CH 31

TL: Moonlit

Don’t take the title too seriously HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!

That night, Shu Shuishui had a peaceful sleep for the most part, except for occasional nightmares like being chased by a cat or seeing Hazelnut being eaten by a cat.

Shu Shuishui had heard about a human named Sadako, who was said to be very powerful and not afraid of cats. Shu Shuishui once wished to train Hazelnut to be as formidable as Sadako so that it wouldn’t be afraid of cats in dreams.

However, Shu Bao later told Shu Shuishui that it would be more practical to cultivate a Hazelnut spirit. Thus, the attempt to turn Hazelnut into a formidable creature like Sadako failed.

While Shu Shuishui enjoyed sweet dreams, there were many sleepless people that night, including Team B led by Liu Du from Zone B. Although it was not suitable for action at night and the team had rested, Liu Du was burdened by worries and had a sense of impending doom.

Who exactly took the two simulators? Why didn’t they leave any traces? No! Something was wrong! Liu Du suddenly remembered the mutated mosquito carcass he had seen before.

The more Liu Du thought about it, the more something felt off. He kicked the person sleeping next to him to wake them up. “Do you remember the mosquito carcass we saw during the day? How do you think that mosquito died?”

“Huh?” The person who was kicked was still a bit groggy and felt like they were in a dream upon hearing Liu Du’s question.

“I’m asking you a question, don’t just stand there!” Liu Du impatiently urged.

“Du ge, are you okay? If we can’t find the simulators, it’s fine. We have enough food in our base to last through the winter. Don’t worry too much.” The person who was kicked thought that Liu Du was under a lot of psychological pressure and acting a bit strange.

Liu Du immediately gave the person another kick. “Just answer honestly, no need for all the nonsense.”

Liu Du’s kicks were not too heavy, but they were enough to bring the person back to their senses. “How can a mosquito die? It’s naturally swatted to death…”

The person’s voice trailed off, seeming to realize something. “Wait! The mosquito’s body wasn’t completely flattened. It looked like only half of it was squashed!”

And if it was a mutated mosquito, they would appear in groups when they detected large warm-blooded animals. So why was there only one mosquito carcass?

“Under what circumstances would someone only flatten half a mosquito by swatting it? The most difficult part to deal with for mutated mosquitoes is their sharp mouthparts. Their bodies don’t have much defense, so they can easily be squashed. Who would bother squashing only half of it?” Liu Du felt like he had discovered something, but his mind couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer.

The awakened person touched their nose. “Du ge, do you remember there was a small yellow flower on the mosquito carcass? Do you think it was deliberately placed there? Doesn’t it look like a funeral?”

Liu Du “…”, a funeral for a mosquito? Who would hold a funeral for a mosquito? Liu Du felt a headache coming on, and in the end, they couldn’t come up with a definitive answer. They could only fall asleep with a heavy heart.

Shu Shuishui had no idea that its actions had caused great trouble for Team B. After all, with its small paws, it was impossible for Shu Shuishui to flatten the mosquito completely. It could only hold the mosquito and try to squash it against a stone.

As for the small yellow flower, since the mosquito didn’t manage to suck any blood and only left two small holes on Shu Shuishui’s cheek without penetrating, Shu Shuishui felt the mosquito could be forgiven if only it wasn’t after the two grasshoppers. Shu Shuishui hoped that if one day it was caught stealing someone’s livestock and got killed, the person would also place a small flower on its body.

Life is about having a sense of ceremony even in death.

In a way, Shu Shuishui had a very open-minded perspective. It wouldn’t be sad about swatting a mosquito, and likewise, it wouldn’t be upset about being eaten because in survival of the fittest, life, aging, and death are natural laws, and Shu Shuishui didn’t consider himself special.

Shu Shuishui could face life and death calmly, and that was probably why Shu Bao said he had talent.

Shu Shuishui didn’t cultivate for immortality or strength but simply because he was alive. If he was born in the cultivation world, Shu Shuishui would be the type with an uninterested demonic constitution. Once his cultivation reached a certain level, advancement would come naturally.

The next morning, Shu Shuishui woke up to the crisp chirping of birds. He shook his little ears, opened his eyes, and lazed in his nest for a while before stretching his little body with effort.

“Good morning, Gugu,” Shu Shuishui patted his own head, as usual, greeting the absent Gu Langu.

Then he rolled out of the nest, lifted the curtain of the tent, and peeked out with his little head.

Following the sound, he found a tender yellow bird. Shu Shuishui’s eyes brightened, and he waved his paw to greet the little yellow bird. “Good morning, down jacket.”

The little yellow bird naturally didn’t understand and tilted its head, looking at the dumpling on the ground.

Shu Shuishui also tilted his head, looking at the little yellow bird on the branch. The two of them stared at each other for a while, but the little yellow bird couldn’t bear the pressure and flapped its wings to fly away.

As the little bird flew away, Shu Shuishui felt great pity. His gaze was still fixed on the furry feathers of the little yellow bird. What a nice down jacket! It flew away just like that.

Standing on his tiptoes, Shu Shuishui watched the figure of the little yellow bird completely disappear into the jungle. He turned his head back, extended his paw, and patted his own cheek, realizing that the jungle had become dewy.

Shu Shuishui quickly tidied up the camp upon seeing the scene. This was usually the time when grasshoppers drank the dew, and it couldn’t be wasted.

