CH 116

In the valley, with the concerted efforts of both humans and rats, the preparations for the migration were nearly complete in just ten days. From supplies to boats and personnel assignments, everything was ready for departure.

However, there were still five days left before they set off. Shui Jing Gong’s residents were in no hurry to leave. Since they were traveling by boat, they needed to wait for the waterways to clear.

Nan Ge and the others gathered to discuss the migration route. Most of the southern hemisphere was now submerged, presenting a spectacular sight. But for the long journey, they decided to follow the river.

A map was spread out on the long table in the meeting room, and Gu Langu, Nan Ge, and others sat around it, with Shu Shuishui also present, carefully studying the map.

“The Cang River, the world’s longest north-south river, with a wide and stable watercourse. However, with the severe flooding this year, it seems there may not be any calm rivers left in the world,” Nan Ge said, his hand tracing the path of the Cang River from south to north.

Xie Feng added, “It’s not just a matter of calmness. Due to the snowmelt, there’s water everywhere. The Cang River’s course has become uncertain, and the people in the northern hemisphere might not welcome us. The land and resources on Cang Zhan Star are already scarce, and now, with the Apocalypse Era upon us, in the worst-case scenario, we might have to face a battle between us.”

Xie Feng addressed the practical issues the migration faced, some of which he hadn’t detailed yet. For instance, the northern hemisphere of Cang Zhan Star had a more stable environment, and a larger area of arable land, which was why both A Zone and the Safe Zone were located in the northern hemisphere.

Because of this, the overall strength of the Northern Hemisphere was stronger than the Southern Hemisphere. If they were to fight, the southern hemisphere would be at a disadvantage.

Shu Shuishui, though, wore a rare serious expression. “Fighting isn’t good, but if we must, I’ll sharpen my claws in advance.” In the eyes of a dormouse, the world was already in an apocalyptic state, so what’s the point of fighting? Why not all sleep together peacefully? How much space could one bed occupy?

Although he thought this way, Shu Shuishui knew that humans were different from the dormice. Some things just had to happen, even if they didn’t seem pleasant. So for problems he couldn’t solve himself, Shu Shuishui would wisely act as an observer.

“For the situation outside, Boss and I have already deployed detectors, both in the air and in the water, to gather as much information as possible about the road conditions and the situation with aquatic mutated creatures. This will help us determine the safest route,” Xie Feng said while displaying his self-assembled light brain screen, showing real-time footage sent back by the detectors.

The footage from the high-altitude detectors was exceptionally clear, allowing everyone to visually witness a water-covered world. Towering peaks resembled isolated islands floating in an endless ocean. The shorter trees, just beginning to turn lush green for the summer, were already submerged beneath the water’s surface. When viewed from above, it was like seeing a reflection, but it was all real.

Shu Shuishui had actually witnessed similar scenes while traveling the world on Earth. It was a rainforest, with distinct rainy and dry seasons. During the rainy season, the jungle trees seemed to transform into aquatic plants, and fish and shrimp swam among the branches. With the reflection in the sky, it gave a surreal feeling of the fusion of heaven and earth.

The current situation on Cang Zhan Star was even more spectacular, with a broader water area and a more complex environment. In the apocalyptic setting, mutations were bound to become increasingly severe. No one could predict what challenges the upcoming major migration would bring.

While Nan Ge and the others discussed the migration route, they also had to stay in contact with Zone B through the simulator. After careful deliberation and research, they would determine the final route.

During this time, Shu Shuishui had selected and cultivated saplings of spirit trees. There were three types of spirit trees in total. Their common features were amphibious adaptability, cold and drought resistance, and strong survival abilities. However, each had its own advantages and disadvantages. The most important aspect was their adaptability to Cang Zhan Star’s environment, allowing them to replace spirit stones as the source of power for the protective formation.

Of course, until the spirit trees matured, the protective formation would need to provide them with energy. Shu Shuishui had also placed additional formations around the saplings to expedite their growth.

After setting up another formation, Shu Shuishui took a break. “Gu Gu, I think I’ve never been this tired when raising Da Bai. These spirit trees can be considered our own sons! I wonder when they’ll grow up and stop giving us trouble.”

Gu Langu clearly didn’t want to adopt another tree son; one bug and one dragon were enough for him. “Spirit trees require time to awaken their consciousness. Right now, they’re like dumb kids who don’t know anything, so don’t worry about it.”

Shu Shuishui nodded in agreement with Gu Langu. “Just two more left. Let me calculate their positions.”

To maintain the protective formation, the planting of these spirit trees had to be precise. Each tree’s placement was highly accurate. Eventually, each spirit tree would replace a spirit stone as an eye of the formation, fully integrating into the valley. The protective formation would also seamlessly blend with the valley. Under Shu Shuishui’s transformation, this place would become a genuine feng shui treasure trove.

