Chapter 61: Spring of the East Lord

Chapter 61: Spring of the East Lord

On the uninhabited island, the lively young men set up several shelters using plastic woven bags and wooden frames to take shelter from the scorching sun. Their hands stayed busy processing the various seafood they had caught.

The live ones went into a pool, the very small ones were released, and those nearly dead were quickly gutted, salted, and left to dry on the seaside rocks before being stored in jars.

In these end times, food was precious, and it wasn’t easy to go out to sea for fishing. Their families were very worried this time, but they felt slightly relieved knowing that the Qin brothers were leading the team.

At the reef, the Qin brothers were sea fishing. They used mutated shark meat, mutated crab meat, and pre-prepared medicated bait to create mutated fish bait, which they placed into specialized electric fishing rods and cast into the sea.

Soon, they began to reel in mutated fish, sea shrimp, sea turtles, and mutated sea snakes continuously.

What excited Qin Sheng the most were the various mutated snapper. The tender flesh and delicious taste of snapper made it a popular target for sea fishing. There were also groupers, sardines, and some mutated cuttlefish and mutated crabs. Although they weren’t very large and their combat strength was average after mutation, their crystal cores were of excellent quality.

The highlight was a huge yellowfin tuna. Tuna was rare here, and it was difficult to catch even one during regular sea fishing. If caught, it could be sold at a high price, a fish that fishermen dreamed of to get rich. This time, they caught a mutated tuna weighing over a hundred jin, causing all the young men from Laojie Gang to cheer.

After catching the tuna, the sun was setting in the west. They were about to stop, but seeing the last piece of fish bait, Qin Mu suggested, “Let’s cast one more line.”

As a result, the last cast pulled up a giant mutated octopus. The sturdy fishing rod was twisted and snapped by the coiled tentacles, and the sudden burst of black venom left Qin Mu and Qin Sheng momentarily stunned. By the time they stood up, the huge octopus was frozen solid in a giant block of ice.

The venom had corroded pits into the metal fishing rod, and although they were wearing helmets while fishing, Qin Mu felt lingering fear and some regret for being too overconfident.

Even though it was frozen in the ice block, the octopus’s tentacles could still firmly grip the surface. They heard a creaking sound from within the ice block as the thick ice cracked, causing everyone to shudder in horror.

Zhou Yun put his hand on the ice block and grinned at Qin Sheng, “Time for some practice—know where its water crystal core is?”

Qin Sheng looked at the massive twisted octopus, its color a dark blue, its tentacles covered with dense suckers. Its two eyes seemed to be coldly glaring at him through the ice, sending chills down his spine.

The cracks grew larger, and the ice block could shatter at any moment.

Qin Mu reminded him, “An octopus has three hearts, so aim for the main heart.”

Qin Sheng closed his eyes, took a step back, and his entire arm metalized, his fingers like blades. He thrust his arm forward with all his strength, hearing a “chlang” as his arm pierced through the ice block, through the octopus’s skin, and into the main heart.

In an instant, he pulled back his arm, opened his palm, and a glowing water crystal core lay in his hand.

After handling the mutated octopus, Zhou Yun noted they had plenty, including the mutated sea clams caught that day, and Qin Mu urged them to take a break. Everyone cleaned up, cooked dinner, and ate.

Qin Mu approached Zhou Yun, “It’s best to head back tonight. Old Wang looked at the stars and said there might be rain. We should leave early, and if we leave now, we should reach the port by dawn.”

Though he knew Zhou Yun wasn’t afraid, and they had brought enough food and supplies, being stranded on the island wasn’t ideal. The sailors’ families would also be worried.

Zhou Yun had no objections, “Alright, let’s go back.” The king-level water crystal core they obtained this time would allow him to retreat and upgrade properly.

Everyone packed up and boarded the ship, heading towards Beiming City with a full hold of fish.

