Chapter 65

Chapter 65

As herbivores, deer are generally gentle and quite friendly towards humans.

Thus, they could coexist peacefully with the deer and utilize the river water.

Moreover, the presence of the deer actually ensured the safety of the river's source.

The mutant tiger attacked the deer likely for two reasons: first, it might have been hunting, and second, it was probably contesting ownership of the river.

If the mutant tiger won and seized the water source, things would become difficult. They would have to defeat the tiger and reclaim the area.

Otherwise, how would a carnivorous tiger ever permit them to approach?

They needed to regularly clear the river source, or they would once again face a water shortage.

This was precisely why Lin Kang immediately dispatched someone upon receiving the news.

Cheng Zhiyu promptly declared, "Let's go check it out!"

The group rushed over, only to find silence. The deer lay there, bleeding.

The tiger was nowhere to be found.

However, bloodstains on the ground indicated the tiger was injured and had fled, likely not having fared well against the deer.

Still, the deer was in poor condition. Zhou Min gasped, "Whoa, is it dead?"

The deer slowly opened its eyes, as if glaring daggers.

Its condition was indeed critical, its body heaving rapidly, appearing on the verge of death.

Zhou Min cleared his throat and quickly began treating its injuries.

Instantly, the deer's condition improved significantly, its wounds healing completely, though it remained somewhat weak.

Just as Cheng Zhiyu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed the deer's leg infected with the zombie virus and exclaimed, "The zombie virus has spread!"

Tian Qiao exclaimed upon seeing it, "Damn, it really has!"

The spread of the zombie virus was likely due to the deer's injuries.

But now was not the time to investigate; they had to act fast.

They had come in a hurry, and Lin Jiashu hadn't joined them, so they couldn't communicate with the deer. However, it was too late to bring Lin Jiashu now.

Once the zombie virus reached its brain, the deer would fully transform into a zombie deer, and by then, it might be beyond saving.

They had rarely encountered zombified beasts before, as zombies typically didn't attack animals. But the mere thought of a mutant beast turned zombie made it clear how formidable it would be.

Without further ado, the group held the deer down, ready to defend against any attack. Then, Tian Manman grabbed a large cleaver and severed the zombified leg.

The deer cried out in pain but did not attack. It was unclear whether it understood that Cheng Zhiyu and the others were helping it, or if its powers were too depleted to retaliate.

Regardless, Zhou Min seized the moment and used his healing ability.

Fortunately, after the zombified leg was removed, the virus did not spread further.

The severed leg of the deer gradually regrew under Zhou Min's treatment.

The deer, still weak, half-opened its eyes and gently nuzzled Zhou Min's pale, exhausted face.

Zhou Min withdrew his hand and grumbled, "Hmph, now you appreciate me?"

The deer blinked, its gaze pleading, though it was unclear whether it understood Zhou Min's words.

The deer's powers were now depleted, and it would likely take some time to recover. Although the tiger had fled, seemingly injured, it probably wouldn't return anytime soon.

Still, the group remained uneasy, fearing that something else might exploit the deer's weakness. They decided to stay until the deer had fully recovered before leaving.

At first, the deer lay weakly, but true to its nature as a mutant beast, after Zhou Min gave it some water, it finally managed to move. It gazed eagerly at Cheng Zhiyu and nuzzled him again.

Tian Qiao chuckled, "This one's a total foodie. It probably wants pumpkin again."

Cheng Zhiyu sighed in resignation. They had agreed on three pumpkins a day, but given the deer's injuries, an extra one wouldn't hurt.

Besides, pumpkins were mutated plants, and eating them would aid the deer's recovery.

At first, the deer lay down to eat the pumpkin, but soon it couldn't stay still and pushed itself up halfway to eat. After finishing, it looked eagerly at Cheng Zhiyu again.

Cheng Mo said, "No more. Do you know how much work it is for Zhi Yu to grow those?"

Cheng Zhiyu, who had been considering giving it another one out of pity, remained silent.

Never mind.

Seeing that there really was no more, the deer looked utterly devastated.

"I think this guy is quite the drama queen," Tian Qiao commented.

The others shook their heads in agreement. Wasn’t it true?

They stayed until the deer had mostly recovered before leaving.

The next day, still concerned, they brought Lin Jiashu along.

