Chapter 484: Thorn-Bearing Rapeseed

What kind of offensive power can a weak, innocent, pitiful rapeseed seedling unleash after undergoing aberrant evolution?

Like potato vines, dancing in groups and whipping people with vines?

Like sunflowers, bursting seeds as if it were a biological machine gun?

Based on ten years of natural-disaster survival experience, Xia Qing judged that a rapeseed seedling undergoing aberrant evolution was more likely to develop chemical attacks than physical ones.

She slowly raised her arm and checked the air-toxin detector she was wearing; the dial showed a green light, meaning there was no toxin in the air—or the concentration was too low to threaten the human body.

Xia Qing waited quietly.

Half an hour later, instead of shooting up rapidly, bolting, and blooming to release poisonous gas, this rapeseed plant grew rows of sharp thorns along the edges of its tender leaves, the same color as the leaves themselves. Had Xia Qing's evolved vision not recovered somewhat, she might not have noticed the change at all.

The sight of thorns sprouting from rapeseed leaves was uncanny, as if this were not a purebred rapeseed but a new hybrid cross between rapeseed and shinyleaf prickly ash.

Watching the thorns lengthen bit by bit and their color gradually deepen, Xia Qing's sense of danger sharpened. She called out to Xiao Jiang, who was closest to her. "Xiao Jiang, come here quick. There's an abnormally evolved plant here. Shovel it aside with your spade."

Given Xia Qing's current physical condition, if she did the shoveling herself, she would very likely damage the normal rapeseed seedlings on either side.

"Copy that." Xiao Jiang grabbed a spade and ran over, scanned the area, and didn't spot anything off. "Sis, which one?"

Xia Qing pointed it out to Xiao Jiang. "This one. Be careful—those thorns are probably poisonous."

"Definitely poisonous." Xiao Jiang, who often ran missions in the Evolution Forest, was experienced. After shoveling this unusual aberrantly evolved rapeseed aside with the spade, she immediately covered it with a small double-layer rainproof-cloth hood and stood ready.

About five minutes later, something startled both Xia Qing and Xiao Jiang: the small double-layer rainproof-cloth hood had been corroded full of tiny holes by the thorns the rapeseed had grown!

"This… this…" Xiao Jiang's tongue was practically tying itself in knots. "This is an offensive-type aberrant evolution—the corrosion is at least moderate-danger level. These thorns could probably eat through protective suits!"

Very likely. Xia Qing nodded. "Put out a danger announcement on the Lord channel."

"Got it." Xiao Jiang switched her earpiece communicator to the Lord channel and broadcast: "Attention all Lords. In the rapeseed field of Territory Three, a moderately dangerous, offensive-type aberrantly evolved plant has appeared. The plant does not shoot up tall, but its leaves grow large numbers of highly corrosive thorns. The thorns exceed two centimeters in length and can eat through double-layer rainproof cloth. Attention all Lords…"

After Xiao Jiang broadcast the notice three times, Tan Junjie acknowledged receipt, and the other territories each acknowledged in turn.

Zhao Ze's voice was hoarse. "We've already pulled more than half the rapeseed, and now there's a dangerous aberrant evolution too—this is going to leave us with nothing to harvest."

Kuang Qingwei, on the other hand, was fairly upbeat. "Lucky it's the rapeseed that went wrong. If it were wheat, that'd be real trouble."

Rapeseed was sold by the Lord Management Department; each territory could buy at most half a jin and plant half a mu. The wheat, meanwhile, was seed that the Lords had screened out when planting their first crop of wheat. Kuang Qingwei had planted twenty mu of wheat, and the other Lords had planted quite a bit as well.

Shi Du hurriedly warned, "Brother Qing, take that back quick. That kind of thing can't stand being talked about."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Kuang Qingwei immediately corrected himself. "I didn't say anything. Everyone's fine, all the crops in the fields are fine, and next year we'll all have a bumper harvest."

