.

Unseen by Guan Yuanfeng, Zhou Yun's fingertips glowed with a soft green light as he inserted each needle, using the "Decaying Wood Blossoms" ability.

After the entire set of needles was applied, Zhou Yun carefully examined his legs. The skin, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and other tissues were all fully activated, regrowing and developing, with bone cells beginning to divide and proliferate faster and faster. As the muscles regenerated and the nerves revived, the joints would also start to grow.

He needed calcium, nutrients, and more energy.

Zhou Yun placed his hands above the amputated limb, and Guan Yuanfeng trembled slightly. Zhou Yun whispered, "Don't move, I'm stimulating your nerves."

He closed his eyes. After absorbing a high-quality wood-type crystal core from the medicinal herb garden, he now channeled his full wood psychic abilities. A lush green glow enveloped Guan Yuanfeng's lower body.

Guan Yuanfeng felt as though the nerves and skin of his amputated leg were submerged in a soothing hot spring, completely relaxed and extremely comfortable. He closed his eyes, and his entire soul seemed to float, his whole body warm and relaxed, sinking into a warm and easy sleep.

Zhou Yuanfeng carefully removed the needles, placed them in the sterilization cup, covered Guan Yuanfeng with a light blanket, and gently wiped the sweat from his furrowed brow before going out to make food.

=========

Guan Yuanfeng slept deeply and soundly. In this post-apocalyptic world, time had become distorted. When he woke up, the room was dark, and he thought he had just taken a long nap during the day.

Driven by hunger, he got up to find something to eat, only to be stunned by the sight of his legs when he pulled back the blanket.

He reached out to touch them, almost thinking he was still dreaming.

The door opened, and the fragrance of steamed rice wafted in. Zhou Yun asked, "Awake?"

Zhou Yun walked through the dim room and directly to the floor-to-ceiling windows, pulling open the blackout curtains. The room immediately brightened. "You've slept for three days; it's morning now."

Outside, it was pouring rain, another heavy rainy day.

Three days? Guan Yuanfeng looked out the window, then down at his perfectly intact legs, wondering if he was still dreaming.

Zhou Yun came over and looked at him. "Your legs have grown back; it seems the energy was sufficient..." He was actually quite surprised. Previously, a fourth-stage gold psychic had taken a whole year to fully regrow their limbs.

Guan Yuanfeng had just transplanted a crystal core, and the acquired psychic energy was prioritized to the missing limbs. Seeing the effect, Zhou Yun had continuously used the "Decaying Wood Blossoms" ability over the past few days while Guan Yuanfeng was asleep, and indeed, the regeneration was complete.

However, the functionality of the newly regenerated limbs still needed to be tested and observed.

He took out a short dagger and, with the tip, pricked Guan Yuanfeng's foot sole. Guan Yuanfeng instinctively pulled his leg back, his eyes filled with confusion and shock as he looked at Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun couldn't help but want to laugh but said, "Can you feel everything?"

He sat on the edge of the bed, gently holding Guan Yuanfeng's ankle and resting his leg on his knee, then poked each toe with the tip of the dagger.

The newly regenerated skin was thin and sensitive, and the soles of the feet, already rich in nerves, made Guan Yuanfeng feel his ankle being gripped by Zhou Yun's warm palm, which tickled and sent a jolt of sensitivity through him. His toes curled involuntarily, and his ears grew warm.

He fought the urge to pull his foot back and simply said, "I can feel it."

Zhou Yun let his lower leg drop and tapped Guan Yuanfeng's knee with the back of a dagger, testing the knee-jerk reflex. He smiled and said, "Looks like everything's normal. Try walking on the ground." He reached out to steady Guan Yuanfeng by the elbow.

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him, still with a hint of shock, but allowed Zhou Yun to guide him as he stepped onto the pristine wooden floor.

He stood up, and Zhou Yun watched intently as Guan Yuanfeng's legs straightened, the veins on the top of his feet standing out as his toes gripped the floor firmly.

Zhou Yun thought to himself that Guan Yuanfeng's feet were quite long, and his toes were long too—no wonder he was tall. He must be close to six feet tall, right?

As he looked up to gauge Guan Yuanfeng's height, their eyes met. Zhou Yun's hand slid down to his shoulder and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Startled, Zhou Yun felt Guan Yuanfeng's excitement through his strong, tight hold. He hugged him back and patted his shoulder. "Seems like the recovery went well. You're healthy now, congratulations."

Guan Yuanfeng didn't say a word, but Zhou Yun knew that waking up to such a sudden recovery must have been overwhelming. This man was strong and probably wouldn't want to show weakness in front of others. He would need some time to calm down. Zhou Yun smiled and pressed him back down to sit. "I'll get you a pair of slippers."

He went up to the attic and rummaged around, finding a new pair of large slippers. He also estimated the length of Guan Yuanfeng's foot from when he touched it earlier and found a new pair of suede hiking boots and a pair of comfortable running shoes.

After coming back down, he first put a plate of steamed bean-filled buns on the table before bringing the shoes into Guan Yuanfeng's room.

