Chapter 1141: Caught Three Little Crocodiles Along the Way

Standing guard at the edge of the swamp, Wang Man saw only the crocodiles gliding slowly through the center of the lake—eyes and nostrils just above the water, thinking they were well hidden—and asked the squad leader for instructions, "Sister Qing, three crocodiles are coming over. Can we grab them?"

This stretch of water was separated from Crocodile Lake by two hilltops, but the waterways were connected, so crocodiles here were nothing unusual. Xia Qing glanced at the three small crocodiles, none longer than five meters, and said, "Go ahead. Stay safe."

"Roger!" Wang Man took off the bow and arrows on her back, the sidearm at her waist, and her dagger, handing them to Wu Lianmin, who was already reaching out to receive the gear. She then walked forward over ten meters through the shallow water, leaped into the deep zone, and shot toward the largest crocodile like an arrow from a bowstring. With a graceful underwater flip-kick, the five-meter-plus little crocodile obediently did a backflip and landed on its back on the water's surface with a slap.

Knocked out.

That move, that force, that speed—as cool as Yanlong!

The other two crocodiles sensed trouble and fled with whipping tails, but Wang Man flipped them onto the water's surface one after another and dragged all three back together.

"Man-jie, awesome!" It was the first time in Zhu Li's life she had seen a human fight so coolly in the water!

"Wooo—"

The four little wolves on Shanfeng growled low at the same time. Tang Huai, who was plucking birds from the bird-catching net, turned to look at Shanfeng and asked quietly, "Sister Qing, those wolves on Shanfeng are growling. They won't attack us, will they?"

Xia Qing answered calmly, "As long as you don't provoke them, they won't. Brother Huo, Shi Du, go help Man-jie drag the crocodiles up. The rest of you speed up. Release all the red-light small birds under four jin. We need to leave this area as soon as possible."

Wang Man wasn't a strength evolver, so she couldn't drag the three crocodiles from the shallow water and swampy ground up onto the bank.

After dragging the three beaten-unconscious crocodiles ashore, Shi Du casually tested their quality and reported, "Sister Qing, two red-light, one yellow-light. Take them all back?"

The squad's bird-hunting limit was 300 birds. Even picking only the large ones, the total weight was definitely under 2,500 jin. The longest of the three crocodiles was only about 1,000 jin, and the other two should be around 800 jin. Today they had five strength evolvers, so they could easily carry all this game back.

Even live red-light crocodiles were worth 25 points per jin.

Xia Qing nodded. "Yes. Inject anesthetic, tie them up tight, take them all back."

Half an hour later, the hunting squad, carrying 184 birds and three crocodiles on their backs, moved to a new spot and set up the nets to catch birds again.

The first bird-catching spot had been told to Xia Qing by the Waist-Breaking Wolf; this time the spot was chosen by C-rank magnetic-sense evolver Xin Yu and hinted to Xia Qing through gestures. Although there hadn't been time to check them one by one, there were definitely more green-light birds here than elsewhere.

After picking through and gathering 300 birds, the hunting squad set off on the return trip with their supplies.

Level 7.5 strength evolver Huo Zhun carried the 1,000-jin crocodile on his back.

The five-meter crocodile's tail made up nearly half its length. Shi Du tied it up very professionally. Once Huo Zhun had it on his back, the crocodile's head drooped over his shoulder, and its upturned tail didn't sweep the ground, so it didn't hinder the carrier's march.

Level 5.5 strength evolver Shi Du carried a crocodile just over 800 jin.

Level 5 strength evolver Yuan Yan carried a 700-jin black-maned goose.

Yuan Yan, an ordinary person who wore a yellow tag in the safe zone, had only been level 3.5 when her strength evolution was tested back in March this year. After half a year of eating high-quality food—especially X-2 high-yi-element spinach—her evolution ability had grown rapidly and now reached level 5, enough to carry 700 jin on the march.

Of course, her magnetic-sense evolution ability had also increased.

Because she had run into people hunting magnetic-sense evolvers in the safe zone, and later people had come to the territory to snatch the Ninth Center's magnetic-sense evolvers, Yuan Yan had developed a very strong sense of crisis and kept this ability tightly hidden.

