Chapter 594: Is a Wolf That Wags Its Tail Still a Wolf?

Xia Qing finally returned, and the sick wolf in her arms tilted its head up and wagged its tail happily, leaving Chang Li and Beard Feng, who stood in the distance, staring in disbelief.

Can wolves wag their tails? Is a wolf that wags its tail still a wolf?

Xia Qing released the sick wolf and walked briskly toward the two who had been guarding her territory. "Captain Hu, Sister Li."

After the three returned to the small hut by the farmland, Beard Feng finally asked, "When Guan Tong said earlier that you crossed Mountain Forty-Nine alone, it gave me quite a scare. Where are Wang Liang and the others?"

The surveillance along the route Xia Qing and the wolf pack used to enter and exit Mountain Forty-Nine had always been Beard Feng's squad's responsibility. So once Xia Qing entered Mountain Forty-Nine, Beard Feng received word.

Xia Qing explained, "I didn't trouble them. I had the wolves escort me back."

Escorted by wolves? Did she run back alongside them, or did she ride one back? Xia Qing isn't a speed-type Evolver, so to return this quickly she must have ridden a wolf. Only a giant wolf could carry a human. Has Xia Qing's relationship with the wolf pack really reached this level?

Chang Li, who had personally witnessed how Xia Qing and the wolf pack had come to this point step by step, sighed, "Your decision to save the wolves last year was absolutely right."

Xia Qing, carrying a large pack of Yi Stones on her back, nodded. It really was absolutely right. "Sister Li, you've worked hard these past two days."

Chang Li laughed. "I've been eating and drinking well in your territory—what's hard about that? Go home and get some sleep."

Beard Feng then spoke up. "I'll escort Chang Li back first and return a little later."

Although Chang Li is a dual-system Evolver with enhanced smell and vocal cords, her combat ability isn't high, and moving around outside alone at night is very unsafe.

Xia Qing took back her phone, reported to Yang Jin that she was safe, and told him about the backpack and the Yi Stones.

Although Xia Qing was the one who found this backpack, tonight's operation was a team mission, so she still needed to inform the other party about the spoils she had obtained.

Of course, Xia Qing could have stayed silent and pretended she hadn't picked it up. But the risk was too great; damaging her cooperative, trusting relationship with the Azure Dragon Squad over this batch of Yi Stones wouldn't be worth it.

According to the rules for distributing supplies obtained by non-official personnel participating in missions during the Calamity era, at least half of the finished Yi Stones in this backpack belonged to Xia Qing's side, because she was the one who discovered and brought back the pack. Xia Qing had joined the mission as an individual, so half of the Yi Stones were hers.

Fifty Yi Stones!

Returning home with the sick wolf, Xia Qing saw Sheep Boss lying on the tatami mat on the first floor, chewing cud, and cheerfully greeted him. "Boss, I'm back."

Sheep Boss squinted his eyes, didn't move, and continued chewing cud.

This guy…

Xia Qing laughed. As she set the heavy bag from the backpack on the shoe rack, she saw that Yang Jin had already replied to her message:

The Yi Stones are probably Tang Zhengsu's private stash. Two options: first, all the Yi Stones in the pack go to you, but you can no longer participate in the distribution of other spoils; second, hand over half the Yi Stones, and you can participate in distributing other captured spoils according to your contribution in tonight's mission.

Xia Qing immediately replied: I choose option one!

Sufeng was Hui-1's top squad, so the people who fled must have taken or hidden plenty of good things outside in advance. If Xia Qing handed over half the Yi Stones, she could exchange them for more points or other supplies, but for a farmer like Xia Qing, there was currently no supply more enticing than Yi Stones.

Having this entire pack of Yi Stones for herself already satisfied her completely; she wasn't the least bit envious of other supplies.

If she weren't afraid Sheep Boss would find her noisy, Xia Qing would have loved to shout at the top of her lungs:

Today is a good day~~~

Everything on my mind will come true~~~

Xia Qing freshened up briefly, added a few logs to the fireplace, then sat cross-legged on the straw mat beside it and excitedly opened the bag of Yi Stones.

Seeing Xia Qing rummaging through the bag, Sheep Boss immediately got up from the tatami and clip-clopped over to the fireplace. Upon discovering the bag held no food, Sheep Boss instantly lost interest and lay down beside Xia Qing to rest.

