Chapter 67: The Jiuyi Mountains

Chapter 67: The Jiuyi Mountains

Zhou Yun leisurely descended from the rooftop, with Comet following closely behind. As soon as he entered the suite, the gazes of three people immediately focused on him.

Qin Mu said, "Zhu Zhuan said you went to answer a call. You actually have a phone that can get a signal?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Yes, some special base stations, not for civilian use. How did your talk go?" He knew that since Zhu Zhuan specialized in information security, he would understand that this wasn't an ordinary signal, so he didn't hide anything.

Qin Mu sighed, "Just as you predicted, City Lord Gong didn't inquire about the herb cultivation at the Nanshan Prison outpost at all. He didn't question the killing of Wu Jiao from the Four Seas Gang, nor did he ask about my shadow abilities. The Wood Psychic Ability Users Guild wasn't mentioned either. He only thanked me for ridding the people of a scourge and explained his difficulties, focusing solely on winning me over."

He picked up a cup of chrysanthemum tea from the table and took a hot sip, feeling as if all his pores had opened. A hot cup of chrysanthemum tea on a hot day was surprisingly refreshing. Doctor Zhou really knows how to enjoy life.

He had the whole guild hall set up with a touch of class and comfort. Just by hanging some paintings, arranging flowers, placing an ancient tripod, and setting up a few screens, the gaudy atmosphere of the Four Seas Gang's old mahogany furniture was completely swept away.

"His main concern was why my herbs came from Central Base and why I specifically went there to find distributors."

"I took your advice and straight-up told him they didn’t want to be in the limelight. He indeed stopped questioning and seemed to have figured something out, believing it wholeheartedly."

Zhou Yun also sat down, crossing his long legs, and gently rubbed Comet's head, who was sitting obediently beside him: "You didn't lie either."

Zhu Zhuan was practically bowing down: "What did you mean by mentioning his nephew and son-in-law?"

Qin Mu said, "Just to warn him to be wary of his nephew, what else could it mean?"

Zhu Zhuan felt something was off because, at that moment, City Lord Gong's eyebrows raised, and the corners of his mouth turned downward, showing a guarded expression. From the surveillance footage, he clearly saw the muscles in his shoulders, neck, and back tense up instantly, and his pupils dilated—a reflexive response to feeling threatened.

Zhou Yun added some water to his thermos: "Clever folks always read too much into things. He must have thought you were threatening him. If he didn't cooperate with you, you would choose to work with his nephew, just like the Four Seas Gang. The Four Seas Gang knew you were selling herbs with the medical institute but still dared to seize your outpost. It clearly seemed like a deliberate provocation and warning."

Qin Sheng said, "Brother, isn't that exactly what you meant? You looked like a smiling tiger at that moment. City Lord Gong almost couldn't maintain his smile."

Qin Mu: "..."

Zhu Zhuan: "..."

Zhou Yun leaned back in his seat, tapping the armrest with his fingers: "Then let's prepare. Since we've already gained City Lord Gong's approval, go all out in recruiting people. It doesn't matter if we use up all the crystal cores. With people, we'll have crystal cores. Stabilize the situation at Nanshan Herb Garden as quickly as possible, ensuring a steady supply for the pharmacies in Beiming during this period, and then build up some inventory for when Qin Mu starts."

"Based on experience, the rainy season is coming soon, and there's a high chance of prolonged heavy rain and flooding. So, I suspect City Lord Gong will set off soon to avoid being delayed by extreme weather."

"We also need to stockpile a large amount of food as soon as possible, dig drainage ditches in advance, prepare for flood prevention and drainage, and be ready for the possibility of not being able to go out for extended periods."

"Just now, I noticed that most of the wood psychic ability users in Beiming have joined the guild. Don't hold back—send guild vehicles to the city gates daily to pick them up and take them to perform growth spells."

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng nodded, but then they noticed Zhu Zhuan pulling out a notebook and pen from somewhere, scribbling notes and asking seriously, "So, we should plant some flood-resistant crops and vegetables that can yield quickly in the short term, right? What exactly should we plant?"

Qin Sheng whispered to his brother, "Brother Zhu Zhuan is truly a top student."

Qin Mu murmured, "This is a meeting, and the leader is assigning tasks. Xiao Sheng, you're not a corporate drone, so you wouldn't understand. There are always those people who take notes when the leader speaks and pour tea when the leader holds a cup." A strong sense of crisis.

Zhu Zhuan turned to look at him, confused: "You’re all heading out soon, so it’s on me to handle this stuff. Of course, I need to take good notes."

Qin Sheng: ...

