Chapter 683: Bamboo Hunt in the Evolved Forest

“Yan, you take care of the snake.” Today Xia Qing was on defense, keeping a close eye on the surroundings and staying ready to handle any threats. Field dressing prey was the job for the support crew.

“Got it.” Yuan Yan quickly scooped up the severed Five-Step Viper, sealed it in her backpack without missing a beat, then grabbed the mattock to start digging for bamboo shoots.

A giant bamboo shoot, about a meter long, was unearthed. Judging by its weight, it had to be at least twenty-something kilos. Yellow Lantern bamboo shoots were going for 15 credits a kilo this spring, so this one alone was worth over three hundred credits!

The couple’s faces lit up with excitement. They kept following the bamboo root, hoping to find more edible shoots.

Tan Qi glanced at the massive shoot Qi Fu and his wife had just unearthed, then dropped her gaze and went back to searching, relying on the tips Qi Fu had taught her. It took real effort, but she finally found one—only to spot a Red Lantern. She was disappointed for just a second before she perked up and kept searching.

Xia Qing stood nearby, knife in her left hand and gun in her right, guarding the three as they worked.

“Green Lantern bamboo shoot found in Territory Two. Excavation underway, cutting will start in one minute.” Liangzi’s announcement crackled from the walkie-talkie.

When it came to harvesting Green Lantern bamboo shoots, the danger was real. The bamboo could fire razor-sharp leaf projectiles, maybe even spook the local wildlife into stampeding into other zones, putting everyone at risk. That’s why Liangzi warned the rest of the team ahead of time—to stay alert.

Xia Qing replied, “Copy that. Stay safe.”

A minute later, Xia Qing heard the sharp clinking from Territory Two, the sound of bamboo leaf darts slamming into something hard.

Half an hour later, Yue Haiying issued another announcement: “Green Lantern bamboo shoot discovered in Section Three. Digging in progress. Cutting soon.”

After confirming receipt, Xia Qing noticed how Qi Fu, Yuan Yan and Tan Qi were suddenly getting edgy, so she stepped in to remind them, “Qi, Yan, Qi Qi—steady now.”

With Green Lantern shoots fetching eighty credits a kilo, Xia Qing understood why they were anxious. But panic was the last thing you wanted out here in the Evolved Forest—lose your cool and you’d only make mistakes.

All three zones Xia Qing had mapped out last year had turned up Green Lantern shoots. As long as they kept at it, they’d find one. It wasn’t like Xia Qing was holding out on them—she honestly couldn’t remember which stalks concealed them.

The reminder did the trick. The trio calmed down and went back to digging for shoots.

An hour passed before Tan Qi finally found her first Green Lantern bamboo shoot. It was barely the size of a palm, but the girl still jumped for joy.

Xia Qing pulled a flexible bulletproof shield from her backpack and opened it. The four of them crouched underneath, letting Tan Qi safely break off several bamboo shoots.

As soon as the shoots snapped free, the bamboo root shuddered and the Green Lantern stalk shot a barrage of leaf darts. Bamboo leaves thudded against the bulletproof shield; a few even drove themselves into the earth and the bamboo poles. Huddled under their umbrella, Qi Fu, Yuan Yan and Tan Qi looked on, wide-eyed, hardly believing what they were seeing.

It was unreal. Completely crazy!

At this rate, who knows? If things kept evolving, maybe even plants would someday break free and run wild.

“All clear.”

Once the leaf darts stopped flying, Xia Qing stowed the shield and let the others gather around the Green Lantern stalk to dig up the shoots.

Digging for shoots was tough work. Another hour passed and the team pitched their tent on the spot for a break.

Resting didn’t mean doing nothing. Qi Fu asked, “Captain, can I peel the bamboo shoots now and just bring back the edible parts?”

Everyone could only carry so much. If they stripped the shoots and cut off the roots here, they’d be able to haul back even more.

The three looked at her with hopeful eyes, but Xia Qing shook her head firmly. “No. If you peel the shoots out here, the smell will spread and could attract animals—way too risky.”

That’s also why, after digging, they always buried the holes right away and packed the shoots in bags.

“Understood.” In the Evolved Forest, the captain’s word was law. Qi Fu immediately dropped the idea and settled in for a proper rest.

After her break inside the tent, Tan Qi packed up all she’d dug and realized she’d hit her hauling limit. She crawled out of the tent to talk to Yuan Yan. “Aunt Yan, you guys done digging yet?”

Yuan Yan shook her head. “Still short by over three hundred kilos.”

She and her husband both had Strength-Based Evolution. Even though they’d dug up plenty that morning, they still hadn’t hit their combined max load of seven hundred and fifty kilos.

Tan Qi said, “I’ve got enough shoots for myself. How about I help you two this afternoon?”

This kind of deal was just how makeshift gathering teams worked. Since Tan Qi would return with the group anyway, she might as well help Qi Fu and Yuan Yan hunt for more shoots and earn some extra credits.

Yuan Yan agreed. “We’ll give you twenty credits per large shoot and ten for each medium one. Sound fair?”

With Tan Qi’s help, they’d hit their goal quicker, squeeze in a last rest before the trek back, and be in better shape for the haul home.

“Deal.” Tan Qi grinned. Earning credits by her own effort made her genuinely happy.

Two hours later, just before three in the afternoon, everyone hit their goal and the team started heading back.

On the return, there was no need to hack through brush or thorny branches, but everyone was weighed down, so their pace was slow. The stretch from the bamboo grove to the base of Third Peak, Hill Fifty, was especially rough—uneven and exhausting. After about forty minutes, Xia Qing heard the team’s breathing grow ragged and called for a fifteen-minute break right where they were.

The strength evolvers were thrilled to get a break. One after another, they flopped onto rocks, leaning back against their packs, panting hard. Xia Qing knew exactly what they were feeling—she’d hauled supplies for years. Fifteen minutes was the absolute minimum they’d need to recover.

She lowered her voice, asking Tan Qi, who was sprawled on her backpack with her eyes shut, “Qi Qi, need me to carry some of your load?”

Tan Qi’s backpack was small, but she was only ten and didn’t have Strength Evolution. The fact she’d lasted this long was amazing.

Tan Qi was so dizzy and parched she couldn’t say a word—she just managed to lift a trembling hand.

Xia Qing smiled and gently tapped her palm.

It was the same gesture they’d used during Yan Long’s grueling special training, back when they were ready to collapse—an unspoken way of saying, “I’m beat, but I can make it.”

Xia Qing moved over to check on Huo Lei, the oldest in the group today. By her estimate, his pack had to weigh at least five hundred kilos. For a forty-eight-year-old, level four Strength Evolution, that was the absolute limit for a fifteen-kilometer mountain trek.

Sweat drenched, Huo Lei panted, “This is tougher than forging iron. But I just had a nutrient shake. Give me a bit, and I’ll be fine.”

Xia Qing nodded, ears sharp—she picked up the sound of animals moving nearby.

Liangzi’s voice soon came through. “Two small animals nearby. Probably squirrels, wildcats, or maybe yellow weasels.”

None of those would attack humans, but since they were carrying a lot of cargo, Xia Qing chose caution. “Liangzi, Brother Yue—get on defense. The rest of you stay put and rest.”

Not long after, a little round white head poked up on a rock three meters away. Big, shiny black eyes stared curiously at the huddled humans.