Interstellar Greening Master

TL: Moonlit

Dormouse, a small and shy mammal, spends 3/4 of its life in sleep and often starves to the brink of extinction due to forgetfulness in eating caused by excessive sleepiness.

Dormouse belongs to the order Rodentia, but they are not actual mice, just close relatives of mice.
They have a closer resemblance to squirrels with their long, fluffy tails.
When they sleep, they curl up into a ball on their backs and sleep soundly while hugging their own tails.

Hazel Dormouse, a cute member of the dormouse species, has brownish-yellow fur, a body length of no more than ten centimeters, and a tail almost as long as its body.

Compared to other dormice, hazel dormice are more selective in their diet.
Besides fruits, tender grass stems, and insects, they particularly love to eat hazelnuts, which is how they got their name.

For dormice, their lives consist of either sleeping or preparing to sleep.
Apart from the hottest summer season, they spend the other three seasons in a state of sleep.
The brief summer and early autumn periods are when they intensely eat to gather energy for hibernation.
Even if they haven’t eaten enough, it doesn’t stop their footsteps towards hibernation.
As a result, approximately 80% of dormice starve to death during hibernation due to insufficient food.
However, even when they starve, they do so in their dreamy slumber.

Despite being true sleep enthusiasts, dormice are rare little long-livers.
The lifespan of a typical mouse is measured in months, but dormice can live up to five years.
Therefore, the belief that dormice adhere to is probably that life is all about sleeping.

At least, that’s what Shu Shuishui firmly believes.
As a hazel dormouse, Shu Shuishui’s lifespan is actually unreasonably long.
It wasn’t until Shu Shuishui saw his own brother’s grandson’s son pass away that he suddenly realized that he might be different.
What’s different about him? He couldn’t quite put it into words.

It wasn’t until he left his hometown and wandered around the world that Shu Shuishui encountered another mouse named Shu Bao.
Shu Shuishui suddenly wanted to form a group, but Shu Bao was aloof and not very sociable.
Then Shu Bao asked a question, “Do you know what ‘Hushu Bao’1seeking-mouse treasure means?”

Shu Shuishui shook his head in confusion and felt somewhat disheartened, thinking that his ignorance might make him lose the chance to have a good mouse teammate.

But finally, Shu Bao hummed and reluctantly agreed to travel together.

Shu Bao said he was looking for his own brothers and also on a journey of cultivation.
Shu Bao claimed to be a treasure-seeking mouse, skilled in finding all sorts of rare treasures.
Shu Bao shared many stories about cultivation, but Shu Shuishui didn’t quite grasp it, often frustrating Shu Bao.

As winter approached, Shu Shuishui suggested taking a nap before continuing the journey.
Shu Bao agreed, so when Shu Shuishui woke up in the spring, he saw Shu Bao with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Shu Bao was almost exasperated and said that Shu Shuishui was the laziest mouse he had ever encountered.

Shu Shuishui looked bewildered and aggrieved.
“But if a dormouse doesn’t sleep, what’s the meaning of its life?”

Shu Bao fell silent.
After a while, Shu Shuishui approached and saw Shu Bao searching for information through a strange thing called “Baidu.”

Shu Shuishui made a sound of understanding and obediently sat beside Shu Bao, fluffy and warm, and soon fell asleep again.

When Shu Bao finally learned about the dormouse species and felt a myriad of emotions, he finally accepted his companion who slept for three out of four seasons.

The world journey of the two mouse buddies proceeded joyfully, at least according to Shu Shuishui.
Shu Bao was amazing, the most formidable mouse he had ever encountered.
Shu Bao could even transform into a human form, and he looked good doing it.
Although Shu Shuishui had never been in close contact with humans, he believed that Shu Bao was the most handsome lad in the whole world.

Following Shu Bao, Shu Shuishui gradually underwent a transformation.
The most significant change was that Shu Shuishui felt his brain became much sharper, and he slowly began learning the arts of cultivation alongside Shu Bao.

Shu Bao had once jokingly said, “One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father,” while standing coldly on a rock, waiting for Shu Shuishui’s response.

On that day, the moon was full and bright, and the jungle beneath the moonlight was filled with the dancing of fireflies, creating a scene with a black and white silhouette.

Shu Bao stared blankly at the mouse bundle on the rock, then raised his two front paws and clapped, a new skill he had learned to show his appreciation.
After clapping, he asked, “What does that mean?”

The mouse bundle on the rock almost rolled off, but since then, Shu Bao never mentioned it again.
It was only after that moment that Shu Shuishui truly had a name—Shu Shuishui, which meant comfortably sleeping.
Shu Bao gave him this name.

Shu Bao said that the world had scarce spiritual energy and few spirits, especially among mice.
At least, Shu Shuishui was the first mouse he encountered after leaving home, even though he had only recently gained sentience.
But his aptitude was good, blah blah blah…

Shu Shuishui sat on the rock, dozing off.

The two mice journeyed together, almost exploring the entire world.
Of course, this took a considerable amount of time.
Shu Shuishui didn’t keep track, but it must have been a hundred years or so.
During this time, whenever Shu Shuishui wanted to hibernate and sleep, Shu Bao would usually choose to meditate and cultivate, so it didn’t conflict.

One day, Shu Bao said he had found a clue about his brother and needed to traverse time and space.
It was too dangerous to bring