Chapter 673: I Am the New Lord of Territory Eleven

"Baa—"

The lead sheep waiting for its feed under the big Chinese toon tree bleated in displeasure when it saw Xia Qing standing still.

Xia Qing walked over, broke off a branch, picked off a few Chinese toon buds for it, casually rubbed its head, and walked slowly downhill.

After Blue Star's evolution, when humans go out on missions in teams, they consider the mix of their teammates' abilities in order to raise the group's overall combat power.

Evolvers who can't run fast to escape don't fear being carried, hauled, or even dragged by others when danger strikes — they fear being left behind.

For instance, the day before yesterday on Mountain Fifty-Five, when that black giant python of unknown strength and attack methods suddenly shot out of the water, top-speed evolver Yang Jin's first reaction was to grab Xia Qing and retreat fast; the moment he moved, Xia Qing immediately held on tight to him.

Holding a person with one arm slows you down. If the black snake gave chase, Xia Qing would quickly shift onto Yang Jin's back, freeing both his hands so he could run faster. She, meanwhile, would watch for movement behind them, and if the chance arose, find a way to slow down the beast in hot pursuit.

In other words, at that moment Yang Jin was Xia Qing's legs, and Xia Qing was Yang Jin's extra pair of hands and eyes.

This is the basic rule of action that evolvers of different types no longer need to be reminded of when they go out on missions together.

There's another situation — like Yan Long and Zhang Song — where, to boost travel speed, the fast ones carry the slow ones on their backs.

Logically, a piggyback carry should be used. But Yan Long was already carrying supplies, so he could only shoulder Zhang Song.

Being hauled on someone's shoulder really isn't comfortable, and it's normal for a brain-domain evolver, whose physical condition is already rather poor, to be unable to bear it.

Once Lord Huo Lei arrives, Xia Qing plans to ask him to make a special harness out of wild boar skin, sized to her idol's height and weight. If her idol also has to go out on missions in the future, being carried in a harness or strapped to someone's chest would spare him some suffering.

What perfect timing.

Xia Qing had only just thought of Huo Lei when his full, resonant voice came through the lord's walkie-talkie.

"Hello, fellow lords. I'm Huo Lei, the new lord of Territory Eleven. Please look after me."

Before Xia Qing could press the talk button to offer a welcome, Tang Huai's voice rang out:

"I'm the one who pulled Brother Huo into our channel. He's never farmed before, and we've got plenty of folks here who know how to farm — if he runs into something he doesn't understand, he can ask everyone. Also, if anyone's territory has broken iron farm tools, you can ask Brother Huo to fix them — he's a master blacksmith."

Huo Lei answered right after, "Many thanks to Brother Huai for giving me a hand. Anyone who needs ironware reforged or patched up, just come to me."

Lord Seventeen, Wen Nengjie, came online at once. "Brother Huo, this is Wen Nengjie. Long time no see — you're out too?"

Huo Lei's deep, muffled voice came through again, less polite than before. "That voice sounds a bit familiar. You're… Dead Man Jie?"

Everyone…

Wen Nengjie apologized immediately. "Brother Huo's memory is as good as his craft — that's me, all right. I drew Territory Seventeen, been out over half a year now. How many people came with you? The proper day for spring plowing's almost past — you've got to get your greenhouse and fields sorted out fast, or you'll miss the window. Shall I bring some men over to help you work for a few days? On the house. I was out of line before — I'm apologizing to you here and now."

Tang Huai immediately grew alert. "Wen Nengjie, what is it you did to Brother Huo back in the day?"

Wen Nengjie laughed awkwardly. "It was the disaster that drove me to it — my family was about to starve to death, I really had no choice, so I took the wrong path. I've long since turned over a new leaf and stopped doing that sort of thing."

Wen Nengjie didn't spell it out, but everyone understood: he'd robbed Huo Lei of food.

Huo Lei, new to the area, didn't dwell on old grievances either. "I came alone, I really can't handle it all. If Brother Jie has the time, come help me out for three days, and we'll call it even on the old scores?"

"Good, good! Brother Huo, you're a big man — I admire that! We'll be right over. Don't bother with tools or food, we'll bring our own. We'll get your fields planted right, guaranteed."

Wen Nengjie set down the walkie-talkie and immediately called to the men beside him. "Zhangzi, go round up ten brothers, bring shovels, machetes, and sickles — you're coming with me to Territory Eleven to work."

Wu Zhang couldn't figure it out. "Bro, Huo Lei's just a blacksmith — why should we be afraid of him?"

"Is your head full of shit?"

Wen Nengjie certainly didn't want to bow his head either, but circumstances were stronger than he was, and he had no choice but to bow it. "Someone who could beat out over a dozen well-known figures in the Safe Zone and land Territory Eleven — how could he possibly be just a blacksmith? Get lost and go round up the men!"

Peng Qiu, standing nearby, asked, "Brother Jie, should we bring all the broken farm tools along?"

Wen Nengjie shook his head. "Let's go over and scout things out first. We'll talk about fixing tools in a few days."

In the lords' group chat, everyone was greeting Huo Lei and welcoming his arrival.

Xia Qing spoke up as well. "Uncle Huo, this is Xia Qing, from Territory Three. If you need anything from now on, just say the word."

Tang Huai was shocked. "Xia Qing, you two knew each other already?"

Xia Qing replied, "I used to be an apprentice at Uncle Huo's shop."

Hearing Xia Qing call Huo Lei "uncle," Zhao Ze immediately followed suit. "Uncle Huo, this is Zhao Ze from Territory Four. I'll be troubling you plenty from now on."

Shi Du also started calling him uncle. "Uncle Huo, this is Shi Du from Territory Ten. I'll be troubling you plenty too — we've got several broken shovels back home."

Hearing that this newcomer had quite a history with Xia Qing, Zhou Zhaoping came online as well. "I'm Zhou Zhaoping, acting lord of Territory Eight. Welcome, Brother Huo, to Territory Eleven."

"Good, thanks, everyone. Once I've got my fields planted, I'll fix everyone's farm tools for you." Inside Territory Eleven, Huo Lei answered cheerfully.

Even out here farming, Huo Lei wouldn't set down the trade that put food on the table. The shop back in the Safe Zone is now looked after by his apprentice — small jobs the apprentice handles, big jobs get sent out to him. In his territory, he farms on one side and forges iron for points on the other.

In the lords' channel, Tan Junjie's calm, solemn voice rang out:

"Attention lords and acting lords of Territories 1 through 10: the X-2 High-Yi Element spinach seeds issued free of charge by the territory, the rice seedlings entrusted to the Territory Management Department for raising, and the rice seedlings purchased — distribution will begin from Territory One in fifteen minutes. Please watch for the notice in the lords' channel and be at your road sign three minutes early to wait."

The long-awaited High-Yi Element spinach seeds had finally arrived, and everyone was in an uproar — the channel was buzzing. The only one calm about it was Huo Lei, who'd arrived together with the seeds.

Thanks to this precious batch of X-2 spinach seeds, he'd been "escorted" here in an armored military vehicle by a squad of fully armed security personnel. And in a moment, he'd be able to claim his hundred seeds — as lord of Territory Eleven!

Huo Lei grinned, smiling broadly.