Chapter 359: Secrets Beneath the Lake

“No.”

Yang Jin explained, “We went to collect medicinal herbs from the lakebed. Those herbs didn’t matter much to the snake group, they only wanted humans out of their territory. Since our goal was to dig up herbs, we didn’t fight hard. I think that’s why the pythons didn’t send out their strongest—Devastation Snakes.”

So that photo only showed the two sides holding back, neither really fighting at full force?

Xia Qing glanced back at the bandages on the Queen’s four legs. “Between the snakes and the wolves, there was a real battle for territory. That’s why Devastation Snakes went out to fight—they even seriously injured the Alpha.”

Suddenly something clicked for Xia Qing. Before the wolves and snakes clashed, they must have prepared. “When I followed the wolves, the Queen was already hurt, lying in a cave with herbs on her legs and in her mouth. That’s probably the same medicinal herb you all harvested from the lake—used to treat synthetic toxin from Devastation Snakes.”

Yang Jin nodded. “It wasn’t the main ingredient, but it did help.”

“If that’s the case, then there’s more than one Devastation Snake in that lake.” Xia Qing frowned. That risk was just too big.

Yang Jin wasn’t as concerned. “South of the lake is wolf and bear territory. As long as the wolf pack and bear group are around, Devastation Snakes pose no threat to the human territory. The ecosystem on Blue Star is finding a new balance, and Devastation Snakes are just another link in that food chain.”

Xia Qing understood. Sure, people could just take up weapons, wipe out all the evolved animals in the lake and the surrounding mountains, burn down forests, and try to clear away every danger.

But then what?

Right now, there are so few people on Blue Star, even fewer who can fight. There’s no way humans could spare enough skilled people to garrison the lake and both mountains.

Burning the mountain and clearing out the lake would only work for a while. After just a few bouts of Devastation Rain, half a year later there’d be a new wave of creatures.

And these new evolved beasts might be even tougher than the current Devastation Snakes. It’s happened before.

Then, what was left of the snakes, wolves, and bears would unite in the Devastation Rain and invade the human territory for revenge.

With the Devastation Rain bearing down, if humans didn’t want to die alongside the vengeful beasts, they wouldn’t dare use weapons of mass destruction. If it ever got to that point, casualties would be incalculable.

Hui Three Base couldn’t shoulder the cost of burning the mountains for war.

Yang Jin changed the subject. “Where on Hill Sixty did you collect your Green Lantern Pecan? I’ve sent people searching for Devastation Snakes around the lake—if they spot any pecan trees, that’ll be a bonus.”

Xia Qing wasn’t sure of the exact spot. “Hill Sixty is huge. I just know it was near the foot of the mountain. If you climb up for a dozen meters or so, there’s a cave facing northeast that’s over four meters high.”

“Could you see the lake from there?”

Xia Qing was certain about this part. “No, I couldn’t. All I saw was a single massive pecan tree, already broken.”

Yang Jin nodded and reminded Xia Qing, “Just keep those pecans for yourself. Green Lantern Pecans are picky about where they grow, and the trees themselves are extremely aggressive. It’s not safe to plant them inside the territory.”

“Baa!”

Old Goat, tired of Xia Qing and Yang Jin’s endless chatter, bleated and started pawing at the ground.

Right on cue, Yang Jin finished his business and got ready to leave Section Three with his supplies.

While escorting him through the Northern Buffer Forest, Xia Qing asked, “If the pythons were only trying to intimidate and drive off humans, then there shouldn’t have been any fierce fight, right? So, did you and Sister Yan mess up your protective masks battling with other squads instead?”

Yang Jin replied, “The three teams from Red Eleven Base and Huai Six Base were called in by Su Feng.”

Su Feng and Qinglong belong to the same Squad Alliance, so Su Feng couldn’t act directly and brought in helpers. Hui Three Base’s northern edge is bounded by the vast Evolved Forest, and on its northern end lies Red Eleven Base. Xia Qing understood why Su Feng involved Red Eleven’s squads, but why did Huai Six Base get dragged in when they’re more than a thousand kilometers away?

Xia Qing and Su Feng were enemies, but all she knew were rumors floating around Su Feng’s outer circle. She seized this rare chance to ask Yang Jin directly.

Yang Jin had nothing to hide. “Huai Six Base is far, but Su Feng has helicopters so distance wasn’t a real problem. The squads from Huai Six often battle the monkey troop led by the Brain-Evolved Monkeys, so they’re very elite in forest combat.”

“Hang on, Captain Yang.” As they passed the Lower Slope Greenhouse, Xia Qing ducked in, grabbed a basket of vegetables, passed them to Yang Jin, then kept questioning, “Did Su Feng Squad know ahead of time you’d be forming a team to search for herbs near Section Sixty-Two, or did they just have people tail you there?”

Yang Jin looked at Xia Qing, a spark of approval in his dark eyes. “That’s the key point. They ambushed us ahead of time. I’m sure there was no information leak, so Su Feng must’ve known we’d go for herbs there and hired so many experts to lie in wait. This means Su Feng caught that Devastation Snake from the lake to poison Luo. I’ll follow this trail and get proof that Su Feng used the snake, then kick them out of the Squad Alliance fair and square.”

Every creature has its counter. Wherever Devastation Snakes appear, there must be a herb to cure their venom.

Getting the approval from a Brain-Evolved being left Xia Qing secretly delighted, but she kept her face calm as still water. “The herbs you found from the lake weren’t the main antidote for the Devastation toxin—could there be other antidotal herbs in that area?”

Yang Jin had thought of it. “If there are, they’d be incredibly hard to find. That’s why the Brain-Evolved Wolf came looking for you to cure the Wolf Queen. We already have Devastationweed, so there’s no reason to risk hunting for herbs the wolf pack couldn’t even get.”

Xia Qing nodded. “Got it.”

Sensing Xia Qing’s earnestness, Yang Jin suddenly added, “Brain-Evolved Wolves are incredibly smart, and the wolf pack is fierce, especially that Evolved Yellow Weasel from before—you better not mess with it.”

Thinking of plucking fur, Xia Qing’s curiosity got the better of her. “Was that Yellow Weasel’s poison really that nasty?”

Just the mention had Yang Jin shuddering. “When I led the squad against Su Feng’s hired killers, they went berserk after Yan Long dug up the herb. The Alpha charged in and snatched the herbs with that Yellow Weasel on its back. As soon as the weasel got a grip on the sealable herb bag, it unleashed its poison at the killers. Three dropped on the spot, totally out of commission. The rest started vomiting. I held back my own urge to throw up, pushed my speed to the limit, took them all out, and still ended up puking after.”

“For a whole week afterward, all I could smell was that stench. Couldn’t even eat…”

Xia Qing…

That did it—Xia Qing couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

Finally getting Xia Qing to crack a smile, Yang Jin left Section Three with a pecan and a basket of vegetables, grinning.