Guan Yuanfeng was standing on the balcony outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking at the morning scenery. His tall and solitary figure cast a long shadow.

Zhou Yun placed the shoes by the bed. "I've brought the shoes. Let's go eat. You haven't eaten for three days. There are freshly made bean buns."

Guan Yuanfeng turned around. "Okay, thanks."

Tall and long-legged, Guan Yuanfeng took only a few steps, yet he exuded an imposing presence, even barefoot. His restored normal height gave off an intense and sharp aura, creating a huge sense of pressure when he was near someone.

Ever since gaining his psychic powers, Zhou Yun had developed an instinctive alertness towards dangerous and powerful enemies. At that moment, as Guan Yuanfeng came too close, Zhou Yun felt a sense of threat and instinctively stepped back two paces.

Guan Yuanfeng noticed it immediately. "What's wrong?"

His eyes were sharp, as if instinctively inspecting everything. Zhou Yun explained, "You're very tall." That kind of height was pretty rare around here.

Guan Yuanfeng hadn't expected that response and smiled. "Seems like I've grown a bit. I used to be 1.86 meters, but now I feel a few centimeters taller."

So, psychic powers can do that too? Zhou Yun was surprised. "Really? Let me find a measuring tape to measure you."

Guan Yuanfeng put on the slippers and casually said, "It's not important. No need to bother." He bent down to check the hiking boots, glancing at the size. "You've thought this through. These will be useful outdoors, thanks."

He didn't even ask where Zhou Yun had gotten shoes that fit him.

Zhou Yun had prepared some excuses in his mind but was caught off guard. He mumbled, "You're welcome." Then he brightened up. "When the rain stops, let's go scavenge the neighborhood thoroughly."

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him with gleaming eyes, full of enthusiasm, and smiled. "Okay."

As he walked out of the room, a comet suddenly darted down from upstairs, its eyes sparkling. It had just realized its owner was awake but seemed different than usual.

It hesitated, circling around Guan Yuanfeng's feet, sniffing his instep before tentatively licking it. Then it happily wagged its tail, whining and pawing at his knees.

Guan Yuanfeng reached down to catch its paws in greeting, patting its head and ears before washing his hands and sitting down at the dining table to look at the sumptuous breakfast.

The large buns, with their thin wrappers and generous fillings, were devoured by Guan Yuanfeng—four in total. The filling was made from finely chopped beans mixed with minced pork and scallions, offering a crispy, savory, and juicy texture.

Although it was breakfast, Guan Yuanfeng had slept for three days, so Zhou Yun had prepared some meat dishes to replenish his energy.

The honey-glazed spare ribs were wrapped in foil and roasted to a mouth-watering aroma. The milky white crucian carp soup also contained a fried poached egg.

There was also a spicy and fragrant dry pot bullfrog dish, with lots of perilla, lemon slices, and passion fruit, making it very refreshing.

Guan Yuanfeng was curious about where Zhou Yun had gotten the bullfrog early in the morning, as he hadn’t seen any frogs being raised in Zhou Yun’s place.

Zhou Yun casually explained, "It rained last night, and the bullfrogs in the pond in our neighborhood were croaking so loudly that the noise kept me awake. I went out in the middle of the night and caught a bucket of them."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t know how to continue the conversation. "Wasn’t it wet from the rain? And isn’t it hard to catch bullfrogs at night?"

Zhou Yun raised his index and middle fingers in a stabbing gesture. "I have water psychic abilities. When I heard them croaking, I walked to the spot, found them, and shot ice spikes from the water. One hit, one frog."

Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze rested on Zhou Yun’s two raised fingers. "..."

The fair fingers were long, and when making this somewhat mischievous gesture, the clear lines on his palm could be seen.

Zhou Yun noticed Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze and speechless expression and lightly coughed. He realized that this gesture resembled a certain vulgar action... But... He shook his fingers, and a frosty spike suddenly rose from the dining table, crystal clear and exuding a cold chill.

He explained, "That’s how it’s done. It’s just a habit when I cast spells."

Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but laugh. "Alright, no need to demonstrate. I get it. You’re quite the bullfrog killer." He couldn’t imagine the calm and refined Zhou Yun going out into the pouring rain at night to catch bullfrogs by the pond, but he had been asleep at that time.

That’s quite a nickname... Zhou Yun couldn’t help but laugh too and continued speaking. "In the lake of our neighborhood, there are mutated fish. I’ve always wanted to catch them, but the lake is too big, and it’s hard to find them."

Guan Yuanfeng immediately understood. "Once the rain stops, I’ll use my lightning to shock them out of the water." If it’s a mutated fish, it should have water cores, right? It would be useful for Zhou Yun, and at this moment, he was eager to repay him.

Zhou Yun appreciated Guan Yuanfeng’s decisive nature. "Lightning is good. If I do it, I might end up killing it."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Don’t you need to get water cores?"

Zhou Yun replied, "In the fish pond where the Emerald Electric Eel was kept, there were two water-based plants that mutated."

