Chapter 334: Howls of Wolf and Bear

Xia Qing took out the insect-repellent spray and asked the lead wolf, "Queen, my lord, this medicine sprayed on the body can prevent insect bites, effective for three hours. Do you want some?"

Evolved wolves run extremely fast; in half an hour they can definitely reach the "battlefield" deep in the Evolution Forest. Whether things go smoothly or not, two hours should be enough to finish the fight. Although this insect-repellent spray isn't of much use, it can still keep the Xiong Qun from being disturbed and let them focus fully on the enemy.

The lead wolf, wearing its brand-new protective suit, wasn't interested in the insect-repellent spray at all. After circling Xia Qing once, it headed outside.

Without needing the lead wolf to give an order, the Broken-Waist Wolf, the Broken-Leg Wolf, and the Giant Wolf followed the lead wolf out one by one. The Sick Wolf nuzzled Xia Qing's body, then followed its companions out of the yard, leaving the abandoned village.

The new wooden door under the eaves? With a great battle ahead, the Broken-Waist Wolf didn't even spare it a glance.

The moving Xiong Qun didn't let out a single howl; even the usually wild Broken-Leg Wolf was unusually quiet.

After leaping over the river channel, the Xiong Qun followed the lead wolf and accelerated. In the blink of an eye, they left human territory and entered the Evolution Forest.

The cameras on the Low Slope and Gao Po detected the intruders and sent warnings one after another to the mobile end. Xia Qing held her phone and, standing with her snow-white companion behind the village, quietly watched the direction the Xiong Qun had left.

The light drizzle had stopped by noon. Now the sky was full of stars, weeds covered the ground, the insect chorus was deafening, every sound like a war drum urging one forward.

Xia Qing took a deep breath and called Beard Feng. "Captain Hu, the Xiong Qun will soon enter the valley between the two mountains from Valley No. 1, Area 3, Mountain No. 49. Please let them pass."

Beard Feng stared at the Xiong Qun sprinting across the surveillance screen, looking up, down, left, right, and still didn't spot them carrying any large supplies. "I think the way this pack is acting, they look like they're going to fight."

What they dare trade with Xia Qing—could it be weapons?

"They might be going for revenge." The moment Xia Qing said those two words, she felt her own blood boiling too. "Please keep an eye on developments deep in the Evolution Forest, Captain Hu."

"Understood."

Beard Feng immediately reported the situation to Luo Pei. Once large fierce beasts in the Evolution Forest start a fierce battle, surrounding animals will be startled and flee. Although the chance of a beast tide this season is low, precautions still had to be taken.

Xia Qing and Sheep Boss returned home, tidied the yard, the sheep pen, and the first-floor living room, then discovered a rather tragic situation:

The big rabbit she'd traded with Shi Du was so scared it was hiding in its cage trembling, refusing to eat.

Xia Qing knew it was afraid of wolves. After getting the news that the Xiong Qun was coming, she'd carried it from the sheep pen into the house and put it in the tool room. The Xiong Qun never entered the tool room, yet it was still terrified.

All that size for nothing.

Xia Qing put the few remaining spinach leaves from juicing into the rabbit's cage, then gave it fresh, unpolluted spring water. She then told the rabbit, "This spring water I sell for 144 points a liter, the spinach juice for 3000 points per 15 milliliters. Put together, these two things are worth more than your meat. Eat up."

"Roar—"

Xia Qing had just finished speaking when she heard the faint angry roar of an evolved bear from afar. Her big rabbit trembled even harder. With no choice, Xia Qing had to put the rabbit into the outer room of the underground storage.

Tonight there was bound to be a great battle in the Evolution Forest. If she didn't put it down there, she was afraid the rabbit would be scared to death.

"Is Captain Tan there? What's going on? Why are the evolved bears roaring at night?" Tang Huai's questioning voice came over the walkie-talkie.

"Did the bears roar?" Zhao Ze couldn't hear the bear's roar and asked in surprise.

"They did! It's just that the place is at least sixty li from us; only hearing-evolved people can hear it." Tang Huai, the hearing-evolved person, asked again, "Captain Tan, what's going on with the bears in the Evolution Forest?"

Tan Junjie replied sternly, "The investigation team is looking into it. Please all lords stay within your territories and do not go out."