Qin Mu had been worried about encountering a storm along the way, but luckily, Old Wang was experienced, and the night remained calm. They returned safely to Beiming port just as dawn broke, with a cool breeze blowing.

As the ship arrived at the port, Qin Sheng led the team to get their vehicles from the parking area. The port had a dedicated parking zone where a fee in crystal cores would ensure someone watched over the vehicles.

Qin Mu and Zhou Yun stayed on the ship to watch over the cargo. In this apocalyptic world, there were always people eyeing ships just docked for robbery, especially gangs that recruited psychics. Relying on the strength of psychics, they would grab and run, and the city lord’s guards were mostly unable to stop them. In the end, fishermen often returned empty-handed, their spoils taken by others.

Qin Mu told Zhou Yun, “Let Xiao Sheng drive you back. It might not be safe on the road.”

Zhou Yun said, “No need. I don’t have much left, but you have a lot of cargo. Be careful. You’ve just awakened, your psychic abilities are unstable, and you need to practice more. Let Xiao Sheng stay with you.”

“Besides,” Zhou Yun looked at Qin Mu, “My luck is always a bit better than yours.”

Qin Mu: “……”

He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you think we should let Xiao Sheng go to Central Base if City Lord Gong suggests it?"

Zhou Yun said, "Of course he should go. The city lord conference at Central Base is a rare chance for growth and valuable experience. All the prominent psychics from different regions will attend. He needs to see what the world is like and meet other psychics."

Qin Mu hesitated, "The outpost and the medicine here both require my supervision. If he goes alone without much experience, I'm worried the Gong family might have ill intentions."

Zhou Yun said, "He can't stay under your protection forever. He has to face the world on his own eventually."

Qin Mu asked, "Do you think the Gong family can be trusted?"

Zhou Yun shook his head, "Don't fully trust human nature. But for now, the Gong family's interests don't conflict with yours. You're on the same boat for the time being, so you can trust them temporarily."

"City Lord Gong probably wants to cultivate Qin Sheng. It's normal to bestow favors as a means to win people over. Qin Sheng is indeed a rare metal-type psychic, worth cultivating. Despite controlling a city, City Lord Gong is burdened with a chronic illness and lacks an heir, making his position precarious. You, on the other hand, are like the rising sun—honest and incredibly talented. It's only natural that he wants to win you over."

Qin Mu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and seeing that he was indeed worried, Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said, "Actually, there's something I need someone to handle."

Qin Mu turned to him, "What is it?"

Zhou Yun said, "After the city lord conference, the various bases will definitely unite, forming a unified front. The stations, communications, and networks of various places will also start to connect."

Qin Mu said, "Do you have insider information?"

Zhou Yun nodded, "The contents of the joint announcement have spread everywhere. If you inquire, you'll find out. Communications will be connected soon, followed by transportation, infrastructure, and networks. Although it might not be as good as before and satellites can't be used, with the significant reduction in population, maintaining basic communication and a foundational network should be possible."

Qin Mu pondered deeply, "You mean every base will no longer be isolated."

Zhou Yun nodded, "So we need to start preparing now."

Qin Mu said, "Selling medicine?"

Zhou Yun smiled, "Yes, we need to expand the Green Bird brand as quickly as possible. You can suggest to City Lord Gong that during the Central Base city lord conference, Green Bird can promote its mutated herbs and recruit distributors and agents from various bases, ideally those with connections to city lords."

Qin Mu was slightly shaken, not having realized Zhou Yun had such ambitions, but it was also his ambition, wasn't it?

Zhou Yun said, "City Lord Gong is a businessman and will understand the benefits of what you're proposing. He will definitely agree to take you to Central Base, and he's likely not just bringing the Green Bird distributor. He'll probably bring his own business as well... By the way, what did he used to sell?"

Qin Mu said, "Salted sea duck eggs."

Zhou Yun: "..." Pretty down-to-earth, but he liked it.

