Chapter 841: After the Hunt: Rest, Recovery, and Unexpected Treats

No one really knew where this eleven-member Trapping Team came from. Four were shot by Xia Qing, two were crushed to death by rocks, and four were torn apart by the Wolf Pack—one of them even got swiped by a bear’s paw after he died. That left just one, cowering inside the helicopter, surrounded and captured by the wolves.

After the Bear Pack and Wolf Pack left, the Trapping Team members, whether dead or alive, were all stuffed into Xia Qing’s spoils—her helicopter—and brought back to Territory One, along with the Qinglong Squad. From there, the Hui Three officials would interrogate them and deal out punishment according to the laws.

Yan Long flew back to Territory Seven in a helicopter, bringing Huo Zhun and Zhang Song with her. Soon, the only ones left at the scene were Xia Qing, Xin Yu, and their team, who’d just come out to hunt wild ducks.

And, of course, a dopey Monkey.

With everyone else gone, Xin Yu finally let herself relax. She braced herself against a rock, slid to the ground, and, with trembling hands, dug a bottle of pills out of her backpack.

“Need a painkiller?” Xia Qing asked, knowing exactly how it felt to get hit by a magnetic attack—she was a Magnetic Sense Evolutionary herself. Xin Yu had spent the entire day around a Wolf Pack with a powerful magnetic field, the sharp-edged Yan Long, and Brain Evolutionary Zhang Song. It had to be exhausting.

But at the time, there was no other choice. All Xia Qing could do was send her to the helicopter when things got bad.

Xin Yu nodded. Her head pounded so hard, she didn’t have the strength to leave these mountains without fast-acting painkillers.

“No medicine. Let’s head back—you don’t need to chase wild ducks today. I’ll carry you.” Xia Qing knew too many painkillers could mess up the nervous system. Xin Yu barely weighed over a hundred pounds anyway, no trouble for Xia Qing.

She reached into her backpack and took out a soft folding chair, opening it and motioning for Xin Yu to sit. “Uncle Huo made this for me.”

This chair, actually, was something Xia Qing designed especially for her Idol—and she’d made one for Zhang Song too. Zhang Song loved it, but as always, Yan Long ended up carrying him out. Clearly, Yan Long preferred not to bother with the chair.

Xin Yu didn’t stand on ceremony. She plopped right down onto the comfy chair. The backrest was actually bulletproof, perfect for protecting the rider. Honestly, Xia Qing had thought of everything.

Xia Qing hoisted her friend and teammate onto her back, then scooped the dopey Monkey off the rock, stuffed it in a cloth bag, and hooked it at her waist. With that, they started heading home.

Being close to Xia Qing’s gentle magnetic field didn’t bother Xin Yu. She shut her eyes and rested. With her strength gone, Xia Qing could’ve easily let her ride in the helicopter with Yan Long or Qinglong’s group, per their squad’s rules.

But she hadn’t. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Yan Long or the Qinglong Squad—it was just that being around them always gave her a headache. Drowsy and sore, Xin Yu made up her mind—she had to get used to hostile magnetic fields. She wanted to keep teaming up with Xia Qing and exploring the Evolved Forest together.

Barely ten minutes after she dozed off, Xin Yu was jolted awake by a chorus of wolf howls. She opened her eyes, pulled out her phone, typed a message, and held it up for Xia Qing to see.

Xia Qing stopped. “Which direction are the wolves howling from?”

With all the echoes in the mountains, Xin Yu—who wasn’t an Auditory Evolutionary—couldn’t pinpoint the exact distance, only the rough direction. She pointed west of north. “That way.”

Xia Qing looked toward the northwest, her eyes bright and her voice steady. “That’s Hill Fifty-Five. The Wolf Pack finally took back the territory they lost last year to the Bear Pack and the Giant Python.”

Even though Xia Qing had watched the Wolf and Bear Packs clash from start to finish, she didn’t really understand the negotiations, but the outcome was all that mattered.

Feeling Xia Qing’s joy, Xin Yu flashed an OK sign before settling back in her cushioned chair. There was even a headrest to keep her secure—this was her first time realizing how comfortable getting a piggyback ride could be.

