Chapter 30 – Praises
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t sure how Yan Xi Nian convinced his brother, but in the end, Xia Huo Qu agreed to let him come along.
That night, the two brothers went out with flashlights for a meeting.
When they returned, they told Xia Lu Nong, who was half-asleep, that they would depart for Qingluo Bay the next day.
Half-awake, Xia Lu Nong let out a sleepy “meow” in acknowledgment and quickly drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, his brother woke up early, fetched water and food, packed their bags, and then roused Xia Lu Nong for breakfast at dawn, before carrying him out the door.
Yan Xi Nian, waiting outside with a large pack, stood in the morning dew. When he saw Xia Huo Qu carrying the still drowsy cat, he couldn’t resist scratching the cat’s chin. “Why are you always so sleepy?”
“Meow.” The little cat reached out to swat at him but missed.
Amused, Yan Xi Nian extended his arms. “Let me hold him.”
Xia Huo Qu gave the cat an exasperated look and warned Yan Xi Nian, “Xia Lu Nong’s claws are sharp now, so don’t push your luck.”
Yan Xi Nian chuckled and withdrew his hand.
With their backpacks, the two brothers and the cat headed to the base’s main road to meet up with the other team members.
A truck was parked there, as they needed it to transport the large and heavy generator unit, which couldn’t be carried in beast form.
By the time Xia Huo Qu and the others reached the truck, the driver and passenger seats were already occupied, so they had to sit in the back.
Two people were seated in the truck bed. One of them was Liao Quan Nan, whom Xia Lu Nong had met during a previous base mission.
“Meow!” Xia Lu Nong poked his head out of his brother’s arms, his bright green eyes gleaming as he raised a paw to greet Liao Quan Nan.
Liao Quan Nan smiled. “Xia Lu Nong, Vice-captain Xia, Captain Yan, good morning.”
Xia Huo Qu responded with a calm, “Morning.”
There was another person in the truck, wearing a sports suit, with fair skin, delicate features, and a scholarly temperament.
What added to his intellectual aura was that, even in the dim light of the truck bed, he was engrossed in reading a book in a foreign language. He only briefly glanced up when they boarded and casually greeted, “Morning.”
Xia Lu Nong curiously stretched his neck, taking a good look at him.
Sensing his gaze, the man looked up and saw a little kitten staring at him. His expression softened, and he smiled as he introduced himself. “My name is Cong Lian—‘Cong’ as in ‘grass’ and ‘Lian’ as in ‘ripples.’”
“Meow,” Xia Lu Nong nodded.
His brother introduced him. “This is my brother, Xia Lu Nong—‘Xia’ as in ‘summer,’ ‘Lu’ as in ‘dew,’ and ‘Nong’ as in ‘strong.’”
Cong Lian’s gaze lingered on Xia Lu Nong’s little head for a moment before he smiled and said, “Pleased to meet you.”
While they were chatting, the driver knocked on the truck bed’s wall and called out in a gruff voice, “Everyone ready? If so, we’re heading out.”
Yan Xi Nian raised his voice slightly. “Let’s go.”
“Alright then.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the truck jerked slightly as it started moving, slowly driving out of the base.
Xia Lu Nong immediately turned around to peer out from the back of the car.
To give him a better view, his brother shifted a bit, making it easier for the curious cat to see the scenery.
The little cat sat in his brother’s hood, paws tucked in, his eyes wide open.
Blue skies, white clouds, green trees, and fresh grass all reflected in his clear cat eyes.
Xia Lu Nong focused intently on the outside world, while Cong Lian remained absorbed in his book.
The other three leaned against the truck’s walls, resting with their eyes closed.
The truck rumbled along the road, rocking gently, enough to make anyone feel sleepy.
At some point, the driver turned on some music. Xia Lu Nong was pleasantly surprised to hear pre-disaster pop songs, and he began to lightly bob his head to the rhythm while enjoying the view.
After leaving the base, it didn’t take long for the truck to turn onto unfamiliar roads.
The truck handled well, its wheels rolling over sparse weeds and vines on the road as it pressed onward.
On either side of the road, once farmland, now overgrown with plants and vines, formed a vast green carpet stretching from one hill to the next. Despite the circumstances, the scenery was quite beautiful.
Xia Lu Nong kept looking outside. When he got tired, he curled up in his brother’s hood and took a nap, waking up to continue watching again.
Their vehicle traveled from morning until afternoon without stopping. By the time the sun was setting, they finally arrived at Qingluo Bay, passing through scattered villages and towns along the way.
The Qingluo Bay Hydroelectric Station was located on a mountain, with a ruined village at the foot of it, estimated to have only housed a few dozen families. The ruins were overgrown with wild grass and vines, and some buildings, partially destroyed by the disaster but not fully collapsed, stood ominously in the evening light, their gaping black holes evoking an eerie feeling.
This village ruin was different from the ones Xia Lu Nong had visited before. It felt far more desolate, as if no one had set foot there since the catastrophe.
With a screech, the vehicle came to a stop. Soon, two people climbed out of the cabin.
The first man was tall and robust, with guns strapped to his chest and waist, a bow and quiver slung over his back. He wore boots and long combat gear, his sharp features carrying a hint of fierceness, though his smile was bright and hearty. From the conversation, Xia Lu Nong quickly learned that this man was Ba Niu, the driver who had been playing love songs on the way.
