“Captain Zhong, don’t shoot! It’s me, Zhao Ze from Territory No. 4.”
The tall Zhao Ze came running over, shouting. He leaned against the vehicle, panting as he asked, “Captain Zhong, one of our people was bitten by a venomous snake. Did you bring any antivenom?”
“I did. Where is the person?” Zhong Tao called out a quick greeting to Xia Qing, then immediately set off with Zheng Kui and Zhao Ze to rescue the victim.
Territory No. 4 was to the east of Territory No. 3, and it also had a large buffer forest. With the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature, it was not unusual for snakes to emerge. However, if the one that bit the person was a venomous snake, it would be trouble.
Around three in the afternoon, Xia Qing received a text message from Zhong Tao:
*An evolved venomous snake has bitten and killed someone in Territory No. 4. The base has decided to sweep the buffer forest again. Captain Tan Junjie will be in charge of Territories No. 1 through 10. Rest assured, he is one of our own.*
During these years of the natural disasters, people lost their lives to evolved creatures every single day. What Xia Qing cared more about was tomorrow’s sweep of the buffer forest.
She had to find a way to keep the spring eye hidden, and she also had to catch that sheep before the sweep team arrived. Once the sheep escaped and got caught outside her territory, it would have nothing to do with her anymore.
Upon reaching the mountain, Xia Qing found that the stones blocking the cave entrance had not been moved, and there were no new hoofprints on the ground. After placing her bucket inside to collect water, she did not wait around the cave for the sheep. Instead, she followed the hoofprints to track its whereabouts.
Xia Qing discovered that the sheep had left her buffer forest, crossed the isolation belt, and entered the evolution forest.
The danger level of an uncleared evolution forest rose exponentially. She certainly would not be able to catch the sheep today and could only try again tomorrow morning.
Early the next morning, before Xia Qing could corner the sheep on the mountain, she received a call from Tan Junjie.
The danger sweep team had already set out and was expected to reach Territory No. 3 by ten o’clock. He asked if she had discovered any evolved venomous snakes or other dangerous creatures in her territory.
Xia Qing replied, “There were three evolved venomous snakes, but I’ve already killed them. I haven’t found any other dangers for now.”
After hanging up, Xia Qing killed two more snakes but still saw no sign of the sheep. She had no choice but to seal up the cave tightly, grab her machete and slingshot, and head to the isolation belt outside the western buffer forest to wait for the sweep team.
Before the sweep team arrived, Xia Qing heard arguing coming from the direction of Territory No. 2. Tilting her head to listen closely, she realized the people of Territory No. 2 had heard about the fatal snakebite and wanted the sweep team to inspect their territory as well. However, the sweep team explained that their mission today was to patrol the isolation belt and the buffer forest, which did not include the farming zones.
The people from Territory No. 2 were dissatisfied and were raising a huge fuss.
This stretch of mountain forest was shaped like a reclining ‘S’. Territory No. 1 lay on the south side of the U-shaped bend of the rolling hills, and like Territory No. 3, its territory included both a farming zone and a buffer forest. Territory No. 2 was to the east of Territory No. 1, and its territory consisted entirely of arable land.
Territories No. 3, 4, and 5 were on the south side of the n-shaped bend, containing both buffer forests and arable land.
Therefore, relatively speaking, Territory No. 2 was safer than Territories No. 1, 3, 4, and 5. This was also why the person who had sent Xia Qing those two text messages had recommended Territory No. 2 to her.
The lord of Territory No. 2 was Tang Lu. Naturally, she would not come to farm the land herself; the ones arguing with the sweep team were people sent by the Tang family. The Tang family was accustomed to acting arrogantly in Hui San Base, so they naturally did not show any respect to a minor sweep team.
Xia Qing listened quietly, curious to see how Captain Tan would handle this.
“I am currently executing a mission! If you don’t get out of the way right now, you will be dealt with according to the law!” Hearing Tan Junjie’s firm, forceful roar and the sound of a gun cocking, a smile tugged at the corner of Xia Qing’s mouth.
Tan Junjie was a man of principle who followed orders strictly, which was a good thing for her.
Seeing seven soldiers in camouflage protective suits appear in the distance, all wearing green identity tags on their chests, Xia Qing’s mood brightened even further.
A sweep team made up of seven evolvers was formidable indeed!
