Chapter 111: The Baboon’s Dungeon 2

When Xia Ru went to find Lin Miao, he happened to see Shan Su talking with someone, so he didn’t go up to them and instead waited nearby. After Sang Chu noticed him, she was about to leave with Lu Minli when Lu Minli said:

“It’s precisely because of that feeling of empathy that you can understand me. There are very few people who can truly reach my heart, so I cherish it even more. You don’t want me to be with Mu Xue—not because you want to mock me, but because you care. But I can promise you, whether or not Mu Xue and I make it to the end, you will never be just a backup or a fallback for me. You are always the most important person to me.”

“Mm, I believe you. Let’s go, Xia Ru is waiting for us.”

Shan Su followed Xia Ru, who said, “Sister Sang, Brother Lu, my brother found some things in the underground city. He doesn’t know how to deal with them, so he wants you to take a look.”

“What things? Even Grandma Lin doesn’t know?” Sang Chu was puzzled. The underground city was full of strange and dangerous things—surely they’d already told Grandma Lin about it?

Xia Ru replied, “I’m not sure. They look like fruits, but they’re growing from a tree I’ve never seen before. Uncle Gao said they might be poisonous.”

Lu Minli glanced at him. “Uncle Gao can’t tell? All wood-ability users can sense if a plant is poisonous.”

Xia Ru was also confused. “He said it was a strange feeling, but even Ya Ru couldn’t sense any toxicity, so everyone’s afraid to touch them. Grandma Lin asked me to come get you. Siyu has already gone to find Wen and Yi.”

Sang Chu nodded. In the apocalypse, everyone was extra cautious, which was a good thing. “Alright, let’s go.”

The three of them headed toward the greenhouse, and on the way, they ran into Lin Miao, Mu Xue, and Yi Peng.

“Brother, Yi, what are you two doing?”

When Yi Peng saw Sang Chu, he couldn’t help but run over, laughing, “Sang Sang, do you know your brother’s—”

Before he could finish, Sang Jingwen covered his mouth. “Sang Sang, your brother’s just being silly. Let’s go check out what Grandma Lin found.”

Sang Jingwen, who was a head taller than Yi Peng, dragged him away. Lu Minli watched their retreating backs with curiosity, feeling something was off. “Ah Chu, Yi and Wen…”

“It’s probably about my brother’s contract beast. The process was long, and the result…”

Lu Minli asked, “What was the result?”

Sang Chu didn’t want to say more. “You’ll know when you see it. Let’s go check out those strange fruits.”

Shan Su’s words made Xia Ru thoughtful. Contract beasts weren’t something everyone could have, but if Sang Jingwen could do it, maybe he could too!

With that thought, he hurried to catch up. As they entered the greenhouse, they immediately saw a tree with a thick trunk and lush foliage. All around it were some unknown flowers—weren’t these the same seeds from Butterfly Valley?

Grandma Lin came over as soon as she saw Sang Chu and the others. “Come, come, take a look at this. What is it? Why did it suddenly grow so tall?”

Sang Chu quickly took out a book from her space—a comprehensive guide to demon plants she’d bought in the demon world, just in case she brought back too many seeds and couldn’t recognize them.

“Don’t worry, Grandma. Let me take a look.”

She sat down on a stone bench, and Sang Jingwen came over as well. As Sang Chu flipped through the book, Yi Peng, sharp-eyed as ever, suddenly pointed at a milky-white, coconut-like fruit and said, “Look, doesn’t that look like the fruit up there?”

Mu Xue squatted down to look for a while. “It does! See, there are lines on it, and it’s so big!”

Sang Chu glanced at Gao Qiu. “Gao Qiu, can you pick one for us?”

“Sure.”

Gao Qiu was agile and quickly climbed up to pick the fruit.

“Sister Sang.”

He handed the fruit to Sang Chu, who examined the lines for a while before taking a knife and cutting along the seam. Instantly, a sweet, milky fragrance filled the air.

Tu You, who had been sleeping, was immediately awakened by the aroma. “So fragrant, so fragrant…”

Drawn by the smell, he crawled out, not caring that everyone was watching him. He was completely focused on the scent, slurping up the juice.

*Burp~*

“So good~”

“This stuff is delicious!”

Tu You, his belly now round, suddenly flopped onto his back. This startled everyone—Sang Chu, Sang Jingwen, and even the people outside the greenhouse.

“You—you’re looking at me like that…”

Sang Chu laughed, rubbing her belly. “I just picked this fruit to study, and you came running as soon as you smelled it. How do you feel now?”

If Tu You liked something, it was definitely good. Sure enough, after just one drink, his little body was full of energy. “I’m all better! I thought I’d been asleep for ages. Ah Chu, I really thought I was going to die, but now I’m alive again!”

Lu Minli read the description from the book. “It says here this is a ‘Milk Fruit.’ It can restore the body’s vitality and speed up recovery. It’s usually used for newborns, but regular consumption can even help awaken bloodlines early.”

He emphasized the key point, and at that, everyone looked at the big fruit. Ya Ru immediately thought of her younger brother and father. “Brother Lu, does this mean that if someone eats the milk fruit, even ordinary people might awaken abilities?”

Lu Minli shook his head. “It’s not clear yet, but it’s possible. Everyone should keep an eye out. The book says the older the milk fruit, the better the effect. But there’s also a parasitic flower that grows with it, and it likes to eat people. That must be the ring of flowers at the base. Only ability users can safely pick the milk fruit.”

“The power of the parasitic flower is enough to awaken abilities, which is why I was able to pick it so easily this time. Next time, we might not be so lucky. Everyone needs to be careful. These things are precious but also dangerous. If you’re not sure, don’t take the risk.”

Ya Ru said, “Brother Lu, Sister Sang, don’t worry. If I’m not sure, I won’t touch it. But since the parasitic flower isn’t active right now, can I pick a few more?”

Before anyone could answer, she added, “Sister Sang, let me do it. I know you think I’m impulsive, but I want my brother and father to have a chance to awaken. In the future, if you need anything, I, Ya Ru, will give it my all, even if it costs my life. I will never betray the base!”"