Suddenly, he understood why he was an underachiever.

Zhou Yun said, "We can plant late-season rice now. Given how hot the weather is, plant a moderate amount. Peanuts, corn, and soybeans can also be planted in moderation, but peanuts don't tolerate waterlogging, so plant them on the higher slopes."

"Also, I noticed there's a fish pond on the farm. Take advantage of this time to catch some live fish from the reservoir and raise them there. Before stocking the pond, turn over the mud and let it dry in the sun, then plant lotus roots and water bamboo. I have some seeds ready for you."

"If you plant vegetables near the fish pond, focus on water spinach and celery, which are flood-resistant. In case of a severe drought, you can still draw water from the nearby fish pond."

"Raise a large number of poultry and livestock that are easy to yield meat, such as ducks, which are also a good option."

"There’s plenty of labor anyway. The Four Seas Gang eats well, and their members are all in great shape."

"Invest a few more crystal cores to recruit some technical workers to build greenhouses, purchase fertilizers, and pesticides. Xiao Sheng can continue to gather various agricultural equipment and pesticides from nearby areas. I also have some left, so Xiao Sheng can go and fetch them when he has time."

Zhou Yun concluded: "Alright, Zhu Zhuan can arrange the rest for me. Make a list of anything that's missing. I’ll visit regularly."

Zhu Zhuan immediately asked: "The greenhouse herb garden and hydroponic seedlings at the gymnasium are all set up now. Doctor Zhou, do you have time to take a look?"

Zhou Yun nodded: "Alright, I'll go in the next couple of days when I have time."

Zhu Zhuan added: "I've already arranged for meals at the cafeteria downstairs. Let's eat before you leave. Doctor Zhou, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Zhou Yun shook his head: "No."

Zhu Zhuan checked the time: "There's still half an hour before the meal. Would you like to watch a movie or listen to some music? I've installed speakers here. See what kind of music you like. Piano? Violin? There's also traditional Chinese music like guzheng."

Zhou Yun smiled: "Let's listen to the radio. It seems like radio is coming back into fashion recently." He always felt that Zhu Zhuan had a big filter for him.

Zhu Zhuan said: "Yes, it's mostly the alliance government promoting their policies, the Psychic Research Institute recruiting personnel, and various bases recruiting psychics. On local channels, the City Lord's office usually broadcasts job vacancies and such. Speaking of which, we should talk to City Lord Gong today about advertising for Green Bird Medicine."

Zhou Yun became interested: "That's a good point. Place an ad, and when Qin Mu goes to Central Base, remember to place an ad on their radio channel as well."

Qin Mu murmured: "It’s so competitive."

Qin Sheng was puzzled and looked at Qin Mu, who said: "By the time we return from Central Base, our performance might already be surpassed by this guy. He was always a teacher's favorite during school."

Qin Sheng: "..."

Zhu Zhuan tuned the radio in the corner, and the channel was playing pre-apocalypse music. In the light-hearted melody, a clear male voice with a metallic quality sang: "I walked through the gloomy forest, the frozen creek, and the sea full of fish, but couldn't take you... I can only wish that you would come find me."

The singing was light and free, with a lazy, lingering enunciation, conveying a mix of restraint and self-abandonment.

Zhou Yun took a sip from his water cup, slowly thinking about the next steps. Nanshan Prison was a pleasant surprise, and Zhu Zhuan was a godsend. With this management talent and the Nanshan Herb Garden base, he could finally temporarily free himself from the trivial tasks of cultivating mutated herbs and making medicine, and focus on the next steps.

The king-level water crystal cores he brought back from the sea had all been absorbed, and the energy of the crystal cores had indeed greatly improved. The attack power of water skills, especially ice skills, had significantly increased, and the number of mutated plants that could be fused had also increased.

But to maintain the balance of power, it would be best to absorb high-quality king-level wood crystal cores of the same level, to make his crystal core energy more stable and balanced. The ice wolf crystal cores left by Guan Yuanfeng should also have many wood crystal cores from mutated plants, but waiting for them to return would take too long.

It's time to head into the mountains.

Thinking of Guan Yuanfeng's reminder, he felt a slight guilt. Fortunately, he had promised not to go to sea. He would go and return quickly, within a week, so it wouldn't count as breaking the promise.

=====

The next day, Qin Mu and Qin Sheng drove a harvester to Zhou Yun's place. Qin Mu said: "I see that the crops here are almost ready for harvest. Since it's inconvenient for outsiders to come here, Xiao Sheng and I will help you harvest them and take them to Nanshan Herb Garden to be dried, threshed, and processed."

