Chapter 167: How to Eat This Thing

"Thank you, my lord, for the pangolin, my lord, you've worked hard." Xia Qing picked up the small pangolin and brought it inside to test it. The lead wolf performed steadily as always — still a green light.

The small pangolin weighed over six jin. The color of the scales on its body was much lighter than the big one in the yard. Its head had already been smashed flat — looks like it was done with a rock.

As for the wolf pack not using claws or teeth this time to catch prey, but switching to rocks, Xia Qing wasn't surprised at all. A wolf pack that could force weasels to follow them over for plucking — what's so surprising about them smashing a pangolin to death with rocks?

As for this thing, Xia Qing really had no idea how to eat it, and she had no intention of eating it. She planned to trade it away.

This time, she didn't contact Ji Li from Territory Seven. Instead, she sent a message to Luo Pei.

An evolved pangolin is a good thing — it can be used as medicine. Luo Pei has been poisoned by the centipede toxin for five months now, and his skin is still pale red. The poison probably hasn't been fully purged yet.

Given the strength of the Azure Dragon Squad, and Luo Pei's position within it, the fact that he hasn't been completely cured after being poisoned for so long definitely isn't because he's short on money or doctors — it's because he's missing a key medicine.

The only question is what medicine they're short of, and whether this pangolin can be of use.

If it can't be used, Xia Qing will trade with Territory Seven instead.

A few minutes after the message was sent, Luo Pei's call came through. In a very mild, casual tone, he asked, "Xia Qing, what time is it now?"

"Four twenty-six." Xia Qing prepared to answer the time, so that after matching the code, Luo Pei would know she wasn't being coerced.

Only then was Luo Pei certain that Xia Qing had really gotten her hands on a pangolin. He asked, "The wolf pack brought you a green-light pangolin?"

"Mm, it weighs about six jin. There's also a big one, but that one the wolf pack brought for the two injured wolves to eat."

This really is...

They had searched high and low to no avail, yet Xia Qing got it without the slightest effort.

The three leaders of the Azure Dragon Squad exchanged glances. Yang Jin made a cross gesture to Luo Pei.

Luo Pei nodded and replied mildly, "An evolved green-light pangolin can be used as medicine to purge poison — it's exactly what I've been searching for. I'll offer a hundred thousand points. Can you trade me this whole small pangolin? Or other equivalent supplies you need would also work."

A hundred... thousand? A dead green-light pangolin is actually worth as much as five evolved cats?!

Xia Qing agreed immediately. "Of course. Brother Luo, which part of the pangolin do you use for medicine? If it's the scales, once the wolves finish eating the big pangolin's innards, should I save the big pangolin's scales too?"

Luo Pei laughed. "It's the scales. If you can get your hands on the big pangolin's scales too, I'll trade three hundred thousand points for the big one and the small one. What do you think?"

Of course! How could this possibly be no!

Xia Qing spoke politely. "Since it'll help Brother Luo's health, of course I'll bring it over. Mentioning points would be too formal — Brother Luo can just deduct it from the points I owe for buying the mountain."

One thing at a time. The deal she negotiated with Yang Jin last night was trading spinach juice for protective masks and protective suits — that has nothing to do with this morning's pangolin.

To date, Xia Qing still owes the Azure Dragon Squad over seven hundred and fifty thousand points for buying the mountain on her behalf. The reason it's down by over forty thousand is that this month she traded spring water with the Azure Dragon Squad at the previously agreed price, and those points were deducted from that eight hundred thousand debt.

Who would have thought pangolin scales were this precious — the wolf pack caught two and they can sell for three hundred thousand! One rock thrown by the wolf pack shaved off nearly half her debt.

Awesome!

Speaking of which, Yang Jin told her this has gone up in price, and that has gone up in price too. Shouldn't her pollution-free spring water also go up in price?

She needs to find a way to inquire about the price the Blazing Fire Squad is currently selling spring water for. If the Blazing Fire Squad raised theirs, then next time she trades supplies with the Azure Dragon Squad, she'll raise hers too.

