Chapter 123: Injured

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Injured

If they dared to try and steal her territory, Xiaqing would kill them without hesitation—even if they were Sheep Leader’s friends!

She slowed her breathing and steadied her heartbeat, carefully observing the Wolf Group outside her yard.

The Head Wolf’s fur was soaking wet. Peering through her Night Vision Goggles from behind her Protective Mask, Xiaqing couldn’t tell if it was blood or water. The two wolves behind the Head Wolf were each carrying another wolf on their backs, whose legs and heads hung limply—clearly injured.

Seeing the state of the Wolf Group, Xiaqing concluded that they definitely weren’t here to seize her territory. Wolves were extremely cohesive and intelligent; they wouldn’t bring their wounded along for a raid.

There were many of them, and only one of her. Xiaqing first whispered for her companion to regroup. "Leader."

"BAA~~"

Sheep Leader’s eyesight was poor at night. He only realized Xiaqing had come out when he heard her voice, and he bleated in response.

His call was filled with as much excitement and joy as a sound could possibly hold.

The wolf outside the gate stared at Xiaqing, allowing Sheep Leader to rub and nuzzle against it, staining his snow-white wool a muddy color.

The corner of Xiaqing’s mouth twitched slightly. ’No need to guess anymore.’ These five bedraggled Evolutionary Wolves were definitely Sheep Leader’s friends.

"BAA—"

Sheep Leader ran back to Xiaqing’s side and nudged her, gesturing with his body for her to follow him outside the yard.

Xiaqing stared at the Head Wolf, unmoving.

Sheep Leader ran back to the Head Wolf and nuzzled it, beckoning for it to enter the yard.

The Head Wolf stared at Xiaqing, also unmoving. When the Head Wolf didn’t move, the two wolves behind it remained still as well.

His efforts all for nothing, Sheep Leader started to get angry. He turned, returned to Xiaqing’s side, and gave her a forceful nudge that broke her heroic, defensive stance.

’Whose side is this cowardly, goofy animal on anyway?’ Xiaqing grabbed Sheep Leader’s horns to stop his stubbornness and spoke first. "You’ve trespassed on my and Sheep Leader’s territory. What do you want?"

The Head Wolf seemed to understand Xiaqing’s question and led the way into the yard.

Xiaqing tightened her grip on her Handgun, her muscles tensing. She was ready to leap onto her roof at a moment’s notice. For safety, she had cut down all the large trees around her house, so the only high ground she could quickly reach was her small building.

The Head Wolf stared at Xiaqing as it walked step-by-step to the center of the yard. It lowered its head, tugged something off its body with its mouth, and placed it on the ground.

When she got a clear look at what it was, Xiaqing’s eyes went wide.

Although it was filthy beyond recognition, it was unmistakably the satchel Xiaqing had made for Sheep Leader to carry his compressed rations. ’So, the bag wasn’t lost—Sheep Leader gave it to the wolf!’

Seeing that Xiaqing wasn’t moving, the Head Wolf picked up the satchel and gave it a shake, spilling its contents onto the ground. Then, it turned to sniff at its two injured companions before looking back at Xiaqing.

Only then did Xiaqing notice that the Head Wolf’s eyes weren’t glowing green in the darkness, but yellow.

After meeting the Head Wolf’s gaze for a few seconds, Xiaqing bizarrely understood its meaning. "You want to trade these things for me to treat your injured wolves?"

Although the Head Wolf didn’t move, Xiaqing felt its gaze conveyed exactly that.

Xiaqing felt like she was in a dream.

She had long known this Evolutionary Wolf was intelligent, but she never expected it to be so smart it was terrifying.

Xiaqing did want to trade with the wolf, but making a trade was one thing, while saving a wolf and increasing its combat strength was another entirely. The two couldn’t be lumped together.

As Xiaqing hesitated, the Head Wolf let out two soft whimpers. The two wolves behind it lay down, gently placing the wounded they were carrying on the ground, and followed the Head Wolf away. Seeing the Wolf Group leave, Sheep Leader also started bleating and followed them.

The Head Wolf turned and let out a low growl, and Sheep Leader immediately halted, standing perfectly still. ’To make the stubborn Sheep Leader this obedient... that’s not something trained in just a day or two.’

Through her Night Vision Goggles, Xiaqing saw that the three wolves hadn’t left; they had merely retreated to the ruins of the buildings south of her house.

’Are they backing off to put me at ease while I treat the injured wolves?’

