Chapter 757: Nightfall at the Territory Gates

By the time Xia Qing drove back to her territory, the sky was nearly dark.

She pulled up at the south gate of Section Four and gave the horn two quick taps. A moment later, the thorn gate on the southern edge swung open and Zhao Ze came out with his crew to greet Xia Qing, then started unloading bags from the truck.

A few days ago, Zhao Ze had followed Xia Qing into the Evolved Forest. They’d gathered green and yellow lantern grass from the spot where Xia Qing and Er caught rabbits, filling a dozen bags with soil to raise rabbits. Today, Xia Qing happened to swing by and brought back the last few bags.

While her son and his team unloaded the soil, Zhao Ze’s mother handed Xia Qing a bag of frozen dumplings. “I swapped for a Green Lantern bamboo rat with Territory One this morning and made a ton of dumplings. Take some back for dinner, Qing.”

Section Four also has an ice store for freezing and preserving food.

“Thanks,” Xia Qing said easily, taking the dumplings before handing her a bag with a clump of wild grass. “I saw this Green Lantern grass growing near sheep and rabbit droppings. Rabbits probably love it. You should try planting some too.”

Zhao Ze’s mother accepted it with a happy grin. “Looks a lot like bittercress. Maybe it’s good as a veggie too.”

Xia Qing remembered her allies talking about bittercress on the Lords’ channel, saying it’s tasty with sauce and good for cooling down. She was planning to make soy sauce this year after her soybean harvest, so it was just the right time to try it out.

After unloading the soil, Xia Qing headed back to her own territory’s south gate. Just as she got out to open the door, she saw Liangzi, who’d been looking after her territory, unlocking it from the inside.

“Sister Qing, you’re back!” Liangzi eyed Xia Qing’s off-roader with envy, but before he could say a word, the thundering sound of hooves made him panic—he turned and dashed away.

Xia Qing couldn’t help but sigh.

Old Goat barreled up to the car, saw his little lackey had already opened the gate, then hopped right up onto his favorite seat in the car, sprawling out, clearly expecting a joyride.

Liangzi? No way he was fighting Old Goat for it—he’d already retreated to Territory One.

After a year of training with Xia Qing, this Evolved Sheep from Section Three didn’t just know regular sheep attacks. He’d invented moves of his own, like glaring at people while kicking with his black hooves. Even Hu Zifeng’s Squad, when they sparred, most of them had been kicked by him at least once.

Getting booted by Old Goat hurt like hell, but no one dared admit it. Too embarrassing.

Inside Territory Two, Tang Huai was carrying a tray of insect-rearing wood into the cabin when he heard the hum of Xia Qing’s “junk car” engine—it still sounded steady and smooth, no weird noises at all. He couldn’t keep from muttering, “Yue Haiying really knows her stuff. No matter what, this junk’s engine isn’t half bad…”

Liu Jing, also holding a tray of insects, sidled over with a grin. “Boss nailed it. Our combat team worked with Yue Haiying’s squad a few times. Her temper’s rough, but she’s solid…”

“Stop lumping me in with you! Have I told you enough times—you and I are not the same team! Your brain get eaten out by evolved bugs or what?” Tang Huai cursed him out, suddenly finding it annoying to have an Auditory Evolutionary as a coworker—he couldn’t mutter anything without being overheard.

Xia Qing took Old Goat for a ride around the territory, then parked beside the greenhouse full of white-haired Chicken Manure Vine. She got out, stepped inside, and transplanted the Green Lantern grass she’d just dug up.

Green Lantern White-Haired Chicken Manure Vine doesn’t require High Evolution Element Soil, so it’s safe as a Territory Three specialty for trade. Xia Qing had put up a small greenhouse here, less than half an acre, to protect the Chicken Manure Vine.

The greenhouse was packed with all kinds of Green Lantern grass Old Goat loved. When Xia Qing started planting the new greens, Old Goat let out a delighted bleat.

“That’s right, it’s a new Green Lantern treat.” After planting, Xia Qing watered the spot and blocked it off with thorny branches, warning her companion, “Give it time to take root and sprout new leaves before you eat it.”

“Baa~~”

Old Goat stretched his cry, the tone gentle and mellow—it tugged at Xia Qing’s heart, making her think of Zhang Shiyi, who’d just moved into the Hidden Valley.

Halfway up the Third Peak of Hill Fifty, firelight flickered from a stove on the east side of the Hidden Valley. It stretched Hu Ningsheng’s shadow long across the stone walls as he cooked, making him look almost like a clawed monster.

On the west side, Zhang Shiyi stood by the outdoor stove, her small hand gripping a sharp knife, eyes locked on Hu Ningsheng’s every move—guarding her mom as she cooked.

The stoves in the valley had been set up by Zhao Ze, who mapped out airflow and landforms to make sure the scent of food and smoke wouldn’t draw outsiders. For ventilation, the stoves couldn’t be built indoors—so Zhang Shi had to cook outside.

She put rice, jerky, and spring water in a small iron basin and set it in the big pot, then perched on a wooden stump to feed the flames. Zhang Shiyi stayed glued to her mother’s back, always keeping a watchful eye on Hu Ningsheng for any sudden threats.

Zhang Shi manned the bellows with a light push and pull, sending a gust into the stove and making the flame dance strong and straight. The sound was new to Zhang Shiyi, who felt a bit uneasy—her thin back pressed against her mom’s, but she kept alert, staring down Hu Ningsheng just in case.

As the fire blazed, Zhang Shi hugged her daughter, sat her by the stove, and started showing her how to work the bellows—putting her in charge of watching the fire. Then she washed vegetables with her back to her daughter, all while keeping an eye on the folks on the east side of the valley.

Thanks to Xia Qing’s heads-up, the five injured patients and two caretakers in the valley didn’t cross the spring to the western side, so Zhang Shi and her daughter could have some peace. Both groups just kept quietly to themselves.

People from Territory Fifteen totally understood how guarded Zhang Shi and her daughter were. After all, after eleven years of disasters, everyone had faced life and death so often they couldn’t even sleep soundly in a familiar place—let alone trust strangers in a strange new home.

This way of living kept not just Zhang Shi and her daughter reassured, but made people from Territory Fifteen feel secure too.

When the scent of rice and meat drifted from the pot, Zhang Shiyi pressed a tiny hand to her rumbling stomach. Zhang Shi blanched some Green Lantern alfalfa and perilla, then tossed in salt and sour berry juice, mixing it up.

She’d found those Green Lantern sour berries in the Evolved Forest—squeeze out the juice and you’ve got a kind of vinegar. Though both mother and daughter were Recovery Evolutionaries, able to handle Red Lantern or even toxic food without dying, their bodies would burn through Evolution Element and stamina to detox. So whenever they could get Green Lantern food, it lightened the load.

The Green Lantern alfalfa and perilla had come from the valley’s vegetable garden. Territory Seven paid credits for the greens, so the mother and daughter could help themselves when needed.

Zhang Shi didn’t take advantage of Fu Tianfeng—her current status and survival conditions were earned by trading thirteen precious medicinal herbs.

Once the rice was steamed, the mother and daughter carried their meal back into the house.

Still cooking, Hu Ningsheng heard movement and looked west. Right away, he caught the little girl’s sharp gaze—she spun around instantly, wary and ready.

He never expected a five-year-old could be so sharp and responsive. The distance was too great for her to see clearly, but Hu Ningsheng still flashed a friendly smile.