Chapter 394 - 343: Is This Drink Absolutely Necessary?
Chapter 394 - 343: Is This Drink Absolutely Necessary?
"Your family has been around for a thousand years? Do you know what that means? Frankly speaking, a thousand years ago, your Japan had just started learning culture from the Tang Dynasty, right?"
Zhang Su wasn’t familiar with Japanese history, but he was well aware that between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, Japan sent more than ten Envoys to Tang to absorb Tang Dynasty culture.
Regarding this piece of history, Ju Mumio had no ground to refute and nodded in acknowledgment, then briefly introduced the origin of the Ju Clan.
Zhang Su wasn’t very interested in this, and the translation software couldn’t accurately translate those obscure phrases, making it seem even drier. Overall, he just learned that the first elder of the Ju Clan was born in 684, an extremely ancient clan...
"Alright, I understand the history of the Ju Clan! Since you agreed to my terms, I’ll keep my promise to you. Your combat power is indeed impressive, not inferior to mine in close combat, but from now on, you must follow my orders, is that clear?"
Zhang Su extended his hand, implying that if there was no issue, they should shake hands amicably to form an alliance.
Ju Mumio nodded heavily, then slowly reached out to shake hands with Zhang Su, apparently uncomfortable with physical contact with men, letting go quickly.
Zhang Su didn’t mind this preference, understanding that the psychologically peculiar can also be understood as long as it serves his purpose.
"Good, congratulations on becoming a member of Celestial Horse Island from now on. As the leader of the camp, I have my first request for you."
Zhang Su straightforwardly and unceremoniously assumed a leadership posture, saying, "Yi Xiaoling can understand your Japanese, so why don’t you learn Chinese? Starting today, you must begin learning Chinese, and in a week, you must be able to communicate with people using simple Chinese."
Ju Mumio had no objection to Zhang Su’s request and lightly nodded. Her choice not to use Chinese wasn’t because she couldn’t at all, but because she could express herself more precisely in her mother tongue, although she overlooked the translation process...
With the matter of joining settled, Zhang Su was in a good mood. Though he hadn’t found a Venom Zombie this time out, he had discovered a skilled warrior and a gifted planting technician, which was fruitful enough. He pointed to the corner at the liquor, curious.
"Do you like drinking a lot?"
Ju Mumio didn’t deny it and replied.
"I drink at least 300 milliliters every day. These are the wines I found nearby and need to be taken with us."
"Three hundred milliliters..." Zhang Su’s eyebrow twitched. That amount isn’t huge, just about six ounces, but drinking every day, especially as a young woman, seems rather extravagant.
"Is this part of your Ju Clan’s culture?"
Zhang Su couldn’t help but ask, simultaneously picking up a bottle of liquor and giving it a shake. It wasn’t high-grade liquor, just the kind of fifty-degree grain alcohol available in supermarkets for a little over ten bucks, with even cheaper grain liquor available in large barrels.
Originally a joke, Ju Mumio answered very seriously.
"This isn’t Ju Clan culture; it’s due to a personal special reason."
"Special reason? Our camp doesn’t allow unrestricted drinking. If you’re drinking every day in the camp, won’t others get envious and unable to quit?"
Zhang Su put down the bottle and asked, and Ju Mumio gave an unexpected answer.
"My martial arts must be enhanced and solidified through drinking, so I can’t stop drinking. Don’t worry, I’ll find my liquor myself, and I’ll try to be discreet when drinking, so I won’t trouble you guys."
"Oh? Wine Sword Immortal?" Zhang Su’s mouth curled into a smile. Ju Mumio’s explanation was earnest, yet he found it somewhat amusing. Was she just finding an excuse for her hobby?
Ju Mumio’s blade-like eyebrows twitched, understanding the mockery in Zhang Su’s words, and she let it slide, taking a deep breath and asking.
"I still don’t know your name?"
"Is that so?" Zhang Su rubbed his forehead, "I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Zhang Su. You look quite young, so just call me Brother Su like others do, and use Chinese!"