The deer kept calling, "Yo yo!" Cheng Zhiyu asked curiously, "What is it saying?"

Lin Jiashu's mouth twitched. "It’s cursing that deadbeat tiger, saying it’s recovered and grown stronger. If that deadbeat tiger comes back, it's gonna show no mercy."

Cheng Zhiyu laughed. This deer certainly held a grudge.

Lin Jiashu negotiated with the deer, "Can we take a sample of your blood? Just a little, it won’t hurt much."

The deer's eyes rolled, then it lifted its head to indicate agreement—but only if it got an extra pumpkin today.

Cheng Zhiyu was hesitant. Although the pumpkins in his space grew quickly, they couldn't match how fast the deer ate them.

Cheng Zhiyu said, "There are no more pumpkins."

The deer's disappointment was palpable.

Cheng Zhiyu quickly added, "I have some cabbage here. Would you like to try it?"

He took out a mutant red cabbage and offered it to the deer. The deer sniffed it, took a bite, and seemed to think it was okay—though not as good as pumpkin, it was edible.

Relieved that the deer was willing to eat it, Cheng Zhiyu decided to plant some fast-growing, deer-friendly crops in his space later.

Hmm, he remembered that deer like alfalfa.

With the new food, red cabbage, the deer agreed to the blood draw. Zhou Min took a clean syringe, drew a tube of blood, and immediately stored it in liquid nitrogen.

"Chaoyang Base has experts researching vaccines. We should contact them and get this blood to them as soon as possible," Zhou Min said.

Their own base lacked the facilities, so they could only rely on experts from other bases.

However, delivering the blood was also a problem. Fortunately, they had liquid nitrogen, which could preserve it for a long time.

After the blood draw, the deer lay down on the spot and began making soft "yōu yōu" calls again.

Lin Jiashu translated, "It says it feels terrible and needs something delicious to eat to get up."

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

What could he do? He had to give it another red cabbage.

Originally, he thought he had plenty of mutant cabbages, but now... he felt the pressure. He needed to quickly grow some alfalfa in his dimensional space.

After feeding the deer the red cabbage and confirming everything was fine, Cheng Zhiyu and the others said goodbye and left.

The deer called out with soft "yōu yōu" sounds. Lin Jiashu said the deer was saying goodbye to them, and it sounded a bit sad.

Tian Qiao scratched his head, "We're not far away. Can’t we come over anytime?"

It takes one foodie to understand another. Tian Manman said, "It’s reluctant to part with the tasty treats."

Everyone: "..." That made perfect sense.

Well, they’d misread the situation.

The deer had fully recovered its strength, and ordinary mutant beasts or zombies were no match for it. The group stopped worrying and returned to the base.

With nothing else to do, Cheng Zhiyu went to check on the newly cleared land.

Once the crops grew, they would undoubtedly become the base's most important asset, so they needed to be protected within the base's boundaries.

However, to save manpower, the base had originally built a smaller wall, which wasn't large enough to enclose over ten acres of farmland.

So, this land reclamation effort not only involved tilling the soil but also expanding the base's perimeter.

The reclamation site was chosen behind the base, close to the farmland their village had cultivated before the apocalypse.

To avoid future trouble, although they might only plant about ten acres, they fenced off thirty acres at once, saving the need to expand the walls later if they wanted to plant more.

As for why they didn't enclose more, since several kilometers around were no-man’s-land...

Lin Kang said, "No other way. The base is short-handed."

However, he currently wasn’t planning to expand the base's population. First, the base itself lacked resources, so it wasn't a good time to add more people.

Second, well... he had no idea where to find people anyway!

So, expanding the population would have to wait.

Thirty acres was a large area, and building the wall took a while. Cheng Zhiyu had only recently heard that the wall was finished.

The chosen location was not only close to the former farmland but also near a small river, making it easier to irrigate.

Water is the most crucial element for growing crops.

However, when Cheng Zhiyu arrived, he saw several people looking concerned. They had encountered their biggest challenge right from the start.

"Since the apocalypse, it hasn't rained. The land is too dry," Grandpa Zhao shook his head. "Even if we plant mutant seeds, they probably won't survive in such dry conditions."

