Chapter 1202: Going to Collect Grass Seeds

Xia Qing had Does Daigua watch Little Feimao, and Wolf Lao Er watch Does Daigua, while she went under the eaves to continue training.

The area under the eaves protected by insect netting had gained another pull-up bar.

Xia Qing leapt up and grabbed the bar, first practicing a static two-arm hang, then switching to a static one-arm hang to build her grip strength.

After finishing the hanging exercises, Xia Qing took the chance while resting her muscles to give the handsome giant wolf beside her some advice. "Brother Giant Wolf, look—our northern wolf pack's Queen, Broken-Waist, Little Wolf Brother, Little Wolf Sister, and the southern wolf pack's Fourth and Scarface Little Wolf, all these brain-evolved wolves are studying. Don't you want to learn too?"

"I think if things keep going this way, to become wolf king you'll need more than fighting power—you'll need culture too. Since you can't match the western wolf king in combat, outsmart him instead…"

The handsome giant wolf lay motionless on the ground, eyes closed, sleeping.

After nagging for three minutes, Xia Qing began doing wall-supported handstand push-ups, an exercise that builds shoulder strength.

These were moves added to her basic strength training regimen after Luo Pei's assessment a few days earlier.

Fifty minutes later, Xia Qing finished the full set of sniper arm-strength and stability training. When she went inside, pulled her companions out of the bath tub, and dried their fur, the handsome giant wolf opened its ice-blue eyes and gazed quietly at the pull-up bar Xia Qing had been using.

When Xia Qing got up early the next morning, only the eldest was left under the eaves, eating corn leaves. The handsome giant wolf had already left.

When Xia Qing arrived at the helipad on Mountain Forty-Nine with her pack, she found that today's group heading to Mountain Twenty-Two to collect evolved Chuan Moss grass seeds included not only Zhang Tao's planting research team, but also the clearly excited senior evolved-animal researcher, Zhang Song.

What was Third Brother's purpose in sending him?

With the special-ops team present, Xia Qing asked nothing, and Zhang Song said nothing.

Zhang San had already discussed with the base commander the matter of growing grass in the waters of Mountain Twenty-Two, but to protect that green-light water source where evolved Chuan Moss grass could be planted, this team had applied for entry clearance under the purpose of collecting evolved-forest plant samples and studying the evolved forest's ecology.

So the helicopter didn't land by the water source, but in a wide open area several thousand meters from it.

Xia Qing was today's task team leader, with Zhang Jingwu as deputy, leading eight members of Hui Three's special-ops squad on the security mission. They didn't head straight for the destination, but walked while collecting plant samples. Zhang Song, meanwhile, watched the various animals in the evolved forest, occasionally collecting specimens.

This was deep in the southern evolved forest, inside the southern wolf pack's territory. Because Xia Qing had struck a deal with Fourth last night, they didn't run into any fierce beasts.

Three hours later, the collection team, led by Xia Qing, reached the target location.

Xia Qing, with her excellent eyesight, spotted at a glance the difference between the underwater grass and what it had looked like two months ago.

Two months ago, these brown grasses had been dotted with tiny white flowers about a millimeter across; now they bore many small reddish-brown spherical fruits about the same size as the flowers.

She asked, "Sister Tao, the fruits are this color—shouldn't they be ripe?"

"They should be." Zhang Tao's voice trembled with barely contained excitement. She collected a fruit near the water's edge and confirmed after testing it. "The seeds inside the capsule are mature and can be harvested. Everyone wash the mud off your feet downstream before wading in—don't contaminate the water. Leave one ripe fruit for every five square centimeters…"

As Zhang Tao's group waded in to begin harvesting the fruits, Zhang Song collected water samples and aquatic organisms. Xia Qing and the special-ops squad stood with their backs to the pool, on guard.

Twenty minutes later, Xia Qing heard Zhang Jingwu give a warning. "Sister Qing, six o'clock, three hundred meters, on the mountain—an evolved wolf."

A wolf! Zhang Song immediately looked up toward the mountain Zhang Jingwu was facing.

Xia Qing turned her head and, with those signature emerald eyes, confirmed the identity of the evolved-forest wolf. "That's the evolved wolf of this mountain range. Everyone keep working. No sharp noises, no provocative moves. Brother Song, don't stare at that wolf—you'll likely enrage it."

"Copy that." Zhang Jingwu released his grip on the weapon at his waist and continued keeping watch.

"Understood." Zhang Song suppressed his excitement as best he could and went back to observing the traces animals had left here, photographing them for the record. "Judging by the tracks, this is a drinking spot for animals in the area, and also the wolf pack's hunting ground. Besides wolf prints, there are even-toed herbivores, small herbivores, monkeys, birds, more monkeys… the animals drawn here aren't just evolved wolves, but tigers too, and small to medium predators."

Hearing there were tigers, Xia Qing didn't turn to look at the tracks either—her job today was protecting the researchers' safety. She only replied, "The western wolf pack's territory borders the tiger group's."

Xia Qing's relationship with the tiger group wasn't great. Worried they might run into evolved tigers today, she had arranged a time and activity zone with Fourth last night, so the chance of encountering tigers today was small—but Xia Qing was also prepared to fight the tiger group if it came to it.

The fact that evolved tigers could hunt here meant the wolf pack and tiger group had a good relationship, and that this might be a jointly managed area between them.

Humans can plant grass here, but staying long-term is definitely out. So the grass-planting project in Territory Seven has to be done in cooperation with the southern wolf pack.

A few minutes later, another special-ops soldier reported, "Nine o'clock, three hundred meters, on the hillside—an evolved wolf."

Xia Qing turned and saw it was Fourth. "This wolf won't attack us either. Keep working."

"Splash—"

Xia Qing had barely finished speaking when Zhang Song fell face-first into the water.

Lord Cui Yan stared at the human struggling in the water for a few seconds, then vanished.

Two hours later, Zhang Tao's group finished the seed-collecting mission and pressed on. From the mountain ahead came the howl of an evolved wolf.

The others couldn't understand it, but Xia Qing heard it clearly: the southern wolf king was telling them not to advance any further. Xia Qing immediately ordered, "Everyone halt. Sister Tao, which direction do you still want to go?"

This chance to go deep into the evolved forest was extremely rare for Zhang Tao. She quickly looked left and right and chose a direction. "What about that patch of wild grass-family plants three hundred meters to the left?"

Grass-family plants are food crops and the main research focus of Zhang Tao's group.

Xia Qing ordered, "Captain Zhang, send someone to scout that area."

"Copy that." Zhang Jingwu immediately dispatched a team member to check. Once the area was confirmed clear, Xia Qing led the group to change direction.

Zhang Song sidled up behind Xia Qing. "Sister Qing, was that wolf just now marking the territory boundary with its howl, telling us to stay away?"

Zhang Song truly was an animal specialist—he really understood animal behavior. Xia Qing nodded and warned him, "Brother Song, watch your step. There's evolved caltrop on both sides. If you fall on it, the thorns could puncture your protective suit."

Her magnetic-sense evolution told Xia Qing this was no ordinary evolved caltrop, but an aggressive, weaponized evolved plant. If Zhang Song fell on it, the consequences would be unpredictable.