Chapter 32

After the rain, the lake in the community was shrouded in mist. Sunlight pierced through the thin fog, spilling directly onto the water’s surface, creating a translucent and dreamlike scene. Around the lake, wild grass grew abundantly, and the green leaves of the trees swayed, casting golden patches of light onto the ground.

Guan Yuanfeng wore camouflage pants and leather boots, with a belt strapped around his waist. He still had on a camouflage short-sleeved shirt, holding a long knife in his hand. Comet was by his side as he gazed into the distance at the damp lakeside.

This was his first time stepping out of the thirtieth floor since the apocalypse, feeling the ground beneath his feet. The unique scent of water after the rain filled his nostrils, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

Zhou Yun, carrying a bucket, was behind him, checking on the date palms he had planted in the backyard of the villa, along with the canna seeds he had previously scattered. After sowing the seeds, he had used a bit of growth magic, and now the young leaves were indeed sprouting.

The date palms were also thriving, with two or three long, dark green, sturdy leaves emerging, resembling small palm tree saplings. He extended his fingers, casting a small amount of “Prosperity Spell” on each of them, just a bit for each. They needed to develop stronger roots; otherwise, when the cold weather came, these desert-originated plants might not withstand the cold.

Since Guan Yuanfeng’s legs had recovered, the zombies in the community were no longer a threat. The two of them had walked from the thirtieth floor to the lakeside. Although they encountered zombies along the way, Guan Yuanfeng’s combination of a gust of wind and lightning quickly took down several charred corpses. The remaining zombies, terrified, instinctively fled and did not dare to pursue them.

“Ribbit!”

A loud croak, almost like a cow’s bellow, echoed. Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but laugh and turned to look at Zhou Yun. Zhou Yun was still half-squatting by the shallow waters, attentively examining the canna plants under the dappled sunlight.

Guan Yuanfeng walked over to him, “What are you looking at?”

Zhou Yun pointed to the shallow waters, “See? There are a lot of tadpoles.”

Guan Yuanfeng had good eyesight and indeed saw the dense swarm of tadpoles swimming in the water. It seemed that the recent abundant rains had created the perfect conditions for frogs to breed.

Seeing Zhou Yun’s joyful expression as he watched them, Guan Yuanfeng’s heart skipped a beat, “You’re not thinking of taking them back to raise, are you? They look like bullfrog tadpoles.” They were large and dark.

Zhou Yun, having his thoughts revealed, coughed lightly, “No…” Although he did have the idea of raising them to see if they would turn into mutated frogs…

However… he glanced at Guan Yuanfeng and decided against it. Guan Yuanfeng didn’t seem to enjoy bullfrog meat very much. Even though he cooked it well, Guan Yuanfeng mainly ate honey-glazed ribs. When it came to the dry pot bullfrog dish, he mostly picked the perilla and cucumber garnishes with his chopsticks.

Is it the cooking method he dislikes, or does he just not like eating bullfrogs? Maybe I’ll try making dry pot rabbit next time.

Guan Yuanfeng urged him, “Let’s get started.”

Zhou Yun took the scoop from the bucket and scattered the pre-prepared bait into the lake.

This artificial lake was usually managed by the property management. When the houses were first sold, it was stocked with colorful koi fish for aesthetic purposes.

As more residents moved in, the community released a batch of grass carp and crucian carp, saying that by the end of the year, they would catch them and distribute them to the residents.

It was a bit wistful to think about. Zhou Yun watched as the koi quickly gathered in the water.

Guan Yuanfeng was impressed by the effectiveness of the bait: “What is this fish bait made of? It’s amazing.”

Zhou Yun replied, “Bullfrog meat.”

Guan Yuanfeng was speechless.

He glanced at Zhou Yun: “This looks like dough and has a strong smell of alcohol. And I’ve seen others use live frogs as bait.”

Zhou Yun suppressed a laugh, but his eyes were full of amusement: “It’s cornmeal mixed with soybean cake, steamed, and then fermented with alcohol.”