Fang Guowei was also worried. They had been planting mutant seeds before, but only on a small scale—just a small plot of land where watering wasn't much trouble.

But now they were planting over ten acres at once. Watering that much land would take forever.

"We'll have to draw water from the small river to irrigate," Fang Guowei said helplessly.

A Plant Superhuman nearby sighed, "Pumping little by little, it'll take ages to water all this."

Another Plant Superhuman added, "Exactly. With this drought, the riverbed looks narrower too."

A third Plant Superhuman daydreamed, "The sky has been overcast lately. Maybe it'll rain, and we won't have to go through all this trouble of moistening the soil."

Moistening the soil before planting is called "mèn dì"—wet soil makes it easier for seeds to sprout.

Otherwise, they'd have to grow seedlings. Growing seedlings for over ten acres of wheat? That’d be crazy—it's even more troublesome than moistening the soil.

Grandpa Zhao shook his head, "Don’t count on the heavens. There's always a way, even if it's a bit troublesome."

Since joining the farming department, Grandpa Zhao had something to do and looked much more spirited. His eyes were no longer lifeless but had a new spark.

Cheng Zhiyu looked up at the overcast sky. Without the sun, it wasn’t as scorching, but it felt even more uncomfortable.

With the sun, it felt dry and hot, but with the overcast sky, it was humid and sticky, making everyone feel damp and uncomfortable.

Would it rain? Cheng Zhiyu looked at the sky with concern. It felt strange, as if any rain wouldn't come peacefully—it would surely bring some trouble.

His words proved prophetic. That night, Cheng Zhiyu heard pattering sounds outside, occasionally mixed with excited voices.

He opened his eyes abruptly.

Cheng Mo was holding him tightly, his furry tail—which had somehow appeared—wrapped around Cheng Zhiyu's waist.

The tip of the tail was restless, having slipped slightly into Cheng Zhiyu's pajamas and now swaying against his waist, making him shiver.

"Is it raining outside?" Cheng Zhiyu said, pushing Cheng Mo away.

Cheng Mo frowned, opening his eyes discontentedly. "Yeah, it's raining."

Cheng Zhiyu got out of bed and went outside to look.

Cheng Zhiyu’s parents had woken up at some point and were standing outside, wrapped in clothes, talking.

Cheng Zhiyu’s mom said with a smile, "Thank goodness, it's finally raining."

Cheng Zhiyu’s dad was also delighted, "Rain is good. With rain, the drought will ease up."

Cheng Zhiyu's hearing was much better now, and he could hear others outside who had woken up. Most villagers were overjoyed to see the rain.

A welcome rain after a long drought.

However, someone muttered, "Too much rain isn't good either."

Someone else glared at him, "What are you, crazy? This rain isn't heavy. How could it cause disaster?"

In fact, it wasn't enough to cause disaster, but the rain continued for several days without any sign of stopping.

The smiles vanished from everyone’s faces again, as they spent their days wishing the rain would let up soon. This constant rain made it feel as though it would never end.

Moreover, because of the rain, several households had begun to experience leaks in their roofs. With the rain continuing nonstop, repairs were impossible, so they had to stay with others for now.

The days were now damp and cold, without a trace of sunlight, putting everyone in a gloomy mood.

Cheng Zhiyu stood by the window and sighed, "Ah, when will this rain finally stop?"

"Zhi Yu, don’t worry about it," Cheng Mo said as he wrapped himself around Cheng Zhiyu like an octopus. "It’ll stop when it’s meant to stop."

Cheng Zhiyu sighed helplessly. He knew worrying was pointless, but he couldn’t help it.

Just as he frowned, he felt a warm, soft press against his lips. He turned his head and met Cheng Mo’s smiling eyes.

Cheng Zhiyu started to protest but stopped himself, "You… stop planting kisses on me out of nowhere."

Cheng Mo brought up the past, reminding him how he used to kiss and cuddle him all the time.

"It’s different now. You’re in human form," Cheng Zhiyu said. "Since when do people just go around kissing like that?"

Cheng Mo replied matter-of-factly, "I have, but they weren’t kissing like me. They were nibbling on each other’s mouths. Zhi Yu, do you want to try that with me?"

Cheng Zhiyu: "..."

Damn it, who does that in public? Can’t they save the lip-biting for home?