Level 4.5 strength evolver Yu Shou carried 600 jin of wild ducks.

Yu Shou's evolution level hadn't increased because, as an evolver, he had already received fairly adequate nutrition while serving in the military before, so his current evolution level was his true level.

The remaining 900-plus jin of game was split among Zhu Li, Tang Huai, Xin Yu, and Wu Lianmin.

Squad leader Xia Qing, a level 6.5 strength evolver, only carried a 700-jin crocodile, because on the return trip she wasn't just responsible for transporting supplies—when danger appeared, she also had to protect the squad's safety.

As a four-system evolver, Xia Qing's body had been severely depleted before. Last year she was poisoned and nearly ruined her body by taking yi-element stimulant fluid. For more than half a year she had been recuperating, so her abilities hadn't improved much either.

Wang Man and Zhang Hongda, who weren't carrying loads, protected the formation from front and rear as they headed back.

Half an hour later, Xia Qing heard Xin Yu and Zhu Li's heavy breathing and ordered the squad to stop in an open area, rest fifteen minutes, then continue.

Zhu Li practically sat down against a rock the instant she heard Xia Qing's order.

Xin Yu set down her 150-jin pack, rolled her aching shoulders and legs a few times, and used the time to adjust her breathing. Suddenly she detected two medium-to-large fierce beasts appearing 100 meters to her left.

When humans went out hunting and were on the way back, they were easily attacked or ambushed by fierce beasts.

Sensing the beasts' magnetic fields—and the obvious malice in them—Xin Yu wasn't flustered at all. She took a sip of water, closed her eyes, stretched her legs out, and continued resting.

Because this was the territory of the wolf pack that was on good terms with Xia Qing.

Soon, level 7 olfactory evolver Wu Lianmin issued a warning: "Sister Qing, two fierce beasts have appeared in the bushes at ten o'clock to our front-left, about eighty-plus meters from us. Judging by their scent, they're leopard-type."

Hearing they were leopards, not wolves, auditory evolvers Tang Huai and Zhu Li immediately focused, using their hearing to probe the movement to their front-left.

"The carriers rest where they are. Man-jie, Dazi, the three of us will stand guard." Xia Qing stood facing the leopards directly, locking onto the targets.

Wang Man and Zhang Hongda saw this and likewise stood facing outward at 120-degree angles to her, shielding the carriers in the middle.

Wu Lianmin reported again, "Seventy meters. They're still advancing, but not fast."

"Forty-five meters." Tang Huai finally picked up movement. "These two are being very cautious."

"Thirty meters." Zhu Li reported too. Following Xia Qing's example, she kept her voice as calm and level as possible.

"Targets locked." Xia Qing had already spotted the two unfamiliar leopards creeping slowly forward and aimed her sniper rifle at them, her aura fully unleashed.

"They've stopped." Tang Huai crowed. "They've got some sense after all."

After locking eyes with Xia Qing for over ten seconds, the two leopards slowly retreated to fifty meters away. Xia Qing, sniper rifle raised, calmly ordered, "Carriers, grab some rest. In ten minutes, we pick up the pace."

The fact that these two unfamiliar leopards hadn't withdrawn meant they were still looking for a chance to ambush. Xia Qing didn't want a clash with them—didn't want to shoot them dead or wound them.

As Xia Qing's squad continued on, the two baozi that had been about to keep following suddenly changed direction, scrambled quickly up a big tree, and hissed and roared down at two half-grown wolves on the ground.

Tang Huai, carrying game on her back, was surprised. "Those two fierce beasts just now were cheetahs?"

Wu Lianmin followed up, "There's wolf scent."

They really were cheetahs—Xia Qing had seen the black tear-streak markings under their eyes. She calmly ordered, "Keep the current pace. Get into the wolf-leopard combat zone as fast as possible."

While the two half-grown wolves and two half-grown leopards were fighting over and defending territory on Mountain 52, the eleven-person squad rested once more on the way and then entered the broad, flat mountain path between Mountain 49 and Mountain 51.

Finally, they were safe!