Chapter 1024: Hatred

When Xia Qing went up Mount 60 in the morning, she didn't see Handsome Giant Wolf, and when she went to fill the pool on Mount 55 in the forenoon, she still didn't see it, so she guessed it had slipped off to the western Evolution Forest again.

Mounts 48 and 47 belong to the fringe territory of the western wolf pack, but the third peak of Mount 48, two more mountains west, should already be Mount 44, where the western wolf pack often shows itself, so the pack will step forward to stop humans from advancing further.

Xia Qing opened the iron gate and strode into her territory. "Captain Tan, send me the coordinates of where you are right now. Don't clash with the wolf pack; pull back immediately."

"We're already pulling back. We're currently six hundred meters from the wolf pack. Sorry for the trouble." Evolution Forest wolves were untouchable predators, so the moment Tan Junjie learned the pack was blocking the road, he led his team in retreat to show they had no intention of provoking them.

Enemies who had entered the middle ring of the western wolf pack's territory might have gone there for the pack itself, and that danger had to be eliminated.

Under these circumstances, only Xia Qing, who was on good terms with the northern wolf pack, could possibly push forward and carry out the mission.

After glancing at the coordinates, Xia Qing put away her phone and raised a hand to block the ram-headed Sheep Boss charging over to teach her a lesson. "Boss! Guess what I brought you?!"

"Uh…"

"Thud!"

Looking at the green lantern grass with quite a few leaves crushed flat, Xia Qing obediently let Sheep Boss butt her flying once, then pulled two compressed rations from her pocket and tucked them into the small pouch hanging from Sheep Boss's neck. "I went out to gather food, so thanks for guarding the territory, Boss."

The rations went into the pouch, but Sheep Boss still squinted at Xia Qing, very displeased.

Xia Qing asked seriously, "Boss, while I was away from the territory, did any humans or animals break into our home and steal our food?"

Sheep Boss immediately lifted its head high, striking a most dependable pose.

Xia Qing promptly pulled out a few green lantern grass plants that were still mostly intact and held them to its mouth. "I knew it! Leaving home in Boss's care is the most reliable choice! Boss, you truly are an evolved sheep standing at the top of the pyramid, the evolved sheep who opened a new chapter in Blue Star's evolved-sheep history…"

While soothing her companion, Xia Qing waved to Guan Tong over by the fields. Back home she prepared enough freeze-dried food for the old wolf, hastily fed the chickens, drank a nutrient solution herself, then filled the personal flight unit with fuel. From Territory Three she shot straight up into the air, flew directly over the territory corridor, and hurried toward Mount 48.

The members of the Territory Alliance saw Xia Qing rushing out on another emergency, and their hearts clenched.

Inside Territory Fourteen, Feng Wen, who was walking slowly while supporting her waist, also looked up at Xia Qing, her expression complicated.

Yan Meng's voice was hoarse, like sharp shards of glass scraping a rusted, broken pot. "What? Jealous?"

Feng Wen had no mind to quarrel with Yan Meng. Lowering her head to look at her swollen belly, she murmured to herself, "She's clearly a dual-system advanced evolver. Why did she hide her ability back in the safe zone and do hard labor on the construction crew?"

She clearly had more, better options.

Yan Meng's eyes were full of hatred. "Why? Of course it was to play the pig to eat the tiger!"

Feng Wen rolled her eyes at Yan Meng, too lazy to argue with a man who was about to die, and slowly walked toward the container carrying a handful of green lantern vegetables.

"Sister Qing!" Su Ming dashed up to Xia Qing and helped her pack the personal flight unit into its bag.

Once the flight unit was packed, Xia Qing handed the mission over to Tan Junjie. "I saw the wolf pack from the air. They're still about three hundred meters from here. Pull out of Mount 48 first; leave the rest to me."

Tan Junjie reminded her, "Stay safe. If it doesn't work, fly back right away."

Xia Qing nodded calmly. She couldn't fly back; the personal flight unit had a limited payload, and she hadn't brought enough fuel.