Thinking for a moment, Zhou Yun said, "You can tell City Lord Gong that we can regularly provide mutated grass feed for his ducks. The eggs produced will be more nutritious than regular duck eggs, and some of the ducklings might mutate. You should ask for some shares. Additionally, we can collaborate with the Gong family on promoting mutated silk during the city lord conference."

Qin Mu: "..."

Zhou Yun said, "He'll agree. The more eager you are to participate in his business and get on his boat, the happier he'll be, wishing for a deep partnership between the Qin brothers and the Gong family."

Qin Mu laughed, looking at Zhou Yun, "I was thinking, if you did business, what would be left for us."

Zhou Yun frowned, "Let me handle these troublesome matters—there's one more thing I need you to do. It doesn't have to be a big operation." He had originally planned to lay more groundwork, to let the Qin brothers gather more people and solidify their power, but time waits for no one. This rare city lord conference is an opportunity that must be seized immediately for strategic planning.

Qin Mu said, "What is it?"

Zhou Yun said, "In the medicine shop, set up a counter for collecting herbs."

"Besides purchasing mutated herbs, we can also offer herb seedlings or seeds. Wood-type psychics can take the herbs back to cultivate. Depending on the grade of the herbs, we'll give out wood-type crystal cores as rewards every month. At the same time, when the herbs are ready for harvest, we'll buy them back at a preferential price."

"I'll give you the specific list of herb seeds and crystal cores later."

"Then, any wood psychics who wish to acquire the herbal seeds and cultivate them must join the Wood Psychic Planting Guild."

"After joining the guild, they can purchase herbal seeds at a discounted rate. The guild regularly organizes planting exchange lectures and forums where experts explain and distribute learning materials on wood psychic abilities, and members can also share insights with other wood psychics."

"If members encounter any issues, the guild will provide support and do its best to resolve their problems."

Qin Mu paused, thoughtfully looking at Zhou Yun. "Wood psychics are very important for your herbal seeds, right?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Yes, but we need stronger ones. Most wood psychics are still too weak right now." In fact, he alone could continuously grow those succulents, but there was no need to tell Qin Mu this.

Qin Mu nodded. "Beiming City has many water psychics, and there are some wood psychics as well. Due to their healing abilities, most of them reside in the City Lord's mansion, where they mainly perform simple treatments and plant food crops. They’re not as highly regarded as light psychics." Fortunately, now that they had connected with City Lord Gong, the Gong family should not refuse such a small request. After all, the supply of raw materials for medicine was crucial.

"The problem now is that they don't have a safe place to grow the herbal seeds. The ideal solution is to provide a secure herb garden with scheduled daily pickups and deliveries. We could open some herb gardens at our Laojie Gang base, but we don't have experts who are good at growing herbs."

Zhou Yun said, "You’ve really thought this through. You handle the logistics; I’ll guide the herb cultivation. If you have any suggestions for improvements in the execution, feel free to bring them up."

Qin Mu knew this would require more people to maintain order, increase output, and ensure sufficient food, but that was the purpose of their existence. Zhou Yun obviously focused more on developing herbs and making medicines, and he couldn't be distracted by these trivial matters.

His mind raced, already forming several plans as he heard a car approaching in the distance. Qin Sheng had driven Zhou Yun's jeep over. Qin Mu hurriedly asked Zhou Yun, "So, are you coming with us to Central Base?"

Zhou Yun fell silent.

It was the first time Qin Mu had seen such a clear expression of "struggle" on Zhou Yun's face. The doctor had always been calm and confident.

Zhou Yun finally replied, "No." He was too busy and couldn't afford to waste time on such pursuits.

Qin Mu asked, "If the members ask who the guild leader is..." He wasn't sure if Zhou Yun was willing to step into the spotlight.

Zhou Yun thought for a moment. "Dong Jun."

Qin Mu was startled. Of course, he had studied Qu Yuan's famous "Dong Jun" from the "Nine Songs" in the "Chu Ci" anthology. Dong Jun was both the sun god and the god of spring, representing the vigor of life and boundless hope. In these apocalyptic times, there couldn't be a more fitting name.

