The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH37

Chapter 37 – Again

Xia Lu Nong’s gaze locked onto the boy’s injury.

Following his eyes, the boy glanced down at his bruise but then coldly looked away.

Hesitating for a moment, Xia Lu Nong gently tugged on his brother’s wrist with his paw.

His brother looked down, and Xia Lu Nong let out a soft “meow,” indicating the boy’s injury.

Xia Huo Qu quickly noticed the bruise on the boy’s body, glanced at it, but said nothing.

Xia Lu Nong grew anxious and prodded his brother again with his paw.

His brother pressed down on his head, pinning him to his lap to keep him still.

With his brother’s hand on him, Xia Lu Nong could barely move his four paws. He let out a small whimper, his round green eyes looking up at his brother.

But his brother wasn’t looking at him.

Thoughtful, Xia Lu Nong withdrew his paws and stopped struggling.

Soon, the meat porridge was ready. After eating breakfast, everyone, though still weary, set out again.

Xia Huo Qu drove the truck, with Xia Lu Nong in the passenger seat. The teenagers Zhang Shi Hai had brought, along with Ba Niu, sat in the back of the truck, while the others either flew or ran.

At that moment, Xia Huo Qu called out to the boy who could transform into an eagle, “You’re injured. Don’t fly, ride in the truck.”

The boy paused for a moment.

Zhang Shi Hai quickly gave him a nudge and said, “Listen to Vice Captain Xia, don’t be stubborn.”

Zhang Shi Hai personally pushed him into the passenger seat and smiled apologetically at Xia Huo Qu. “This kid’s name is Kong Zhi—’Kong’ meaning sky, and ‘Zhi’ meaning confrontation. He’s quite strong, so if there’s anything you need done, just ask him.”

Xia Huo Qu nodded and said to Kong Zhi, “Hold the cat, and make sure you hold him steady.”

Xia Lu Nong, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, had already made room when he heard his brother ask Kong Zhi to get in the car. But now, upon hearing the request, he looked puzzled, letting out a “meow,” glancing at his brother and then at Kong Zhi. The passenger seat was quite spacious, and since neither he nor Kong Zhi were large, there was enough room for both of them to sit without the need to be held.

His brother remained silent.

Kong Zhi exchanged a glance with Xia Lu Nong, then bent down, picked him up, placed him on his lap, and sat down.

Xia Lu Nong moved his paws uncomfortably and let out a soft “meow.” He was used to being held by all kinds of people after turning into a cat, but this was the first time it felt strange.

It was too strange. He shifted on the boy’s firm legs, maybe because the boy’s aura was so cold.

“Don’t move,” the boy said, looking down and meeting the cat’s gaze.

The boy’s voice was raspy, with a metallic quality—cold and hard, yet very distinct.

Instinctively, Xia Lu Nong stopped moving, complying with the boy’s request.

Without saying another word, the boy absentmindedly scratched under the cat’s chin.

Hit right at his itch spot, Xia Lu Nong couldn’t help but squint his eyes and let out a contented “meow,” tilting his head upward.

The boy’s hand paused briefly before continuing to scratch a few more times.

It was then that Xia Lu Nong noticed how beautiful the boy’s hands were—long and strong fingers, with clean, defined lines across the back of his hands, and nails trimmed just right.

These hands had already developed a masculine charm.

Xia Lu Nong stared, unable to take his eyes off them. He admired the boy’s hands, feeling a bit envious. His own hands were nice too, but not as nice as these, which exuded a sense of elegance and strength.

He shifted again on the boy’s firm legs.

The boy had long legs, with muscles that were firm and strong.

Xia Lu Nong finally found a comfortable spot and closed his eyes.

Kong Zhi glanced down at the cat, gently stroking its back and keeping a light hand on him.

The truck started moving, and as it jolted along, Xia Lu Nong, with his eyes half-closed, began to feel drowsy.

Several times, his limp cat body nearly slipped off the seat, but each time, a long, cool hand would steadily catch him and gently pull him back up by his paws.

After a few repetitions of this, Xia Lu Nong was confident he wouldn’t fall off, so he closed his eyes completely and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Before long, he rolled onto his back, happily purring away on the boy’s lap.

At first, the boy had his hands positioned carefully around him, but gradually, he let one hand rest lightly on the cat’s soft body, absentmindedly petting him from time to time.

Xia Lu Nong’s long fur was soft and fluffy, with a faint pleasant scent. His body was warm and cozy, and as he lay there on his back, belly exposed, he looked just like a little angel.

This little guy really resembled a true cat.

The boy almost forgot that this was actually a cat beast-man and, at heart, still human. His gaze toward Xia Lu Nong softened considerably.

Before the disaster, his family’s cat used to lie on him like this all the time.

Xia Lu Nong was deeply asleep.

In his dreams, he felt himself sinking into a dark, murky swamp, unable to free his legs no matter how hard he struggled.

Panicking, he kicked his legs frantically, letting out increasingly desperate “meows,” each one more pained than the last.

In reality, his cries were much softer, a faint, pitiful whimper as he twitched and kicked in distress.

Kong Zhi sat up straighter, his expression surprised. He gently grabbed the cat’s flailing paws and leaned down, asking, “What’s wrong?”

Xia Lu Nong was still asleep, unable to hear their voices, his eyes tightly shut as he whimpered and kicked, clearly troubled by something in his dream.

From the driver’s seat, Xia Huo Qu glanced over and said decisively, “Wake him up.”

Kong Zhi’s slender hands stroked the cat’s paws again, calling out, “Xia Lu Nong?”

