Chapter 1085: Bargains and Barriers

Yesterday, Feng Wen and Yan Meng got into a heated argument near the border of Territory Fourteen and Territory Fifteen. Tan Qi and little Shiyi, who were clearing weeds nearby, ran over to the wild grass wall separating the two territories to eavesdrop.

Last night, while talking to Zhang Shi on the phone, little Shiyi treated this as breaking news. Having grown up in the Evolved Forest, this was the first time she’d witnessed two humans fighting so fiercely. She recounted every detail to Zhang Shi, even describing Feng Wen and Yan Meng’s shifting moods.

Based on her daughter’s vivid description and her own recent observations of Territory Fourteen, Zhang Shi came to a conclusion: both Yan Meng and Feng Wen had a strong urge to kill one another.

It wasn’t surprising that Feng Wen wanted Yan Meng dead. But for Yan Meng to want to kill Feng Wen, who was still pregnant with his child, well, that was downright strange.

Another odd thing was that Yan Meng and Feng Wen chose to argue right next to Territory Fifteen. Xia Qing had a feeling they’d wanted the people in Territory Fifteen to hear every word.

Putting that aside for now, Xia Qing asked calmly, “Shi, what are you thinking?”

Zhang Shi smiled. “I don’t have any opinions.”

Even if Territory Fourteen changed hands, the outcome was clear—it would become a prize that all the powers in Hui Three and Huicheng Base would scramble over. Zhang Shi and Ye Yang’s foundation was too weak; there was no way they could snag the territory and make little Shiyi its leader.

Zhang Shi shared the news with Xia Qing because she figured it was safer for Xia Qing to take over the territory than let some stranger move in and create new risks for Section One of the North.

Since Zhang Shi had no further thoughts, Xia Qing let the subject drop and went back to checking on the peanuts growing in the field. She hadn’t expected that as soon as she returned from inspecting the contaminated soil cleanup project on Hill Fifty, she’d get a call from Feng Wen.

Feng Wen’s voice was low and thick with exhaustion. “Xia Qing, do you remember Dan Ying, the vice captain of Fire Phoenix Squad from Hui One? She contacted Yan Meng today.”

How does a living person contact someone who’s already dead?

Xia Qing was unimpressed. “I’m busy. If there’s something important, say it. Otherwise, I’m hanging up.”

Knowing Xia Qing had no patience for beating around the bush, Feng Wen got right to the point. “Something happened with Fire Phoenix. Dan Ying agreed to heal Yan Meng on the condition that he joins Fire Phoenix and lets her into Territory Fourteen. You and Dan Ying have a grudge. I bet you don’t want her to get in, right?”

“As long as you get the leader of Territory Seven to check Yan Meng’s health and prove he’s been mentally unstable ever since taking Fire Phoenix’s medicine back in April, I’ll tell you who in Ninth Center and the Inspection Team are Fire Phoenix spies.”

“Don’t think that just because you’ve locked down all four gates of Section One, the medicine can’t get in. Yan Meng already has proof of you working with the Northern Wolf Pack to harm people. If you don’t let him have the meds, he’ll hand over the evidence and make your life here impossible.”

Feng Wen’s voice turned urgent. “If you just let Zhang San write a statement, my child will keep the right to inherit the territory. I’ll get rid of Yan Meng for you, and I’ll hand over complete control of Territory Fourteen as well.”

Get rid of Yan Meng for me? Yeah, right. Xia Qing stopped in her tracks and stared quietly at the thick wild grass ahead.

When Xia Qing didn’t respond, Feng Wen calmly broke down the situation. “If Yan Meng makes a full recovery, he and Dan Ying will become your enemies; if Yan Meng dies, my child loses the right to inherit and that territory becomes the biggest wild card next to you—which means it would put you in a passive spot, right?”

“Wild card?” Xia Qing replied flatly. “Are you done yet?”

Hearing Xia Qing’s deadpan tone only made Feng Wen more desperate. She tossed out a new offer. “If you help me this once, I’ll tell you who the Fire Phoenix spies are in Section One of the North, and why Devastation Grass suddenly appeared on the middle passage during Devastation Rain. Without rooting these people out, you’ll never have peace here.”

So that was her real bargaining chip. Turns out, Feng Wen had underestimated her. Xia Qing hung up right away and called out to the little balding weasel hiding behind a rock, “Hey, baldy, are you out hunting on your own?”

The balding weasel cub shivered and poked out its tiny head. That’s when Xia Qing noticed that the little weasel with a ring of sparse white fur around its mouth was gripping a snake in its teeth.

Xia Qing understood immediately and spoke gently to the clever little weasel. “Caught a snake and want to trade it for an egg, huh?”

To clear out Devastation Snakes from the Northern Territory, Xia Qing had posted pictures of them at the balding weasel family’s door. Every visit, she patiently explained to the weasels that these small snakes—green or red, with a distinctive bump on their heads—were deadly. If they caught one, they could trade it for an egg.

Eggs were the weasel family’s favorite treat. Xia Qing didn’t expect the first to make a trade would be the balding cub.

The weasel cub set the snake on the rock and scurried to what it thought was a safe spot, poking out just half its head. Its beady black eyes watched Xia Qing closely.

Even though the snake wasn’t a Devastation Snake, Xia Qing didn’t want to crush the little one’s enthusiasm. She dug out a picture of a Devastation Snake from her backpack, holding up the actual snake to compare. She patiently explained the difference. “See, baldy, what I want has a bump on its head. The one you caught doesn’t, so I can only give you one egg.”

After explaining a few more times, Xia Qing took the smallest egg from her backpack’s egg tray and set it on the ground, put the snake in a bag, and continued on her way.

When Xia Qing was far enough away, the cub darted out, tried to pick up the egg but failed, then expertly cracked the shell with its teeth and slurped up the insides.

Hearing the rustle behind her made Xia Qing smile, but just as she did, her phone buzzed again. Another call from Feng Wen. Xia Qing just hung up and blocked her number.

Feng Wen was half right: Yan Meng staying alive wasn’t good for Xia Qing; Yan Meng dying and the territory falling into someone else’s hands wasn’t good either.

But here’s the part Feng Wen missed: if Xia Qing helped fake things so Feng Wen got the territory, she’d be giving Feng Wen the perfect leverage against her—and that would be even worse.

Feng Wen obviously realized this too. She was just playing negotiation tactics, starting with a high price then slowly lowering her demands.

Looks like that loud argument by the border was no accident. Feng Wen had set it up just to pave the way for today’s bargaining.

Xia Qing was busy. She didn’t have time to haggle.

She got to the weasel family’s den, only to find that both the balding one and the white-furred cub were gone. So she called for Madam Shi and Yuan Yan, then entered Section One of the North via the northern gate. Near the north boundary of Territory Five, she dropped off Madam Shi and Yuan Yan. As she drove toward Territory Seven, she spotted a hunched, emaciated figure standing on the cleaned buffer belt north of Territory Six.

As Xia Qing’s car pulled closer, the person straightened up, removed their protective mask, and slowly lifted a gaunt, sallow face supported by a frail neck.