Chapter 1079: Old Four, Are You Returning to the Territory?

After watching her two companions quickly return to the mountain cave, Xia Qing slung her gun, leapt down a few times, picked up the first drifter who had been tackled by the Head Wolf, swiftly ducked into a hollow in the giant boulder beside her, quickly pulled out an anesthetic and knocked out the still-twitching drifter, then tied him up.

Although the helicopter overhead belonged to Hui Three, Xia Qing didn't want to be spotted by it, because she was a lord who was supposed to be in her territory 320 away. If anyone discovered her here, it could easily draw the fire back to the Northern One District territory.

The Head Wolf and the Broken-Waist Wolf couldn't be exposed either, because the two of them were wearing protective suits, and combined with the Head Wolf's signature left ear, it would absolutely give away its identity.

The wolf king of the Hui Three Northern Wolf Pack actually appearing in the canyon at the border between Hui Three's southwest and Hui One—this was even more abnormal than Xia Qing, a human lord, showing up here.

This canyon separating Hui Three and Hui One was long, narrow, and deep, with jagged strange rocks, making it very hard to see clearly from the air what was going on under each stone cave and stone bridge.

The roaring helicopter hovered above the collapsed stone pillar, and after the cabin door opened, damn it, a small drone actually flew out!

This drone rapidly descended in altitude, and just as it was about to probe into the canyon, it suddenly darted forward, and the helicopter also roared as it followed.

From Xia Qing's walkie-talkie came Xie Yu's voice, "Sister Qing, I lit the signal flare and drew the helicopter over. You haven't been exposed over there, have you?"

Xia Qing, holding a steel pellet, replied, "No, thanks. How's the situation on your end?"

Xie Yu answered, "My team has captured three blue-skinned drifters. The remaining two fled into the stone forest and are being pursued at full strength. Ground forces and the helicopter are pursuing together—they definitely can't escape. What about Sister Qing's side?"

Three people on her own side, five on Xie Yu's side, plus the two in the cave—that made a standard combat squad! Xia Qing felt a bit of belated fear. "I have four drifters on my side, two dead and two wounded. The fighting is over. Please trouble Captain Xie to send someone over to take them away. I'll cross the Evolution Forest back to the territory."

Of these two wounded drifters, one was captured by Xia Qing inside the mountain cave, and the other had been tackled by the Head Wolf when it charged out of the cave. The helicopter was circling overhead, so of course these people had to be put on the helicopter by Xie Yu, and after the capture was completed, the helicopter would transport them all back to the Hui Three Safe Zone together.

Xie Yu didn't ask Xia Qing, who wasn't a speed evolver, how she was going to cross several hundred li of Evolution Forest, and just replied with a smile, "Cheng Yao and Liang Nian from my team will reach your side in five minutes. I'll clean up the supplies in the drifters' cave spotless, and after returning to the territory we'll split the take with the video and the inventory."

Recording video while clearing and inventorying seized supplies is a method adopted by multi-party joint task squads to avoid disputes over splitting the take.

After the two members of Xie Yu's squad arrived at the area where Xia Qing was, they dug out the two crushed bodies together with Xia Qing, who was covered in black. This blue-skinned drifter squad were wanted criminals on Red One's bounty list, and could be exchanged for points, so of course they had to be dug out.

Xia Qing pointed at the bound man and woman beside her and explained, "This man I caught inside the mountain cave. He was injured by a protective shield, internal bleeding, and was injected with anesthetic. He'll wake up in about an hour. He didn't see my face. This woman's back was clawed by a wolf, the wound has already been treated, and she can wake up in two hours."

So even if they woke up, they wouldn't know who had raided their hideout.

After the two Qinglong team members took the two hostages and the two bodies away, Xia Qing climbed up along the stone wall, crawled into the mountain cave, and reunited with the wolf pack.

