Chapter 99: The Giant Bull
N University was located on the outskirts of the city, but the area wasn’t exactly desolate.
There was a ring of food stalls surrounding the university like a huge maze.
Now, overgrown with wild grass and trees, the place looked more like a giant green graveyard.
As night fell, mutant birds flew through the sky, their strange cries occasionally piercing the air.
Xia Lu Nong rubbed his arms and muttered quietly, “It’s kind of creepy.”
The little pepper tree beside him shook its branches gently and rubbed against him as if to offer comfort.
Kong Zhi spoke in a low voice, “They’re just mutant plants and animals. It’s unlikely they’ll pose a real threat to us. There’s no need to be afraid.”
Xia Lu Nong glanced at him, hesitated, and then disagreed. “There are so many mutant plants and animals out there now. We should still be cautious, right?”
Kong Zhi looked at him and suddenly smiled.
Kong Zhi was usually a stern and aloof person, often expressionless, especially around people he wasn’t familiar with, giving off an air of arrogance.
Because he rarely smiled, when he did, it always felt especially genuine and warm, like it could light up the world.
Xia Lu Nong felt his heart flutter at that smile, his face growing warm and his pulse quickening. Embarrassed, he playfully bumped his leg against Kong Zhi. “What are you smiling about? You’re being weird.”
“Nothing,” Kong Zhi said, restraining his smile as he gently asked, “Want to fly up and check things out later?”
“Now?” Xia Lu Nong glanced at the fading sunset. “It’s getting dark. There won’t be much to see from the sky, right?”
“We need to scout the area to feel safe.”
Xia Lu Nong immediately offered, “I’ll go.”
Then he remembered the change in their relationship, rubbed his nose awkwardly, and asked, “Wouldn’t that trouble you too much?”
Kong Zhi spoke in a calm voice, “No way. How could I find it troublesome when I’m pursuing after you?”
Xia Lu Nong rubbed his burning ears and kept his mouth shut.
Everyone else had already gotten off the vehicle.
Ba Niu knocked on the side of the truck, his loud voice booming, “Hurry up and get off! Let’s finish the task first before chatting!”
Everyone laughed at his words, and Dr. Ou along with some of the other female team members even peeked over curiously.
As soon as Xia Lu Nong got off the truck, all eyes were on him.
Feeling embarrassed under their gazes, he scratched his head awkwardly.
One of the female team members teased, “Exactly! Save the romance for after we’re settled.”
Her words triggered a round of good-natured laughter, with Ba Niu laughing the loudest, sounding almost like a rooster crowing.
For the first time, Xia Lu Nong wondered if Ba Niu had been a suona (a loud Chinese wind instrument) in his past life, because every time he spoke, his voice overpowered everyone else’s with that unmistakable “caw caw caw” laugh.
Feeling both angry and embarrassed, Xia Lu Nong shot him a glare.
Kong Zhi didn’t even lift an eyebrow, instead saying a few words to Yan Xi Nian before he started taking off his clothes. He then turned to Xia Lu Nong and said, “Grab the rope. Later, just sit on my back.”
“Not transforming into beast form?” Xia Lu Nong asked.
“No need,” Kong Zhi replied. “It’s easier in human form.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand and took off his shirt.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes unintentionally fell on Kong Zhi’s abs, and once they did, he couldn’t look away.
Kong Zhi was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His abs were well-defined, slightly raised, and looked firm and strong.
What stood out the most were his smooth, clear muscles, which moved slightly with his breathing.
Xia Lu Nong forced himself to look away, feeling that staring any longer would be impolite.
But as soon as he averted his gaze, he noticed that Dr. Ou and the other female team members were still watching with mysterious smiles on their faces, which instantly dampened his mood.
A female team member next to Dr. Ou noticed his puffed-up expression and laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, we’re just admiring the view. Pure appreciation, nothing more.”
Another team member chimed in, “Relax, Xiao Nong, we don’t hit on younger guys.”
