Chapter 677: The Last Day of Treatment in Wolf Valley

On the final day for the three sick wolves to take their medicine, they were escorted over by both the Alpha and Broken Back. Or to be precise, the Alpha and Broken Back brought four nursing mother wolves from the Northern Wolf Pack to get their medicine too, and just happened to bring the three sick wolves along.

Among the four mothers were Lame Wolf and the two she-wolves who’d come last time for their deworming treatment. The last one, the Huge Wolf, was new. Xia Qing guessed she’d just finished giving birth, which is why she hadn’t come before.

Including the Alpha, all the Northern Wolf Pack’s mothers who’d given birth this year were now present. Wolves can have three to eight pups in one litter. Even if half don’t survive, the pack should still raise a dozen cubs this year. By autumn, those pups will be half-grown and able to fend for themselves. Next spring, they’ll join the adults on the hunt.

By then, Xia Qing would finally get to see the Alpha’s and Broken Back’s cubs. She was dying to know what abilities pups of two brain-evolved wolves might inherit.

Lame Wolf and the other three mother wolves were fierce as always, while the three sick wolves kept huddled together. The Alpha looked regal, Broken Back pointed a claw at the medical kit. Xia Qing just stood there, confused.

What was Broken Back trying to say?

Maybe it was demanding to know why all the mothers got medicine but not itself? Xia Qing patiently explained, “Broken Back, you already had this preventive medicine the first time you brought those three over. You only need one dose.”

Broken Back lowered its paw, staring at Xia Qing with that thoughtful look, obviously unsatisfied with her answer. Xia Qing let it go and got the medical kit, drawing saliva and blood samples from the three sick wolves.

Today was the third day of treatments, and those wolves looked much better than when they first arrived. The three of them were weirdly well-behaved—Xia Qing pried open their jaws for saliva samples, and not one so much as bared a tooth or lifted a paw to resist.

Because the Alpha was standing right beside her, and even without so much as a growl or a swipe, none of the sick wolves dared test its authority.

Once all the samples were taken, Broken Back came over again, extending a paw wrapped in its snake skin protective suit and pressing gently on Xia Qing’s hand just as she was about to put the test tubes away.

Xia Qing looked up and locked eyes with the smart wolf for a few moments, then a thought clicked. Gesturing, she asked, “Do you want me to take samples from you, the Queen, and Lame Wolf too?”

This time, Broken Back finally flashed its adorable pearly white fangs in a little smile.

Squatting there, gazing up at a wolf that could actually smile, Xia Qing felt genuinely awed. She hadn’t even shown them any health-checkup videos, and yet this one was already worried about disease, proactively bringing the pack’s key members for a checkup!

As the Wolf Pack’s amateur medic, Xia Qing turned to look at the Alpha, who didn’t object, so she nodded. “Alright, let’s get samples from everyone and see who’s healthy.”

Luckily she’d packed enough test tubes, or she really wouldn’t have been able to meet the wolves’ demands today. She labeled each one with its owner: Alpha, Broken Back, Lame Wolf, the grey-eyed, grey-furred mother, the scarred black she-wolf, and the huge grey she-wolf. Then she took their samples one by one.

Though all four mothers bared their teeth, none of them actually tried to hurt Xia Qing, so it went pretty smoothly. Still, when it was the enormous grey she-wolf’s turn, Xia Qing felt a little shaky—it was the first time she’d been this close, and if it really decided to bite, she’d be done in one snap.

Once everything was packed up, Xia Qing started explaining to the two brain-evolved wolves all about the connection between the evolved giant python and the Devastation Snake, how dangerous the Devastation Snake’s venom was, and the habits of the creature.

To make everything clear, she played the videos and photos she’d gotten from her Idol, using them as she talked and gestured.

She went through it three times to make sure the two wolves understood, then closed her laptop and said seriously, “Queen, Broken Back, your territory is way too close to the python lake. You need to be really careful.”

As for what the wolves would actually do about it, that was up to them. Xia Qing couldn’t interfere in their decisions or offer advice.

Unlike her tense delivery, the Alpha and Broken Back seemed completely calm. It really hit Xia Qing what people meant by ‘the emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuch is.’ Since there was nothing more to say, she pulled out a huge pack of freeze-dried meat from her backpack, tied it to Broken Back, and reminded the Alpha, “Queen, bring this food home and make sure Er gets some too.”

Broken Back broke into a happy grin after getting the food.

The Alpha bounded off more than ten meters in a single leap, the other wolves right behind. In just a blink, they’d vanished from sight. Xia Qing, with daylight running out, got started disinfecting the valley.

Suddenly, she heard wolves moving again. Looking up toward Valley One, she spotted the Alpha darting over. Xia Qing’s eyes sparkled.

The Alpha had brought her a piglet, still fresh though not alive anymore—but Xia Qing was still overjoyed.

As soon as the Alpha dropped the piglet at her feet, Xia Qing showered it with praise. “Is this piglet for me?! Thank you, Queen! You really are the most dignified wolf at the top of Blue Star’s pyramid. Piglets like this are perfect for roasting! Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for some barbecue before you go?”

The Alpha listened to all her compliments in a calm silence, circled her once, and then turned to leave.

“Safe travels, Queen! Bring Er along next time you visit!”

After watching the Alpha disappear, Xia Qing tested the piglet and, sure enough, it was a Green Lantern—not surprising for a wolf with such refined taste. She sealed the piglet in a bag and, with the valley disinfected, immediately got in touch with her Idol. “Brother San, I just got you a piglet, over twenty pounds, and it’s a fresh Green Lantern, still warm! Want me to bring it over now?”

The sun was just setting—the perfect time to start dinner. Zhang San sounded as kindly as ever, “Alright. Was this wild boar one of the ones the wolves raised in the valley? You sure it’s okay you took it?”

“A wolf killed it and gave it to me.” Idol took the piglet, making things much simpler. “Brother San, besides the three sick wolves, I also collected blood and saliva samples from six other wolves. Could you check those too, see if they’re healthy or if they need medication?”

Zhang San went quiet…

Xia Qing upped the ante. “The three sick wolves have finished their treatment, so you can focus on your medicine research. Tomorrow, I’ll join a group to dig up some Green Lantern bamboo shoots. However many you want, I’ll bring them back for you.”

Finally, Zhang San replied, taking it slow, “Dig up as many as you can. I’ll have Yan Long come get them.”

Now that the Chonglian folks were gone and Ji Li was on vacation, Yan Long had become the go-to for guarding Territory Seven and handling all pick-ups.

When Yan Long arrived, Xia Qing handed off the samples and the piglet, catching Yan Long studying her. Xia Qing immediately promised, “Don’t worry, Sister Yan. I’ll make sure to bring Tan Qi back just like I took her with me.”

That afternoon, when Yan Long took Tan Qi to train at the reservoir in Section Three, Xia Qing mentioned recruiting a team for bamboo shoot foraging the next day. Tan Qi volunteered to bring her own weapons and gear, and when Yan Long didn’t object, Xia Qing welcomed this ten-year-old, level-four Speed Evolver to the party.

Tan Qi might be young, but Yan Long had trained her marksmanship and fighting skills herself. She wasn’t as strong as the adults, but she could still do real damage—the team would have no trouble taking her along on a mission.