Unlike regular plants, spirit trees require a significant amount of spiritual energy for their growth. Shu Shuishui couldn’t accelerate their maturation, but he could ensure that each spirit tree survived.

This valley, named Shui Jing Gong, would become the first pivotal point in Shu Shuishui’s plan for Cang Zhan Star’s protective formation. It was the most crucial point. Little did Gu Langu, who had devised this plan to buy time, know that many years later when they returned to Shui Jing Gong Valley, it would be full of “dumb kids”! Even in this feng shui treasure trove, the spirit trees without awakened consciousness would be a minority, and most of these “dumb kids” would be calling them “daddy”!

At this moment, following Shu Shuishui’s guidance, Gu Langu planted the last two “dumb kids.” This would be the last time Gu Langu experienced the tranquility of this valley. The next time they returned, no matter where they went, both Gu Langu and Shu Shuishui would hear voices calling them “daddy.”

All the spirit trees were now planted, and most of them had been personally cultivated by Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu. Of course, the Gray Rat Company provided their family assistance with tasks like digging holes and carrying water buckets, making sure everything was well-watered. And it was all free of charge. Shu Shuishui had tried to pay them multiple times, but the rats refused each time. Their reasons were written earnestly on small flags, and they even gave Shu Shuishui a close-up demonstration with the flags.

“Protecting our home is every rat’s duty.”

“Don’t measure our relationship with sweet potatoes.”

“Our bond is priceless and can’t be measured in sweet potatoes.”

“Every day, we love you. How could we take your sweet potatoes?”

And so on…

Whenever Shu Shuishui contemplated paying them, various flags would appear in front of him, each different from the last. As time went on, the rats became more adept at playing the emotional card, and their messages on the flags often moved Shu Shuishui.

Shu Shuishui never doubted the source of these flags. After all, he was a rodent himself, so it wasn’t surprising that the mutated rats were so clever. Everyone was a rodent, so it wasn’t strange for them to become intelligent and even learn to write.

Besides, the writing on the flags didn’t look very good, indicating it was a newly acquired skill.

To avoid exposing themselves, Gu Langu, who deliberately made the handwriting look unattractive, successfully deceived Nan Ge and Shu Shuishui.

On the day before departure, Shu Shuishui stopped his work of nurturing the spirit trees and decided to take a good rest. With some free time on his hands, he finally had the opportunity to modify his means of transportation for the migration – the green leaf-shaped fruit platter boat.

“Gu Gu, what do you think of this color for the boat canopy?” Considering the possibility of frequent rain during the rainy season, Shu Shuishui added a canopy to his fruit platter boat to prevent it from getting wet and sinking.

Gu Langu looked at the shiny green oiled paper. “It matches the color of the boat well.”

“I knew you’d like it, Gu Gu. I also made a small raincoat and straw hat out of this oiled paper, so when it rains, you and I can wear them.” Shu Shuishui happily took out the straw hat and raincoat he had folded and placed one set in Gu Langu’s palm. “Try them on, Gu Gu, see if they fit. If not, I can fold them again.”

Gu Langu couldn’t find the words to describe how well the raincoat and hat fit. Fortunately, Shu Shuishui quickly produced a symbol. “This is a symbol that can shrink you, Gu Gu. Would you like to try it? It lasts for three hours.”

Seeing Shu Shuishui’s enthusiasm, Gu Langu naturally didn’t refuse. As soon as he nodded, the symbol adhered to him.

In an instant, the world around him seemed to take a step back, and his field of vision became strange. The table grew taller, and Shu Shuishui grew taller too.

A hand reached out and gently placed Gu Langu on the table. Standing on an incredibly spacious tabletop, Gu Langu finally realized that he had indeed shrunk.

Shu Shuishui lowered his voice to avoid startling Gu Langu. “You might not be used to it the first time, Gu Gu, but you’ll get used to it.”

Gu Langu stretched his limbs, feeling a sense of novelty, and quickly adapted to his new size. He looked at the oiled paper raincoat and hat laid out on the table, then eagerly walked over to try them on one by one. In front of Shu Shuishui’s eyes, a small figure wearing a green raincoat and hat appeared on the table. “They fit perfectly, and I really like them.”

Seeing Gu Langu trying on the clothes that fit him so well, Shu Shuishui couldn’t resist transforming into his mouse form. He then hopped onto the table, picked up his own set of clothes, and put them on. In his furry little dormouse form, he looked neatly dressed and perfectly fitted.

For the first time, Gu Langu saw a furry Shu Shuishui about his size, and he couldn’t help but pounce on him, knocking him down on the table. In an instant, Gu Langu began to understand why some people liked large, furry toys, because… they were really fun to pounce on! Once you pounced on them, you didn’t want to get up again.

Shu Shuishui extended his paw to gently pat Gu Langu’s head. “Alright, Gu Gu, calm down! Good boy!”