Xia Lu Nong’s ears turned red again.
He was about to say something when the female team members, still laughing, graciously turned their heads away.
Out of instinct, Xia Lu Nong glanced back and saw that Kong Zhi was already down to his pants.
His eyes inadvertently landed on Kong Zhi’s groin area, and before his brain could even process it, his face turned beet red, and he quickly spun around.
Behind him, Kong Zhi chuckled softly.
It was a deep laugh, filled with masculine energy.
Feeling like he had lost face, Xia Lu Nong was about to turn back and defend himself.
But by then, Kong Zhi had already transformed into a massive golden eagle.
The eagle’s gentle yellow eyes looked at him. Seeing Xia Lu Nong turn around, the bird lowered its head and nudged his shoulder, signaling him to get the rope.
It was the first time Xia Lu Nong had been nudged by Kong Zhi’s beast form.
The golden feathers on the eagle’s head were incredibly smooth and unexpectedly soft.
Xia Lu Nong opened his arms and hugged the golden eagle, his expression dazed for a moment.
From the side, Ba Niu shouted again, “Hurry up! If you keep stalling, it’ll be dark soon!”
The golden eagle glanced at him, and the warmth in its eyes vanished, replaced by the cold, superior gaze of a predator.
Ba Niu silently stepped back into the shadows.
Old Liu, having watched the entire scene, patted Ba Niu’s shoulder with satisfaction. “Leave them to it. No need for you to butt in.”
The golden eagle crouched down, and after Xia Lu Nong fastened the safety rope and sat on its back, he wrapped his arms tightly around its neck.
With a few running steps, the eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky.
This wasn’t the first time Xia Lu Nong had ridden on Kong Zhi’s back in human form, but each time felt incredible.
As they ascended rapidly, his view expanded dramatically. Surrounded by the vast sky and ground below, the only sound in his ears was the wind, giving him a sense of soaring freely between heaven and earth.
Kong Zhi flew high but steadily.
Xia Lu Nong felt completely secure on his back. There was no need to worry about adjusting his balance or falling off; all he had to do was hold on and enjoy the view below.
As they reached a sufficient height, Xia Lu Nong could see the entire N University campus spread out beneath him.
Their car was parked on the soccer field, surrounded by academic buildings. Further out were dormitories or dining halls.
There were plenty of teaching buildings and dorms, but the easiest to identify were the auditorium and the library.
Both structures had distinctive designs, so even with the overgrowth of greenery, they stood out clearly.
Especially around the library, where yellow and white honeysuckle flowers were in full bloom, forming a vast sea of flowers.
It was the first time Xia Lu Nong had ever seen such a large expanse of honeysuckle flowers. He wondered if this floral sea had existed before the disaster or had formed afterward. Regardless, the sheer scale of it was breathtaking.
He faintly smelled the fragrance of honeysuckle and took a deep sniff before quickly realizing something was wrong. He called out to Kong Zhi, “Let’s avoid flying over that area!”
Kong Zhi, understanding, flapped his wings and flew higher and farther, steering clear of the flower field.
Clinging tightly to Kong Zhi’s neck, Xia Lu Nong shouted into his ear, “We need to warn my brother and the others later to take a detour. That honeysuckle field is too large—it’s probably mutated plants.”
“Kaw——”
Kong Zhi let out a sharp cry and flew off to show Xia Lu Nong other parts of the campus.
Before the disaster, N University had been a well-known comprehensive university with a vast campus that included mountains, lakes, and squares, making it even larger than their base.
They had entered through one of the gates and were currently settled in a corner of a square, far from any mutated plants or animals.
Xia Lu Nong carefully observed the surroundings and felt there was no immediate danger. As long as they avoided the massive honeysuckle field and the rats near the dining hall, there wouldn’t be much trouble tonight.
After circling the area once, they descended.
The others had already inspected the surroundings and cleared a space for camp, preparing to cook dinner.
