Chapter 997: Evolution Locusts

Yang Jin switched on a high-beam flashlight and carefully examined the ore Xia Qing had found. His face lit up. "Ice-grade red-vein stone! A chunk this big—even the Doomsday Cult people would have to kneel before it."

Whether they knelt or not was none of Xia Qing's concern; she only wanted to know whether this stone was enough to level Fierce Fire Mountain. "When are you planning to make your move?"

Yang Jin carefully pocketed the red-vein stone. "Over the past two months, the Doomsday Cult has been burning and smashing—wiping out three of Fierce Fire's shops—and Fierce Fire has killed over twenty of the Doomsday Cult's people. After the third Calamity Rain, I'll use this stone to divine the heavenly signs, and the Doomsday Cult will be wailing as they rush off to bomb Fierce Fire Mountain. Why the temper, Sister Qing? Did Fierce Fire bother you again?"

Xia Qing gave a calm nod. "They planted a mole inside the Ninth Center. A few days ago they nearly crushed a worker to death."

A mole? Yang Jin's eyes rolled. "Perfect—we can put these guys to use, so Fierce Fire won't suspect you or Third Brother…"

An hour later, after seeing Yang Jin off, Xia Qing carefully patrolled the territory. Once she confirmed there was nothing unusual anywhere, she entered the breeding greenhouse.

With spinach seeds, Xia Qing had traded Yang Jin in June for six honeysuckle plants, four wild banzhang plants, and two thousand seeds of evolved needle grass.

These plants and seeds, along with the nectar-source plants Xia Qing had found herself in the Evolution Forest, were all planted by Xia Qing in the planting greenhouse. Because Xia Qing had used plenty of fertilizer and high-quality water, the plants were all thriving. The honeysuckle and needle grass had already bloomed, and even Xia Qing, who was not an olfactory Evolver, could smell the floral fragrance as soon as she stepped into the planting greenhouse.

The white-faced snub-nosed monkey was an omnivore that loved eating sweet-tasting flowers. So after bathing Daigua and dusting it with insect-repellent powder, Xia Qing let it have its way and stay in the breeding greenhouse to eat flowers.

Once the Azure Dragon Squad gave the green light to sell bees after the third Calamity Rain, Xia Qing could "buy" a box and raise them in the planting greenhouse, letting them settle in and produce honey here. Just thinking about green-light honey cake, honey-glazed roast meat, and other foods made Xia Qing's mouth water uncontrollably.

"Huh."

Seeing Xia Qing come in, Daigua plucked a big honeysuckle flower, held it up high, and ran over to offer it to Xia Qing to eat.

Xia Qing took it and gave it a sniff. "It does smell good. Let's pick some to take back and make porridge with tomorrow morning."

Besides cooking porridge, dried honeysuckle could also be steeped for tea. Xia Qing had already dried out a small jar these past few days and sent it to her idol.

Clever Daigua immediately ran to the breeding greenhouse, fetched a small basket, and picked honeysuckle flowers together with Xia Qing. Porridge didn't need much honeysuckle, so Xia Qing called the eager little monkey back and explained which flowers had the best medicinal effect. "Come back tomorrow morning to pick the white flowers that are just about to open. These big ones that have already turned gold have less medicinal potency."

"Daigua, let's go home."

Daigua, who still wanted to pick flowers, immediately put down its little black hands and obediently followed Xia Qing outside. This morning, after Xia Qing had roared at the giant bear on Hill 59, Daigua had become much more sensible. Since returning to the territory, apart from the food Xia Qing gave it, it didn't dare touch any other food in the greenhouses or the house, for fear Xia Qing would roar at it and chase it away.

Xia Qing carried Daigua and turned off the lights before leaving the greenhouse. Like humans, the white-faced snub-nosed monkey had poor night vision, and Xia Qing hadn't equipped it with night-vision goggles, so she had to carry it.

Passing the forage shed, Xia Qing called out to another companion who had already eaten its fill and was lying beside the forage. "Boss, shall we head home?"

Compared with the fragrant plants in the breeding greenhouse, Boss Sheep preferred the fresh, palatable, highly nutritious green-light plants in the forage shed—flat-spike ice-mist grass, alfalfa, perilla, and Bai Mao's chicken-dropping vine—so it didn't often stay in the breeding greenhouse.

