Chapter 174: Noise and Suspicion in Territory Three

Xia Qing replied, “Received.”

Visual, auditory, olfactory, speed and strength evolvers are standard for any search squad. After her father’s murder, Xia Qing once considered exposing her triple abilities to join the Azure Dragon Unit as a high-level search team member, but in the end she gave up on that plan.

For her, keeping the promise to survive safely with her parents mattered more than revenge.

Within the Sufeng Search Squad, there’s another person whose identity even the Azure Dragon Unit hasn’t figured out—clearly the key to this mission. Xia Qing set down the rope and grass, climbed onto the roof and hid behind the solar panel, pushing her senses to the limit, focused on every movement in Territory Four.

Five minutes after Tang Huai’s squad entered Territory Four, Xia Qing still hadn’t picked up any sound with her enhanced hearing. Just as she was wondering what method the searchers would use to find the pangolin, a series of sharp, rhythmic whistles and the clang of a food bowl drifted from Territory Four.

Toot, toot, toot—clang! Toot, toot, toot—clang!

There was no doubt this was meant to summon the pangolin tamed beast. Xia Qing couldn’t decipher the whistle, but she recognized the metallic ring of the food bowl—it was the same sound as Boss Sheep’s bowl.

Xia Qing jumped down from the roof just as Boss Sheep kicked open the sheep shed door.

“Bang—”

Xia Qing hurried over to calm Boss Sheep. “Boss, they’re not banging your food bowl, don’t worry.”

“Baaa!”

Boss Sheep didn’t buy it, frantically searching for his food bowl.

“It’s in the house. Let me grab it for you.” Xia Qing had just rushed inside when both her Lord’s walkie-talkie and the ear-piece walkie-talkie on her ear erupted with noise.

Hu Zifeng asked, “Xia Qing?”

Tang Huai demanded, “Xia Qing, why is there a commotion in Territory Three?”

“It’s nothing.” Xia Qing answered Hu Zifeng first, then grabbed Boss Sheep’s food bowl and went back outside. She set it in front of him, then with a scowl jabbed at the Lord’s walkie-talkie, “Aren’t you a hearing evolver? Can’t you tell what that sound was? You’re banging food bowls in Territory Four and you spooked my sheep!”

Tang Huai was skeptical. “We use a special rhythm to summon the pangolin. Why would that stubborn sheep of yours react to it?”

Xia Qing knew that if she didn’t clear the Sufeng squad’s suspicions, she’d never hear the end of this. She pressed the walkie-talkie button and tapped Boss Sheep’s food bowl twice with her knife:

“Clang—clang—”

“Baaa—”

Both the metal clanging and Boss Sheep’s reply traveled over the walkie-talkie and into the Lord’s Channel. Xia Qing snapped at Tang Huai, “Hear that? Three whistles, two clangs—what’s so special about that?”

Tang Huai rubbed his ringing ears and complained into the walkie-talkie, “We know you’re a strength evolver, but could you not be so loud? Got it, okay. Just keep your sheep quiet, all right? We need that sound to search for the pangolin.”

Tang Huai’s squad kept searching all afternoon, combing twenty-three territories in the area—everywhere except for One, Three, Seven, Eight and Nine. Still, they found no sign of the pangolin but handed out over four hundred kilos of grain.

Back in Territory Two, a starving Tang Huai went to report to the Sufeng Squad’s deputy captain Xu Pin.

Xu Pin, who had been monitoring the Lord’s Channel, gave his next order. “The territory search is over. I’ve got people keeping eyes on Territories One, Three, Seven and Nine day and night—Three is top priority.”

Tang Huai vouched for Xia Qing. “The day the pangolin went missing, Xia Qing was fighting mutated birds inside Territory Three. The next day, she was digging a cellar—never left. The sound of her food bowl really does sound a lot like when we call the pangolin.”

Xu Pin looked up. “If the sounds are so similar, how do you know the pangolin wouldn’t get summoned and enter Territory Three?”

Tang Huai explained, “The evolved sheep in Territory Three never leave. I’ve never heard Xia Qing use food bowl banging to call her sheep.”

Xu Pin, growing impatient, shot back, “If she never trained the sheep that way, why would they get so worked up at that sound?”

Damn it!

Seeing his brother about to explode, Tang Heng quickly jumped in. “Captain Xu makes a good point. Just in case, we’re keeping extra eyes on Territory Three.”

Xu Pin had no time to argue with Tang Huai. “If the sentry sees anything, act immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” Tang Heng dragged his fuming brother outside, steering him toward Territory Twelve.

Tang Huai grumbled under his breath, “’Makes a good point’ my ass. So it’s fine if the pangolin gets excited about the food bowl, but if my sheep does it’s a problem? He’s just picking on the easy target, that’s all. If he’s so tough, why not focus on Seven and Nine? Everyone knows the pangolin fetches a price for medicine—those two territories are way more suspicious than Three!”

His brother was still worked up. Tang Heng wisely kept quiet but lowered his voice as if sharing a secret, “Bro, have you noticed? Captain Xu’s only keeping close watch on One, Three, Seven and Nine. He hasn’t mentioned Eight. He’s never been inside—so how does he know there’s no pangolin there?”

Tang Huai’s attention swung over instantly. “Why’s that?”

Finally, his mood began to settle…

Tang Heng let out a sigh of relief and continued guiding his brother’s overactive mind as they walked. “Maybe Captain Xu knows Xin Yu, the lord of Eight. What do you think their relationship is?”

“Oh, I know.”

Inside Territory Three, Xia Qing was discussing countermeasures with Yang Jin. “They’ll find a way to get into Territory Three and search. Yang, do you think you can lure the Sufeng people away for a bit? I need to get the wolf out first—if they see it tonight, they’ll know I’ve got a wolf here. Wolves can hunt pangolins, so they’ll get even more suspicious.”

If the Sufeng Squad locked on to her, Xia Qing’s secret of an uncontaminated spring would be blown wide open—who knew what chaos would follow.

Yang Jin planned it out. “Contact Chang Li, have her come treat the evolved sheep. You’ll have an hour to prepare—get the wolf sedated and moved out. After that, ninety percent of the Sufeng squad will withdraw, leaving just one or two behind.”

“Thank you, Yang. I’ll act right away.” Xia Qing didn’t bother to ask how Yang would work his magic—she just ended the call and got on the Lord’s walkie-talkie to reach out to Chang Li.

“Dr. Chang, are you free? My evolved sheep is really agitated—the wounds on its face have split open. Could you please come take a look?”

In Territory Two, Xu Pin frowned.

Zhou Xun, who’d stayed inside, explained carefully, “The Azure Dragon Unit’s field medic Dr. Chang is now stationed in Territory One. Anyone nearby—person or animal—goes to her for injuries. After the sheep in Territory Three got hurt by that ultrasonic attack, she treated it once as well.”

Of course, that had been Xia Qing’s excuse to invite Chang Li over and clear out all sorts of scents in the territory.

Xu Pin’s frown eased a little. “Let her in, but keep close watch on everything happening in Territory Three at all times.”