Chapter 1746: Spring Pancakes and the Heartbroken Yang Jin

Zhang Jingwu carried Zhang He into Territory Three and began using the equipment to extract Yi-28 from inside the protective barrier, while Xia Qing was on the phone with Broken-Waist Wolf asking for leave.

Ram Boss had been stimulated by the gases from the great catalpa tree and was in an angry state, so Xia Qing couldn't leave it alone in the territory. That meant this morning Xia Qing couldn't go to the Third Peak of Mountain Forty-Nine to serve as translator for Broken-Waist Wolf.

Broken-Waist Wolf on the video screen listened, then solemnly extended one large paw.

Xia Qing nodded. "You can deduct today's translation points. Broken-Waist, does the Queen like the prey we brought back yesterday?"

Broken-Waist Wolf bared its jaws, revealing its snow-white, adorable little fang tips.

Xia Qing smiled too. "Glad she likes it. Can we still go to the basin on Mountain Eighty-Nine these next couple of days to catch evolved red deer?"

Broken-Waist Wolf closed its mouth.

Xia Qing understood. "Alright, we'll head back over next year at this season. Broken-Waist, I'm hanging up now—Boss is starting to act up."

After hanging up, Xia Qing carried Ram Boss out of Territory Three and into Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine. When Little Flat-Top saw Xia Qing hauling out the bleating Ram Boss, he immediately turned around and scurried off, shaking his head.

Little Flat-Top had chickened out, so Xia Qing had to handle it herself. She stepped back a few paces and got into a stance. "Boss, come on!"

"Moo—"

Ram Boss, emotionally out of control from the gases released by the great catalpa tree, charged at Xia Qing at full speed. Xia Qing reached out and grabbed its horns, and the two of them began a contest of strength.

Even throwing in her full strength, Level Seven power evolver Xia Qing still couldn't match the high-level power-evolved ram in its berserk state. After holding on for half a minute, she tightened her grip on the horns and flung it sideways, sending Ram Boss crashing into a mud pit.

Ram Boss hit the ground, sending up a spray of mud, then scrambled up and charged at Xia Qing again.

Xia Qing went on wrestling it for strength, then flung it out again.

It wasn't even light yet, and even in the Zone Three evolution forest, Xia Qing couldn't go all-out and have a proper fight with Ram Boss, because she didn't want to wake the allies who were still sleeping.

Twenty minutes later, as the sky gradually brightened and the lords of Territories Four, Five, and Six got up to cook, patrol their lands, and work, Xia Qing finally let loose and went at it with Ram Boss.

The crashing of trees and splitting of rocks in Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine carried into Territories Four and Five. Zhao Ze and the others assumed the Azure Dragon Squad was doing training and kept quiet.

Tan Junjie drove his patrol vehicle past the northern isolation belt of Territory Three, heard the bleating coming from inside, and pretended he hadn't heard it.

Tang Huai?

He was inside Territory Twelve, and the Ninth Center to the north of Territory Twelve was sawing through steel bars, making so much noise that even this gossip-loving auditory evolver couldn't hear the sounds of Xia Qing and Ram Boss fighting.

When Ram Boss finally collapsed, Xia Qing was so exhausted she lay on the muddy ground panting hard.

The brain-domain-evolved raven Moli, perched in a tree, flew down and landed on Xia Qing's shoulder, calling "Xia Qing, Xia Qing."

Xia Qing tilted her head and asked between breaths, "Moli, why are you here alone? Where's Bai Yan?"

Moli tilted her head from side to side.

Xia Qing understood. "Bai Yan isn't here—did it go back to Mountain Eighty-Six?"

Moli stopped tilting her head.

Xia Qing asked curiously, "Moli, have you and Bai Yan built a nest in that big tree over there?"

Moli didn't tilt her head—she'd clearly already started building a nest and was getting ready to lay eggs. So why had the white-eyed raven gone back to Mountain Eighty-Six?

Before Xia Qing could ask, she saw the white-eyed raven flying over with a few branches suitable for nest-building in its beak, and landing on a nearby big tree. Visual evolver Xia Qing immediately noticed that among the branches the white-eyed raven had brought back was a small section from a Sichuan pepper tree on Mountain Eighty-Six!

A speed evolver is seriously impressive!

