Doomsday Grocery Store – CH192

Chapter 192

Hearing Kang Kang’s words, both Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi froze in disbelief.

The Lanhu mother tree wanted Kang Kang to be the lord of Lanhu Town?

“Did it really say that?” Tang Yu’an asked Kang Kang.

Kang Kang nodded earnestly, his big eyes staring at Tang Yu’an with curiosity, waiting for an explanation.

After a moment’s hesitation, Tang Yu’an said, “Do you remember the big brother with blue hair and blue eyes we saw today? The really handsome one?”

Kang Kang nodded again.

“That’s Brother Yunqing. He’s the current lord of Lanhu Town,” Tang Yu’an explained. “The people living in the Lanhu Forest follow his decisions.”

Of course, being a lord came with responsibilities as well as authority.

Zhou Qi added, “The Lanhu lord’s duty is to protect the forest. He has to stay here all the time.”

“October’s Mama said, ‘Together!’” Kang Kang chirped.

“You mean it wants to stay with you?” Tang Yu’an asked, trying to interpret.

“Mm-hmm!” Kang Kang nodded vigorously.

“And what do you think?”

Tang Yu’an found the idea of making Kang Kang the lord of Lanhu Town a bit absurd. He was only a little boy, barely old enough to understand the responsibilities, and today was his first time in the town.

Kang Kang tilted his head for a moment before throwing himself into Tang Yu’an’s arms, his soft voice declaring, “I want to be with Big Brother!”

Then he turned to Zhou Qi, stretching his small hands to cling to him too.

Clearly, while Kang Kang liked his new friend October’s Mama, he loved his two brothers the most.

However, as if remembering something, Kang Kang started counting on his fingers.

“And Granny… Shiny, Lili… Mama… Huoqiu Brother… Qing Liang… October… Wood Wood…”

He listed off a long string of names, one by one.

Kang Kang was no longer the lonely child with only a single mutant lantern plant for a friend. Now, he had many companions, and the Lanhu mother tree had come too late to claim him.

Besides, at the very least, Granny Guo would need to come here too for Kang Kang to consider staying in Lanhu Town.

But truthfully, while Lanhu Town had a comfortable climate, it couldn’t compare to the safety of the Desolate City Haven, protected by its barrier.

If a creature like the mutated pest attacked again, the barrier would repel it immediately. Unless Shop No. 5 opened its functions to Lanhu Town and included all its residents in the overnight guest list, Kang Kang and Granny Guo were better off staying at the Haven.

As Kang Kang counted his friends, his little voice gradually faded, and he let out a yawn before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Tang Yu’an adjusted the blanket over him, then turned to Zhou Qi and softly said, “Good night.”

Zhou Qi patted his head gently. Watching the boy fall asleep, Zhou Qi glanced at the window.

A tree branch resting on the half-open window frame had been stealthily growing inward, but when Zhou Qi looked at it, it froze in place.

After a moment, Zhou Qi looked away, and the little green vine entwined in Tang Yu’an’s hair suddenly came alive. Glowing faintly, it grew rapidly and slapped the window shut with a loud snap.

Tang Yu’an murmured in his sleep, and the vine stiffened slightly. Once the boy fell into deeper slumber, the vine retracted and quietly resumed its position in his hair.

Outside the window, the shadow of the Lanhu mother tree seemed to droop under the moonlight, exuding an almost pitiful air.

Zhou Qi shook his head, reassured by Emerald’s protective presence, and finally closed his eyes for a peaceful night’s sleep.

*

The next morning, Tang Yu’an woke to brilliant sunshine streaming through the window.

The little green vine in his hair was calm and well-behaved, showing no trace of the fierce defiance it had displayed the night before when confronting the mother tree.

After breakfast, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided to take Kang Kang on a stroll around Lanhu Town.

They had been so busy setting up the shop and completing missions, followed by three months in another dimension, that they hadn’t had a chance to properly explore the town.

