Chapter 97: Between Water and Flames

Yang Jin shook his head at Luo Pei’s opinion of Xia Qing. “She hasn’t had formal training, that’s true, but she’s been fighting for real since she was fifteen and she’s still in one piece. She’s a high-level Evolver across three systems—her potential’s way beyond mine. But her priorities lie elsewhere. She doesn’t care about ranking in combat. Even if the Base started a farming leaderboard someday she still wouldn’t give it a second thought.”

Luo Pei couldn’t help but laugh. “You really rate her highly. Still, if Xia Qing heard you talking like that her first thought would be you’re trying to lowball her in a trade.”

Yang Jin chuckled too, lightness in his eyes. “Luo, I’m heading to Hui One. I’ll be working with the Blazing Fire Unit for a while, so I might be out of touch. The squad’s in your and Old Xie’s hands. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

After Luo Pei was poisoned, Yang Jin led the team through one Evolver Forest after another until they reached Fengshan at Hui One Base and struck a deal with Huo Fenghuang of the Blazing Fire Unit. One of the conditions was that after healing Luo Pei, Yang Jin would join Huo Fenghuang for a mission.

Because of Xia Qing, the Azure Dragon Unit only went to Fengshan for water once. Still, Yang Jin insisted on doing the mission. First, he’d promised Huo Fenghuang. Second, he was genuinely interested in the mission details. Third, and naturally, he’d worked out a new deal: whatever they gained from this job, Blazing Fire Unit got seventy percent, Azure Dragon Unit thirty.

The bigger share for Blazing Fire Unit was Yang Jin’s way of thanking Huo Fenghuang for risking her own supply to save Luo Pei when things got dicey.

Even if her terms were steep at the time, the fact that Huo Fenghuang was willing to trade water at all had meant everything.

In a year of disasters, every meeting could be the last, every farewell, a real goodbye.

Luo Pei gave Yang Jin’s shoulder a firm pat. “The sea’s a lot more dangerous than the Evolver Forest. I’ll get in touch with Yan Long to swap for one of her latest underwater combat suits.”

Yan Long’s real name was Deng Yan. She’d been an absolute powerhouse in the water, leading Huicheng’s military frogman special ops squad before the chaos began. Yan Long—‘Dragon in the Water’—wasn’t her own nickname but one given to her by the squad. Nobody could outmatch her underwater.

Yang Jin shook his head. “No need. There’s no way the military’s sharing its newest gear. I’ve already gotten in touch with Old Wan.”

Wan Ji was Hui One’s biggest arms dealer. He always had the good stuff. Luo Pei nodded. “Just get back safe once it’s over. Don’t let Huo Fenghuang get one over on you. No matter how much loot you bring back, nothing’s more important than your safety.”

“Will do.” Yang Jin grinned. “Luo, remember Duan Shaoqing? We started at the academy the same year.”

Thousands join Military Academy A every year—students remember teachers, but not the other way around. Luo Pei drew a blank. “What about him?”

“He’s running with Huo Fenghuang now. After disaster hit, he spent half a year tagging along with Xu Pin too.” Yang Jin explained.

Xu Pin’s got more than just Endurance Evolution up his sleeve—otherwise he’d never have become deputy squad leader of Sufeng Squad. Azure Dragon Unit’s been investigating him undercover, but no one’s gotten anywhere. Maybe Duan Shaoqing’s the breakthrough since those who first got their powers were restless, always eager to show off.

Xu Pin must’ve either flashed or tested his abilities in front of Duan Shaoqing.

Luo Pei cautioned, “If Duan Shaoqing knows what Xu Pin’s really capable of and he’s still alive, then he’s no pushover. Be careful.”

“Got it.” Yang Jin straightened up and gave Luo Pei a crisp military salute before heading out.

The punk on the training field, all attitude and trouble written on his face, really had grown up. Luo Pei squared his hat. “Chengdong, what’s the planting team up to today?”

Wei Chengdong replied, “Looks like they’re experimenting with composting.”

After coming back, the first thing Luo Pei did wasn’t clearing out Mountain Forty-Nine—it was transferring two planting teams from the Azure Dragon Unit’s farming zone to work the fields at Plot One.

That’s why Hu Zifeng ended up trading six bags of mushroom spores with Li Si. Soon enough, Plot One’s farmland would be covered in crops.

