Chapter 746: Chapter 748: Full of Harvest
Daodao and Nian Shutong had originally intended to discuss "Black Teeth," but before they could even start, the flowers began to move.
Surrounded by this sea of flowers, Nian Shutong could only see each plant around her suddenly growing taller, as if they had all been squatting and now suddenly stood up.
Furthermore, once standing, they unfolded their leaves, filling the space so densely that no gap remained.
Their leaves had become so incredibly thick.
At this point, Nian Shutong could only see darkness; she was surrounded by flowers.
"Are you getting mad just because I said you have lousy teeth?" she joked. But she wasn’t too surprised; after all, in the Cultivation World, it was not uncommon for flowers and plants to become Immortal or Demon.
Spiritual power clung to her eyes, allowing her to see clearly in the pitch darkness.
After the leaves obscured the view, a long, fiery red pistil emerged from the huge flower bud. Upon closer inspection, the tip of the pistil was barbed like a cactus spine, and the pistil itself was hollow.
"This is for sucking blood."
Nian Shutong had her suspicions; she was curious, but her curiosity would not compel her to experiment on herself.
Inside this green sphere, flashes of luminescence occasionally passed by, and from outside, a sound similar to a baby’s cry could be heard – except this cry had a sinister and ghostly quality, lacking innocence and cuteness.
"There’s Ghost Crying Grass over there, run!"
"Damn! Didn’t expect to run into this wicked thing again."
"This Border City is really too eerie."
"When it’s safe, it really is safe, just some insects and such. But once you encounter danger, there’s truly no escape."
"Who knows who ran into those things."
"Probably will never know now."
A group of people nearby ran hard in the direction opposite the sound, quickly distancing themselves.
At this time, Nian Shutong, feeling fresh and clean, emerged from the green sphere, while the flowers that remained appeared like people who had had their tongues cut out, their two leaves propping up their flower-heads, their pistils unable to protrude any longer.
"Daodao, where’s the valuable part?"
"The roots and stems."
"Roger that."
Nian Shutong began harvesting the roots and stems of each flower, curiously asking, "How much are these roots worth?"
"The contribution points for each root are calculated by weight; each kilogram can be exchanged for three thousand contribution points."
Three thousand points per kilogram, Nian Shutong weighed the roots in her hand, which must have been several hundred pounds at least.
That meant that a single root could be exchanged for three to four hundred thousand contribution points.
"Daodao, are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
"Master, Daodao would never dare to make a mistake about money."
"That’s true."
Nian Shutong became excited; this was like treasure landing right at her doorstep!
She continued harvesting and had Daodao check the contribution point values of other plants.
After harvesting, Nian Shutong understood something: Border City was special because of its multitude of plants, many of which had specific uses, especially those with aggressive properties.
Some parts were as utilitarian as those of the Insect Race’s Insect Beasts and could be used by humans.
It was said that plants from here were utilized in nutrient liquids or recovery tanks, that is to say, they were significantly used in medicine.
After learning this, Nian Shutong began her sweeping operation with Daodao.
With few beasts around, they’d turn to harvesting plants.
Furthermore, Nian Shutong discovered that the plant life here was incredibly rich, with many rare herbs. Anything she laid her eyes on, she gathered into her bag.
"Master, this grass is valuable."
"Take it."
"Master, that flower isn’t bad."
"Take it."
"Master, this tree is a treasure."
"Take it down."
Nian Shutong’s strength, coupled with her immunity to poison, made her completely in her element here.
What others couldn’t touch, she had no problems with.
What others couldn’t defeat, she was unharmed.
Where others would flee at the sight, she would rush forward.
Collecting as she went, Nian Shutong had made her way deep into this battlefield, which was also the place void of human life.
However, the vegetation here seemed to grow more abundant, and many were those aggressive plants found outside.
"Ha ha ha! I’m going to be rich!"
What would be a certain death for others was a windfall opportunity for Nian Shutong.
After she had collected materials along the way, it seemed she reached an end, the frontier of the Insect Race.
But this end was different from what she had expected because there was a small wooden house and a little courtyard.
In such a dangerous place, there was unexpectedly a peaceful tranquility.
Creak—a sound as the door was pushed open.
A woman dressed in leaves walked out from inside, as usual, to gather some clear water from the rocks behind.
Just as she collected the water and turned around, however, a cup of cherished water spilled.
Human.
A living human.
"I... you... My God."
"This place... you... alive..."
The woman’s speech was somewhat incoherent, and with her emotions fluctuating, she was at a loss for words.
Nian Shutong nodded at the woman and asked, "Your name is Hua Rong, right?"
The woman stared at Nian Shutong intently, her mouth opening and closing several times before finally forming a sentence, "Did Xiao Bai send you?"
Xiao Bai?
The White-clothed City Lord?
Nian Shutong shook her head and said, "Yes and no."
The woman didn’t understand, but knowing half was enough; she invited Nian Shutong into her small wooden house.
The two sat down on a sofa, with the woman intending to pour some water for Nian Shutong to drink, but there was no water left.
Nian Shutong understandingly took out a bottle of water and handed it to the woman, saying, "Here, for you."
The woman, looking at the full bottle of water, trembled as she took it, cherishing it greatly, "It’s been so long since I’ve seen this much water."
"The only water here comes from the wall behind us, which seeps out a little every day."
Nian Shutong nodded, not asking further.
The woman put the water aside and began to inquire about Xiao Bai.
"I’m not sure if the Xiao Bai I met is the same one you know, but he was dressed in white and is the City Lord of Border City."
"Xiao Bai became the City Lord?"
Hua Rong looked incredibly content as if just hearing that Xiao Bai was doing well was enough for her.
Hua Rong, unable to clearly see the face in front of her, asked with a hint of hope in her voice, "Can you still make it out?"
"For years, I’ve been trying to escape, but every attempt has failed. This place is like a cage that has trapped me."
"How long have you been trapped here?" Nian Shutong asked curiously, "How have you managed to survive?"
Hua Rong pointed to a spot, making sure Nian Shutong could see clearly, nutrient liquid.
Lots and lots of nutrient liquid, with bottles piling up to fill half the room.
"Fortunately, my family sells nutrient liquid. I was helping my parents pack a shipment right before I came in here."