Chapter 420: You Have Your Own Squad Now?

Xia Qing aimed the muzzle of her suppressed sniper rifle at the giant python's head and fired at close range.

Bang!

The bullet not only pierced the hardness-evolved python skin, but also struck with a loud "Clang!" and cracked a finger-thick stone slab that the python's head was pressing down.

The broken-back wolf, which was chasing a wild boar, got startled, quickly rejoined the pack and stood in front of its sister, baring its teeth at Xia Qing. The broken-back sister and the black wolf were startled by the gunshot, bared their fangs at Xia Qing, and growled softly.

The alpha wolf, the broken-back wolf, and the sick wolf all raised their heads and stared intently at Xia Qing, wondering what she wanted to do.

The heavy sniper rifle in Xia Qing's hands was a top-tier weapon for sniping in the country. It had long range, high accuracy, and tremendous power. A single bullet could destroy a car engine and penetrate a twenty-centimeter-thick concrete wall to successfully snipe an enemy behind it—such power could only be described as terrifying.

Xia Qing holstered her rifle and walked over to flip the python's massive head. She discovered the stone slab hadn't been cracked by the bullet, but by the shockwave. The bullet had actually failed to penetrate the python's muscle and second layer of skin.

The hardness of the python's skin far exceeded Xia Qing's expectations. She had assumed the bullet would easily pierce both layers of skin and then crack the slab, achieving the effect of intimidating the wolf pack.

If a heavy sniper rifle could only break through one layer of python skin, then ordinary firearms couldn't possibly penetrate this level of hardened skin at all. This kind of python was extremely dangerous.

Although only one layer of skin had been pierced, judging by the expressions of the wolf pack, Xia Qing believed she had already achieved her goal of demonstrating human strength and intimidating the wolves.

Holding the gun in one hand and pointing at the bullet hole in the python's head with the other, she sternly warned the six wolves, "This is a gun, a human weapon. This is a high-level hardness-evolved python—its skin can't block human bullets at all. Even if you wear protective gear made from this python skin, it won't stop human bullets."

"Wolves have wolf territory, humans have human territory. If you want to trade python skin protective gear with me, fine. But if you dare to wear that gear and break into human territory to cause destruction…"

Xia Qing pointed the muzzle at the head of the pack's king—the alpha wolf—and warned with killing intent, "I will use this gun to shoot through every single one of your heads."

The alpha wolf stared at the gun emanating a dangerous scent with its gaudy golden eyes, then looked up at Xia Qing for a few seconds. Then it opened its mouth and yawned hugely, lay down, and went back to catching up on sleep.

After the alpha wolf lay down, the broken-leg wolf hopped over to Xia Qing, circled her once, and even nuzzled her leg—as if telling her not to stir up trouble when there was nothing to do—then ran off to chase the wild boar again.

When her brother ran over, the broken-leg sister gave him a vicious swipe of her claws, then continued glaring fiercely at Xia Qing along with the black wolf.

The sick wolf also came over and nuzzled Xia Qing's leg a few times. It first looked up at Xia Qing with a "haha," then looked at the wild boar it had taken a fancy to in the distance with another "haha," then looked back up at Xia Qing with another "haha." Its meaning was crystal clear: stop wasting bullets on snakes, shoot that thick-meated wild boar and bring it home to cook.

The broken-back wolf looked at the hole in the snake's head, then at the gun in Xia Qing's hands, deep in thought.

Xia Qing immediately tucked away her beloved big sniper, clearly shutting down the broken-back wolf's idea. "The gun is absolutely not for trade—even if I traded it, your claws couldn't use it. You saw how powerful human weapons are, didn't you? Still want to use python skin to make protective gear like the kind I wear?"

The broken-back wolf immediately bared its mouth, showing Xia Qing its little fang tips.

Understood.

Xia Qing picked up the walnut-sized Yi Stone and tucked it into her pocket, signifying she agreed to the trade. Then she took out her phone and contacted the owner of the Huo Family Blade Shop, the hot-tempered Lord Huo Lei.

"It's early morning, what do you want from me?" After the phone rang six times, Lord Huo Lei's furious roar made Xia Qing's eardrums buzz, and the sleeping alpha wolf's ears twitched along with it.

Xia Qing rubbed her ear and explained politely, "Uncle Huo, I got another hardness-evolved python skin. It's even harder than the last two. I'd like to ask you to forge protective gear from it."

Lord Huo Lei was silent for a full twenty seconds before asking, "Didn't you get land to go farm? Why are you suddenly hunting large fierce beasts so often? Did you join the Azure Dragon Squad, or did you put together your own team?"

Xia Qing looked at the six wolves with their varied expressions and answered, "I put together a team. I have my own companions now."

Unfortunately, because of the presence of the brain-domain-evolved bears, Xia Qing couldn't hunt alongside her "companions" in the Evolution Forest. Otherwise, if the wolf pack clashed with the bear group again one day, the bears might take out their anger on the humans in this territory.

If the brain-domain-evolved bears saw the wolf pack wearing protective gear, wouldn't they immediately know humans and the wolves were working together?

No, no, no, the nature of these two situations was completely different.

If the brain-domain-evolved bears saw the wolves possessing human supplies, they would assume the wolves had stolen them—just as humans stole prey from fierce beasts.

Only when Xia Qing and the wolf pack appeared together, displaying a cooperative relationship, would the brain-domain-evolved bears believe humans and wolves were working together, or think the wolves had been domesticated by humans like dogs.

To speak frankly, setting aside the relationship between the wolf pack and the bear group, Xia Qing also really wanted to establish a friendly cooperative relationship with the bear group. After all, the bear group's strength was also extremely powerful. If she could get along well with the bears, this human territory would be much safer.

Lord Huo Lei said in a muffled voice, "You've definitely met my son Huo Zhun, right? He's a dual-system evolver—Level Seven Strength, Level Five Elasticity. I'll register him in your squad first, and when he's discharged from the military, I'll have him come find you. Farming, hunting—he can do it all."

Xia Qing……

Lord Huo Lei's true evolutionary strength had just been casually revealed to her by his old man like that? A high-level dual-system evolver like him would be fought over by every squad even after discharge—how could he possibly have nowhere to go?

If in a few years Huo Zhun really did leave the military, and the spring water in her territory was exposed, and he wanted to join her "squad," Xia Qing would definitely agree—but not now.

Xia Qing answered sincerely, "Please don't say that, Uncle Huo. Brother Huo's combat ability is far stronger than mine. After discharge, if he doesn't want to join a top squad, he could absolutely form his own team with no problem at all."

"He's just got a head full of dumb strength. He can't read people, and he's not as smart as you or as thick-skinned. If he formed his own squad or joined someone else's, it would be a dead end."

Xia Qing……

……

……

Smart and thick-skinned? Are you praising me or taking a dig at me?

Lord Huo Lei was just registering his son first and hadn't forced Xia Qing to agree right now. He continued asking, "Still using the three sets of measurements you gave me last time to make the full set of protective gear?"

"No." Xia Qing discussed with Lord Huo Lei, "Have you ever made protective gear for evolved dogs? The kind worn by the evolved dogs of the Jiang Xiong Squad—full canine protective gear that covers the neck, waist and belly, all four legs, and claws."

Lord Huo Lei retorted, "Our base's fifth-ranked Jiang Xiong Squad—from captain to members, from people to dogs—has all been arrested and hasn't been released yet. I heard this matter has something to do with you?"