The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 31 Is there such a thing as a banished immortal flower in the mortal world?

Before dawn, Chang'e and Yao Dan woke up one after the other.

At this moment, Chang'e still didn't know where she was, and hurriedly asked, "Have we arrived at Maluo?"

Yu Qing told her that the place was called "Paradise Botanical Garden" and that it was 23.4 kilometers away from Maluo.

Chang'e immediately opened her holographic map and said:
“I understand! There’s a man here named Lu Ming who grows a tree called ‘Immortal’. Its flowers are beautiful and colorful, but they are highly poisonous.”

"We all know about the tree."

However, this is the first time I've heard of a tree called '谪仙' (谪仙, meaning "exiled immortal"), and I had no idea that its flowers were highly poisonous.

So, does that mean I absolutely mustn't touch its flowers when I go in tomorrow morning?

"May I enter the courtyard, sir? It seems a bit difficult."

Many renowned doctors in the medical field came to him asking for his flowers for toxicology research, but not a single one of them went into his courtyard.

"Aren't there many similar trees in the garden next door? Don't they bloom?"

"As soon as those trees bloom, Lu Ming gives them an injection, and they immediately wither away."

Daji said, "This person is really wicked."

Yao Dan said, "What do you know? Since the flower is highly poisonous, of course it shouldn't be allowed to be obtained casually."

Chang'e laughed and said, "Actually, Lu Ming didn't stop the flower from blooming because it was poisonous, but because he hated people pointing fingers at it here."

Moreover, this flower never falls; instead, it rises into the sky, so people can't find any petals.

Yu Qing waved his hand and said, "Gentlemen, there's no need to argue. I'll make a flower for you to see tomorrow."

Everyone was skeptical, waiting to see how Yu Qing would get into the courtyard.

In fact, Yu Qing was also feeling uneasy. He wasn't sure if his guess was correct, and he didn't know if there would be any other unexpected challenges.

The next day, as the sun peeked over the mountains, its rays shone on the courtyard gate, and a line of words was faintly visible on the ground in front of the gate.

Yu Qing was secretly delighted. At this moment, the words appeared, indicating that his guess about the time he entered the courtyard was correct.

He took a few steps forward to carefully examine the contents of the words, but dared not get too close, lest he make a mistake.

The two lines of text written vertically in front of the gate read: "Water benefits all things without striving," and "It is precisely because it does not strive that it is without fault." In the middle is a pattern of five flowers.

"Is this an exam question?" Yu Qing wondered.

He didn't know Professor Lu's intention in doing this. Was he testing his own intelligence? That didn't seem likely.

Or perhaps you want to check if his worldview and philosophy align with your own.

He was just a visitor, and Professor Lu should know that, so he wouldn't make things difficult for someone who came to see him.

So what are these words and flowers trying to express? They must have a purpose.
This might lead one to speculate about what kind of people Professor Lu doesn't want to enter his courtyard.

He hated people profiting from his achievements, loathed people criticizing him, and disliked those who were arrogant and condescending...

Therefore, the checkpoint he designed was probably to filter out people he didn't want to see...

In other words, this question is not testing the person's intelligence, but their moral character!

Yu Qing suddenly felt enlightened. Yes, "water benefits all things without striving," so his footprints must not touch those words, nor compete with them for the ground. "Because it does not strive, it is without fault." He could walk between the two lines of words without worrying about anything.

As for the five flowers in the middle, you must not step on them. Those who cherish flowers should walk through the gaps between them.

As Yu Qing cautiously approached the courtyard gate based on his deduction, the gate indeed slowly opened.

Chang'e and the others exclaimed in surprise from behind.

"Honey, be careful."

Yu Qing waved his hand behind him and strode into the courtyard. It was a two-section classical courtyard house with a covered corridor, covering an area of ​​less than 300 square meters. The courtyard and corridor were kept very clean, obviously with an automatic maintenance system.

As soon as Yu Qing stepped into the courtyard, the gate slowly closed. Immediately, three square-headed robots came out to greet him, shouting in unison, "Welcome, guest from afar! On behalf of our master, Lu Ming, we await your command."

When Yu Qing first saw them, he felt a sense of disgust, thinking that they were too ugly.

However, he quickly realized that Lu Ming was doing this on purpose; he didn't want a few lumps of iron to overshadow the charm of human women.

