Chapter 606: Subtle Powers and Hidden Dangers

Xin Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if you don’t have a kitten, you’ve still got wolf pups, weasel kits and squirrels you could raise.”

Normally she had a distant, almost icy air, but when she laughed, an adorable side showed through, like a proud cat suddenly deciding to be affectionate—a complete shift.

Xia Qing shook her head with a smile. “No chance I’d ever get wolf pups. Before they can hunt on their own, the Wolf Pack would never let them leave the core of their territory or risk any adventures.”

She was absolutely sure about that.

There was a time when Xia Qing dreamed about playing with wolf pups, but after humans slaughtered the Western Wolf Pack’s cubs, that idea vanished.

Following that tragedy, the Northern Wolf Pack grew even more protective. Unless something happened they couldn’t handle themselves, neither the Alpha nor the Crippled Wolf would ever bring their pups near Xia Qing or let her visit Hill Sixty.

There was another thing too—Chonglian would soon build an iron mesh wall around this land. The construction would mean more people around, making the wolves feel uneasy. During all that, the Crippled Wolf probably wouldn’t show up to learn new things or order takeout either.

Xin Yu nodded and asked, “Can I take a look at the Yellow Lantern Mealworms you’re raising?”

Xin Yu took care of birds, so she also raised the nutritious mealworms.

Right then, Er Gou was in the Sheep Shed watching over the Yellow Weasel, while Old Goat kept guard near the Toon Tree up on the high slope. The greenhouse was open to visitors, so Xia Qing led Xin Yu in without a fuss.

After closely inspecting Xia Qing’s mealworms, Xin Yu asked, “They all look really healthy. What are you feeding them?”

“Vegetable leaves, wheat bran, potato peels, sweet potato skins and pumpkin skin.” Basically, whatever Xia Qing was eating that day, the animals would get the scraps.

Xin Yu lowered her voice. “Do you use filtered hot spring water when you mix the wheat bran?”

Xia Qing nodded.

She used to feed every animal pure spring water, but after the source dried up, she switched to filtered water from the Hidden Valley hot spring. “You should give it a shot. Third Brother says it’s better for drinking than distilled water.”

Xin Yu had access to the Hidden Valley as part of the Alliance, but hadn’t bothered to fetch spring water before. Now, seeing Xia Qing work wonders with the simplest setup, Xin Yu felt tempted. “Next time you go, let me know. I’ll send someone along.”

Xia Qing handed her the key to the Bear Cave’s iron gate, carefully giving some tips. “The Yellow Weasel isn’t in the valley right now, so choose a safe time when there aren’t many people around. Keep it secret.”

Xin Yu accepted the key without fuss, then suggested a trade—fifty Yellow Lantern Mealworms with Xia Qing. “We can swap bugs regularly. Mixing breeding stock means healthier eggs and sturdier offspring.”

Xia Qing agreed right away, even sent Xin Yu off with two pots of strawberries before she left.

Not long after Xin Yu departed, Xia Qing called all the Alliance members together for a meeting in the basement of Section Five.

As usual, Territory Seven and Territory Eight didn’t show. Territory Six sent Kuang Qingwei, now noticeably thinner.

This winter, luck hadn’t favored him. First, he’d had his protective suit eaten through by corrosive sap from a Devastation Evolution tree while foraging in the Evolved Forest—losing a chunk of his right arm in the process. Then, during the beast tide, a laborer in his own territory slashed his back. If Zhu Li hadn’t stepped up at the critical moment and the allies hadn’t rushed him straight to Territory Seven, Kuang Qingwei wouldn’t have made it.

Even in the face of death, he never awakened his Evolution Ability. Normal people heal much slower than Evolved fighters, but with Zhang San’s Miracle Medicine, his external wounds would heal fully in just half a month—he’d be ready for spring planting.

Having survived so much and kept both arms and both legs, Kuang Qingwei was grateful just to be alive. Now, his only focus was earning credits, trading them for new gear and turning his territory into a fortress.

Once everyone arrived, Xia Qing brought up the first agenda item. “The Territory Management Department approved Chonglian’s application. When Chonglian’s people arrive, we’ll need to be extra careful—whether you’re on Hill Fifty or back in your own territory, watch what you say and do. Chonglian’s security team is strong. They definitely have Auditory Evolutionaries, and might even have Magnetic Sense users or Brain Evolution specialists who can read subtle changes in your expressions.”

Most of them already understood about Brain Evolution, but Magnetic Sense was a hidden ability Xia Qing had only ever explained to Qi Fu and his wife. Now it was time to let everyone know.

Of course, Yue Haiying would probably know anyway, since he spent so much time with Luo Pei and Tan Junjie. News got around fast.

After introducing everyone to the Magnetic Sense ability, Xia Qing warned them. “When you’re around outsiders, stay calm. A Brain Evolution user can read your facial expressions, while someone with Magnetic Sense can pick up changes in your magnetic field and figure out if you’re lying or have bad intentions.”

Other than Yue Haiying, who already knew, the rest of the group was stunned. Even Qi Fu and his wife pretended to be just as surprised as the others.

After all, putting on a good act was one of the most important survival skills during the disaster years.

Fresh from his own disaster, Kuang Qingwei got worked up. “If I had Magnetic Sense, I’d be hiring in no time. Just let the candidates line up in front of me and I’d know instantly if anyone was lying or up to something!”

Xia Qing silently thought to herself—last year, when Territory Eight was recruiting refugees, Xin Yu had done exactly that.

Zhao Ze, however, was unsettled. “Biological magnetic fields come from weak electric currents in the body. If Magnetic Sense is strong enough, and someone’s emotions are volatile, could an advanced user read their actual thoughts just from magnetic changes?!”

Qi Fu thought it was a double-edged sword. “Sensing emotions or thoughts all the time? That person would never want to go outside, let alone be around a crowd. Heck, no one else would want to be stuck with someone like that either.”

Yuan Yan, who could sense plants’ magnetic changes, nodded in agreement with her husband.

Spending time around someone with Magnetic Sense would be nerve-wracking. Everyone has secrets they’d rather keep.

Shi Du chimed in with Qi Fu. “I remember before the catastrophe, there was a brain–computer interface that let people control computers with just their minds. Magnetic Sense seems a lot like that tech.”

Xia Qing understood why everyone was spooked. She’d once worried about it too and looked up everything she could after learning about Xin Yu’s gift. “Brain–computer interfaces detect neural signals to control external devices. Even the most advanced ones can’t read specific thoughts. People with Magnetic Sense definitely can’t do that.”

People only started to relax, but Yue Haiying hit them with another jab.

“Back before the disaster, research was kept within strict ethics boundaries. Now? Surveillance is just for show. Human experiments are cruel beyond anything you can imagine. If anyone here developed Magnetic Sense, don’t ever let it slip. Otherwise, you’ll instantly become a hunted specimen for experimentation.”