Like the Green Bird before, it brought hope and vitality.

For some reason, the grand ambitions stirred up by Zhou Yun's few words were suddenly tempered by something soft, leaving him with an indescribable feeling.

So, was this grand and enticing plan drawn up for the sake of that earnest heart dedicated to saving the world?

He wanted to say something to reassure Zhou Yun but saw Qin Sheng jump out of the car, his face flushed with anger, fists clenched, striding over. Zhou Yun had already asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Qin Sheng said, "The Four Seas Gang took advantage of us being out at sea. Last night, they sent a few psychics to raid our bases in Jinjicun and at Qingyun Reservoir! They chased away our people, occupied our bases, and stole a lot of goods!"

Zhou Yun raised his eyebrows. The Four Seas Gang, it sounded familiar, like those small-time thugs who had previously waylaid them. It was still a mystery how Guan Yuanfeng had dealt with those thugs in the end.

Qin Mu sneered. "So bold? They bully people, control the market, steal women, rob fishing boats, and raid other gangs’ supplies. Now they’re even taking our bases! If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll think I'm weak!"

Qin Sheng said, "One base is at the highway intersection, and the other is near the reservoir. Both are very convenient and had well-established vegetable crops and livestock. They were just starting to scale, and now these guys come and steal our peaches! If we don't give them a good beating, they'll think I'm a pushover!"

He squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, his eyes wide open. "I've already notified all the young men from Laojie Gang to arm themselves and put on their protective gear. We have to take it back today!"

Zhou Yun showed some concern. "Do you need my help?" In his previous life, Qin Sheng had probably already become the son-in-law of City Lord Gong by this time, so no one would have dared to make him suffer like this. Now, without a backer, it was uncertain how Qin Sheng would handle these gang disputes.

Qin Mu, however, said, "Doctor Zhou, you’ve been up all night and need to drive back. There’s no need for you to get involved here. Don't worry, we can handle it."

His eyes gleamed with ambitious light. "Trust us. After we deal with the gang matters in a couple of days, we'll come to see you."

Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll let you borrow Comet for a few days." He still had many things that needed to be done by the Qin brothers, and he couldn't afford to lose them in such trivial gang skirmishes. After all, Qin Mu had only just awakened, and it was still unknown what his full potential was.

Qin Sheng was delighted upon hearing this. "Thank you, Doctor Zhou. I will take good care of Comet, make sure he eats and drinks well, and not let a single hair of his fall out."

Zhou Yun smiled and bent down to pat Comet on the head. "You go and play with the Qins, both big and small. If you miss me, just return home. I'll be there, safe and sound." Comet was naturally lively and energetic, requiring a lot of activity each day. Once Zhou Yun returned, he would need to absorb the water-based king-level crystal cores and focus on cultivating his skills. Once he entered deep meditation, he would have little time to spare to keep Comet company.

Comet howled proudly in response.

Zhou Yun then took the homemade dog food and dog bed from the car and handed them over to Qin Sheng, reassuring Comet with a few words before driving his jeep back to Danlin City with the harvested crystal cores.

Among the huge pile of sea clams, he selected the largest one, likely a king-level clam, to bring back, leaving the rest to the Qin brothers to handle, instructing them to extract the crystal cores and pearls.

The early morning sun had just risen above the sea, brightening the day. However, dark clouds gathered at the horizon, signaling an impending storm.

Qin Sheng said, "If Doctor Zhou were here, our enemies wouldn't stand a chance. But having Comet with us is great too."

Qin Mu sneered coldly. "Doctor Zhou is soft-hearted. How can we involve him in such violent matters? If we can't even protect our outpost, how can we face him in future collaborations? It's time to prove our strength."

Qin Sheng, anxious and urgent, said, "Should we go and take back our outpost? They've detained Ah Hong and the other silkworm-raising girls, forcing them to continue working. Given their reputation, who dares trust them?"

