Chapter 592: Vengeance on the Cracked Rock

Xia Qing turned her head for a glance at Tang Zhengsu, sprawled across the fractured rock.

Tang Zhengsu’s arms and legs were twisted unnaturally, his protective mask had been ripped off, and blood was running down from his mouth and forehead. He was badly hurt, but he wasn’t dead yet.

“Captain Yang, let me finish him off?”

“Go ahead.” Yang Jin had no objections. He leaned against a tree barely taller than a man to catch his breath. Just now, he’d stopped short of killing Tang Zhengsu himself, leaving the final blow for Xia Qing.

If Xia Qing hadn’t been skilled enough—and hungry for revenge—Yang Jin would’ve never dragged her into such a dangerous mission.

Tang Zhengsu had both speed and strength evolutions. Tonight, he’d taken a drug to boost his stamina and tried to escape with dozens guarding him. For Yang Jin, winning this fight had not been easy.

But right now, he felt completely at ease.

Xia Qing slung her sniper rifle over her back, removed her protective mask and the silicone mask hugging her face, then walked up to Tang Zhengsu. She grabbed his protective suit by the front and half-lifted him off the ground.

Groaning in pain, Tang Zhengsu’s bloodshot eyes slowly widened when he saw Xia Qing’s face. “It’s… it’s you? So it really was you…”

The first time he met Xia Qing was last November at Section One of the North. She’d looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t remember where they’d met.

But seeing that murderous glare in Xia Qing’s eyes now, Tang Zhengsu remembered everything.

Fifth year of the disaster, during the beast tide, Tang Zhengsu led the squad protecting the wall.

It was a brutal fight. Animal corpses piled high outside the wall, and more than once, a beast with Devastation Evolution trampled the dead to leap clear over into the Safe Zone. When everyone else fled in terror, one skinny kid with a buzz cut and tattered clothes charged straight for him—face twisted in a rage just like now.

Tang Zhengsu had no idea where that scrap of a kid came from, but every instinct in him screamed: I have to kill him or he’ll be a problem later!

But by the time he’d finished off the mutated beast, the kid had vanished. Tang Zhengsu sent people out to search, but found nothing.

Later, Xu Pin—who had magnetic sense—joined Su Feng Squad, and Tang Zhengsu kept him close for safety, no longer bothered by a nobody he’d seen only once.

Who would’ve guessed that scrawny kid turned out to be Xia Qing, lord of Territory Three, and she’d spent years hunting for a chance to kill him!

Tang Zhengsu, eyes bloodshot, glared at Xia Qing with pure hatred. Coughing blood, he asked, “Why… why?”

Why did she team up with Azure Dragon’s people? Why go to such lengths to bring him down?

Why?!

The muscles in Xia Qing’s arm and the veins on her hand bulged as she slammed Tang Zhengsu against the rock wall. Just like that day—when this bastard grabbed Dad from the crowd, used him as a shield, and threw him at a wild beast.

Tang Zhengsu’s skull shattered. He died on the spot.

Why? Go ask King Yama.

Xia Qing had imagined that after revenge, she’d break down, crying or laughing or shouting. But really, she just felt… calm.

She looked up at the stars glittering between the clouds.

Dad, I’ve avenged you now.

Mom, you and Dad go find a star where you can grow crops. When I join you someday, like we planned, we’ll plant vegetables and grain together and just live in peace.

Yang Jin didn’t interrupt Xia Qing’s moment. He pressed the walkie-talkie and calmly reported, “Primary fugitive Tang Zhengsu resisted arrest and died smashing into a rock.”

Xie Yu replied, “Copy that. Bring his body back.”

Composing herself, Xia Qing turned. “Thank you, Captain Yang.”

She didn’t say exactly why she was grateful, and Yang Jin didn’t ask. He peeled off his mask, sweat on his face but smiling. “No need for thanks. We both got what we wanted—Tang Zhengsu’s gone, now you can focus on farming, and I can keep running Hui Three First Combat Team. Want Wang Liang and Tang Zhou to escort you back? You’ll get your share of the loot after we’ve tallied up the value and contributions once it’s all over.”