Guan Yuanfeng found it puzzling and refreshing that Zhou Yun seemed to enjoy teasing him. Having led troops for many years, he was used to being serious and stern. Neither his subordinates, colleagues, nor superiors ever joked with him.

His family was the same; he wasn’t someone who joked around easily.

Only Zhou Yun had approached him boldly from the start, asking to rent a room, and later interacted with him in a relaxed, natural manner. Though always polite, gentle, and kind, Zhou Yun was never afraid of him.

Of course, he didn’t narcissistically think that everyone would fear him, especially since he no longer had the imposing job, uniform, or honors.

But after his retirement, his former superiors, colleagues, and subordinates were cautious around him. His family at home were impatient and subtly disdainful, fearing he’d become a burden.

Only Zhou Yun interacted with him neither cautiously nor with excessive flattery, but in a relaxed, natural manner.

When treating him, Zhou Yun displayed the authority and professionalism of a doctor, yet in daily life, he interacted with him like family or friends. He must have grown up in a loving family.

Despite awakening a special ability, Zhou Yun never showed any superiority nor lorded it over him, treating him naturally, joking around, cooking meals, and accompanying him to catch electric fish and kill zombies.

The surface of the water was teeming with fish, their mouths open like babies, their tails flapping.

Guan Yuanfeng refocused his attention: “Shall we start?”

Zhou Yun shook his head: “We’re not after these ordinary fish.”

Guan Yuanfeng was surprised.

Zhou Yun took out a handful of small, gray, non-attribute crystals from the bucket and began tossing them into the water one by one.

Each time he threw one, he waited for a while before tossing another.

After a while, the greedy koi suddenly seemed to sense something and abandoned the bait, fleeing rapidly to the sides.

The dense school of fish parted, as if making way for something terrifying. The scattered fish resembled birds fleeing in flight.

Comet had already run to the shore, eyes wide, fur standing on end, adopting a vigilant posture.

Zhou Yun and Guan Yuanfeng both looked into the water quietly and soon saw the fish.

It was enormous, over three to four meters long, with a body as thick as a barrel, covered in hard, black scales. Its sharp, long mouth resembled a crocodile’s, and its tail looked like a giant fan.

The giant monster fish swam over, opened its large mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and swallowed the non-attribute crystals in one gulp.

Guan Yuanfeng was stunned: “What kind of fish is this?” At first glance, he almost thought it was a crocodile and wanted to pull Zhou Yun back, but then he saw the fish’s tail and relaxed.

Zhou Yun stared at it for a while: “It’s an alligator gar, a mutated one. We don’t need to keep it alive; let’s kill it.”

The alligator gar is a giant predatory fish from abroad, likely released into the community by someone who found it too big to keep as a pet. It has a large appetite, and before the apocalypse, there were often news reports of local authorities treating it as an invasive species and cleaning it up to protect the ecosystem.

He explained to Guan Yuanfeng: “This thing is useless to keep, has low nutritional value, a large appetite, its meat isn’t tasty, and its internal organs and eggs are highly toxic. We don’t need to keep it alive or its meat.”

Guan Yuanfeng saw Zhou Yun’s expression of disdain and couldn’t help but smile. He raised his hand, and a huge purple-white lightning bolt struck the giant alligator gar.

Crackling!

The lightning split the sky and struck the water.

The monster fish was struck and instantly flipped over, filling the air with the smell of fried fish.

Zhou Yun was amazed. Considering the hardness of the mutated fish’s scales and its giant size, his ice spikes and vines wouldn’t have been able to kill it in one blow. Yet Guan Yuanfeng, who had just broken through to the first rank, managed to kill it in one strike.

As expected of the thunder ability, known for its combat prowess. No wonder all the major forces in the bases treated it with high regard.

Guan Yuanfeng easily bent down, lifted the dead fish, which was larger than a person and likely over a hundred kilograms, with one hand, and brought it to shore.

Zhou Yun brought over a knife and skillfully cut open the fish’s belly, finding the crystal core.

It was a large, peach-sized, blue water-type crystal core, sparkling and translucent.

Zhou Yun was delighted despite knowing it was likely a water-type core: “What a big crystal core!”