This Head Wolf’s intelligence was probably no less than a ten-year-old child’s. ’It’s terrifying. The creatures of Blue Star after the great biological evolution are just too terrifying. For such a formidable wolf to be defeated by snakes and bears, doesn’t that mean the snakes and bears are even more fearsome?’

’If the Wolf Group is wiped out, who will keep the Snake Group and Bear Group in check? The Green Dragon Team? Me?’

Xiaqing quickly made up her mind. She turned on her flashlight to illuminate the items the Head Wolf had brought.

There was a plant with its roots and soil still attached, one she didn’t recognize. There also seemed to be two or three little stones in the dirt, likely pulled up with the roots.

Xiaqing aimed her flashlight at the two Evolutionary Wolves lying on the ground. The beam not only revealed the bloodstains on their bodies but also showed that one wolf’s two hind legs were twisted at an unnatural angle. The other wolf lay on the ground with its eyes closed; if not for the slight rise and fall of its abdomen, Xiaqing would have thought it was already dead.

Xiaqing tentatively took a step forward. The wolf with the broken hind legs immediately opened its eyes, bared its fangs, and stared viciously at her, letting out a low snarl.

Xiaqing took a step back, and Sheep Leader immediately rushed to stand in front of her, displaying his spiral horns to the wolf on the ground.

Sheep Leader’s protective posture was a great comfort to Xiaqing.

"GRRR—"

From the ruins outside the yard, the Head Wolf issued a low command. The injured wolf immediately retracted its fangs and lay back down, though its pair of green eyes still stared fiercely at Xiaqing.

The other wolf remained motionless with its eyes closed. But for some reason, Xiaqing felt that this still wolf was even more dangerous than the one that had glared and bared its teeth.

Even with the Head Wolf keeping them in check, Xiaqing didn’t dare approach the two beasts.

She went back into the house and retrieved three Relaxing Capsules, placing them in a clean basin. She then poured in half a basin of Pollution-free Spring Water. Enduring the menacing green stare, she placed the basin near them, then retreated to her doorway and called out to the Head Wolf in the ruins, "Let these two injured wolves drink the medicated water. I need to examine their injuries to know if I can treat them."

Sheep Leader, thinking Xiaqing was calling for him, immediately trotted over to the injured wolves. "Baa."

The injured wolf ignored him and didn’t move.

"BAA—" Sheep Leader called again, but the wolf remained still.

Just as Xiaqing thought Sheep Leader was about to throw a fit, the creature actually backed away meekly and nudged her, as if telling her to go herself.

Xiaqing was speechless.

The Head Wolf understood. It rose and leaped from the ruins, landing right beside the water basin. Its Jumping Power and Speed were shocking to Xiaqing.

Yang Jin had said this wolf’s Speed was comparable to his. ’So this is the Speed of a Level 10 Speed Evolver?’

’It’s too fast.’

If she had to fight this Head Wolf, Xiaqing knew she could never seize the high ground before it did and suppress its attacks with firepower. It would be more reliable to retreat indoors and call for backup.

The Head Wolf used its head to push the basin in front of the two injured wolves. Without it even making a sound, both wolves began to move. The one with the broken hind legs propped itself up on its forelegs to drink. The one with the faint breathing also opened its eyes and supported itself on its forelegs to drink. But the difference in their injuries was obvious; the latter wolf’s hindquarters were immobile, and its forelegs were trembling. Its spine was probably broken.

She could manage to splint a broken leg, but a broken spine was far beyond Xiaqing’s ability to heal.

Both wolves were thirsty and drank more than half the basin before stopping. Just then, the wolf with the broken spine lifted its head and met Xiaqing’s eyes.

Xiaqing recognized it immediately. This was the wolf she had encountered in Zone Three of Mountain 49 while retreating from her second boar hunt in the Wild Boar Breeding Center.

It, too, was a Brain Domain Evolver.

The eyes and movements of brain-evolved animals were different from those of ordinary animals, in a way Xiaqing couldn’t quite describe with words. If she had to put it into words, it would be that the eyes and movements of brain-evolved animals all shone with the light of intelligence.

The Relaxing Capsules took effect quickly, and both wolves lay down, unable to move. After having the Head Wolf withdraw from the yard, Xiaqing went forward to examine them. The wolves’ injuries were external wounds plus fractures. She had medicine for the external wounds, but she was helpless when it came to the fractures.

Xiaqing called out to the Head Wolf outside the yard to negotiate. "I can’t treat their injuries. They need people, a doctor, do you understand?"

The Head Wolf stared at Xiaqing without moving. Clearly, it wasn’t yet intelligent enough to fully comprehend human language.