Chapter 1079: The Shadow of the Wolves

After watching her two companions dash back into the cave, Xia Qing slung her gun over her shoulder, jumped down a few ledges and grabbed onto the first Scavenger that Alpha had tackled. She dragged him quickly into the hollow of a huge rock nearby, drew a sedative, and knocked the still-convulsing Scavenger out before tying him up.

The helicopter overhead might belong to Hui Three, but Xia Qing had no interest in being spotted. As the domain lord, she was supposed to be more than three hundred kilometers away in her own territory. If someone realized she was here, she could bring trouble right back to Section One of the North.

Alpha and Crippled Wolf couldn’t risk exposure either. The two of them, in their protective suits and with Alpha’s trademark left ear, would be instantly recognizable.

It was even stranger that the Wolf King of the Hui Three Northern Wolf Pack showed up here at the gorge on the border of Hui Three’s southwest and Hui One—a twist even odder than Xia Qing’s own presence.

This gorge splitting Hui Three and Hui One is long and narrow, jagged rocks everywhere. From the air, it’s almost impossible to see all the stone caves and what might be lurking under those stone bridges.

The helicopter thundered above the collapsed stone pillar. Suddenly the side door slid open—and out buzzed a small drone!

The drone swooped lower, almost dipping into the gorge—then, without warning, darted ahead instead. The helicopter howled after it.

Xie Yu’s voice crackled from Xia Qing’s walkie-talkie: “Sister Qing, I fired the signal flare. The helicopter’s heading your way. Did you manage to stay hidden?”

Fingers wrapped around her steel pellets, Xia Qing replied, “I’m fine. Thanks. What’s your status?”

“We’ve got three blue-skinned Scavengers in custody. Two more slipped into the Stone Forest—we’re in hot pursuit, both ground team and helicopter. No way they’re getting out. How’s it on your end, Sister Qing?” Xie Yu reported.

She had three people here, Xie Yu’s team had five, plus two inside the cave… This really was a full mission squad. The thought made Xia Qing shiver. “I’ve got four Scavengers here—two dead, two wounded. Fight’s over. Captain Xie, could you send someone to collect them? I’ll cut back through Evolved Forest to get home.”

Of the two injured Scavengers left, one Xia Qing caught in the cave, the other Alpha just dragged out and tackled. With the helicopter circling above, naturally, these two would be Xie Yu’s to deliver to the chopper. Once secured, they’d all get hauled back to the Hui Three Safe Zone together.

Xie Yu didn’t so much as ask how non-Speed Evolver Xia Qing planned to cross hundreds of kilometers of Evolved Forest. He just laughed and said, “My teammates Cheng Yao and Liang Nian will be at your place in five minutes. I’ll see to it every bit of gear from the cave gets bundled up—when we’re back at base, we’ll split the rewards according to the video and checklists as always.”

Filming and inventorying haul is standard. After all, on these joint squad missions, it’s the surefire way to avoid squabbles about loot.

When the two Hui Three teammates arrived where Xia Qing waited, they joined her—soot-stained and all—digging up the rocks to recover the two flattened corpses. This blue-skinned squad of Scavengers were Red One’s most-wanted, worth credits to boot, so they needed to retrieve every last body.

Pointing at the bound man and woman beside her, Xia Qing briefed them: “The guy’s the one I caught inside the cave. He got whacked by the shield, suffered internal bleeding, but he’s sedated and will wake up in about an hour. He never saw my face. The woman was clawed by a wolf through her back—the wound’s treated, she’ll wake in two hours.”

Which meant, when they woke, neither would have a clue who raided their nest.

Once the two Qinglong teammates took away the hostages and corpses, Xia Qing climbed back up along the rock face, reentered the cave, and regrouped with the wolves.

After giving the antidote to Alpha and Crippled Wolf, Elder Wolf came over. He nudged Xia Qing’s protective suit pocket with his nose, then glanced at the three companions—finally able to stand, but still unsteady—deep inside the cave.

The two adult wolves, covered in soot and filth, shielded the adolescent wolf behind them and fixed Xia Qing with fierce, green eyes that glowed in the dim cavern.

But as weak as they were now, they couldn’t do a thing to Xia Qing, who was under the North Pack’s protection.

She took just one look before glancing away, pulled a nutrient shake from her pocket, and asked Elder Wolf, “Number Four, do you want them to have some?”

Elder Wolf, smeared in black ash, bared his long, sharp canines in a mimic of Crippled Wolf’s old gesture—a show of goodwill.

He was old. His teeth weren’t snowy white anymore—more grayish, a bit yellow at the roots. When he’d first arrived in Section Three, they were even darker, but after two medicinal baths with the others, his teeth grew strong again and the discoloration eased.

Xia Qing deliberately slowed her words, gesturing as she spoke. “Today’s mission was your idea, to save your companions. Queen and I got all three out alive and cured their poison; as for all the seized goods, we’ll count that as your payment for our help. These three nutrient shakes and a pack of anti-inflammatory meds—my treat.”

Crippled Wolf, standing to the side, eyed Xia Qing’s bulging backpack and the freshly retrieved blood-stained black bag.

Xia Qing opened a folding paper bowl from her pack, poured in some pure spring water, X Nutrient Shake, and anti-inflammatory antiparasitic meds, then asked, “Number Four, want to head back to the Territory with me?”

Elder Wolf shut his mouth, just stared quietly at her.

“Not coming? Alright. We’ll head back, then. Your gut still isn’t better and you’ve eaten raw meat again today—if your stomach hurts…” She tapped Elder Wolf’s belly. “…come find me at Section Three for medicine.”

After that, Xia Qing stuffed the rest of the haul into her backpack. “Queen, Handsome Wolf, Big Wolf, Black Wolf, Little Wolf’s little sister, let’s go. Time to head home.”

Those three Evolved Wolves at the back of the cave had just been rescued and were still bristling with hatred toward humans. If not for Elder Wolf keeping the peace, and the North Pack staring them down, they’d have attacked Xia Qing on the spot. No way was she going over there to ask for trouble.

After Xia Qing and Alpha left the cave, Little Wolf’s little sister went over to sniff the weak adolescent wolf, then ducked out too.

Once the humans and the North Pack were gone, Elder Wolf lowered his head, licked the medicine in the bowl, then let out a long howl and summoned his companions to eat.

The three half-starved, thirsty wolves obeyed Old Wolf’s call, despite the lingering stench of humans, and shuffled over for a deep sniff before guzzling down the water.

What Xia Qing had given them was X Nutrient Shake. It worked even better than Fire Phoenix’s so-called premium, boosting their recovery and stamina. Once the three wolves finished, they lay down for a rest. When they got up a bit later, their legs didn’t even shake anymore.

The two adult wolves shook themselves to dislodge grime, then took turns grooming each other’s fur. The adolescent wolf nuzzled up to Elder Wolf’s leg, flopped onto the floor, and exposed his soft underbelly.

Elder Wolf began licking and gently nibbling his fur to clean him up. Soon after, he led his three companions out the gourd-shaped cave’s other exit, heading away from Xia Qing and the North Pack.