Beside Ba Niu stood another man, much less noticeable. His figure was average, as was his height and appearance, but his legs were particularly long and straight. This man was named Luo Cong Xin.
Ba Niu, with a gun slung over his back, twisted his waist at the front of the truck, and a faint cracking sound came from his joints. Stretching, he sighed, “This place is really far. My back is killing me.”
“Thanks for the hard work,” Yan Xi Nian smiled, stepping aside to let him up onto the truck bed. “Once we find all the generator units, we won’t have to run to other bases to charge anymore.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Ba Niu agreed, with one long stride jumping into the truck bed.
After getting up, he reached out and lightly tugged Luo Cong Xin up with him. Xia Lu Nong watched in amazement as Luo Cong Xin was effortlessly pulled up, as if he were weightless, like a paper person.
Luo Cong Xin thanked him politely, finding a spot in the truck bed to sit down with a good-natured demeanor.
Ba Niu looked at Xia Lu Nong, who was staring wide-eyed, and extended his large, palm-like hand to gently pat the kitten’s head. He laughed heartily, “Xiao Nong, how are you? When the clearing starts, you can hide with me.”
“Meow?” Xia Lu Nong was full of confusion.
Ba Niu laughed again, “I’m the only one in this group who can’t shapeshift. It’ll be easier for you to stick with me.”
Xia Lu Nong turned to look at his brother, who nodded and pulled a packed meal from his bag, handing one to Ba Niu. “Thanks for the help.”
“No worries, teamwork makes the dream work. Vice Captain Xia, rest assured, as long as I’m alive, nothing will happen to Xiao Nong!”
The group ate and drank, gathering their strength.
Ten minutes later, Yan Xi Nian, Xia Huo Qu, and the long-legged Luo Congxin all stripped off their clothes and jumped out of the truck. Yan Xi Nian transformed into a giant tiger, Xia Huo Qu into a massive wolf, and to Xia Lu Nong’s surprise, Luo Cong Xin turned into a large goose, its wings flapping as it soared into the sky, circling above them.
Ba Niu handed his handgun to the scholarly-looking Cong Lian, adjusted his small chest pack, and stepped off the truck.
Xia Lu Nong stayed curled up in the backpack, his eyes intently watching the surroundings.
Liao Quan Nan, gripping a long knife, walked on Ba Niu’s left, accompanying him as they got off the truck.
Ba Niu scanned the area cautiously and reminded the group, “Stay alert. This is a completely untouched village. Anything could appear here.”
Both teams on either side nodded seriously at his words.
The giant tiger and wolf were already leading the way, with the goose circling above, while the three humans and one cat followed closely, keeping a lookout in all directions.
Soon, the mutated creatures in the ruins could no longer resist and launched their first attack.
“Howl—” Yan Xi Nian, at the front, swung his massive tiger paw, swatting away a green vine shadow that had charged at him.
Their arrival seemed to have disturbed everything lurking in the shadows of the ruins. Soon, vines, grass stalks, and branches—things Xia Lu Nong never thought could move—began ambushing them.
Whenever these plants attacked or were cut down, they oozed strange-smelling liquids, mixing with the original odors of the ruins, making Xia Lu Nong, whose sense of smell was extremely sharp, feel dizzy.
“Kaw—” The goose overhead let out a loud cry, warning them that more dangerous creatures were approaching.
Yan Xi Nian and Xia Huo Qu immediately turned back, encircling and protecting the three humans and the cat.
Suddenly, Xia Lu Nong caught a whiff of a foul stench. He looked up and let out a loud “Meow—” to Ba Niu, while pointing in a specific direction with his paw.
Ba Niu pulled back his bow, and almost simultaneously, an arrow shot toward the direction Xia Lu Nong had indicated.
The arrow whooshed through the air and quickly struck a dark figure leaping toward them, the force pinning it to the ground with a heavy thud.
Xia Lu Nong squinted and saw that the arrow had pierced the head of a mutated orange cat, roughly the size of a small dog. The orange cat was covered in dense pink cysts, and despite the arrow piercing its skull, its yellow eyes remained wild and vicious, drooling yellowish saliva while hissing menacingly at them.
A chill ran down Xia Lu Nong’s spine. His paws froze.
His brother had told him before that once you’ve experienced the outside world, you can never mistake a real animal.
Looking into those eyes, Xia Lu Nong understood more deeply than ever why that was true.
The polluted animals no longer had the vitality and spirit that all living creatures should possess. You could sense it instantly when you looked at them.
Xia Lu Nong, in his cat form, stared at the fallen beast, also a cat, and felt an indescribable discomfort. For the first time, he clearly realized that the catastrophe wasn’t over; it was still ongoing.
He let out a soft whimper, “Meow—”
Ba Niu had already drawn another arrow and set it on the bowstring. Hearing the whimper, he gently rubbed the cat’s head with his warm, fan-like hand, his eyes focused on the path ahead. In a low voice, he said, “Don’t be scared. You did great. Your instincts are really sharp.”
“Meow.” Xia Runong perked up and continued to survey the surroundings.
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Translator Note:
Hi guys! Thank you for your support till now, I really appreciate it XD
Just a quick announcement, so starting from Chapter 31, the posting schedule will change from everyday posts to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week
For those who prefer not to wait, you can head over to my Ko-fi store and purchase the rest of the translated novel for early access.
Thank you so much for your support and understanding, and I hope you enjoy the journey ahead!
Thanks for the chapter!