After Xia Qing fed the antidote to the Head Wolf and the Broken-Waist Wolf who had just gone on the attack, the old wolf walked over, lowered its head and gently touched her protective suit pocket with the tip of its nose, then turned its head to look at the three companions deeper in the cave who had already stood up but were still a bit unsteady.

The two adult wolves, smeared with soot and feces, shielded the half-grown wolf behind them and stared fixedly at Xia Qing. In the dim light of the cave, their eyes all glowed with a terrifying green light.

But given their current state of weakness, there was no way they could hurt Xia Qing, who was protected by the Northern Wolf Pack.

Xia Qing only glanced once before looking away, took out the nutrient solution from her pocket, and asked the old wolf in front of her, "Old Four wants to give them the nutrient solution?"

The old wolf, also smeared with a coat of black soot, mimicked the Broken-Waist Wolf's action and opened its mouth, revealing the tips of its long fangs, to express goodwill to Xia Qing.

It was old, and the color of its teeth was not snow-white but grayish-white, with a slight yellow at the roots. When it first arrived at Territory Three, the color of its teeth was even darker. After soaking in two medicinal baths, the damage to its tooth quality was repaired, the teeth became firmer, and the yellow had faded somewhat.

Xia Qing slowed her speech and communicated with the old wolf using gestures. "Today's mission was initiated by you, with the goal of rescuing your companions. The Queen and I have rescued all three of them, and we've also detoxed them. The seized supplies count as the payment you give us. These three tubes of nutrient solution and one bag of anti-inflammatory medicine are what I'm giving you for free."

The Broken-Waist Wolf standing beside her gazed thoughtfully at Xia Qing's bulging backpack, and at the black packaging bag reeking of blood that had just been carried back next to the backpack.

Xia Qing took out a folded paper bowl from her backpack, opened it up, poured in pollution-free spring water, X nutrient solution, and anti-inflammatory deworming medicine, then asked, "Old Four, do you want to come back to the territory with me?"

The old wolf closed its mouth and quietly gazed at Xia Qing.

"You're not going back? Alright then. We're heading back to the territory. Your stomach and intestines haven't healed yet, and you ate raw meat again today. If it hurts here..." Xia Qing pointed at the old wolf's belly, "... then come back to Territory Three and find me for medicine."

After giving the instructions, Xia Qing stuffed the just-seized supplies into her backpack. "Queen, Handsome Wolf, Giant Wolf, Black Wolf, Little Wolf Sister, let's head out, back to the territory."

The three evolved wolves deeper in the cave had just been rescued and were full of resentment toward humans. If it weren't for the old wolf holding them back and the Northern Wolf Pack intimidating them, they would have already lunged at Xia Qing to attack, so Xia Qing certainly wouldn't go over and ask for a snub.

After Xia Qing and the Head Wolf walked out of the mountain cave, Little Wolf Sister went to sniff that weak half-grown wolf before leaping out of the cave.

After the humans and the Northern Wolf Pack left, the old wolf lowered its head, licked a mouthful of the medicine in the bowl, and let out an "Aowu" to call its companions over to take the medicine.

The three wolves, weak, thirsty, and hungry, were clearly used to obeying the old wolf's commands. Although that side was permeated with the humans' hateful scent, they still walked over trembling, lowered their heads to sniff, and drank the water in big gulps.

What Xia Qing gave them to drink was X nutrient solution, whose effects of replenishing stamina and repairing bodily damage were even better than the top-grade nutrient solution made by Liehuo. After the three wolves finished drinking the water, lay down on the ground, closed their eyes and rested for a while, then stood up, their legs were no longer trembling.

The two adult wolves shook their bodies, flinging off the dirty stuff stuck to them, and cleaned each other's fur. The half-grown wolf affectionately nuzzled the old wolf's leg, lay down on the ground, and exposed its soft belly.

The old wolf began licking and gently nibbling its fur to clean its body. Then it led its three companions out through the other exit of the gourd-shaped mountain cave, heading in the opposite direction from Xia Qing and the Northern Wolf Pack.