Chapter 221: Rainy Days in the Safe Zone

Luo Pei reported back, “No dangerous Xiang-evolved creatures appeared in Plot One.”

Tang Huai replied, “Found five low-threat aggressive Xiang-evolved saplings and shrubs in Territory Two. All cleared.”

Hu Zifeng reported, “No dangerous Xiang-evolved creatures in Territory Three.”

Territories Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten all reported no sign of dangerous Xiang-evolution. Just as everyone assumed Plot Eight’s lord would stay silent, Xin Yu’s voice rang out: “A moderate-threat Xiang-evolved vine appeared in Plot Eight. It’s already been eliminated.”

Everyone fell silent…

If Xin Yu could clear even a moderate-threat on her own, she’s definitely got the skills and gear to back it up.

Tan Junjie pressed further: “The Inspection Team needs to enter Plot Eight to verify the vine has been fully eliminated. Please grant permission, Lord of Plot Eight.”

Xin Yu answered coolly, “Permission granted.”

Tang Huai asked with curiosity, “Xin Yu, what kind of attacks did that moderate-threat vine have in your territory? How’d you manage to clear it?”

Xin Yu had no intention of replying to pointless questions. Hu Zifeng jumped in with a jab: “Some people can never stop poking their noses into other folks’ business. Old habits die hard.”

Tang Huai fired back right away, “Says the guy freeloading in someone else’s territory! Got some nerve criticizing me!”

Hu Zifeng smirked, “It’s not like anyone’d even take you as a freeloader if you tried.”

Tang Huai, curiosity instantly hooked, asked, “Wait, you’re really freeloading? Don’t tell me you even brought your own food?”

With the smell of braised pork drifting over, Hu Zifeng was in a great mood. “Territory Three’s lord caught a Yellowlight wild boar. We’re simmering the boar’s head right now—smells amazing!”

Braised boar head? Tang Huai swallowed hard, his tone turning sweet. “Er Yong’s the one cooking, right? Got enough spices? I’ve got plenty—just trade me half a pound of boar head and it’s all yours.”

Hu Zifeng chuckled. “Spices galore over here.”

Zhang San’s weak voice broke in, “Hu Zifeng… is Er Yong really that great at cooking?”

“Er Yong’s way better in the kitchen than most,” said Hu Zifeng. “Once the meat’s done, want me to bring you some?”

“Walnut meat, top and bottom jaw, and two thin slices of ear for me, please. Gotta sample everything.” Clearly Zhang San hadn’t eaten anything to his taste today—he was not in a good mood.

“No problem, I’ll bring it over once it’s ready.” Hu Zifeng agreed right away. Food sent to Territory Seven was sure to get him some top-notch medicine from Xia Qing. In a disaster year, stockpiling good medicine was as good as extra lives. Who could say no to more chances to survive?

Tang Huai took a sip of distilled water, looking dejected. “If I’d known disasters like this would hit, I never would’ve picked archaeology as my major.”

Tang Heng, who was busy logging crop losses for Territories Two and Twelve, chuckled. “Come on, bro, you’re only thirty. Never too late to study medicine or pharmaceuticals if you want to.”

Ever since Blue Star’s great evolution, humans faced bigger survival risks, but on the bright side, lifespans increased too. At thirty, you’re still in your prime—definitely not too late.

Tang Huai shook his head. “It’s not about age, it’s all mindset. I can’t force myself to focus and study something so broad and systematic anymore.”

Tang Heng kept tapping on the keyboard. “That’s why I really admire Xia Qing. She was just from an ordinary family before the disaster. Afterward, she had no one to rely on, yet she’s doing way better than all of us now.”

Tang Huai leaned back in his chair, listening to the soft rustle of rain outside. He scoffed, “I’ll admit she’s tough, but her temper is something else.”

“It’s not her attitude in general,” Tang Heng replied, matter-of-fact. “It’s only bad when she’s dealing with us—because we’re the Tangs, and this is the Tang Family heiress’s land.”

“Our family ended up in this mess thanks to Tang Zhengrong and his daughter,” Tang Huai said, then rallied. “At least we’ve found another way out. No need to stew in resentment in the Safe Zone. See how fired up Dad’s been lately?”