The sick wolf, lying against Xia Qing, also stared at the bag in her hands.

Xia Qing shared her joy with her companions. "These are Yi Stones—so many Yi Stones! Boss, Wolf Lao Er, we've struck it rich! All of these are ours! There are even several goose-egg-sized ones inside; I've never seen Yi Stones this big…"

Xia Qing muttered as she took the Yi Stones out of the bag and sorted them into the packaging bags in front of her. Of the 80 Yi Stones, 50 were walnut-sized, 20 were pigeon-egg-sized, and 10 were goose-egg-sized.

Judging by their appearance and color, the walnut-sized and pigeon-egg-sized Yi Stones should be the same as the ones the wolf pack had traded to Xia Qing—intermediate Yi Stones.

The goose-egg-sized Yi Stones had a slightly darker surface color. According to the relevant information in the knowledge materials Xia Qing had acquired through trade, these Yi Stones should be high-grade or top-grade.

Xia Qing weighed one in her hand; each piece must weigh at least 300g.

We've struck it rich—this time we've really struck it rich.

No wonder many people like to plunder supplies from their own kind. She had done a year of business with the wolf pack, talked herself hoarse and run her legs off, and only managed to trade for 15 Yi Stones. Tonight's single trip netted her 80!

Xia Qing finally got to experience the feeling of becoming rich overnight—mainly rich off her enemy's wealth. That felt damn good!

She now has over a hundred Yi Stones, over a hundred! Let alone protecting the farmland, she could even use the large Yi Stones to dig out an opponent's spatial bracelet!

Of course, she couldn't bear to part with them. Don't flash your wealth—she had to hide the Yi Stones well, and every single one had to be used where it counted most.

Xia Qing grinned foolishly. When she reached for her phone to calculate how many points this batch of Yi Stones was worth, she discovered both her companions had fallen asleep against her.

They definitely hadn't rested well during the two days and one night she was away from the territory.

Xia Qing yawned, climbed onto the recliner beside them, and pulled a thin blanket over herself. Covering herself, she said to Sheep Boss and the sick wolf, who had opened their eyes to look at her, "Sleep. When we wake up, I'll make something delicious for us."

With that, Xia Qing closed her eyes and rested.

Having just gone through an intense battle, avenged her father, and obtained a large pack of Yi Stones, Xia Qing had expected to be too excited to sleep. But unexpectedly, after closing her eyes and listening to her two companions' breathing for a while, she began to snore softly.

At half past five in the morning, Xia Qing was nudged awake by Sheep Boss's head. She opened her eyes groggily and asked, "Boss is hungry?"

"Baa."

"Today is the first day of the New Year. Do you want to eat premium feed with toon sprouts and alfalfa-stuffed dumplings? I made the dumplings specially for you."

"Baaa~~~"

"Good. How about Wolf Lao Er has pumpkin-stuffed dumplings with me?"

"Awoo."

"Good, I'll go cook them for us."

Xia Qing got up and washed her face. Although she had only slept a little over an hour, because she had taken a top-grade nutrient solution, her spirit and body were both in good shape.

She smoothed the fur of her two companions, then carried the Yi Stones upstairs and hid them well. After that, she hummed a little tune as she took frozen dumplings out of the fridge.

Today was the first day of the New Year. According to the customs of Xia Qing's hometown, one should eat tangyuan in the morning. But Xia Qing didn't have glutinous rice flour and couldn't make tangyuan, so like other Lords, she had prepared dumplings in advance and frozen them.

While Xia Qing was cooking dumplings in the kitchen, the sick wolf and Sheep Boss stood at the kitchen doorway, watching eagerly for food. During the day and two nights Xia Qing was away, the two fellows hadn't just slept poorly—they hadn't eaten well either.

Soon, a basin of premium feed with a few dumplings and a basin of pork and pumpkin-stuffed dumplings with a little broth appeared on the small table. Sheep Boss and the sick wolf buried their heads in their food, while Xia Qing took a large pack of frozen dumplings and hurried to the small hut by the farmland.

Beard Feng was also awake, so Xia Qing decided to go eat dumplings with him and catch up on what had happened around the territory while she was away, so as not to let anything slip.

Stepping out of the house, Xia Qing noticed the cloud cover overhead had thickened.