Luo Pei laughed and agreed. "I'll have Hu Zifeng come over to pick it up. Xia Qing, thank you."

"Okay." Xia Qing reminded him, "Brother Luo, tell Captain Hu to come over in twenty minutes. I need to wait until the wolf pack is done eating before I can get the big pangolin's scales."

Luo Pei agreed. Then Xia Qing heard Yang Jin's voice come through the phone. "Brother Luo, tell Xia Qing that the two pangolins the wolf pack captured are very likely the domesticated beasts of the Sufeng Squad."

Luo Pei laughed and asked Xia Qing, "You heard that?"

"Heard it. I'll destroy the evidence right away." Xia Qing asked curiously, "Brother Luo, are these two domesticated beasts of the Sufeng Squad powerful?"

Luo Pei didn't answer directly, but turned the phone toward Yang Jin. "A'Jin, they're asking you."

Yang Jin answered, "Powerful. They're specifically domesticated to search for Yishi stones. The Sufeng Squad only spent a fortune buying them last month. This should be their first time being taken out on a mission."

Xia Qing understood. "They suspected there's a Yishi stone mine on Mountain Forty-Nine, so while Brother Luo was away from the territory and everyone's attention was on the evolved bird flock, they brought the pangolins over to mine. But unluckily, they happened to run into Captain Tan using ultrasonic waves to attack the evolved monkey-eating eagles. The pangolins got startled and ran, and the wolf pack caught them red-handed."

A third young voice, laughing, came through the phone. "Sister Qing, great minds think alike."

Luo Pei introduced him. "This is Xie Yu. You two haven't met yet."

Past four in the morning, and the three leaders of the Azure Dragon Squad were already gathered together? Xia Qing quickly greeted him. "Captain Xie, just call me Xia Qing."

She was neither older than Xie Yu nor as capable as him — she didn't dare accept that "sister." Hearing someone on the other end get slapped by someone else, Xia Qing then heard Xie Yu continue:

"Alright, Xia Qing. Thank you for getting your hands on precious supplies and thinking of Brother Luo's injury first. Personally, I'll give you a thousand rounds of bullets as thanks. Don't listen to Instructor Luo's nonsense — killing seven raptors without a scratch in your first battle against an evolved bird flock is already very impressive. Also, may I ask you a favor?"

A thousand rounds of bullets?! Xie Yu's bald head isn't just because he's so smart his hair fell out — it's also because he likes to give generously! Xia Qing spoke amiably. "Captain Xie, please go ahead."

Xie Yu made his request. "Can we send Chang Li to your territory and the third district of Mountain Forty-Nine to search along the route for scales the pangolins might have shed while the wolf pack was bringing them back?"

Yang Jin reminded Xia Qing, "If the pangolins belong to the Sufeng Squad, their evolved dogs and high-level olfactory evolvers are definitely already on their way."

Xia Qing's sense of urgency grew stronger. "Can Doctor Chang come along with Captain Hu? The sooner we clean everything up, the better."

Chang Li is a level-nine olfactory evolver — her nose is comparable to a military dog's.

After hanging up the phone, Yang Jin, Xie Yu, and Luo Pei exchanged smiles.

Xie Yu scratched his messy hair on top of his head and exclaimed, "Brother Luo, sometimes people really have to believe in fate. I think Xia Qing is your lucky star."

Luo Pei asked, "Should we give Xia Qing advance notice?"

For farming lords, every rain not predicted by the weather forecast makes them nervous.

Yang Jin shook his head. "No need. The fewer people who know, the easier it is to cover up the truth. Even Hu Zifeng and the others don't need to be notified."

Luo Pei nodded. "That's why I need to teach her even better, so she can survive the natural disasters."

Yang Jin began arranging follow-up plans. "I just checked — there are clouds near Mountain Forty-Nine right now. After Chang Li finishes her search, let's have it rain on Mountain Forty-Nine to wash away all traces."

Inside Territory Three, Xia Qing, who had sealed up the small pangolin, stared through the window at the wolf pack eating meat in the yard.