Zhou Yun was touched. Indeed, these days he had absorbed king-level crystal cores, and the range of his psychic abilities had expanded. The rice and wheat by the lake, and the soybeans in the woods, had all matured.

Qin Mu and Qin Sheng were both efficient workers. As psychics, they were energetic and strong. In a few days, they had harvested all the crops at Zhou Yun's place and loaded them onto trucks to take to Nanshan.

Zhou Yun simply let them take all the poultry and livestock to Nanshan as well.

Qin Mu was puzzled: "Won't you keep some for your own convenience?"

Zhou Yun said: "I'm going away for a while. Although there are automatic feeding devices, if it rains or something, it would be troublesome. Let Zhu Zhuan arrange for someone to take care of them. I'll come back and take what I need when I return."

Qin Mu was alert: "You're not planning to go to sea alone, are you? It's best not to. If we're not around, you might get lost."

Zhou Yun smiled: "No, I'm not going to sea." He was going into the mountains.

Qin Mu didn’t press him when he remained silent, only saying, "Be careful."

Although Doctor Zhou had been very open with them these days, Qin Mu could tell that deep down, Doctor Zhou was still a lone wolf. When it came to his own affairs, he was secretive, stubborn, and very clear about his boundaries.

Doctor Zhou was too mysterious. It seemed that Yunding Mountain Villa was just a temporary stop for him. He was decisive and confident in everything he did, as though he had a clear goal in mind. His gaze often wandered off, and he seemed lost in thought, like something far away was tugging at him.

Zhu Zhuan said that when she saw Doctor Zhou answering the phone, his expression was gentle, and his tone was intimate, as if he was talking to someone very close to him. The civilian base stations in Beiming hadn’t been restored yet, but he could still communicate and stay updated on the news from Central Base. There were also the military personnel Xiao Sheng had encountered at the villa. The person on the other end of the phone was almost certainly someone Doctor Zhou cared deeply about.

Qin Mu only speculated briefly in his mind but didn’t delve further. Instead, he asked Zhou Yun if there was anything else he needed help with before heading to Nanshan and making thoughtful arrangements.

The shops and guild venues in Beiming City had stabilized, and everything at Nanshan Herb Garden was also on track.

Sure enough, news came from the city lord’s residence to pack up and set a date for departure.

Zhou Yun packed two full suitcases for Qin Mu. One suitcase contained lightning crystal cores, freshly dried fish noodles, newly baked sausages, fish balls, and experimental mulberry wine and agave wine. The other suitcase was filled with various specially made medicines for Guan Yuanfeng and his team.

He briefly told Qin Mu, "Someone will come find you when you get there. Just hand it over to them."

Qin Mu said, "I heard on the broadcast that there will be an auction during the city lord conference. Do you need anything?"

Zhou Yun replied, "Don’t worry about me. Take advantage of the low prices for shadow-attributed mutated plants, animals, and crystal cores to stock up. Just make sure Xiao Sheng is taken care of. By the way, I tested Zhu Zhuan the other day, and he actually has an affinity for light. Light crystal cores are very expensive, and you probably can’t afford them, so we’ll talk about it later."

Qin Mu’s eyes went wide, "What? He’s got a light affinity? From his name to his heart, everything about him is fiery red, and he’s not fire-affinity? I was planning to test him and have a good laugh about it."

He sighed regretfully, "If he were a psychic, I’d find a way to get him what he needs, no matter how expensive. But since it’s just an affinity, buying crystal cores wouldn’t help, right? What kind of plants or animals produce light?"

Zhou Yun explained, "Just like lightning crystal cores, which are guaranteed to come from animals that can discharge electricity, light crystal cores are the same. Any plant or animal that emits light will definitely produce them."

Qin Sheng chuckled, "So even fireflies could produce them? They must be tiny!"

Zhou Yun smiled faintly, "Mutated fireflies aren’t small." He figured he’d keep an eye out for them during this mountain trip.

Qin Mu pondered, "So deep-sea jellyfish... and glowing squids... I’ve even seen glowing algae. They look beautiful when the waves hit them."

Zhou Yun nodded, "Yes, deep-sea and cave-dwelling creatures tend to glow more. It’s a pity I didn’t encounter any mutated jellyfish last time." The deep sea was a great spot, but since he’d promised Guan Yuanfeng, he decided to wait till he got back from vacation to check it out.

After bidding farewell to Qin Mu and Qin Sheng, Zhou Yun began packing for his mountain trip. He prepared a tent, a moisture-proof mat, a camping stove, a charging panel, a camping generator, a flashlight, a solar camping lamp, and a first aid kit. Since the mountains were cold, he also packed some lightweight down jackets, spare hiking boots, and extra clothes.