Having Wang Liang and Tang Zhou escort Xia Qing back had been planned from the start. Since Xia Qing wasn’t a speed or elasticity evolver, she couldn’t make it home before daylight on her own.

But now, Xia Qing had a better, faster, and sneakier way home. “Captain Yang, did you bring the protective suit?”

“Tang Zhou brought it—here it is.” Yang Jin grabbed a backpack from nearby and handed it to her.

“Thank you. I’ll just go change. Please wait a moment.” Xia Qing slipped behind a tree, quickly took off Yan Ning’s protective suit and gear, pulled on an Azure Dragon Squad uniform, then packed her ammo, medicine, and nutrient shakes into a new bag for herself. Yan Ning’s gear and supplies went into a separate sack.

Once she was changed, Xia Qing handed the old suit to Yang Jin. After she left, Yan Ning would put on that gear and keep working here. “Captain Yang, no need to bother the other two—I’ll have the wolves take me back. It’s less likely I’ll get spotted that way.”

The wolves? Isn’t this still Western Wolf Pack territory?

Yang Jin asked, “The conflict between the Western Wolf Pack and the Base hasn’t been resolved. Are you sure it’s safe to have them escort you?”

Xia Qing explained, “It’s not the Western wolves, it’s the Northern Wolf Pack. Remember that huge wolf we saw at Hill Fifty-Two a few days ago? I just saw it nearby.”

Wolf eyes come in all colors, but Xia Qing had seen only two with that icy blue—Handsome Huge Wolf, and the Alpha of the Western Pack. The two have the same eye color, but their builds are different. Xia Qing could tell them apart.

With less advanced vision than Xia Qing, Yang Jin hadn’t noticed a wolf was even around.

Having the wolf pack escort her was definitely less likely to draw attention. If it were the one-eared Alpha or the freakishly clever Crippled Wolf taking her, Yang Jin wouldn’t worry. But that huge icy blue-eyed wolf was just too wild.

Yang Jin still wasn’t sure, so he double-checked, “You certain about this?”

“Absolutely. I’ve worked with it before; we’re on good terms.” Xia Qing spoke with conviction. “That wolf is really cautious. Captain Yang, go handle your stuff—I’ll be fine.”

“Alright. Be careful, get home before five in the morning.” Yang Jin knew that huge wolf didn’t like him much. He hoisted Tang Zhengsu’s corpse and hurried off.

Once Yang Jin was gone, Xia Qing headed toward where she’d seen Handsome Huge Wolf. As she walked, she called softly, “Hey, Big Wolf! You still here? Come out and help me out! Do me a favor for the Queen, won’t you? Big Wolf…”

When the tall, imposing, silver-gray wolf stepped out of the trees, Xia Qing grinned. Borrowing luck from Old Goat tonight had paid off—her luck couldn’t have been better.

“Big Wolf, you on patrol after hearing the noise?” Xia Qing didn’t get too close. She stopped, smiling and speaking politely to keep things smooth.

She might have sounded confident earlier, but now, standing alone in front of this cold, powerful wolf, Xia Qing couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Last winter, the Trapping Team used poison gas bombs to trigger a beast wave. Xia Qing, reeling from the side effects of an Evolution Element stim shake, was sent on a crisis mission. With this wolf, the Alpha, Crippled Wolf, and Huo Zhun, they formed the Third Disaster Elimination Team, tracking down fugitives deep in the Evolved Forest. In a pinch, she’d even hitched a ride on this Big Wolf for a few steps.

Back then, he hadn’t seemed happy about it at all.

This wolf had pride to spare—it didn’t even like giving her a short ride. Getting it to carry her for dozens or even a hundred kilometers? That would need some serious negotiation.

Yeah, they were going to have to talk this through.