Chapter 137: Changing the Dressing for the Wolf

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Changing the Dressing for the Wolf

That evening, Tan Junjie announced the Hui San Territory Management Department’s decision regarding No. 9 Territory’s illegal activities on the Lord channel:

First, all prohibited chemicals were to be confiscated. Li Si and other key members of the territory were to be taken back to the Safe Zone for investigation.

Second, Li Si was fined thirty thousand points, and No. 9 Territory was stripped of all policy benefits for one year.

Third, the Territory Management Department would dispatch personnel to conduct at least one surprise inspection of No. 9 Territory each month to ensure they were no longer storing or producing hazardous chemicals. If hazardous chemicals were discovered again in No. 9 Territory, the penalties would be increased, including pursuing criminal charges against the responsible parties.

If the first two penalties were a mere slap on the wrist for No. 9 Territory, then the last one hit them right where it hurt.

After making the announcement, Tan Junjie reminded the other Lords, "Let this be a warning to everyone. Do not store prohibited items or engage in illegal activities within your territories."

Although everyone wanted to ask who the Territory Management Department would send to inspect No. 9 Territory, no one dared to speak up, afraid of provoking the people from No. 9 Territory at a time like this.

Xiaqing thought, ’The state has done an excellent job of increasing control over technicians and hazardous chemicals. If people like that were allowed to run rampant, they could wipe out a Safe Zone, or even an entire base, in minutes.’

With that, the matter of No. 9 Territory storing Level 1 hazardous chemicals was considered closed. As for how many people from No. 9 Territory were taken away or when they would be investigated and released, Xiaqing didn’t give it much thought.

She closed the Lord channel and began her daily training routine. Push-ups, frog jumps, hand-eye coordination drills, ricochet practice... After completing a standardized, high-intensity workout, Xiaqing went to bed on time.

Tomorrow, she had a tough battle to fight.

「The next morning」

Xiaqing was once again woken by the chicks just after four a.m. After getting up and going downstairs, the wolf delivering her breakfast arrived. Seeing the dead rabbit the wolf brought, its legs still twitching, Xiaqing gave up on the idea of trying to communicate her preference for a live rabbit to the Head Wolf. While the two injured wolves came out to eat, she quickly cleaned the sheep pen, then took the rabbit back inside and swiftly butchered it.

After the two wolves had eaten their fill, the one with the injured hind leg was able to crawl back to the sheep pen on its own using its front legs, without needing its packmate’s help. The wolf with the spinal injury still couldn’t.

After carrying the wolf with the spinal injury aside to relieve itself, the Head Wolf was about to drag him back to the sheep pen when Xiaqing stopped it. Xiaqing showed the Head Wolf the medicine bottle in her hand. "I need to change his dressing now."

Xiaqing pointed at the wolf with the spinal injury. "Queen, keep your pack in check. Don’t let them attack me, or his wound won’t heal."

The Head Wolf stared at the medicine bottle in Xiaqing’s hand for a moment with its golden eyes, then lifted its nose to sniff the air. It looked down to scent its prone companion on the ground before looking back up at Xiaqing.

Xiaqing immediately nodded. "That’s right. I need to change his dressing."

The Wolf King stepped back, indicating it understood. Xiaqing let out a sigh of relief and called the Sheep Leader over. "Leader, come over here with me. Help me watch the board while I change the wolf’s dressing."

The "board" Xiaqing mentioned was a thick, square piece of wood she had prepared in advance. One edge had a semi-circular notch, perfectly sized to secure the wolf’s neck, which would then be held in place with a tripod.

Although the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf with the spinal injury didn’t snarl or bare his teeth at Xiaqing, she didn’t dare underestimate his offensive power. She wouldn’t dare change his dressing without securing this board around his neck.

In truth, the safer method would be to feed the wolf Relaxing Capsules to incapacitate him before changing the dressing. But the Relaxing Capsules had side effects, and Xiaqing instinctively rejected this idea.

Because she wanted this wolf to return to his peak condition.

Under the calm gaze of the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf, Xiaqing secured the neck board and began to change his dressing.

The stares of the other wolves? Xiaqing didn’t care. As long as the Head Wolf made no move, the rest of the pack wouldn’t attack.

