Chapter 186
Ran Lie wasn’t like the other cubs clustered around Su Ci. He squatted in a corner not far away, seemingly indifferent, but his ears were perked up, listening intently.
Then, he unexpectedly heard Su Ci’s question.
Turning his head slightly to see who the caretaker was addressing, he met Su Ci’s languid, half-asleep eyes.
Ran Lie: “…”
That question… was directed at him?
“Me?” He pointed at himself.
“Mm.” Su Ci nodded, confirming.
“…”
After a moment of thought, Ran Lie stood up and walked over.
Yun Zixu, having witnessed the power of the Crimson Flame Tiger, knew the boy’s flames were a natural enemy to monsters. Seeing the tiger ears atop the red-haired boy’s head and the faint tiger stripes on his face, Yun Zixu quickly realized who he was.
While Su Ci’s suggestion took Yun Zixu by surprise, he could reluctantly accept it. However, his companions weren’t so convinced.
Under their questioning gazes, Ran Lie merely curled his lips and turned back to Su Ci. “Why me?”
Su Ci didn’t directly answer. Instead, he addressed Yun Zixu. “You’ve seen this child’s abilities. I can let him go to Base 26 to assist you, but there’s a condition.”
“What condition?” Yun Zixu asked.
From his storage pouch, Su Ci pulled out a bulging embroidered pouch filled with seeds of spiritual herbs.
“Do you know what these are?” Su Ci asked.
Yun Zixu shook his head.
“They’re seeds of mutated plants,” Su Ci explained.
This statement didn’t just grab Yun Zixu’s attention. Even Wei Ming and Zhuang Shisong, who had been pretending to inspect nearby plants but were actually eavesdropping, couldn’t resist rushing over.
Since Su Ci had taken them as students, the riverside greenbelt had fallen under their care.
Though they had speculated that Su Ci likely managed other growing areas beyond the Nursery center, they hadn’t imagined it would be such a vast expanse!
The thousand-meter-long stretch of river, lined with lush greenery and clear, pristine water, left them awestruck. If not for the ever-present red clouds in the sky, they would have doubted they were still on Prison Star and might have thought themselves on some agricultural planet.
On the opposite bank, the vast wasteland that had previously stretched between the base and the river was now entirely covered by vines from the Star Chain Fruit. It was only then that they realized where Su Ci had transplanted the massive mutated Star Chain Fruit plant.
Yet curiously, the two Star Chain Fruits growing at the Nursery center—plants with the same growth-enhancing traits—hadn’t expanded to this scale.
Could it be the difference in their growing environments?
They formed numerous hypotheses and were itching to explore further.
However, the sight of giant insects battling each other on the distant plains brought them back to their senses.
The wasteland, overrun with Star Chain Fruit vines bearing abundant red spiritual fruits, had become a primary food source for the massive insects. It was now their stronghold.
Of course, aside from the insects, larger creatures had also begun to appear on the plains. These predators hunted insects and consumed the spiritual fruits, treating the area as their hunting grounds.
Strangely enough, despite the river being the only barrier, these creatures never crossed it to wreak havoc on the greenbelt where Su Ci cultivated his plants.
Fortunately, the creatures on the plains were mostly mutated animals rather than the grotesque and terrifying monsters.
After an initial period of apprehension, Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming quickly adapted to the situation.
They thoroughly inspected the greenbelt along the river and found only a single mutated Selaginella and a mutated Bamboo. Aside from these two, they didn’t discover any other mutated plants.
Both plants exhibited remarkably gentle temperaments, entirely different from the aggressive and hostile mutated plants they had previously encountered. Or rather, they seemed closer to what Su Ci referred to as “spiritual plants.”
The river and its surroundings offered a wealth of intriguing research opportunities, far too many to cover in just a week. Naturally, they hadn’t made much progress yet.
Now, seeing the bag of mutated plant seeds in Su Ci’s hands, their eyes lit up with curiosity. They desperately wanted to know what kind of mutated plants these seeds would grow into.
Was it Selaginella? Or the Bamboo?
Yun Zixu, too, understood the value of mutated plants. Watching Su Ci, he was just about to ask when Su Ci tossed the pouch of seeds his way.
