Chapter 29

Guan Yuanfeng woke up from his meditation, feeling extremely hungry.

His appetite had been surprisingly large in the past few days.

The smell of food wafting from the kitchen outside made him feel even more ravenous.

He supported himself on the armrest and wheeled over to his bed. As he was about to pull up the blanket, he suddenly felt something unusual. He looked down at his legs carefully.

Usually, when sitting in the wheelchair, the stump of his leg would align with the edge of the chair. However, today, it seemed like there was an extra piece sticking out from the side.

He sat there for a moment, even the hunger gnawing at him forgotten.

He lowered his head to inspect it closely. The extra portion of leg appeared fresh, with skin as soft and pale as newborn flesh, with tiny pores. It was identical to normal skin, and it was incredibly sensitive to touch. Beneath the thin surface, the blood vessels could be seen pulsing.

The ugly, twisted scar had faded, and the numbness and itching were much lighter. Only his muscles and bones still ached, reminiscent of the growing pains he had felt during his teenage years.

His leg… was actually regenerating, completely against medical knowledge?

He stared fixedly at the once-ugly spot, a place where he had felt sharp pain. He had repeatedly sensed the pain and existence of his legs in dreams, only to wake up to the immense feeling of loss when he saw the empty space under the lights.

He had endured so much disappointment that, even when Zhou Yun had confidently said that his leg would grow back, he had still thought it was a kind, comforting lie. But now, he suddenly realized that Zhou Yun wasn’t the type of person who would speak out of sympathy or kindness.

He was always meticulous and rational, so if he said there was a chance his leg could regenerate, there had to be some kind of basis for it.

The reasoning must be so contrary to current scientific understanding that Zhou Yun didn’t bother explaining it.

Of course, with the appearance of his powers, with him being able to summon whirlwinds and lightning, why couldn’t he believe that his leg could grow back?

He pushed his wheelchair out and saw Zhou Yun in the kitchen, one hand lifting a pressure cooker and the other opening the lid. The scent of stewing chicken was even stronger now.

Zhou Yun seemed to have just taken a shower. His hair was still damp, and he wore a loose, thin linen shirt. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, even performing the simple task of transferring the chicken into a bowl revealed the strength in his back and arms.

On the table, there was a large bowl of tofu and fish stew. Zhou Yun turned around, saw Guan Yuanfeng come out, and brought the steaming bowl of chicken to the table with a smile: “Let’s eat. Tonight, it’s Huangqi (Astragalus) stewed chicken. It might taste a bit medicinal, but Huangqi is a powerful herb for toning the body’s qi. After your abilities awakened, have you noticed an increase in your appetite?”

At this moment, Guan Yuanfeng was in great need of energy. Zhou Yun had used mutated Huangqi to make the chicken soup. Huangqi was very effective in treating muscle atrophy. He had also added some meat from mutated hawks, which he had tasted earlier. He could feel a significant boost of energy entering his body.

Guan Yuanfeng nodded and looked at him: “My leg… It seems to have really grown.”

Zhou Yun, unsurprisingly, showed no shock: “Good news. You should absorb more of the crystal core energy. I think it could be useful.”

Guan Yuanfeng’s gaze stayed fixed on his face, not missing any subtle changes in Zhou Yun’s expression. Zhou Yun’s demeanor was indeed affirmative, and he didn’t immediately inspect his leg wound, as if he wasn’t curious at all.

Guan Yuanfeng, filled with doubt, asked: “How can you be so sure it will grow back?”

How was he sure? Of course, it was from past experience.

Zhou Yun had already turned to grab the red phoenix vegetables, which he had just washed in the sink. He placed them into the heated wok, and with a sizzling sound, the aroma of garlic exploded. He said, “Those with abilities clearly have enhanced physical qualities. Their cell vitality is much stronger, with a certain level of self-healing.”

He had treated the most severely injured ability user, a fourth-tier metal ability user. His crystal core had been dug out, his limbs cut off, his eyes stabbed blind, his eardrums punctured, his tongue cut off, and he was locked in a cage and tortured in a sewage drain for a month without dying.

