Chapter 237
Since the teleportation array had yet to be revealed, traveling from Jufeng Mountain to Lan Hu Town would take at least two to three days. Because of this, Tang Yu’an didn’t set out immediately.
Instead, he went to find Granny Guo and Kang Kang.
Kang Kang was in the experimental field, playing with his plant friends.
Because the haven encouraged the growth of Lan Hu trees, young offshoots of the species were now sprouting all over the fields. As soon as Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi arrived, small saplings enthusiastically shook their leaves to welcome them.
“Big Brother!”
Upon receiving the news, Kang Kang happily ran over.
Tang Yu’an reached out and lifted him up.
“Kang Kang.” He ruffled the child’s hair. “Do you want to go on a trip in a couple of days? To visit October’s mother?”
“Yes! A trip!” Kang Kang agreed without hesitation.
Then his gaze landed on Zhou Qi, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Zhou Qi was currently focused on a young Lan Hu tree at his feet. He reached out his hand, channeling wood-elemental energy.
As a faint green glow appeared around his palm, the Lan Hu tree sapling began to grow rapidly.
Because it was a mutant plant, even with ability-enhanced growth, it still matured slower than normal plants and could not reach full maturity instantly. However, it was still growing many times faster than under natural conditions.
This was the first time Zhou Qi had successfully accelerated plant growth.
His wood-elemental talent was clearly weaker than his other abilities, but after absorbing the Wood Spirit Bug, he had finally made up for that deficiency.
Still, compared to a prodigy like Kang Kang, he was lacking. He couldn’t sense the emotions of the plants, let alone communicate with them.
“Amazing!”
Even so, Kang Kang clapped his little hands in applause.
Zhou Qi smiled slightly, ruffling the boy’s hair before turning to Tang Yu’an. “Let’s go tell Granny Guo.”
“Alright!”
Tang Yu’an nodded and led Kang Kang to find Granny Guo.
She was in the middle of a lively gathering—five newly arrived agricultural specialists were sitting around her, chatting while drinking juice and eating snacks.
As expected, a new Lan Hu tree sapling had already sprouted at their feet.
Granny Guo leisurely infused energy into the sapling, occasionally chiming in on the conversation with a warm smile, clearly enjoying herself.
The agricultural specialists seemed noticeably more relaxed than they had been in the past two days.
However, their long-term exhaustion had not yet fully healed, and two of them had fallen ill.
Their bodies had been running on sheer willpower for so long that, now that they had finally relaxed, their illnesses hit them like a collapsing mountain.
Fortunately, it was just the flu. With enough rest, relaxation, and some easily digestible food to replenish their strength, they would recover on their own.
When Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi arrived, the agricultural specialists stood up, a little reserved as they greeted them.
Tang Yu’an smiled. “We’re here to talk to Granny Guo about something.”
Granny Guo got up and walked aside with them. Before they could explain, Kang Kang eagerly said, “Granny, I want to go out and play!”
Granny Guo was taken aback. “You’re going out again?”
“Yes!”
“When are you leaving?”
“In two days,” Zhou Qi answered.
“Alright, I’ll prepare some food for you to take on the road.” Granny Guo chuckled.
Kang Kang clung to her arm, acting coy. “Granny, come with us!”
Granny Guo glanced at the two teenagers before lowering her head and patting Kang Kang’s hair.
“Granny can’t walk that far anymore. Besides, Grandpa Chen and the others need me here for now. And what about your plant friends? If Granny leaves, who will take care of them?”
Kang Kang was convinced.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi exchanged a look. They could tell that Granny Guo was actually tempted, but she was being considerate of them and didn’t want to trouble them.
Right now, it wasn’t convenient to take her along, but once the teleportation array in Lan Hu Town was made public, they could bring Granny Guo with them.
After finishing their conversation, Granny Guo returned to her seat, watching the two young men play with Kang Kang. Her eyes were full of warmth and affection.
Who would have thought that in just a few short months, those two once-weak and helpless children would grow into what they were today?
