Chapter 610: Guarding the Toon Tree

Old Goat lowered his head and sniffed at the water, guzzling down half a basin in one go. Seeing him so desperately thirsty, yet refusing to return home for a proper drink, Xia Qing felt a pang of pity.

Last year, on her fifth day in the territory—February 19th—she discovered this Green Lantern Toon Tree growing on the high slope. Back then, its shoots weren’t even as long as her finger. This past winter had been nearly ten degrees colder than usual, and now it was just February 10th. The big toon tree definitely wouldn’t sprout for at least three to five more days.

With Old Goat keeping watch here, it clearly wasn’t just about tasting the first tender shoots.

After the great evolution on Blue Star, food became as precious as gold to every creature. In the Evolved Forest, even the animals fought tooth and nail over every scrap of quality food.

This tree was Old Goat’s favorite source of food. The way he guarded the toon tree so seriously—he had his reasons, that much was certain.

Xia Qing sat down on a rock, gazing up at the towering toon tree.

She might not know much about toon trees, but she did know that when they sprouted, they released a unique fragrance.

Most likely, Old Goat was stationed here to fend off any animals that might try to snatch the toon leaves away from him.

But what kind of animal would it be? Could it be the wild boars in the valley busy raising their young, the birds flapping everywhere, insects that had hibernated all winter, or maybe other sheep, deer, or cattle that loved toon sprouts?

Section Three was already surrounded by a tall iron mesh wall, so any large animals without wings were out of luck. And birds wouldn’t need guarding against like this. That meant the real threat was probably insects.

Xia Qing closed her eyes, focusing hard to pick out any sounds of movement from within the bark or soil, even with the constant rush of water in the background.

But before she could pick out even a hint of insect activity, the roar of a helicopter shattered the peace.

She opened her eyes and looked toward a tiny black dot in the western sky, just as Tan Junjie made an announcement on the Lords’ channel:

“Attention all Lords, attention: Chonglian Group’s supply helicopter is about to reach the skies above Section One in the north. Please do not venture outside the barrier or use the access paths outside your territories. Attention all Lords…”

With the helicopter rumbling overhead, there was no way Xia Qing could rely on her hearing to diagnose the toon tree’s problems. She tousled Old Goat’s head and stood up. “I’m going to get the pesticide and fungicide.”

Old Goat was too busy glaring at the helicopter, brimming with aggression, to even acknowledge her.

Amused by his expression, Xia Qing chuckled. “Relax, Boss. The helicopter isn’t here to steal the toon sprouts.”

“Xia Qing, you there?”

Before Xia Qing could even reach the little house by the fields, Tan Junjie called her on the Lords’ channel.

She pressed the button. “I’m here.”

“The first helicopter’s supplies will be unloaded on the northern high slope of Section Three. For now, please don’t leave your territory in case of any accidents.”

Didn’t they say the west wall of Territory Eight was supposed to be built first? When did the plan change? And why?

“Understood.” Xia Qing kept her tone calm as her mind raced for answers. She quickly added, “Captain Tan, the helicopter isn’t going to fly over my territory, right?”

Tan Junjie replied sternly, “As per our agreement, it won’t.”

With that confirmation, Xia Qing tore back home, lugged a grenade launcher out of the basement storage, and raced to the high slope. She aimed the launcher directly at the approaching, slightly wobbly helicopter.

Anything out of the ordinary could mean danger.

Xia Qing knew exactly what kind of relationship Chonglian and Xin Yu had. If that helicopter dared cross into her airspace, she wouldn’t hesitate to blow it out of the sky.

“Xia Qing, Chonglian wouldn’t put a rookie pilot up in a helicopter on a calm day. If it loses control and veers over your territory, it means an intruder’s trying to sneak in. Feel free to take it out.” Xin Yu, rarely one for chatter on the walkie-talkie, came in sharp and cold.

Perched high in a pine tree, Xia Qing already had the helicopter’s position locked in. “Copy that. I have the grenade launcher locked on.”

Perhaps catching Xia Qing’s and Xin Yu’s conversation, the shaky helicopter instantly steadied itself, hovering obediently over the northern barrier of Section Three to begin unloading cargo.

Xia Qing’s narrowed eyes were fixed on the helicopter’s machine gunner. The dark barrel of the launcher she held looked for all the world like a python, ready to strike.

“Damn!”

Inside the helicopter, the gunner cursed under his breath. “That woman in the tree looks like she can see me. Isn’t she just a strength-based evolver?”

“She’s Luo Pei’s apprentice, holding the same top-tier sniper rifle as him. No way she’s just a strength-type evolver.”

The pilot shot a glance at the impressive evolved wolf inside Section Three. He reminded his teammate, “This is territory. The Section Three Lord is a friend of Boss Xin. If we behave and stick to the barrier, she’s got no reason to open fire. But if you touch that trigger, she could blow us to bits and not even break the law.”

The gunner spat another curse. “She’s got that same stubborn streak as Xin Yu—no wonder they’re friends.”

“Takes guts to come out here alone and farm. You think just any woman could do that?” The pilot’s gaze swept over the dazzling white evolved sheep in the territory, then reminded his teammate, “It’s not that we don’t want to finish the mission, but things have changed. They’re onto us. The job has to be scrapped.”

He gave his partner an out, too, wanting to save face. “We’re just trying to earn a meal. No reason to fall out with Boss Xin and Secretary Zhou over Yu Wenchuang’s empty promises. Let the big shots play their games—we’d do best to steer clear, or we won’t even know what hit us.”

“Hmph.” The sniper finally lowered his rifle, slouching lazily in the co-pilot’s seat, his eyes never leaving the evolved wolf in Section Three. “So that’s the wolf that spotted our bat?”

When the helicopter finished unloading, it took off smoothly and headed back. Xia Qing lowered the grenade launcher, eyes drifting to the dozen or so wooden crates stacked along the northern barrier.

The supplies inside were wrapped in waterproof fabric—no way it was iron mesh or metal frames. These were clearly meant for Xin Yu.

Not delivering them to Territory Eight’s gate and instead leaving them here on the high slope was a blatant move to mess with Xin Yu. Only someone like her ever-so-“caring” cousin, Yu Wenchuang, would play games like this.

Such style, such pettiness—honestly.

Before the first helicopter even vanished from sight, a second came and unloaded more supplies along the western barrier, then east, then south.

After more than twenty runs back and forth, and with dusk falling, all the metal frames, wire mesh, and other materials for the wall were finally delivered.

Once Chonglian’s construction team and trucks arrived, work could finally begin.

Only after confirming that all the helicopters had left did Xia Qing lower the grenade launcher and head to the little house by the fields for the fungicide, pesticide, and sprayer.

“Thunk!”

Before she could even make it back to the high slope, she heard a loud “thunk” echoing from above.

Old Goat was battering the tree!

Dropping everything, Xia Qing rushed back with the sprayer and medicine, only to find Old Goat using his big, spiral-horned head to ram his precious toon tree over and over.