Chapter 318: Protective Suits, Bartering, and the Morning Patrol

“Your Majesty, take a look—this is a level-four outdoor protective suit I prepped just for you. It’s one grade higher than the one I’m wearing—better comfort, better mobility. You can run as fast as you want without feeling a thing holding you back. And check out these shoes…”

Xia Qing scooped up the little shoes and pitched them enthusiastically. “See? They’re made to protect those soft pads of yours. Put these on and running feels like you’re treading on clouds. If you don’t believe me, just ask Er Gou.”

Hearing her name, Er Gou thought Xia Qing wanted her to try on the suit so she trotted over and raised a front paw.

Xia Qing glanced at Alpha—still not a hint of displeasure at her calling Er Gou ‘Number Two’—then went into the house and fetched Er Gou’s gear. She quickly got her suited up. “Your Majesty, look at Number Two! Isn’t she handsome? Isn’t she gorgeous? Isn’t she the coolest?”

Old Goat, seeing Xia Qing praise Er Gou, clopped over too, hope in her eyes.

Xia Qing had already expected this from Old Goat, so she’d brought out her protective suit as well and swiftly helped her into it.

“Baa!” Old Goat stamped her hoof on the cement floor, clearly dissatisfied.

Where are my shoes?

Xia Qing lifted her front leg and gave the tough hoof a squeeze, but her words were really aimed at Alpha. “Old Goat’s hooves are so hard they could probably smash rocks, so she doesn’t need shoes. But you and Number Two both have those soft pads—even though your claws are sharp, those pads can get scraped up real easy. That’s why you both need footwear. Old Goat’s just the most perfectly evolved, the prettiest…”

After getting thoroughly buttered up, Old Goat looked satisfied and pranced a quick lap before settling down beside Alpha. Now, with Alpha being the only one not in a suit, she looked comically out of place.

Noticing Alpha staring her down, Xia Qing immediately held up a protective suit in one hand—and her biggest chunk of Yi Stone in the other—launching into her best sales pitch.

“Your Majesty, do you want a protective suit? It only takes this tiny piece of Yi Stone to trade for the full set. Just this one piece and you’ll look as regal as ever. With one piece, you’ll be the star of the pack. Just one Yi Stone and…”

Seeing Alpha close her eyes, and with her own mouth going dry from talking, Xia Qing finally gave up. “Your Majesty, take your time to think it over. If you don’t want it, I’ll just trade the suit to some other dogs or wolves in a few days.”

Once back inside, Xia Qing noticed a new message on her phone. She opened it to find Hu Zifeng replying—Xu Pin had entered Territory Two by car this afternoon.

So—the wounds on Tang Huai were Xu Pin’s doing?

Whatever the case, Tang Huai is Tang Zhengsu’s nephew, and while his dad Tang Zhengbo isn’t an evolved, he still has a solid reputation and pull in the Safe Zone.

Xu Pin wouldn’t have dared lay a hand on Tang Huai unless he had a strong reason.

Xia Qing narrowed her eyes. Could it be that warning Tang Huai to be cautious had somehow leaked to Xu Pin?

Did Tang Zhengbo know his son got beaten up by Xu Pin?

In Territory Twelve, after hanging up with his younger son, Tang Zhengbo rubbed his forehead and called Hu Zifeng. His tone was as calm and steady as ever—not the slightest hint of emotion in his voice.

“Captain Hu, how’s Captain Luo doing? I’ve got a reliable channel through Hui One Base for purchasing two thousand jin of prime wheat seed with a seven-point-five per-mille Devastation Element content. But someone needs to pick it up in person. Could you tell Captain Luo, and if he’s interested, have him get in touch by six PM tomorrow at the latest?”

Two thousand jin?!

After hanging up, Hu Zifeng immediately reported the news to both captains. “Boss, maybe you should call Tang Zhengbo back tomorrow?”

Luo isn’t up for talking to outsiders right now.

Yang Jin shook his head. “No rush. We’ll let Luo handle it tomorrow.”

“Got it!” Hu Zifeng could barely keep from jumping with excitement. That had to mean Luo was on the mend, and he’d be noticeably better tomorrow. How could Hu Zifeng not be excited?

Once Hu Zifeng left, Yang Jin turned to Xie Yu. “How much wheat seed have we got so far?”

“Two thousand jin, also with a seven-point-five per-mille Devastation Element content,” Xie Yu answered. “Tang Zhengbo needs us to go pick them up, but he can spare at least half, which added up will be enough to fill a hundred mu of land. By the yields around here this year, barring disaster, we should harvest at least one hundred and sixty thousand jin of wheat.”

Yang Jin nodded. “That’s plenty. We still need to leave some ground for spinach, chestnuts, rapeseed and other crops.”

Xie Yu smirked. “We’re set, then. Should we swap some of our wheat seed with Sister Qing? Maybe give her a few dozen jin?”

Yang Jin shook his head. “No need. I’m sure she’s already traded for premium seed from Territory Seven.”

Xie Yu twirled his pen. “And if she hasn’t?”

“She has.” Yang Jin stifled a yawn and stood up. “I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Xie Yu looked up in curiosity. “You barely stayed in Section Three—what, not even a full chat? Didn’t Sister Qing ask why you took so long, or how you got those scratches on your face?”

Yang Jin paused. “She was busy.”

Too busy making rabbit stew for the wolves at home.

With his sharp senses as a brain-evolved, Xie Yu eyed him with a nosy grin. “She was too busy to even notice you, and you’re not mad?”

Yang Jin shook his head. “I’m not nearly as petty as you.”

Xia Qing’s been alone for so long—having people she can trust now is something to be happy about.

Who are you calling petty? Xie Yu snorted. “Go to bed and stop hovering around me. It’s annoying.”

The next morning, after enjoying the sight of the Red Squirrel drinking water, Xia Qing got up and headed downstairs. The Yellow Lantern rabbit was still lively, the Pure Spring fish swimming around as usual. She hummed a tune as she called to Old Goat, who was lounging on the tatami in the living room. “Hey, Old Goat, want to patrol the territory? I’ll pick some fragrant toon leaves for you.”

Old Goat only got up from the tatami after hearing about the leaves. She grabbed her little basket and trailed after Xia Qing.

Girl and goat ran into Er Gou patrolling behind the house. Xia Qing called out, “Number Two, before Her Majesty left, did she say when she’d be back?”

The night before, just past ten, Xia Qing had gotten a phone notification—Alpha had slipped away from Section Three under the cover of darkness. She was counting on Alpha returning with Yi Stone to trade for that suit.

Er Gou looked at Xia Qing with clear eyes and wagged her tail.

That wag meant she was happy; looked like Alpha would be back. Xia Qing gave Er Gou’s thickening fur an appreciative pat, then headed north with Old Goat.

After inspecting the crops in the greenhouse, Xia Qing left Old Goat to bug-hunt. She slipped over to the Shady Slope Terraces to check on the Devastationweed she’d planted in the Spring Cave.

Yesterday, with Yang Jin around, Xia Qing hadn’t wanted to stare too long. Now alone, she turned on her phone’s flashlight and took a close look.

After observing for a while, Xia Qing decided that calling Devastationweed a ‘weed’ was off—it was more like a succulent.

Its leaves were thick and a bit firm, packed with juice. Add in its love of shade and it really reminded her of the ‘Jade Dew’ succulents she grew before the Cataclysm.

If you mess up caring for Jade Dew, it’ll just turn to mush.

Losing a Jade Dew only costs a couple bucks, but if Devastationweed melts… that’s a loss of at least a million credits.