Chapter 465: The Wolves’ Howl and the Price of Vengeance

Xia Qing stared coldly at the last member of the Trapping Team, cowering behind his shield and silent. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak—she just hadn’t caught her breath yet and couldn’t get any words out.

“Trying to send evidence outside? Ha.”

Xia Qing had already installed jammers both around the potential battlefield and on the three evolved wolves to cut off communication between the Trapping Team members and anyone in Territory Nine.

With the fight over, Xia Qing wasn’t afraid of him sending any ‘evidence’ now. The Trapping Team had started it by provoking and attacking her, violating the ban by trapping evolved wolves, and using poison gas bombs to kill countless Evolved Forest creatures.

Their actions would likely cause a disaster. Xia Qing had only fought to protect herself. So the real traitors to humanity were them.

No need for any trial or punishment. Devastation Snow was on its way, and the Base was swamped. Let Hades judge them—let him decide how many layers of hell they deserve!

“Wooo—”

Alpha stepped forward, baring his fangs and growling low. For beasts of the Evolved Forest, no humans were more hated than trappers.

“Ah—!”

The guy behind the shield screamed in terror but still tried to threaten Xia Qing. “I’m Dan Xiang, a senior researcher with the Blazing Fire Squad! My sister is Dan Ying, Blazing Fire’s vice-captain. If you so much as let one hair on my head get hurt by these furry beasts, my sister will chop you to pieces and skin these wolves alive, turning them into meat paste!”

Dan Ying’s brother? What’s he doing with the Trapping Team?

Perfect. As long as she got her hands on this guy, she could force him to reveal an antidote—maybe even get her hands on some.

Xia Qing drew a deep breath, swallowed the taste of blood in her mouth, and was just about to speak when Crippled Wolf shot forward like a cannonball, slamming his head into Dan Xiang’s shield.

“Bang!”

The impact flattened Dan Xiang in an instant. Blood splattered inside his airtight protective mask. Xia Qing didn’t even need to check—she knew he was dead.

Dead is dead.

She was just about to switch off the jammer and call Idol when Alpha spun and tore out of the Bear Cave. He leapt onto a jutting rock, facing into the bitter wind, and tipped his head back in a furious howl.

“Awooooo—”

Xia Qing was angry too—she wanted to let out a howl herself. But now wasn’t the time. The Inspection Team must have heard the explosions and sent out their Scouting Team, and they could already be on Hill Fifty. Howling would draw them straight here.

The entire lower mountainside was filled with poisonous gas. If the scouting team wasn’t ready for it, they’d be poisoned. She had to stop Alpha.

Just as Xia Qing was about to rush out, Crippled Wolf lifted both front paws and pressed them onto her shoulders, craning his head up and urging her to take off his protective mask.

“Okay, right away. Crippled, go tell the Queen not to howl, it’s too dangerous right now.” Xia Qing started to unfasten the straps, but Crippled Wolf shook off the mask himself, charged out, and stood beside Alpha, lifting his head to howl in unison.

“Awooooo—”

The two wolves howled at full volume, so loud it made Xia Qing’s ears ring inside the cave. Even Er Gou, squirming in her backpack, seemed ready to burst out and fight.

The Wolf Pack’s leader was furious—he was calling the others.

But with all the enemies dead, why call the rest? Who did Alpha want to fight next?

The whole mountainside was blanketed in poison. Was he calling the pack over to get them all killed?

Xia Qing soothed Er Gou in her pack, quickly searched Dan Xiang’s gear, and found no antidote, no comms, no cameras or recorders. She gathered up the jammer, dragged Dan Xiang’s body out of the Bear Cave, and—right in front of the wolves—tossed the corpse into the poisonous mist below, then tried to calm the angry wolves.

“Queen, Crippled, the enemy’s dead. You’re both poisoned and need treatment now. Stop howling, let’s go back to the territory, okay?”

“Awoo—”

“Awoo—”

Alpha and Crippled Wolf ignored Xia Qing and kept howling.

“Awoo—wooo—”

“Roar—”

Standing on the slopes of Hill Fifty, Xia Qing could hear distant wolf howls and bear roars echoing from the forest. Er Gou struggled harder and harder in her bag.

If the wolves kept this up, things would quickly get out of control.

Xia Qing took Er Gou from her bag and set him in front of the furious wolves, trying to reason with them. “Queen, Crippled, we’ve killed all our enemies. There’s no need to fight anymore—we need to get Er back for treatment now. Look, his breathing’s getting weaker. He won’t last much longer.”

Neither wolf paid her or Er Gou any attention—they kept howling.

“Queen, please, stop.”

“Did you forget how you brought the dying Er to me, begging for his life? I fought hard to save him—don’t let all that effort go to waste.”

The wolves wouldn’t listen. Each new howl rose even higher.

Back in human territory, the Inspection Team and people in every settlement went pale when they heard the wolves’ cries while fighting the beasts.

Zhao Ze was in tears again. “This beast tide was started by the Wolf Pack—it can’t be a small one. It’s over, our territory is doomed.”

Qi Fu offered advice. “Move all the important supplies to the basement. Once the animals break in, hide there—nothing’s more important than staying alive.”

Kuang Qingwei had a reminder. “Don’t forget to carry Third Brother’s medicine at all times—it could save your life. No one can afford to get hurt. Xia Qing’s still waiting for us to rescue her.”

Tang Huai, by contrast, was thrilled. “The evolved wolves are still on Hill Fifty, and Xia Qing’s friends with them. She’ll be fine!”

“Damn!”

Halfway up Third Peak of Hill Fifty, Xia Qing was livid. She set Er Gou down, jumped to her feet as her vision went black and her body swayed.

Steadying herself, she jabbed a finger at the two wolves and exploded. “Are you two done yet? Is howling really more important than your comrade’s life? Fine! Keep screaming and see if you call the whole pack here and get them all wiped out! I’m taking Er and leaving—I’ll treat him myself!”

Alpha kept howling back and forth with the distant wolves, but Crippled Wolf finally stopped.

When Xia Qing tried to shove Er Gou back in her bag and leave, Crippled Wolf moved to block the path down the mountain.

She was boiling with fury, ready to curse them out again, when suddenly a tiny, shivering head with round ears popped out from behind a rock just three meters away.

The plucked one?

Did the Queen call it over?

Why’d it show up now if the fight was over?

Before Xia Qing could react, Alpha let out one last desperate howl, then staggered and collapsed on the rock.

“Queen!”

“Awoo—”

“Awoo—”

Without Alpha’s voice, the pack’s howls came faster and more frantic, making everyone’s blood run cold.

“Awoo—wooo—”

Crippled Wolf lifted his head and howled, calling back to the pack. His voice trembled—Xia Qing knew Crippled Wolf was about to reach his limit too.