Chapter 541: Death God Xia Qing

Today's training exercise was a group-versus-group match. Xia Qing took part as a sniper. Jing Kuan, who was assigned to the same squad as her, beamed with joy, while Eryong, assigned to the opposing squad, frowned and secretly bowed to Xia Qing.

A sniper is the guardian angel of teammates and the god of death to opponents. Xia Qing's marksmanship keeps improving—she is already the god of death known to everyone on Mountain No. 49.

This god of death still cares about bonds of loyalty.

Following Eryong's request, Xia Qing let him survive to the end. The opposing squad had eight people in total—two were "killed" by Xia Qing, and five were "taken out" by members of Xia Qing's squad.

Limping his way down the mountain, Eryong still wore a long face and discussed with Xia Qing, "Sister Qing, next time can you take me out with your sniper rifle?"

The last man standing on the opposing squad—Level-5 speed evolver Eryong—was "taken out" by Level-6 strength evolver Xia Qing.

Although Xia Qing had picked up quite a few fighting techniques from videos and learned a lot of combat essentials from Yan Long, truly improving her fighting ability required constant sparring with stronger opponents.

So, having paid to join the Green Dragon Squad's training camp to practice long-range high-speed moving-target shooting, Xia Qing paid Yang Jin an additional fee and began taking part in the Green Dragon Squad's combat training as well.

Speed evolver Eryong was not Xia Qing's gathering target today—she was her sparring opponent.

So, even though he had successfully survived to the end and avoided extra drills, Eryong still felt miserable, because Xia Qing's fists were as hard as iron hammers—he was nearly hammered to death.

"Sure." Xia Qing readily agreed to Eryong's request.

Eryong, who suffered from indecision, felt a chill run down his spine hearing Xia Qing agree so readily…

He limped forward a few quick steps, came up to Xia Qing, and played the pitiful card. "Sister Qing, look—my belly is almost caved in. The fat I'd finally managed to put on is just… gone like that…"

Unlike the pre-calamity era's beauty standard of being thin, during the food-scarce years of the calamity everyone wanted to put on a little weight. Because when a sudden disaster cut off the food supply, those with more body fat survived longer. Only by staying alive could one wait for rescue or find food.

Xia Qing saw he really did look a bit pitiful and decided to bleed a little. "You stand guard over my territory tomorrow, and I'll give you half a Yellow Lantern rabbit."

Eryong's eyes lit up at once. "No need for half a. Whatever flavor Sister Qing wants, just say the word—once it's cooked I'll take two bites just for a taste. Sister Qing's heading to Mountain No. 50 again tomorrow?"

Xia Qing nodded. "Tomorrow I'm teaming up with other lords to dig for herbs at the foot of the Fourth Peak of Mountain No. 50."

After dinner and finishing tonight's training quota, Xia Qing heated the hot spring water she'd carried back and began to soak in it.

Like the other lords in the Lords Alliance, Xia Qing regularly went to a hidden valley on Mountain No. 50 to fetch spring water—part of it was sent to Territory No. 7, and part was stored in the water tank in her storeroom.

The unpolluted spring water within Territory No. 3 had entered its dry season and had to be used sparingly, so now Xia Qing used hot spring water for her baths. She didn't filter the hot spring water through a mid-grade filter cartridge—she had a better method: like the evolved bear, she used a Yishi stone to drive out the harmful elements in the water.

Before leading her allies into the hidden valley, Xia Qing had also fished out the Yishi stones still within their effective period from the pool and brought them back to her territory.

Yishi stones—those precious materials that conveniently and efficiently drive out harmful elements—Xia Qing never turned any away; the more the better, and she didn't mind ones the bear had used.

Of course, the one she was soaking in now wasn't the one the evolved bear used for its baths. That one was too big—it had an important use.

Xia Qing's victory over Level-5 speed evolver Eryong in today's training was not as easy as she had made it look. Even wearing her snakeskin suit and strength-evolver protective gear, Xia Qing's back, thighs, and calves had been kicked or struck, leaving large patches of bruising.

It wasn't that it didn't hurt—it was that Xia Qing hadn't shown it. If she had, the Beard Feng Squad would hold back when sparring with her next time, and the training effect would be greatly reduced.

It wasn't as if any arms or legs were broken—just pain. The body-injury healing potions Xia Qing had soaked in not long ago weren't for nothing; an external injury of this level would heal in three or four days.

The reason Xia Qing had agreed to Eryong's request on the way down the mountain and stopped sparring with him was certainly not that she was afraid of the pain—it was that she could already beat Eryong, and it was time to challenge the stronger opponents she had on her list.

During her special training with Yan Long, Yan Long said the reason she had applied to join the mission to protect Zhang San was that the people the Yijidi Sect had sent to protect Zhang San were all extremely strong.

Defeating those people was the personal goal Yan Long had set for herself beyond this mission.

Hearing Yan Long say these things, Xia Qing's blood boiled, and she drew up a challenge list for herself in her heart. Not only the entire Beard Feng Squad, but also Tang Zhou, Wei Chengdong, Luo Pei, and even the Green Dragon Squad's top combatant Yang Jin—all were on her challenge list.

Today, she could cross off another Level-5 speed evolver from the list.

Covered in bruises, Xia Qing closed her eyes and leaned back against the tub, the corner of her mouth curving up.

The next morning, fully recovered, Xia Qing carried last night's bath water on her back to the planting greenhouse, saving it for watering the vegetables inside.

This water's quality was far better than the reservoir water—throwing it away after a bath was something no farmer would do.

Today, Xia Qing wasn't the only one doing this.

The Territory Management Department's inspection had ended, and alliance members could finally use the premium water to irrigate their greenhouse vegetables without worry.

Today's task squad was fairly large—four people came from Territory No. 15, and together with Xia Qing, Shi Du and his mother, Qi Fu and his wife, Zhao Ze, and Zhu Li, there were eleven people in all.

Xia Qing took point at the front, Zhu Li, Zhao Ze, the Qi Fus, and Mother Shi were in the center of the formation, and the people from Territory No. 15 covered the left, right, and rear.

Qi Fu reminded her, "Xia Qing, go in through that exit up ahead. Be very careful—there's a harmful-element evolved tree along that stretch. If you snap a branch, sap leaks out that can corrode protective suits. Old Kuang got injured right here yesterday."

Only then did Xia Qing understand why it was Zhu Li who had come from Territory No. 6 today instead of Kuang Qingwei. "Sister-in-law, is Brother Qing's injury serious?"

Zhu Li, who was right behind Xia Qing, answered immediately, "Not serious—just a small wound. A few days of rest and he'll be fine."

Yesterday, the Lords Alliance squad had discovered harvestable herbs at the foot of the Fourth Peak. Kuang Qingwei was so excited that on the way out he kept silently calculating the value of the herbs, and at some point a tree branch snagged him without his noticing.

Unexpectedly, before the squad had even returned to the territory, Kuang Qingwei's protective suit and cold-weather gear had been corroded through by sap that had gotten on them at some point, and his arm had also come into contact with the sap—the pain was piercing. If not for the experienced Yue Haiying's decisive action—immediately having Shi Du cut away the patch of flesh on Kuang Qingwei's arm that had already begun to rot, and applying the special-effect medicine obtained through trade with Territory No. 7—Kuang Qingwei's right arm would certainly have been lost.

An injury of this level didn't count as serious. Because in the calamity years, as long as no arms or legs were lost, it was generally considered a minor wound. Such a small matter didn't warrant a special report to the Lords Alliance's leader, Xia Qing.