He happened to be there on business at the time and saw the man. Needing an experimental subject for limb regeneration, he brought him back.

Such injuries, even a fifth-tier light healer could only ensure he wouldn’t die, but couldn’t guarantee that his limbs and organs would fully heal, because he had lost his crystal core.

At that time, he had just reached the fifth tier and wasn’t fully confident. During the treatment, he actually took some detours.

However, this ability user had an incredibly strong will to live. No matter how much pain, he endured it all.

It took almost a whole year to heal him. The first parts to heal were his eardrums and tongue. After that came his limbs, and the last to heal were his eyes, as they were particularly complex organs.

Of course, this metal ability user was actually the first one he successfully used the crystal core grafting technique on, but only he and the metal ability user knew about it.

After he healed, the metal ability user left Dark Valley. Before leaving, he told him he would go seek revenge and return to serve him.

Unfortunately, shortly after he left, he was framed and imprisoned, and it’s unknown whether he ever got his revenge.

He drizzled a little sesame oil and stirred the vegetables, placing them onto a dish, then brought it over to the table to talk to Guan Yuanfeng: “Use your abilities more, try to use them until you’re drained, then absorb the crystal core. It works best that way.”

He sat down and picked up his chopsticks: “I’ll make some sesame balls for you to eat tonight, for calcium. Also, drink more milk. I’ll get you a can of milk powder soon. You need multivitamin pills too, a lot of nutrition.”

Guan Yuanfeng watched him for a moment, then picked up his chopsticks: “Okay.” Zhou Yun’s gaze drifted to the left, as though he was reminiscing. Maybe he had treated similar symptoms before? After all, he was a doctor.

He asked Zhou Yun, “Didn’t run into any trouble on the rooftop, right? Why did you wash up so early today?”

When cooking, Zhou Yun always exercised after meals and then took a bath.

Zhou Yun knew that Guan Yuanfeng was always keen and sensitive to changes.

Now, in the apocalypse, he was probably worried if Zhou Yun had encountered mutated animals or zombies, so Zhou Yun explained: “I was doing an experiment today, using materials that had a strong odor. My clothes and hair absorbed the smell, so I had to wash.”

Guan Yuanfeng’s worry was eased, and he turned to look at the toy plastic gun on the coffee table: “What’s that? Another experiment?”

Zhou Yun replied, “That’s a children’s water pellet gun. I’ve made two types of chemical agents with strong smells, for dealing with zombies. One is a zombie attractant, and the other is a zombie repellent…”

Guan Yuanfeng immediately understood: “You want to modify the water pellet gun to fire the chemical agents as bullets.”

Zhou Yun said, “Yes, if it can burst open and spread widely in a crowd of zombies, that would be perfect.”

Guan Yuanfeng furrowed his brows: “It’d be easier to modify with an air gun or flare gun. A water pellet gun… I’ll give it a try.”

Zhou Yun let out a sigh of relief: “That’s great, I’m not good at this. I just studied it for a while earlier.”

Guan Yuanfeng asked, “Where did you get the water pellet gun?”

Zhou Yun replied, “I found it when I was clearing a building a while ago. Thought it might be useful, so I took it.”

Guan Yuanfeng nodded.

They both focused on their meal, with Comet also eating eagerly. Now that the two of them and the dog all had abilities, their appetites had grown. Zhou Yun clearly increased the portion size for every meal, and yet they still finished it all every day.

Zhou Yun placed a small egg on Guan Yuanfeng’s side: “It’s a first-laid egg, especially for you. You must eat it.”

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t refuse, cracked open the small egg, dipped it in the soy sauce, and ate it in two bites.

Before, he thought Zhou Yun’s elaborate efforts to provide him with nourishing soups were a bit much, since he didn’t feel weak after the surgery. But now, seeing the new flesh and skin growing on his legs, he suddenly understood the purpose of all this nutrition.

He glanced at the water pellet gun. Zhou Yun was making these zombie-specific chemicals because he wanted to hunt zombies. Guan Yuanfeng had been content staying in the high-rise, growing plants and flowers, not particularly enthusiastic about killing zombies, since the rooftop was very safe.