Now that the crisis was resolved, they could finally relax.

However, as they walked through the town, they noticed that the Lanhu residents gave them strange looks.

When they ran into Lan Yue on the road, his expression was similarly odd—like he wanted to say something but kept holding back.

“Brother Yue, is something going on?” Tang Yu’an asked directly.

“Uh… no, nothing…” Lan Yue stammered at first, but then he straightened up and said earnestly, “I heard about yesterday. Thank you for saving the Lanhu Forest. You’re true heroes of Lanhu Town!”

“The lord already thanked us. We’re friends, and we’ll be doing business here, so helping Lanhu Town is just the right thing to do,” Tang Yu’an replied with a wave of his hand. Then, still puzzled, he added, “But why does everyone look at us so strangely?”

Lan Yue’s expression stiffened. He forced a smile and glanced at Kang Kang, who was hiding behind Tang Yu’an, clutching his shirt with both hands and peeking out timidly.

“So… this is Master Kang Kang?”

Lan Yue said with a complex expression, “I heard… the mother tree wants Master Kang Kang to become our Lanhu Town lord.”

Tang Yu’an: 0.0

The Lanhu mother tree was serious about this?

After some thought, Tang Yu’an said, “Kang Kang is still a child. I’m afraid he’s too young to take on the role of a lord.”

Judging by the reactions of the Lanhu residents, they didn’t seem too eager about the idea either.

After all, Kang Kang wasn’t just a child; he was also an outsider. It was hard to imagine the townsfolk accepting someone who had only just arrived as their leader.

But to Tang Yu’an’s surprise, Lan Yue said, “We follow the mother tree’s will.”

Lanhu Town was different from other places.

Here, the mother tree held absolute authority. Only those approved by the mother tree could become lord.

The Lanhu people had survived on this wasteland for so long solely because of the forest. If they ever angered the mother tree and were expelled from the forest, they would lose their foundation for survival. Thus, no matter what decisions the mother tree made, they had no choice but to accept them.

That said, while they could rationalize it, emotionally it was more complicated.

They truly respected and admired Lan Yunqing as their lord. He had handled this crisis well, and no one felt he needed to be replaced.

As for Master Kang Kang, while his extraordinary abilities with wood-based powers were undeniable, could he really be a capable leader?

Could the tens of thousands of people in Lanhu Town truly accept being led by a child?

Even Tang Yu’an found the situation tricky.

Would the mother tree try to force Kang Kang to stay?

Though they were confident they could take Kang Kang and escape if necessary, that wasn’t the outcome they wanted. They still had business to conduct with the Lanhu people.

As Tang Yu’an fretted, a commotion erupted by the lake.

“What’s happening over there?” Tang Yu’an asked.

“Let’s go check it out,” Zhou Qi suggested.

They arrived at the lakeside with Kang Kang to find that several acres of rice paddies planted by the Lanhu people had withered overnight.

Lan Yunqing was calming the farmers.

“The mother tree has started recovering, so no other crops can be grown within the forest,” he explained.

Even the farmland at the forest’s edge had been affected.

This was simply the nature of the Lanhu Forest. It was a dominating ecosystem where nothing else could grow under the Lanhu trees.

Previously, the mother tree’s weakened state had allowed other plants to survive. Now that it was regaining control of its domain, it no longer permitted coexistence.

Reluctantly, the townsfolk began uprooting the wilted rice plants.

Noticing Tang Yu’an and the others, Lan Yunqing greeted them and led them away from the crowd into the forest.

The first thing Lan Yunqing asked about was the pesticide.

“We might need to wait a little longer,” Tang Yu’an said. “The seven-day special sale refreshes tomorrow. If it doesn’t show up there, we’ll check the dimensional shop.”

He was optimistic, though, and Zhou Qi shared his confidence.

“I understand. I’m being impatient,” Lan Yunqing admitted.

His gaze then fell on Kang Kang, and he spoke about the unusual fluctuations he had sensed from the mother tree earlier that morning.

