Chapter 50: A Gentle Flutter of Wings

Chapter 50: A Gentle Flutter of Wings

The world awakens with lush growth, chirping birds, and vibrant life. The spring sunlight is gentle and warm. With the nourishment of the spring sun and drizzling rain, all the herbs and crops planted in the residential area grow rapidly.

Zhou Yun's growth spell, cast on the already vigorously growing cacti and aloe, triggered their abnormal growth, filling every nook and cranny densely.

Fortunately, it's springtime, and there's still plenty of space in the residential area. Zhou Yun cordoned off another section specifically for the mass production of Zombie Attractant and repellent, mutated purple dragon horn, mutated Stapelia grandiflora, and a large number of medicinal mutated aloe.

Spring is truly conducive to plant growth. In the warm, moist southern breeze, the mutated purple dragon horn and Stapelia grandiflora, nourished by the growth spell, became vibrant and full of life. The thick green stems with silver patterns and small horns grew unrestrainedly, layer upon layer, lush and robust.

In another section of the aloe field, each aloe plant stood tall with thick leaves. The edges of the leaves had tiny serrations and silver borders, resembling green blades standing in the warm spring sunlight. This greatly satisfied Zhou Yun's inherent desire for planting.

Of course, these two types of mutated plants, cultivated in an inconspicuous corner of the residential area with ample sunlight and warm, dry conditions, were places that Comet kept his distance from.

And now, it was the perfect time to transplant the trumpet vines.

Zhou Yun trimmed the excess branches and leaves of the trumpet vines on the rooftop, carried the entire plant downstairs, and transplanted it to the side facing the reservoir.

At the very bottom of this area was the building's septic tank. He had previously instructed Tang Anchen to dig a large pit here, where they collected and buried the zombie remains from the residential area. Comet then incinerated the remains, and Tang Anchen used his special abilities to fill in the large pit. A few days ago, Zhou Yun had deliberately placed a batch of chopped grass and kitchen waste here to fertilize the soil, making it highly fertile.

After transplanting and watering the plant, Zhou Yun held the pearl in his hand, closed his eyes to activate the crystal core ability, and fully cast a powerful growth spell. The green light shone in his palm, infusing vitality into the trumpet vine leaves beneath his gentle touch.

In the gentle breeze, although the trumpet vine had just been transplanted and its branches and leaves were a bit wilted after trimming, it immediately became vibrant and lively under Zhou Yun's all-out growth spell. The branches and leaves spread out.

Underground, its roots rapidly expanded, extending in all directions, deeply penetrating the warm, moist soil, swiftly and extensively exploring the vast underground world.

The slender roots, like a dense net or countless blood vessels, swiftly and firmly pierced through, absorbing nutrients and water from the soil. In the dark underground, these roots, like living tentacles, silently yet powerfully, greedily absorbed nourishment, providing a rich source of nourishment for the growth of the trumpet vine above ground.

As the roots spread deep and wide, the vine began to move. In the spring breeze, it danced gracefully, wrapping and stretching out, like countless tiny tentacles gently climbing up the thirty-story building.

Each leaf on the vine flickered with the greenness of spring. Their vitality was so strong that the leaves arrogantly spread out, lush and dripping with life. They grew wildly, as if determined to cover every inch of the wall, claiming the entire building.

The vines, like explorers wagging their tails, extended upwards and outwards, densely arranged, overlapping to form a sea of green leaves. The entire building, from bottom to top, was tightly and firmly wrapped in the trumpet vine leaves, filled with greenness.

After covering every available space, as if not satisfied, the flowers burst into bloom amidst the lush greenery, like firecrackers. The red flowers, like fiery clouds, were passionate and exuberant, their petals glittering in the sunlight like brilliant pearls.

At this moment, the entire building seemed to have become a flower tower, occupied and covered by wild flowers and vines, binding and restraining the once human-inhabited concrete structure, bursting with growth, arrogantly displaying the beauty of natural wildness, exhibiting an eerie and desolate beauty.

With the addition of the mutated trumpet vine, the building's stability was greatly enhanced. Zhou Yun planted a circle of mutated thorny tendrils around the building. Since the mutated pearl had been used for the day, he wasn't in a hurry. After all, the growth ability of the mutated thorny tendrils was very strong. Once they climbed up along the wall again, they would complement the trumpet vines, securely reinforcing the entire building, making it unbreakable.

