Chapter 653: New Life

Although time was tight, Xia Qing still brought Sheep Boss back under the big camphor tree, bent down, and patiently explained why she was leaving the territory, then persuaded it to stay. "Boss, the supplies in our territory, including this big camphor tree, need you to protect. Stay in the territory and wait for me to come back, okay?"

Through her protective face shield, Xia Qing saw Sheep Boss narrow its eyes, looking unhappy, so she asked again, "You want to come with me to Mountain 49, Zone Three? There are viper snakes there, very dangerous."

After Xia Qing stuffed a ration into it, Sheep Boss still showed it wanted to go with Xia Qing, so Xia Qing had no choice but to agree. She took out binding straps, strapped it onto her back, covered it with a large opaque black packaging bag, exchanged a few words with Chen Zheng and Chen Cheng, then left Territory Three and joined the Mountain 49, Zone Three search squad.

Why bring Sheep Boss? This guy is stubborn as hell—if she didn't bring it out, it would scan its face and run out on its own.

The construction team members who had changed into Level-3 field protective suits saw the north gate of Territory Three open, and a tall figure carrying a large package walk out, heading straight for Mountain 49, Zone Three.

Because everyone knew Xia Qing was a strength evolver, and a strength evolver's main ability was hauling supplies, no one found it strange to see her carrying a large package.

But Beard Feng's squad, who saw Xia Qing walking toward them from the front, got a shock. "Xia Qing, how did you bring Sheep Boss here?"

Xia Qing, with two sheep legs pressing on her shoulders and a sheep's head resting on top of her own, looked perfectly calm. "It wanted to come, so I brought it along."

Beard Feng...

Zhang Song, who was wearing a sealed protective suit nearby, stared at Sheep Boss, his eyes shining.

"Captain Hu, I spotted that snake at the entrance to Valley Two. You guys go ahead, I'll be right there." Xia Qing carried Sheep Boss near the wolf den, undid the binding straps and set it down, then used the walkie-talkie to discuss with it in a low voice, "Boss, I'll be looking for snakes nearby. You can follow me, or you can play around here, just don't go too far. When I come back, we'll head back to the territory together."

Although Mountain 49 was an evolved forest, it was guarded by people from the Azure Dragon Squad. Apart from the wild boars in the valleys, the largest wild beast here was Sheep Boss in its protective suit. The only people here were Beard Feng's squad and two people from Territory Seven, and they wouldn't hurt Sheep Boss either, so it was very safe.

After walking a few steps, Xia Qing noticed Sheep Boss looking around without any intention of following, so she started running toward Valley Two. She hadn't expected that the moment she ran, Sheep Boss followed along too.

When Xia Qing rushed over, Zhang Song and his assistant had already brought detection equipment and, under the protection of Beard Feng's squad, begun searching the area where Xia Qing had discovered the viper snake.

Seeing Xia Qing arrive, Zhang Song stared at Sheep Boss for another two seconds. Noticing this sheep pawing the ground and flashing its horns, showing some signs of anger, he turned to Xia Qing and asked through the walkie-talkie, "How did Young Lady Xia discover the viper snake?"

Xia Qing explained, "Last autumn when I came to collect leaves for composting, I dug it out from the fallen leaves."

The green bamboo viper is an arboreal snake, so the spot where Xia Qing found it was likely the winter hibernation spot that snake had chosen. Zhang He nodded. "Green bamboo vipers like to live in damp, shady forests or in the weeds beside mountain streams. Xiao Sun, pay attention to areas with thick weeds and tree branches."

"Understood." Zhang Sun continued scouting ahead.

Finding there was nothing for her to do here, Xia Qing discussed with Beard Feng, "Captain Hu, I'll go take a look up ahead?"

Beard Feng nodded. "Stay safe."

Xia Qing nodded, separated from the group with Sheep Boss, and seemingly aimlessly used a wooden stick to beat through the grass as she searched, but in reality she was using her magnetic sense to look for the viper snake.

The snake in her snake box must have been a sudden mutation. Xia Qing searched a one-kilometer radius and found over twenty snakes, but not one was a viper snake.

Her magnetic-sense evolution ability was too low-level; it could only scan a diameter of a few meters around her. Too slow.

Looking left and right, she confirmed no one was nearby, then took a new-type ration from her pocket, stuffed it into Sheep Boss's protective suit pocket, held up her phone with a picture, and asked in a lowered voice, "Boss, look at this—I'm looking for a snake with a bump on its head. Do you know where they hide?"

"Help me look for it, okay? Once we find the snake, we can head back to the territory for a meal." If she couldn't find the snake, she couldn't rule out the danger, and the danger status couldn't be lifted. Per her idol's requirements, she wasn't allowed to take off her protective mask to eat or drink.

Of course, if you're not afraid of dying, go ahead and take off your protective mask whenever you want—no one will stop you from eating or drinking anything.

Xia Qing stuffed in another ration and said a bunch of nice things before Sheep Boss finally stared at the snake on the phone for a few seconds and started looking for it.

Before Xia Qing came, this stretch of mountain forest was the wolves' territory and also Sheep Boss's activity area, so it was more familiar with the place than Xia Qing was.

Although the protective mask limited its use of smell, it still led Xia Qing to one active area after another where snakes appeared.

Viper snakes, vegetable snakes, green bamboo vipers, keelbacks, silver-ringed snakes, and even cobras—Xia Qing's waist bag was stuffed bulging full, but not a single viper snake had been found. Just as Xia Qing was thinking that the little snake evolving into a viper snake must have been an accidental mutation, Sheep Boss suddenly turned and ran toward her.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Xia Qing immediately stuffed the cobra in her hand into her bag and stepped forward to ask.

"Baa!" Sheep Boss's bleat came through the walkie-talkie into Xia Qing's ears, tinged with anxiety. It ran past Xia Qing and kept going backward.

Xia Qing understood—something ahead frightened Sheep Boss, so it wanted to take its "little brother" along to escape. "Boss, you retreat first. I'll go take a look."

Ahead was the area where Xia Qing had found the chrysanthemum, angelica, and Atractylodes. She had come here two days ago to clear the weeds and applied some fertilizer, hoping this year's medicinal materials would grow better than last year's. At the time, she hadn't noticed any dangerous creatures here.

But she trusted Sheep Boss's judgment of danger. Xia Qing drew her long saber and walked forward.

"Baa!!" Sheep Boss charged back, butting Xia Qing to retreat.

Xia Qing stroked Sheep Boss's neck, which was clad in snake-skin protective gear, soothing it gently. "Don't be scared, Boss. Your protective suit is very sturdy. I'll go take a look—this is our territory too, we have to clear out the danger."

Just as Xia Qing was walking toward the area that made Sheep Boss uneasy, at the bottom of the calm waters where the northern lake of Mountain 60 met the marsh, a huge black shadow glided past, and ripples spread across the surface. The head wolf and the broken-back wolf standing on the protruding rock in northern Mountain 60 stared at that stretch of water, bristling with killing intent.

"Roar!"

The giant bear that had been catching fish by the lake stood up and growled lowly. The two cubs splashing nearby received the warning and quickly scrambled up the bank.

"Splash—"

The ripples grew larger and larger. Two enormous black pythons, with over a dozen bright red little snakes coiled around their bodies, broke through the water and rose majestically.