Chapter 1073: Shifting Tides in the North

“Hey, have you all heard the news?”

After clearing out all the Devastation Grass in the territories, the lords could finally relax for a few days. Everyone gathered at the edge of the passageway, watching as researchers from Territory Seven teamed up with Xia Qing and the sixth inspection mini-squad to clean up the leftover red pesticide along the corridor.

This job required special gear, but since Territory Seven had limited equipment, the lords couldn’t join in and instead hung back nearby, clearing away weeds and stones from their own territory as they watched.

In Territory Five, Zhu Li, who was technically helping with weeding but really just there for the gossip, shared the latest update. “Apocalypse and Blazing Fire are still fighting behind the scenes. I heard over four hundred people have died already.”

Xia Qing gave a quiet nod.

She truly had heard the same. The captain of the Azure Dragon Squad, who was watching from the sidelines outside Fire Mountain and playing scavenger, told her this morning that the number of casualties on both sides was 315.

Blazing Fire Squad had seven captains—six vice and one chief. Two were killed, two injured.

The ones who died were Vice Captain Dan Ying, who managed research, and Vice Captain Zhou Jin, who was in charge of training the team. Dan Ying was sniped by Luo Pei; Zhou Jin was killed by Xie Yu.

That name, Zhou Jin, had only come up before Devastation Rain, when the Lord of Territory Twenty-Five, She Xing, mentioned him. Zhou Jin had personally called She Xing with a very generous offer, trying to recruit her son, Lu Fangchun, into Blazing Fire Squad. She Xing politely declined, citing her son’s need to recover from an injury.

Right now, Azure Dragon Squad was quietly searching near Fire Mountain for any sign of Qu Fangzhou, the Blazing Fire Squad’s vice captain in charge of intelligence and analysis. If they killed Qu Fangzhou, their mission for this strike would be complete.

Why not target Fire Phoenix? Because she’s now under official protection from Hui One—they can’t get to her.

“I heard that too.”

On the walkie-talkie channel, Lord Wen Nengjie of Seventeen sighed, “Even a squad as strong as Blazing Fire ended up infiltrated by the Apocalypse Sect. That’s terrifying. Thankfully, our base takes security pretty seriously.”

Catching Xia Qing’s subtle nod, Zhang Song—standing beside her—grinned, “You think the Apocalypse Sect is scary too, Sister Qing?”

Xia Qing scooped a shovel of red-tainted soil and dumped it into the bag held open by Su Ming, answering calmly, “I’ve never interacted with Apocalypse Sect, but I’d agree our base handles security much better than others.”

Hui Three may not have the strongest combat or management abilities, but Base Director Qi Zhongye absolutely despised cults and was relentless about rooting them out.

Tang Huai, digging for insects in Territory Ten, overheard Xia Qing and hit his talk button. “We’re the strictest out of all ten bases in Hui City. Even trading those ‘Divine Wolf’ portraits inside the Safe Zone is a hush-hush thing.”

Madam Shi, a die-hard Divine Wolf fan, spoke up. “Better strict than sorry. Divine Wolf isn’t here to hurt anyone, but you never know when people will take advantage of his name to scam others.”

“What facts make everyone so sure ‘Divine Wolf’ doesn’t hurt people?” Zhang Song asked, truly curious.

Tang Huai and Zhu Li were both eager to hear Xia Qing’s response and listened in, alert.

Just two days ago, Xia Qing and the Alpha of the Northern Wolf Pack killed seven Scavengers inside Hill Thirty-Seven. Xia Qing’s tone stayed calm. “I have no idea. You’d have to ask the ones making and selling those portraits in the Safe Zone.”

“Even the ones who started the Divine Wolf religion don’t actually believe—they’re in it for the money.” Inspection Team member Xu Sanxi, who’d lost family to the Western Wolf Pack, ground his teeth. “How many killings by wolves have there been over the years?”

“You… argh!”