These self-nourished mutated plants would, under his command, attack all invading creatures.

After reinforcing the building and completing a major task that had been weighing on his mind, he expanded the planting area for many cacti-like mutated plants and aloe in the nursery.

With ample materials, Zhou Yun made another large batch of medicine. Then, looking at the circle drawn on his calendar, he remembered it was time to revisit Beiming City for a follow-up visit to Qin Sheng's brother. Fortunately, he had made a batch of medicine, so he could take it with him.

This time, he switched to a medical vehicle, a modified RV, packed with essential supplies, food, energy, and gasoline. Then, accompanied by Comet, he headed towards Beiming City again.

The journey to Beiming City was much smoother this time. The blocked tunnel had been cleared. It seemed that some psychics had started teaming up to search for supplies. It must have been a combination of digging machinery and earth-type psychic abilities that reopened the completely blocked tunnel.

Fortunately, Guan Yuanfeng had led the special forces team to collect some necessary important supplies for the residential area in Danlin City and provided cover. Generally, small psychic teams preferred to search hospitals, supermarkets, commercial streets, and shops for supplies and were less inclined to search residential areas.

After all, opening a door that hadn't been opened since the apocalypse might unleash zombies. Zombies could also hide in underground parking lots or woods, making residential areas less efficient in terms of time and zombie levels.

With enough fuel, Zhou Yun didn't need to stop at any gas stations along the way. It only took him two hours to reach the highway exit, and then he turned towards Jinjicun.

As the RV entered Jinjicun, Zhou Yun soon saw Qin Sheng standing at the village entrance, dressed in a dark blue Beiming Base security team uniform, holding a harpoon gun in his hand.

Zhou Yun knew this was a show of deterrence. After all, the Beiming Base security team was meant to deter outsiders. This was also why he chose to work with Qin Sheng. His position was a humble one, yet it provided the natural convenience of being part of the guard unit. He was also a leader among the young members of the Laojie Gang.

Snakes have their paths, and rats have theirs; small-time players have their own ways of surviving in the apocalypse.

Zhou Yun lowered the car window, nodded at Qin Sheng, and parked the car.

Qin Sheng was increasingly surprised. He thought his stance with a weapon might worry or scare Zhou Yun. However, Zhou Yun greeted him by lowering the window, acting as if it were still the peaceful times before the apocalypse.

He knew that the dog Zhou Yun brought along was very strong and could spit fire. It was likely that Zhou Yun himself was a psychic. But why would he so easily place his trust in someone like him, a relatively insignificant figure?

Or was it that Zhou Yun was indeed very strong, with a deep and mysterious background, thus having no fear of him at all?

Qin Sheng stepped forward and said, "My brother is in the room."

Zhou Yun said, "Bring him onto the car. I have equipment here that can help check him."

Qin Sheng nodded and returned to the house at the village entrance. He soon came out supporting Qin Mu and helped him onto the car.

When the two entered the car, they were a little startled. The car's exterior looked plain and filthy, but the interior was immaculate, exuding a disinfectant smell.

Zhou Yun was washing his hands and putting on a mask and gloves. He saw that Qin Mu’s gaze was clear, and although his steps were a little unsteady when he came in, he appeared to be in good spirits. Zhou Yun slightly lifted his chin and said, "Lie on the bed and expose the wound."

Qin Mu watched him put on the mask, revealing a pair of dark, clear eyes. Zhou Yun exuded a calm and steady demeanor. Looking at the various professional equipment inside the medical RV, it was evident that arranging such a medical vehicle in the apocalypse was no easy feat.

Qin Mu gingerly sat down on the medical bed and, with Qin Sheng's help, lowered his pants and lay down. Zhou Yun came over to check the wound, examined the skin color around it, and casually disinfected, changed the dressing, and removed the stitches. His movements were gentle yet precise. He said, "The wound is healing well. Just continue taking the medication."

Qin Mu observed his skilled and composed manner and said, "Thank you, Doctor Zhou. I am Qin Mu, Qin Sheng's older brother, Mu as in dusk."

Zhou Yun nodded, "You two really do look alike." Tall and robust, with thick palms and large joints. The small medical bed was indeed a bit cramped for him.

Qin Mu nodded, "We do look alike, don't we? I am a seaman, working international routes. Our parents passed away early, and I started working on ships right after high school because it paid the most. It's just a pity that I didn't have time to properly educate Qin Sheng because I was often at sea. He didn't do well in school." He even started chatting casually with Zhou Yun about family matters.

