Lian Hua thought he would never have the chance to wake up again in this lifetime, but unexpectedly, he felt the light again.
He wanted to see outside, intending to open his eyes, only to have everything outside immediately presented before him. Hmm, a bright sky, rippling water, and a circle of translucent jade stones around him, shimmering with captivating colors.
Wait a minute — ripples in the water? Is he underwater? Why can’t he move at all? Why does it feel like he’s underwater? The surrounding water continuously emanates spiritual energy, making him feel extremely comfortable. But why can’t he move? And why doesn’t he feel suffocated underwater? Has he turned into a fish?
Xia Zhi carried Little Baby Lian Yu and slowly approached the edge of the Spirit Spring. It’s been ten days already. Initially, unable to watch the foolish guy die, he searched through various jade slips in the bamboo house, but he couldn’t find any way to save someone whose essence had been depleted like this.
Just when he was about to despair, Lian Yu suddenly moved, crawled to the side of the fool, and transferred all of his essence to him. Lian Yu lost his last essence and turned into a true baby. His essence was not much left, but it was enough to save Lian Hua’s life. Lian Hua fell into a deep sleep, and Lian Yu also drifted off, the two still not waking up to this day.
“Still no movement?” Xia Zhi’s slender fingers traced over the water’s surface, causing ripples to spread out.
Lian Hua saw his wife underwater and tried hard to move. “Wife, I’m here! I’m here, I’m awake!” Lian Hua shouted loudly, but Xia Zhi seemed to have noticed nothing.
Lian Hua struggled to move his body, causing a few bubbles to emerge. Xia Zhi’s eyes lit up, and finally, he reached out his hand towards Lian Hua.
“Wife…” Lian Hua tried to grab Xia Zhi’s hand, but he suddenly realized that he couldn’t feel the presence of his hand. Could it be that he was paralyzed? Suddenly, Lian Hua felt thunderstruck.
Dazed and confused, Lian Hua pondered for a moment. This couldn’t be happening, could it? Xia Zhi’s hand reached into the water, getting closer and closer to Lian Hua.
This doesn’t make sense! When did his wife turn into a giant? Lian Hua realized that the hand approaching him was incredibly huge, almost big enough to envelop him entirely.
Xia Zhi’s hand grabbed Lian Hua, yes, it really did! Lian Hua felt like he was going crazy. Why did his wife suddenly become so gigantic?
“Hmm, the recovery looks good,” Xia Zhi examined Lian Hua thoroughly, pinching here and there.
“Hahaha, stop, stop, it tickles!” Xia Zhi’s large hand was roaming all over him. Even though he didn’t mind his wife touching him, it was really ticklish!
Lian Hua felt that he was gradually gaining strength as he moved away from the water’s surface, so he began to struggle vigorously.
Sensing Lian Hua’s protest, Xia Zhi placed him on the ground.
Standing on the ground, Lian Hua couldn’t believe it—his wife seemed to have turned into a giant. He was probably only as tall as one of his feet now.
“Wife, what’s going on? Why are you so big? Holy cow, who’s the giant baby you’re holding?” Lian Hua felt like the world had gone mad.
Seeing Lian Hua desperately trying to say something, Xia Zhi performed a hand gesture, allowing him to finally express himself.
“Look at yourself first!” Xia Zhi gently flicked his foot and sent Lian Hua to the edge of the Spirit Spring.
Lian Hua looked at the water surface in confusion. Holy cow, who is that mushroom twisting and turning on the water’s surface? Why does it look so familiar?
Xia Zhi, seeing Lian Hua frozen in shock, coughed lightly. “Well, this is how you turned out after being rescued.” He shrugged, then carried the child into the house, feeling relieved now that the idiot had finally woken up.
Lian Hua stared at the mushroom reflection in the water, feeling overwhelmed. Was he cannon fodder the first time and a cute pet the second time? He felt exhausted, as if he couldn’t love anymore.
With a splash, Lian Hua fell into the water, adding another floating figure to the surface of the Spirit Spring. No, not a figure, but a floating mushroom.
Xia Zhi took out a pill and fed it to Little Baby Lian Yu. Now he was just a normal baby; without food or drink, he would surely starve.
After waiting for a while while holding Lian Yu, Xia Zhi noticed that the idiot hadn’t followed them yet. He then put the child down and leisurely walked out to see what Lian Hua was up to.