Before Zhang Song could finish, Tan Junjie—fast as lightning—grabbed him to steady him.

Zhu Li and Tang Huai from across the way both gave a big thumbs-up—index fingers outstretched. Impressive. This Territory Seven researcher had already fallen eight times, and it wasn’t even noon.

Xia Qing glanced at the clearly upset Xu Sanxi off to her left, then, as she loaded more dirt into the bag, shot a look at the absent-minded Peng Lin from the inspection team.

Since the fighting broke out between Blazing Fire and Apocalypse, Peng Lin wasn’t the only one affected. Zhang Kui from the Ninth Center’s construction department showed obvious signs of distress, too. Yet his downline—Li Cun, an employee at the Ninth Center construction department, Chen Xia from the infirmary, and Yang Pei, a retired soldier from Territory Fifteen—didn’t show any real changes.

That meant Zhang Kui and Peng Lin had direct dealings with Blazing Fire Squad, while Zhang Kui’s three subordinates probably didn’t know they were helping at all.

All of them could vouch for Xia Qing always staying in her territory. Once Apocalypse and Blazing Fire finished their fight, it’d be time to clear house in Section One of the North, too.

Now, what Xia Qing wanted to know most boiled down to two things: First, just how involved were Yan Meng from Territory Fourteen and the pregnant Feng Wen with Blazing Fire? Second, who scattered the Devastation Grass seeds on the passageway to Section One of the North, and when?

Xu Sanxi from the inspection team had already been cleared of suspicion. He wasn’t fit for dangerous inspection work and would soon return to the Safe Zone.

After a long day, the first thing Xia Qing did when she got back to her territory was rinse her protective suit at the riverbank.

She couldn’t smell herself anymore, but she knew she still reeked. Since yesterday afternoon, after they neutralized the red pesticide all along the corridor, a stench had spread over the whole territory—even birds flying overhead made sure to steer clear.

By this morning, most of the smell had faded inside the territory. But when Xia Qing was cleaning the corridor, the toxin detector strapped to her arm still blinked red. The corridor reeked.

If she went home straight after work, her teammates would never let her hear the end of it. Once she’d scrubbed off the stench, she grabbed some fresh vegetables from Greenhouse Two, fed the breadworms, and hurried back with her basket in tow.

Today was August 30. Time for her seventh medicinal bath. She wanted to finish dinner early—after dark, the wolves would be coming.

Sure enough, not long after she finished eating, Alpha, Crippled Wolf, Handsome Huge Wolf, and Black Wolf all led a mid-sized wolf—one that had never set foot in Section Three—right up to her front door by hopping the 4.5-meter wall.

Er spotted the wolf, standing nervously between Alpha and Crippled Wolf, its gray-brown fur and amber eyes on full alert. He walked over, licked its head gently.

Right before their eyes, the young wolf relaxed a lot.

Xia Qing’s eyes brightened. “Your Majesty, is this Lame Wolf’s little sister? She’s gotten so big!”

Alpha remained expressionless, while Crippled Wolf, notebook pouch dangling from his neck, bared his little fangs to confirm Xia Qing had guessed right.

Maybe the little sister was just too nervous, so Alpha and Crippled Wolf didn’t come inside. They stayed with her and the other two wolves under the eaves outside.

Xia Qing thought Alpha would let the little sister have the first bath, but instead, just like always, Alpha and Old Goat went first, then Handsome Huge Wolf, then Crippled Wolf and Black Wolf, and finally Er and the little sister.

The bath order showed that after surviving the third Devastation Rain, the wolf pups born this spring were no longer getting special treatment. They’d moved on to fending for themselves for food and status within the pack.

No wonder Er, who’d been looking after the pups, could finally return to Section Three and relax by catching bugs and feeding fish.

Why did Alpha and Crippled Wolf bring the little sister instead of the brother? Where had Number Four gone, and why hadn’t he come home at night?

Lost in thought, Xia Qing drifted into a deep sleep.