Chapter 493: The Lords' Meeting After the Calamity Snow

Kuang Qingwei trudged through snow that came past his calves, leaving the territory and following the tire tracks left by patrol vehicles along the path, heading toward the South Thorn Gate beside the Number Five Territory road sign.

Why the south gate? Because Number Nine Territory had already been cleared out, so going through the south gate was more convenient than the north gate.

"Brother Kuang!"

Kuang Qingwei was just about to head inside when he heard someone calling him. Turning around, he saw it was Shi Chong and Yue Haiying, and he quickly waved in greeting. "Brother Yue, Brother Shi, you're here too."

Yue Haiying nodded. Shi Chong asked, "Brother Kuang, the snow's pretty much cleared, right?"

"Only cleared the snow around the greenhouse and at home." Kuang Qingwei waited for them to catch up, and the three of them entered Number Five Territory together, stamping the snow off their protective suits and shoes on the cleared path. He laughed and said, "Brother Qi is still the efficient one. Look at this road he cleared—big trucks can get through."

Qi Fu, who was clearing snow nearby, laughed and walked over.

"Xia Qing's here."

Yue Haiying heard the sound of the micro-tiller, turned around, and walked past the wild-grass wall to look outside. He saw Xia Qing driving the micro-tiller with Zhao Ze, heading their way.

Zhao Ze, who had hitched a ride on Xia Qing's micro-tiller, saw that everyone had already arrived and immediately waved his arm in greeting.

Zhou Xun, who was hiding inside the wild-grass wall of Number Two Territory, muttered softly, "Xia Qing, Zhao Ze, Qi Fu, Kuang Qingwei, Shi Chong, Yue Haiying—what are these six getting together for? The wall's already been circled, hasn't it?"

"Xia Qing, just drive the vehicle right up to the front door." The micro-tiller had barely stopped under the Number Five Territory road sign when Qi Fu shouted loudly to Xia Qing, telling her to drive straight in. Everyone knew Xia Qing's body hadn't fully recovered yet, and they were afraid she'd tire herself out or get attacked by the evolved snow-jumping bugs in the Calamity Snow.

Evolved snow-jumping bugs are a very peculiar kind of creature. Their body length ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters, and their color is the same as the Calamity Snow. They rely on jumping to move quickly through or atop the Calamity Snow, searching for food and suitable habitats.

Although evolved snow-jumping bugs can't bite through field protective suits, they can precisely locate any holes in the suits and burrow inside, spreading various bacteria and viruses.

Xia Qing had just parked the vehicle outside Qi Fu's front door when she heard Tang Huai's still somewhat hoarse voice come through the walkie-talkie: "Everyone heard? Hui-One Base and Hui-Six Base have both been hit by beast tides."

Winter's Calamity Snow is different from the Calamity Rain of the first three seasons.

After the Calamity Rain, under ample sunlight, the excess Calamity elements in the rainwater that hadn't yet been absorbed by plant roots would evaporate along with the water vapor and re-enter the atmospheric cycle.

After the Calamity Snow, the Calamity elements dissolved in the snow cover the soil layer along with the snow itself, slowly and over the long term affecting the plants, seeds, and even animals in the soil.

After the Calamity Snow, animals hiding in their dens come out and can't find water, so they can only gnaw on Calamity Snow to replenish moisture. Excess Calamity elements accumulating in their bodies easily cause the animals to lose control.

So December, after the Calamity Snow, is the peak period for beast tides.

"Huh?!" Zhao Ze panicked the moment he heard about the beast tide. "Isn't Brother Luo at Hui-Six Base right now? Are they okay?"

Xia Qing answered calmly, "Brother Luo and his team are well-equipped. As long as it isn't an especially large-scale beast tide, they'll be fine."

It is now the tenth year of the Calamity, and humanity has already accumulated experience dealing with beast tides. As long as preparations are adequate, there won't be mass casualties.