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him. "You mean that plants near mutated animals might also be affected and mutate?"

Zhou Yun said, "I’m not sure, so I want to get some live mutated fish to test it out."

Guan Yuanfeng understood. "Okay."

After finishing breakfast, Guan Yuanfeng habitually collected and washed the dishes. When he finished washing and turned around, he saw Zhou Yun sitting on the sofa watching him, which surprised him a little. "What’s up?"

Zhou Yun said, "It looks like you’re walking normally. Do you feel any discomfort like poor blood circulation, numbness, itchiness, or soreness?"

Guan Yuanfeng felt warmth in his heart and smiled. "There’s no discomfort, but although my legs have grown back, the muscles are obviously not trained. I can feel that my legs lack strength when walking."

After walking a bit, his legs felt sore, and his toes and feet were soft and tender, clearly under-exercised.

"I’ll go to the gym and run for a while later." Guan Yuanfeng had already planned his workout routine in his mind.

Zhou Yun was concerned. "Take it slow, don’t go too intense."

Guan Yuanfeng smiled at him. "Don’t worry, I’m a professional. I’ve designed training programs for many warriors, so I know exactly what intensity is best."

With the return of his legs, Guan Yuanfeng’s confidence also came back. For the first time, Guan Yuanfeng realized that he could proudly show off his knowledge in front of Zhou Yun, instead of sadly keeping silent about his past like before.

This young doctor had brought him a renewed sense of joy, stability, confidence, and physical well-being.

He went back to his room to change into running shoes, and the two of them headed to the attic gym. Zhou Yun was still thinking about the gym on the 28th floor. "We should find time to convert the 28th floor into an archery range."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "I'll take care of it. You focus on your herbs." Now that he could move freely, he suddenly felt like a freed captive, brimming with inexhaustible energy.

Zhou Yun nodded. "It’s starting to get cold. It's time to harvest the veggies and plant some cold-hardy ones."

Guan Yuanfeng adjusted the treadmill and started warming up. "You mentioned harvesting pumpkins before, but I haven't seen you do it yet. The big ones are taking up space."

Zhou Yun smiled. That extra-large pumpkin had mutated, so it's time to harvest its seeds. He had already collected a smaller one and planted the pumpkin seeds behind Guan Yuanfeng's villa. They would be able to eat the mutated seedlings soon, but the weather was getting colder...

He lazily hopped onto the exercise bike, placed a tablet on the rack in front, opened an audiobook, and started exercising.

His long legs pedaled slowly, maintaining a leisurely pace.

Guan Yuanfeng finished warming up and hit the treadmill, but his eyes kept drifting back to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun wore a simple white cotton knit short-sleeve shirt and athletic shorts, his bright eyes giving him a youthful vibe, like a college freshman.

Zhou Yun actually had a lot of physical work, but he wasn’t really putting in much effort with his exercise, clearly just going through the motions. Guan Yuanfeng thought he looked like someone leisurely riding a bike in the park on a holiday.

Zhou Yun wasn’t really putting in much effort, but his physical condition had improved after gaining psychic abilities. He half-heartedly finished listening to a chapter of "The Schopenhauer Cure" and then got off the bike to check Guan Yuanfeng's treadmill stats. "Five kilometers, want to take a break?"

Guan Yuanfeng panted, "I feel great, I can run another five kilometers."

Zhou Yun nodded slightly. "Your psychic abilities definitely boost your fitness. But since you've just recovered, it's best to take it slow to avoid putting too much strain on your newly regenerated muscles. Let’s take it easy and see how it goes."

Guan Yuanfeng smiled. "One more kilometer."

He sweated profusely but felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

Zhou Yun glanced at the sweat-soaked patches on Guan Yuanfeng's camouflage shirt, then looked down at his powerful strides. He was so tall that each step covered a lot of ground, making even the extra-wide treadmill seem small under his feet.

With each step, his powerful legs moved with a smooth, graceful rhythm.

Zhou Yun felt a bit thirsty, turned to take a sip of water, and looked outside at the rain. "It seems like the rain is stopping. I'll check the rooftop."

He casually walked out to the balcony, seeing that the rain was indeed slowing down, the sun reappearing from behind the clouds, a light drizzle still falling. It felt comfortable on his just-exercised, warm body.

It was nearing October, late autumn, with increasing temperature differences between day and night. But as long as the sun came out, it was still scorching. In the past, it would have already been cold by this time of year.

The scent of grass, wood, and earth evaporated under the hot sun, filling the air with a vibrant and fresh aroma.

Zhou Yun looked towards the Qingyun Reservoir in the distance. The shimmering water surface was enveloped in cloud-like mist, and the trees on both banks had turned red and yellow. There were certainly more mutated fish there than in the neighborhood's artificial lake, but it was a bit farther away.

Now, he had a teammate with lightning psychic abilities who could travel far!

Excited, he headed back to the attic and called out to Guan Yuanfeng. "The rain has stopped, let's go fishing by the lake!"

They would start with the neighborhood's artificial lake!