Chapter 520: A Farewell Beneath the Snow: Departure from the Wolf Pack

Xia Qing thought Crippled Wolf would be jealous once it saw her flying and might even drool with envy. Instead, Crippled Wolf found it dangerously risky for Xia Qing to soar through the sky without wings, so much so that it didn’t even trust her to carry the precious antiparasitic pill.

It’s hard to blame Crippled Wolf for worrying. Xia Qing’s flying was far from smooth—she nearly tipped over several times just taking off, then froze in one rigid position, too scared to move an inch for fear she’d nosedive headfirst into the Devastation Snow.

Maneuverability and agility are key to surviving in the Evolved Forest. But up in the sky, Xia Qing lost both. If a mutant raptor or a human with a weapon attacked, her chances of escape would be slim.

To Crippled Wolf, flying low without the forest’s cover turned Xia Qing into nothing more than a walking—well, flying—target.

Xia Qing really wanted to seize this rare chance to practice her flying, so she’d even asked Crippled Wolf and Er Gou to help carry the fuel she’d need for the return trip.

But Crippled Wolf worried about her safety and insisted on arranging a ‘mount’ to take her home. Not wanting to reject his kindness, Xia Qing sincerely thanked him: “I’m pretty weak right now. Whether walking or flying, taking the risky route would be dangerous. Crippled, you really thought of everything. You’re the warm-hearted wolf of the pack—with you around, even winter feels warmer. Thank you.”

Crippled Wolf bared its little fangs with a grin, delighted by her words.

Xia Qing smiled too. “Just like you saw on the laptop—after taking the antiparasitic pill, the pack will pass the parasites out of their bodies over the next couple of days. Crippled, keep an eye out so Lame Wolf and the others don’t roll around near the dung and end up covered in parasites again.”

Lame Wolf, who’d been arguing with other wolves nearby, pricked up its ears at Xia Qing’s call, then bounded over and started hopping and darting around her.

Xia Qing pulled out a piece of jerky and handed it to Lame Wolf. She handed out more to the other wolves she knew well, then climbed onto the back of the huge gray-black wolf. As she mounted up, she said goodbye to each of her friends: “Your Majesty, Crippled, Big Wolf, Lame… I’m heading out now. If you need me, just come find me in Section Three.”

Satisfied she’d said her farewells, Xia Qing turned to the Queen, the pack’s leader. “Your Majesty, if you encounter humans in the Evolved Forest, please don’t fight unless they provoke you. Just don’t harm them, alright?”

Having dosed the wolves once, Xia Qing now knew how strong this pack was. Counting Er Gou and Old Two, there were seventy-three wolves—nine sickly, nineteen pups born this year, and forty-five capable fighters. Of the fighters, eighteen were huge wolves, and the other twenty-seven evolved wolves were about the Alpha’s size.

Evolved wolves are amazing at teamwork; when they coordinate, their combined strength is far more than the sum of their parts. Wolves hold grudges—so when humans provoke, capture, or hunt them in the Evolved Forest, they’re making enemies of the entire pack.

Messing with a pack boasting forty-five ferocious evolved wolves? That’s just asking for death. Yet, plenty of fools still court disaster.

The Alpha fixed Xia Qing with its golden eyes, silent but clearly understanding her meaning. With a smile, Xia Qing addressed it as well: “Anyone who provokes Your Majesty or your subordinates—you can deal with them as you wish. But please, don’t hurt anyone else from the human territory. They’re just regular folks out farming. They won’t threaten the pack.”

Those who seek trouble deserve what comes to them, but regular people shouldn’t become casualties.

When she finished, Xia Qing gently patted the big gray-black wolf’s neck. “Big Guy, thanks for taking me home. Old Two, you lead the way—let’s head back.”

The straight-line distance from Section Three to Hill Sixty was about sixty li. Heavy Devastation Snow had buried the lower animal trails, so following the winding path back, they’d have to cover at least seventy li of mountain road.

Riding a wolf couldn’t match the comfort of flying on a craft, but when weaving through the woods, it felt far safer than skimming low through the air. Xia Qing hugged Big Wolf’s neck, lowered her body, and looked ahead, using the opportunity to hone her magnetic sense—reaching out for that elusive, mysterious feeling.

Suddenly, Xia Qing heard a noise from behind. She turned and saw Crippled Wolf and Lame Wolf racing up to see her off.

The two wolves flanked Big Wolf, forming a triangle with Er Gou in the lead, surrounding Xia Qing and the giant wolf at the center.

Smiling, Xia Qing raised her hand to greet the two wolves and went back to hugging Big Wolf’s neck, quietly sensing the oddities among the nearby plants.

As they passed through the dangerous, snow-covered Devastation Evolution woods, the shifting magnetic fields of the trees stabbed at Xia Qing’s mind like tiny needles, reminding her just how perilous these deceptively quiet woods truly were.

Xia Qing made sure to memorize the route the pack took—it had to be the safest path through here.

After crossing Crocodile Pool and leapfrogging countless ravines, they finally entered the territory of Hill Fifty-Five. Big Wolf slowed as they went on; the hill served as a dividing line—north of here lay the treacherous depths of the Evolved Forest, south was much safer.

Here, far fewer creatures in the forest could pose a real threat to Xia Qing.

Crippled Wolf peeled off for a bit. Ten minutes later, it came back holding two fat wild rabbits in its mouth. Then Lame Wolf took a turn, and after over twenty minutes, it returned with—of all things—a two- or three-dozen-pound wild deer clamped in its jaws!

During this time, Big Wolf carried Xia Qing across Hill Fifty-Five and into Hill Fifty-Two, but started showing fatigue.

Xia Qing slid off its back, gave it some spring water to drink, and began walking herself. Hill Fifty-Two lay just north of Hill Forty-Nine; once within its borders, she’d be safe. She decided to walk the rest of the way and maybe bag a few rabbits along the route.

“Crippled, Lame, hand me the game. I’ll carry it back.” Even though she’d only recovered about sixty or seventy percent of her strength, Xia Qing could still manage a load of several dozen pounds.

After taking the spoils from the two wolves, Xia Qing sealed the animals in bags, stuffed them into her backpack, and continued on.

At the edge of Hill Forty-Nine, Xia Qing hoisted her now twice-as-heavy backpack and asked the three wolves accompanying her, “Crippled, Lame, Big Guy, once I enter Hill Forty-Nine, I’ll be safe. Will you three head back to Wolf Mountain now, or are you coming with me for a barbecue?”

While crossing Hill Fifty-Two, Xia Qing had caught two rabbits. The four wolves had snared a wild boar, three more rabbits, and two wild chickens—more than enough for four wolves and one person to eat their fill.

Crippled Wolf turned to look at Lame Wolf and Big Wolf; the two halted, leaving only Crippled Wolf to walk on with Xia Qing and Er Gou.

Inside the surveillance room, Jing Kuan watched Xia Qing, her bulging backpack, and the two wolves by her side with envy. On the table, Little Five the calico cat—white boots and all—sat licking its soft pink paws while staring at the monitor.