Chapter 752: The Other Side of the Beautiful
Speaking of which, this town that seemed to grow in the land of peach blossoms was indeed not worth worrying about.
Its weather was neither cold nor hot. Plus, they did not have fierce winds, torrential rains, and smog that were common in Dragon City; they were surrounded by mountains, and at a glance, one could see that their products were particularly rich; both sides of the road were filled with a sea of flowers and Green Tides, while countless vines and branches were full of fruits. They emitted a strange fragrance that a.s.sailed one’s nostrils. Just the smell alone made people salivate and move their forefingers.
Meng Chao could really see that many pa.s.sers-by were attracted by the fragrance of the fruits as they walked past. They simply climbed up the wall, which was dozens of meters high, with their hands and feet like agile monkeys. They then picked the colorful, crystal-clear fruits and feasted on them.
The fruits were bigger than their heads, and the people ate them with great satisfaction, giggling like carefree children.
Some people even ate until their bellies swelled up. They patted their bellies and wrapped their feet around the vines, hanging upside down on the wall while falling asleep.
Meng Chao frowned and said, “Someone fell asleep over there.”
“Yeah, it’s easy to feel sleepy after eating. If you’re sleepy, you have to sleep. What’s wrong with that?” Gu Ling said, not surprised.
“But he was just walking a moment ago,” Meng Chao said in disbelief.
“He suddenly climbed up the wall to pick fruits while he was walking, and he went to sleep after he got full. Isn’t that a hindrance?”
“Why is it a hindrance?”
Gu Ling said, “Our Peach Blossom Town is not like Earth or your Dragon City. We don’t need to deal with a lot of pressure and trouble, so people don’t have much to do.
“Today, everyone’s come to the street because of the Harvest Festival. It’s usually a good time to eat fruits and sleep.
“Even if it’s the Harvest Festival, there’s no need to be impatient. The Tree of Wisdom will still be there either way. Why would it matter if we go earlier or later?”
It was the third time she had mentioned the Tree of Wisdom.
It was also the first time she had mentioned Dragon City.
It turned out that she knew where Meng Chao came from.
Presumably, she learned about it from the other outsiders who had drifted to Peach Blossom Town in the past few days.
Meng Chao was speechless.
He felt more and more that this seemingly carefree paradise was indescribably strange.
After careful observation, he made a new discovery.
At least half of the buildings there had collapsed.
Without the cover of the sea of flowers and the Green Tide, the town would have been covered in ruins, horrible ruins.
The whole town only managed to maintain its bright and beautiful appearance because the lush green moss and the bright purple, as well as red flowers, covered all the ruins.
However, the surfaces of these dilapidated walls were uninhabitable.
At least, not for humans.
Only snakes, insects, rats, and ants under the flowers and moss crawled among the ruins in the gaps between the walls.
Despite the loss of half of the construction in Peach Blosson Town, their living s.p.a.ce did not seem to be tight.
The reason was, looking through the windows on both sides of the street, each room or s.p.a.ce was not small. Yet, only one bed was arranged.
The number of pedestrians on the street was far from “bustling.”.
The so-called “satellite town” had a certain population standard.
From the urban planning of the Earth era, it was estimated that the population had to reach at least 100,000 to 200,000 before it was possible to build so many high-rise buildings that were more than 100 meters tall.
Otherwise, if the population could not be imported, the developers would suffer a loss.
And the street they were walking on, judging from the width and the size of the buildings on both sides, should be one of the main roads of Peach Blossom Town.
The so-called Harvest Festival sounded like the most important festival in Peach Blossom Town.
The crowd was still so spa.r.s.e. Meng Chao estimated that the total population of Peach Blossom Town was at most 30,000 to 50,000 or even less.
In other words, more than half of the residents of Peach Blossom Town had died due to transmigration.
The survivors did not think of a way to restore the population size, but left it to fate to maintain the minimum population.
A mere 30,000 to 50,000 people, or even less, enjoyed the infrastructure that originally provided the survival of hundreds of thousands of people.
No wonder they could be so carefree.
This was completely different from Dragon City.
Although Dragon City lacked resources, the s.p.a.ce was tight, and all kinds of contradictions were very sharp. There were even many citizens who lived in the hive-like slums without any dignity.
However, that was because Dragon City’s civilization was ambitious. If they wanted to conquer the other world, they had to at least restore the glory of the Earth era and compete with the Other World’s ten thousand races.
Therefore, they recklessly encouraged fertility and crazily “exploded in population.”
After experiencing the zombie crisis, the lawless era, and the Monster War, the population of Dragon City now was more than before they transmigrated.
The pain of an individual was exchanged for the war potential of the entire civilization. The so-called “iron flood” needed at least tens of millions of people to support it.
This was the confidence of the “alternate calamity.”
The citizens of Peach Blossom Town were happy for a while. If they encountered a natural or man-made calamity, how could they resist it?
No, there was no “what if.” Soon, there would be a war between worlds. The flames of war would spread to every corner and every crevice in the Other World. Whether it was the dark elves hiding in the depths of the underground or the Ice Giants in the northernmost tundra, none of them would be spared.