Yu Qing knew that these three robots might be no less capable and intelligent than the three humanoid women outside, so he politely replied:
"I apologize for disturbing Mr. Lu's peace and quiet. I came here with great respect to see your masterpiece."

One of the robots said, "It is my great honor. Please follow me, esteemed guest."

Yu Qing followed behind the robot and asked, "May I ask your name? I have some questions to ask you."

“Sir, you may call me ‘Evil’. That’s what my master called me when he was here. My other two companions are called ‘Ugly’ and ‘Sin’.”

Yu Qing was somewhat surprised and didn't understand why Professor Lu had given them such unpleasant names, but he couldn't show his disapproval.

He laughed and said, "Ugh, isn't that right? I heard that the flowers on that tree are highly poisonous, is that true?"

"Yes, and no, sir."

"I don't quite understand what you mean..."

"That's right. Within fifteen minutes of being removed from the tree, the flowers of the banished immortal are not only non-poisonous, but also a nutritious and nourishing delicacy."

But after fifteen minutes in the air, its toxicity increases over time, and after about twenty-four hours, it even poisons itself, turning into dust.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

"However, please don't reveal this secret to anyone, and don't tell those humanoid beauties outside either."

"Of course, of course. Um, may I try the scent of the flower later?"

"Excuse my bluntness, sir. I don't know what you've been through, but based on my eyewitness examination just now, you are carrying over three hundred kinds of deadly bacteria and viruses. If you don't consume the 'Immortal Flower' as soon as possible, your life may end within six months."

Yu Qing was shocked and stammered, "I...how...could this be...I'm the First Paradise..."

"I understand now. No wonder you are 100% human in your original genetic makeup. You have lived in a space that has been isolated from the world for nearly two hundred years, and have never been in contact with the various viruses and bacteria on Earth today, so you lack the corresponding antibodies."

"This flower can...can..."

"The 'Immortal Flower' can stimulate a person's super immunity."

Soon Yu Qing followed E to the backyard, where in the middle of the approximately 160-square-meter yard stood the magical Immortal Tree.

It is much more spectacular than when viewed from the air, with colorful flowers like bright lights shining in the lush greenery.

"Can I lean against the tree and sit there for a while?"

“Of course, sir. You can also climb up the tree and enjoy the delicious flowers. The master often did that. I’ll go get the ladder now.”

After E'qu brought the ladder, Yu Qing couldn't wait to climb up and, holding onto the branches, began to lick the flowers.

The delicate floral fragrance and subtle sweetness, along with an indescribable, lingering aftertaste, made Yu Qing unable to stop. He wished he could eat the entire tree of flowers. E'e quickly stopped him, saying, "Sir, you cannot eat any more flowers; it will cause serious side effects. Everything in excess is as bad as deficiency, do you understand what I mean?"

Yu Qing then stopped, hurriedly climbed down the ladder, and said, "I'm sorry, I was too greedy."

"I understand. You can come back to eat again in four hours. But you can never eat without limit again, or it will kill you."

You might experience some physical reactions later, please come with me to the guest room to rest for a while.

At this moment, Yu Qing felt refreshed and followed E to the guest room.

Soon after, Chou and Zui brought tea and a plate of traditional food, which was probably dumplings made of some kind of green vegetable.

He didn't stand on ceremony and sat there eating and drinking. The late Professor Lu was indeed a very kind person. He decided to pay his respects to this elder later.

At this moment, Evil and Ugliness, and Sin entered. Evil said, "I am very sorry, sir. You just consumed a bit too much of the Immortal Flower, and your reaction may be quite strong, and you may even do something self-harming, so we have to tie you to the chair."

After saying that, they took out a rope and tied him tightly to the chair like a rice dumpling.

Yu Qing was full of doubts when he suddenly felt a throbbing pain all over his body, as if he were on fire.

He struggled to get up from the chair, but he couldn't move.

Soon he was drenched in sweat, seeing stars, and felt like he was about to explode. He screamed at the top of his lungs like a pig being slaughtered.

This terrified Chang'e and the others outside the courtyard. They thought Yu Qing had met with some misfortune inside, and they all rushed into the courtyard, only to be knocked unconscious outside the gate.

