Chapter 1163: Aerial Showdown Above Hill Forty-Nine

Just as Xia Qing caught sight of dark shapes in the northern sky, Li Xuanyu’s voice crackled through her earpiece walkie-talkie. “The bird flock has reached the sky above Hill Forty-Nine, flying at an altitude of 3,500 meters above the mountaintop.”

3,500 meters—that’s well beyond the range of human snipers or ordinary weapons stationed in the territory. The spot-billed duck flock had lured the giant raptors over… were they hoping humans would take care of these two predators? Had spot-billed ducks really gotten that clever?

With years of combat experience, Yang Jin gave a prompt order. “Hu Zifeng, climb two thousand meters straight up.”

“Roger!” Hu Zifeng immediately pulled the helicopter higher.

Seconds later, Xia Qing heard the harsh screeches of birds she’d just heard through her headset. Feathers drifted down from the sky, and she could finally see how the spot-billed ducks were tangling with raptors whose wingspans dwarfed theirs by ten times.

“Tangling” wasn’t the right word. The ducks had formed a tight wave-like formation for defense, sending grating, high-pitched calls at the raptors while a dozen or so larger, faster spot-billed ducks darted forward. Using their blunt beaks, they tried to yank out the big birds’ wing feathers, leading the flock in a fighting retreat.

Those feathers—called remiges—are a bird’s primary flight feathers. Losing a few means losing balance up there. Lose a bunch, and you’ll fall out of the sky. The two raptors weren’t slouches either; dodging the ducks’ attacks, they pressed their relentless pursuit.

It was obvious—the raptors had been enraged by such bold prey, chasing them right out of wolf pack territory and into human airspace. Their route was due to the wind and because this was the ducks’ migration path to begin with.

Li Xuanyu reported in again. “The spot-billed duck flock is dropping to 3,000 meters. Based on their heading, they’re aiming for the reservoir in Section Three.”

Spot-billed ducks could dive and hide underwater for tens of seconds to escape predators.

Xia Qing tracked the biggest, fastest spot-billed duck with the loudest cry, waiting for Yang Jin’s command to act.

At the north end of the Section Three reservoir, she had two breeding greenhouses tucked into the buffer forest.

Spring-water fish swam in the pond beside the reservoir.

To the south of the reservoir were two greenhouses and two sheds. One greenhouse housed Green Lantern Breadworms and Green Light sweet potatoes. Another was filled with blooming Green Lantern plants, buzzing with Green Lantern bees. In the two sheds, one was lined with cuttings of fig branches and the other was planted full of cotton.

These were Xia Qing’s lifelines—she couldn’t afford to let a bunch of birds ruin them.

“Awooo—oo!” Wolfdog Number Two, deep in Section Three, also spotted the flock, tipping its head back to let out a furious howl.

Yang Jin stayed calm and issued quick instructions. “Hu Zifeng, full speed to the airspace above the Section Three reservoir. Drop to 1,300 meters and intercept the flock. Ground snipers in Territory Seven, hold your fire for now.”

“Roger.” Hu Zifeng pushed the helicopter to its top speed, getting above the reservoir in Section Three before the birds arrived. The chopper hovered over the water, with all four snipers taking aim at the sky.

Yang Jin ordered, “Snipers and machine gunners on the helicopter, wait for my command. Xia Qing, take down the three fastest evolved spot-billed ducks. Pingzi, take out the two raptors. The rest of you, shoot by assigned sectors.”

“Roger.” Xia Qing replied, steady as ever. At this range, killing speed-evolved ducks was even harder than hitting a raptor. As a top sniper, the toughest targets were hers to handle.

“Roger,” answered Cao Ping, the lead sniper on Yang Jin’s squad, already locking onto a raptor with his rifle.

“Roger.” The other snipers and machine gunners replied, chambering rounds while they waited for the order.

Li Xuanyu reported in again. “The birds are descending faster. Target changed—they’re now headed for the pond in Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine.”