"Caw—"

Moli took off happily and flew away together with the white-eyed raven, who was still carrying branches.

Xia Qing stood up, hauled Ram Boss out of the mud, and left Zone Three. Back at her own territory, she first went to the great catalpa tree to check on Zhang He's progress.

Seeing Xia Qing covered in mud carrying a mud-covered evolved ram, Zhang He quickly asked, "Junior Sister, has Ram Boss's emotions been brought under control?"

Xia Qing shook her head. "Not sure yet—it's tired now, we'll have to wait until it recovers to find out. Does Senior Sister need any help over here?"

Zhang He handed Xia Qing a vial. "Having Squad Captain Zhang help me is enough. This is a harmless anesthetic—if you can't control it, dilute it in water and give it 3 ml to drink, with at least six hours between doses."

"Alright, Senior Sister, please put it in my pocket for me." Xia Qing's hands were covered in mud and she couldn't take the vial.

When she left the buffer forest and carried Ram Boss past the little hut by the fields and saw Yang Jin, she froze.

Yang Jin had three obvious knife wounds on his face; the most dangerous one had sliced open the outer corner of his left eye, nearly damaging the eyeball!

Yang Jin waved the wooden spatula in his hand at Xia Qing. "Boss, long time no see. You look even more muscular—truly worthy of being Blue Star's greatest evolved ram! Sister Qing, are there any ripe cucumbers in the greenhouse?"

"Yes, I'll pick a couple." Xia Qing carried the very unhappy Ram Boss home, quickly gave it a bath, and settled it in the hammock under the insect-proof netting on the porch to dry in the sun. She then took a shower herself, distributed food to Daigua, Ergua, and Blue-Face Little Monkey, and only then picked two cucumbers, plucked a handful of scallion leaves, and hurried to the meeting room.

Walking into the meeting room, Xia Qing saw the table laid out with fragrant stir-fried shredded pork in sauce, blanched bean sprouts and carrots, washed small scallion leaves, and a big bowl of meatballs soup with an irresistible aroma.

After Xia Qing came in, Yang Jin opened the electric griddle, took out the first thin pancake, and placed it on a plate.

By the time Xia Qing had washed the cucumbers, cut them into strips, and brought them out, the second pancake was already done. Looking at the spread of fragrant food on the table, a deep sense of satisfaction welled up in her—she felt so hungry she could eat every last bit of it!

"Sister Qing, try this—it's shredded pork fried with Green Lantern soybean paste."

"Alright." Xia Qing wrapped a vegetable-and-meat roll in a thin pancake, ate it in a few bites, then asked, "That's good. Did you get these injuries after coming back?"

Yang Jin, whose wounds hadn't yet scabbed over, gave a brief answer. "Outside the airport on the Ruins Continent. The people I'd teamed up with to look for ore had joined forces with over thirty gold-prospectors to wipe us out and keep the ore for themselves. We wiped them out instead and brought back 120 tons of ore."

Xia Qing nodded. "Your leg?"

"A hairline fracture in the thigh bone—minor injury, it'll heal after some rest. Thanks to Third Brother's medicine and gear." Yang Jin ate a couple of bites of pancake, lifted the griddle lid to take out the third one and hand it to Xia Qing, then rolled out another and put it in.

Anything that can heal is a minor injury, so the heaviness on Yang Jin's face wasn't because of his wounds. It seemed the Azure Dragon Squad had taken heavy casualties this time.

Xia Qing didn't ask. She reached out, ladled a bowl of meatball soup, and handed it over.

Yang Jin took the bowl with both hands, silently drank half of it, his expression softening a little, then continued with business. "I heard Professor Wu Chengyu has joined the Territory Alliance, so I didn't send the ore to the steel mill."

Wu Chengyu was an expert—maybe he had better suggestions on how to use this new-type ore.

Xia Qing nodded. "Once Professor Wu finishes the surgery, let's show him the ore and decide then."

Yang Jin showed a gentle smile; the scars on his face were pulled by it, and his nerves twitched slightly. "Congratulations, Sister Qing—the Territory Alliance has gained another heavyweight ally."

Xia Qing smiled and nodded. Wu, the big shot who designed and built the Giant Kun and the mobile fortress, was of course a figure standing at the very top of the universe's heavyweight pyramid!