The Cat Who Farms in the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – CH90

Chapter 90 – Living Creatures

Xia Lu Nong stared at the tree, feeling that something was off.

Xia Huo Qu asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It feels like something isn’t right,” Xia Lu Nong replied, frowning.

Everyone’s gaze fell on the small pepper tree, but no one could figure out what was strange about it.

Yan Xi Nian said, “Step back a bit. Let me take a look.”

Xia Lu Nong quickly cautioned, “Be careful, this pepper tree might lash out!”

Yan Xi Nian gave a small grunt of acknowledgment and picked up a stone from the ground, tossing it lightly at the pepper tree.

The stone struck the bark, creating a small chip that revealed light green and white wood beneath.

The pepper tree didn’t react at all, aside from the small chip.

Xia Huo Qu asked, “Xiao Nong, are you sure you weren’t imagining things?”

“I don’t think so,” Xia Lu Nong said. “Something still feels off.”

Yan Xi Nian said, “We’ll know once we dig it up.”

As Yan Xi Nian approached with the hoe, the pepper tree suddenly shook, as if blown by the wind.

However, the surroundings were completely still—there wasn’t even a breeze.

Yan Xi Nian gestured for them to step back.

Before Xia Lu Nong could react, the pepper tree shot upwards.

Its root system, thick and elastic like the tip of a paintbrush, slammed into the ground and sprang up, launching the entire tree like a kangaroo, leaping two or three meters away.

Yan Xi Nian’s eyes narrowed as he reached out to grab the trunk.

Xia Lu Nong yelled from the side, “Careful! The trunk has thorns!”

It was as if Xia Lu Nong’s voice had reminded the Sichuan pepper tree. The moment he shouted, sharp thorns, four to five centimeters long, bristled upright along the branches. The dark red tips pointed directly at them, making the tree look very threatening.

The pepper tree charged straight toward Yan Xi Nian, seemingly intent on crashing into him.

Holding a machete, Yan Xi Nian swung it fiercely at the tree.

The pepper tree didn’t dodge, rushing toward him with a determination to go down fighting.

Quickly, Xia Huo Qu pulled Yan Xi Nian aside, gently moving him out of harm’s way.

The pepper tree didn’t linger for long. Its dense and thick root system slammed into the ground, and using the momentum, it sprang far away.

All of this happened in just two or three seconds.

Xia Lu Nong stood to the side, dumbfounded. He had never imagined that a plant could be fiercer than a wild animal!

The pepper tree made its escape, leaping over ten meters away, seemingly about to flee completely.

Kong Zhi had already prepared the rope. He ran a few steps and threw it forward.

Attached to the rope was a hoe, which hit the pepper tree perfectly as it had no foothold in the air.

The pepper tree, knocked off balance by the impact, fell heavily to the ground, rolling a few times.

The tree reacted quickly. Its branches spread out in a large “X” shape, stopping it from rolling further.

At the same time, its thick roots, like flowing water, seeped into the ground, pulling the entire tree upright.

Watching the pepper tree’s agile maneuvers, Xia Lu Nong finally realized what was wrong.

The pepper tree’s branches were too symmetrical—one on the left and one on the right. Even though it spread out to form a tree crown, natural trees grow in all directions, never this neatly.

The pepper tree moved quickly, but Kong Zhi was faster. As soon as the tree pulled itself up, Kong Zhi had already formed a lasso with the rope and tightly bound the trunk.

The pepper tree tried to run, but Kong Zhi held the rope without budging.

The tree leaped again and again, but the rope restrained it, preventing it from jumping any higher.

After a few attempts, the pepper tree’s crown sagged, and although it had no facial features, they could all sense its frustration.

Yan Xi Nian, machete in hand, approached, his eyes narrowing.

The pepper tree gave a very human-like shudder, its massive roots twisting together.

Yan Xi Nian’s eyes gleamed with amusement, but he made no further moves.

Xia Lu Nong, standing two meters away, dared not get too close to the pepper tree, fearing it might lash out. Scratching his head, he said, “We mean no harm, we just want to invite you to live in a different place.”

The pepper tree trembled again.

After waiting a while, the tree stopped shaking, its crown drooping as if it glanced at the rope tied around its trunk.

After a brief pause, the crown lifted slightly, at a curious angle, as if someone were tilting their chin up.

The movement was strikingly human-like.

Xia Lu Nong could almost imagine the pepper tree speaking: “You say no harm? Then have the guts to let me go!”

Taking a deep breath, Xia Lu Nong closed his eyes and activated his ability.

He felt something surge out from within him, spreading toward the pepper tree a meter away.

The pepper tree shook again, its crown tilting first to the left, then to the right, as though in confusion.

Moments later, the broken branches and wounds on the tree healed, its crown grew slightly, and tiny new buds sprouted from its branches.

The pepper tree’s crown quivered once more, and the sharp thorns along its trunk suddenly retracted.

Without the thorns, the pepper tree’s trunk looked somewhat smooth, giving it a much more docile appearance.

The crown shook slightly again.

Strangely, Xia Lu Nong understood the meaning of this gesture—it was as if the pepper tree was inviting him to touch its trunk.

Hesitant, Xia Lu Nong reached out his hand, trying to touch the tree.

No one nearby stopped him.

Xia Lu Nong, gaining confidence, extended his hand further.

Xia Huo Qu stood by, silently observing his younger brother’s actions.

Yan Xi Nian also kept an eye on Xia Lu Nong, though he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Xia Huo Qu’s back muscles tensed slightly, his shirt dipping in a bit.