Their family’s history with Tang Zhengrong and Tang Sufeng wasn’t something that could be explained in just a few words. As Tang Heng entered his final numbers and pressed save, he noted, “Rain’s letting up.”

The sound of the rain was especially soothing.

After a solid five hours of sleep, Xia Qing woke up feeling completely refreshed—mind and body at their peak. She headed downstairs to get to work.

Right now the Xiang Rain was at the yellow level, so no toxic gas lingered in the courtyard. Xia Qing took off the protective masks from the three wolves and Boss Sheep, letting them relax for a while.

There wasn’t any poisonous gas, but the concentration of Xiang elements in the air was still high enough to mess with animal moods. The Wolf with the Broken Leg, lacking a Yi Stone, romped around the sheep shed for a while before finally settling next to the Wolf with the Spinal Injury.

Evolved animals have sharp senses and this wolf wasn’t dumb. It clearly noticed the Xiang element was lower around the Wolf with the Spinal Injury, so it snuggled right up next to it.

Xia Qing went back inside and brought out a pouch, showing the Yi Stone inside to the Wolf with the Spinal Injury. Gesturing with her hands, she tried to negotiate, “Get the wolf with the broken leg to behave and I’ll let it wear the pouch.”

With the Xiang Rain set to last nearly sixty more hours, the Wolf with the Broken Leg was the strongest of her three wolves and one sheep. Keeping its wits and fighting strength was vital for the safety of the pack.

The Wolf with the Spinal Injury got the message and let out a low sound, lying down. The Wolf with the Broken Leg mimicked it, but kept shooting fierce glares at Xia Qing.

When Xia Qing tried to put the pouch on, the Wolf with the Broken Leg stayed still but growled low, flashing sharp fangs.

“Grr—” The Wolf with the Spinal Injury bared its fangs too, sternly warning the other wolf to behave.

The Sick Wolf ambled over, raised its slender paw and pressed it onto the Wolf with the Broken Leg’s thick foreleg. Boss Sheep joined in, placing itself protectively beside Xia Qing.

Three against one—the Wolf with the Broken Leg backed off and sheathed its fangs. Xia Qing quickly fastened the pouch onto it, then ruffled the heads of Boss Sheep, Sick Wolf and the Wolf with the Spinal Injury as a reward. Finally, she flicked the Wolf with the Broken Leg on the forehead. “Behave, you. This really is good stuff—just borrowing it for now.”

After the forehead flick, Xia Qing sweetened the deal with a treat for each of them. Every pouch held rations or dried meat as a reward. With that done, she put her mask back on and got to work pulling Xiang grass out of the yard.

“Click. Click.” Xia Qing heard the familiar sound of pouches being unfastened. She glanced over at the sheep shed and nearly dropped her jaw.

The Wolf with the Broken Leg had flopped down on its back, belly exposed, all four legs curled up—total submission, classic wolf behavior.

To her shock, the Wolf with the Spinal Injury had managed to unfasten the other’s pouch with its front paws, pulling out the very piece of dried meat that Xia Qing had stuffed in just moments ago. The Wolf with the Broken Leg immediately rolled over, tore open the vacuum bag and started chewing its treat.

Noticing Xia Qing watching, the Wolf with the Spinal Injury lifted its head and gazed at her in silence.

Xia Qing finally got it. The way Blue Star’s evolution worked, it gave brain-evolved animals a serious edge. The Wolf with the Spinal Injury’s intelligence and powers of observation were enough to make her shudder.

Give it an army division and it’d probably crush the entire Safe Zone at Hui San Base flat.

“Click. Click.”

She heard the sound again. Glancing over, Xia Qing saw the Wolf with the Spinal Injury helping the Sick Wolf get its dried meat from the pouch.

Xia Qing felt a vein pop on her forehead. Damn, guess I’d better swap these pouches for zipper bags next time. Let’s see you do that then!

“Maa~~”

After pulling another clump of Xiang grass, Xia Qing heard Boss Sheep’s sassy bleat behind her and turned to see it begging the Wolf with the Spinal Injury for the rations in its own pouch.

The Wolf with the Spinal Injury didn’t help Boss Sheep, just stared calmly at Xia Qing.