He washed it clean and held it in his hand, eyes full of joy.

Guan Yuanfeng was also pleased: “I wonder if there are any other mutated fish.”

Zhou Yun sighed and shook his head: “Even if there were, they were probably eaten by this mutated fish.”

“This alligator gar is a giant predatory fish that eats anything. Now that it’s mutated, it’s even more ferocious. You see how big this crystal core is; it was probably the king of this lake long ago.”

“We plan to raise some fish here for food, so we can’t let it enjoy everything first.”

Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but laugh again, though he was still a bit regretful as he said, “There aren’t many mutated fish. Otherwise, I’d get you more water-type crystal nuclei.”

Zhou Yun raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Why rush? The Qingyun Reservoir is nearby. Let’s find some time to go there and collect more ordinary, non-attribute crystal nuclei to use as bait. There must be plenty of mutated fish there.”

Guan Yuanfeng’s eyes lit up, and a sense of heroism arose. Now that his leg had healed, his range of activities had expanded greatly. With his newfound abilities, the zombie enemies that used to be formidable were now insignificant. His broadened horizons made the world feel vast; with no place he couldn’t go.

He watched as Zhou Yun squatted down to gut the fish with a knife, sweat forming on his forehead. Guan Yuanfeng waved his hand to create a cool breeze and asked, “What do you need? Let me help you cut it open.”

Zhou Yun replied, “I need the fish gallbladder and eggs. I want to test and refine the fish toxin to see if it’s useful. Also… the fish skin is quite tough. I want to peel it off.”

He glanced at Comet, who was circling nearby, and added, “I could make some armor for Comet.”

Guan Yuanfeng looked towards the villa and said, “Let’s take it to the backyard and work on it there. I remember there’s a stone table in the backyard, which would make it easier to handle.” It wasn’t entirely safe here, and the villa at least had iron gates.

He easily took the dagger from Zhou Yun’s hand, stabbed it into the fish as a handle, and carried the fish to the backyard of Villa Moon Creek No. 3.

Zhou Yun barely had time to react before Guan Yuanfeng effortlessly took the knife and the 200-pound fish. Watching him carry it with ease, Zhou Yun suddenly felt: Good days are here.

—–

In the backyard, there was a stone table with four chairs. Guan Yuanfeng placed the fish on the table and used a sharp knife to cut open its belly.

Zhou Yun handed him a pair of latex gloves, saying, “Put these on. The innards are highly toxic.”

Guan Yuanfeng put on the gloves and saw Zhou Yun place a stainless-steel basin nearby. Zhou Yun instructed, “This is the fish gallbladder. Take it out and put it here. The swim bladder can also be kept, and the fish eggs should all be kept.”

“Don’t keep the fish intestines. Dump them over here; I’ll use them as fertilizer.”

Guan Yuanfeng asked, “Can toxic intestines be used as fertilizer?”

Zhou Yun said, “Let’s try. These are mutated fish intestines. Let’s see if they can be used for planting.”

He patted Comet, who was sniffing around, and said, “You can’t eat this. It’s toxic.”

Comet sat down, his eyes wide and shiny.

Soon, the fish innards were processed. Zhou Yun then directed Guan Yuanfeng to peel off the fish skin and hung it on the clothesline in the backyard, washing it clean with water from his palm.

Guan Yuanfeng had carved out a fish skeleton, which he washed clean and found quite artistic. The remaining meat, about a hundred pounds, was piled to the side.

Zhou Yun instructed Guan Yuanfeng to dig a large pit nearby, where they buried the fish meat and intestines, covering them with soil. He then transplanted a previously planted mutated cactus over the spot.

Guan Yuanfeng looked at the round, cute cactus without a single thorn, topped with a small pink flower, and asked, “Isn’t it said to be highly toxic? Can it really survive?”

Zhou Yun replied, “It’s fine. I have plenty of cacti. This one, ‘Ungu Feather Ball,’ is also toxic.” Its strong hallucinogenic properties might mutate into something even more useful.

Guan Yuanfeng thought, “…Can poison really counteract poison?”