Though he couldn’t communicate directly with the mother tree, he was familiar with the procedures for leadership transitions and had a good idea of what the mother tree wanted.

Lan Yunqing wasn’t opposed to the idea.

He felt responsible for not detecting the mutated pest sooner and believed any consequences were deserved.

“Master Kang Kang, I believe the mother tree has already spoken to you,” Lan Yunqing said as he crouched down to Kang Kang’s level. His expression was solemn, and his tone sincere. “Would you be willing to become the new lord of Lanhu Town?”

Kang Kang looked up at Tang Yu’an for guidance.

Tang Yu’an patted his head gently. “Just say what you truly want.”

“I want to go home…” Kang Kang said softly.

Though his first trip away from home had been full of exciting new experiences, the initial thrill had worn off. Now, he just missed Granny.

“You don’t want to stay in Lanhu Town?” Lan Yunqing asked, a note of regret in his voice.

Having someone as talented as Kang Kang in the town would allow them to monitor the mother tree closely and prevent future crises.

“What would it take for you to stay?” Lan Yunqing pressed, unwilling to give up.

But Kang Kang shook his head and hugged Tang Yu’an’s leg tightly.

Seeing this, Lan Yunqing didn’t push further. Instead, he said gently, “The Lanhu Forest still needs your help. Could you stay for a few more days until the mother tree stabilizes? Then you can go home.”

Kang Kang stared at Lan Yunqing’s kind smile, and the fear in his heart gradually faded.

“Okay!” he said, nodding. Then, with a bright grin, he added, “Pretty!”

“What?”

“Big Brother is pretty!” Kang Kang couldn’t resist reaching out his small hand to touch Lan Yunqing’s smooth, shiny hair, only to quickly pull back and hide behind Tang Yu’an, shyly peeking out.

Lan Yunqing was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly.

“Thank you for the compliment, Master Kang Kang. It’s an honor.”

Both Tang Yu’an and Kang Kang stared in awe at his charming smile.

Zhou Qi coughed lightly, then picked Kang Kang up and grabbed Tang Yu’an’s hand. “We’d like to take a walk.”

“Would you like a guide?” Lan Yunqing offered.

“No need.”

Lan Yunqing nodded and informed them that they were free to explore. There were no longer any restricted areas in Lanhu Town for them.

“Thank you.”

As Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi wandered through the town with Kang Kang, Lanhu tree branches occasionally reached out, and Kang Kang happily chatted with them in his babbling way.

Out of curiosity, Tang Yu’an asked Kang Kang what they were talking about.

Kang Kang frowned, clearly troubled. “October’s Mama keeps trying to make me stay and be the lord. I said no, and it started pouting and whining.”

“October’s Mama isn’t behaving!”

Tang Yu’an grew increasingly concerned. Would the mother tree really resort to coercion to keep Kang Kang?

Fortunately, his worries seemed unnecessary.

*

The next morning, the seven-day special sale refreshed right on schedule.

[Seven-Day Special Sale (Refresh in 6 days)]
Intermediate Healing Potion (6/6): 400 points/bottle
Strong Insecticide (6/6): 200 points/bottle
Construction Robot (1/1): 6,688 points/unit
Void Stone (2/2): 48,888 points/unit
Purple Sleep Pillow (2/2): 6,888 points/unit

This time, six bottles of strong insecticide were available! Tang Yu’an was thrilled, and the other items were equally useful.

“Two Void Stones! We can upgrade our furniture again!” Tang Yu’an excitedly told Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi nodded, feeling conflicted. He reached into his pocket and touched the lucky marble he carried. Is this thing really working?

Just then, Tang Yu’an exclaimed, “Why is that magical furniture so expensive this time?”

Zhou Qi glanced at the sale screen and noticed the last item: the Purple Sleep Pillow. Compared to previous items, the price was significantly higher.

“The green double bed we saw earlier was only 288 points, wasn’t it?” Tang Yu’an said.