Xiaqing followed the steps taught by the assistant from Land No. 7. She first supported the wolf’s body, helping him lie prone, then quickly untied the ropes on the cylinder immobilizing his spine. The cylinder split into two halves. Xiaqing then disinfected the wound on the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf’s spine, applied the ointment, and closed the cylinder again.

The cylinder wasn’t made of plaster. It had a certain flexibility and was quite light. Xiaqing had never seen such a material before.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Only the unflappable Sheep Leader, lying beside Xiaqing, was still chewing its cud with half-closed eyes.

While disinfecting and applying the ointment, Xiaqing clearly felt the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf’s muscles tense up, and his hind legs twitched twice. Without even waiting for someone from Territory Land No. 7 to come and check, Xiaqing knew the wolf’s spinal nerves weren’t severed. He would definitely be able to stand again.

’This is great!’ Once this wolf is back on his feet, the Head Wolf will have to thank me with at least two Yi Stones, right? Xiaqing cheerfully removed the board and called to the Head Wolf, "The dressing is changed. You can drag him into the sheep pen to rest now."

With that said, Xiaqing left the yard to the Wolf Group, returned to her house, and closed the door.

The Sheep Leader? That character hadn’t followed her.

While preparing the rabbit for breakfast in the kitchen, Xiaqing looked up and saw three uninjured wolves approach the one with the spinal injury and sniff his wound.

The Head Wolf not only sniffed but also licked the injured wolf’s head, and then licked the Sheep Leader’s head. The scene looked like something out of a cringey, boundary-pushing film. No matter how she looked at it, Xiaqing found it hard to watch.

’Out of sight, out of mind.’ She lowered her head and focused on butchering the rabbit meat.

After having stewed rabbit for breakfast two days in a row, Xiaqing wanted to try something different today. She used a sharp dagger to cut the large pieces of meat from the rabbit to be marinated and dried. The smaller pieces she minced, adding chives, ginger, salt, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and soy sauce to make a filling for dumplings.

The rabbit dumplings were delicious. After eating, Xiaqing was full of energy and shouldered her shovel to go prepare the terraced field where she planned to plant Green Light Spinach.

To save the wolves, she had gone into debt to Zhang San for two thousand Green Light Spinach seeds. Today was the day the spinach seeds, harvested during the second Harmful Rain, finished their dormancy period and were ready for planting.

Xiaqing placed great importance on the Green Light Spinach, which had a Yi Element content as high as six parts per ten thousand. This was because when the plant was grown and juiced, then mixed with the additive medicine she had traded for with Zhang San, fifteen milliliters would contain the same amount of energy as a Special Level Nutrient Liquid that sold for two thousand points.

With the support of the Special Level Nutrient Liquid, Xiaqing would be able to explore the two valleys in Zone Three of Mountain 49. The valleys were rich in vegetation and species and surely held many good things.

To ensure the Green Light Spinach grew well, Xiaqing used all the Top Level fertilizers she had on hand. This included the leaf compost fermented from the first crop of Green Light wheat and Green Light Mung Beans, ash from burning Green Light Asparagus tree branches, and fermented Green Light sheep manure.

For soaking the seeds, she naturally used Pollution-free Spring Water. Afraid that this crop might not grow well, Xiaqing only soaked half of the spinach seeds. If this batch failed, she could still plant the rest next year.

After soaking the seeds, Xiaqing planted one thousand two hundred spinach seeds in the low-slope terraced field, and while she was at it, she planted the cabbage as well.

She had one hundred Green Light Cabbage seeds obtained from a trade with Zhang San, and another one hundred fifty Yellow Light Cabbage seeds bought at the agricultural trade fair. Xiaqing planted all the Green Light Cabbage in the terraced field. For the Yellow Light Cabbage, she planted half in the terraced field and the other half in the greenhouse.

After planting the cabbage seeds, Xiaqing stood up, took off her gloves, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She had finished planting all the vegetables for the second harvest.

The radishes, sunflowers, eggplants, cucumbers, and other vegetables, along with the corn she had planted seven days ago, had all sprouted. Now, her terraced fields and the farmland at the foot of the mountain were a scene of thriving prosperity.

In a little over a month, she would be able to eat fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and green onions again. In another three months, she would be able to bring in her second crop.

As for how much she would harvest, that would depend on the weather and luck. But with three Yi Stones in her possession, Xiaqing believed that the yield from this crop would certainly be higher than the first.

Next, Xiaqing would begin forging the Yi Stone Protection Shell.