Chapter 34: A Bargain of Spring Water and Secrets

After saying goodbye to Tan Junjie Xia Qing climbed the hillside and sat next to Boss Sheep who guarded the spring. She took out her phone and called Luo Pei. “Captain Luo I found some spinach in the fields. Thought I’d bring you some to try.” “No need. I’ll come by. It’s just a few steps away.”

Xia Qing didn’t let anyone from the Azure Dragon Unit pick it up, nor did she ask the Inspection Team to act as a go-between. Carrying her basket of vegetables, she crossed the barrier and waved at Wei Chengdong, who was waiting for her on the edge of Plot One’s buffer forest. “Hey, Chengdong.”

Wei Chengdong handled external communications and task points for Luo Pei’s squad. Xia Qing often ran missions with this team, so they were well acquainted.

“We can’t just leave our posts, so I have to trouble you to personally bring the supplies,” Wei Chengdong said. He looked more haggard than before, even his smile seemed forced. With a meaningful glance, he went on, “We have to inspect the veggies before we hand them over. Will you come with me?”

Apparently, someone was eavesdropping around here. Xia Qing nodded, her voice calm. “Alright, but just this once. Next time we trade at the barrier directly or the deal’s off.”

Plot One held two thousand acres of buffer forest, over nineteen hundred acres of farmland, and two abandoned villages. A narrow river, just over three meters wide, flowed in from the west, split through the farmland between the two villages, then continued south toward Plot Eight.

It was obvious folks inside the territory had given up on farming. Other than the two or three acres of decent grain, the rest was wild with grass taller than a person. Yet as soon as Xia Qing entered the village, she noticed a big difference.

The place was spotless. With her sharp hearing, Xia Qing caught the slow, heavy breathing of several people hidden behind courtyard walls and up in the trees as she passed. Clearly, the Azure Dragon Unit hadn’t abandoned Luo Pei. Her deals still mattered.

Luo Pei’s home had a neat red-brick yard. It looked empty and uncluttered, probably to make it easier for Luo Pei to move around since his eyesight was damaged.

After letting Xia Qing into the yard, Wei Chengdong kept his voice low. “There’s a Hearing Evolver monitoring Plot Two. It’s not safe to talk in the buffer forest, but the village is fine. Captain Luo can’t greet you personally. Hope you don’t mind.”

Xia Qing nodded and followed Wei Chengdong into the freshly painted white-walled living room, furnished simply. She froze when she saw the man lying in the recliner.

His eyes were covered with white gauze. Lips looked dark purple. His exposed skin, just like Xia Qing’s, had that dark red hue from poisoning. His face and hands were gaunt—almost unrecognizable.

Could this really be Luo Pei?

Luo Pei, sitting in the recliner, lifted his head slightly and smiled. “Xia Qing, you’re here?”

His voice was as calm as she remembered from the walkie-talkie. Xia Qing had seen plenty of life and death over the years, felt numb to it, yet she couldn’t help but feel a pang.

He was the third strongest in the Azure Dragon Unit, the top sharpshooter at Hui San Base. Every time she went out on a mission, just seeing his back with that sniper rifle always made her feel safe.

Xia Qing clenched her fists and answered steadily, “Captain Luo, it’s me, Xia Qing. I had no idea you were this badly hurt. Sorry for disturbing your recovery.”

“Come sit.” Even though the Xiang Synthesis Poison had left Luo Pei so weak he could barely stand, he still managed a joke. “So, how’s my complexion? Easy on the eyes?”

Luo Pei was proud—he hated pity. Xia Qing, her skin the same color as his, nodded. “Yeah, it’s better than purple or green, at least.”

Luo Pei laughed, a bit louder this time, though Xia Qing could hear the weakness in it. “I’ll take that. If I were green, I’d be a laughingstock. Hey, that perilla and toon shoot you brought last time tasted amazing. I was hoping to make another trade, and here you are. So you’ve found spinach growing now?”

“Just spotted it these past couple of days. The Xiang content is at three parts per thousand. There’s not much, so I only took a few leaves.”

When Xia Qing finished, Wei Chengdong, carrying the basket, grinned. “Xia Qing, is this bottle full of wine? It’s huge—has to be at least one and a half liters.”

With Luo Pei injured by sabotage, it was no wonder the Azure Dragon Unit was strict about checking everyone and everything near him.

Xia Qing didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled out a slip of paper with something written on it.

Uncontaminated water.

Wei Chengdong’s eyes went wide. He leaned in and whispered something in Luo Pei’s ear.

Luo Pei, pushing up on the chair with fingers that were nothing but skin and bone, struggled to sit up. He gestured for Xia Qing to come closer, then had Wei Chengdong and another team member lift him into the next room.

This room had been converted for soundproofing: no windows, with sound-dampening panels covering the walls, ceiling and floor.

Once the door had closed, Wei Chengdong couldn’t wait. “Xia Qing, where’d you get this water—”

“Chengdong.” Luo Pei cut him off, a rare seriousness replacing his smile. “A few liters of water won’t fix my injuries. It’s the thought that counts. Take the water back and keep it for yourself—drinking it will do you more good than giving it to me.”

Wei Chengdong’s look of delight was quickly replaced by reluctance. Still, he carefully set the water bottle back in the basket. The other team member kept his eyes glued to Xia Qing as if trying to see right through her.

Xia Qing ignored him and said quietly, “Captain Luo, better have them test the water first. I only have a Xiang element tester, so I’m not sure if it’s really safe.”

Seeing how insistent Xia Qing was, Luo Pei nodded for Wei Chengdong to check the water. It didn’t take long before Wei Chengdong returned, his voice shaking with excitement. “Captain Luo, the water is top notch! Xia Qing, how much of this water do you have? What do you want in trade?”

Xia Qing answered with a question. “How much would you need to fully heal Captain Luo?”

Luo Pei replied directly, “Besides IV fluids and cleansing the wounds, I also need daily medicinal baths—at least four months’ worth. The bathwater has to be changed every day, can’t reuse it. I’d need at least fifteen thousand liters of uncontaminated spring water.”

From what Xia Qing knew, none of the four springs found by Hui San Base had much more water than the one at her territory. There was no way they could spare fifteen thousand liters just for Luo Pei. No wonder his condition had gotten this bad.

Xia Qing did a quick calculation with her own spring’s output and nodded. “Fifteen thousand liters in four months—that’s a hundred twenty-five liters a day. I can trade that much.”

This time it wasn’t just Wei Chengdong, even Luo Pei looked thrilled. He slowly took off the gauze over his eyes, staring at Xia Qing with bloodshot eyes. His voice was hoarse. “Why are you helping me?”

Most of Luo Pei’s Yi energy had always focused on his eyes. After being poisoned by Xiang Synthesis, his vision took the brunt of it. Just staring at Xia Qing for a few seconds brought tears to his damaged eyes.

Xia Qing met his gaze steadily. “It’s not just helping. I want something in return. I want you to teach me how to shoot, and I want weapons. Also, Captain Luo has to promise: you must never reveal the source of the water without my permission.”

That was hardly a demand at all. Luo Pei closed his pain-stricken eyes, tears still rolling down his cheeks. “Does that include Yang Jin and Xie Yu?”