A pillow that expensive? But when they checked the item description, they both fell silent.

[Purple Sleep Pillow]
Description: Level 1 magical furniture created by Fufu the Furniture Spirit. No warranty included; repairs can be summoned for a fee.
Effect: When a living being uses the pillow, a protective shield is generated around them with a radius equal to their height. The shield reduces physical damage by 80% and energy damage by 50%.

“A pillow that doubles as a shield?”

Tang Yu’an immediately purchased one and began testing it with Zhou Qi.

They discovered that the protective shield only activated when someone lay down and rested their head on the pillow.

“So, it can’t really be used as a shield during combat,” Tang Yu’an muttered. “I mean, we can’t just pull out a pillow and lie down in the middle of a fight, right?”

“Why not?” Zhou Qi countered.

“Huh?” Tang Yu’an looked at him in confusion.

“The Sleep Pillow can be upgraded, right?” Zhou Qi asked.

Tang Yu’an checked the upgrade menu and nodded. “At Level 2, it provides 90% physical damage reduction and 60% energy damage reduction…”

As he read the description, realization dawned. “If we upgrade it to Level 3, would it provide 100% physical damage reduction? That would make it completely impenetrable!”

While it wouldn’t fully block energy attacks, it would be invincible against ordinary weapons.

Moreover, since the shield’s radius was based on the user’s height, it could potentially protect multiple people lying within the shield. If the user were tall enough, they might even be able to stand upright inside it.

“Exactly,” Zhou Qi said. “If we’re ever in a fight we can’t win or escape, lying down might be our best option.”

Tang Yu’an imagined the scene of pulling out a pillow and lying down mid-battle and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, let’s buy it and upgrade it slowly.”

The pillow would also be useful for camping in the wilderness. Even if it didn’t provide complete protection yet, it would offer enough security to avoid being taken out in a single attack.

Overall, it was quite practical.

Tang Yu’an entered “shopping mode,” spending over 120,000 points to purchase all the items from the Seven-Day Special Sale.

After storing everything in their portable warehouse, they grabbed two bottles of strong insecticide and prepared to visit Lan Yunqing.

However, before they could leave, Lan Yunqing appeared at their doorstep, his face filled with urgency.

“Brother Yunqing, what’s wrong?” Tang Yu’an asked.

“The mother tree seems to be in trouble again,” Lan Yunqing replied, his expression troubled. The slight recovery in his complexion was gone, replaced with weariness.

“Can Master Kang Kang take a look?” he asked hopefully.

Tang Yu’an glanced at Kang Kang, who nodded his little head. “Of course,” Tang Yu’an said.

Lan Yunqing immediately transported them to the Lanhu Forest. This time, even without wood-based abilities, Tang Yu’an could see something was wrong.

Although the mutated pest had been eliminated, the forest didn’t seem to be recovering.

The tree leaves were drooping, yellowed leaves littered the ground, and no new buds were growing on the branches.

Given how quickly Lanhu trees normally grew—Tang Yu’an had witnessed the rapid growth of saplings before—it was clear this wasn’t normal.

Lan Yunqing’s anxious demeanor confirmed this.

“More yellow leaves have appeared today, and the mother tree doesn’t seem happy,” Lan Yunqing said worriedly. “Could it be that the eggs of the pest are still affecting it?”

Tang Yu’an wondered if the mother tree was simply upset that Kang Kang had repeatedly refused to stay.

Then Kang Kang piped up, “October’s Mama is hungry!”

“Hungry?” Tang Yu’an reached out to gently pat Kang Kang’s belly. “Do you mean it’s hungry?”

Kang Kang nodded and pointed to the soil beneath them. “Not rich!”

His meaning was so clear that even Lan Yunqing immediately understood.

“Are you saying the soil in Lanhu Town has lost its fertility and can’t support the mother tree’s growth anymore?” Lan Yunqing asked.