And not only that—they had built a homestead that felt like a utopia…
Sitting beside her, Old Chen shared her sentiment. He couldn’t help but say, “Was this place really built entirely by those two boys?”
Granny Guo paused. She glanced at Old Chen, then at the other agricultural specialists who were also looking at her expectantly.
She let out a soft chuckle and said, half-seriously, “Haven’t I told you? They are children blessed by the gods.”
With the teachings of the Merchant God spreading through the forum, more and more workers firmly believed in it. As they interacted with the homestead’s residents, they unknowingly passed on these beliefs.
As a result, the idea had spread throughout Desolate City Haven. Nearly all the residents now knew—
Their homestead’s leaders were backed by a divine order.
“Does the God of Commerce… really exist?” Old Chen murmured.
Granny Guo gazed up at the invisible protective barrier overhead. “If this isn’t the work of the divine… then who else could have done it?”
The agricultural specialists fell into deep thought.
Eventually, Old Chen stood up and said, “I go to Room 501 to rent farmland, right? I need to see Old Li?”
“You only rested for two days,” Granny Guo said. “Why not take it easy a bit longer?”
“Heh, after being overworked for decades, I feel restless if I don’t work for even a day. I just want to rent a plot to keep busy—I can’t spend all day doing nothing.”
Hearing this, even the two sick agricultural specialists nodded in agreement.
They hadn’t just rested for two days; ever since being rescued and brought to the Jufeng Town Garrison, they hadn’t done any work at all. It really felt like something was missing, leaving a hollow feeling in their hearts.
Granny Guo glanced at them a few times. Seeing that they were serious, she nodded and said, “Then just rent a plot of land for now. You can work on it together. Your bodies haven’t fully recovered yet, so don’t overwork yourselves.”
So, Old Chen and the others went to find Old Li to express their intentions.
“The land in the home base is already fully used. If you want to plant crops, you’ll have to clear new land yourselves,” Old Li said. “I can lend you some laborers for now, but it’ll go on the ledger, and you’ll have to repay it later.”
Clearly, even though the land was being cleared by the planters themselves, its ownership still belonged to the Desolate City Haven Base.
Old Chen and the others had no objections.
After signing the loan agreement, Old Li hired some residents to help them clear a few more acres of land behind the building.
Watching the residents clear the land and the earth-element ability users turn and loosen the soil, Old Chen suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction he had never experienced before.
“From now on, forty percent of this land’s yield will be ours!”
“Yeah,” Qinghua said, rubbing her hands together. “I feel so full of energy!”
Another planter, Bai He, suggested, “Let’s start by planting Star-chain vines. It improves soil fertility, and its fruit is delicious.”
Of course, they also needed to ask Kang Kang’s friend, October, to grow along the edges of the land. That way, they could resist the cold waves.
Kang Kang agreed readily but had one special request.
“It has to be lively!”
Old Chen and the others didn’t quite understand, so they went to Granny Guo for advice.
Granny Guo lent them some Peace Coins and told them to go to the nursery and hire the energetic little kids to come play in the newly cleared land.
“Will that really work?” Old Chen was hesitant.
“Trust me, it’ll be fine!”
So, the planters went to the nursery to hire children. Since the job was just to let the kids play and they’d get paid for it, A-Lian, who managed the nursery, naturally had no reason to refuse.
In the end, every child over four years old was brought to the field—about a dozen or twenty in total.
Tang Xiaotian was, of course, among them.
When they were led to the garden, he and the other kids assumed they were being brought out to gather wild vegetables or do some work.
But the old grandpa who brought them said, “Kids, just go play. Just don’t leave this area.”
The children looked at him in confusion, standing still.
Seeing their reaction, Old Chen suddenly felt like he was looking at his younger self.
Because he had awakened his wood-type ability early on, it had given him the ability to survive in the wasteland. Even though he had to work day and night, at least he was protected.
But in exchange, he had lost his freedom and the right to play. Now that he finally had a chance to rest, he didn’t even know how to relax.