Qin Mu's eyes gleamed with cruel intent. "There's no need to retake the outpost. We go straight to their gang's base and settle the score with Brother Jiao."

"We fight to strike fear into every gang in Beiming, ensuring they never dare cross us again, even if we're not in Beiming. They won't dare lay a finger on anything related to us."

"I want the Four Seas Gang to cease existing in Beiming."

"We're short on crystal cores and manpower. Since they've walked into our trap, we'll have to graciously accept their offerings."

=======

After driving for several hours, Zhou Yun returned to Danlin City. He first placed the giant water basin filled with sea clams in his villa, carefully storing the best seafood and shark liver he had selected with the Qin brothers in the freezer.

He then went to the 30th floor, undressed, took a shower, and was about to wash his dirty clothes when he felt his phone in his pants pocket. He remembered that it had run out of battery and he had put it in his pocket planning to charge it, but then he went fishing and hurried back the same night, forgetting all about it.

He plugged the phone in to charge and powered it on. When the screen lit up, he habitually glanced at the signal bar, surprised to see it was full.

Has the signal tower been repaired?

A wave of joy surged in his heart. He pulled up his contact list and, sure enough, Guan Yuanfeng's name was already saved there.

He dialed the number.

"The number you have dialed is not in service."

Zhou Yun felt a little disappointed but carefully plugged in a power bank and placed it in his pocket.

=====

Yanling.

After a recent snowstorm, the sky remained overcast. In the distance, majestic snow-capped mountains met the gray sky, with clouds shrouding the primeval forest and endless mountain ranges. The winding mine tunnels of this abandoned mine, deserted since the apocalypse, were covered in snow.

Inside the dark mine, the beam of a flashlight flickered in the dimness, illuminating the twisted and rusted iron frames supporting the ceiling, the rotten wooden beams seemingly on the verge of collapse, and the marks of mining tools and explosives on the walls.

Amidst the distinct smell of minerals, the special operations team members carefully stepped over the mine cart tracks, avoiding the scattered wreckage.

Everywhere, carts filled with overturned ores lay scattered, along with abandoned shovels and pickaxes. The giant coal mining machine's drum was damaged and leaned to one side, while the conveyor belt still held ores that hadn't been transported, a testament to the once-bustling activity. Now, all was quiet and still, with no mechanical roars or workers' chatter, only darkness and silence.

The mine was eerily cold, colder than outside, the biting chill piercing through the bones. The sinister wind blowing from the depths of the mine carried an unsettling eeriness. Occasionally, the flapping wings of bats startled the team members, reminding them of the mutated animals they had just slain—a mutated bat. Though weaker than the mutated animals they had encountered in Yanling Forest, it was still large and grotesque, with its hairy, oversized head and black wings, summoning swarms of small bats, which was utterly disgusting.

Besides the mutated bats and snakes, their mission also involved dealing with the zombies formed from the miners trapped here.

They arrived at the main mine tunnel and whispered, "This is it. The detection vehicle previously sent in showed this area has the most zombies, scattered in various small tunnels, but this one is the main tunnel."

"Set the bait, quick! We've already spent half the day hiking. The mountain trail is brutal. We'll have to spend the night on the mountain again."

"There are still three mines left for us to clear. This is killing us."

"You're not being asked to mine, just clear out the zombies. You should ask around; other teams are trying to find out where we got this medicine."

"Guang's team didn't go down into the cave today. That's strange. He usually goes down personally."

"Are you babies or something? Always following Captain Guan. Can you stand on your own two feet? It's time to do something on your own. If the captain isn't around, will you all just stop functioning?"

"Without the captain, I'm not doing anything. Whoever wants to do it can—good luck to them. Do you think we're living in luxury? Special operations team members are like super firefighters, always stuck with the hardest jobs. This mission to clear the mine, it's clearly a frontline team's job. Why are they dumping it on us?"