Upon stepping outside, Xia Zhi realized that the idiot was floating motionless on the water’s surface. His heart skipped a beat, but then he found it somewhat amusing.
“Hey, how long are you planning to keep floating there?” Xia Zhi sat down by the Spirit Spring, chuckling at the sight.
“Until I turn back into a human,” Lian Hua replied weakly.
“Well, you can keep floating then. I’m leaving,” Xia Zhi said, clapping his hands and getting up as if he was about to leave.
“Wait, wait, wait, don’t abandon me, honey! Even if I’ve turned into a mushroom now, you still can’t abandon me. After all, I’ve already given birth to our son!” Lian Hua popped out of the water with a splash, mimicking the way Lian Yu used to dive into his arms, and threw himself into Xia Zhi’s embrace.
Xia Zhi caught the mushroom and smirked, “You better just stay put for now.” With that, he stuffed Lian Hua into his pocket and headed back to the bamboo house. He heard Lian Yu’s crying as soon as Lian Hua woke up. Sure enough, did Lian Yu wake up because the dolt woke up too?
Lian Yu, the little baby, was kicking and flailing on the bed, and he had wet the bed.
Lian Hua popped out of Xia Zhi’s pocket. It took him a few seconds to accept the fact that he had turned into a mushroom. If Lian Yu could turn back into a human, then surely he could too in the future.
“Did he wet himself?” Xia Zhi looked at Little Lian Yu, who was wailing loudly.
“Wife, hurry and change our son’s pants, put on a diaper!” Lian Hua bounced onto Xia Zhi’s shoulder, urging him.
Xia Zhi glanced at the mushroom on his shoulder, then furrowed his brow and began to remove Little Yu’s pants. Suddenly, he felt that having a baby who slept all the time was quite nice, at least there was no need to change diapers constantly.
“You need to lift his bottom up! Watch his feet, secure the front, hey, hey, be careful, and make sure to wipe it clean,” Lian Hua hopped around the baby, giving instructions.
“I know, stop rushing me,” Xia Zhi wiped his sweat, clumsily wiping and changing Xiao Yu’s pants. Compared to taking care of a child, he’d rather face advanced mutant beasts!
“All done!” Xia Zhi breathed a sigh of relief as he gently lulled Xiao Yu back to sleep.
As Xia Zhi walked out of the bamboo house with Lian Hua, this time, Lian Hua remained silent.
“Lian Yu saved me, didn’t he?” Lian Hua’s tone carried a weight of realization.
“Mmm.” Xia Zhi nodded, cradling Lian Hua in his hands. “I couldn’t save you; it was your son who did.” They both knew that Lian Yu had lost his former spiritual essence and had become a baby entirely.
“Is that so? I’ve burdened him again,” Lian Hua expressed a sense of disappointment, his entire mushroom-like form drooping.
“Actually, it’s for the best. At least now he can fully become human,” Xia Zhi remarked, poking at Lian Hua’s soft body, which felt like jelly, quite tactile.
With that poke, Lian Hua’s sense of melancholy dissipated, and he suddenly realized that he was currently naked, feeling awkward.
“My dear, you’ve touched my body all over; you must take responsibility!” Lian Hua blushed and said shyly, then bashfully rubbed against Xia Zhi’s fingers, which felt smooth.
Suddenly, Xia Zhi seemed to remember something, his face darkened, and he slapped Lian Hua away with his palm.
“Ahh, why the sudden domestic violence, my dear?” Lian Hua rolled on the ground for a few rounds before falling back into the Spirit Spring.
“Hmph!” Xia Zhi walked away, ignoring Lian Hua completely.
“My dear…” Lian Hua struggled to get up and rolled after Xia Zhi. Did he say something wrong?
Lian Hua pondered over his words, and a lightning bolt struck his mind: You fool! He should have said he would definitely take responsibility for his wife! Remembering the intimacy they shared that day, Lian Hua’s entire mushroom lit up in flames.
“Wife, I-I-I will definitely take responsibility for you! Just wait for me!” He shouted desperately as he chased after Xia Zhi.
Xia Zhi’s steps halted, his face grew even darker. He thought of something, then blushed, his emotions shifting from black to red. Despite the turmoil, his steps slowed down.