Boss Sheep squinted at the little monkey being carried by its underling, looking thoroughly displeased.

Xia Qing walked over with a grin and easily hoisted her three-hundred-plus-pound companion onto her shoulder. "Let's go, we're heading home to rest."

To make it convenient for Boss Sheep to eat grass, the forage shed was fitted with motion-sensor lights. Not long after Xia Qing left the shed, only starlight remained inside.

The old wolf lying on the house ruins heard the noise, opened its eyes and saw Xia Qing returning with a sheep on her shoulder and a monkey in her hand. It yawned and closed its eyes again.

"Fourth, keep an ear out for movement in the territory. If you hear a large swarm of click-click-click insects flying, wake me up. I'll boil you some eggs tomorrow morning." After greeting the old wolf, Xia Qing returned to her own courtyard, set her two companions down, and switched on the walkie-talkie.

It was past eight in the evening—prime time for lords to chat.

Wen Nengjie was speaking. "Did you all see the video I just posted in the group? This wave of locusts is insane."

Zhao Ze was still shaken. "I saw it. Which territory was it that Brother Jie posted?"

Wen Nengjie answered, "Territory 123. Ten mu of corn, completely gone."

After bathing and changing, Xia Qing finally picked up her phone to check Tang Huaijian's Territory 1–26 lords' chat group. The group was always active, so Xia Qing had set it to receive messages without notifications, to avoid constant interruptions.

She quickly scrolled to Wen Nengjie's video.

If Xia Qing didn't farm herself, she wouldn't have been able to tell that the plants in the field—reduced to bare stalks only a dozen centimeters tall—were corn. The figure that flashed briefly in the video, sitting in the middle of the farmland wearing a protective mask, radiated helplessness and despair.

Three months of hard work, corn that had already begun to tassel, ruined like this—anyone would despair. Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie. "Brother Jie, do you have photos of the locusts?"

"Yes, I'll post them in the group right now." Hearing Xia Qing's voice, Wen Nengjie immediately sent several photos of the locusts to the group.

Xia Qing commented, "These locusts aren't all that big, but you can tell at a glance their mouthparts are razor-sharp."

"The mouthparts have evolved—otherwise they couldn't chew through corn stalks." Qi Fu felt a chill just looking at them. "I wonder how far the pest-eradication has progressed in the southern territories. These things have to be wiped out completely—they can't be allowed to lay eggs and breed."

Kuang Qingwei asked, "Brother Jie, do you know where these evolved locusts came from?"

After being isolated by Hui Three's channel suppliers and middlemen, Kuang Qingwei's information wasn't as well-sourced as before.

Wen Nengjie answered, "I heard they hatched from eggs inside Territory 124. The lord of 124 is a lazy type—he doesn't really patrol the non-planting areas of his territory, and he doesn't spray insecticide on schedule. So locust eggs in a patch of dry wild grass hatched and triggered a disaster."

Tang Heng came online. "This disaster has damaged over fifty mu of farmland in the territories around Territory 124. Hopefully the points and food Territory 124's lord has saved up this year will be enough to compensate the other territories for their losses."

Tang Huai snorted. "How much land can a lazy person farm? Ten mu? Fifteen?"

Everyone…

Xia Qing, whose territory contained twelve planting sheds, two greenhouses, and one forage shed—totaling just 13.4 mu of planting area—calmly went on with her strength training.

The lord channel fell silent. Once Tang Huai realized what he'd said, he immediately tried to backpedal. "People with few reclaimed mu aren't necessarily lazy. Sister Qing farms little because she has to manage the Ninth Center and Hill 50, and she still has to practice shooting. Uncle Huo farms little because he has to forge iron and improve farm tools."

Xia Qing still didn't take the bait. Lord Huo Lei came online. "If Huo Zhun could be half as diligent as Shi Du, I wouldn't be this worn out!"

Everyone…

Huo Zhun…

Zhu Li saw the wind shifting and immediately changed the subject. "Did everyone check the forum today? Over in Hui Two, a lot of pregnant women had miscarriages, and the fetuses were taken away for experiments."