If Peach Blossom Town really existed, how could it be left alone?
With that thought in mind, Meng Chao was brought to a restaurant by Gu Ling.
Although it was called a “restaurant,” it had most likely been a theater or a concert hall before transmigration. Rows of curved stairs led down to a large circular stage.
The roof of the theater and the wall next to the street had collapsed when he transmigrated. No one had repaired it until it became an open-air theater.
Meng Chao estimated that the wall, which was barely standing, was also full of cracks and collapsed.
However, as far as his eyes could see, the entire open-air theater was covered by a sea of flowers and a Green Tide. There was not much desolation in the air.
The vines and branches here were full of fruits that were so plump that they could explode. They were as crystal-like as gemstones.
The fragrance was ten times stronger than the fruits on the exterior of the building.
On the outer skin of the fruits, there were also mysterious and complicated natural patterns that looked like spirit tattoos.
Many people were lying on the “recliners” that were made of vines. They were squinting partially and enjoying the fruits that were automatically brought to their mouths by the vines. They were making “grunting” sounds like piglets.
Some people did not know why, but they were bare-chested, exposing their red skin that was as red as alcohol. They were tossing and turning on the carpet made of moss. “Hihihi, hihihi.” They were laughing non-stop, staggering, and dancing, they were wriggling like monkeys who had secretly drunk soju wine.
“What happened to them?” Meng Chao’s eyebrows were knitted tighter and tighter.
“They either ate the Happy Gra.s.s, or the Nine-colored Flower or the Celestial Fruit. Well, that’s it. After they ate it, you’ll see colorful little people floating in the sky. They’ll hold hands and pull you to dance with them. They’ll sing and dance with you. They’ll have no worries at all.”
Gu Ling pointed at some etherealized plants growing in the corner, paused for a moment, and then said, “If you ask me, you outsiders should really eat more Nine-colored Flowers and Celestial Fruits so that you won’t be so worried all day.”
Meng Chao followed her hand as she pointed in a certain direction and saw cl.u.s.ters of colorful, bright-colored mushroom umbrellas.
Many mushrooms were poisonous. They could affect the human cerebral cortex and central nervous system, resulting in hypnosis, hallucination, and dysfunction.
The brighter the mushroom, the more poisonous it was.
Of course, it was also delicious.
The people here were addicted to eating poisonous mushrooms.
“Do you want to try it? I suggest you start with the Nine-colored Flower. It’s just a small one. After you eat it, you’ll see two kaleidoscopes explode in front of your eyes. It’s so beautiful!” Gu Ling suggested.
“Thank you, but there’s no need. I only need some of the simplest food to fill my stomach,” Meng Chao said coldly.
He held back for a while and could not help but ask, “Can a child like you eat such things?”
“We rarely eat. We haven’t completed the ‘coming of age ceremony’ yet. We can only taste it before and after the Harvest Festival,” Gu Ling said regretfully.
She paused for a moment and then continued, “That’s why I’m going to sacrifice a full set of Earth clothes this year. I’m praying that I’ll be lucky enough to hunt big guys in the jungle next year so that I can complete the coming of age ceremony. Then I can eat the Nine-colored Flower, Celestial Fruit, and Happy Gra.s.s to my heart’s content!”
She put on an exaggerated expression and gulped. She stood on her tiptoes and beckoned to the air.
A vine, which was full of light purple fruits and looked like a giant python, immediately stretched out in front of the two of them.
With a tremble, the two fruits automatically fell into their hands.
Meng Chao stared at the vine for a long time.
He lowered his head and took a small bite.
It was as if he heard a soft “poof” sound. The outer skin, which was as thin as a cicada’s wings, was bitten open by him. The flesh inside was like nectar. He did not even need to chew it. With a light breath, it turned into a clear stream that flowed into his internal organs, it then seeped into his limbs and bones.
Even though Meng Chao was very vigilant about everything around him.
He could not help but sigh.
It was really too delicious.
If he had guessed correctly, this should be a fruit called Purple Saros.
It was one of the most common etherealized plants in the wilderness, and also one of the best sources of glucose.
However, the wild Purple Saros was sour and astringent, and there was also a layer of th.o.r.n.y, hard sh.e.l.l growing on the outside of the fruit. Even monsters would abandon it.
The etherealized plant experts in Dragon City had tried artificial cultivation and genetic modification many times. They barely removed the sourness of the Purple Saros, but it was far from delicious.
There was nothing they could do. Dragon City’s population was too large, and the Gene Farm’s modification was based on yield.
Whether it was etherealized plants or the flesh of monsters, as long as the production was large enough, the nutrients were rich enough, and enough spiritual energy and calories were provided, it did not matter whether the mission was completed or not.
The purple saros in Peach Blossom Town, on the other hand, were far superior to any fruit that Meng Chao had ever eaten.
After eating it, he gradually felt relaxed and relieved.
Wait a minute, Meng Chao suddenly realized something.
This gene-modified Purple Saros should also contain a small amount of sedative ingredients, which could interfere with human thinking and perception!