Chapter 194: Refreshing Perceptions

At the security door, a very handsome rooster was set down — its plumage far more beautiful than the one the weasel was currently plucking.

After Xia Qing came out, the lead wolf glanced at her, then raised a paw and pressed down on the sick wolf's paw.

"Thank you, Queen my lord, for the chicken — you've worked hard, my lord. After your companion took the medicine, its condition has improved a lot. After dawn I'll be taking it and the two wolves in the cave over to the territory on that side for a checkup." Xia Qing gestured at the wolf's waist. "It's the same place we took the wolf with the waist injury last time — for a checkup and surgery."

After Xia Qing finished speaking, she picked up the wild chicken and lavished the lead wolf with praise, then went back inside to message Ji Li. Without pulling so much as one pretty tail feather from the chicken, she sealed it up and carried it to the North Buffer Zone of Territory Three.

The people from Territory Seven were punctual as always. Ji Li and someone Xia Qing hadn't met before were already waiting with four large crates. Xia Qing greeted Ji Li warmly. "Brother Ji, long time no see."

Ji Li nodded and asked Xia Qing, "This is the equipment you wanted — do you know how to install it? If not, let Daya help you. He's in charge of food storage for our territory — a real expert in this area."

Meeting an expert, Xia Qing naturally wasn't going to pass up the chance to learn. "I've honestly never installed one. Sorry to trouble you, Brother Ya."

Daya nodded.

Because he was wearing a protective mask, Xia Qing couldn't make out his features — she could only tell he was a short, middle-aged man, though he might not actually be middle-aged; these days you can't simply judge age by looks.

Ji Li took the sealed wild chicken, then handed Xia Qing a small medicine packet. "This is anesthetic. Our lord wants you to come over at nine forty-five. Need any help?"

Xia Qing nodded. "Please have someone from Territory Seven at the abandoned cave by the wild boar breeding center at nine twenty, Brother Ji — to help me carry the wolves."

Though Xia Qing was strong, the path was rough, and she couldn't carry three wolves steadily on a plank by herself.

After Ji Li left with the wild chicken, Xia Qing picked up two of the large crates Ji Li had brought and led the way. "Brother Ya, I haven't built a road through this buffer forest yet — watch your step."

"Got it." Daya replied, picked up the remaining two crates, and followed behind Xia Qing.

Reaching the village entrance, Xia Qing reminded him, "There are two wolves at my place — they don't hurt people. Just follow me in, Brother Ya."

"Got it." Daya felt no fear toward this pack of wolves that delivered green-light prey — only curiosity and envy.

A pack of wolves like that — he wanted one too.

Leading Daya near her home, Xia Qing saw, as expected, the lead wolf standing on the ruined house outside her courtyard, watching them. Xia Qing greeted it first. "Queen my lord, this is the supplies I just traded for — I couldn't haul it back alone. This is Brother Ya, who helped deliver it."

Hearing Xia Qing's introduction struck Daya as novel. He solemnly greeted the wolf on the ruins. "Pleased to meet you."

The title "Queen my lord" — even more embarrassing than "Cat Princess" — Daya couldn't bring himself to say it.

Watching that wolf vanish in a single bound, Daya finally felt fear. "H-high-level speed evolver?"

"Probably."

Leading Daya along, Xia Qing was unsurprised to find, as they passed the sheep pen, the sick wolf lying inside, with the lead wolf standing in front of it as a protector. The plucked weasel had already run off, and a bare chicken had been left at Xia Qing's door.

Xia Qing greeted the two wolves again, picked up the wild chicken, and opened the security door. "Brother Ya, the cellar is under this building."

"Got it." Daya's every muscle tensed as he carried the crates past the front of the sheep pen.

Xia Qing went inside, turned on the light, and greeted the Boss Sheep lying on the tatami. "Boss, this is Third Brother's companion — he's here to help us install the equipment."

Having just been startled twice by wolves, Daya had his perception refreshed once more by the "crazy sheep" lying on the grass mat in the living room. Somewhat numbly, he nodded. "Boss Sheep — I've heard much about you."

Daya wasn't being polite this time. The "crazy" strength-evolved sheep in Territory Three was famous throughout the neighboring territories. Xia Qing had nearly come to blows with Territory Two over it.

However, because this sheep never left the territory, everyone had heard of it but no one had actually seen it. Daya hadn't expected it to be this fat — pity it wasn't a green-light animal, or all that meat would be enough for Third Brother to eat heartily for over a dozen meals.

"Baa—"

The Boss Sheep, displeased by Daya's stare, stood up and pawed the ground, ready to fight. That call was clearly summoning the lead wolf and Xia Qing to back it up.

Daya immediately shielded the crates, afraid the sheep might go berserk.

"Cut it out — Brother Ya's here to help us." Xia Qing immediately picked up the Boss Sheep and carried it to the sheep pen. "Queen my lord, keep an eye on the Boss — I've got to install the equipment."

After one look from the lead wolf, the Boss Sheep stopped pawing, its gaze no longer sidelong — utterly docile.

Back inside, Xia Qing turned on the light in the tool room. "The cellar was built under this room. Sorry to trouble you, Brother Ya — help me move one set of equipment down there. I'll go deal with the chicken first, or it won't be fresh later."

Xia Qing quickly removed the contraband from inside the bare chicken, then put the whole bird in a pot, added water, and set it to stew. She went down into the tool room cellar and found Daya unpacking crates in the food storage room.

Xia Qing asked for guidance. "Brother Ya, what do you think — is this storage room still usable?"

To install the equipment, Xia Qing had built a wall inside the underground storage room and fitted a door in it, separating the storage room from the outer passage. The interior walls had been coated with two layers of insect-proof putty powder, so the room looked very clean and bright.

The Yishi hanging in the cellar's food storage room had already been put away by Xia Qing. The room was empty, with only a sealed bag of grain sitting on a shelf against the wall.

Judged by Territory Seven's food storage standards, this cellar in Territory Three wouldn't pass at all — but for Xia Qing to have built it up to this was already quite impressive. Daya nodded. "It's usable."

Daya first enlarged the wall hole Xia Qing had already cut — the one connecting the indoor and outdoor units — by two rings' worth, so that the bundled connecting wires (the neutral wire, compressor wire, heat dissipation fan wire, and four-way valve wire) could be passed through the hole to link the indoor and outdoor units together.

After finishing the hole, Daya first installed the temperature and humidity monitor and the indoor unit, then mounted the outdoor unit on the exterior wall, and finally connected it to the battery Xia Qing had brought over.

When the machine powered on and started running, Xia Qing was pleasantly surprised.

Because the outdoor unit's fan noise was under thirty decibels, that level of sound meant anyone entering the yard — unless they were a hearing evolver of Level Four or above — wouldn't hear the equipment running!

After teaching Xia Qing how to use the temperature and humidity monitor, Daya added, "Once you've set the temperature, humidity, and ventilation frequency, the monitor will automatically track the room's temperature and humidity. The machine only runs when air conditions fall short or ventilation is needed — just make sure the power doesn't cut out. These two units are brand new; as long as no water gets in, no bugs get in, and no outside force damages them, they shouldn't have any problems for five years. If something does go wrong, just let Third Brother know."

Yan Long, Ji Li, and the person handling Territory Seven's external liaison over the past half month all referred to Zhang San as "our lord" — but Daya used "Third Brother." Judging by the form of address, he was probably one of Third Brother's "inner circle."

Xia Qing continued to seek advice. "Thanks, Brother Ya. What other improvements do you think I could make to this cellar?"