It was a stance ready to attack. If the pepper tree tried to harm Xia Lu Nong, it would be struck down before it could make contact.

But the pepper tree showed no signs of aggression. Xia Lu Nong reached out and felt the rough bark beneath his hand.

The small, thin crown of the pepper tree rustled softly, as if laughing.

Xia Lu Nong turned to his brother and smiled, “It’s fine now.”

Xia Huo Qu nodded calmly, “Hmm.”

Only Yan Xi Nian noticed that his back muscles had not yet relaxed.

As Xia Lu Nong touched the tree, he could clearly feel the joy it was conveying to him.

Tentatively, he asked, “Will you come back with us? Our land is much more fertile than here, and we can water you whenever you need.”

Fearing the pepper tree hadn’t understood, Xia Lu Nong concentrated on mentally repeating his message, trying hard to communicate his intentions.

The pepper tree didn’t respond.

After a moment of hesitation, Xia Lu Nong turned to Kong Zhi and said, “Let it go?”

Kong Zhi untied the rope.

The pepper tree shook its crown again, seemingly letting out a sigh of relief. Its long branches reached down, briefly touching Xia Lu Nong’s hand before it leaped a few meters away, paused, and then hopped a few more meters.

Instinctively, Xia Lu Nong took a step forward but quickly stopped, showing no intention of chasing after it.

Yan Xi Nian asked quietly, “Aren’t you bringing it back?”

Xia Lu Nong replied, “It has a strong sense of awareness…”

Pausing, Xia Lu Nong glanced at the pepper tree and whispered, “Not just awareness—it seems to have emotions, like a sentient being. Forcing it to come with us might do more harm than good.”

Yan Xi Nian asked, “So we’re just giving up?”

Xia Lu Nong shook his head. “No, we’ll go find other Sichuan pepper trees first and check back later.”

When it comes to intelligent beings, where there’s oppression, there’s bound to be resistance. We can’t forcibly capture it; we need to find a way to tame it.

Xia Huo Qu agreed, “This pepper tree is huge and can’t hide. Let’s go. If we have to, we’ll come back later.”

Kong Zhi pointed in a direction, “The next pepper tree is over here.”

Kong Zhi’s memory was remarkable. He remembered exactly where all the pepper trees in the area were and their sizes.

With him leading the way, Xia Lu Nong and the others went from place to place, easily digging up pepper trees.

They only dug up smaller trees, just over a meter tall and not very old.

Initially, Xia Lu Nong had planned to chop off the tree crowns for easier transport and replanting. However, because of a small, sneaky figure trailing behind them, he abandoned that plan. Instead, he carefully dug up each tree whole and used his ability to enhance their vitality, doing his best to avoid damaging any part of them.

Yan Xi Nian chuckled softly, “The pepper tree behind us is getting closer.”

Xia Lu Nong whispered, “It still doesn’t fully trust us.”

“We have time. We can wait it out,” Yan Xi Nian said. “Let’s wrap the trunks well, and we’ll need Kong Zhi’s help again to transport the trees.”

Kong Zhi nodded.

They wrapped the trunks with wild grass and secured the crowns with ropes before handing the trees to Kong Zhi.

Transforming into a giant golden eagle, Kong Zhi took a few running steps and soared into the air. He swooped down, grabbed a pepper tree in his talons, and flew off toward the base of the mountain.

Kong Zhi’s speed was incredible. He could travel up and down the mountain much faster than Yan Xi Nian and the others, even in their beast forms.

Twenty minutes later, Kong Zhi had delivered the tree to the truck and flew back to guide them to the next location from above.

Although Xia Huo Qu and the others could shift into their beast forms, they didn’t. They even slowed their pace in human form to make it easier for the small, sneaky figure behind them to follow.

They spent the whole day on the mountain and managed to dig up eleven pepper trees, each over a meter tall.

Most of these trees had green Sichuan peppers, which looked like they would ripen soon.

The scent of Sichuan pepper clung to Xia Lu Nong’s clothes, putting him in a great mood.

While digging up the pepper trees, they also gathered quite a few wild fruits—mountain berries, August melons, wild chestnuts, and wild kiwifruit—all of which tasted excellent.

These fruits, bit by bit, filled up half a sack.

On their way down the mountain, they walked leisurely, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

That sneaky figure still trailed behind them.

Yan Xi Nian remarked, “I didn’t expect that little pepper tree to be so persistent.”

“It’s probably broken quite a few branches and roots by now,” Xia Lu Nong said, feeling a bit sorry for it. “We’ll need to give it extra water and fertilizer when we get back.”

Yan Xi Nian glanced back. “Are you sure it’ll follow us home?”

“Of course,” Xia Lu Nong lowered his voice. “If it weren’t interested in us, it would’ve run off by now. It’s been following us all day, so eventually, it’ll come with us.”

Yan Xi Nian replied, “We’ll leave that to you then.”

Xia Lu Nong said, “Let’s head back to the truck and rest for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll try talking to the pepper tree again.”

Xia Huo Qu glanced at him and asked quietly, “Do you want to shift into beast form? We can carry you down.”

“No need,” Xia Lu Nong smiled and glanced back again. “I’m afraid if we shift, the little pepper tree won’t understand and might get scared off.”

He turned back with a smile.

Unexpectedly, this outing had brought such a pleasant surprise, and Xia Lu Nong was in high spirits. He began humming the song they’d heard earlier on the way up.

As they descended the mountain, the pepper tree continued to follow them, hopping awkwardly on its roots with great effort, appearing clumsy yet determined.

When they reached the truck, Yan Xi Nian checked the area to ensure everything was in order before signaling them to come over.