Chapter 200: Lord Eight Comes Online
Is this thing looking for a fight? Xia Qing drew her long blade and held it in her hand. She'd never actually fought a wolf before, so this was a perfect chance to get some practice.
Although this wolf was very powerful, Xia Qing wasn't afraid at all, because she was confident that until the sick wolf and the one with the injured waist recovered, the pack wouldn't use their lethal claws on her. Even if this broken-legged one didn't know any better, the brain-evolution injured wolf lying at the cave entrance and the pack leader crouching on the cave roof would stop it.
The broken-legged wolf didn't need the others to restrain it. Although Xia Qing had struck a fighting pose, it didn't fight her—it just circled her a few times, then went back to frolicking in the valley. Wherever it passed, stones were kicked flying, tree bark was clawed open, and snakes, bugs, and birds scattered in all directions.
The claw marks the broken-legged wolf left on the tree trunk were exactly the same as the claw marks a ferociously powerful wolf left on the trees when the Fengyun Squad was wiped out by this pack last year.
So it turned out this broken-legged fellow was one of the main fighters in the wolf pack that attacked the Fengyun Squad last year.
Amid the chaos, Xia Qing sighed and raised her voice slightly. "Queen, my lord, can you please rein in this lunatic? If it keeps this up, the humans outside will notice, and you won't be able to stay here."
The pack leader crouching on the cave roof stood up, leaped over to intercept the crazed brown-gray evolved wolf, and pinned it under its paw.
I... damn...
That skill, that speed—truly worthy of the pack's leader. Xia Qing felt humbled.
The brown-gray evolved wolf rolled over, exposing its softest belly, and squirmed and rubbed against the pack leader's paw. Every movement, every flying wolf hair radiated excitement.
Two wolves walked out of the cave and joined the celebration. Four wolves chased and tussled by the pond, but all kept within bounds, not making too much of a ruckus.
Xia Qing took out her phone and called Beard Feng. "Captain Hu, the chaos in the valley in Zone Three has been brought under control... Yes, the evolved wolf with the injured hind leg has recovered, and it's a bit excited now that the anesthetic has worn off... Understood, sorry to trouble you, Captain Hu."
While Xia Qing was on the phone, her gaze drifted to the camera on the big tree not far from the cave entrance.
The brain-evolution injured wolf lying at the cave entrance looked at Xia Qing, then at the big tree she was gazing at, seeming to ponder.
After Xia Qing hung up, she noticed the broken-waist wolf on the ground watching her, so she pointed at the valley's boundaries and explained to it, "This valley, the cave behind it—you can use them, but you can't be discovered by the humans outside..."
Xia Qing pointed toward the isolation belt outside the valley, gesturing as she warned, "You can't be discovered by the humans outside. They have weapons that can anesthetize, capture, and kill you—and them."
She chose to communicate with this wolf because Xia Qing had noticed it understood human language better. This was probably because it had been recuperating in Territory Three for a relatively long time, and she often talked to it.
The brain-evolution wolf looked in the direction Xia Qing was pointing, then turned to look at its companions—judging by its gaze, it seemed to understand.
Xia Qing pointed at the thick wooden board inside the cave with pictures pasted on it, and instructed, "I want these two kinds of herbs, roots and all—dig them out of the soil and bring them to me. Like this."
Xia Qing then dug up an entire plant from the nearby hillside with her hands to show the smart wolf. "Give them to me, trade for medicine, save your companions."
The brain-evolution injured wolf slowly stood up and moved to a patch of grass. After its waist brace was shortened, it moved its body a bit faster. It dug twice with its front paw and uprooted the grass, then carried it back in its mouth and dropped it in front of Xia Qing.
"Right, just like that." Communicating with a smart one really saves effort. Xia Qing took the grass it was carrying, rubbed the brain-evolution wolf's clever head, then walked into the cave and pointed at the pictures on the board showing mature-stage herbs growing among the rocks. "I want ones that look like this."
As for the plant growing in the water, Xia Qing felt that sending the wolves to fetch it was really too risky.
While the brain-evolution wolf stared at the picture, Chen Cheng behind the camera declared confidently, "Boss, I bet my life it understood completely."