These kids, who didn’t have abilities, must have had an even harder time than he did. They were so young, yet they didn’t even know how to play…
Old Chen had no choice but to seek Granny Guo’s help again.
Granny Guo’s face showed a nostalgic expression, as if she were recalling a childhood so distant that it felt like a past life. Then, she gave Old Chen a few suggestions.
Finally, she went to the field herself and taught the children how to play games.
Eagle Catching Chicks, Cat’s Cradle, Shuttlecock Kicking, Jump Rope… As she explained each game, Old Chen and A-Lian learned them and then taught them to the children.
Slowly, the sound of children’s laughter echoed through the field.
From a distance, Old Li watched the scene and couldn’t help but smile with relief.
In a way, wasn’t this a form of cultural inheritance?
*
The next day, Tang Yu’an cast another healing spell on Ai Lu.
With eleven healing spells combined with Ai Lu’s special physique, the scabs on his face quickly healed and fell off. By the time the final spell was completed, he had completely transformed.
The face that had once been covered in festering sores and looked terrifyingly ugly was now smooth and fair, like a newborn baby’s skin.
His delicate and pleasant features were now fully revealed, and with those beautiful green eyes, it was practically a complete rebirth.
However, due to long-term malnutrition, he was still quite thin. He would need time to build up some weight, but as for his height—it was probably too late for that.
Because of the height difference and Ai Lu’s lack of worldly experience, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but treat him like a younger brother.
Even though, in reality, Ai Lu was probably a few years older than him.
“You look so cute now!” Tang Yu’an said, patting Ai Lu’s head.
Ai Lu beamed at him and, mimicking his words, said, “Cu…cute…”
For the past two days, Ai Lu hadn’t stopped smiling—not even in his sleep.
He had never felt this happy before.
Not only did he have Mo Yu, who treated him so kindly, but he also had two new friends who had come just for him. Plus, he could eat all sorts of delicious food he had never tasted before!
Right now, he was truly, truly happy, like he was floating on clouds—so happy that it felt unreal.
He was scared.
What if this was all just a fleeting dream?
What if he lost everything after experiencing it? That would be too painful…
“Ai Lu, come with us when we leave. Let’s go to the home base,” Tang Yu’an said, holding his hand. “At the home base, you’ll have lots of friends!”
Ai Lu’s intelligence was fine; he just lacked experience due to growing up alone. But he had a quick learning ability.
If he spent time with the other kids and learned how to adapt, maybe one day he could even take on a simple job to support himself. He might even be recruited as an employee.
Mo Yu could earn quite a lot of points just from selling crops to him, after all.
“F…friends?”
“Yeah! Come with us!”
Ai Lu instinctively looked toward Mo Yu. Seeing Mo Yu watching him as well, he hesitated before walking over, crouching down, and hugging Mo Yu’s arm.
“Mo Mo… together…”
Mo Yu held onto his hand. Although he still worried that the so-called home the two teenagers mentioned might not be a good place, he was also uneasy about leaving Ai Lu here.
He had already noticed that the toxic mist in this area had receded entirely because of the two teenagers.
If Ai Lu stayed, he would inevitably have to continue living in the toxic mist, and his freshly healed wounds might relapse.
Mo Yu gently stroked the smooth skin on the back of Ai Lu’s hand, paused slightly, then awkwardly withdrew his hand.
He looked at Zhou Qi and, though appearing calm, mustered his courage to say, “As we agreed before, Ai Lu’s 200,000 treatment fee will all be on me.”
“Alright,” Zhou Qi nodded.
“Ai Lu will come with me, but if he wants to leave, you cannot stop him,” Mo Yu added.
Zhou Qi tilted his head slightly and asked, “I can promise you that, but when the time comes, will you really be willing to let him go?”
Mo Yu was silent for a moment before replying, “I will respect his choice.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi chuckled lightly but didn’t comment further.
And so, it was decided—Ai Lu and Mo Yu would leave with them.
