Chapter 822: A More Powerful Medicinal Bath

Because Xia Qing had given the Beard Feng squad advance notice, wolves from the northern pack who often visited Territory Three—Head Wolf, Broken-Waist Wolf, Wolf Lao Er and the rest—could pass through Mountain 49 without informing her; just let them straight through.

But this time the situation was unusual. The wolves that came were familiar, but the red fox following the pack was something Xiao Jiang had never seen before, so he decided to report the situation to Xia Qing.

The fox Xiao Jiang hadn't met must be the family Xia Qing had seen in the bamboo grove. "Let them pass."

"Copy that." Xiao Jiang hung up the phone and, together with Little Fifth, stared at the wolves and fox on the screen. "Fifth, look at that little fox cub—it's not looking good."

Inside Territory Three, Xia Qing had already begun preparing the medicine.

After playing at the north gate of Territory Three more than ten times, Broken-Waist Wolf finally caught up with the very slow-running Xia Qing and led her to Wolf Valley. The Flat-Top that fought with Ram Boss outside the north gate every day had long since vanished—who knows where it was hiding. That fellow fears nothing on earth or under it, except the evolved wolf that carried it from its old home and dumped it here.

Inside Wolf Valley, besides the imposing Head Wolf, the wildly leaping Broken-Leg Wolf, and the dead-serious Black Wolf, there was also the little fox Xia Qing had rescued from a crack in the rocks a few days ago, along with its father.

Seeing Xia Qing, the big fox's first reaction was to grab its cub and run. The cleverness of foxes shows itself in their vigilance, their ability to hide, and their ability to flee.

Small and weak in combat, it is no match for humans; to survive it must run. So as long as humans don't provoke it and force it into a corner, this kind of animal is harmless to people.

Without needing Head Wolf's order, Black Wolf stepped in front of the fox and wouldn't let it leave. Broken-Leg Wolf bounded over to Xia Qing, bumping and shoving her, begging her to play with it. Only after getting a piece of jerky did it trot off to the side to gnaw on it.

Xia Qing walked to the front of the valley, pointed at the two foxes by the wolf den's entrance, and asked Head Wolf, who stood tall on a boulder, "Does the Queen want me to treat this little fox's injuries?"

When she had rescued this little fox last time, Xia Qing had noticed evolution ants on its body. The two adult foxes had been very nervous then, and after Xia Qing struggled to pry open the big rock, they had grabbed the cub and run.

The fact that the little fox had been brought here meant the foxes and wolves had killed or driven off the evolution ants, but couldn't get the bite wounds on the cub's skin to heal quickly, so Head Wolf had brought them to find the "team medic," Xia Qing.

Why was Xia Qing sure the evolution ants were no longer on the little fox? Because the evolution ants in the bamboo grove were extremely dangerous—if they hadn't been removed, the cub would probably have been tormented to death by now.

Head Wolf looked down at Xia Qing. Though it didn't open its mouth, Xia Qing read clearly that this was indeed what it meant. So Xia Qing immediately pulled out a printed sheet and showed it to Head Wolf. "I can save the little fox, but I need to trade for these herbs. Your Majesty, look!"

Head Wolf didn't move. Broken-Waist Wolf walked over and turned sideways, signaling Xia Qing to reach into its pouch and pull things out.

Xia Qing pulled out two black little walnuts full of hope, and finally felt a pigeon-egg-sized yi stone. Her face immediately broke into a smile. "Great, yi stones can be traded for medicine too! Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Handsome Wolf, for the little walnuts. I'll definitely cure this little fox."

After pocketing the yi stone and the little walnuts that had no kernels at all, Xia Qing skillfully opened her medicine kit, pointed at the little fox, and negotiated with Broken-Waist Wolf. "Broken-Waist, bring that little fox over here."

