Chapter 722: Eagles and Retribution

Last month, Xia Qing heard about the bird attack on Hui Three’s Eastern Territory and even watched the video Xu Juan had sent her.

The Northern Territory sits right along a major migratory route for birds heading south, so September demands special attention to the bird flocks passing through. As for the Eastern Territory, it’s on the path for birds flying north, and March is when things get truly dangerous there.

Last month, four giant eagles chased migrating wild geese north and clashed with the Eastern Territory, leaving over twenty dead and injured—three of the eagles were killed.

The conflict started when someone from a territory shot a wild goose passing overhead. There was no clear right or wrong in this situation.

Humans naturally assume that any plump prey flying over their land is fair game, so why not take the shot? But from the eagles’ perspective, the geese they’re hunting are their prey. When humans step in, they’re stealing the eagles’ catch.

When interests don’t align, power is what matters most.

So, when people dashed out from cover to collect their kill, one was snatched up by an eagle, hauled into the sky and ripped in half.

That gruesome scene was caught on camera. Even watching from behind a screen, Xia Qing could barely stomach it.

Witnessing it in person, people inside the territory launched a counterattack for revenge, never expecting three giant eagles would be after the geese.

If Luo Pei hadn’t been nearby on a mission and rushed to help, the casualties on their side would have been much worse.

After the conflict, the newly appointed leader of the Inspection Team in the Eastern Territory—barely a month into the job—was dismissed. The previous Inspection Team leader had died fighting the Western Wolf Pack to protect the territory.

These giant evolved ape-eagles aren’t just the lords of the sky in the Evolved Forest—they’re also incredibly vengeful. If you fight one, you have to wipe them all out, or the survivors will return for revenge sooner or later.

That’s why Hui Three’s Mission Hall posted a bounty for the remaining eagle, with credits as the reward.

As for Luo Pei, she’s left the territory this time to lead the team searching for and eliminating the runaway eagle.

Who’d have thought that eagle would end up on Luo Pei’s own turf—walking straight into their hands.

Is Xia Qing about to rack up some serious credits, or what?

Xia Qing opened the window, gauging the wind’s direction and speed. The airstreams up at four thousand meters are much steadier than at ground level, but scattered clouds do mess with your field of view.

It didn’t take long before Xia Qing laid out her battle plan. “In these conditions, my sniper rifle’s range is eighteen hundred meters. I’ll fire when I’m fifteen hundred meters out and about fifty meters above the eagle. First, I’ll take out the smarter one. When the other eagle comes within eighteen hundred meters, I’ll deal with it next.”

Her effective range now tops nineteen hundred meters. Xia Qing reported it as a hundred meters less, not out of modesty but for her own safety—a trick she picked up from Luo Pei.

“No wonder she’s Luo Pei’s apprentice—her range is actually eighteen hundred meters!” Lu Zhengke gave Xia Qing a thumbs up, then used the walkie-talkie to contact another helicopter, coordinating with them to draw the eagle’s attention.

Jiang Ting caught the reflection from the glass and glanced at Xia Qing, who was resting with her eyes shut. She offered a gentle reminder: “Miss Xia, we’re almost eighteen hundred meters from the target.”

“Okay.”

Xia Qing stood and moved into the sniper’s spot, taking aim through the port at the top of the helicopter. Ahead, an enormous ape-eagle, wings spread wide and dark brown against the clouds, glided gracefully—the span measured over six meters.

Thanks to her keen eyesight, Xia Qing clearly saw the look of disdain in the eagle’s eyes.

Long wings and fast flight—that’d be bad enough. But seriously, this thing’s a Brain Evolution creature on top of it all?

They’re both Blue Star natives, so why does this eagle get to evolve so fast?

“Seventeen hundred meters.”

“Sixteen hundred meters.”

“Whoosh—”

As the distance closed to sixteen hundred meters, the eagle let out a piercing cry and beat its wings, trying to put more space between itself and the helicopter. Xia Qing swore she could hear mocking laughter in its call.

Its sense of distance was definitely sharp, and it was pretty cautious too—but not cautious enough.

“Bang bang bang!”

Xia Qing anticipated the neural-evolved eagle’s moves. She fired three shots, sealing off its retreat. One bullet punched clean through the eagle’s head. Blood sprayed the sky as the massive body plunged straight down.

“Whoosh—”

The other eagle, seeing its companion fall, shrieked, then vanished into a dense bank of clouds. The flocks of birds scattered in panic, no longer chased by the eagles.

“Bullseye!” Lu Zhengke cheered.

“Incredible!” Jiang Ting lit up, spinning the chopper toward the other eagle to give chase.

When it comes to speed, helicopters outpace the eagles, but in the open sky, the eagles are far nimbler.

Jiang Ting coordinated quickly with Xia Qing. “If this one gets away, odds are it’ll come back for revenge during the second Devastation Rain. We’ve got two choppers today—why don’t we circle around and finish it off?”

Last time, only one helicopter survived because the eagles destroyed the other. With two eagles fleeing in different directions, they could only pursue one.

Today’s different—one target, two choppers, and a top-tier sniper on their team.

“Let’s do it,” Xia Qing agreed. Her territory lay right beneath this airspace, so she wanted this danger eliminated once and for all.

Jiang Ting grinned. “Great, I’ll report to Captain Tan and begin the hunt.”

In the co-pilot seat, Lu Zhengke switched into combat mode. “Reported, contacted Section Three’s helicopter, radar’s on—scanning for the target now.”

The helicopter’s roar made it impossible for Xia Qing to search by sound. She had to rely on her eyes and on reports from Lu Zhengke.

“Target acquired—ten o’clock direction, five thousand meters out, seven thousand meters up. That’s almost at the ape-eagle’s flight ceiling.”

“Section Three, speed up and block off the eagle’s descent.”

“Four thousand meters to the target.”

“Three thousand meters.”

“Target’s turning to five o’clock—let’s pivot to chase.”

Five o’clock now? First ten o’clock, now five—

A map sprang into Xia Qing’s mind. She narrowed her eyes; they should be near Hill Fifty-Eight. Just where was this eagle headed?

“Target suddenly accelerating—it’s an advanced Speed Evolver!”

“Target dodged Section Three’s block and dove into the Evolved Forest—target lost! Damn!”

Watching the prize slip away, Lu Zhengke couldn’t help but curse under his breath.

Radar works by detecting reflected electromagnetic waves, but the dense trees and foliage of the Evolved Forest absorb and scatter those waves, creating so much interference that the target’s radar echo becomes too blurred, sometimes disappearing entirely.

So as long as the eagle hides in the Evolved Forest, the helicopter’s scanning radar can’t find it.

Lu Zhengke checked with Jiang Ting. “That thing can’t run fast with just its legs—should we try a machine gun sweep?”

Before Jiang Ting could answer, Xia Qing spoke through her earpiece walkie-talkie. “Are we over Hill Sixty down below?”