Chapter 106: Bringing It Back
The honeysuckle spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, Xia the cat’s fur nearly stood on end.
His wide cat eyes reflected his fear. “Are you saying that all animals and plants will undergo a second mutation?!”
“Perhaps not a second one,” the honeysuckle replied. “In human theory, when toxic substances appear in the environment, they accumulate in higher organisms through the food chain, correct?”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Do you mean that this new mutation is caused by some substance accumulating in the bodies of mutant animals?”
“I don’t know,” the honeysuckle said. “I can’t access more advanced or accurate information. But haven’t humans already realized this and stopped consuming animals and plants that have mutated too much?”
Xia the cat murmured, “That’s because eating animals and plants that have mutated too much directly makes us sick, not because we know that harmful substances accumulate and cause mutations.”
As he thought back to how many mutated creatures they had eaten over the past six months, a growing fear filled his heart.
“No, wait!” Xia the cat suddenly recalled something, his eyes fixed on the honeysuckle. “If we follow that theory, you wouldn’t be using the giant cattle as fertilizer. Composting is also a form of accumulation. If that could cause mutations, you would have mutated a long time ago.”
“That may be true, but how do you know I haven’t mutated?”
Xia the cat shuddered, almost dropping the vine in his paws. “D-Don’t joke about that.”
“I’m not joking.”
As the honeysuckle finished speaking, its branches and leaves began to tremble. It had moved its branches before, but this time was different—the ground itself began to shake slightly.
The giant wolf, holding the cat in its mouth, took two cautious steps back.
The others also readied themselves for a fight.
However, the honeysuckle had no intention of attacking them. Instead, it brought its roots to the surface, raising a large amount of soil in the process.
Dark brown earth churned up, releasing a foul, rotten stench.
Everyone present had keen senses of smell, especially the beastified giant wolf and Xia the cat, who were both overwhelmed by the stench, causing their noses to wrinkle as they retreated.
Gagging sounds echoed through the group as the smell assaulted their nostrils, like a dagger being viciously thrust into the soft tissue of their noses, causing sharp pain.
“Meeoow!” Xia the cat let out a miserable cry, his tail flicking wildly as he urged his brother to retreat.
The smell was unbearable!
The honeysuckle’s movements didn’t stop.
Soon, its roots fully emerged, revealing a large, ball-like growth hanging from the dark roots.
At first, Xia the cat thought it was just a clump of dirt, but once the roots were fully exposed, he realized it was part of the honeysuckle’s roots—a massive tumor-like growth, rotting and oozing a foul liquid.
A weak voice came from the honeysuckle, “As you can see, this is my mutation.”
The sight was shocking.
Xia the cat’s tail twitched as he struggled to find words.
The honeysuckle didn’t linger on the display, giving them a brief look before burying the roots back into the ground.
The process caused another tremor, almost knocking everyone off balance.
It took a while for the honeysuckle to bury the tumor-like, rotting roots back beneath the soil.
The acrid stench in the air slowly faded, and as the late sunlight shone down, the golden and silver flowers among the green leaves still glistened, as beautiful as ever.
But when Xia the cat looked at those flowers again, he couldn’t help but shiver.
The honeysuckle explained, “This mutation began before my consciousness awakened. Now, I can only avoid absorbing too many nutrients from highly mutated animals to slow the mutation process.”
Xia the cat glanced at the honeysuckle flowers loaded in their truck. “Do the flowers also contain the substance that causes the mutation?”
“They shouldn’t,” the honeysuckle said. “Flowers are too fragile to carry such foreign substances. I’ve suppressed all the mutation-causing materials in my roots. Of course, I’m just guessing. I don’t fully understand my own condition.”
Seeing Xia the cat and the others still in a state of shock, the honeysuckle added, “But there’s no need to worry too much. The great disaster happened long ago, and I’ve never heard of humans mutating. Humans seem to only experience either survival or death.”
Xia the cat was stunned for a long time before speaking. “My mind’s a bit scrambled. Why are you being so honest with us about all this?”
“Perhaps because sincerity begets sincerity,” the honeysuckle said. “In human terms, no matter how clever the lie, eventually, there will always be someone who can see through it.”
Xia the cat was deeply moved. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the honeysuckle responded calmly. “What I’ve told you might not be entirely accurate. I don’t fully understand mutations either. You humans will have to explore that yourselves. I hope when you return next spring, you’ll share your research findings with me.”
Xia the cat solemnly promised, “I will, if we have any.”
“There’s no doubt you will. There are many clever people among humans,” the honeysuckle’s voice sounded weary. “It’s getting late. Aren’t you heading back?”
Xia the cat realized it was dismissing them. He sighed, about to bid farewell.
But just as he was about to prompt his brother to leave, he impulsively asked, “What about you? Is there anything we can do to help you?”
“You want to help me?” The honeysuckle’s voice sounded genuinely surprised. “You want to help someone who could be either a friend or an enemy?”
Xia the cat replied, “As long as it doesn’t harm my own interests, yes, I’d like to help you.”