Driving a high-end car into the mountains wasn’t ideal, not just because of the rough roads, but also because he was bound to encounter bandits who wouldn’t hesitate to damage the vehicle. He didn’t want to risk Guan Yuanfeng’s car, so he opted for a domestic SUV that ran on both solar power and gasoline. He loaded the car with spare gasoline, food, homemade dog food, and dry rations.

When the Beiming City delegation’s plane took off for Central Base, Zhou Yun finished tending to the precious mutated herbs on the 30th-floor rooftop and left Danlin City in his SUV with Comet.

His destination was the Jiuyi Mountains.

"White clouds drift over the Jiuyi Mountains, as the emperor’s descendants descend from the emerald peaks."

The Jiuyi Mountains, where Emperor Shun was buried, stretch south to Luofu and north to Hengyue. The area features towering mountains, serene lakes, vast stretches of primeval secondary forests, and deep, mysterious valleys. Within the dense forests lie countless rare and exotic beasts, as well as precious mutated plants and rare herbs.

Before reaching the fourth tier, he wouldn’t have dared to venture here. But now that he was firmly at the fourth tier and steadily advancing toward the fifth, he decided to take advantage of his current level of strength to gather some valuable resources.

The journey from Danlin City to the Jiuyi Mountains was about 800 kilometers. Before the apocalypse, driving on the highway would have taken just a day. But now, with the roads in poor condition and the possibility of encountering all sorts of dangers, he had to prepare for the likelihood of abandoning the car and continuing on foot. He loaded up on gas and put anti-peep film on the side windows, leaving just the front windshield clear.

The first part of the journey on the highway went smoothly, but after about 100 kilometers on Xiahai Avenue, he began encountering hordes of zombies, mutated monkeys, and zombie sheep. Relying on the SUV’s durability, he plowed through. As he approached smaller towns, he started running into roadblocks set up by bandits.

He would stop and go, appearing hesitant to the bandits. When they surrounded the car and demanded he open the door, he would open the sunroof instead. Comet would leap out and unleash a burst of fire with lightning speed before jumping back down.

Most of the time, that was it. The bandits would usually just open the roadblock and drop to their knees, begging for mercy the second they saw the fire-breathing dog.

Then, Comet happily jumped back to the roof, leaped into the car through the sunroof, accepted Zhou Yun's head pat, and happily continued their journey with a piece of mutated fish jerky in its mouth.

Despite the rough journey, they made progress, though delays from damaged or blocked roads forced them to take detours. After nearly fourteen hours of driving, they finally arrived at a village at the foot of the Three-Part Stone Peak in the Jiuyi Mountains.

This peak is exceptionally high and steep, serving as the watershed for the Xiao, Kui, and Tuo rivers.

The small village at the foot of the mountain had been abandoned, and the dirt roads were completely overgrown with weeds. Only the previously cemented roads were still somewhat passable. As the vehicle drove in with its headlights on, it startled away some rats, frogs, and grass snakes.

When Zhou Yun was still in college, he had hiked here with classmates. This was a popular hiking route, with various hiking guides available online. Most hikes started and ended at this village, which had become an internet-famous village, giving rise to various farmhouse restaurants and inns.

He vaguely remembered a farmhouse restaurant here called "Humble Fare," which served rice noodles or noodles with mountain mushrooms and homemade chicken soup for ten yuan a bowl, with unlimited refills of soup. The rice noodles were topped with a fried egg, and when poked with chopsticks, the orange-red semi-solid yolk would flow out.

After the hike, they returned to the village for dinner. They enjoyed dishes like stir-fried smoked bacon with fresh bamboo shoots, cold fern salad, stir-fried snails with perilla, salt-and-pepper fried eel, and tea oil duck fried rice, accompanied by a steaming bowl of oil tea. After a day of hiking, tired and hungry, these local farmhouse dishes tasted like a feast.

Now, the village was completely dilapidated, with no one living there. The wooden windows and earthen walls were in ruins, and the roof tiles were overgrown with weeds.

Zhou Yun parked the car, and as it was already late at night, he let Comet out first. Comet cautiously got out of the car, circled around it, and then darted into the houses, searching inside and out. Soon, the howls of zombies could be heard, and Comet quickly led a group of zombies to the central parking lot of the village, where it skillfully spat fire, burning them all to death.

It then continued running around, luring out some mutated cows, mutated sheep, and scattered zombies, and burning them as well.