"Don't complain all the time. Do you even know what kind of person Captain Guan is?"

"Nice guys finish last, right?"

"Stop babbling, you're begging for trouble. Obey orders, understand? Hurry up."

"Get the bait set up, now!"

"Everyone got their gas masks on?"

The stench of rotting corpses filled the air ahead.

"Fall back, fall back!"

The team members nimbly ran out of the mine tunnel.

Outside the mine, the mountains stretched endlessly, with peaks appearing and disappearing among the clouds and mist.

Guan Yuanfeng stood on high ground, gazing into the distance, his cold, stern face etched with frost. He wore his uniform with broad shoulders and an upright posture, his strong legs and waist exuding power. The pressure he gave off was immense.

On the flat ground before the mine entrance, a group of psychic special operations team members stood in protective suits, lined up straight. They waited silently for orders.

At the front stood the psychic warriors of the special operations team. Usually arrogant and fearless, they now stood quietly under Guan Yuanfeng’s command, just like the other ordinary team members, awaiting orders.

Guan Yuanfeng glanced at his phone; only a faint signal bar appeared, not enough to make a call. He frowned and turned to ask, "Hasn't Jiang Rongqian come back yet? Where does he plan to set up the communication base station?"

A team member stepped forward to report, "Reporting, Captain Guan. Vice Captain Jiang said we'll likely be staying on the mountain tonight, so he's looking for a spot with signal coverage near these three mine shafts. He mentioned that setting up the base station at Niu Jiao Liang would be better and has taken a team to climb the mountain."

Guan Yuanfeng clipped his phone back to his side. He wondered how Jiang Rongqian had spoken to Zhou Yun. Early in the morning, they finally got a signal, but after several attempts, the call went unanswered. They had urgent mountain tasks and couldn't continue trying. Could it be that the phone ran out of battery because he forgot to charge it?

If he forgot to charge it, would he be unable to contact him for a long time?

Last time, Jiang Rongqian mentioned something about a supplier of medicine. He didn't want to bypass others to make contact.

Lost in thought, a team member ran out of the mine and, after standing at attention, returned to the team. "Report! The bait in Mine No. 3 has been placed!"

Guan Yuanfeng's expression turned serious. "Prepare to move out! All teams, get into formation!"

The various small teams below began to check their protective suits, weapons, walkie-talkies, and more. Their movements were skilled, professional, silent, and swift.

A gust of wind whipped through, carrying a few snowflakes along with it.

"Ding ling ling!" The phone rang loudly, breaking the silence.

Everyone looked toward the source of the ringtone—Guan Yuanfeng, standing at the highest point.

Guan Yuanfeng felt the vibration from the phone at his waist, but his expression remained calm and composed. With a wave of his hand, countless dark tornadoes suddenly rose from the ground. The hourglass-shaped tornadoes crackled with bluish lightning inside them. All team members stood at attention, hardly daring to breathe.

Everyone knew the destructive potential hidden within those deceptively cute tornadoes. Some of the tough, skeptical psychic team members had even been humiliated and passed out by these electrified tornadoes before. They never wanted to experience that shame again.

The dark tornadoes split into three groups and rapidly entered the three mine entrances. Soon after, they heard the loud rumbling from deep inside the mines, along with the sharp howls of the zombies.

With his phone still ringing incessantly, Guan Yuanfeng waved and said, "All teams, go down and clean up according to the previous action plan. Be careful."

His voice softened considerably.

All the team leaders looked somewhat hesitant but still saluted and led their members down, all confused: Didn’t the captain say these zombies were weaker and we should take our time cleaning them up for practice?

Why is he taking care of it himself now? From experience, once Captain Guan’s lightning tornadoes hit, no zombie could escape being turned to ash. And with the zombie bait set, they’re all clustered together now.

Now it’s just a matter of collecting the crystal cores from the bodies!

Is the captain rushing to finish because of another urgent mission?