Meanwhile, the two construction robots had already completed the seventh branch store.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi made a sign, naming the new store “Green Valley General Store”, and hung it at the entrance. They then spent some points to activate the protective barrier and teleportation array functions.
After finishing these tasks, they drove off with Mo Yu and Ai Lu.
For now, the teleportation array wasn’t available to them, but since a cement road had been built, they could travel at full speed and still reach their destination quickly.
More and more travelers had appeared on the road to the desolate city, drawn by the newly built cement roads and bridges, eager to explore the city center.
Zhou Qi carefully avoided them.
“Brother Qi,” Tang Yu’an suddenly called out from the driver’s seat.
“Hm?”
Tang Yu’an hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, “Just now, when Mo Yu said he would respect Ai Lu’s choice, why did you smile like that? Do you not trust him?” Given that Mo Yu claimed to have come from a fortress and had amnesia, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but be wary of him.
After all, Li Feng’s group had left a terrible impression on him.
“I just think it’s unlikely that he would actually let Ai Lu go,” Zhou Qi said.
Tang Yu’an suddenly understood. “Oh, yeah! Our home is so safe—there’s no way Ai Lu would leave. And even if he wanted to, Mo Yu would probably stop him.”
Zhou Qi smiled but didn’t elaborate.
With the possessiveness Mo Yu had shown toward Ai Lu, would he really let him go so easily?
And besides… Zhou Qi had a feeling that Mo Yu wasn’t as gentle and innocent as he appeared.
As their vehicle neared the desolate city, they had to slow down—because up ahead, Li Feng’s men had blocked the road and were capturing people who had just arrived from Jufeng Mountain.
Tang Yu’an quickly checked the map and found that quite a few people had already been taken.
Though he wasn’t sure of their exact motive, these mountain folk were their customers—and future residents of their home. There was no way he could let Li Feng’s men take them.
But as their RV approached—and since the protective barrier radius had now extended to about twenty or thirty meters—something interesting happened.
Thanks to the “Troublesome Customers Begone” aura, anyone harboring malicious intent toward Tang Yu’an or the desolate city was forcibly pushed away.
By the time their RV got close, only the captured mountain folk and a few of Li Li’s former subordinates remained.
These subordinates had been ordered to come here by Li Feng, but they personally bore no ill will toward Tang Yu’an or the desolate city.
In fact, if they weren’t afraid of being killed or forced into submission, they would have defected already.
That was why they weren’t affected by the aura and remained.
Seeing the RV stop and the two teenagers step out, the dozen or so men looked fearful and uncertain. But none of them ran.
Then, one of the teenagers smiled at them kindly.
“Do you guys want to come to our desolate city? We’re hiring right now.”
Everyone was stunned by the unexpected friendliness. They looked at each other, and then, one by one, they all nodded.
“Alright then, untie those people and get in. I’ll give you a ride,” Tang Yu’an said, pointing to the captured mountain folk.
“Got it! Got it!”
The men hurriedly complied, freeing the captives before boarding the RV.
Inside, Ai Lu, seeing so many strangers suddenly get on, immediately shrank behind Mo Yu in fear, his expression full of unease.
But when he noticed that these strangers weren’t treating him like a monster or trying to hit and curse him, he gradually calmed down.
Of course, he still clung to Mo Yu’s arm, staying silent.
However, it was clear that these newcomers had no intention of provoking them.
Both Mo Yu and Ai Lu were clean and well-dressed, just like Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi. It was obvious they were extraordinary—who would be foolish enough to provoke them?
The RV resumed its journey.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi completely ignored the people they had pushed away.
Should they kill them? No, they couldn’t bring themselves to do that.
So the only option was to leave them to their own fate.
But letting them continue causing trouble wasn’t a solution either.
So, Tang Yu’an opened the map and spent points to build a fence, extending a barrier all the way to the entrance of the desolate city, blocking the road.
Since the construction team worked fast, he only needed to build a one-kilometer-long section, so the cost wasn’t too high.
