Chapter 416: Giant Python

Xia Qing had slept less than four hours when she received a call from Hu Zifeng: "Four wolves carrying a giant python over ten meters long have already entered Valley One of District Three."

These were extraordinary times. If the wolf pack brought the python across the isolation belt into Territory Three, it would be far too conspicuous. Xia Qing was also worried the python might get stuck on the north gate, damaging it, or frighten and upset the wolves.

So last night she had asked Hu Zifeng that if his men spotted the wolf pack bringing a python into Mountain Forty-Nine, they should let her know immediately.

Hu Zifeng reported the wolf pack's movements, then added, "Last night Territory Two sent three people to the north isolation belt in succession, and all of them were taken away by the inspection team. I've already had people guard the east and west ends of Territory Three's north isolation belt. Rest assured."

The security squad she'd traded unpolluted spring water for had been dutifully protecting Territory Three since taking up their posts, so of course Xia Qing was at ease. "Captain Hu, do the Sufeng people suspect I blew up their helicopter?"

Hu Zifeng replied, "We don't know the exact reason they've targeted you yet, but it's definitely related to the helicopter being blown up. Besides your side, they've also sent people to watch Territories One and Twelve. To be safe, you'd better not go to Mountain Fifty to gather green lantern peanuts these next few days."

"Don't worry, Captain Hu. Until the Sufeng people withdraw, I won't go anywhere except my territory and Mountain Forty-Nine." Xia Qing agreed at once.

The green lantern peanuts on Mountain Fifty were indeed important, but safety mattered more. Though her strength had improved, she certainly couldn't beat the top-ranked main force members of the Sufeng Squad in the base. So she had to keep lying low.

Her main quest this winter had only one goal: attend the Qinglong Squad's training camp on Mountain Forty-Nine and boost her combat ability.

Xia Qing put on her protective suit and went downstairs. She told the two companions sleeping on the thick straw mat on the first floor, "I'm heading to District Three of Mountain Forty-Nine. Are you coming with me, or staying to guard the territory?"

Sick Wolf immediately stood up to follow. Ram老大 didn't even lift its head, kept its eyes closed and continued sleeping—its actions declaring it would stay to guard the territory.

Hearing the human's footsteps recede, a small red head poked out from the dry hay pile in the sheep pen, looked outside for a few moments, then tucked itself back into the warm nest of straw.

A hidden sentry inside the north wasteland grass wall of Territory Two caught the sound with amplifying equipment, heard footsteps inside Territory Three, and immediately reported to the reconnaissance captain.

The reconnaissance captain, lying on the long sofa in the monitoring room, rubbed his face and sat up, ordering his men, "Send out a recon bird. Observe Xia Qing's movements from high altitude over Territory Two."

It's only damn five o'clock—if Xia Qing's getting up and going out now, something's definitely going on!

"Yes, sir."

The recon bird took off with its camera. It had just risen to a little over thirty meters, before the infrared monitoring camera could even capture Xia Qing's figure, its altitude began dropping rapidly.

The recon soldier cried out in alarm, "The recon bird's been hit!"

The reconnaissance captain glared and cursed on the spot, "Who the hell told you to send the recon bird outside the territory?!"

The recon soldier, with dark circles under his eyes from staying up, felt wronged. "Boss, I confirmed the recon bird was over Territory Two."

On the rooftop of the small building in Territory One, Jingkuan's eyes never left the scope as he reported through his earpiece walkie-talkie, "Boss, the recon bird that took off from Territory Two has been taken down."

"Copy that."

Hu Zifeng in the monitoring room gave the order to the guards below, "Jingkuan, Er Yong, Dajiang, Chen Zheng, hold the road tight. Anyone who isn't part of the inspection team and enters Territory Three's north isolation belt—stop them. Anyone who resists with force, take them out on the spot. This is an order straight from the boss. It must be carried out without fail."

"Copy that."

"Copy that."

Hearing the gunshot ring out from Territory One, Xia Qing glanced back and muttered to Sick Wolf, "How far can Wolf Lao Er see through the fog?"

The night-vision goggles Xia Qing was wearing now were the ones she'd traded with Yang Jin back in March this year. They used light-amplification technology, letting a person see at night. But this technology performed poorly in fog, which made Xia Qing—who was used to using her visually evolved ability to observe her surroundings—feel very insecure.

Xia Qing took off the goggles and pulled from her backpack the thermal-imaging goggles that came with the special protective suit Yang Jin had traded spinach seeds with the base chief for.

Thermal-imaging goggles work by capturing the infrared rays objects emit, requiring no light source at all, so smoke can't block their "all-seeing eye." But their biggest drawbacks are image lag and high power consumption, so since getting these goggles, Xia Qing rarely wore them.

Today, the moment had finally come for them to play their part.

After switching goggles, the greenish scene turned into a black-and-red one. The most conspicuous figure was the red Sick Wolf beside her—even the air it exhaled formed a patch of red mist. Xia Qing observed her surroundings for a while before continuing onward.

Stepping on the frost on the ground with Sick Wolf, Xia Qing left Territory Three through the north gate and spotted the clear tire tracks left by the inspection team's patrol vehicle on the north isolation belt.

In the past four hours, the inspection team had driven past here six times, showing they were earnestly carrying out their hazard inspection duties.

On both sides of Territory Three's north isolation belt stood two people each. Because of the distance, the thermal-imaging goggles' boundary-blurring view couldn't make out who they were, but she could see they were standing in the isolation belt, guns in hand, on guard.

These were her own security squad—her sense of safety was maxed out.

Xia Qing stepped over the tire tracks and hurried through the thin fog toward Wolf Valley in District Three of Mountain Forty-Nine.

The valley, ringed by mountains on all sides, effectively blocked the cold wind. Frost damage on the plants inside was lighter than in the territory, and the pond's water hadn't frozen. Xia Qing could hear the sound of water and birds moving about at the water's edge.

Following Sick Wolf, Xia Qing jumped down into the valley, pushed open the wolf den's door, and once inside discovered that the thin layer of spring water left in the basin had actually frozen over. It turned out the wall of piled stones by the door had a crack, and the cold had seeped through the crack into the den, blowing right onto the iron basin.

Xia Qing glanced at Broken-Leg Wolf's Sister, who was affectionately staying close to Sick Wolf, picked up the basin, took it outside the den, and turned it upside down on the ground to knock the ice off.

"Clang—"

The crisp sound of knocking the basin startled the little birds drinking at the pond into flight.

After knocking off the ice and filling the basin with the fresh spring water she'd brought, Xia Qing carried it back into the wolf den. While waiting for the wolf pack to arrive, she took the opportunity to scoop up some pond mud and plaster over the drafty crack in the stones by the door.

"Scrape—"

The sound of something heavy being dragged came from Valley One. After about a minute, Xia Qing finally saw the lead wolf, majestic and imposing, leading its three subordinates and carrying their trophy, slowly emerge from the fog. The long python corpse, under the thermal-imaging goggles, was much lighter in color than the wolves, but it still delivered a powerful visual impact.

Xia Qing switched back to her previous night-vision goggles before she felt more comfortable.

Seeing Xia Qing there, the lead wolf showed no surprise at all—clearly it had already detected her presence through scent.

"Queen my lord, Broken-Waist, Broken-Leg, Black Big Guy, long time no see." Xia Qing lowered her voice and greeted the wolf pack with warm enthusiasm, then stepped closer to carefully examine the big python they'd brought.