On the Lord channel, Tang Huai was still going on, "It's not just Hui-One and Hui-Six. A sizable beast tide is forming in the eastern part of our base's safe zone."

Zhao's mother, inside Number Four Territory, asked, "How big is the beast tide? Will it affect us here?"

Tang Huai replied, "Let's see what the safe zone's battle plan is. In principle, no. Captain Yang, aren't you heading back to protect the safe zone?"

Not hearing Yang Jin's reply, Yuan Yan spoke up to ask about Xia Qing's physical condition.

"Nothing major anymore." Today was Xia Qing's sixth day taking the Yi Element Stimulant, and the pain in her body had already faded to a negligible level.

"That's good. When you fainted outside the Number Seven Territory road sign that day, you nearly scared me to death." Yuan Yan still felt a lingering dread recalling the scene from that day.

Zhao Ze exclaimed, "Xia Qing fainted? The day of the beast tide?"

Xia Qing replied, "Fainted from exhaustion."

Yue Haiying, walking over, asked, "You've been taking the Yi Element Stimulant, right? How much of your combat ability have you recovered now?"

"Sixty percent."

Recovering sixty percent of her combat ability and being able to move freely after just six days on the stimulant—Zhang San's Yi Element Stimulant truly lived up to its reputation. Of course, this was also related to Xia Qing having high-Yi-element python meat. Yue Haiying nodded and said, "Make sure to rest well these next few days."

"That stimulant is seriously something else. The story of the lass that night—punching an adult evolved wild boar to death with one fist and taking out three boars in two moves—has already spread everywhere." Kuang Qingwei felt both admiration and envy toward Xia Qing.

Xia Qing gave a wry smile. "It was all thanks to the medicine's potency. If I hadn't been lucky, and if the people from Number Seven Territory and the Green Dragon Squad hadn't helped out—"

Just then, Tan Junjie posted an announcement: "All lords, the beast tide triggered by the Calamity Snow in the eastern part of Hui-Three Base has been confirmed not to reach the northern territories of the safe zone. Please rest assured and continue clearing snow within your territories."

Hearing that the beast tide wouldn't reach them, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Fu invited everyone to sit down and talk, and Xu Juan came over with a kettle to pour tea.

The small daisies floating in the bowls were yellow-lamp wild plants Xu Juan had discovered within her territory.

Shi Chong asked, "There aren't many evolved animals left on our side's Mountain Forty-Nine, and Mountain Fifty was mostly cleared out by the poison-gas shells a few days ago. This winter we probably won't have a beast tide. Qing, you gathered everyone—what's it about?"

After Xu Juan sat down as well, Xia Qing began explaining the purpose of this alliance meeting. "Today there are mainly four matters. The first one, you've probably already heard through Brother Qi: our alliance has gained a new member—Third Brother from Number Seven Territory. But he's pretty busy on his end, so he can't attend the alliance meeting."

Everyone grinned from ear to ear. They never could have imagined that one day they'd actually become allies with the big shot Zhang San.

"Second matter: Third Brother has already applied to the territory to designate Mountain Fifty as a pollution-treatment experimental zone. No one may enter without permission. Once the controlled burn on Mountain Fifty is completed, I will be responsible for the daily management of Mountain Fifty."

Hearing this, everyone was stunned.

Qi Fu, who knew some of the inside story, immediately asked, "How many years is the experimental zone off-limits?"

Xia Qing smiled. "Tentatively five years. If Third Brother deems it necessary, it can be extended indefinitely. As Mountain Fifty's manager, I need to assist Third Brother in managing the experimental zone and carrying out the experimental projects. As compensation, I hold the rights to gather and distribute all resources within the mountain area."

Indefinite extension… Qi Fu and Yuan Yan's eyes lit up, and they smiled in relief.

Zhao Ze asked, "Lass, how big is Mountain Fifty? Looking at it from afar, the peak of Mountain Fifty seems even higher than Mountain Forty-Nine."