Chapter 1070: Wolves, Allies, and Unseen Dangers

“Third Brother, Evolved Wolves are clever, but most, even the Alpha of the Northern Wolf Pack, just want to protect their territory and stay well-fed. They’re satisfied as long as humans don’t invade their core lands. So at heart, they’re landowners just like me. As long as humans don’t cross the line, they won’t attack.”

Xia Qing had worried about this, too, ever since she first discovered how sharp the wolves could be. She’d warned them as a precaution.

“I often show disaster videos to the Alpha and Crippled Wolf. They’re crystal clear on just how bad things get if the balance breaks, and they know how dangerous human weapons can be.”

Hearing that Xia Qing had handled this potential risk, Zhang San’s face softened a bit. “Did it work?”

It did. After watching those disaster videos, Broken Back even gave up learning to fly the helicopter. Now when it’s in its cave using the generator bike, it checks the charging status and battery health.

But Xia Qing didn’t dare say all that to her Idol. “Yes. After Crippled Wolf picked up on the balance of the Evolved Forest, they’ve started raising honey badgers in their territory to control snakes. Now it even recognizes sick prey—kills them but doesn’t eat them, just buries them instead. If it spots fast-spreading, aggressive plants like the wild tung tree, it’ll try to handle them itself, but if it can’t, it comes to me. A lot of the wild tung trees I reported on Hill Fifty-One these past two months were actually found by the wolves.”

If the Wolf Pack hadn’t discovered those well-hidden wild tung trees, and Xia Qing hadn’t reported them to the Inspection Team in time, Section One of the North wouldn’t have stayed so quiet during this Devastation Rain.

Zhang San actually looked genial now. “Sort out the videos, images, and written materials you’ve shown the wolves, in order by date. I need to know exactly what Crippled Wolf has learned.”

That… might be tough. Crippled Wolf studied using the laptop all on its own…

But with her Idol asking, Xia Qing answered without missing a beat. “Sure, Third Brother. Once I’ve finished with the Devastation Grass, I’ll get everything organized. Most of it is video, so can I reach out to Brother Ya and ask how to export the recordings?”

Crippled Wolf used the same video player—there should be a way to export… right?

Zhang San nodded. “Go ahead. From now on, if Crippled Wolf asks you something you don’t know, look it up. If you still don’t get it, ask me. Don’t just make things up. It trusts you completely—whatever you say, it believes.”

“…Understood. I’ll keep that in mind going forward.”

Xia Qing wanted to protest that she’d never made things up in front of Crippled Wolf, but Third Brother was a researcher—facts were everything. If she tried to argue, he’d rattle off a whole list of times she had. Pulling the car to a stop by the river, she tried to negotiate. “The road’s slippery. Want me to carry you up?”

“I can walk just fine.” Zhang San pushed the door open, stepped out carefully, and started north at a steady pace. He looked much more stable than Zhang Song ever did.

Zhang Jingwu had been waiting over two hours at Section Three’s northern gate. When he saw the Senior Expert striding out all muddy, his heart finally settled.

Watching her Idol climb into the car and drive away, Xia Qing moved ‘fixing the road’ to the very top of her to-do list.

She was determined—the next time her Idol came by, that road would be good as new!

As Xia Qing was out patrolling her territory, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Yang Jin had sent her a picture: a tall wall blown open with a bomb, and three words—It’s started.

Fire Phoenix and Apocalypse were finally at war!

Xia Qing fired a message right back: If you spot anyone with the surname Dan trying to escape, finish the job with a shot or a shell—I’ll pay for the credits.

After Xia Qing killed Dan Xiang, she and Dan Ying became sworn enemies. That red Devastation Grass seed crisis in the high-risk area of Hill Fifty during this year’s second Devastation Rain? All Dan Ying’s doing.

Dan Ying wanted revenge for her brother’s death. Xia Qing wasn’t about to sit by and let herself become a victim. Now, with chaos at Fire Mountain, it was the perfect time to strike.

Yang Jin quickly replied: We’ll settle the credits later.

The corner of Xia Qing’s mouth curled as she finished a patrol around her territory before heading home.

Back in the living room, Crippled Wolf was lounging with a copy of ‘Learning to Read Scans from the Senior Expert.’ As soon as Xia Qing walked in, it flashed a tiny hint of fang her way. Old Goat, pedaling the generator bike, glanced over and squinted at her.