With two grasshoppers on his back, Shu Shuishui set off on his journey again. The little dormouse scurried through the grass, inevitably getting wet from the dew.

A clump of fur on his face fluttered and curled when it got wet, sticking out horizontally. Shu Shuishui pressed it down with his paw, but the effect was not great.

Suddenly, Shu Shuishui paused and carefully put down his own grasshoppers. Not far ahead, there was a grasshopper on a blade of grass drinking the dew.

Quietly, Shu Shuishui approached, like an excellent hunter in the jungle or a fierce beast hunting on the grassland. His expression was unusually serious, and it indeed had a bit of a fierce look.

With a swift leap and pounce, Shu Shuishui accurately landed on the leaf where the grasshopper was. His little paws firmly caught the grasshopper drinking the dew.

Instinctively, he hugged the grasshopper and sniffed it all over, realizing that it tasted better than the previous two. Indeed, good food and drink!

Lush vegetation, glistening dewdrops, and humid air provided favorable conditions for Shu Shuishui to catch grasshoppers.

After walking for more than two days, Shu Shuishui finally had the opportunity to showcase his skills. There were indeed many grasshoppers in the jungle, and by the time the dew evaporated, Shu Shuishui had caught many grasshoppers. The grasshoppers were bound together in cocoons, unable to move, and could only obediently await their fate of being consumed by the dormouse.

“One grasshopper, two grasshoppers, three grasshoppers… thirteen grasshoppers, fourteen grasshoppers… twenty-one grasshoppers, twenty-two grasshoppers… a bowl of grasshoppers!”

Shu Shuishui took out a cloth bag. The bag had good breathability and wouldn’t suffocate the grasshoppers. While counting the grasshoppers, Shu Shuishui put them into the cloth bag.

Satisfied with the count, Shu Shuishui tightened the bag and carried the “enormous” bag on his shoulder, preparing for the return journey.

With small footsteps, Shu Shuishui left a trail of footprints on the ground, while the receding dumpling muttered to itself, “Ten grilled, five salted, five fried, diced pepper grasshopper head, braised grasshopper legs… I wonder which way Gu Gu will like to eat them?”

Since Shu Shuishui had already ventured deep into the mountains, he planned to continue crossing the mountains and take a detour after leaving to walk on level ground. Carrying such a large bag of grasshoppers on his back through the mountains made him vulnerable to robbery.

Just like the encounter with the tender yellow down jacket in the morning, if there were more encounters like that, Shu Shuishui wouldn’t be able to handle it.

At the same time, Gu Langu’s team finally encountered the Zone B team. Unfortunately, both teams discovered the Simulator almost simultaneously.

Normally, Liu Du didn’t want to provoke Gu Langu, but after losing two Simulators, he wouldn’t easily let go of this last one. “Mr. Gu Langu, since we’ve met today, you name your price. I’m determined to take this Simulator.”

Liu Du’s intention was clear: diplomacy first, but if it couldn’t be resolved peacefully, the Zone B team wasn’t afraid of a fight. Liu Du had the confidence, evidently carrying a trump card.

Yu Jin felt annoyed. The team wanted to run away, and after finally finding the Simulator, someone came to snatch it. “The number of Simulators this year is scarce, and they can’t be measured in value. If you’re sincere, offer half of Zone B’s food, and we’ll give you the Simulator.”

Yu Jin wasn’t a fool. It had been two days, and they hadn’t found a single Simulator. Especially since Gu Langu had this cheating device, others didn’t know, but Yu Jin knew that Gu Langu had an external detector. If they hadn’t found the Simulator by now, it wasn’t just a matter of luck. The Simulators were probably exceptionally rare this year.

Half of Zone B’s food would be enough to sustain Gu Langu’s base through the winter. Liu Du couldn’t possibly agree. “I’m sincere, but you don’t seem to have much sincerity.”

While Liu Du spoke, he had already taken a defensive stance, clearly prepared for battle.

Gu Langu didn’t speak but his eyes gradually turned icy blue, a sign that his combat mode was activated and his energy was abundant.

Both sides weren’t the type to dawdle. Once it was determined that a peaceful resolution was impossible, they immediately entered battle mode.

The remaining eight members of Gu Langu’s team were somewhat at a loss. They had wanted to join Zone B, but as soon as they met, the two sides were about to fight after just a few words.

In the moment of hesitation, Liu Du had already rushed forward, targeting the hesitant eight.

Gu Langu’s figure flickered, losing the opportunity to attack in order to protect the eight people. Liu Du felt delighted at this and knew that victory or defeat often hinged on a single moment on the battlefield.

Liu Du swiftly drew a pistol from his pocket and launched an attack from an angle that Gu Langu couldn’t dodge.

A gunshot rang out, hitting the target’s heart. Zone B team’s faces showed joy; even the War God was no match!

However, in the next second, Gu Langu charged forward and punched Liu Du hard.

Liu Du was sent flying, while Gu Langu spread his palm, revealing a bullet on his palm!

Yu Jin, who had been smoldering with anger for a long time, immediately switched to mocking mode. “Is this also considered a bullet? Kid, do you know what seven millionths of the speed of light mean? Are you playing house?”

Author’s note:

Shu Shuishui: “Good morning, down jacket.”

Little yellow bird: “Chirp chirp chirp~”