Chapter 516: Of Wolves and Boundaries

Why is it, really? Xia Qing sat by the fireplace hugging her laptop, lost in thought about the whole thing.

Were they angry because Er Gou responded to some stranger’s voice in the video, or was it just because the wolf followed a ‘human’ command?

Or maybe, after seeing humans ordering around evolved dogs in the Evolved Forest, they assumed I’d turn Er Gou into one of those leash-tied, freedomless canines?

Maybe it’s all of the above.

There’s just no way you can keep using old human thinking—back when humanity sat at the top of the food chain—to figure out the relationship between people and evolved animals. Especially not with brain-evolved creatures who can really think for themselves.

Evolved wolves have their own territory. If they need something, they trade with me. Maybe to them, humans and bear packs are no different—we’re just other animal groups with land of our own.

Maybe that’s why, ten years into the disaster, humanity still can’t tame evolved wolves, and it’s also why Dan Ying was willing to pay so much to ‘buy’ Er Gou from me.

People tried capturing wolves for breeding before. Every single time, the wolves fought back fiercely. Once caught, they’d go on hunger strikes. Even if humans forced female wolves to give birth, the pups ended up too weak for taming.

Dan Ying believes the wolf that sticks with Xia Qing is a ‘special case’. To her, Er Gou is already tamed, so she wants to use this wolf to raise a new generation of domesticated beasts.

But Dan Ying got it wrong. My relationship with the wolf pack isn’t about taming at all—it’s a partnership built on trust. Or, more accurately, companionship rooted in mutual exchange.

Again, Xia Qing stressed with sincerity, “Queen, Broken Back, I never planned to make Er Gou obey my every order. I value him as much as Alpha. It’s the way I went about things that’s wrong. I won’t show Er Gou that kind of video again.”

Alpha and Broken Back still looked utterly stern. Er Gou stared at Xia Qing with clear eyes, as if really trying to figure things out.

Xia Qing opened her laptop again. “This thing isn’t bad at all. There’s tons of knowledge inside. It’s not just Er Gou learning from it—I am, too. See?”

Trying to ease the anger of the two brain-evolved wolves, Xia Qing pulled up a science video about the disaster. “Look, here’s how plants evolve during disasters—filmed and explained by humans.”

The video opened with sweeping aerial views of the forest—lush growth, bursts of vivid color. This time, the narrator was still a woman, but instead of sounding like a kindergarten teacher she spoke calmly, her voice smooth and magnetic.

“What you’re seeing now is Hui One Base’s Territory Nine, five kilometers south of the Safe Zone. It’s just two days after the third Devastation Rain of Year Nine. The whole forest is full of danger…”

The two brain-evolved wolves withdrew their fangs, watching the screen with full attention. Even Er Gou joined in. Judging by his expression, though, these kinds of science videos didn’t fascinate him nearly as much as the training ones.

Xia Qing breathed a little easier, set her laptop back on the low table and stood nearby to watch. After a while Er Gou wandered over, nudging her leg. Xia Qing sat down beside him and gently stroked the fur along his neck.

Thirty minutes later, the video ended and the screen froze. Both wolves immediately turned to look at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing paused her strength training. “You like that? Sure, I’ll find you another one.”

Once the second documentary about the Evolved Forest finished, both wolves looked at her expectantly again. Xia Qing had no choice but to play a third. This one featured a massive predator—a leopard.

The two wolves stood side by side at the table, growling low with rapt attention. Xia Qing worried they’d lunge and destroy her laptop, so she hurried over to protect it.

After all, she’d traded rare High-Evolution Green Lantern Python meat for it. There was a wealth of knowledge on there she’d gotten from Yang Jin, and she hadn’t had the chance to study half of it yet. If the wolves wrecked it, her heart would break.

When all the videos about Hui One Base’s Territory Nine were finished, the wolves still wanted to see more. Since it was getting late, Xia Qing switched to videos on weeding and pest control.

Alpha wasn’t interested in those, so he turned and went to nap on the tatami. Broken Back, though, kept squatting in front of the laptop, utterly engrossed.

At ten that night, Xia Qing put the laptop away. Broken Back stared at her, clearly wanting more. Xia Qing turned serious. “That’s enough for now. Watch too much and you’ll ruin your eyes.”

Broken Back tilted his head, watching her with a thoughtful look.

Determined, Xia Qing hugged her laptop and headed upstairs to bed. No way was she leaving it down here—one wolf swipe and it would be history.

Next morning, Xia Qing woke to Red Squirrel showing up for a drink. After serving her neighbor, she turned down his request for food again. Downstairs, the first floor was empty—no wolves or sheep in sight.

Old Goat munched on grass under the eaves, but the three wolves were gone from the territory.

Er Gou had left.

She knew this day would come, but now that it had, Xia Qing felt a hollow ache inside. Still, she pulled herself together and got ready to patrol the territory.

When Er Gou was around, he’d handle these rounds, since his hearing and sense of smell were sharper than hers. Now that he was gone, the job fell to Xia Qing.

She sprayed repellent around the Wild Grass Wall, keeping small reptiles at bay. With Devastation Snow still blanketing the ground, it was easy to spot if anything managed to crawl in.

After a full circuit, Xia Qing headed to the lower slope fields in the Northern Buffer Forest to check on the Devastationweed in the Spring Cave.

She found the flower buds had grown a bit. At this pace, they could bloom anytime from the end of this month to early next month.

Toting a full water bucket, Xia Qing returned home and started making breakfast.

She took frozen snake meat from the fridge, pounding it out for meat pies, when her phone chirped from her pocket—three beeping alerts in a row. Her eyes lit up.

Broken Back was back!

That must mean Er Gou had come back too!

Dropping the snake meat, Xia Qing grabbed her phone to check.

She saw that Er Gou was already under the Toon Tree, carrying a sack made of animal hide. Broken Back darted in and out of the Northern Gate again and again.

What was in that animal hide sack? Xia Qing dashed outside and met Er Gou at the village entrance. Broken Back raced over from the Northern Gate in seconds.

Er Gou set down the cloth bag and wagged his tail, brimming with joy.

Xia Qing beamed, “Er Gou, you’re back! Did you go up Hill Sixty this morning with Queen and the others?”

When she saw Broken Back tugging at the cloth bag, Xia Qing smiled and greeted the cheerful brain-evolved wolf. “Broken Back, did you come back to trade for the mirror?”

She wasn’t just guessing. The bag was bulging, and even Broken Back’s protective suit pockets were stuffed!

Only hickory nuts or Yi Stones could fill a bag like that.

Xia Qing led the two wolves home. Broken Back, smart as ever, washed his paws before padding over to the mirror by the wall and setting down the filthy bag, looking back at Xia Qing.

Wiping down Er Gou’s shoes, Xia Qing grinned. “Handsome Wolf, you want to trade what’s in that bag for the big mirror, huh?”