Chapter 280: A Tense Departure and the Sorrow of Parting

Both of them immediately stepped back, making it clear they meant no harm. Only when they backed off and lowered their weapons did Crippled Wolf keep his eyes fixed on the speaker hanging from the tree by the reservoir.

The wolf howl from the speaker a moment ago had been so raw and mournful that even Xia Qing felt a chill run down her spine. As a fellow wolf, Crippled Wolf must have heard much more in that sound.

Xia Qing was just about to offer some comforting words when suddenly, Crippled Wolf sprang into action.

With a powerful leap, he shot down from the high slope to the ground beside the greenhouse. Then he jumped again, his claw smashing the high-powered speaker hanging in the dawn redwood tree.

The speaker let out a harsh burst of static as the broken branch and device crashed into the muddy ground below.

The sudden attack from the evolved wolf made Hu Zifeng’s squad raise their guns out of pure instinct, ready to defend themselves.

With her protective mask already off, Xia Qing had no choice but to dash downhill shouting, “Put the guns down, I’ll handle this!”

Crippled Wolf followed right behind Xia Qing, barking out anxious, urgent howls.

With his fangs bared, Crippled Wolf checked to make sure the humans had lowered their weapons, then turned toward Xia Qing and Er Gou, threw his head back, and let out a heart-wrenching howl.

“Awooo———”

That howl was almost identical to the one blasted from the high-powered speaker earlier.

After that cry, Crippled Wolf launched himself four meters into the air, leaving deep claw marks in the dawn redwood. Using the momentum, he twisted mid-leap and soared right over Xia Qing and Er Gou’s heads, not looking back as he dashed straight toward Section Three on Hill Forty-Nine.

Er Gou circled around Xia Qing once, then turned and sprinted after Crippled Wolf.

Hu Zifeng walked up to Xia Qing and quietly asked, “That scared you, didn’t it? Was Crippled Wolf furious because of the wolf howl from the speaker?”

Xiao Jiang was so stunned she could hardly talk. “Qing— Qing, was it really that evolved wolf with the old waist injury who smashed the speaker to bits just now?”

Even though Crippled Wolf and Er Gou rarely showed up in front of humans, Hu Zifeng’s squad, who often patrolled Xia Qing’s territory, could tell them apart. Their builds were just too different.

Xia Qing nodded slowly.

She hadn’t been scared, but watching Crippled Wolf’s leaping just now, she recognized him—last year, when they destroyed the Storm Squad, Crippled Wolf had jumped through the trees in exactly the same way, knocking down every human who took aim at the wolf pack from above.

But with his plain fur, a bad back and slower movement, he’d never shown off his jumping since arriving in her territory—so Xia Qing hadn’t recognized him until now.

Through the walkie-talkie, Tang Huai asked, “Hey Hu, what’s going on? Did you guys do something to the evolved wolf too? Why did it howl just like that recording in the speaker?”

“Boss, Qing.” Chen Zheng, who was still in Territory One, reported over the headset, “A wolf wearing a protective suit just smashed the camera that was set up in the old cave entrance in Section Three. Should I send someone to check it out?”

That camera at the abandoned cave was the only one in Section Three on Hill Forty-Nine. It’d only been installed because Xia Qing had to move the two injured wolves into the cave and Hu Zifeng’s squad was needed for extra security.

Holding her protective mask, Xia Qing wasn’t surprised—Crippled Wolf had stared at the camera several times while in the cave. “No need to check. Please let everyone know—the wolf pack will leave Hill Forty-Nine through the valley in Territory One, then cut between Hill Forty-Nine and Fifty and head deep into the Evolved Forest. Don’t block them.”

“Roger that,” Chen Zheng replied.

Hu Zifeng started to say something but was interrupted when Old Goat, wrapped up in a protective suit, charged out of the village bleating with panic. With raptors still migrating, a sheep running wild was just asking for trouble.

Xia Qing quickly pulled on her mask and rushed forward to block Old Goat’s path.

“Baa!!!” Old Goat called out anxiously.

Xia Qing answered softly, “Old Goat, Crippled Wolf and Number Two have left our territory, leading the pack back into the Evolved Forest.”

“Baa!” Old Goat pawed at the dirt, calling to the wolves, “Baa—”

“Crippled Wolf got furious over the howl from the speaker. I don’t know if they’ll come back or not,” Xia Qing continued, answering the unspoken question.

After a couple more unanswered bleats, Old Goat grew frantic, bolting north along the valley between Territory Three and Four. Xia Qing followed behind to keep an eye on him.

When they reached the Northern Barrier, Old Goat stopped and called for the wolves, just like he had five months ago the first time he’d heard Alpha’s howl and ran out in a panic.

A few more cries confirmed it—the pack was too far to hear. Old Goat drooped his head and trudged back, truly heartbroken, not even in the mood for his usual antics.

In the leader channel, Tan Junjie was sharing updates on the incoming migratory birds.

Xia Qing asked Old Goat, “The birds are coming again. Are you coming up to the high ground with me or heading home?”

After scraping his hooves a few times, Old Goat climbed the hill and settled beneath the lush toon tree, the one with the green light. Xia Qing sat beside him, reloaded her sniper rifle, then kept watch with her gun cradled in her arms.

Soon a flock of twenty-plus swallows came fleeing over Hill Forty-Nine, chased by six evolved sparrow hawks. Ever since the great evolution nature had grown so deadly, birds migrated in the hundreds. These swallows must have been hunted all night, and only these few survived.

With just a handful like this, there was no need to launch the kite to scatter them. Sparrow hawks were agile but not nearly as deadly as other evolved hawks. Xia Qing gave the order: “Leave the swallows alone. I’ll take care of the sparrow hawks.”

“Understood,” Zhao Ze answered right away.

The swallows were flying no higher than five hundred meters, and the sparrow hawks chasing them had to stay low too. Once they crossed from Section Three and into the airspace over Territories Three and Four, Xia Qing took down every last hawk—six shots, six kills.

With the danger gone, the swallows circled a few times above Territory Three before swooping down to drink by the reservoir and rest.

A little after five in the afternoon, Tan Junjie reported that all the migratory birds had passed. The raptors and predators that had gathered in the nearby Evolved Forest were now being driven toward Hui Five Base by over twenty advanced evolved beasts.

That meant this year’s final migratory battle would go down at Hui Five Base, and Xia Qing’s land below Hui Three Base and Hill Forty-Nine would be safe, at least for now. On the walkie-talkies everyone shared greetings and relief.

Kuang Qingwei visited each territory, refunding points to those who’d bought high-powered speakers.

After returning Xia Qing ten points, he handed her a tin of canned yellow peaches. Food was scarce since the cataclysm—fruit especially so. Xia Qing hadn’t seen a can of yellow peaches in years, much less tasted one.

She’d figured he’d bring a thank-you gift, but hadn’t expected something this generous.

Kuang Qingwei offered heartfelt thanks. “Sis, you saved my neck this time. I know you don’t like empty words, so I won’t say more. I’m not great at much, but if you ever need anything, just let me know. So long as I can get it, you’ll have it at cost.”

“Thanks, Qingwei.” Since he clearly meant it, Xia Qing accepted with a nod, then quietly asked, “Qingwei, what’s up with that wolf howl? Who gave you the recording?”