There weren't many zombies in the village, and they seemed quite weak. It was likely that the mutated animals from the mountains had already come down to clear them out once, leaving only those that had been locked in sealed rooms, which Comet had opened and lured out.

Zhou Yun, relying on his memory, found the "Humble Fare" farmhouse restaurant. He hung a camping light in the main hall and looked at the price list on the wall, covered in grease and dust, and the rustic calendar landscape paintings.

He opened the trunk, grabbed a foam box and a thermos, and headed into the shop. He spread a plastic cloth on the dusty table, poured out the chicken soup he had stewed earlier from the thermos, connected the outdoor power supply to an induction cooker, placed a steamer on it, and steamed the eel and plum rice balls, dumplings, and dog food rice balls stored in the foam box.

Just then, Comet ran back, having presumably finished cleaning up, with a mountain chicken in its mouth. It rubbed against his leg with the chicken in its mouth. After a whole day in the car, only eating dog food, and then running around burning zombies, it was naturally very hungry.

Zhou Yun chuckled, picked up the unfortunate mountain chicken, and saw that it was already half-cooked by the fire, with most of its feathers burned off. Comet had even known to burn the feathers first. Zhou Yun took out a knife, shaved off the remaining feathers, chopped off the head and claws, cut open the belly, and discarded the innards, keeping only the heart and liver.

He then used the knife to tear the chicken apart, removed the bones, and mixed the half-cooked chicken with the soup. He heated it on the induction cooker and then mixed it with the steamed dog food rice balls, placing it in a food bowl for Comet to eat.

He then ate the rice balls and dumplings with the chicken soup, tidied up a bit, and went outside to look at the sky.

After the apocalypse, the light on the ground seemed to have disappeared. In the dark sky, every star shone like a brilliant diamond, and the vast Milky Way hung down. The surroundings were silent, and as he looked up at the starry sky, he felt a sense of loneliness, as if the world had shrunk to just him.

He took the camping tent and other gear from the car, tidied up the middle of the main hall, set up the tent, laid out a mattress, and shook out a light, warm goose-down quilt. The temperature in the mountains was low, likely only around ten degrees at night, but with Comet around, he wasn't afraid of the cold.

After setting up the sleeping area, he checked the doors and windows, went outside, and placed the mutated trumpet vine by the car. After activating it, the trumpet vine quickly enveloped the entire car, making it look like just a tangle of vines around an abandoned vehicle.

Zhou Yun also left some mutated thorny tendrils outside the house, urging them to climb up the walls. Only then did he take Comet into the tent inside the house to sleep.

After driving all day, he leaned against Comet, covered with the light, warm goose-down quilt, and read a chapter on his e-ink reader by the light of the camping lamp before bed.

The mountains were utterly silent, with only the distant croaking of frogs, the occasional hoot of an owl, and the calls of unknown animals, creating a sense of peace and tranquility.

After putting away the e-reader, he noticed his phone on the side and instinctively picked it up to check. There was only one bar of signal, and he knew that once he entered the mountains tomorrow, there would be no signal at all.

He hesitated for a moment. It was so late... Guan Yuanfeng was probably already asleep. When they lived together, he was always as punctual as a clock, very disciplined and strict with his sleep schedule.

But if he didn't call now, he wouldn't be able to reach him once he entered the mountains tomorrow, and Guan Yuanfeng would surely worry.

After some thought, he sent a text message: "Are you asleep?"

To his surprise, the screen lit up, and a reply came: "No, still on duty. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Zhou Yun thought for a moment, glanced at the e-reader by his pillow, and replied: "There's a book I haven't finished. I'll sleep after reading it."

"Go to bed early. The light is bad at night, don't strain your eyes."

Zhou Yun replied, "Okay. Qin Mu and Qin Sheng have already gone to Central Base with City Lord Gong. If there's a City Lord Conference, you'll be pretty busy too, huh? I've got an important research project to tackle, so I might not call as much these days."

Guan Yuanfeng responded promptly, "Okay, but make sure to eat, sleep, and take breaks."

Zhou Yun breathed a sigh of relief, "Yes, we've taken over the original Nanshan Prison and we've planted some medicinal herbs inside to ensure the raw materials for drug production. We've also set up a pharmaceutical production line, so things have been pretty hectic lately. But the farm's signal is spotty, so if you can't get through when you call, don't stress about it."

Guan Yuanfeng didn't question it, "Okay."

After a while, he added, "Remember not to go out to sea. I've already applied for leave after the conference and have been granted 20 days of family leave."

Zhou Yun felt a little guilty, "Okay, I won't go out to sea. Plus, I always have Comet with me wherever I go, so I'm totally safe. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."