His facial features were rugged, with a distinct jawline and skin that, even after more than a year post-apocalypse, still bore the roughness of exposure to the sun, rain, and sea breeze. Although the two brothers were different—one was burly and rough, the other handsome and refined—their eyes were very similar. They had long, dense lashes and watery eyes with natural laugh lines, giving them a somewhat amorous look when they gazed at someone.

Zhou Yun nodded and silently removed his gloves before asking, "How's the progress with selling the medication?"

Qin Sheng perked up, "It's flying off the shelves! We set up a shop downstairs at home and put some out. We didn't do any special promotion, just sold it to some close people in the old town area first. When it worked for them, they recommended it to friends and family. Word spread quickly, and now everyone knows we have good medicine specifically for dealing with zombies and treating external injuries! We sell it for one crystal core per large pack, as you instructed, and it can last for more than four or five uses if used sparingly!"

Zhou Yun nodded, "I've brought some new medications for you to put on the shelves again. But remember, the ones marked with a star are mutated medications and are more expensive. They aren't necessary for regular illnesses; it would be a waste."

"There's a medication called Sanjie Huisheng Wan that can inhibit tumor growth and alleviate pain. For patients with cancer, you should especially recommend this one. It's relatively mild and can be taken over a long period."

Qin Sheng's eyes widened, "That amazing?"

Zhou Yun nodded. This had been verified from his previous life. Extracts from cacti and aloe, combined with proven herbal extracts from ancient prescriptions, could indeed slow down the progression of cancer. In the post-apocalyptic world, chemotherapy was difficult, and cancer patients were generally in a lot of pain.

If the mutated yew could be successfully cultivated, it might be even more effective in treating cancer.

The emergence of mutated plants and animals offered new hope for previously incurable diseases, while the appearance of psychics indicated stronger physical capabilities, but it also meant further deterioration of the natural environment.

As the brief spring passed, the long, hot summer would take up a significant amount of time. The mutated plants that had grown over the winter and the surviving mutated animals would, with sufficient food and nutrition in the spring and summer, grow to astonishing levels and begin to actively hunt.

And then, there were the zombies, who were also starting to develop special abilities.

Of course, absorbing ordinary crystal cores was of little use to him. Only crystal cores of king-level or above had any effect on him. The plan to go out to sea needed to be expedited...

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng saw that Zhou Yun seemed lost in thought, entering a state of absent-mindedness as if they weren't even there. They couldn't help but exchange puzzled glances.

Qin Mu tentatively asked Zhou Yun, "Doctor Zhou, do you want to check out a store in Beiming City? Today is the wedding of Miss Gong from the Gong family in Beiming City. It's very lively; they've organized a grand feast, and everyone from the Beiming base is welcome to attend. We were thinking of promoting our range there too."

Zhou Yun was startled and turned to Qin Mu, "Miss Gong’s getting married? To whom?"

He couldn't help but glance at Qin Sheng once more. Even though he looked handsome in his ordinary guard uniform, he didn’t seem like a groom at all. Could it be that just a slight flutter of a butterfly from me has already altered Qin Sheng's life path?

Qin Mu noticed his gaze and cautiously asked, "I heard he's a fire psychic named Wu Zhou, a northerner. He's alone here with no family left. But he's quite tall, 1.85 meters, which is rare in the south, and he's highly educated, a graduate student."

Zhou Yun searched his memories from his past life but couldn’t recall anything significant about this Wu Zhou. He wasn’t a very social person and generally didn’t pay attention to anyone who wasn’t his patient. Later, he spent most of his time in the lab, so he didn’t know many people, which contributed to the lack of support when he was framed and imprisoned.

Qin Mu observed Zhou Yun's expression, which seemed to drift off again, and found it somewhat amusing. However, it wasn’t hard to see the surprise in Zhou Yun’s eyes when he heard about the marriage of the young lady of the Gong family, as well as his involuntary glance at Qin Sheng.

A slight stir in his heart prompted Qin Mu to ask, "Doctor Zhou, do you think Qin Sheng should marry the young lady of the Gong family? Is there some insider info?"

Zhou Yun looked back at Qin Mu, somewhat surprised by his sharp observation, and vaguely replied, "I've heard rumors that Lord Gong was looking for a son-in-law."