Beard Feng rubbed the little nursing kitten cradled in his palms and held it up to the screen. "See that? When our Little Five grows up, don't go playing in the Zone Three valley—there are wolves there."
Chen Cheng's hands and heart both itched. "Boss, you've been holding it so long your arms must be tired. Let me hold it for a bit?"
"Get lost!" Beard Feng scooted to the side, absolutely refusing to let this guy's stinky hands anywhere near the sweet-smelling little nursing kitten, but failed to notice that the little nursing kitten in his palms, wearing white boots, was staring at the screen with its round, glistening gray eyes.
After calming the wolves in the valley, Xia Qing turned and walked outward along the riverbed.
Every step she took was steady and firm.
The wolves won't attack her now, but what about later?
Who knows.
If they become enemies, fight; if they become allies, cooperate for mutual benefit. She couldn't even fully trust humans of the same species and language as herself, let alone a pack of evolved predators that spoke a different language, were of a different species, and had grown up in the Evolution Forest.
When she left the valley and passed through the isolation belt, Xia Qing heard familiar footsteps from the distant eastern hillside and stopped where she was.
Tan Junjie led the patrol team along the hillside below the isolation belt on the northern slope of Territory Four. He saw Xia Qing standing on the isolation belt and gave her a slight nod.
Su Mingyang waved cheerfully. "Sister Qing!"
Xia Qing explained to the patrol team, "I went to Mountain Forty-Nine to look for supplies. I checked in with Territory One."
The Evolution Forest area north of Territory Three's isolation belt is the Qinglong Squad's outdoor training base. The Qinglong Squad has already announced this and put up signs prohibiting anyone outside the squad from entering. Although the Qinglong Squad hasn't fenced off the mountain, no one dares trespass.
Because if you're photographed trespassing, you have to pay the Qinglong Squad at least four thousand points. What's the maximum? That depends on how much damage your trespassing causes the Qinglong Squad.
Tan Junjie nodded and reminded Xia Qing, "Stay safe."
"Understood. Thanks, Captain Tan."
After the patrol team passed, Xia Qing relied on her sharp hearing to catch scent-evolution squad member Yuan Rui quietly reporting to Tan Junjie, "Xia Qing has the scent of wolves on her."
The fact that there are wolves in Xia Qing's territory can't be hidden from the patrol team that patrols Territories One through Ten around the clock.
Both Xia Qing and Luo Pei have informed the patrol team. Xia Qing assured Tan Junjie that the wolves recuperating in her territory would never attack other territories, so Tan Junjie turned a blind eye and didn't report it upward.
Xia Qing isn't afraid now of the news about wolves in Territory Three getting out, because the old wolf in her territory that's about to die of illness has already been discovered by Zhang Yong, Xu Juan, and the Sufeng Squad.
If people other than the patrol team notice the wolf scent, Xia Qing will just bring the matter of wolves in her territory out into the open. A sick, slow-moving old wolf won't cause an uproar—at most it'll earn a few shocked exclamations from Zhao Ze and a few snide remarks from Tang Huai.
Tan Junjie remained silent. Xia Qing heard Su Ming mutter softly, "The wolf recuperating in Territory Three still hasn't recovered?"
Hu Zi replied, "What's so strange about that? The evolved sea eagle recuperating in Territory Eight hasn't recovered either, has it?"
Hearing them mention it, Xia Qing suddenly remembered that Territory Eight's lord, Seeing Xin Yu, was raising an evolved fierce raptor. If the evolved sea eagle recovers from its injuries and doesn't leave, Xia Qing will need to give Territory Eight's lord a heads-up in advance.
The fish, poultry, and even Old Sheep in Territory Three are all on the evolved sea eagle's menu. If Territory Eight's evolved sea eagle flies to Territory Three to hunt, Xia Qing will absolutely shoot it down. So she needs to ask Territory Eight's lord to keep her evolved animal in check.
Before Xia Qing could contact Territory Eight's lord, Seeing Xin Yu suddenly spoke up during the lords' exchange time after the evening farming broadcast. "Is Territory One's lord there? This is Territory Eight's lord, Seeing Xin Yu."
"
End of Chapter