Qi Fu, also hoarse from staying up late, chimed in. "The rapeseed field here has also developed the same kind of dangerous aberrant evolution as Territory Three. Everyone should turn on the floodlights—my eyes are practically swimming. Without the floodlights I can't see which rapeseed plants have grown thorns. Thorn-bearing rapeseed seedlings need to be cleared out as soon as possible; otherwise, once the thorns pierce the leaves of neighboring rapeseed, those leaves will quickly dissolve into liquid."

Through the communicator, Xiao Jiang contacted Peng Jian—a Level-5 vision evolver who was clearing snow outside the shed—and asked him to come to the rapeseed field to search for thorn-bearing rapeseed.

With Peng Jian on the job, the dangerous aberrantly evolved plants in the rapeseed field couldn't stir up any tricks. Xia Qing said goodbye to them and headed to the adjacent yellow-light wheat shed.

The yellow-light wheat field was visibly in much better shape than the yellow-light rapeseed field—not a single bald patch anywhere. This showed just how important seed quality was for crop cultivation.

Xia Qing wandered around the shed and, finding no plants that felt off, relaxed. Chen Cheng came over, curious, and asked, "Sister Qing, what does the side effect of the Yi-element stimulant feel like?"

What does it feel like? Xia Qing described it very concretely. "It's like the stimulant almost burst every blood vessel and nerve in your body. Forget moving—even talking and breathing hurt. But today is much better than yesterday."

Chen Cheng imagined the sensation for a moment and felt that Xia Qing had been incredibly tough to still join the third echelon to catch the fugitive yesterday. "No wonder we couldn't wake you no matter what when you got back to the territory yesterday, Sister Qing."

Before Xia Qing could say anything, Chen Cheng giggled and shared yesterday's funny story with her. "You don't know yet, do you, Sister Qing? Er Yong was carried back by Brother Huo. After he got back he was dizzy and vomiting, and he was swaying even when he walked."

Er Yong was a Level-5 speed evolver. Although he was faster than Xia Qing, he certainly couldn't keep up with the wolves' or Huo Zhun's pace. The Yi-element stimulant's effect had a time limit; Huo Zhun had to get back to the territory before it wore off, and he couldn't leave Er Yong alone in the Evolution Forest in the aberrant snow, so he had no choice but to bring him along.

Xia Qing, being carried on Huo Zhun's special stretcher, had been bounced around so badly she felt dizzy and miserable—let alone Er Yong, who had been hauled by the scruff. "How is he now?"

"He slept it off and was fine. He just switched shifts and went back to rest before you came over, Sister Qing. But…" Chen Cheng said gleefully, "the boss said he'd let his ability go slack this past year, and told him to add an hour and a half of extra training every morning and evening. If his speed isn't up to mid-Level 5 by the year-end ability test, he'll be demoted from the main combat squad to the reserve squad."

With only a month left until year's end, raising his speed by half a level was extremely difficult. Xia Qing silently lit three candles for Er Yong.

Iron Rooster was ruthless not only to outsiders but to his own people as well. Still, that kind of ruthlessness was warranted. Once her stamina recovered, Xia Qing would also have to train like mad and raise her strength as fast as she could.

If Er Yong couldn't cut it in the Green Dragon Squad anymore, Xia Qing could hire him to come to Territory Three to farm and cook. Only then, the points he earned would definitely be less than what he got now.

After another look at the green-light wheat field, which was perfectly fine, Xia Qing finally made her way to the tiller, only to find Sick Wolf sitting in its special seat, grinning happily at her.

Xia Qing's heart immediately ached. She walked over as fast as she could, opened the tiller's rain cover, sat down in the driver's seat, and stroked Sick Wolf's fur. "Why are you still here, Lao Er? It's so cold outside. Didn't I tell you to go home first?"

Sick Wolf kept on hahaha-ing, looking utterly delighted. Xia Qing scratched its neck, started the machine, and plowed through the snow all the way home.