Chapter 582: Carcass Disposal

Inside the low-slope greenhouse of Territory No. 3, Zone 1, northern Hui-Three, Xia Qing, who had been squatting by the spring-eye opening watching a video, quickly dialed her idol's number.

"Third Brother, have you heard about the highly evolved pathogenic fungus that evolved in the territory of the monkey troop in the eastern Evolution Forest of Hui-Six Base?"

"Cut the crap." Zhang Shiyi sounded listless, clearly in a bad mood—probably having another allergic reaction.

"Yes." Xia Qing got straight to the point. "The monkey troop infected with the fungus in the eastern Evolution Forest of Hui-Six came to seize the western Hui-Three wolf pack's territory and failed, with several dozen killed. Third Brother, how do I completely eradicate this fungus, and what medicine should the wolves fighting the monkeys take to prevent infection or kill the fungus already inside them?"

The wolves that fought the monkeys might already be infected.

Zhang Shiyi's mood soured further after hearing this. "Who told you to handle this? You're a farming lord, it's none of your business—stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Xia Qing didn't want to get involved either, but— "I'm thinking ahead. I believe Broken-Waist will come find me and ask me to handle it."

Because in the popular-science videos Broken-Waist kept rewatching, it said that when you find animal carcasses infected with evolved microorganisms, you need to call in professionals to handle them.

When watching that video, Broken-Waist didn't quite get it. Xia Qing had paused the video twice to explain what would happen if you ate a sick or dead animal, and taught it the handling methods: dig a deep pit and bury it, or come find her and let her handle it.

So Xia Qing deduced that the northern wolf pack was guarding the monkey carcasses in the western Evolution Forest, waiting for Broken-Waist.

Broken-Waist was either on its way to the western Evolution Forest to dig a pit, or on its way to call her to handle the carcasses.

Now, with the ground frozen solid, given how clever Broken-Waist was, the odds of it going to dig a pit were low. So Xia Qing had to prepare actively—she really didn't want to be looked down on twice in one day by the same wolf.

After hearing Xia Qing's explanation, Zhang Shiyi fell into a long silence.

"Beep."

When she heard the phone beep once, Xia Qing's heart leapt.

"Beep."

When she heard the phone beep a second time, Xia Qing felt as if a stone had dropped.

"Beep."

When she heard the phone beep a third time, Xia Qing closed her notebook.

When Broken-Waist pushed open the security door but refused to come inside and rinse its paws, only fixing its amber eyes on Xia Qing, she knew exactly what it wanted.

Want her to do some work? Easy, easy.

Xia Qing asked with a pleasant expression, "Handsome Wolf Bro, has the fight between the wolf pack and the monkey troop ended? Is there something you need from me?"

Broken-Waist tilted its head back, signaling Xia Qing to come out. After she stepped outside, Broken-Waist had already turned sideways, letting her reach into its side pouch to pull something out.

With a pounding heart and trembling hands, Xia Qing pulled a walnut-sized yi-stone out of Broken-Waist's side pouch.

Two months—it had been a full two months since she'd last received a yi-stone from the wolf pack. How could she not be thrilled!

The excited Xia Qing's voice began to waver. "What does Handsome Wolf Bro want to trade the yi-stone for?"

Broken-Waist turned and walked a few steps forward, then looked back at Xia Qing.

"You want me to follow you?"

Now?

Damn it, you're not asking me to trek across the vast Evolution Forest with you late at night to burn monkeys a hundred kilometers away in the western Evolution Forest, are you?! Can't we go tomorrow morning? The monkeys are already frozen solid—it's not like one night is going to make a difference, right?

Broken-Waist bared the tips of its fangs: Yes.

Xia Qing gripped the yi-stone worth 300,000 points in her hand and asked in a negotiating tone, "Handsome Wolf Bro, is this trip going to be dangerous? I run really slowly—I can't keep up with your speed."

A personal flight device? That thing can only fly 10 kilometers per charge, and has limited payload. Even if Broken-Waist helped her carry fuel, the maximum range would be 30 kilometers. The remaining 70 kilometers—did she have to cover them on foot?

Following an evolved wolf through 70 kilometers of Evolution Forest at night—even in winter, when the forest's safety rating is at its highest—was extremely dangerous for a human!

Broken-Waist walked a few more steps forward, then looked back at Xia Qing.

Fine…

"Let's go, we're off." Xia Qing turned, slung on her backpack. Luckily she'd already prepared supplies, otherwise she'd be in a panic right now. After calling Hu Zifeng to send someone to guard her territory, sending a message to Yang Jin, and fully inflating Sheep Boss, Xia Qing set off with Sick Wolf and Broken-Waist.

It wasn't that she wanted to bring Sick Wolf along—it was that Sick Wolf was worried and insisted on coming.

Today, after crossing Mountain No. 49 and the swamp for the second time and reaching the foot of Mountain No. 52, Xia Qing, who was panting slightly from running, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw four giant wolves standing in the snow.

Riding a wolf was far less tiring than running.

Sick Wolf stepped forward and the four giant wolves sniffed each other in greeting. A brownish-gray giant wolf walked up to Xia Qing and looked down at her with green eyes.

When this wolf stood upright, it was taller than Xia Qing, who was leaning on her knees and panting.

Xia Qing straightened up and greeted the wolf with a bright smile. "Big Guy, long time no see—sorry to trouble you again tonight."

Then, Xia Qing skillfully climbed onto the giant wolf's back and wrapped her arms around its neck. The brownish-gray giant wolf raised its head and shook it, then ran with the wolf pack toward the western Evolution Forest.

Xia Qing lay flat on the wolf's back, using this rare opportunity to train her magnetic sense. Once the pack ran deep into the Evolution Forest, the number of hostile evolved plants clearly increased. But the pack knew this route well and didn't touch a single dangerous hostile evolved plant.

After running more than twenty li, Broken-Waist stopped. Only after several commanding roars from it did the second giant wolf, somewhat reluctant, let Xia Qing mount up and continue running. Because they were carrying a human who couldn't run and was quite heavy, it took the pack two hours to reach the western wolf pack's territory.

The appearance of a human drew furious roars from the western wolf pack.

Xia Qing stood chest-out, chin-up between Broken-Waist and Sick Wolf, watching as calmly as she could the head wolf of the western pack not far away. Although she trusted Broken-Waist, she didn't trust the pack across from her that had just killed several dozen monkeys.

She had a sniper rifle on her back, over thirty grenades and ten tranquilizer darts. If the western wolf pack attacked her, she would counterattack without hesitation—kill the wolves.

It was true that humans had killed the wolf pack's pups first, but it wasn't her doing, and no one was going to pin that debt on her.

"Awoo—wuu—"

Broken-Waist let out a commanding roar, expressing its displeasure.

"Awoo—wuu—wuu—"

The handsome giant wolf beside the disaster-struck monkey carcasses also let out a commanding roar, and the more than twenty wolves of the northern pack joined in.

The sound made Xia Qing's blood boil. If she weren't afraid of mis-speaking wolf language and causing a misunderstanding, she'd have wanted to throw her head back and howl a couple of times too.

After the western wolf pack retreated, Broken-Waist led Xia Qing to the place piled high with dead monkeys.

Xia Qing saw that some of these monkeys had been bitten to death by the wolves, while others had their throats or bellies torn open by claws. Without exception, the monkey carcasses were frozen stiff, and their disheveled fur was coated with a layer of white frost.

The monkeys' facial features resembled those of humans. Seeing so many monkey corpses brought back memories of the safe zone after the insect swarm attack.