“Yes!” Kang Kang replied seriously.

Lan Yunqing sighed in relief. As long as it wasn’t another infestation, it wasn’t as dire as he feared.

The issue of soil fertility loss was solvable—through methods like composting, burying fertilizer, or importing fertile soil from elsewhere. Now that they’d identified the problem, Lan Yunqing could organize the necessary manpower to resolve it.

He thanked Kang Kang and was about to leave to make arrangements when Tang Yu’an spoke up.

“Brother Yunqing, we know of a mutated plant that can turn soil into fertile black earth. Are you interested in learning more?”

Lan Yunqing froze in surprise. “There’s such a plant in the wasteland?”

“There is,” Tang Yu’an said with a nod. “It grows quickly, and its fruit is delicious, making it an excellent crop.”

“What’s it called? Where can we get it?” Lan Yunqing asked eagerly.

While the plant likely couldn’t grow within the Lanhu Forest itself—due to the mother tree’s dominance—it could be cultivated in the surrounding areas.

He also realized that the nearby crops had likely withered not because the mother tree couldn’t tolerate them, but because it had drained the surrounding soil’s nutrients.

Using this plant to improve the soil around the forest would eliminate the need to transport fertile soil from afar. If the plant produced a high enough yield, it could also become a new food source for Lanhu Town, increasing their resilience.

“It’s called the Star-chain Fruit, a type of vine,” Tang Yu’an explained. “If Lanhu Town needs it, we can provide it.”

Lan Yunqing nodded. “What are your conditions? Can we trade Lanhu leaves for it?”

Tang Yu’an hesitated and glanced at Zhou Qi, who pondered for a moment before replying.

“We can provide the seeds for free, but we’d like all the harvested fruit to be traded with us.”

Lan Yunqing immediately understood.

“As employees of the mysterious merchant, you’re aiming to earn points from the fruit transactions, correct?” he asked directly.

“That’s right,” Zhou Qi confirmed.

For Lanhu Town, the fruit could become a staple food source, and Lan Yunqing wasn’t keen on giving it all away.

“If that’s the case, I can arrange for the fruit to be traded with you so you can earn as many points as possible,” Lan Yunqing said. “But the fruit must stay in Lanhu Town.”

Tang Yu’an nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll distribute the fruit to the townsfolk for free. Just assign us the task of distributing it.”

This way, they could earn points while the townspeople benefited from the fruit—a win-win situation.

“Alright, let’s do that!”

Since Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi couldn’t stay in Lanhu Town long-term, the responsibility was given to Mo Ke.

Previously, Mo Ke would have been reluctant to remain in one place for long, but with the teleportation array, he could freely travel between locations and didn’t feel bored.

Thus, the plan was finalized.

Tang Yu’an provided Lan Yunqing with 50 Star-chain Fruit seeds, which were part of the recent harvest from Desolate City Haven.

Lan Yunqing immediately organized a team to plant them.

To test their adaptability, he sowed a few seeds in the farmland by the lake within the Lanhu Forest. However, while the seeds planted outside the forest germinated and sprouted quickly, those within the forest showed no signs of growth.

Realizing that Star-chain Fruit couldn’t grow within the Lanhu Forest due to the mother tree’s dominance, Lan Yunqing abandoned the idea and focused on planting them outside the forest instead.

Two days later, Kang Kang began crying to go home. He missed Granny and his friends so much that he couldn’t bear to stay any longer.

The Lanhu mother tree, reluctant to part with him, followed them all the way to the forest’s edge, trying to persuade him to stay.

But Kang Kang remained firm.

“Too few plants. Don’t like it.”

After promising to visit again in the future, Kang Kang urged Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi to take him home without delay.

Lan Yunqing personally saw them off. Just as he had suspected, the mother tree’s mood was somber in the following days. Its low spirits left him fretting about how to cheer it up.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the Star-chain seeds planted near the lake underwent an explosive growth overnight, transforming the area into a thriving tangle of vines.