Chapter 424: Allies and Tensions at the South Gate

Xia Qing was surprised to see Xin Yu online. She replied right away, “After trading with Third Brother, I didn’t have much left. A few days ago, I raided some squirrel nests and lucked out—scored over forty pounds of Yellow Lantern pine nuts. Interested?”

“Definitely. And toss in some torreya nuts while you’re at it. Might as well make it a nice round number,” Xin Yu answered. “I’m sending someone to pick it up now.”

“You got it.” In this circle, a ‘nice round number’ meant a hundred pounds. Like Third Brother, Xin Yu was here to show support.

Once again, Zhou Xun was forced online. “Xia Qing, how many torreya nuts do you have left? What’s the price per pound?”

Xia Qing politely turned him down. “All out—sorry about that.”

Hearing Xia Qing’s unusually firm tone made Zhou Xun uneasy. He couldn’t shake the feeling she was about to stir up trouble.

Xia Qing carefully weighed a hundred pounds of snake meat, packed it into a basket, and hauled it down to the South Gate of the territory. The meat was far tougher than she’d expected, which only raised her hopes.

They say you are what you eat, right? Xia Qing hoped that after eating a few hundred pounds of snake meat, her muscles and bones would toughen up.

Hardness Evolution combined with Strength Evolution was the perfect match—her combat power would double.

Rounding the wild grass wall and unlocking the iron gate, Xia Qing was stunned to see a nearly new electric car parked outside the South Gate.

The car door opened and a man stepped out, maybe five-foot-three at most, sporting salt-and-pepper short hair and a spiffy new suit that looked totally out of place here. He bowed politely to Xia Qing. Two bodyguards in full protective suits, both much taller, flanked him.

“Miss Xia, a pleasure. I’m Zhou Zhaoping, assistant of Territory Eight. The lord sent me to pick up the supplies you’re trading.”

Xin Yu really went all out for her. Xia Qing hurried forward. “Uncle Zhou, glad to meet you.”

Inside the wild grass wall, Xu Pin caught a glimpse of Xia Qing’s face behind her protective mask. A glimmer of interest flashed in his eyes.

Had Xia Qing actually gotten prettier? Not bad.

Setting down the basket wrapped in an opaque bag, Xia Qing said, “There are pine nuts and torreya nuts inside. Feel free to check it, then I’ll load it into your trunk—it’s pretty heavy.”

“I’d never trouble you with that, Miss Xia.” Zhou Zhaoping signaled his bodyguards, who hefted the basket into the car’s trunk. He then handed her a blank points card.

Check the goods? No need for that.

Xia Qing accepted it with both hands and thanked him.

“There’s no need to thank me, Miss Xia. If anything, I should be grateful to you,” Zhou Zhaoping said sincerely. “You’re the first person to really get along with our lord. Please come visit Territory Eight when you have time.”

Xu Pin’s face darkened at those words. He shot a look at Zhou Xun nearby.

Zhou Xun hung his head, wishing he could crawl into the hole Tang Huai had dug and bury himself.

He was just a Vision Evolutionary—how would he know how those two women became friends without even leaving their territories?

With Xin Yu backing her up, there was no way Xia Qing would downplay it. “Just call me Xia Qing, Uncle Zhou. I’ve been busy with the wall and building a greenhouse lately. Once I’ve got some good veggies growing, I’ll come by for a visit.”

Mentioning the wall, Zhou Zhaoping chuckled. “That day our cargo plane for supplies was about to take off when the lord called—insisted on adding iron mesh to the cargo. I said the helicopter couldn’t fit it, so the lord went straight to the chairman. Ended up getting another helicopter, a construction crew, and even specifically asked for Lu Yuhui’s team. I wondered what that was all about, but once I arrived, I realized it was all for your wall.”

Zhou Zhaoping’s sincerity was so genuine that even Xu Pin inside Territory Two started to believe Xia Qing and Xin Yu were truly close friends. The more they talked, the more cheerful the mood became.

Only when people from Territory Seven approached did Zhou Zhaoping lift his hand and wave to them from a distance before getting in the car and leaving.

Spotting Zhou Zhaoping wave, Xu Pin turned and caught sight of Yan Long approaching. Instinctively, he straightened up and held his breath.

Yan Long had a razor-sharp sense for detail. Her gaze locked onto Xu Pin behind the wild grass wall like a sniper’s bullet.

With his heightened sensory evolution, Xu Pin immediately felt a chilling malice—Yan Long wanted him dead!

Xu Pin didn’t hesitate. He dove into the pit Tang Huai had dug, his two bodyguards shielding him. Zhou Xun, clueless about the situation, didn’t skip a beat—he dove right in too, curling up and covering his head like a worm.

“Sister Yan, Brother Huo, Brother Ya.”

Xia Qing saw the murderous glint in Yan Long’s eyes and caught the commotion coming from within the walls of Territory Two. She waved, warmly inviting them into her territory.

Her Idol had really gone above and beyond, sending Sister Yan herself for backup!

Da Ya grinned as he explained why so many had come. “Third Brother said there have been more mad dogs around lately, was worried I’d get bitten, so he sent Brother Huo along.”

Huo Zhun greeted Xia Qing with high spirits, eager to meet her combat team.

After all, to take down a Hardness Evolution python, Xia Qing’s team must be well equipped and skilled.

Yan Long immediately switched to her instructor mode. “I’m here to test your physical fitness and draw up a special training plan for you.”

“Sounds good.” Xia Qing gladly agreed to take Yan Long’s and Tan Qi’s training. She thought she’d just be tagging along, but learning Yan Long would tailor a plan for her left Xia Qing full of anticipation.

Even after the iron mesh gate to Section Three closed, Xu Pin didn’t dare come out of his pit, sensing that Yan Long’s lethal intent lingered.

Only when that threatening aura faded—meaning Yan Long was more than two hundred meters away—did Xu Pin dare climb out, his face dark as thunder.

He was sure he’d never crossed Yan Long or the Hui One military or done anything against Zhang San. Why did Yan Long want him dead?

Was it because of Xia Qing? Did Zhang San order it? Did Xia Qing and Zhang San have that close a relationship? Wasn’t she Hu Zifeng’s girl?

And why did Xin Yu send Zhou Zhaoping to back up Xia Qing? Why did Iron Rooster Yang Jin get involved too?

“Heh.”

Hearing Deputy Xu snicker from head to toe in dust, Zhou Xun wished he could scoop up dirt and bury himself.

Inside the wild grass wall, a recon squad member removed his headphones and rubbed his ears. “Captain Xu, Section Three’s anti-eavesdropping equipment is all set. The radio interference is active—our gear won’t pick up anything anymore.”

“Pack up the gear, send in an Auditory Evolutionary, and have them keep eyes on that woman from Section Three until she gives in and begs,” Xu Pin ordered, slapping dust off himself and leaving the wild grass wall with a cold smirk.

Xia Qing might be pretty but she wasn’t smart. Did she really think handing out a few pounds of dried fruit and getting these people to show up would scare him?

Foolish.

Unless she could offer up supplies worth over a million credits, there was no way those people would stick their necks out for her.

What precious resources could a Strength Evolution woman, who just came here to farm and didn’t even have family, possibly have?

“This… this… this…”

Huo Zhun pointed, eyes shining, at the giant python sheltered by an insect net in Xia Qing’s yard. He was absolutely entranced.

A python this massive easily had over a thousand pounds of meat. If Xia Qing let him eat his fill, he’d retire right now and join her combat team!

Wait, what was her team called, and where were its members?