When Broken-Waist Wolf leapt over to grab the little fox, the big fox backed up against the rock wall, whining and growling low. Broken-Leg Wolf, who had been busy pawing at a frog, rushed over and, together with Black Wolf and Broken-Waist Wolf, blocked the big fox's retreat, baring their gleaming white fangs at it.

The big fox curled into a ball, not daring to move. The whimpering, struggling little fox was carried by Broken-Waist Wolf to Xia Qing.

"I'll go inside to treat it. I'll be out in a bit." Xia Qing carried the little fox into the wolf den, took off her night-vision goggles, put on her head-mounted examination light, and began examining the cub's injuries.

This work couldn't be done outside the den, because the light would not only attract the attention of the patrol teams, but would also draw swarms of phototropic insects, creating unnecessary trouble for the treatment.

Xia Qing held down the whimpering, trembling little fox, extracted pus from the swollen, bulging wounds on its body for a rapid test, confirmed the type of toxin in the pus, selected the appropriate medicine, treated more than a dozen wounds large and small on the cub's body, and finally fed it anti-inflammatory medicine and deworming medicine.

Because she'd taken a yi stone from the wolf pack, Xia Qing was extremely patient with this SVIP little client. No matter how it whimpered, she wasn't annoyed; no matter how it pawed and bit at her snakeskin gloves, she didn't get angry.

After the treatment, Xia Qing carried the little fellow out of the den and set it on the ground. The big fox immediately rushed over, grabbed the cub, and ran.

Since she'd already taken the yi stone, Xia Qing of course had to cure the little fellow completely, so the wolf pack would know that once she accepted a yi stone, she'd definitely do the job properly. "Your Majesty, that little fox will need another dose of medicine at this time tomorrow."

Head Wolf said nothing. After the human patrol car passed on the northern isolation belt, it leapt over two layers of wire fencing and landed inside Territory Three.

Broken-Waist Wolf, Broken-Leg Wolf, and Black Wolf followed it over with equal agility. Xia Qing, of course, went in properly through the gate.

One person, one sheep, and five wolves—tonight's medicinal bath would definitely be put to full use. After Xia Qing got home, at Broken-Waist Wolf's request, she turned on the computer for it to continue watching the video introducing primates, while she herself soaked in a medicinal bath in the second-floor bathroom.

When the familiar pain of being pricked all over by needles came, Xia Qing actually felt an exhilarating sensation. Because she had waited too long for this day.

Soon, exhilaration turned into endurance. Xia Qing, submerged in the water, was in so much pain she trembled. The still surface of the tub began to ripple in circles. With her improved lung capacity from training, Xia Qing soaked for a full hour, surfacing only five times to catch her breath.

She was very satisfied with this result; Yanlong found it utterly contemptible.

When the alarm rang, Xia Qing opened the drain valve with trembling hands. After the medicinal liquid flowed through the hose into the big tub on the first floor, she rinsed the residue off her body with warm, uncontaminated spring water, then climbed out of the tub and shakily got dressed.

Pushing open the bathroom door and seeing Wolf Lao Er standing there, Xia Qing's heart melted. "Lao Er, I'm fine, I'm okay. This medicine is way stronger than last year's. If you can't stand it later, just say so early and I'll lift you out of the water."

Xia Qing endured the pain and went downstairs, only to find Ram Boss and Head Wolf already soaking in the big tub in the first-floor bathroom. The temperature was high now, so the liquid didn't need heating, and the animals didn't feel cold while soaking.

With Head Wolf keeping order, Ram Boss was unusually obedient, saving Xia Qing trouble. She sat on a small stool beside the big tub, forcing herself to ladle water and pour it over Head Wolf's and the Boss's heads. Especially the Boss—its spiral horn was its important weapon, and also the part of its body most heavily damaged.

After ladling for a while, Xia Qing couldn't hold on any longer. She leaned against the tub and dozed off, not noticing Broken-Waist Wolf in the living room, staring at the white-faced langur on the laptop and laughing happily.

Sick Wolf licked Xia Qing's hair and crouched beside her, keeping watch.