Chapter 83: A Day in the Territory: Smoke, Shots, and Cotton Trees

After yelling a few times, Tang Huai clicked on the walkie-talkie and demanded, “Territory Three, Territory Three. Xia Qing, what are you up to?”

Wearing her protective mask, Xia Qing pretended she couldn’t hear and kept the rotary tiller running. Only when Tang Huai started shouting did she finally reply at the top of her lungs, “Cutting Xiang Grass.”

Tang Huai was so mad his wound hurt even more. “It just rained yesterday—the ground’s still soaked! And you’re using heavy machinery to clear weeds? Aren’t you worried it’ll get stuck?”

With the steady chugging of the rotary tiller behind her, Xia Qing shot back, “Mine’s a crawler model, mud isn’t a problem. Even if it sinks, I’m a Strength Evolver. I’ll drag it out myself if I have to.”

Tang Huai: Are you kidding me…

Hu Zifeng cut in, “That’s right! How did I forget these things have tracks.”

Xia Qing called back loudly to Hu Zifeng, “Brother Feng, the weed trimmer can only cut the Xiang Grass aboveground. We’ll still need to turn the soil and burn the roots later. With your people, hand-pulling probably works better than using the tiller anyway. Me, I’m just injured and can’t manage it by hand anymore.”

Hu Zifeng replied just as loudly, “Got sick of pulling them, so we’re just mowing everything down for now. Couple days later we’ll turn the soil and burn the roots—one tank of diesel, that’s it. Need any extra hands over there?”

He was putting on a show of camaraderie with Xia Qing, trying to draw people from Plot Two off course.

Xia Qing answered, “No need for now, thanks Brother Feng. In a few days, I’ll head into the mountains for some supplies—let’s trade them for a barrel of diesel when I’m back.”

Qi Fu called out too, “Xia Qing, how’s your Xiang-evolved Cotton crop doing? You moved some to your land, right?”

He really asked at the perfect time—Xia Qing had just planted the cotton near Luo Pei’s underground room. “I’m on the tiller, heading to check the Xiangified cotton now. Can’t see it yet from here.”

With that, Xia Qing put down the walkie-talkie, cranked the tiller to full speed and chugged off toward the Xiang-evolved Cotton plot.

After being Xiangified, cotton plants still have about a ten percent chance to produce cotton. Of course, with all that Xiang energy, even if they blossom, the cottonseed can’t be pressed into edible oil.

Oil wasn’t what Xia Qing wanted anyway. She wanted the fluffy cotton.

Xiang-evolved plants are famously tough. The transplanted cotton wasn’t even drooping—lush and vigorous, and already a two-meter-tall cotton tree. If even a tenth of its flower buds set cotton, next year she’d skip the rainproof shelter and let them all undergo Xiangification.

Chug-chug-chug, chug-chug-chug.

Shing—shing—shing—

Xia Qing worked her way around the cotton trees, trimming away Xiang Grass nearly as tall as the plants themselves.

With each swath of Xiang Grass falling, the view for Xia Qing and Boss Sheep opened up bit by bit.

The rotary tiller started up over in Plot One too. The combined drone of two tillers didn’t bother the average person, but to advanced Hearing Evolver Tang Huai, it was nothing but noise pollution. Swearing under his breath, he escaped to the southeastern corner to hunt for rats.

“Luo Ge, that’s the last batch.” Wei Chengdong and his crew carried out the final set of medical equipment, then quietly reminded Luo Pei.

Luo Pei nodded and instructed, “You stay here. After dark, deliver the machine to Xia Qing. Then take some spring water to Mountain 49 and meet up with Captain. After that, hitch a helicopter back to Plot One.”

“Understood.” Wei Chengdong couldn’t help but add, “Be careful, Luo Ge.”

Cheeks slightly tinged with red, Luo Pei gave a faint nod and slung her sniper rifle, heading for Plot One. Watching that tall, familiar figure disappear, Wei Chengdong’s eyes grew hot with emotion.

Inside Plot One, the rotary tiller was clearing Xiang Grass above the tunnel. A few teammates patrolled the grounds, guns ready, picking off all types of evolved animals.