In about two days, the construction team would likely reach the road entrance. Soon after, they would extend the barrier all the way to Jufeng Mountain, ensuring the entire path was protected.
When Li Feng’s men saw the RV leave, they originally wanted to take over the road again.
But the moment they witnessed a fence magically appear, extending from the desolate city in a supernatural manner, they were so terrified that they immediately fled—not daring to linger any longer.
Before long, the RV passed by the construction team and finally arrived at the entrance of the desolate city haven.
During the journey, Tang Yu’an had already notified Old Li, so he had been waiting at the gate with his people.
Seeing that more than twenty new workers had arrived, Old Li’s face immediately lit up with joy. After confirming their willingness to stay, he had them taken to freshen up and then arranged accommodations for them.
“New houses are already under construction. With this batch of people joining, the building speed should increase.”
With the help of construction robots, they had no concerns about not knowing how to build houses. For now, the workers could only assist with minor tasks.
Eventually, once the more capable ones learned real skills from the construction robots, they might even be able to lead their own teams independently.
“I’ll leave them in your hands then!”
After that, Tang Yu’an introduced Mo Yu and Ai Lu to Old Li.
The moment Old Li saw Mo Yu’s long, entirely green hair, he already had a suspicion. When he heard that Mo Yu was a wood-type ability user and owed the Desolate City Haven 1.2 million points, his eyes practically sparkled.
A high-level wood-type ability user could very well be a master cultivator in a fortress!
Little An and the others have really picked up a treasure again!
“No problem at all! I’ll arrange for you to be registered right away.”
Old Li’s attitude toward Mo Yu was noticeably better than how he had treated Xie Chaori.
As they entered Desolate City Haven, they suddenly heard a commotion.
Walking over to check, they saw the newly arrived cultivator, Old Chen, embracing a middle-aged man while both of them laughed and cried.
After asking around, they learned that the man was Old Chen’s son—Chen Xi.
His ability level was low, and he had been assigned as cannon fodder under Li Feng. Fortunately, Tang Yu’an and his group had rescued him.
“Looks like Old Chen is going to be absolutely loyal to the Home from now on.”
Old Li commented with a satisfied expression, fully supportive of the two teenagers’ habit of bringing people in.
After all, given Desolate City Haven’s well-structured rules, as long as new arrivals were properly guided and assigned tasks, they would almost always become valuable contributors!
*
Mo Yu and Ai Lu officially settled in Desolate City Haven and were assigned to the eighth floor, directly across from Grandma Guo.
The next day, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi left with Kang Kang in their RV.
Halfway through the journey, they switched the RV into closed-store mode and then took Kang Kang through the teleportation array.
This time, instead of heading directly to Lan Hu General Store, they stopped at Store #6 by the lake, then loaded Kang Kang onto a truck and drove toward Lan Hu Town.
It was Kang Kang’s first time riding in a vehicle, and he was beyond excited.
Halfway there, he suddenly asked Zhou Qi to stop the truck.
When they got out, Kang Kang ran over to a small patch of grass and began babbling excitedly to it.
After finishing his “conversation,” he pulled out a small shovel and started digging.
“Kang Kang, is that…?”
“New… friend!”
Tang Yu’an: “…”
Curious, Tang Yu’an cast an Appraisal Spell on the grass and discovered that it was actually a mutant plant. From its appearance, it seemed to be a type of forage grass.
“Does it want to come with us?”
“Mhm! Mhm!”
Seeing Kang Kang happily digging, Tang Yu’an had no choice but to hand him a flower pot, allowing him to transplant the mutant forage grass.
Soon, they got back in the truck and continued toward Lan Hu Town.
Kang Kang sat in his child seat, hugging the flower pot tightly, his cheeks flushed with joy at making a new friend.
Tang Yu’an glanced at Kang Kang, then at the mutant forage grass.
I wonder what the Lan Hu Mother Tree will think when it sees that Kang Kang has made yet another new friend…