Ju Mumio nodded, then gestured around the room, speaking in both languages: "Can we treat Xiaoling now, Brother Su?"
"Sure, the Chinese pronunciation is pretty standard. The fact that other languages evolved from ours indeed makes it easier to learn Chinese." Zhang Su was very pleased with Ju Mumio’s attitude, and he also started paying more attention to Yi Xiaoling.
Ju Mumio might be hard to control, but if he didn’t want to use the Loyalty Brand, holding onto Yi Xiaoling might be a good way to control Ju Mumio.
"By the way, Xiaoling’s injuries are so severe, why didn’t you think of seeking help from other organizations? Didn’t you know there was a large camp east of Qing County?"
Zhang Su had always been curious. With Ju Mumio’s capabilities, getting a vice captain position like Pan Guoliang should not be difficult.
Ju Mumio shook her head, saying.
"I went, but they were very wary of me and extremely unfriendly, with deep hostility, making communication impossible."
Zhang Su smirked, saying: "Did you go in armed and acting very assertively?"
"I believe one must have strength to earn respect."
Ju Mumio’s words left Zhang Su speechless. Clearly, this person wasn’t very adept at interpersonal skills. In this post-apocalyptic world, everyone is on edge already, and some camps have a natural resistance towards new people joining. With Ju Mumio’s assertive demeanor, she was lucky she wasn’t caught and killed on the spot!
Gaining trust is the first step compared to proving strength. Through conversation, Zhang Su gradually understood Ju Mumio’s personality; she didn’t seem to overthink things.
"Now that Yi Xiaoling is considered part of Celestial Horse Island, there’s no time to waste. Let’s go treat her right away."
Zhang Su gestured with his hand.
Ju Mumio nodded and rushed towards the bedroom eagerly, with Zhang Su following closely behind. He reached into his inner pocket, and as they entered the bedroom, he was holding a piece of gray matter.
"Yi Xiaoling, Ju Mumio has decided to join us on Celestial Horse Island. We’re all family now, and as family, we can’t just ignore your injuries. This is a healing medicine, extremely precious. Take it, and you’ll get better."
Zhang Su gestured for Ju Mumio to give the medicine to Yi Xiaoling.
Ju Mumio initially thought they would only treat her after reaching the camp, so she was curious when she saw Zhang Su had brought medicine with him. She took the fingernail-sized gray matter cautiously and examined it in her palm, then looked at Zhang Su and spoke at length.
"Oh, the phone screen turned off, didn’t record."
Zhang Su checked his phone translation software, only to find it had gone dark.
"She said it looks like biological tissue, not medicine," Yi Xiaoling explained on behalf of Ju Mumio.
"Damn it..."
Nearby, Lu Yubo had a surprised expression. This woman kept shocking him repeatedly, and he utterly despised it.
Zhang Su was also somewhat stunned. Ju Mumio was the first to identify Zombie Thalamus as a biological tissue at first glance. He casually incorporated Lu Yubo’s extremely dissatisfied cursing, saying calmly: "This is a drug developed jointly by a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and a Nobel-nominated Bacteriologist from our camp, extremely rare. If you don’t believe it, you can return it to me."
Ju Mumio held the Zombie Thalamus in her hand, her eyes filled with clear skepticism. If it was truly as precious as they claimed, how could it be so carelessly handed over without any protective measures?
"Xiaojuzi, give it here. This big brother wouldn’t harm me, I trust him."
Yi Xiaoling extended a hand with some difficulty, a tired smile on her face. Although she was resting in a heated room with Ju Mumio’s care, even necessities were taken care of without her needing to worry, she knew her injuries’ true state—it drained her both physically and mentally.
Every moment was a torment; she feared she was on the brink of death. There was a time when she wished for it to happen quickly, but now, seeing the hope of survival, she was afraid she wouldn’t make it. She didn’t want to leave this world, no matter how broken it was.
Seeing the desire for survival in Yi Xiaoling’s eyes, Ju Mumio nodded lightly and passed the medicine over to her.
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