Chapter 172: This Is My Territory

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: This Is My Territory

"Everyone, the Su Feng Team has lost two Pangolins, one large and one small. Has anyone seen any Pangolins in or near their territory these past few days? The Su Feng Team will pay a reward of at least two thousand points for any useful leads."

’Two thousand points to find Pangolins worth two hundred thousand? The Su Feng Team sure is generous.’

Xiaqing wasn’t worried anymore. She opened a drawer, took out a pearl, and started polishing it while cheerfully listening to the commotion.

Kuang Qingwei immediately asked, "Brother Huai, when and where were the Pangolins lost? How big are they?"

Kuang Qingwei was the Lord most keen on networking in this area. Aside from No. 8 Territory, he knew at least a little something about the other twenty-six territories.

Tang Huai answered right away, "They’ve been missing for four days, lost in the Evolution Forest near us. The big one is over a meter long with a bluish-black back, and the small one is forty centimeters long with a light-bluish back. Have you seen them?"

Kuang Qingwei replied, "I’ve been busy repairing my greenhouse and roof from the Evolutionary Bird damage lately, so I haven’t paid attention to local news. I’ll go ask around now."

’Then what was the point of all that chatter? What’s the use of asking around now?’

Tang Huai cursed inwardly and continued asking, "Has anyone else seen them?"

No one answered.

Kuang Qingwei kept asking, "Before the Natural Disasters, the wild Pangolins around here were extinct, and I haven’t seen any since. Brother Huai, why is the Su Feng Team raising Pangolins? To dig for treasure?"

Tang Huai ignored Kuang Qingwei and went on, "Pangolins are good at digging. If they burrow into your territories, they could quickly introduce pests like Evolutionary Rats, ruining your crops. The Su Feng Team wishes to enter your territories to search and eliminate this potential threat for everyone. We ask for your permission."

This time, even Kuang Qingwei was silent. No one wanted outsiders entering their territory. Even if the request came from the top team in Hui San Base, they couldn’t agree.

Tang Huai added, "The team will only send a six-person squad. Unless we find the Pangolins, we won’t touch anything or any crops in your territory. For any territory that grants permission, the Su Feng Team will give twenty catties of Yellow Light Wheat. If we find the Pangolins within a territory, the Su Feng Team will give that Lord a hundred catties of wheat as a thank you gift—ninety catties of Yellow Light and ten of Green Light."

Xiaqing raised an eyebrow. During the Disaster Years, the allure of food was immense. Twenty catties of wheat could not only be eaten but also be sown as seeds.

Green Light Seeds measured by the catty instead of by the grain—no one could refuse that.

Of course, Xiaqing wasn’t tempted at all. From Tang Huai’s description, she had already confirmed that the animals the Wolf Group had captured were the Su Feng Team’s tamed beasts.

The Pangolins couldn’t possibly be found in any territory but hers, which meant there was no way for the others to get those Green Light Seeds.

Sure enough, Kuang Qingwei was the first to speak up. "It’s a good thing for the Su Feng Team to come in and help eliminate potential threats. No. 6 Territory grants permission."

"No. 4 Territory grants permission."

"No. 5 Territory grants permission."

"No. 10 Territory grants permission."

Tang Huai continued, "Good, thank you all for your cooperation. No. 2 Territory also grants permission. What about the other Lords?"

No. 2 Territory belonged to Tang Lu, the daughter of the Su Feng Team’s captain. How could she not grant permission? Tang Huai was stating the obvious.

Xiaqing didn’t speak up first. She was admiring and fiddling with the newly polished Black Pearl under the light.

Hu Zifeng was the first to refuse. "No. 1 Territory does not grant permission."

"No. 7 Territory does not grant permission."

"No. 9 Territory does not grant permission."

"No. 8 Territory does not grant permission."

Only then did Xiaqing press the button. "No. 3 Territory does not grant permission."

The refusals from One, Seven, and Nine were within Tang Huai’s expectations, but having Three and Eight refuse as well made him lose face.

Knowing Xiaqing had a fiery temper and a sharp tongue, Tang Huai tried to win over No. 8 Territory first. "Xin Yu, we’re just sending a few people in to look for the Pangolins. If we don’t find them, we’ll be out in half an hour at most. Please, just be flexible."

"It’s too much trouble. No exceptions." The Lord of No. 8 refused crisply. "Captain Tan, if someone trespassed on my land without my permission, would I be breaking the law if I killed them?"

Everyone was speechless.

Tang Huai was speechless.

Tan Junjie responded grimly, "You should first issue a warning and try to drive them off. Only if that fails can you resort to force."

Xin Yu replied, "Understood. Thank you, Captain Tan."