Seeing Luo Pei appear at the new three-story building by the Buffer Forest, Hu Zifeng, stationed at the tunnel exit, got misty-eyed. Chen Zheng outright burst into tears. Thank goodness—Luo Ge was really okay!

Hu Zifeng shot Chen Zheng, whose face was streaming with snot, a glare. In a barely audible whisper, he reported, “There’s a raven circling overhead—could be a Brain-Evolved. It’s been up there for a while.”

Luo Pei patted Chen Zheng’s shoulder, climbed to the top floor and watched through the lookout for a few seconds. Then she took aim with her sniper rifle at the circling raven.

“Bang!”

The long-missed taste of gunpowder put Luo Pei in a great mood. She slipped on her sunglasses, casually wiping away tears, and murmured, “I clipped one of the raven’s wings. The rest is up to you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Luo Ge’s shot blasted away everyone’s worries. Hu Zifeng accepted the order and set off with his team to recover the raven.

“You’ve got a death wish!” Over in Territory Two, Xu Pin watched the jittery camera footage sent from the raven above Plot One and cursed, then slammed the detonation button.

“Bang!”

The raven went up in a midair explosion, raining blood and feathers.

“Attention, all lords! There’s a bomb-strapped bird over Plot One. Watch the skies over your own land. If you spot any suspicious flying patterns, contact the Inspection Team immediately. Attention, all lords…”

In the lords’ channel, Tan Junjie’s calm notification came first, followed by Hu Zifeng’s furious cursing.

It wasn’t hard to figure out who sent that bird—Territory Two, obviously. Xia Qing pretended not to hear and kept the rotary tiller roaring.

She didn’t head for home until sunset. As she finished up dinner, wave after wave of gunfire echoed from the direction of Territory Two and Plot One.

After sealing doors and windows tight, Xia Qing listened to Hui San Base’s radio segment on heroic acts during the Xiang Rain, then the weather report. She jotted down a few pointers from the farming broadcast, but then tensed—there were heavy footsteps approaching.

She lifted the edge of her thick blackout curtains and peeked outside. When she saw it was Wei Chengdong, she opened the door, helping him haul the securely wrapped Yi Element Tester inside.

Boss Sheep, who’d never met Wei Chengdong, flashed his spiral horns, ready to blow his cover, but Xia Qing managed to calm him down. Wei Chengdong had other duties tonight, so after dropping off the machine and offering a few last words, he hurried off to the spring for water.

Xia Qing shut the door, grabbed her measuring tape and quickly realized the instrument was too big for any room but the living room. Since the first floor was her and Boss Sheep’s hangout, the upstairs lounge was safer for such expensive equipment.

So Xia Qing simply hefted the hundred-plus-pound tester herself and carried it up to the second floor, setting it carefully in the lounge.

Xia Qing had already puttied and painted the walls of the building snow-white and laid down bug-resistant plank floors. Now, with this shiny new instrument, the whole house looked a few levels fancier.

From inside, you’d never guess this place had seen any disaster at all.

This was her territory. Her home.

Humming a cheerful tune, Xia Qing returned to the downstairs lounge. Now that the rooms were freshly painted, she no longer needed smoky fires to keep out damp and bugs—just warm lights glowing softly, filling every corner with peace and comfort.

Her chair and Boss Sheep’s tatami cushion had both been upgraded to match the house. Boss Sheep lounged atop his tatami, chewing thoughtfully while listening to the radio. Xia Qing sat on a wooden bench with a straw mat, carefully cleaning her three favorite guns.

Just that afternoon, Xia Qing had seen the black bird over Plot One get hit and explode. Hu Zifeng might have claimed the shot in the lords’ channel, but she knew it was Luo Pei’s doing.

After spending time learning marksmanship herself, Xia Qing knew just how tough it was to shoot a bird out of the sky in windy weather.

On her return to Plot One, Luo Pei made it obvious to everyone she was back—with a single, perfect shot.

Luo Pei really was a sharpshooter. Under her guidance, Xia Qing had to be one too.

She knew someone would eventually try this trick to spy on her territory. When the day came, she’d do what Luo Pei did—and someday, when she was strong enough, she’d put a bullet through Tang Sufeng and finally avenge her father.