Chapter 1200: Negotiating Cooperation with the Southern Wolf Pack

In the morning, the Flat-Top who had eaten the slain snake was on fire, but it still wasn't a match for Ram Boss — after being defeated by Ram Boss, it was so angry it snapped its jaws at the trees.

Xia Qing thought this fellow was rather amusing. It clearly couldn't beat Ram Boss, yet still challenged Ram Boss every day, and got itself all worked up after losing. Since moving into Area Three of Mountain Forty-Nine, it had already chewed down several big trees.

Xia Qing tossed Flat-Top a piece of jerky, then called her partner Ram Boss to get to work. "Boss, you're amazing — truly worthy of being the lead ram of Territory Three, the clever ram who opened a new chapter in Blue Star's evolutionary ram history! Boss, shall we go haul the fertilizer back?"

Victorious Ram Boss trotted proudly after Xia Qing, heading to the valley in Area Three of Mountain Forty-Nine to haul fertilizer.

When they reached the edge of the valley, Xia Qing blew up. Damn it — that Flat-Top had bitten open all three fertilizer bags she'd hauled up before going to fight Ram Boss!

It's not like your sense of smell is broken — you couldn't tell those bags were full of dung? Why the hell did you chew them?!

Xia Qing went back, dragged Flat-Top over from its jerky-chewing, told it what it had done wrong, then gave it another beating.

Flat-Top was huffing and trying to fight Xia Qing when it suddenly stopped, lifted its nose and sniffed, then turned and dashed off, still looking unconvinced and resentful.

Before long, Xia Qing saw Yang Jin, looking neat and fresh, carrying two large bamboo rats that had been washed, skinned and marinated, leaping high over Flat-Top as he walked toward her. "Sister Qing, I'll drop off the food and come help you."

"No need — this little bit of work, the three of us can finish fast." Though her idol had called her sloppy, Xia Qing actually did care about hygiene; she wouldn't let the cook do this dirty work.

But she was the only person in the territory — she had to work and train, cook and tidy the house. She really couldn't do it all, so she could only tackle the most important things first.

Yang Jin kicked Flat-Top aside. "Then I'll go make crispy roast bamboo rat. Sister Qing, what soup would you like tonight?"

"Loofah soup."

"Got it." Yang Jin agreed, then said hello to Ram Boss and Lao Er beside him. "Boss, Lao Er, I'm heading back first."

This human often wandered around inside Territory Three. Ram Boss and Wolf Hound Lao Er had grown used to his presence, but they would absolutely not give him a positive response — one narrowed its eyes, the other bared its fangs.

Xia Qing and Ram Boss hauled the fertilizer back to the territory, poured it into the cold-proof ditch, then mixed in the high-efficiency fermentation fungus powder bought from Territory Eight and covered it up, letting it ferment while providing heat to protect the greenhouse.

Stinking to high heaven, Xia Qing went home, washed up and changed into clean clothes. When she entered the small meeting-room kitchen filled with the aroma of meat, she took a deep breath.

Smells amazing!

This little kitchen is way too cramped — she can't even spread out the cookware. Once the bricks she and Territory Five co-fired are hauled back, the first thing she'll do is upgrade the kitchen!

Xia Qing called out to Yang Jin, then went to pick lettuce — roast meat and lettuce, a perfect match.

Xia Qing's satisfied look made Yang Jin very happy. He hummed a little tune, glanced at the exclusive roast-meat recipe Er Yong's dad had sent over, then scored a few more cuts on the meat and sprinkled on Tang Huai's house secret roast seasoning.

After a satisfying dinner, Xia Qing began discussing with Yang Jin the half-day tour itinerary for Mountain Forty-Nine for Zhang San.

Area Three of Mountain Forty-Nine belongs to Xia Qing; the Third Peak belongs to the wolf pack. But to get from Area Three to the Third Peak of Mountain Forty-Nine, one has to pass through the Blue Dragon Squad's training ground.

So teaming up with Yang Jin is more suitable than teaming up with Huo Zhun.

"When the time comes, my squad and Xie Yu's squad will defend along the route — absolutely airtight. But once Third Brother enters the Third Peak of Mountain Forty-Nine, it'll be up to you and the wolf pack. Can you do it?"