“Sweetheart…” Lian Hua lunged towards Xia Zhi, unintentionally channeling his inner spiritual power. With a ‘poof,’ Lian Hua transformed back into his human form mid-air. Xia Zhi, caught off guard, was solidly tackled by Lian Hua.
“Wife… I-I-I’m back to normal!” Excitedly, Lian Hua lifted Xia Zhi, whom he had pinned down, and embraced him tightly.
Xia Zhi’s complexion turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Another bolt of lightning struck as Lian Hua’s black hair stood on end.
“My dear…” Lian Hua stubbornly refused to let go, seizing the opportunity to be affectionate. He ran his hands over Xia Zhi’s lean waist and nuzzled against his neck. Lightning of love and habit struck again, and again.
“Bai Lianhua!” Xia Zhi gritted his teeth, but no matter how much stronger the lightning in his hand became, he couldn’t strike it down.
Taking full advantage of the situation, Lian Hua hugged Xia Zhi and sat on the grass, enjoying the scenery. “Darling, I’m not called Bai Lianhua, I’m called Lian Hua,” Lian Hua whispered softly into Xia Zhi’s ear.
Xia Zhi tilted his head slightly, feeling a bit ticklish. “Hmm…”
“Hehe…” Lian Hua chuckled softly. His wife was always tough on the outside but soft-hearted inside. Feeling proud, Lian Hua hugged Xia Zhi even tighter.
“Let’s head back to Kyoto tomorrow. We’ve wasted enough time here,” Xia Zhi suddenly suggested.
“Okay,” Lian Hua agreed.
“Oh, and…” Xia Zhi’s voice sounded a bit strange. “Could you please put on some clothes first?” He didn’t even turn his head.
Lian Hua suddenly realized that he had reverted to his human form and was still naked! No wonder his husband’s ears had been red all this time. He had thought it was because of the kisses!
Lian Hua’s hair began to swirl, quickly forming into a black cloak that wrapped around him. Though it wasn’t green anymore, it still served its purpose.
“Honey, I…” Lian Hua wanted to do something while the mood was right! With a “poof,” he disappeared without a trace, leaving only the freshly made cloak on the ground.
As Xia Zhi turned around, he found nothing behind him except for a cloak on the ground, with something moving inside.
Xia Zhi’s mouth twitched as he lifted the cloak. Lian Hua, now a mushroom, lay dejectedly on the ground, energy depleted.
“How long can you usually maintain your human form?” Xia Zhi inquired.
“Until my spiritual energy is depleted. It’ll take at least three days to recover, and the duration depends on the amount of spiritual energy inside my body,” Lian Hua responded wearily.
“Alright then!” Xia Zhi’s lips curved upwards, his thoughts hidden. He tucked Lian Hua into his pocket and headed towards the bamboo house.
Since Lian Yu has already woken up, there’s no need for him to continue taking the spiritual energy pills. After all, children need nutritious food to grow well. There are various types of milk powder in the space, so I’ll find a few cans with calcium supplements.
.……
“Wow, honey, this is amazing!” Lian Hua exclaimed excitedly while standing on Xia Zhi’s shoulder. They were currently in the sky.
Xia Zhi has already built his foundation and can fly with a flying sword. It was the first time Lian Hua experienced the feeling of being a human airplane, and it was truly fantastic. After turning into a mushroom, the injuries inside his body had mostly healed, but the lost essence could only be slowly regained through cultivation.
Lian Hua bombarded Xia Zhi with numerous questions about cultivation. He soon realized that the nameless mantra given to him by Lian Yu was just a basic cultivation method, nothing like Xia Zhi’s impressive Thunderous Arts. Despite being in the mid-stage of foundation building, Lian Hua still didn’t know how to use spiritual tools or fly. All Lian Hua felt was one thing – he had been tricked by Lian Yu again.
Unfortunately, Lian Yu now only knows how to eat, sleep, or cry loudly, making it impossible for Lian Hua to communicate with him. Thankfully, Lian Hua has his versatile wife, who can discuss cultivation issues and deepen their bond.
Another wave of mutant birds flew over them in the sky, marking the third wave they encountered on their journey. Xia Zhi raised his hand, and a large thunderous net enveloped the birds. After a brief, piercing scream, only a pile of crystal cores remained in the sky. Xia Zhi beckoned, and the crystal cores obediently fell into his hands, stored away in his spatial storage.
Lian Hua watched his formidable wife with tears in his eyes. With his increased strength after foundation building, he wondered if he could still keep up with him. It was indeed a serious concern.