Knowing Xin Yu wasn’t feeling well, Xia Qing emptied her mind and focused on her mood, hurrying straight back to the parking lot at the foot of Hill Fifty. She drove them through the North Gate and returned to Section One of the North.

She dropped Xin Yu off at Territory Eight first, then finally returned to her own territory’s South Gate.

Tang Huai popped out of Territory Two. “Xia Qing, why were you in Territory Eight so long? Were you two just watching the fight with the tamed bird the whole time? Got any videos? Let me see!”

Xia Qing just shook her head, hopped out of the car, and opened the gates to the territory before driving in. Her tinnitus was a little better, but she still couldn’t make out a word Tang Huai was saying.

Not that it mattered—even without hearing, Xia Qing could pretty much guess what that guy wanted, so shaking her head was always the right answer.

When Xia Qing headed back to Section Three, Da Jiang wanted to run over and ask about the battle, but Old Goat and Er from the Wolf Pack beat him to it—there was no way Da Jiang would dare approach.

Xia Qing waved to Da Jiang, then opened the car so Old Goat and Er could hop in. Once home, she tossed the bagged Monkey into the Sheep Shed. “Er, this dope is all yours. I need to rest.”

Now that the Wolf Pack had reclaimed Hill Fifty-Five, no wonder Alpha agreed to let her bring the Monkey back for treatment. Looks like this trade wasn’t a loss for her. With Alpha and Broken Back in a good mood, maybe she could negotiate some Yi Stone as payment once her ears were better.

Er grinned at Xia Qing while Old Goat squinted at the Monkey lying there in the Sheep Shed, clearly annoyed.

After Xia Qing went inside, Old Goat kicked the ground with a hoof and aimed his spiraled horn at the Monkey, starting to pick a fight. Er blocked him, licking his fur as if to say, “Let’s go play outside.”

With Old Goat gone in a huff, Er sniffed at the dazed Monkey on the floor, then ran into the greenhouse and grabbed a cucumber. He dropped it next to the Monkey’s mouth.

The Monkey didn’t move an inch, just kept staring blankly at the ceiling of the Sheep Shed, his eyes completely unfocused.

Seeing he wasn’t hungry, Er didn’t bother. He grabbed a small basket to go catch bugs for the chickens. The fish had already been fed, but the chickens were still waiting.

Not long after Er left, the freeloading Red Squirrel jumped down from the roof, sat in the Sheep Shed doorway for a bit, then darted in, scooped up the cucumber, and disappeared in a flash of red.

If you watched closely, you’d see that flash of red had a hint of green.

After showering and changing into clean clothes upstairs, Xia Qing came out, opened the fridge, and poured herself a glass of homemade iced mung bean soup. It helped settle her nausea. Then she checked her phone—her Idol had sent a message twenty minutes ago:

“Don’t let that ugly monkey show up in front of me today.”

Xia Qing replied right away: Got it. Thanks for sending the helicopter today, Third Brother. I scored a bigger, better helicopter—wherever you want to go next time, just say the word and I’ll fly you there.

Zhang San replied almost immediately: I can fly one myself.

Xia Qing couldn’t help but smile. Her Idol was amazing—even flying a helicopter was no big deal. She messaged: “The Wolf Pack took back Hill Fifty-Five. Want some Green Lantern crocodile meat? I’ll catch one for you tomorrow.”

The crocodiles in Section Fifty-Two used to be food for the Giant Python of Hill Fifty-Five. Now that the Wolf Pack had reclaimed Hill Fifty-Five, that Giant Python was either eaten or had run off. From now on, crocodiles belonged to her and the Wolf Pack.

With the promise of tasty Green Lantern food, even her Idol softened: No rush, we can eat it in a few days. Focus on resting your ears first. By the way, do you still have SdE-5 and RdS-1? Take both, three times a day, two of each.

Those two meds were ones her Idol had traded to her the night the Western Wolf Pack started the Beast Tide, after her ears got blasted by the bat bombs.

Xia Qing found the pills in the special compartment in her fridge, took her dose, and flopped onto her bed, finally able to rest.

After dodging rockets and arguing with the Bear Pack, Xia Qing’s ears and throat were both a mess. She desperately needed a break.