Maybe it was the helicopter, or maybe the wolf howls from Section Three, but something was making the flock change course.

There were no fields or houses by the pond in Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine, but Yang Jin wasn’t sure whether any fragile animals or equipment were kept there. He asked, “Sister Qing?”

Xia Qing answered, “Let them rush in.”

Yang Jin ordered, “Snipers and machine gunners, hold position. Helicopter, maintain current altitude.”

“Quack quack—”

The lead spot-billed duck let out a call at a pitch different from the rest, folded its wings, and shot straight for the bright pond below. The whole flock followed headlong after, folding wings and diving straight down.

The two raptors wouldn’t let up, diving after them in hot pursuit.

Back in Section Three, Wolfdog Number Two barreled past the iron mesh wall to block off the pond in Wolf Valley, howling for the others. Two injured evolved wolves, healing up in the wolf den, dashed out next, fanning out to join the noise.

Up on Hill Fifty-Two, the evolved wolves heard their packmates’ cries and howled back in answer. The wolf pack on the ground, which had been shadowing the birds’ flight path, picked up speed and charged toward Hill Forty-Nine.

The pond, less than five acres across, erupted as over four hundred spot-billed ducks hit the water in a frenzy. Wild boars and small animals in the valley bolted in terror.

Flathead, who’d been dozing nearby, got up, rolled down into the valley without a hint of hesitation, and bared his little teeth at the water’s edge. He snarled alongside three evolved woods wolves at the two massive raptors perched on a tree.

From the helicopter, Xia Qing suggested, “Captain Yang, until the raptors actually enter the territory, we’d best hold our fire.”

“Understood.” Next up was the showdown: wolves versus raptors.

Recon officer Li Xuanyu reported in. “Eight wolves from the Northern Wolf Pack have rushed into Section Six of Hill Forty-Nine.”

Xia Qing shifted her gaze to the fast-running wolves threading through the Evolved Forest.

From a human perspective, Hill Forty-Nine belonged to the Azure Dragon Squad. But the wolves thought of it as part of their own outer territory. So what if birds fought in the sky? But the second a bird flock landed in wolf territory, they became prey. Raptors hunting here meant stealing from the pack.

This was a declaration of war against the wolves!

Arriving first on the scene, the Alpha launched itself into the valley, aiming straight for the largest raptor sitting in the tree. Hot on his heels were Handsome Huge Wolf, Broken Back, Black Wolf, Lame Wolf, Lame Wolf Girl, and the other main pack members.

The two raptors unleashed piercing, metallic screeches like glass scraping metal. They spread their wings to take off, evading the wolves’ attacks.

The Alpha hit the ground, tilted his head back, and howled angrily. A dozen wolves landed behind him and joined in, announcing their defense of their territory.

Nearby birds and beasts scattered in fright. The spot-billed ducks lay motionless under the water. Not a peep could be heard in the human lands.

Right now, even the hum of the helicopter could be mistaken as provocation toward both the raptors and the wolf pack. Stirring up both sides could lead to them calling a truce just to attack the humans. It wouldn’t be the first time either.

Members of the Azure Dragon Squad looked to Yang Jin, waiting for his signal to pull back.

But Xia Qing, weapon still ready, requested, “Captain Yang, can we get the helicopter to the same altitude as the raptors?”

“We can. Hu Zifeng?”

“Roger!”

“Damn!”

Back in Territory Two, Tang Huai yelped, “Raptors and beasts face off—what’s the Azure Dragon Squad doing, picking a fight too?”

On the edge of Territory Twenty, Wu Lianmin frowned. “Yang Jin’s not on the helicopter?”

Standing with Huo Zhun outside the passage to Territory Twenty-Three, Di Ming asked, “The hammer?”

Even if Yang Jin was on the chopper, it wasn’t his call, because the battle was in Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine—Xia Qing’s domain. That helicopter with the bird’s talon painted on it belonged to Xia Qing. The wolves were their comrades!

But Huo Zhun just played dumb, lips twitching. “Huh? No idea…”