Zhang San is a top-tier national scientific researcher; his travel protection mission is classified 3S, and all personnel involved must pass strict vetting. Xia Qing is qualified to take part in such a mission — evolved wolves are not.

Although the wolf pack's leader is a brain-domain evolver, not all members of the wolf team are. This kind of risk is absolutely not permitted in a 3S mission.

"Can do." Third Brother had teamed up with the wolf pack before. Xia Qing made a more specific arrangement: "When the time comes, you and I will enter the Third Peak together and protect Third Brother the whole way."

Yang Jin asked, "Can I carry weapons?"

"You can."

Yang Jin trusted Xia Qing's organizational ability and how much she cared about Zhang San, so he didn't ask further. He only said half-jokingly, "I'd say I'm in a cooperative relationship with the Northern wolf pack now too. Sister Qing, if I asked Broken-Waist Wolf for its contact info, would it give it to me?"

"I don't know either — you can find a chance to ask it." Broken-Waist Wolf was already very smart now. If it wanted to contact Yang Jin directly, Xia Qing wouldn't interfere.

Yang Jin had come early today. After they finished eating, the sky hadn't fully darkened yet. He had originally planned to use this evening time to take a walk and chat with Xia Qing, and stop by to see the vegetable seedlings she was raising in the lab. But now there was an added 3S mission, so he had to go back early to mobilize personnel and plan the route.

Not long after Yang Jin left, the red fox family, their coats more beautiful than the setting sun, leapt over the wire fence into Territory Three to mooch medicine.

Autumn is the season when animals put on fat and grow thick fur. The red fox family had visibly plumped up, and their coats had shifted from summer's vivid red to today's deep red — Da Mao, and brownish-red — Hong Er Mao.

Such eye-catching fur colors, paired with their black-edged ears and snow-white chins, were simply gorgeous. The moment the two flopped down on the ground, Xia Qing — acting like King Zhou of Xia with no principles whatsoever — immediately pulled out the medicinal powder she'd traded with her idol and started petting them.

San Mao? It always got stuck, with uneven fur and a color not as pretty as its parents' — but Xia Qing didn't mind at all.

The red fox family's luck wasn't great today. Before they finished mooching medicine, they caught the scent of danger. When Lao Er stood up and headed toward the northern buffer forest, Red Da Mao flipped up onto its feet, fur bristling, and stared toward the north gate of Territory Three.

A few seconds later, Red Da Mao gave a yip, and with Hong Er Mao and San Mao fled Territory Three from the red-leaf bamboo grove at the northwest corner, heading back into the Evolution Forest.

Seeing this scene, Xia Qing knew who had arrived. Truly… truth is stranger than fiction.

"Lao Si, Broken-Face, you've come." Xia Qing greeted them and led the weary old wolf and young wolf home.

Getting from the Southern wolf pack's territory to Xia Qing's territory meant crossing several hundred li of Evolution Forest, with complex terrain — high mountains and dense woods. Even though these two wolves were speed evolvers, running this stretch still took considerable time and energy.

After getting home, Xia Qing first prepared a lavish dinner and pollution-free spring water for today's negotiation counterpart, then took out the medicine her idol had just compounded, let the old wolf drink one packet, and applied the special-effect affordable scar-removing medicine from Hui Three Pharmaceutical Factory to the already-healed wound on the young wolf's face.

This little fellow was quite handsome, and its brain-domain evolution wasn't bad either. If she could remove the scar on its face, there was no reason to leave it and mar its looks.

After finishing the chores, Lao Si turned on the TV itself and studied with the young wolf. Xia Qing didn't object — she brought Daigua over, and the three of them studied three Huashengwu Sect educational videos together.

During the break, Xia Qing began discussing cooperation with the old wolf.

"... This is the medicine Third Brother made for you. After taking it, you'll get much stronger — strong enough to take back the Southern Wolf King's throne, no problem. All you have to do is let us humans go to the pool under the Mountain Twenty-Two waterfall to gather grass seeds. From now on, when the wolf pack patrols the territory daily, just swing by that spot a bit more often, and if you spot any danger, tell me. How about it — deal or no deal?"

After spending over twenty minutes explaining with videos, pictures, and physical samples, the solemn-faced old wolf finally made a move.

Its pale gray eyes, filled with the sediment of years and wisdom, turned toward the notebook beside Xia Qing's hand.