The zombie repellent was fine, but what about the zombie attractant? Clearly, Zhou Yun was preparing to hunt zombies for more crystal cores. The gray, non-attribute crystal cores were no longer useful for Zhou Yun, so it was obvious he was doing it for himself.

He needed to recover and become stronger quickly.

After the meal, Zhou Yun indeed made sesame balls, mixing them with melted donkey-hide gelatin, rose petals, and honey. The house was filled with the fragrance of sesame. Guan Yuanfeng ate two and drank a cup of warm milk.

It seemed like he had overdone it on the supplements, as he woke up feeling restless in the middle of the night.

He heard some noise outside and got up in his wheelchair to take a look, seeing Zhou Yun coming down from the rooftop. He asked in surprise, “What happened?”

Zhou Yun’s eyes were full of joy: “The mother rabbit had a litter of babies.”

Guan Yuanfeng: “…”

Zhou Yun said, “She just gave birth, I gave her some red sugar water. Mother rabbits can get startled easily after giving birth, so I’ll take you to see them tomorrow morning.”

Guan Yuanfeng wasn’t interested in farm animals giving birth, but seeing Zhou Yun so happy, he played along: “How did you know she gave birth?”

Zhou Yun replied, “It was about time. The rabbit was collecting grass and fur to build her nest. She gave birth in the middle of the night, and Comet came down and woke me up.”

Guan Yuanfeng: “…” So whose dog is Comet?

Zhou Yun looked at him: “What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting?”

Guan Yuanfeng shook his head: “It doesn’t hurt, but I feel a bit overheated, like I’m getting a little too much of the supplements.”

Zhou Yun came over and took his pulse: “Do you want me to make some Ophiopogon water for you?”

Guan Yuanfeng suspected Zhou Yun was holding back laughter: “It’s too late, never mind, I’ll just drink some water and sleep. You can do it tomorrow.”

Zhou Yun said, “Then I’ll give you two needles to help guide the energy back to your core?”

Guan Yuanfeng waved his hand, “I’ll just drink some water, it’s fine.” He looked at Zhou Yun, who indeed had a hint of a smile in his eyes, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. “You should sleep early, no need to worry about me.”

Zhou Yun didn’t insist, “Alright, sleep early then.”

Indeed, Guan Yuanfeng poured himself a drink and took a couple of sips before heading back to his room to sleep.

——

The next day, he saw the newborn rabbits. They were plump and hairless, looking like little hairless rats, nestled in soft gauze and cotton. Their eyes were closed, ears drooping, huddled together. The mother rabbit was still licking the fetal membranes off them.

Zhou Yun carefully prepared chopped cilantro and carrots for the mother rabbit and excitedly said, “When they grow bigger, I’ll send a litter to the back yard of Moon Creek No. 3 for raising. We can’t fit them all here, and the weather will soon get cold.”

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t feel much attachment to the house and just said, “Do as you wish.”

Zhou Yun was still thinking about the mutated Jiu Li Xiang plant. He glanced at the outside sunlight—the rain had stopped for two days, and the sun was shining brightly again.

Now that there were fewer zombies, it was a good time to collect the Jiu Li Xiang. In a few days, when the weather cooled, there would be more zombies. He said, “I’ll take Comet out for a walk and tidy up your backyard.”

He seriously discussed with Guan Yuanfeng, “I noticed you have a storage room in the backyard. How about we convert it into a space to keep the poultry and livestock?”

Guan Yuanfeng thought for a moment and said, “It’s almost winter. Although the downstairs is a villa, it’s still thirty floors below, and with the zombies around, it’s not safe to keep animals there. It’s better to convert two rooms in my attic and bring the extra animals here.”

Zhou Yun was taken aback. Wasn’t the second floor originally Guan Yuanfeng’s room? Although he’d previously criticized it, turning the villa into his own and letting Guan Yuanfeng live in a poorly-lit attic room was pushing it.