When they landed, Yan Xi Nian asked, “How’s it looking? No signs of trouble, right?”
“We did,” Xia Lu Nong said as he scratched his short, wind-blown hair. “We saw a lot of small mutated beasts near the dining hall, and over by the library, there’s a massive sea of honeysuckle flowers. Both areas could be really dangerous, so let’s avoid them for tonight.”
“Honeysuckle?” The rest of the group didn’t quite understand, so Xiao Tang repeated, “Isn’t that the flower used to make herbal tea?”
Xia Lu Nong nodded. “Yes, it’s a vine plant. It might attack people, so we need to be extra careful.”
Yan Xi Nian nodded in agreement. “Got it. Let’s avoid exploring too much tonight. Everyone stay together, and we’ll reassess during the day tomorrow.”
Everyone agreed.
They had brought drinking water with them, so there was no need to go looking for it. They could set up camp and start cooking right away.
The dinner was simple: boil some water for noodles and toss in jerky, dried tomatoes, dried radish, and other small ingredients. Once cooked, everyone could add chili and vinegar according to their own taste.
Xia Lu Nong ate three bowls. Satisfied, he burped and took his bowl to wash it.
A small pepper tree was rooted not far from the camp, so after washing his bowl, Xia Lu Nong went over to chat with it and affectionately rubbed its trunk.
After a long day of travel, no one lingered after dinner, and everyone quickly went to sleep.
As usual, Xia Lu Nong snuggled between his brother and Kong Zhi. They were assigned to guard the second half of the night, so they needed to sleep as much as possible during the first half.
Xia Lu Nong, having no worries, fell asleep almost immediately.
In the middle of the night, as Xia Lu Nong was sleeping soundly, someone suddenly shook him awake. “Xiao Nong, get up, grab the small pepper tree, and we need to leave.”
“Huh?” Xia Lu Nong rubbed his eyes, still groggy. “Are there mutated beasts?”
“Yes, a large group.”
Xia Lu Nong finally woke up enough to realize it was Xiao Tang. He quickly glanced around and asked, “Where’s my brother and the others?”
“They’re up ahead, holding off the beasts. The pepper tree refuses to move, and it needs you to call it.”
“Got it!” Xia Lu Nong hurriedly slipped into his shoes and jumped off the truck.
The headlights of all four vehicles were on, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as daylight.
Xia Lu Nong peeked out and saw giant wolves, tigers, and kangaroos standing in a row just a few meters ahead, confronting an even larger group of mutated bulls.
The small pepper tree was hopping behind the giant wolves, shaking its crown furiously in clear agitation.
Alarmed, Xia Lu Nong ran forward a few steps, trying to reach the pepper tree.
“Kreeee——” A sound came from the sky.
Xia Lu Nong looked up and saw a giant golden eagle and a goose circling above.
The golden eagle flapped its wings, signaling Xia Lu Nong to stay back.
Xia Lu Nong waved his hand and shouted, “I’m fine!”
Hearing his voice, the small pepper tree turned around and started hopping toward him, showing him the left side of its crown.
Most of the leaves on the left side had been gnawed off, leaving only a few sparse ones, making it look like a half-bald head.
“Shwoosh—shwoosh—” The pepper tree rustled its leaves, wrapping its branches around Xia Lu Nong’s hand, angrily complaining.
If it could speak, it would probably be crying by now.
Finally understanding why the pepper tree had refused to get on the truck, Xia Lu Nong realized that after being so badly damaged, the little tree wasn’t willing to give up so easily.
Gently stroking its now thornless trunk, Xia Lu Nong channeled his energy into the tree.
As soon as the energy touched the damaged branches, fresh green shoots began to sprout where the leaves had been chewed off.
Xia Lu Nong wrapped his arms around the trunk and lifted the pepper tree, quickly walking it back to the truck.
The little tree resisted, its roots trembling and sinking into the ground, clutching the soil. “Shwoosh—” It was determined to get revenge.