“Captain, look! There’s a chick standing ahead, wearing a green tag. She must be Xia Qing from Territory No. 3. Level 4 strength evolver, twenty-five years old, and single!”
“Shut up!” Tan Junjie growled in a low voice. “Show some damn professionalism.”
“Yes, sir!” the six team members replied in unison.
At this distance, a non-hearing evolver would not have been able to hear their quiet chatter. Thus, Xia Qing stood quietly, pretending she had heard nothing.
Tan Junjie led his team up to Xia Qing, took off his protective mask, and gave her a salute. “Sixth Danger Sweep Squad Captain, Tan Junjie.”
After verifying his credentials, Xia Qing volunteered, “Captain Tan, I’m Xia Qing from Territory No. 3, a Level 4 strength evolver. Before leaving the safe zone, I carried out six missions to clear the evolution forest. I request to join you in patrolling Territory No. 3’s buffer forest and isolation belt.”
The missions to clear the evolution forest had been issued for a total of three months, with each deployment lasting ten days. The fact that Xia Qing had carried out sixty days of missions and was still alive and healthy proved that, even though she was only a low-level strength evolver responsible for transport and disinfection, she possessed a considerable ability to handle danger. Furthermore, she was only asking to accompany them on a patrol of her own territory, so Tan Junjie had no reason to refuse. “Follow behind me.”
“Yes, sir.” As they walked, Xia Qing introduced the situation of her territory’s buffer forest. “I’ve checked the northern slope twice and killed five snakes. No other dangers have been found. I haven’t had time to check this western slope yet.”
Xia Qing was the most capable lord among the fifty in the northern district, which also made her the one most likely to encounter danger. This was because the more capable a person was, the more confident they tended to be, actively exploring their environment and thus facing the highest probability of running into hazardous situations.
Tan Junjie warned her to be careful. “Temperatures have started rising recently, and hibernating animals are waking up and active. Try to stick to the farming zones as much as possible. If you are bitten by a snake, call me or Zhong Tao immediately, and we’ll arrange for someone to deliver antivenom right away.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Captain Tan,” Xia Qing replied obediently, pulling her own protective mask out of her backpack and putting it on. Although she felt it was unnecessary, since the sweep team was wearing them, she didn’t want to stand out.
After they entered the buffer forest, one of the team members behind Tan Junjie let out a cry of surprise. Pointing down the slope, he asked Xia Qing, “Miss Xia, did you till that massive plot of land by the reservoir all by yourself?”
Xia Qing recognized his voice as the one who had called her a “chick” earlier. “Just call me Xia Qing. I’m a strength evolver. I don’t have any other skills besides being strong, so I’m only good at this kind of heavy labor.”
The team member introduced himself as well. “Sister Xia Qing, I’m Su Ming, a Level 3 visual evolver. You’ve tilled the soil so well. Did you farm before the Cataclysm?”
Xia Qing shook her head. “I lived in the suburbs, and we only had a small vegetable garden, so it doesn’t really count as farming. But over the years, I often worked in the safe zone’s cultivation areas, so I picked it up.”
“Movement at nine o’clock, forty-five meters out. Probably a snake or a lizard,” the hearing evolver in the squad spoke up, alerting the others.
Tan Junjie immediately ordered, “Everyone, stay alert. Xia Qing, stand behind me. Numbers Three, Four, and Five, go check it out.”
Xia Qing took another step back behind Tan Junjie, watching Su Ming and the other two search in the nine o’clock direction. After a brief rustle, the three of them quickly returned, carrying a patterned snake over a meter long.
Su Ming grinned as he handed the snake to Xia Qing. “Sister Xia Qing, it’s a common snake.”
Just as Xia Qing was about to shake her head, Tan Junjie cited the regulations: “All resources within a territory belong to the lord.”
Xia Qing did not refuse further and stuffed the snake into her backpack.
By the time the sweep team finished searching the western buffer forest, they had caught a total of six snakes and two Jinhua Du Wugong as long as an arm. Looking at the Jinhua Du Wugong, Xia Qing’s scalp went numb.
After walking through the northern buffer forest, which Xia Qing had already checked twice, the sweep team found no dangerous creatures. They bid farewell to Xia Qing, preparing to enter Territory No. 4.
Carrying her backpack, Xia Qing asked Tan Junjie, “Captain Tan, can I use this meat to trade with you for seeds?”
Banxia Novel, bringing you more joy.