"No, absolutely not," Cheng Zhiyu refused sternly. Cheng Mo’s earlier kisses were one thing, but actual kissing? What would that even mean?

God, he thought, he realized just how far his standards had slipped.

He changed the subject, "Ah, I wonder how the deer is doing?"

Cheng Mo scoffed, "What could happen to it? It’s a mystical creature—it’s not like it can’t handle a little rain."

Cheng Zhiyu looked at Cheng Mo’s flawlessly sculpted face and sighed helplessly, "You…"

"I only care about Zhi Yu," Cheng Mo said, as a pair of black, furry ears popped up from the top of his head.

Cheng Zhiyu’s eyes went wide. He used to think he had no particular interest in animal ears and didn’t understand why some people were so obsessed with them.

But now… Cheng Mo’s face was just too much.

With his sharp features, the ears didn’t make him look cute—instead, they added an uncontainable wildness.

His heart raced. It was too unfair, especially when he wore an expression that seemed to say, "You can touch them."

Really, who could resist?

Cheng Zhiyu couldn’t look away…

Cheng Mo smiled inwardly. He reached out and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Today, he was wearing a pure black shirt. Slowly, he undid the buttons, revealing a jaw-droppingly perfect body, determined to see his seduction through to the end.

His skin wasn’t pale but a warm wheat color, matching his wild appearance.

"Zhi Yu, want to touch? Anywhere is fine," Cheng Mo said softly, his naturally magnetic voice without any forced lowering.

Cheng Zhiyu’s ears tingled and flushed deeply, as if under a spell. Unconsciously, he reached out toward Cheng Mo’s chest.

Cheng Mo murmured, "Zhi Yu, you really like it here."

Cheng Zhiyu’s fingers trembled, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.

Cheng Mo gave a low laugh, "Zhi Yu…"

He took Cheng Zhiyu’s wrist and moved it over a little. "Remember? This is where you bit me last time. Pity the mark didn’t last. Zhi Yu, do you want to leave your mark here again?"

Cheng Zhiyu’s throat suddenly felt parched, as if desperately craving something.

His fair skin, even after sun exposure, had barely tanned. Now, his face was flushed bright red, and his breathing grew rapid.

Cheng Mo’s tail had popped out too, its tip gently brushing against Cheng Zhiyu’s waist.

Cheng Zhiyu felt his legs go weak. He’d completely lost the ability to think, relying entirely on Cheng Mo’s guidance.

He lowered his head and bit down firmly where his hand had been. Cheng Mo made a soft noise, and Cheng Zhiyu looked up in panic. When he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse. "Did I hurt you?"

But even as he expressed concern, he suddenly noticed a shimmer of tears in Cheng Mo’s eyes. It didn’t make him seem pitiful—instead, it felt like being stared down by a predator.

Cheng Mo’s gaze seemed as if it wanted to devour him.

"Zhi Yu…" A tear traced down Cheng Mo’s cheek.

In that moment, Cheng Zhiyu was stunned, captivated by the breathtaking sight before him.

Without thinking, he raised his hand to wipe away the tear at the corner of Cheng Mo’s eye.

Who would have thought that Cheng Mo, who usually wore a cool expression, would cry at a time like this? In that instant, Cheng Zhiyu realized he might have a few kinks.

Not only did Cheng Mo’s looks and physique appeal to him, but even that single falling tear seemed to strike directly at his heart.

"I couldn’t help it," Cheng Mo said, noticing Cheng Zhiyu’s dazed expression, and ducked his head sheepishly.

But then he felt warmth at the corner of his eye—Cheng Zhiyu had kissed him there. Cheng Mo’s eyes widened slightly, filled with joy. This was the first time Cheng Zhiyu had kissed him since he became human.

Cheng Mo immediately wondered, is this what Zhi Yu likes?

Every time he felt pleasure, he couldn’t hold back his tears. If he’d known Zhi Yu liked it, he wouldn’t have held back.

Cheng Mo felt a pang of regret, feeling like he’d missed out on so much.

He seized the chance to whine playfully. "Zhi Yu, let me take care of you again. This time, I’ll definitely make you feel good."

As he spoke, his hands began to wander.

Cheng Zhiyu’s ears turned bright red. He wanted to refuse, to stand his ground—he couldn’t keep doing this!