He looked around and noticed that Zhou Yun had planted many things during this period. Lush garlic, chives, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin seedlings were sprouting, growing vigorously.

Zhou Yun stood by the vegetable patch, watering it with water from his palm. Peppers planted on the edge hung down in long spirals.

Orange jasmine and trumpet vine were planted near the iron gate, and a circle of cacti and aloe vera surrounded the wall. A lemon tree with several lemons growing on it was also planted nearby.

He instructed Comet to stay by Zhou Yun’s side for protection and then went back into the villa.

As soon as he entered, he noticed that all the wedding photos and family picture walls had disappeared. The kitchen had been tidied up, and the fridge had been emptied and cleaned of spoiled food. The house was spotless.

He walked upstairs and downstairs, seeing that all the personal items in each room had been cleared. The bed linens and various clothes and shoes had been packed away, likely stored in the attic, neatly organized in vacuum bags inside storage boxes.

In particular, his brother’s room, which was originally set up as a new marital room with red silk bedding, was now clean and spotless, with only a mattress on the sturdy wooden bed.

The whole villa now looked like a newly decorated home, ready for its new owner to move in.

The basement had been reorganized, with several barrels of wine stored there. He had seen Zhou Yun making wine before but didn’t know when he had moved it to the cellar.

Another basement room held a generator, a freezer from the community store, and some pre-stored grain and flour. There were now more supplies, including boxes of new printer paper and toilet paper, clearly collected from the community stores. Most prominently, there were many medications, categorized on shelves, indicating the community pharmacy had been emptied.

Zhou Yun must have come to organize this place on his own, despite being busy with the large herb garden and poultry on the rooftop and terrace.

Guan Yuanfeng had never seen someone so diligent and meticulous. Though a scholar and doctor, Zhou Yun seemed to enjoy these tasks…

He went downstairs and saw Zhou Yun, having finished watering the garden, now washing his car in the garage.

He asked Zhou Yun, “What are we doing next?”

Zhou Yun turned and smiled, “Let’s drive around the community, deal with some zombies to collect crystal nuclei, and then head to the reservoir to catch fish and gather supplies tomorrow.”

Guan Yuanfeng nodded and got into the car. “I’ll drive.”

Zhou Yun got into the passenger seat and pushed Comet to the back.

Comet placed his front paws on the center console, panting excitedly with his tongue out.

Zhou Yun said, “First, let’s go to the entrance at the bottom of the mountain and lock the gate of the community. Then we’ll clear the zombies in the forest along the mountain road and the ones around the stores in the commercial center square. That way, there will be fewer zombies in the community.”

“Our community is on higher ground. Once we clear out the existing zombies and lock the gate, fewer zombies will be able to get in.”

He leaned out the window, looking at the road outside with a smile on his face.

Guan Yuanfeng reminded him, “Sit properly.”

Zhou Yun sat back. Guan Yuanfeng first closed all the car windows, then leaned over to carefully fasten Zhou Yun’s seatbelt before starting the car and driving off.

The car sped out of the gate, hitting a zombie on the road. They drove down the mountain road to the community gate, got out, closed the iron gate, and locked it with a soft bicycle lock.

They parked the car nearby and walked into the forest along a path, starting to clear the zombies.

In reality, it was mostly Guan Yuanfeng and Comet doing the killing while Zhou Yun collected the crystal cores. From the foot of the mountain to the top, through the forest on both sides, Guan Yuanfeng’s lightning strikes were precise, each strike resulting in a crystal core.

Zhou Yun strolled through the forest as if on a weekend morning walk, wielding a knife and collecting crystal cores amidst the thunderous noise. Earlier, he complained about the number of zombies in the community, but now he might even find them too few to harvest.

Deep in the forest, light spots flickered, and there was the fragrance of post-rain soil and pine trees.

Zhou Yun wandered leisurely, picking many mushrooms, though none were mutated. He searched carefully, thinking that if he could find a mutated mushroom, he could easily cultivate a large batch of them…

Mutated plants and animals are rich in energy, which can supplement and enhance the abilities of superhumans, who often find it hard to get enough energy from regular food and thus feel hungry frequently. Hence, mutant plants capable of mass reproduction are highly prized.