Listening to all the lords swap stories over the past few months, Luo Pei had picked up a real interest in farming. Watching those seedlings shoot up bit by bit—it was oddly satisfying.

Then again, what’s relaxing for some drives others crazy.

On the lord’s channel, Zhao Ze sounded frustrated. “I’m out of nails and glue. Anyone know how to build watertight wooden crates without them?”

Kuang Qingwei chimed in right away. “I’ve got nails and glue. How many crates are you making, and what are you offering in return?”

Zhao Ze hesitated. “Qingwei, I’m really just running low on everything. Is there any way to build a watertight crate without using nails or glue?”

Hearing Zhao Ze had nothing to swap, Kuang Qingwei’s interest waned. “No idea. Better ask someone with carpentry skills.”

Zhao Ze got straight to business. “Qi, Shi, how do you make your crates? Mind teaching me?”

Shi Chong replied, laughing. “I’ve still got some nails and glue.”

Qi Fu answered, “I don’t use nails. I stick to mortise and tenon joints and just a touch of glue. But it’s not something I can explain in a couple of sentences.”

Luo Pei spoke up gently. “Qi, if you’ve got spare time, can I send a couple people over to learn from you directly?”

Qi Fu was both humbled and a little shocked. “Of course! I’m not busy these days. They can come by anytime.”

Since his return, Luo Pei had fostered ties with the neighboring territories and set up purchase contracts. The Azure Dragon Unit now bought every bit of produce from neighboring lords at current market prices. With the population growing in Plot One, food demand was rising, so Luo Pei preferred sourcing nearby rather than shipping from the Safe Zone.

Of course, the very best ingredients from nearby lands went to Zhang San and Li Si first. Only what they passed up did Luo Pei take for the squad.

Plot Eight wasn’t included since its owner never responded to anyone.

Territory Two and Territory Twelve were out too, for simple reasons: after poisoning and returning, Luo Pei no longer trusted anyone from the Tang Family or Sufeng Squad. The new lord of Territory Twelve, Tang Zhengbo, was the father of Tang Huai and Tang Heng and had once chaired Huicheng’s largest hotel chain.

Right after Qi Fu finished, Tang Zhengbo spoke up. His voice was calm and cultured, every word clear and measured—impossible not to picture a refined elder. “Qi Fu, would you mind if I joined in to learn crate-making from you?”

Technically, the lord of Territory Twelve shouldn’t even be in the channel for lords of Plot One through Ten, but Tang Zhengbo had slipped in, claiming the group was full of old friends and seasoned farmers.

Truth was, nearly everyone in the channel was a long-time acquaintance of Tang Zhengbo. His two sons lived in Territory Two, Qi Fu had hauled goods for him back in his days as a trucker on Plot Five, Kuang Qingwei of Territory Six once rented his shop for a store, and Zhao Ze from Plot Four had constructed a park in the city with funds Tang Zhengbo donated. If not for the disaster, these people would never have even gotten close to someone like him.

After the catastrophe, society changed. Even Tang Zhengbo, once the chairman of Huicheng’s top hotel chain, was working the land now.

Qi Fu was now closely allied with the Azure Dragon Unit and had no wish to get entangled with the Tang Family. But with Tang Zhengbo himself speaking, refusing was out of the question. “Of course, Chairman Tang, you’re welcome anytime.”

Qi Fu wished he could add that Xia Qing’s carpentry skills were even better than his, and maybe the Azure Dragon or Sufeng Squad folks should go learn from her instead—but he bit his tongue.

These days, Qi Fu, Zhao Ze, and Kuang Qingwei heard Xia Qing clearing Evolver Forest on the upper slopes of Mountain Forty-Nine almost every day, hammering away. Their respect for her only grew by the day.

The Azure Dragon Unit had officially begun clearing Mountain Forty-Nine. Xia Qing and Shi Du both joined the work, though not in the same team. Xia Qing took on the mission to clear the forest north of Plots One, Three, and Four. With an official task, she could openly use her private training ground and sharpen her combat.

Right now, Xia Qing’s days were as busy as they were fulfilling.

With the channel falling quiet, Xia Qing, plucking beans at that very moment, spoke up. “Qi, how many days do I need to sun-dry these mung bean pods after picking? Should I shell them before drying or leave them in the pods?”