Chapter 564: What Can’t Be Forgiven

Xia Qing didn’t say yes or no right away. She started by asking for the specifics. “Brother Yue, last night in the Eastern Territory, who attacked first?”

Yue Haiying replied, “It was just like what happened here. The Alpha howled and ordered the wolf pack to attack. Humans fought back. Once the fighting started, a lightning-fast leopard worked with the wolves to ambush our snipers and gunners.”

If the wolves attacked first, there was no doubt about the cause. “Last night I saw at least six lactating mother wolves and leopards driving the beast tide. They were first to charge at the humans. There’s only one reason for that: Someone went into their territory and brutally killed the newborn pups that were just born this year.”

If the pups were only stolen, the wolves and leopards would focus on tracking them down and reclaiming them. They wouldn’t have fought so desperately.

The revenge of losing their pups so cruelly isn’t something that can be smoothed over by sending in a few mediators.

If the Alpha’s or the Crippled Wolf’s cubs were tortured and killed, don’t even think about other wolf packs stepping in—the entire evolved forest, wolves, bears, leopards, all of them would join the fight. The Alpha and Crippled Wolf might lay low for a while under pressure, but they’d never give up on revenge.

Just like last July, when they lost to the Bear-Python Alliance. They waited three months until late October, then struck fast and hard, took back their territory, and got their revenge.

Xia Qing offered the only solution she could see. “Brother Yue, I think there’s one way to break this grudge—find whoever butchered those wolf and leopard cubs and throw them in front of the pack. Then negotiate with the wolves on how to resolve things. If their rage can’t be calmed after that, then we fight to the end.”

“But even if the evolved animals let this go and agree to keep the peace, what about the families and teammates of the fifty-plus people who died last night? Can they forgive? Who can guarantee that if they run into the wolves and leopards again in the evolved forest, they won’t be overwhelmed by grief and anger, and try to get revenge themselves?”

The pain left by this battle won’t heal easily.

Thousands of evolved fighters and loads of advanced weapons in the human base—up against just a few dozen wolves and leopards. In the end, humans would win, for sure.

But from what Xia Qing had seen, the Alpha was also a brain evolver. That meant, during some future Devastation Rain, it could strike humans at any moment.

Four years into the disaster years, one of the ten-thousand-strong residential areas in Base Four was wiped out by a bear pack led by a brain-evolved bear.

Even if the wolf-leopard alliance in the western evolved forest can’t break down the human base’s iron defenses, they can still destroy every territory humans carved out beyond the walls—forcing them back inside.

“If I was still with the army and had weapons, I’d sign up first to hunt down the scum who triggered the beast tide—skin them alive if I could!”

Yue Haiying, who’d worked hard to tame his bad temper since losing his arm, still struggled to stay calm. After a pause, he finally got to the point. “Old Tan and Luo Pei are both busy these days, so it falls to me to tell you: To avoid provoking those Fire Phoenix lunatics, Luo Pei took the blame for shooting that advanced evolved invader last night. For the next few months, better stay on this territory. Stay out of the Safe Zone too. If you need supplies, get someone else to buy and deliver them.”

Xia Qing nodded. “Don’t worry, Brother Yue. I’m here to farm, there’s not a patch of land in the Safe Zone with my name on it, and I won’t be going back. Our rice seeds are almost here, so our top priority right now is raising seedlings.”

Yue Haiying looked at Xia Qing, so serious and focused, and finally understood the mix of pride and helplessness he’d seen on Luo Pei’s face when he mentioned her last night.

After a year of rapid progress, Xia Qing had gone from being a level-four strength evolver stuck doing grunt work to a level-six, stepping into the ranks of advanced evolutionaries.

Her shooting was so sharp she could take out an advanced speed evolver from afar. She’d even teamed up with legendary boss Zhang San and could command dozens of evolved wolves to fight for her.

With those skills, that kind of network, and strong wolf ties, she’d be a prized recruit for any military or combat team. She could easily have a cushier life than this.

Yet this powerhouse, able to command the wind and rain, still chose to stay in her isolated, danger-filled territory to work the fields.

Farming had always been her number one thing.

With a leader like her, the Alliance felt rock-solid to its members—Yue Haiying included.

After six months of tilling the land, he got it too. Even in years of disaster, with all the hardships of farming, it was still easier and simpler, dealing with the earth than with people.

Yue Haiying nodded hard. “Exactly. We’re all farmers—right now, nothing’s more important than raising seedlings and planting rice. Did you lose much during last night’s fight? Need us to lend a hand?”

Xia Qing shook her head. “No, I was pretty lucky. Lost only one greenhouse, and I can handle that myself. Brother Yue, did anything happen in the territory next door last night?”

After learning the person in Territory Fourteen had a grudge against Xia Qing, Yue Haiying had paid extra attention. “Not a peep from him. Two hours ago, he rejected the Inspection Team’s request to check his territory on the Lords’ channel. His voice sounded same as always—probably not hurt.”

Yan Meng in Territory Fourteen hadn’t planted a single winter crop. His home was just a broken shipping container. Nobody had any reason to be interested in his territory, so it was safe from invaders, let alone any damage or injury last night.

Xia Qing left Territory Fifteen and headed home. Just as she pulled out her key to unlock the south gate, the sound of a vehicle reached her. Once inside, she heard heart-wrenching crying coming from the Inspection Team dormitory.

The families of the fallen had arrived.

Xia Qing walked heavily into the planting greenhouse, took off her protective mask, and sat down at the edge of the field. She called out to Old Goat, who was chomping grass in the alfalfa bed. “Old Goat.”

Old Goat, mouth full of straw, lifted his head.

“Tiger—the one who assembled our generator bike—was killed.”

Old Goat could see Xia Qing was hurting. He quickly chewed up the blade of grass, trotted over to the strawberry patch surrounded by brambles, and looked up at Xia Qing with his big, energetic, starry eyes as if saying:

“Feeling down? How about a strawberry to cheer you up?”

Joy and sorrow rarely pass smoothly between humans, let alone between human and goat. Xia Qing leaned her head back against the wall. “Strawberries aren’t ripe yet. We’ll wait till they’re red, then I’ll eat them with you and Er.”

Seeing Xia Qing turn down the offer, Old Goat wandered back to the alfalfa bed and got back to eating.