In a cultivation novel, they would be called spirit grains and spirit plants.

Zhou Yun’s mind wandered as he slowly picked another mushroom, thinking that the community forest was somewhat lacking. The forest by the reservoir might have mutated mushrooms.

While he was contemplating this, he noticed Guan Yuanfeng looking for him and waving. Curious, he walked over, and Guan Yuanfeng pointed to a spot not far ahead where several zombies were clawing and roaring at a tree.

A swarm of bees was attacking the zombies, and a layer of dead bees covered the ground.

Guan Yuanfeng pointed to the top of the tree, “Look, there’s a wild beehive.”

Zhou Yun looked up and saw a durian-sized round wild beehive hanging from the treetop, with several bees swarming around it.

The bees buzzed as they flew around.

Zhou Yun’s eyes lit up, “If this many zombies are attracted, it must be mutated bees.” He noted the bees glinting golden in the sunlight, “Their size has increased, but not by much…”

He looked at the hive and said, “It must be a mutated queen bee! Let’s take the hive back. Mutated honey is very beneficial, and the bees can help with pollination.”

He quickly decided, “You and Comet handle the zombies while I get tools and helmets. We’ll wear helmets to climb up and cut down the branch with the hive to take it back.”

Guan Yuanfeng wasn’t comfortable letting Zhou Yun go back alone. He struck the zombies with a lightning bolt, killing them instantly, and then said, “Don’t rush. The hive won’t run away. Let’s prepare properly.”

“Are you planning to keep it on the 30th floor?”

Zhou Yun replied, “High-rise winds are too strong for the bees, making it hard for them to return to the hive. Let’s keep it in the backyard of your villa.”

Guan Yuanfeng nodded, “Okay.”

Zhou Yun calculated, “Hmm… let’s get a burlap sack from the community’s fruit and courier stores to cover it. Then we can saw off the branch and take the whole hive back.”

Guan Yuanfeng watched as Zhou Yun casually took out an e-book reader, opened a book on beekeeping techniques, and quickly found a section on precautions for collecting wild bees, studying it on the spot.

Guan Yuanfeng: “…”

After reading for a while, Zhou Yun said, “Let’s make a beehive in the backyard of Yuexi No. 3 and pour a bottle of honey inside. As long as the queen bee stays, there won’t be a problem.”

Zhou Yun thought to himself that he could crush a few crystal cores and sprinkle them in the honey. The bees would be reluctant to leave, and there was even mutated jasmine blooming in Yuexi No. 3!

They finished clearing the zombies in the forest, then returned to the central commercial area of the community, cleaning up the dozen or so zombies wandering there and loading useful items into the car trunk.

In the courier store, they only glanced through a few packages, finding mostly small household appliances that they didn’t need. They took two sturdy burlap sacks and headed back to the forest. Guan Yuanfeng didn’t let Zhou Yun climb the tree. Instead, he and Comet supported the ladder.

First, he trimmed the outer branches, then climbed down the ladder.

Zhou Yun was about to move the ladder to the tree when Guan Yuanfeng took a few steps back, ran forward, and leaped up the tree trunk, easily climbing it.

Guan Yuanfeng covered the hive with the burlap sack, zipped it tight, secured it to the branch, then sawed off the branch with an electric saw, holding the sack-covered hive as he jumped down.

Zhou Yun was ecstatic. A mutated beehive was secured!

They returned to Yuexi No. 3, where Guan Yuanfeng modified an old wooden box into a beehive based on the beekeeping book’s diagrams. They placed the entire burlap sack inside the hive.

The hive was placed in the backyard shed of the villa, with a window left open for the bees to come and go.

Zhou Yun went back to the thirtieth floor and brought down a bottle of locust flower honey. He crushed a wood-element crystal core into it, then poured it into the beehive, and hung a temperature and humidity meter on the wall.

The newly arrived bees immediately swarmed over the honey, which was sweet and filled with the essence of wood.