Realizing the rarity and importance of the seeds, Yun Zixu scrambled to catch them, fumbling but managing to secure the pouch.
“This bag of seeds is a gift for Base 26,” Su Ci said. “As for their specific effects, plant them in barren soil, and you’ll see for yourselves.”
What an unexpected windfall!
“Understood! Thank you, Su Ci!” Yun Zixu responded enthusiastically.
He thought about the river to the east of Base 24 and the lush greenbelt along its opposite bank. Could these mutated plant seeds have something to do with creating such greenery?
“Don’t thank me yet,” Su Ci interrupted. “You can take the seeds, but in one month, I expect Base 26 to have expanded its greenbelt to at least 10,000 square meters.”
Yun Zixu froze, then hesitantly asked, “By greenbelt, you mean…?”
Su Ci clarified, “The area covered by planted green vegetation.”
Yun Zixu’s expression turned grim. “You’re saying that within a month, Base 26 needs to clear and cultivate 10,000 square meters of land, planting it entirely with green vegetation?”
Su Ci nodded.
Yun Zixu’s face turned a shade of green. While Base 26’s agricultural facility had developed reasonably well, it primarily relied on hydroponic technology. Forget 10,000 square meters—even a single square meter of traditional greenbelt didn’t exist!
To complete 10,000 square meters in just one month? Su Ci must be dreaming!
Just as he was about to protest, Yun Zixu glanced again at the bulging pouch of seeds in his hands. Su Ci didn’t seem like the type to make baseless demands.
The condition was clearly impossible by ordinary means, but if Su Ci said it was achievable, did that mean…?
Could the answer lie in these mutated plant seeds?
Yun Zixu’s heart began to race.
Hearing their conversation, Ran Lie, who was initially reluctant, gradually softened his expression.
He wasn’t afraid of confronting monsters—after all, he had dared to venture alone into a giant spider’s nest. Facing monsters wasn’t a problem for him as long as he saw it as a form of training and cultivation. What concerned him more was the mention of farming being tied to this mission.
However…
Ran Lie glanced at Yun Zixu and his team, pursed his lips, and asked, “If I go to Base 26, is my only task to eliminate monsters? When will I be allowed to come back?”
In the past, he had yearned for the outside world, constantly dreaming of escaping. Yet now, the mere thought of leaving the nurturing and safety of the rearing center filled him with unease.
Su Ci glanced at Ran Lie, a faint smile playing on his lips. “What’s this? Feeling reluctant to leave?”
Ran Lie froze, momentarily speechless.
He let out a soft “hmph” and turned his face away, saying nothing. However, the gradual flush spreading across his cheeks betrayed his true feelings.
Su Ci didn’t tease him further. Instead, he turned to Yun Zixu and said, “Tell me about the situation at your base.”
Yun Zixu carefully tucked away the bag of seeds. Upon hearing Su Ci’s request, he began explaining the types and numbers of monsters Base 26 had been encountering recently, along with the state of the base’s defensive forces.
Normally, this information would be considered classified military intelligence. However, Yun Zixu knew that when asking someone for help, transparency was crucial. Moreover, the more dire the situation seemed, the more likely it was that Su Ci might feel compelled to intervene directly.
For a while, the only sound in the greenbelt was Yun Zixu’s voice narrating the situation.
Not only Su Ci and Ran Lie, but even the other young ones nearby listened attentively. This was all new knowledge to them, something they had never encountered before.
When Yun Zixu finished, he looked at Su Ci with hopeful eyes. But his expectations were destined to be unmet.
“I’ll give you one week,” Su Ci finally said. “In seven days, you must safely return the young ones to the Nursery center.”
Ran Lie pursed his lips slightly at the mention of seven days, while Yun Zixu and his team furrowed their brows.
Even with the full force of Base 26’s defenses, they hadn’t been able to hold back the monsters effectively, prompting them to seek outside help. And yet, this Su Ci was expecting a child, barely over ten years old, to accomplish in seven days what their entire garrison couldn’t?
Were they simply too weak, or was this Su Ci wildly overconfident?
Su Ci didn’t bother addressing their thoughts. Instead, he turned to the wolf-tailed boy beside him and said, “Lang Ze, you’ll go too.”
