Chapter 716: The Black Blade Quartet Forms

Xia Qing couldn’t answer the first question but she knew exactly how to respond to the second. “I trust Third Brother. He’d never break the law, let alone do illegal experiments on people. If you can’t believe it, just ask him yourself. With your ability, you’ll know whether he means it or not.”

Xia Qing trusted Third Brother completely. If he wasn’t driven by conscience, he’d never have exposed Hui One’s underground experiments or left behind the cutting-edge research of the Hui One Research Institute to start over in Section Seven.

Those still living in the ruined town in the south of Section One—Shi Jiaran and her son—or Tang Huai, lively inside the territory, could all vouch for Zhang San’s character.

But these were secrets best left unsaid.

With her calm, gentle presence, Xia Qing eased Xin Yu’s anxiety. “You’re right, if a question can be answered directly, there’s no point wasting energy worrying about it.”

Xia Qing nodded. “Yeah. Time and energy are limited. If we waste them on doubt, we’ll only slow ourselves down in getting stronger.”

Xin Yu stood up. “Once my black blade is forged, I’ll follow you into the Evolved Forest. I want to get stronger too!”

After sending Xin Yu off, Xia Qing headed to the planting greenhouse to meet up with Old Goat. She led him back to the yard, pointed at the chicken house, and instructed, “Our chicks are back now. Old Goat, keep an eye on things tonight. If any rats, snakes, or yellow weasels show up to steal chickens, let me know right away.”

Old Goat wasn’t interested in the chicken house. He headed straight indoors, sniffing around to check no one had touched his den or his bicycle, then started pedaling the bike to light up a bulb for fun.

Old Goat was clearly no help. Xia Qing checked the chicken house herself, made sure everything was secure and then stood by the sheep shed, calling out to her freeloading tenant, “Hey, parasite! You asleep yet?”

Red Squirrel, curled up with her pups, twitched her little ears at the sound.

“Freeloader, keep watch on the chicken house for me tonight. If any snakes or big rats come after the chicks, climb up to the windowsill and call me.”

Red Squirrel poked her head out, waited for Xia Qing to bring snacks, but when nobody came, burrowed back inside. With food, drink, and a snug, safe nest, it was the perfect place to raise her babies.

Hearing everything go quiet inside, Xia Qing sighed. Red Squirrel was timid and weak, not much help tonight. She’d have to rely on the camera again.

If only Er was still around…

Er had been away from the territory for 36 days now. After she got the dog food formula, Xia Qing planned to make a batch and visit Er at Hill Sixty and maybe ask Alpha when the nursing period would end.

Once the nursing was over, Xia Qing could finally start brewing body recovery medicine again.

Back inside, Xia Qing heaped praise on Old Goat for valiantly generating electricity and then messaged Tang Huai.

When Tang Huai learned Xin Yu had agreed to trade, he was thrilled.

The very next morning, he delivered the dog food formula to Xia Qing, threw in a free stainless-steel pot for cooking it, and then scampered off to Territory Eight to grab meteorite alloy from his ally Zhou Zhaoping, before heading to Territory Eleven to ask Huo Lei to forge him a matching black blade like Xia Qing’s.

Huo Lei tried to talk him out of using premium materials. “That long blade Xia Qing has only works at its best in the hands of a strength evolver. For others, a standard blade and a knife are all you need.”

Tang Huai asked, “Did Xin Yu have one or two made? Or was it three?”

Huo Lei kept a straight face. “We might be allies, but there are still some trade secrets…”

Tang Huai got the hint. “Then give me the full set—a long blade, but make it lighter for me.”

Seeing Huo Lei was about to keep arguing, Tang Huai patted the chunk of metal he’d traded for using tons of bugs, sounding very convinced. “Uncle Huo, Xin Yu’s not a strength evolver either, but she’s getting a set. Why do you think that is?”

Huo Lei was speechless.

I don’t want to say anything—nor do I know anything!

“Our alliance is only going to get stronger. When we go out in the future, we’ll need to look the part. We can’t have people underestimating us. These black blades are Xia Qing’s signature weapon. Xin Yu’s getting a set, I’m getting a set—if we head out with her, we’ll look serious. People might even think I’m core team! Uncle Huo, you’re a strength evolver, aren’t you? You should have your own set too. When we travel together, we can call ourselves the Northern Alliance Black Blade Quartet—catchy, right?”

Tang Huai got more and more excited as he spoke. “If people see me and Xia Qing armed with matching weapons, they’ll definitely see me as a top member. Uncle Huo, you’re a strength evolver too, so you deserve a set for yourself. From now on, we’ll be the Northern Alliance Black Blade Four. That’s something, right?”

Why Northern Alliance, not just Territory Alliance? Simple: their group didn’t just have a lord—it had the Northern Wolf Pack, too!

Imagining the day he could ride an evolved wolf out into the world, Tang Huai could barely hold back a howl.

Huo Lei nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll forge you a whole set! Go test out the blades on the rack and see which weight suits you.”

“Got it.” Tang Huai grinned. “Xia Qing told me to work hard at boosting my combat power so I’m ready for the next team mission. I’ll pick a heavier one—once my strength improves, it’ll fit just right.”

After agreeing on the price and sending Tang Huai off, Huo Lei contacted Zhou Zhaoping to trade five pounds of meteorite alloy for another black blade set for his son.

He was only trading a small chunk because he still had some left in his storeroom, enough with what was left over from forging for Xin Yu and Tang Huai, plus the extra five pounds, to just barely get by.

After sealing the deal, Huo Lei felt both pleased and pained. He called his son to check in.

Finding out his son was in morning training, Huo Lei advised him earnestly. “Keep it up. Tang Huai’s already made it into Xia Qing’s combat team. If you don’t push harder, even your logistics spot won’t be safe…”

He couldn’t help grumbling. “If you had half of Tang Huai’s smarts, I’d be grinning in my sleep!”

Huo Zhun was bewildered.

His old man actually thought he had less sense than the slow-witted Tang Huai?

Clueless that she’d just been crowned a member of the Black Blade Four, Xia Qing was standing outside the northern gate of Section Three, briefing Tan Junjie on the dangerous state of Mountain 51 and making sure he understood how serious the consequences could be:

“The first Devastation Rain this year spread hundreds of aggressive wild tung tree seeds through our section—all from this one tree. If we don’t completely uproot it before the second rain and it blooms and seeds again, the third Devastation Rain will have wild tung trees smashing up our greenhouses and houses everywhere.”

Cao Xianyun watched the footage, face grave. “This is probably the highest-level, largest-crowned Devastation-Evolved Wild Tung Tree the base has found in the eleven years since the disaster. You’re right, Sister Qing, it must be destroyed before the second rain.”

Su Ming was shocked too. “You’d need artillery to take out something like that.”

“Even with artillery, you have to dig out the roots, and after the third Devastation Rain, clear out the new sprouts. Big job ahead.” Cao Xianyun turned to the captain.

“I’ll report back right away.” Tan Junjie tucked away the materials and asked, “So who controls Mountain 51—the Northern Wolf Pack, those evolved leopards in the northeast, or the bear pack?”