Guan Yuanfeng looked at him and said, “I’ve already taken your master bedroom. I won’t be staying here in the future, so it’s better to use these rooms for the animals. One room for pigs and sheep, the other for chickens, ducks, and geese.”

Zhou Yun thought about it. This winter would be especially cold. Guan Yuanfeng’s suggestion was actually very practical. Besides, Guan Yuanfeng’s house was already equipped with air conditioning. When connected to a generator, and with a heater in the other room, it should be manageable.

Guan Yuanfeng continued, “We’re eating more now, so raising more chickens and ducks would be a good idea. It’s always better to be prepared.”

Zhou Yun agreed, “Alright. I planted some vegetables and dates in your backyard. I’ll go water them and be back to move the furniture.”

Guan Yuanfeng said, “There’s nothing to move. Just disassemble the furniture here and use it to make pens for the pigs and sheep.” The furniture was old and worn, made of cheap pine wood that he hadn’t been able to part with for decades.

Zhou Yun noticed that Guan Yuanfeng had no sentimental attachment to the room. He smiled, “Alright. I saw a house downstairs that’s being renovated. They have a lot of wood. I’ll go pick some up, and there are also some chicken and pet cages on the balcony. I’ll bring those back.”

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, cautioning, “Be careful and bring Comet with you. Don’t overdo it, safety first. I’m remodeling those two guns at home.”

Zhou Yun nodded, “Got it. The attic has a tool room, so just grab whatever tools you need from there. There’s meat stewing in the pot and green bean soup in the pressure cooker. If you need water, you can have that.”

He paused, mentally running through what he needed to say, and then delicately added, “Your legs are still recovering, and your lower body is blocked, causing stagnation of qi and blood.”

“Now that you’ve awakened your abilities, your energy and blood are recovering. But if you’re not careful with supplementation, it can cause an imbalance, leading to excessive heat and discomfort.”

“It’s best to let things flow naturally. If you need to release or relax, go with what feels right. It’s better to follow nature.”

Guan Yuanfeng was still processing all the medical terms when he saw Zhou Yun turn to call Comet and head out. Zhou Yun’s retreating figure even seemed to have a sense of urgency, as if he were escaping.

Guan Yuanfeng froze for a moment, “Go with what feels right, follow nature?”

Then it hit him, and his ears turned slightly red. He recalled how Zhou Yun had seemed to be holding back laughter last night. It seemed he hadn’t been mistaken after all.

He chuckled, helpless, and maneuvered his wheelchair out of the poultry pen to the attic. He completed his exercise routine meticulously and remembered the gym downstairs. He planned to find time to convert it and experiment with adding lightning to his arrows… But it was hard to try indoors; it would be better to practice outdoors against zombies.

He stroked the carbon fiber compound bow, which must have been expensive. In today’s apocalypse, it was unlikely he could find one.

Speaking of which, this bow was almost entirely for his use… He couldn’t understand why Zhou Yun, who didn’t seem like an impulsive spender, would buy such an expensive bow. It was brand new, as if never used before.

Guan Yuanfeng often noticed strange behaviors from Zhou Yun that didn’t quite match his usual impression. It was a bit odd, but that was Zhou Yun’s personal choice. He soon brushed off the curiosity and put down the bow, starting to modify the water gun.

The living room was too small, and it was inconvenient for test firing, so Guan Yuanfeng took the water gun and tool box up to the rooftop. After disassembling the water gun and inspecting it, he decided it would be better to replace the barrel with stainless steel.

He remembered that Zhou Yun had mentioned the attic had a tool room. He had seen him dragging out an elevator from there, so he headed to the room across from the gym and opened the door.

Sure enough, the door wasn’t locked, and when he entered, he was greeted by a dazzling array of tool racks. There were also several large shelves filled with various miscellaneous items.

Guan Yuanfeng turned on the light and was shocked.

The shelves were packed with rice, flour, oil, salt, sugar, various tissues, laundry detergent, and numerous storage boxes. Each storage box had a label, showing that every inch of space had been neatly organized and packed. There were also several large sealed oil barrels.

