Chapter 1125: Taskforce on the Move: Perils in the Southern Range

It was nearly midnight when Xia Qing finally left Territory Seven and returned home. She quickly locked the Devastation Snake in her fridge, then fed the Green Lantern Cow and Green Lantern Chicken, coaxed Old Goat to guard the house with a tasty ration bar, and gave Er a pack of freeze-dried Green Lantern Wild Boar to keep him content in Wolf Valley. Only then did she hastily grab some jerky, gulp down some nutrient shake, and set off with Huo Zhun and Zhang Hongda toward the helicopter landing zone.

Her territory? She left it in the hands of Chang Li and Hu Zifeng’s Squad.

And the two wolves in Territory Seven still under treatment? Once they recovered, Er Yong from Hu Zifeng’s Squad would take them to Wolf Valley and hand them off to Er. Of all Hu Zifeng’s Squad, Er Yong was the only one Er tolerated, while Old Goat made no secret of his dislike for every squad member, equally.

Seeing Xia Qing return alone from the helicopter, carrying a big bag and a suitcase, Huo Zhun, who was usually cheerful, felt a little out of sorts. After greeting her warmly, he hopped back in the helicopter and flew toward Hill Fifty-Nine.

Zhang Hongda reported on the disaster relief mission arrangements: “Sister Qing, Third Brother transferred three Magnetic Sense Evolvers and thirty-five security staff from the Ninth Center. Six Inspection Team members, along with Tan Qi, Tang Huai, Zhu Li, Shi Du, Yuan Yan from our territory, plus Sister Man and Mingzi from Territory Eleven, and She Xing from Territory Twenty-Five—all evolvers. They formed ten teams to search for the Devastation Snake in the evolved forest around the territory. Here, take a look.”

As a Level 9.5 Vision Evolutionary, Xia Qing gazed down through the porthole and saw a six-person squad by the reflective river, but the altitude made it hard to tell who they were. She could, however, check the squad list on her phone. “That’s Sister Man and Tang Huai’s squad down there. This time, since the disaster response covers the territory’s outer areas, walkie-talkies aren’t reliable, so Third Brother set up a group chat on our phones for coordination. Third Brother and Captain Tan don’t know you two are with me, so I’ll add you both to the mission group now.”

No sooner had Xia Qing added Huo Zhun and Zhang Hongda to the disaster group than a message appeared.

Tang Huai: @Hu Zifeng Crazy man, what are you doing flying the helicopter?

Hu Zifeng quickly replied: Whatever you’re doing, that’s what the helicopter’s doing.

Tang Huai, who was working in Hill Fifty, snorted twice and typed another line: @Xin Yu, why is your sea eagle out and about?

To everyone’s surprise, Xin Yu replied as well: Whatever you’re doing, that’s what my sea eagle’s doing.

“Thanks, Sister Qing.” Sitting in the co-pilot seat surrounded by the helicopter’s radar displays, Zhang Hongda turned back to report, only to spot a rare smile on Xia Qing’s face.

It was only the second time he’d seen her smile in over a year. Zhang Hongda was briefly stunned before steadying himself and reporting, “Sister Qing, the one in a protective suit with a raven perched on a White-Banded Sea Eagle on the helicopter’s left—it’s a tamed bird from Territory Eight, right? Looks like it’s heading in the same direction as us.”

Xia Qing quickly regained her composure. “They’re on the same mission as me, so they’re headed the same way.”

Zhang Hongda nodded. “Xin Yu must’ve sent the raven along to help control the White-Banded Sea Eagle. That raven’s evolved to a remarkable degree.”

Next time he ran into Xin Yu, Zhang Hongda wanted to ask if the raven had offspring and whether she’d be open to trading one.

Xin Yu had entered the hidden valley in Hill Fifty more than once to fetch water and check on the crops. Once Zhang Hongda’s health improved, he took on guarding the valley. The first time he opened the Stone Gate for Xin Yu, she seemed startled to see his swollen and festering face but quickly nodded thanks, masking her surprise.

Later, they had a few brief conversations. Zhang Hongda felt Xin Yu lacked the arrogance typical of the Yu family from Chonglian Group—she just preferred her own company and simply didn’t talk much.

Huo Zhun, flying the helicopter, spoke up. “That raven’s very territorial. The past two days, it’s been perched atop the big tree in Territory Eight, keeping a watchful eye on the four newcomers in my territory.”