“Old Goat, you look even cooler riding that bike. Those leg muscles—ten Flatheads couldn’t take you down…” Xia Qing served up a sincere compliment for her power-generating friend, then pulled Little Fei Mao from her pocket and set him in his box. Only then did she turn to Crippled Wolf. “Broken Back, let’s talk about building the lab in a bit.”

The CT unit and microscope for the lab both belonged to Crippled Wolf, so it would be covering at least two-thirds of the construction cost.

Xia Qing headed upstairs, scrubbed the lab until it sparkled, and disinfected everything. Just as she was coming down to talk business with Crippled Wolf, she heard a rapid thumping, then a loud crash. Her security door had fallen again!

Why can’t I catch a break!

Fuming, Xia Qing charged downstairs. Crippled Wolf was already gone, but Old Goat stood near the fallen door, excitedly nuzzling the bewildered Wolfdog Number Two.

This time, the door had toppled outward.

She didn’t even have to ask—Old Goat must have caught scent of Number Two coming home, barreled over, and misjudged his own strength. Door down.

And Crippled Wolf? Probably bolted off to find the Alpha the minute it saw Number Two return.

Xia Qing gently reassured her rattled friend. “Don’t worry, Number Two. This door’s been busted for ages—I’ll fix it in no time.”

Soaked from head to toe, Number Two opened his mouth in a big, happy grin.

Balancing the beat-up security door, Xia Qing called out to her friends, “Number Two, quick, get inside, you’re drenched. I’ll get you some hot water for a bath. Old Goat, you wash your hooves and come back in too!”

Seriously, can’t you guys go easy on me for once? Even the door’s warped now!

Three days of rain meant the solar water heater had long run out of hot water. Xia Qing didn’t mind taking cold showers herself, but she couldn’t bear to let Number Two soak in the chill. She got right to work, chopping wood and heating water.

After shaking off the rain and muck outside, Number Two slunk in to flop down by the stove. His big head rested lightly on Xia Qing’s foot, and those clear rusty-orange eyes gleamed with the firelight—and her own reflection.

Running her hands through his fur, Xia Qing found several Evolved Ticks already burrowed deep and a few evolved slugs, plus some strange red-thread-like creatures—she couldn’t tell if they were animals or Devastation Evolution plants.

After a Devastation Rain, all kinds of small bugs exploded in the Evolved Forest. The Alpha and Crippled Wolf came in wearing protective suits, but Number Two had braved the trip from Hill Sixty without one, traveled with the Alpha and Elder Wolf all the way to the Western Evolved Forest. Having a few bugs was nothing unusual.

Xia Qing wasted no time getting Number Two into the first-floor bathroom, treated him with miracle medicine to kill off the bugs she could see, then ladled the boiling water into the bath barrel, stirred in pesticide, and soaked Number Two for a proper disinfecting scrub.

Once she’d changed the water, Xia Qing fetched Old Goat too. With both of them soaking for decontamination, Number Two relaxed, laid his head gingerly on Old Goat’s spiral horn, and shut his eyes for a nap.

Old Goat, irritable as ever, just squinted and didn’t budge.

Snapping a quick photo of her two comrades, Xia Qing headed outside and craned her neck. “Number Four, did you and the Queen deliver the medicine to the Western Evolved Forest for the Evolved Tiger?”

Elder Wolf was still soaking wet and opened his eyes but didn’t leave his spot.

Xia Qing was used to Elder Wolf’s habit of ignoring her. She pressed on. “Where’s the Queen? She didn’t come back with you?”

Not until Xia Qing opened the bag under the eaves did Elder Wolf leap down from the roof ruins and join her by the body bag.

Xia Qing spoke softly, “What do you want to do with your companion’s body? Bury it, or burn it?”

When food is scarce, wolves will eat their fallen to survive. But if they’re well-fed, they never touch their own dead.

Last month, after she and the Alpha took down a Giant Raptor on Hill Fifty-Nine, Xia Qing had seen the Pack carry a dead companion down into a mountain ravine and cover it with rocks, big and small.

The wolves weren’t about to let vultures, storks, hyenas or wolverines tear into one of their own.

Now, Elder Wolf, convalescing in Section Three, took up his companion’s body and carried it home to his territory.