By the window stood a freezer, and even without looking, he knew it must be full. No wonder Zhou Yun seemed unfazed when cooking. Despite the food scarcity in the apocalypse, he was able to feed Comet, who ate enough for two adults.

Is this… Zhou Yun’s storage warehouse for supplies? Although, during the rainstorm disaster, Zhou Yun did buy quite a lot of supplies from the supermarket and stored them at home, has he really stocked up this much on his own?

Or perhaps this is from the supplies he collected during the recent building sweep? But they’ve been together all along, and Zhou Yun didn’t seem to move anything, as it appeared everything was just delivered to the vacant unit on the 29th floor?

He had seen how Zhou Yun kept his fridge meticulously organized, almost compulsively, and was aware that there is a psychological disorder called “hoarding,” typically found in elderly people who have lived through hard times and suffered brain degeneration.

He didn’t expect Zhou Yun to have hoarded so much. With all these supplies, plus the vegetables he grew on the rooftop, and the poultry and livestock… including various equipment on the rooftop like solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater collection and purification systems, wind turbines… and the recently added iron gate in the hallway, meant to prevent theft but eventually used to block zombies.

It’s as if he knew the apocalypse was coming in advance.

But this wasn’t important.

Zhou Yun had been completely sincere with him.

Guan Yuanfeng suppressed his doubts and didn’t go inside to investigate further. Instead, he rummaged through the tool rack, found a stainless steel water pipe, selected a few tools, and then closed the door, focusing on modifying the water gun on the rooftop.

Zhou Yun, with Comet, went downstairs, harvested a few zombies, then took a hoe and quickly dug up the mutated Osmanthus from the flowerbed, wrapping it with soil, and brought it to Yuexi No. 3.

Entering the yard, he didn’t rush to transplant it. Instead, he first checked the plants he had previously planted, applying some “Flourish” on them. The leaves, which had already sprouted new buds, grew even sturdier.

Zhou Yun was very satisfied. He dug a hole near the front yard gate, divided the strong root branches of the mutated Osmanthus into four plants, and planted one by each side of the front and back iron gates. He added some bone meal and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer.

After soaking the roots with water, he cast the “Flourish” spell on the Osmanthus. The mutated Osmanthus, already thriving, began to shake its white flowers, releasing an even stronger fragrance. The entire villa was enveloped in the sweet scent.

—–

In a few days, it would grow even larger and more flourishing, and the fragrance would be even stronger. Ordinary zombies, without special stimuli, wouldn’t come near the villa.

Unfortunately, winter was approaching, and this winter would be particularly cold. Regular Osmanthus would surely die from the frost, but this mutated variety could survive the winter with no problem.

He also applied the “Flourish” spell on the nearby mutated Clematis, smiling as he said, “You two, one red and one white, let’s see who grows faster. Yuexi No. 3 will rely on you to protect it.”

The mutated Clematis had just been transplanted and was still a small branch with tender leaves. After receiving the “Flourish” spell, the flower vine trembled and began climbing the iron railing, struggling to shake the remaining flowers as if competing with something.

Zhou Yun smiled and applied “Flourish” to the surrounding vines of the fence. With the last warmth before winter sets in, he was curious to see how much they would grow. All of the vines were carefully selected, with strong, thick roots, and they were growing well. By winter, they would surely cover the entire wall.

The backyard of this villa district had a unified storage shed. Zhou Yun cleaned it out, planning to bring some hardy poultry in the spring to let them roam freely.

He watered the leek, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins that he had previously planted, looked around, and decided to install the irrigation system he had bought earlier.

However, once it snowed in winter, the plants probably wouldn’t grow much. He would have to rely on the “Flourish” spell as much as possible to harvest whatever he could before autumn, and in winter, it would all depend on these plants to survive the cold.

After tidying up both inside and outside, Zhou Yun returned to the 30th floor with Comet.

Guan Yuanfeng had just finished putting down the modified water gun, with its new barrel and trigger, and smiled when he saw Zhou Yun return. “It’s ready. Try it out and see.”