Qin Mu, however, thought that Zhou Yun must have deep, unspoken connections and probably knew some insider information. It was likely that his brother's profile had already been submitted and considered... So, was the reason Zhou Yun chose Qin Sheng because of the prospect of him becoming the Gong family's son-in-law?

He pursued, "So if Qin Sheng isn't the Gong family's son-in-law now, will Doctor Zhou still work with us?"

Zhou Yun calmly replied, "I chose Qin Sheng as my business partner for his personal skills. The Gong family is too high-ranking for us. I've mentioned this to Qin Sheng as well."

Qin Mu had indeed heard Qin Sheng mention this before, and the wariness in his eyes dissipated. He apologized, "I was being overly sensitive, sorry, Doctor Zhou. I was in a coma and only found out after waking up that my brother had intended to participate in the Gong family's son-in-law selection banquet to find a light psychic healer for me. I stopped him."

Zhou Yun understood. In his previous life, without his intervention to detoxify Qin Mu, Qin Sheng had eventually attended the prospective son-in-law banquet, been selected, and become a赘婿 in the Gong family—but he hadn’t heard of Qin Sheng having an older brother, so it was likely that even as a赘婿, Qin Sheng hadn’t been able to save Qin Mu’s life.

Looking at Qin Sheng, Zhou Yun said, "Xiao Qin is incredibly capable. Even without being the Gong family’s son-in-law, he can still make his own way."

Qin Sheng: "..." Don’t treat me like a kid!

Qin Mu laughed, "From what I see, their selection criteria focus solely on psychic abilities, physical fitness, and appearance, ignoring family background and education. It feels like they’re selecting genes rather than people. As a couple, they should take into account each other’s temperaments, life experiences, and education. If they don’t pick someone suited for day-to-day life, how can they live together? Since they didn’t choose someone to actually live with, it’s clearly not a good match."

Zhou Yun nodded, "Well said." He casually poured two cups of water from the thermos on the table and handed them over.

Qin Mu took the water but didn’t drink, saying, "Just call me A'Mu. Xiao Sheng is young and acted out of desperation. Now that my wound is healing well, we'll do our best to arrange this business for you."

Zhou Yun wasn’t particularly concerned about the profits from this business. Low-grade crystal cores were of no use to him.

The mutated cacti and aloe had astonishing reproduction rates. The medicines being sold now were almost all mass-produced. He had even moved the pharmaceutical equipment from the hospital back, and as long as the machines were running, the medicines were produced in large quantities, with convenient packaging and labeling devices.

These medicines targeting zombies, treating everyday wounds, detoxifying poisons, and relieving cancer pain allowed ordinary people to survive the apocalypse without depending heavily on bases or psychics.

As the balance of power shifted, with ordinary people gaining more strength and numbers, psychics and the privileged class would begin to fear the masses.

In the future, his goal was for everyone to have the opportunity to possess psychic abilities.

The immediate priority wasn’t selling medicines but enhancing his own strength; he needed more king-grade crystal cores.

Seeing Zhou Yun zone out again, Qin Mu felt helpless and asked with a smile, "Is there anything else we can do for you, Doctor Zhou?"

Zhou Yun came back to his senses, "No, just proceed with your plan to promote and sell the medicines. I've brought all the stock; you can take them away."

Qin Mu smiled and asked, "Do you have any specific requests for crystal cores?"

Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said, "King-grade crystal cores and lightning-type crystal cores, those are worth keeping an eye out for." As for the rest, whether it was his own water and wood psychic abilities or the Comet's fire abilities, low-grade crystal cores were no longer useful. Only Guan Yuanfeng could still benefit from absorbing lightning-type crystal cores.

Qin Mu's eyes flickered, "King-grade crystal cores, you mean the crystal cores of zombie kings?"

Qin Sheng said, "It's probably hard to obtain. The outdoor adventure team of the guard squad has encountered them before. Two fire psychics and one wood psychic, along with guard squad members, surrounded a zombie king. They nearly lost a member in the process. It was such a pity that the crystal core shattered after they killed it. According to them, it was almost a life-or-death situation. That zombie king even had special abilities; it could summon black insects. Fortunately, after killing the zombie king, the insects were easily eliminated."

Zhou Yun thoughtfully said, "A dark-type zombie king? Where did they find it?"

Qin Mu was surprised, "Dark-type? Is it opposite to light-type?"