Curious, Zhang Hongda asked, “Did it take any action after watching them?”

“Oh, it sure did. It doesn’t like Da Min. Whenever he gets too close to Territory Eight, it screeches at him and even tries to poop on him. But it’s scared of Sister Man. If Sister Man gets near, the raven dives into the thickest tree branches to hide.”

Zhang Hongda was speechless.

So was Xia Qing.

After landing on Hill Fifty-Nine, Xia Qing told Huo Zhun and Zhang Hongda not to wait for her—just take the helicopter straight back to the territory. She then raced toward Hill Sixty on her own.

When Zhang Hongda saw the clever raven fly from the sea eagle’s back to Xia Qing’s shoulder, envy flashed in his eyes.

Xia Qing didn’t offer the raven its favorite snacks or scent attractant, yet it perched on her willingly—proof it trusted and liked Sister Qing. And if Xin Yu were open to trading tamed birds, Xia Qing would definitely get first pick.

Still, Zhang Hongda glanced at the group chat on his phone and couldn’t help but smile. He might not outrank Xia Qing, but at least he was ahead of Tang Huai.

Xia Qing made her way through an area guarded by four wolves, then up a hill at the southern edge of Hill Sixty—right between the western front of the wolf pack and the valley’s main battlefield. She opened her suitcase, set up the 80-jin micro base station, then called over Crippled Wolf to have a wolf stand guard. Only then did she return to the valley between Hill Sixty and Hill Sixty-One and contacted Idol and Xin Yu.

After confirming her location and that the airborne raven was under the micro base station’s coverage, Xia Qing asked Xin Yu to monitor the western front of Hill Sixty with the camera and share the live feed with Zhang San. Zhang San would choose which animals to track.

She joined the main force of the wolf pack to guard the battlefield, lying in wait for the giant python to make its next move—and to catch the Devastation Snake.

It was a scorching autumn noon. The lake’s surface and rocky ground were baking under the sun, so the snakes hid in the lakebed, marshes, and underbrush, while wolves and bears rested in the shade.

Xia Qing leaned against a rock, treating the minor wounds on several top battle wolves in the valley. The wolves, living in the evolved forest, had far better resistances than humans accustomed to wearing protective suits. Still, if untreated, wounds could get infected by evolution bacteria and have dire consequences.

She handed a 40-kilogram Devastation Snake over to Idol, who generously stuffed Xia Qing’s medical kit full. Xia Qing thought nothing of using a little pesticide to help treat the wolves’ injuries.

After she finished tending to the wolves, Alpha lifted his head and howled. Five injured wolves left the valley, swapping places with five adult wolves from the western battlefield—including Lame Wolf and the hulking Huge Wolf—bringing them into the main valley.

Xia Qing got to work, checking each of the five new wolves’ wounds one by one.

On the eastern riverbank, the brain-evolved Bear King lounged in the shade, quietly observing Xia Qing’s interactions with the wolf pack.

About an hour and a half later, when Xia Qing was half-dozing against the big guy, Goofball scampered up to the river’s edge and hollered at her from afar: “Hey—”

Xia Qing opened her eyes, took in Goofball’s puffy little belly, and raised her voice. “Goofball, are you thirsty? Want some water?”

“Oh!” Goofball let out a happy squeak.

Wearing her protective mask, Xia Qing hopped down from the rock and went to the river. Goofball rushed over to meet her. When Xia Qing pulled a folding plastic bowl from her backpack and poured some pure spring water, Goofball slurped it all down, then looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes.

Xia Qing poured some more water, letting the little bear drink its fill, then straightened its green cap and shorts and combed through its thick fur to check for parasites.

That gluttonous little Cub was such a messy creature that Goofball, after being around it for so long, might’ve picked up some parasites from it. Seeing Goofball was more or less clean, Xia Qing sprayed some antiparasitic onto it.

Crippled Wolf, meanwhile, stared thoughtfully at Goofball’s little green cap. The Bear King and Alpha, having watched Xia Qing and Goofball interact, twitched their ears in unison and turned their gaze across the lake.

Rising slowly from the lake’s surface—some 2,000 meters from the valley—a giant python with deep-green scales and black flecks, a golden slit for a pupil, uncoiled to its full height.

The third wave of the python swarm’s invasion was about to begin.