Suddenly, Xia Zhi accelerated, almost shaking Lian Hua off. Lian Hua dared not be distracted anymore and leaned obediently on Xia Zhi’s shoulder. He couldn’t afford to be blown off by the strong wind!
After flying for about three to four hours, they finally saw the Kyoto base.
The outer perimeter of the Kyoto base spans thirty miles of safe zones, with patrols constantly monitoring and driving away approaching mutant beasts and zombies. Survivors who don’t qualify to enter the inner city base reside in the outer city of the base. The outer city features vast cultivation areas where many people are busy working.
This base boasts the strictest regulations and the highest level of security throughout the entire country of China. Most of the country’s high-tech professionals and forces are concentrated in Kyoto.
Entry into the inner city is strictly regulated, and the fees are exorbitant. However, the outer city allows for easier access, where ordinary people can engage in agricultural work. The introduction of new seeds has brought fresh hope to those who have struggled through nearly a year in the apocalypse.
Xia Zhi stopped a distance away from the base, and Lian Hua obediently played the cute pet role. Nowadays, there weren’t many ability holders with pets, but it wasn’t uncommon either, especially in this top base of the entire country.
Taking Lian Yu out of the space, Xia Zhi held him in his hands. Lian Yu, the little baby, sucked on his finger, behaving well while being held. Soon, Xia Zhi entered the base through the VIP channel, causing a stir among the people waiting in line.
“Which family’s young master is this?”
“I don’t know, but he must have a big background.”
“He’s even carrying a child! These days, how many children can be born safely?”
“Enough of that, our turn is coming.”
.…..
“Mom, Third Brother is back!” Xia Chu excitedly shouted to his mother.
As soon as Xia Zhi stepped into the city, the news quickly reached Xia Chu’s ears.
In the kitchen, Mother Xia was in the midst of preparing a meal, startled by the sudden announcement, she nearly spilled the grains in her surprise.”Your brother is back, so what’s with all the excitement?” Mother Xia glanced at her second son.
“Mom, your third son brought your grandson back!” This was what the old trickster had told him. With the arrival of the grandson, perhaps his mother would no longer pressure them brothers, to hastily settle down and marry.
“What?” Mother Xia’s grip on the rice slackened, the grains slipping from her grasp and cascading onto the floor in a scattered mess. “Are you serious?” Mother Xia grabbed her second son’s hand.
“Why would I lie to you? Little brother has already entered the base. It’s been just a few minutes since he came back,” Xia Chu rolled his eyes.
“That’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful!” Mother Xia abandoned her chores and rushed upstairs. “Old Xia! Your son brought your grandson back! Hurry up and go greet your grandson!”
Mother Xia stopped halfway, her heart pounding with anticipation, then turned back, her eyes wide with excitement. “Hey! Did Xia Zhi bring the child’s mother back too? Should I prepare something?” Her voice trembled with hope as she paced around the kitchen, her mind racing with possibilities. “Ancestors bless us! My son has finally come to his senses and is willing to marry and have children.”
Xia Chu, watching his mother’s fervent energy, couldn’t help but sigh, a mix of exasperation and fondness in his voice. “Little brother, you’ve really done a great favor for your brothers. I’ll make sure you get some extra days off in the future to compensate for all this excitement.”
Meanwhile, Xia Zhi remained oblivious to the ripple his return had caused among the upper echelons of the base. After all, he hadn’t set foot in the base for quite some time, and his sudden reappearance with a child in tow had stirred up quite a commotion.
Lian Hua excitedly looked around. Inside the Kyoto base, the atmosphere was reminiscent of peacetime, with bustling activity and a sense of order prevailing. Patrol teams, identifiable by their distinct uniforms, roamed the streets, ensuring security with strict adherence to protocol. The occasional identity card checks added to the air of vigilance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining safety and order within the fortified walls of the base.
T/N: the “Kyoto” base part always gives me the “ick” whenever I translate the chapter coz yknow they’re in China so isn’t supposed to be Beijing since that’s the capital, but since the old translator(correct me if I’m wrong) translated it to Kyoto I might as well just put it as that. Also when I mtl that chapter it also says Kyoto so meh. Feel free to comment if you notice some mistakes in my translations. Thanks for reading~
Love what you read? You can support me on Ko-Fi~