"Roar—"

"Awooo—woo—"

"And wolves!" The howl also came from deep in the Evolution Forest and was picked up by the sharp-eared Tang Huai. "It might be the Xiong Qun and the bear group fighting over territory."

"Can a wolf's howl carry fifty or sixty li too?" Zhao Ze found it unbelievable.

Under normal circumstances, the howls of normal wolves and bears couldn't carry that far. But the ones fighting were high-level evolved animals, and it was the dead of night, so the distant sounds could only be picked up by hearing-evolved people of Level 5 or above.

Xia Qing, whose hearing was sharper and who was more familiar with the Xiong Qun, recognized this as the lead wolf's howl. The call was long and stern, as if summoning companions.

So the evolved Xiong Qun is fighting the evolved bear group? Beard Feng had said that deep in the Evolution Forest north of Hui-3 Base, there were two brain-domain evolved bears.

If a Xiong Qun led by two brain-domain evolved wolves fought a bear group led by two brain-domain evolved bears...

Thinking of the size of the evolved bear she'd seen on Mountain No. 50, Xia Qing slowly exhaled. No wonder the Xiong Qun had prepared so thoroughly; bears' defense and attack power both surpass wolves'.

But wolves are faster than bears, and their group combat ability is stronger. The lead wolf and the Broken-Waist Wolf aren't fools; since they've decided to attack, it means they have a certain chance of winning.

Even with a chance of winning, the Xiong Qun would certainly take casualties. Xia Qing had already prepared herself for the Xiong Qun coming to her for treatment after the battle.

When she handed the herbs to Ji Li this afternoon, she'd traded with Ji Li for some commonly used external wound medicines and anesthetics. She'd also touched base with Chang Li and Zhang He: if a wolf's injuries were too severe for Xia Qing to treat, she'd have to ask these two to step in.

Third Brother?

Unless it's a matter of life and death, she can't waste the big shot's precious time.

Beard Feng called. "The wolves and bears are fighting on Mountain No. 60; it won't affect our area. Rest easy."

The two brain-domain evolved bears are on Mountain No. 61. The Xiong Qun didn't go attack the bears' territory; they must be going to take back the land the bears had occupied. In that case, the Xiong Qun probably isn't up against the toughest bears.

Xia Qing was indeed a little more reassured, but listening to bear roars one after another drowning out the wolf howls, she couldn't sleep soundly even lying in bed.

Sure enough, before dawn, Xia Qing heard her phone's notification sound. She opened the surveillance camera and saw the Broken-Waist Wolf, wearing its already torn protective suit, with the Giant Wolf, appear within Gao Po's surveillance range.

Xia Qing rushed downstairs and ran outside. Sheep Boss hadn't put on night-vision goggles but still stumbled after Xia Qing. Without telling Sheep Boss to go back, Xia Qing grabbed the tower and hoisted it on her shoulder, ran outside the village, and met up with the two wolves.

Xia Qing put Sheep Boss down, watched Sheep Boss go up and interact with the two wolves, and through the night-vision goggles examined the two evolved wolves returning from the great battle.

The Broken-Waist Wolf's protective suit was torn, its body was wet, but there was no blood—because Xia Qing, who wasn't wearing a protective mask, couldn't smell any blood.

The Giant Wolf had a few wounds on its body, but the bleeding had already stopped; they weren't fatal.

The Broken-Waist Wolf walked up to Xia Qing, turned sideways, and signaled Zhang Shiyi to take something out of its suit's pocket. Xia Qing glanced at the Giant Wolf standing beside it, reached into the Broken-Waist Wolf's still-intact side pocket, and pulled out a walnut-sized yi-stone. She asked softly, "Handsome Wolf Bro, what do you want to trade?"

How come you're the one bringing the Giant Wolf? Where's the Queen, my lord? Where's the Sick Wolf, the Broken-Leg one?

The Broken-Waist Wolf walked two steps north, looked back at Xia Qing, then walked a few more steps, and looked back at her again. Sheep Boss also came over and gently nudged Xia Qing's waist with its big head, signaling her to follow the Broken-Waist Wolf.

Xia Qing understood. "You want me to come with you? Where to? For what?"

The Broken-Waist Wolf circled Xia Qing somewhat anxiously, walked north again, and looked back at her.