Chapter 1374: Danger Zones Inside Mountain Fifty-Five

Three hours into the Calamity Snow of Year Eleven of the Calamity, Zhang San contacted Xia Qing through the Lord Channel, ordering her to patrol the danger zone of Mountain Fifty, take soil samples, and test the soil's microbial community.

Although her allies all felt the mission was dangerous, Xia Qing agreed without a moment's hesitation, refused the kind offers from Zhang Hongda, Huo Zhun, Shi Du, and others, and drove off alone in her battered-looking off-road vehicle, leaving the territory for Mountain Fifty.

Apart from Yang Jin, only Tang Huai of Territory Two knew that Xia Qing's destination on this trip was not Mountain Fifty.

Because before Zhang San contacted Xia Qing, Tang Huai had already heard Xia Qing drive her off-road vehicle near the south gate of Territory Three. As she was leaving, Yang Jin said a few words to her, but because their voices were kept very low, Tang Huai didn't catch what they discussed.

Yang Jin not going along meant the danger level of this mission wasn't high, but it required Xia Qing to handle personally, so Xia Qing had most likely gone to the wolves' territory. Tang Huai was very envious, but he knew Xia Qing wouldn't take him.

He shook the snow off his protective suit and patrolled the territory with high morale. A top sniper had left the northern first district, so he, a mid-level sniper, had to step up and let Xia Qing see his combat power!

Xia Qing drove with the Broken-Waist Wolf, entering the valley road between Mountain Forty-Nine and Mountain Fifty from the northern isolation belt, and before long witnessed how the Calamity Snow period differed from normal times.

In this uncleared zone, colorless transparent snow-hopping insects and other cold-resistant bugs—some as small as soybeans, some as long as a finger—were drawn to the lights and fearlessly flung themselves at the vehicle. The impact sounds made Xia Qing feel it wasn't Calamity Snow but a rainstorm.

Xia Qing turned off the headlights and drove on. She wore night-vision goggles, and the Broken-Waist Wolf was born with night vision, so driving without headlights wasn't a problem. Sure enough, after the lights went off, the impact sounds dropped considerably.

Twenty minutes later, Xia Qing parked at the lot beneath the Third Peak of Mountain Fifty, then ran north through the snow with the Broken-Waist Wolf for fifteen minutes, and finally saw the big fellow wearing a protective suit and goggles.

Once Xia Qing climbed onto the wolf's back, this disaster-clearing squad's pace immediately doubled.

"Awoo—woo—"

The two wolves and one person had just arrived near the Third Peak of Mountain Fifty-Five when they heard the warning howl of the head wolf standing atop the snowy peak, a sparkling protective shell inlaid with pink diamonds hanging from its neck.

Xia Qing could only describe the taste of this married couple as speechless. A Use Yishi protective shell is used to protect an opened Use Yishi, sealing the Use Yishi particles so they don't release Yi elements outward. When people need to use Use Yishi particles, they take them out and hang them around their necks or tuck them in their pockets—more discreet and safer.

The Broken-Waist Wolf didn't see it that way. The protective shell it had Xia Qing design for it was dual-use: when worn during Calamity Rain or Calamity Snow, it left a gap so it didn't affect the outward diffusion of Yi elements, repelling Calamity elements.

This thing—the Broken-Waist Wolf had traded for four of them in succession, one for each member of its family.

Only within its own territory, and even then only in certain places, did Xia Qing think the head wolf would wear such a position-revealing protective shell. Still, a normal person wouldn't think this thing was a Use Yishi protective shell.

Hearing the head wolf's howl, the Broken-Waist Wolf didn't stop, and after a few leaps vanished from sight. The big fellow stopped, Xia Qing jumped off the wolf's back, and called out in a loud voice, "Queen, my lord!"

The head wolf standing on the peak howled a few more times before leaping down from the snowy summit and landing in front of Xia Qing.

It wore no protective suit; Calamity Snow fell on its thick fur, glimmering faintly under the night-vision goggles.

Xia Qing reached up and brushed the snow off its fur, then casually dripped a few drops of insect-repellent on the back of its neck, before explaining the danger-zone clearing task. "I'm going to deal with that patch of dangerous Bai Mao grass roots and Calamity Grass. Queen, my lord, and Big Fellow, don't get close—the air over there is toxic."

The head wolf wore no protective mask, and the big fellow's protective mask was only half-covering, able to protect the eyes but not block toxins.

However, hydrogen sulfide gives off a very foul smell, so even without toxin-detection equipment, the wolf pack would instinctively stay away from places that smell bad.

The head wolf nuzzled Xia Qing's protective mask with its head but didn't leave. The Broken-Waist Wolf, wearing a fully enclosed protective mask, quickly returned, walked up to the head wolf, and tilted its head up to signal the head wolf to tie the mask's straps for it—an action the Broken-Waist Wolf couldn't manage with its own paws.

Reseller Xia Qing had traded the Broken-Waist Wolf a human-style protective mask, and the two wolves had used it to show off a face full of wolf fur right in front of her!

Xia Qing snorted inwardly, reached for her pocket, and said, "Queen, my lord, wait a moment!"

The head wolf used its paw to tie the straps for the Broken-Waist Wolf, then turned to look at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing pulled out a new filter cartridge. "Broken-Waist, your mask's filter needs changing. This is a high-grade filter—88 points each. After the disaster clearing, don't forget to bring your points card and transfer the points to me."

I'll make you show off!

The mask-wearing Broken-Waist Wolf understood and immediately turned sideways.

From a side pocket of its protective suit it produced a pigeon-egg-sized mid-grade Use Yishi. Xia Qing immediately beamed, her voice so sweet it could squeeze out water. "Handsome Wolf Bro, is this Use Yishi my payment for clearing the evolved Bai Mao grass danger zone?"

The mask-wearing Broken-Waist Wolf nodded.

"Handsome Wolf Bro is really generous—truly the Queen, my lord's favorite evolved wolf! The filter points don't need to be transferred—consider it a gift from me! Let's go, we're setting out. I'll clear the danger right away!"

Xia Qing tucked the Use Yishi into her own pocket, swiftly changed the filter for the Broken-Waist Wolf, and set off immediately. Every extra second would be a disservice to the wolf tycoon's generous payment!

After the masked human and wolf had advanced for two minutes, the air-toxin detector Xia Qing was wearing lit up red.

The Broken-Waist Wolf stopped at the same time, because the air-toxin detector Zhang San had custom-made for it, hanging from its Use Yishi chain, had also buzzed once, indicating toxins in the air.

Xia Qing raised her arm and glanced at it. "It's hydrogen sulfide. Handsome Wolf Bro, don't advance. I'll go clear it. We'll stay in contact by walkie-talkie… Got it, I'll record video and show you when it's done."

The Broken-Waist Wolf retreated a few steps, leapt onto a large tree to shelter from the Calamity Snow, and watched Xia Qing continue forward.

After Xia Qing walked forward another stretch, she used magnetic sense to detect the sharp magnetic field emanating from the aggressive Calamity-evolved plants. Relying on this feeling, she quickly found a patch of aggressive Calamity Grass already grown to 1.5 meters tall, then climbed the slippery Calamity-Snow-covered slope beside it to confirm the patch hadn't exceeded 8 square meters, and let out a long, relieved breath.

The suppressant her idol gave her was enough, and the sealed bags she carried were sufficient to pack up and take away the soil containing the high-grade evolved anaerobic bacteria—she wouldn't leave the danger behind here.