Ran Lie’s resistance to the Blood Mist, thanks to his cultivation of Buddhist heart techniques and the power of his crimson flames, made him a good candidate. Meanwhile, Lang Ze had proven to be the most emotionally stable of the young ones, and thus the least likely to be affected by the Blood Mist.
With the addition of garlic-flavored sprays for protection, there shouldn’t be any major issues.
Moreover, Lang Ze’s mastery of sound illusion techniques allowed him to control large groups of monsters with minimal effort. Paired with Ran Lie’s fire-based assaults, the two of them working together would be highly effective.
Having both of them go was something Su Ci felt confident about. As for the other children… they weren’t ready yet to venture into the Blood Mist.
Even the most composed among them, like Rong Heng, wasn’t entirely unaffected by the mist. The others, with their varying issues, were even less suited to handle it.
Lang Ze, suddenly being named, was stunned.
“What? I have to go too?” His face fell immediately. “Doesn’t that mean I won’t get to eat Wen Wen and Mommy Yan Ya’s cooking for a whole week?”
It seemed that fighting monsters wasn’t a terrifying prospect for him; what bothered him most was missing out on good food.
Su Ci gave him a sidelong glance, thought for a moment, and said, “When you return, I’ll have A-Yan cook you a feast personally.”
The wolf cub’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Can we ask for anything we want?” he asked eagerly.
“Anything,” Su Ci nodded. “Whatever you want to eat.”
“Yay!”
Lang Ze cheered and was about to agree when he felt a small hand tugging at his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Zheng Xing standing close by, his lips quivering slightly.
Lang Ze quickly calmed down.
Scratching his head, he turned to Su Ci. “Su Su, can I bring Xing Xing with me? Don’t worry, I’ll protect him!”
Hearing Lang Ze’s offer, Zheng Xing immediately let go of his sleeve. But before he could dart off to hide under the green vines, Lang Ze wrapped an arm around his shoulder and whispered joyfully in his ear, “If we go to Base 26, we’ll get to ride a spaceship!”
Zheng Xing froze mid-step.
Lang Ze, grinning, pointed discreetly at Yun Zixu and his team, thinking he was whispering, but speaking far too loudly. “Did you hear them earlier? Their base must be filthy rich—they probably have tons of warships!”
Yun Zixu: “…”
That was not even remotely a whisper, but thanks for letting me know.
Zheng Xing’s resistance melted away, and his small face shifted from rejection to eager anticipation in the blink of an eye.
Su Ci couldn’t help but laugh.
Who could say no to little Zheng Xing? Especially since he was among the most emotionally stable of the children.
“Alright,” Su Ci said. “But remember—playing is fine, but don’t get hurt.”
Zheng Xing nodded enthusiastically.
Though some of the other children expressed interest in going, Su Ci turned them down. There would be opportunities for them in the future, but for now, they needed to focus on their training.
Thus, it was decided: Ran Lie, Lang Ze, and Zheng Xing would head to Base 26.
Even though Yun Zixu felt the one-week deadline was ridiculously tight, he had no choice but to agree. On top of that, when Su Ci instructed the three kids that they could refuse to fight if Base 26 didn’t follow through with its farming promises, all Yun Zixu could do was offer a strained smile.
Thankfully, when the children agreed, Li Sinian volunteered to accompany them.
“After all, this will be the first time these three have traveled far from home. It’s better to have an adult with them,” Li Sinian said.
Although he wanted to stay and spend time with his wife and children, seeing Su Ci casually send three children off on their own made him uneasy.
He didn’t fully understand the kids’ capabilities, but he firmly believed that having a guardian on hand was essential.
Su Ci had no objections, and Yun Zixu was visibly delighted.
The name “Li Sinian of the Tes Empire” was synonymous with power. Even in the remote confines of the prison planet, his reputation had preceded him. The announcement that he would be joining the expedition finally eased the frowns of Yun Zixu’s team.
While beast-blood warriors were more susceptible to the Blood Mist’s effects, the garlic-flavored sprays had mitigated much of that risk.
With such a formidable ally on their side, the odds of success in dealing with the monsters felt significantly higher!