Zhou Yun added, responding to the previous statement, "They encountered it in a cave while searching for supplies outside. A mudslide buried the tunnel, and as they cleared it, they ran into the zombie."

Doctor Zhou nodded. "Dark ability psychics are rarely found among humans. It's rare to even find them among zombies."

Zhou Sheng said, "No wonder it was a zombie king; they must be incredibly strong."

Qin Mu said, "We'll keep an eye out for collecting them."

Doctor Zhou said, "Let’s leave it to fate. We can also collect mutated herbs and mutated animals. The usable parts of mutated animals, like pearls, bezoar, calculus bovis, chicken's gizzard lining, ox horn, snake gallbladder, and tortoise shell, can also be collected. But most of these items are prioritized for the base, so it won’t be easy for you to collect them."

Zhou Sheng's eyes flickered. "That's not necessarily true. Everyone hopes to exchange mutated animals and plants for the highest returns. Right now, in Beiming City, credit coins are issued that can be exchanged for food anytime."

"Now, we have some valuable medicines here. If they can provide high-level crystal cores or mutated animals and plants, they can trade them for store points. Once they accumulate enough points, they can directly exchange them for mutated medicine. Isn't that a good deal?"

Doctor Zhou, finding it too complicated and convoluted, simply waved his hand and said, "You decide."

Seeing the expression on Doctor Zhou's face, Qin Mu couldn't help but smile again. "If you need high-level crystal cores, there's another way. You can hire psychics and charter a ship to go out to sea. Whatever mutated sea beasts and crystal cores you get, they're yours."

Doctor Zhou suddenly remembered something. "Oh... you’re a sailor? Do you have connections?"

Qin Mu said, "I’ve been sailing on my parents’ ship since I could walk. I’m indeed familiar with it. If Doctor Zhou can hire strong offensive psychics, I know some islands with powerful mutated creatures... But it has to be psychics. Ordinary people definitely can't kill them."

Doctor Zhou's eyes lit up immediately, staring intently at him. "Can you find ships and crew for a sea expedition?"

Qin Mu, trying to hold back his laughter at how Doctor Zhou, who had been so calm and often zoned out, was now looking at him with burning eyes, said, "I'm a sailor myself, and I have a few skilled brothers, all from the old town area. We have our own ship and can go out. But again, you'll need other psychics. Even if Doctor Zhou is a psychic, one person isn't enough."

Doctor Zhou looked at Zhou Sheng.

Zhou Sheng, not understanding his intention, looked back at him, then after a while, realization dawned. "You mean me?"

Doctor Zhou said, puzzled, "Yes, aren't you a metal-type psychic?" In his previous life, Zhou Sheng was a level-four metal-type powerhouse! Even a level-two would be sufficient now, and Doctor Zhou still had the Comet.

Zhou Sheng looked confused. "My metal-type ability is only suitable for close combat; it's weak. It's not suitable for fighting zombies or mutated sea beasts." In the city lord's guard team, although he was considered a psychic, he didn't receive much attention and was only in charge of patrols with a group.

Doctor Zhou frowned. "How can it only be close combat?"

Zhou Sheng said, "Yes, we usually use harpoon guns when fighting zombies."

Doctor Zhou shook his head, looking at him. "You can definitely attack from a distance. Haven't you seen those dart skills in martial arts novels? And..." He remembered Zhou Sheng's rather quirky skill name. "The 'Piercing Rain of Blossoms Needles' technique."

Qin Mu, who was drinking water, almost choked and couldn't help but laugh while covering his mouth.

Zhou Sheng's face turned red. "What... what is that?"

Doctor Zhou said seriously, "Generating and controlling hundreds of fine needles simultaneously and unleashing them is no small feat. It's also very difficult to defend against. You can do it."

Zhou Sheng, seeing that Doctor Zhou wasn't joking, hesitated. "Will it really work?"

Doctor Zhou said, "Haven't you absorbed that metal-type crystal core?"

Zhou Sheng hesitated for a moment, then took it out from his clothes. "This... it's very precious and can be exchanged for many things. I thought my metal-type ability wouldn't be useful even if I absorbed it, so I planned to auction it off..."

Doctor Zhou patted his shoulder. "Go ahead and absorb it."

Encouraging Zhou Sheng, he said, "You need to get stronger. We'll go out and hunt bigger sea beasts and dig up larger crystal cores."