The honeysuckle seemed to laugh softly. “Thank you. I didn’t expect such a pleasant surprise.”
Xia the cat emphasized, “But only if it doesn’t harm my interests.”
“I understand,” the honeysuckle said warmly. “If you’re willing, you can take a part of my main body and plant it somewhere fertile. If this part of my body dies, my consciousness will awaken in the part you take with you.”
Xia the cat asked, “And if this part of your body survives?”
“Then it will just be a normal honeysuckle,” the honeysuckle answered.
Xia the cat nodded. “I agree. I’ll find a new place to plant your main body, but I won’t plant it at our base.”
“I understand,” the honeysuckle said. “Thank you. Let me cut off a section of my main body.”
After speaking, the honeysuckle once again pulled its roots from the ground, its many vines shaking as the earth trembled.
Its dark roots, like snakes, slithered out of the soil, and the foul stench returned.
Xia the cat, his furry face tense with concentration, didn’t flinch. He stared intently at the scene before him, unwavering.
The honeysuckle quickly cut off a segment of its green vine with roots.
While the rest of the honeysuckle’s vines were brown, this one was a fresh, vibrant green, and even its roots appeared tender and plump.
Using its branches, the honeysuckle gently handed the vine to Xia the cat and weakly said, “Please, find a fertile and safe place to plant it.”
Xia the cat nodded seriously, opening his paws to cradle the vine in his fluffy embrace.
The honeysuckle chuckled softly, “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
Xia the cat responded, “The pleasure is mine as well.”
“I will soon fall into a deep sleep. Farewell,” said the honeysuckle.
“Goodbye,” Xia the cat replied.
The honeysuckle’s branches trembled slightly, as if bidding them farewell, then soon became still.
Its exposed roots were still in disarray, and its leaves looked as though they had been ravaged by a typhoon.
Xia the cat silently wished it well, then looked at his brother, meowing, “Meow.”
This was his signal for his brother to carry him back.
The giant wolf obliged.
Soon, the cat and wolf returned to the truck and shifted back into human form.
As Xia Lu Nong dressed, he somberly recounted the conversation with the honeysuckle.
Yan Xi Nian said, “Mutations are no small matter. Once we return, we’ll send a message to the other bases to see if any research has been done on this. For now, don’t worry too much. The disaster has been ongoing for a while, and if this theory were true, humanity would’ve been wiped out by now.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded seriously with a glance at the two honeysuckle vines and sighed softly.
Xia Huo Qu ruffled his hair. “We’ll study it more when we get back.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Are we still going into the city?”
“Not for now,” Yan Xi Nian replied. “Since the honeysuckle specifically warned us, the city is probably very dangerous. Besides, we’ve already gathered plenty of supplies and information, so it’s best to head back and process everything.”
They only had four trucks in total, and with limited capacity, they couldn’t transport any more supplies anyway.
Xia Huo Qu said, “Tonight, we’ll rest properly. Tomorrow, we’ll help Old Liu and Dr. Ou gather some more supplies and try to set out for the base by tomorrow afternoon.”
Xia Lu Nong agreed.
That evening, they drove back to the football field.
The giant bulls had been driven off, suffering heavy casualties, so they likely wouldn’t dare come back anytime soon. For now, the football field was safe.
Xia Lu Nong had been busy for a day and a half, using his abilities multiple times and processing a huge influx of information. He felt exhausted.
Back at the base, he ate two pounds of boiled beef, stuffed himself into a sleeping bag in the truck bed, and fell asleep before nightfall.
He didn’t have to take watch that night and slept soundly until morning.
When he woke up, his throat was dry and scratchy, and he felt uncomfortable all over.
Weary, he climbed out of bed and looked outside. The sky was overcast, which explained why it still seemed dark.
“Awake?” Kong Zhi’s voice came from beside him. “Are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” Xia Lu Nong croaked, his voice hoarse. He licked his lips, which were severely dehydrated and felt like a deflated balloon.
His vision blacked out for a moment as Kong Zhi reached out to touch his forehead.
After a moment, Kong Zhi said, “You’ve caught a cold.”
Xia Lu Nong blinked, his energy drained. “I wondered why I felt so off today. That explains it.”
Kong Zhi helped him sit up. “Go brush your teeth, wash your face, and eat something. When Dr. Ou gets back, she can treat you.”
“Where are Dr. Ou and the others?”
“They’re out gathering supplies,” Kong Zhi explained. “Brother Yan and Huo Qu are with them. It’s just the two of us holding down the fort at the temporary camp.”
Xia Lu Nong sighed, “My brother and Xi Nian are working so hard.”
Kong Zhi nodded. “Every bit of respect they’ve earned wasn’t for nothing.”
Xia Lu Nong felt a lump in his throat and sighed softly.
Kong Zhi added, “Don’t overthink it. Brother Yan said this morning that when we get back to the base, there will be a big move.”
Xia Lu Nong perked up, “Huh?”
He had just taken a nap, and now there was talk of a big move?