The tug on his paw stirred Xia Lu Nong from his nightmare, and he woke with a start. He glanced fearfully at his brother, then at Kong Zhi, his breath coming in short gasps.

The terrifying feeling of suffocation from being swallowed by the swamp hadn’t faded yet, and he felt as if something invisible was binding his paws, preventing him from moving.

“Meow.” Frustrated, Xia Lu Nong stomped a few times on Kong Zhi’s legs, wanting to scratch the seat, but held back.

He turned in circles, the restlessness inside him growing stronger, not weaker.

An overwhelming sense of dread filled his heart. He had felt something similar before yesterday’s earthquake.

“Meow!” Unable to hold back any longer, he tried to jump down from the seat to rummage through his brother’s bag underneath. But his legs were still weak from the nightmare, and he stumbled, nearly tumbling headfirst off the seat.

Kong Zhi’s quick reflexes saved him, catching his paws and pulling him back up, just in time to meet his frightened eyes.

“Meow, meow, meow!” Xia Lunong had originally intended to grab onto the seat, but Kong Zhi’s hand intercepted him, and his claws accidentally caught in the boy’s palm.

The moment he touched Kong Zhi, he managed to retract his claws in time, but his paw pads landed directly in Kong Zhi’s hand.

Xia Lu Nong, still shaken, felt increasingly agitated, his tail swishing uncontrollably.

Unable to focus on driving, Xia Huo Qu said in a low voice, “Lu Nong wants paper and a pen from the backpack. Get them for him.”

Kong Zhi complied, fetching the paper and pen.

Xia Lu Nong immediately grabbed the pen in his mouth, ready to write something, but as soon as the pen touched the paper, his mind went blank.

The pen rested on the paper for a while, leaving only a small black dot.

He stared at the dot, feeling short of breath, like his chest was tight. He wanted to shout, attack, or run.

Xia Huo Qu’s expression grew serious as he focused on the road ahead and asked, “Lu Nong, are you sensing something? Is another earthquake coming?”

“Meow!” Xia Lu Nong looked at his brother, feeling extremely irritated. He had no idea what was happening—he just knew it was very, very annoying.

This was completely different from the earthquake!

Xia Huo Qu and Kong Zhi were both beastmen, and though they didn’t feel as agitated as Xia Lu Nong, they also sensed something wrong.

Danger was approaching, and they had to make a quick decision.

Xia Huo Qu, affected by Xia Lu Nong’s agitation, felt an even stronger sense of unease. He could feel the danger creeping closer. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel, which blared loudly, and suddenly accelerated, driving the truck rapidly forward. He headed to a relatively open area before slamming on the brakes.

The teenagers in the back of the truck were caught off guard, and several of them bumped into each other.

Ban Niu, startled in the back, immediately knocked on the truck’s side and asked, “What’s going on? Why did we stop all of a sudden?”

“Probably another big earthquake!” Xia Huo Qu said as he opened the door. “Tell everyone, whether they’re flying or running, to stop temporarily, quickly!”

Ban Niu was shocked and hurriedly jumped out of the truck, yelling to the others outside, “Everyone stop! Vice Captain Xia says there’s another earthquake coming!”

Most of the group had a bad feeling already, so without a word, they all turned around and gathered near the truck.

Xia Huo Qu shouted, “Not here! Move away from the truck. Let’s head to that open area!”

Last night, the earthquake had occurred in the dark. At that time, everyone had stayed inside the vehicle, afraid that they might run into a stampede of beasts on the ground. But today, there was no such fear.

Everyone gathered on the open ground. Those who could shift into beast form did so, while the rest stayed in human form.

The teenagers, looking panicked, were surrounded in the middle, with the others standing guard around them.

Kong Zhi, the youngest, was also surrounded, holding Xia Lu Nong in his arms.

After making sure everyone was settled, Xia Huo Qu came over and took the cat from Kong Zhi, nodding in thanks.

The sky outside changed quickly. What had just been a clear, rain-washed blue was now turning a murky gray. It felt as though something oppressive was lurking below.

They stayed far from the truck, crouching in a circle, bracing for the imminent disaster.

Soon enough:

Rumble—

The ground began to shake, and the mountains trembled. The grass and trees swayed violently, and those crouching were unable to keep their balance, falling to the ground, dizzy from the movement around them.

The sight of the collapsing trees and plants had become commonplace. What was truly shocking was the landslide in the distance, with rocks and soil tumbling down—half a mountain had collapsed.

At that moment, no one cared who was around them. Instinctively, they reached out, grabbing each other’s arms to avoid being thrown apart by the quake.

Fortunately, there weren’t many obstacles around, and the mountain was far away. Even in this violent earthquake, they weren’t badly hurt.

No one knew how long the earthquake lasted, but eventually, it stopped.

Everyone sat on the ground, their limbs trembling from the effort of holding on. As the earthquake subsided, expressions of relief spread across their faces.

Even Kong Zhi, usually so composed, let out a breath of relief.

Ban Niu wiped the sweat off his face, panting as he lay on the ground. “This damned weather, when will it finally give us a break?!”

Xia Huo Qu, beside him, said wearily, “That was the second one. It’s unlikely there will be a third major earthquake. Let’s take a break, and once we’re rested, we’ll keep moving.”

Xia Lu Nong, having been held the whole time, hadn’t exerted any effort and was uninjured.

But after the quake, his dizziness worsened, a wave of nausea rising in his chest. His vision was starting to blur.

At the same time, a voice inside him screamed: It’s not over, the danger isn’t over—!!!