Chapter 78 - 77: The Makings of King Zhu

Chapter 78: Chapter 77: The Makings of King Zhu

Uncle Zhu was truly furious enough to pass out this time!

"Are you trying to kill me?" he yelled.

"I was the one who ordered you to take me down the mountain, and you’re telling me to hold on a little longer? No way, no way. Have you really never owned your own land? Don’t you know that planting is a race against time?"

His leaves instantly hardened like iron sheets. The one closest to Huai Yu poked her in the shoulder, jabbing accusingly.

Jab after jab, it stung!

Huai Yu instantly behaved herself.

She couldn’t remember if she had owned land in the past, but judging by her practiced movements, she definitely had.

She had some now, too! A massive plot of it, actually—a full six hundred acres!

But right now, the landowner was at the mercy of the bamboo. She hung her head dejectedly. "But it’s really dark. I can’t see clearly..."

"You are so useless!"

The bamboo leaves rustled, SWISH SWISH. After a short moment, the entire stalk and its leaves remarkably lit up with a faint fluorescent glow.

It was slightly lighter than neon green, radiating a soft radiance as if thousands of fireflies had gathered together, illuminating Huai Yu’s face with a glowing emerald hue.

It also dimly lit up the surrounding soil and forest.

"Is this fine now?"

Uncle Zhu sighed. "Hurry it up. I absolutely must drink tomorrow’s morning dew."

A short while later.

Huai Yu felt like her strength had grown.

No, maybe her explosive power was just really impressive.

Back when she had nothing, she could carry trees or lug baskets weighing dozens of pounds from the mountain to the base, and then from the Rose Corridor all the way to the bus stop.

But after settling into a comfortable life, digging a mere twenty square meters of land was enough to leave her utterly exhausted.

Now, she was carrying a basket full of bamboo shoots with her multi-purpose shovel wedged horizontally on top, while dragging a ridiculously long bamboo stalk behind her...

Up and down slopes, over rugged and uneven terrain, weaving through the forest.

It was unbelievable!

She panted heavily, PUFF PUFF, yet still didn’t forget to claim credit. "Uncle Kuang Biao, I really am trying my best..."

"I know, I know..." The bamboo yawned. "You keep trying your best. I’m going to rest now... Once I’m replanted, I’ll allow you to dig up two more baskets of shoots every time I sprout.

"And, well... if I ever feel like flowering someday, I can give you the bamboo seeds too."

"Huh?" Huai Yu was a little stunned. "Uncle Kuang Biao, you’re... flowering?"

"What about it?" he replied, his tone remaining lazy yet arrogant. "Can’t I flower? If I want to flower, I’ll happily flower!

"This is exactly what I mean. You might be young, but you are so narrow-minded. Don’t use that human way of thinking to judge me..."

"Yes, yes, yes, I’m narrow-minded!" Huai Yu was quick to admit her mistake. Then, she asked, "But doesn’t everyone say that when bamboo flowers, it means it’s about to die? Uncle, how old are you?"

"Who said that? Some bamboo dies after flowering because their lifespan is already up. They feel like they’re about to kick the bucket, so they hurry up and reproduce! Between survival and reproduction, you have to secure at least one, right?"

Kuang Biao spoke with great conviction, laying out his logic systematically, making him sound highly persuasive.

"What is this called? It’s called species instinct!

"Of course, if they could live, they might not bother reproducing at all... But that’s just because they’re weak!

"I’m different. I don’t know how old I was before the environment changed. I only remember having an owner who bought me as an ornamental clumping bamboo and planted me in the yard.

"You know about clumping bamboo, right? The kind that sprouts from the sides, looking all delicate and elegant. But its personality is too soft. It has absolutely zero drive to expand its territory.

"Originally, I could have held back for another two years for my owner’s sake. But then, as you know, the whole... change happened. I lost control for a second, and my roots almost pierced right through his wall.

"After that, I ran away overnight... Tsk. Back then, all my strength was in my legs, so I could still run. Now, it’s all in my body.

"Later on, well, you know the rest. I took root on the mountain. The big tree next door has grown six rings since then...

"So yeah, your Uncle is already at the ripe old age of six... hmm, seven... no, eight!"

Huai Yu was speechless.

Her feelings were a bit complicated right now. First, she had been reduced to listening to a bamboo plant give her a lecture. Second... Uncle, since you could run away back then, why aren’t you putting in some effort to walk now?

And third...

"Eight years old is a ripe old age? I heard bamboo can live anywhere from ten to a hundred and twenty years. Are you... the type that only lives for ten?"

Huai Yu felt a knot of mixed emotions in her heart.

"Patooey, patooey, patooey!"

The glowing bamboo leaves instantly trembled, the branches rattling, SWISH SWISH. Kuang Biao was clearly furious.

"I obviously have the makings of King Zhu! How could I possibly only live for ten years?! Even a hundred and twenty isn’t my limit!

"But... I am strong, so if I say it’s a ripe old age, you have to call me Uncle!"

Huai Yu didn’t know what to say.

"Alright, Uncle. Whatever you say, Uncle King Zhu Kuang Biao."

They chatted like this along the way. Even though she was exhausted, the night trek wasn’t too unbearable.

By the time Huai Yu finally left the mountain, it was nearing midnight. In the dead of night, if it weren’t for the fact that the Wilderness was completely deserted, her glowing green appearance would have scared someone to death.

While passing the outer perimeter of the mountain, it wasn’t as if there was no empty space to plant the bamboo. However, the surrounding area was filled with small trees that hadn’t even developed consciousness yet, with only a faint few barely showing blurry emotions.

Uncle Zhu was so domineering. If she planted him here, this entire area would probably become his territory by next year.

Huai Yu thought about it over and over. If only for the sake of her own sustainable development, she gritted her teeth, pushed through the exhaustion, and continued dragging him further away from the mountain.

Further out, it would be the Rose Corridor.

Although Huai Yu wanted to be a bit tougher, she didn’t want the Rose Corridor to fight with Kuang Biao.

Setting aside who would win, the Rose Corridor had been quite good to her. While Uncle Kuang Biao acted tough, he had been relatively decent so far.

If they fought and ended up forming a grudge, it would be highly detrimental to her future plans of chopping bamboo and digging for shoots.

"How about right here?" Huai Yu suggested hesitantly. "Just a little bit further into the Wilderness, so you and the Rose Corridor can have your own separate territories..."

The bamboo shuddered. "Hah! You sure kept a safe distance. Any further and we’d be miles away from the Rose Corridor, wouldn’t we?

"Bah! We mutated through our own abilities, whereas it relies on humans. You think I care to be anywhere near it?"

Kuang Biao grumbled incessantly, entirely dismissive. But when Huai Yu asked again, his tone completely shifted.

"Well, you know what, just drag me inside your safe zone. The Wilderness is too dangerous. I only want to fight for territory; I don’t want to get into actual brawls."

Huai Yu was bewildered.

Hadn’t he just gotten into a fight on the mountain? Why did he still think the Wilderness was dangerous? Just how dangerous was it, exactly?

"Why did you stop moving? Oh, don’t tell me you’re looking down on me! Hmph, ignorant child!

"The Wilderness has been around for six years now. All the large territories have already been claimed by powerful plants and animals. I’m so strong—do you expect me to submit and live under some tree?

"But if we actually fought, it would end in mutually assured destruction! Don’t think I don’t know how petty you humans are. What if you ambushed me while I was severely injured, chopped down my stalks, and steamed bamboo rice in them... Tsk!

"I am not giving you people that chance!"