As Tan Junjie's squad pulled back, a young team member couldn't help speaking up. "Captain, the wolf pack is chasing us—that counts as their provocation. We've got a top sniper backing us up, so why are we still retreating? Can Sister Qing hold off the wolf pack alone? We should team up with Sister Qing and wipe them out."

Tan Junjie's voice remained stern and calm. "The western wolf pack is a barrier that shields human territory from outside predators."

The young soldier was unconvinced. "But these beasts won't even let us go into the mountains to hunt or gather."

Cao Xianyun spoke up. "Human territory can grow crops and raise livestock and poultry, so there's no need to fight Evolution Forest animals for food."

The young soldier's voice was full of hatred. "But they launched a beast tide this spring and killed dozens of us!"

Yuan Rui spoke up. "The cause of this spring's beast tide was that humans first killed 13 wolf cubs and 6 leopard cubs, and only then did the wolf pack launch the beast tide in revenge. In the clash with the eastern territory, 20 evolved wolves and 4 evolved leopards died; the western wolf pack lost a third of its numbers. By your logic, the wolf pack has even less reason to stop fighting."

The young soldier wouldn't back down. "Debts have their debtors. They didn't kill the ones who wronged them—they killed innocent people."

"Those eight wolves up ahead might not be the ones who attacked the eastern territory in spring either; they might be innocent too." Su Ming showed his more mature side, urging his teammate not to get stuck in a rut. "If we keep fighting, will more people die or more wolves and leopards? Who's going to bear the losses? Staying here just drags Sister Qing down. Let's move!"

The young soldier said nothing more. Xia Qing, standing where she was with her rifle on her back, didn't turn around either. She already understood why the western wolf pack was pressing forward step by step: the pack's senses were extremely sharp, and they had detected humans entering their territory, brimming with hatred and killing intent.

In the wolves' eyes, that was provocation.

That young soldier didn't meet the screening team's selection requirements. Who had sent him?

After confirming the entire screening team had withdrawn, Xia Qing spoke. "Handsome Big Wolf, it's me. Handsome Big Wolf, why did you come all the way out here? No wonder I didn't see you on Mount 60 or Mount 55 this morning."

The seven evolved wolves of the western pack heard the human up ahead start shouting at the top of her lungs, and spread into attack formation, bristling with killing intent as they waited for Handsome Giant Wolf to give the order to attack.

Humans who had lost family and friends in that spring beast tide still hated the western wolf pack; the western wolf pack, which had lost cubs and companions, hated humans just as much.

The leading Handsome Giant Wolf had long since seen Xia Qing coming. When it heard Xia Qing start hollering, it turned and headed back, and the seven wolves of the western pack could only tuck their fangs away and follow.

Hearing the pack retreat, Xia Qing chased after them. "Handsome Wolf Bro—"

"Wooo!!!" One of the western pack's speed-type evolved wolves snapped, wheeled around, and lunged at Xia Qing, intent on tearing her apart!

Handsome Giant Wolf landed squarely between the evolved wolf and Xia Qing. Its ice-blue wolf eyes turned toward the pack, and it opened its jaws to let out a string of commanding roars.

Handsome Giant Wolf's tirade carried too much information for Xia Qing to understand, but the western pack understood perfectly; they tucked their fangs away and slowly withdrew.

Xin Yu had been watching this scene through the camera. The moment her suspended heart began to ease, she saw the silver-gray giant wolf, after finishing its roar at the pack, turn and start roaring at Xia Qing.

Handsome Giant Wolf cursing them out, fierce and handsome at the same time—it was just too domineering! Xia Qing obediently waited for it to finish, then explained with gestures and signs. "A group of bad humans attacked my human companions and fled into these mountains, which is why my human companions came to chase them down."

"Handsome Wolf Bro, did you spot any other humans on your way over?"

Handsome Giant Wolf understood nothing of what she said and turned to leave.

Xia Qing hurriedly pulled out a small basin, poured in pollution-free spring water, and added the spinach-juice nutrient solution she had made herself. "Handsome Wolf Bro, are you thirsty? Have some nutrient water before you go?"