Only Daji, who was walking behind, was not severely affected and woke up within a minute or two.

She no longer dared to force her way in, but instead flew over the courtyard and hovered there, trying to see what had happened inside.

With Yu Qing inside the room, Daji naturally couldn't see anything and could only stare blankly.

Ignoring Daji outside, E simply brought over a bucket of ice water and poured it over Yu Qing's head.

It also stuffed a soft ball into Yu Qing's mouth, and now he couldn't make a sound anymore.

After an unknown amount of time, Yu Qing gradually calmed down and seemed to have fallen asleep.

Then Evil and Ugliness untied the ropes binding him and gently lifted him onto the bed.

Although Yu Qing was unable to move at this time, his consciousness was still very active.

He was enveloped in sweet illusions, as if he were experiencing some indescribable good thing, such as countless fairies surrounding him and presenting him with flower baskets...

He also felt a pair of small hands gently stroking him, making his whole body feel soft and supple.

When he heard the calls, he was almost unwilling to open his eyes, thus ruining this blissful scene.

"Sir, sir, you need to get up and drink more water..."

He had no choice but to open his eyes. The first thing he saw was that evil, square-headed man.

He was a little disappointed; he had really hoped to see beautiful faces like Chang'e and the others.

However, he still politely said to the evildoer, "I'm very sorry, did I trouble you too much just now?"

"It's alright, sir. You've passed the reaction period and are fine now."

However, you should now drink a lot of water, to be precise, 600 liters.

Yu Qing jumped up in fright and exclaimed, "What?! I drank 600 liters of water?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

"It's not about drinking it all at once, but drinking this much continuously over ten hours. The water will flush all the toxins and harmful substances out of your body."

"Okay, I don't have to do anything. I can just sit on the toilet, drink, and poop at the same time."

"Sir, it is like this. From now on, you will not have any diseases except for aging."

"Where's the toilet? How am I supposed to drink 600 liters of water? I'll just sit on the toilet and you can give me a tube to fill it up."

As a result, Yu Qing sat on the toilet and was forced to drink water for six hours.

He was practically swallowing while sleeping, and it wasn't until all 600 liters of water had been poured out that he finally fell asleep sitting on the toilet.

He knew nothing about what happened after that.

He didn't wake up again until three or four in the morning.

Only then did he realize that Evil was sitting on the banished immortal tree with his back to him.

He asked, puzzled, "Why are we sitting here?"

“You’re finally awake, sir. There’s a heavy downpour in half an hour, and these flowers will be gone. You should eat them one more time before then.”

Yu Qing quickly waved his hand and said, "Forget it, I can't handle that."

"You've been completely drained. If you don't eat this again, you might not even have the strength to walk in the future."

Are you really not going to eat it anymore?

"Have difficulty walking? How could this be..."

"Sir, don't be afraid. You only need to eat about 30 flowers this time. You won't have any strong physical reactions anymore. At most, you'll only feel a little hot, and it will be fine in two or three hours."

Yu Qing was still a little scared, so he only licked 20 flowers in a hurry and dared not continue.

The evil one said, "You've already suffered enough, why give up for the last ten flowers?"

Yu Qing then licked 10 more flowers.

After climbing down from the tree, E put Yu Qing on the ground and said:
"This is all I can do for you. On behalf of my master, I thank you again for your trust in him. Is there anything else you would like me to do for you?"

"It's just... could I pay my respects to Professor Lu?"

"Thank you. My master is kept in a hidden space, which is inconvenient to visit. Please understand."

"Then...can my...those outside...also come in and admire Professor Lu's masterpiece?"

"I'm sorry, sir. This is a rule set by the master. Only creatures containing more than 80% of the original human genes are allowed to enter."

"I understand, I won't make things difficult for you. I want to thank you for saving my life and Professor Lu for his invention..."

"Please don't take it to heart. My master often says that water benefits all things without striving; this is his motto."

However, I have a small request: please do not describe the matter of the Immortal Flower to anyone else, lest those with ulterior motives disrupt the peace here.

"May I be struck by lightning for leaking even half a word!"

Finally, the evil one gave him a bottle of water, saying, "You might need this later. It's the juice made from a broken branch of the Immortal Flower Tree, which can help detoxify."

Yu Qing kept expressing his gratitude.

(End of this chapter)