But… but he’d just been kissing and touching him. How could he say no now?

This guy Cheng Mo—his true race must be an incubus!

Cheng Zhiyu felt lightheaded and overwhelmed. He simply couldn’t refuse Cheng Mo and could only just let him continue.

Seeing no resistance, Cheng Mo was overjoyed and determined to prove himself this time. Last time was his first try; this time, he was sure he’d do better.

As long as he could make Zhi Yu feel good, surely he wouldn’t turn him down in the future.

It didn’t occur to him that it wasn’t about pleasure at all.

Just as Cheng Mo touched him, a sudden noise came from outside: "A zombie horde is attacking the base!"

Cheng Zhiyu's expression instantly turned serious, and he quickly calmed down. He pushed Cheng Mo away, put on his clothes, and hurried out the door.

Cheng Mo, with his disheveled clothes: "..."

Damn zombies! Of all times!

Tian Qiao and the others also heard the noise and rushed out in the rain, only to see Cheng Zhiyu and Cheng Mo already outside.

However, Cheng Mo seemed to be in a terrible mood, his face dark and frightening, as if he might slaughter anyone who looked at him wrong.

Tian Qiao thought Cheng Mo must have some serious morning temper.

There was no time to chat, so they hurried to the base's perimeter wall.

Sure enough, in the distance, another group of zombies was approaching through the rain.

At a glance, it was a sea of dark figures—an astonishing number.

"How are there so many zombies?" Even Zhou Min, who had seen his share of big scenes, got chills. There were far too many, more than the total number of people in the base.

Cheng Zhiyu: "There must be a high-level zombie commanding them."

Lin Kang was already leading the fight against the zombies. There were many ordinary people in the base, and they absolutely couldn’t let this horde break through the defenses.

They also saw Yang Kai. They had to admit, superhumans really had remarkable recovery abilities. In just a short time, Yang Kai showed no trace of his injuries and was already killing zombies attacking the wall.

He noticed Cheng Zhiyu and immediately glared daggers at him.

Now wasn’t the time for old grudges. Cheng Zhiyu took down a zombie next to Yang Kai and said calmly, "Do you want to die by getting distracted now?"

Yang Kai’s face darkened, and he quickly focused on fighting the zombies.

Even though Cheng Zhiyu had defeated him last time, he still thought it was just luck—a mere plant-type superhuman, what was there to show off about?

Cheng Zhiyu focused on dealing with the zombies, completely indifferent to what Yang Kai was thinking.

Cheng Mo, having had his chance to prove himself interrupted, emitted a terrifying vibe, frantically cutting through zombies and using the Water ability to obliterate them directly, giving everyone goosebumps.

Tian Qiao winced in fear, "Terrifying."

Zhou Min shot one zombie after another, watching the dense horde in the distance, frustrated: "When will we ever finish killing them all?"

Tian Manman swung his large blade: "We’ll hack through them eventually."

Sun Yu, who had previously said she would leave, was still around. Hearing about the zombie attack, she came to help as well.

As more superhumans joined, Lin Kang’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. He was quite capable himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to hold his position firmly even with Yang Kai’s opposition.

Everyone fought the zombies silently in the rain. The ordinary people weren’t idle either, braving the rain to transport supplies and provide energy supplies.

The zombies attacked relentlessly. Even as superhumans, their stamina would eventually run out.

From day to night, without a moment’s rest, everyone showed signs of exhaustion. However, the zombies suddenly ramped up their assault.

Lin Kang frowned deeply, starting to lose his composure. How much longer could they last like this?

Cheng Zhiyu clenched his jaw and finally summoned Xiao Er.

After Xiao Er reached level five, he hadn’t let it out. The moment Xiao Er appeared, it happily rubbed against him affectionately.

Yang Kai, who had been stealing a glance their way, almost laughed when he saw Cheng Zhiyu summon a "wispy and delicate" plant. Is he for real?

But before he could laugh, he saw the plant suddenly transform into a fireball taller than a person, completely unaffected by the rain.

It rolled forward, reducing zombies to ash in its path.

Yang Kai gulped. If he remembered correctly, Cheng Zhiyu was a plant-type superhuman.

But this plant-type superhuman seemed different from any he had ever known!