Tang Huai switched to threats. "Xin Yu, you should leave some leeway for others. It makes future encounters easier."

Xin Yu retorted forcefully, "I have no intention of ever seeing you again."

Everyone was speechless.

’So badass!’

Tang Huai was speechless.

’Dammit!’

Unable to reason with that damn woman from No. 8 Territory, Tang Huai turned to No. 3 Territory. "Xiaqing, why won’t you agree?"

Xiaqing replied, "My sheep is very territorial. He’s just starting to feel better, and I don’t want him getting agitated. If anyone tries to force their way in, my response will be the same as the Lord of No. 8."

Everyone was speechless.

’A Red Light Sheep you can’t even eat is actually more important to Xiaqing than tens or even hundreds of catties of grain!’

Tang Huai was speechless. ’Dammit!’

"To my friends in No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 10, thank you for your cooperation. In addition to the twenty catties of wheat, I’ll personally throw in a serving of fried Green Light Evolutionary Worm pupae for each territory. How does starting at 7:30 tomorrow morning sound to everyone?"

Hearing about the fried worms made Xiaqing’s mouth water a little. She turned off the intercom and began her physical training for the night.

A little after two in the morning, the Wolf Group dragged another Python over, wanting to trade with Xiaqing for more spinach juice.

Xiaqing tried to reason with the Head Wolf gently, using both words and gestures. "Your Majesty the Queen, it’s not that I don’t want to trade with you. It’s that I’m out of the medicine. I’m... out."

Xiaqing was telling the truth. Her spinach plants weren’t even as tall as her palm; she couldn’t pick any more.

After Xiaqing’s refusal, the Head Wolf stared at her without moving.

This was her most important trading partner besides Zhang San and Yang Jin. If Xiaqing wanted to have a long-term trading relationship with the Wolf Group, she had to make the wolves understand the rules of trading with humans.

"Sis, I really don’t have any more medicine. How about this? I’ll take the snake now, and I’ll give you your share in half a month. Is that okay?"

The Head Wolf slowly bared its fangs, its domineering presence radiating outwards.

Xiaqing immediately drew her gun and aimed it at the Head Wolf, her gaze equally ferocious.

At that critical moment, the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf, which had crawled out to eat, let out a low whimper.

The Head Wolf slowly retracted its fangs and returned to the sheep pen. The scrawny wolf it had brought with it slowly followed.

Xiaqing didn’t let her guard down just because the Head Wolf had retreated.

She retreated into the house faster than she ever had in her life, slammed the heavy security door shut, and rushed upstairs to reload her bullets and hang grenades all over her belt. Only then did she come back down, throw open the blackout curtains on the living room window, and glare fiercely at the injured Brain Domain Evolution Wolf by the sheep pen door.

Why not look at the Head Wolf?

It had gone into the sheep pen, and Xiaqing couldn’t see it from this angle.

In the harshest tone she could muster, Xiaqing let the Wolf Group know her fury. "This is my territory, and Sheep Leader’s! You were the ones who came to our territory with goods and an injured packmate, asking for help. My agreeing to trade, accepting your goods, and caring for your injured does not mean the Wolf Group is in charge here!"

Hearing Xiaqing’s voice, the Head Wolf slowly emerged from the sheep pen.

Xiaqing’s murderous gaze shifted to it. "A trade has to be voluntary. You bring goods to trade for my medicine, but whether I agree to the trade is my decision. I will answer you clearly one more time: I have no medicine right now. I cannot meet your terms. Take your snake and go."

"You get angry just because I refuse? You think you can use force to threaten me into agreeing? Hah! You think just because I called you ’Queen’ a few times, it means I’m scared of you?"

Xiaqing clutched a grenade. "See this? One of these is enough to blow up your whole pack! Que’er, I know you’re a Speed Evolver, so I can’t kill you with a bomb, but the others..."

Xiaqing pointed a finger at the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf and the sheep pen. "Not a single one of them will survive!"

The Wolf Group might not have understood what Xiaqing was saying, but they definitely felt her fury.

The Brain Domain Evolution Wolf and the broken-leg wolf stood by the Python without taking a bite, staring up at her.

The broken-leg wolf looked fierce, while the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf seemed lost in thought.

The atmosphere was stretched to its breaking point. Even Sheep Leader, who had been sleeping on the tatami mat, could feel it.

He trotted over to Xiaqing’s side and rubbed his body against her leg. With the hand not holding a grenade, Xiaqing gently stroked Sheep Leader’s head, signaling him not to be nervous.

The injured Brain Domain Evolution Wolf spoke up. "Awoo, woo, awoo."

Before Xiaqing could figure out what the wolf meant, Sheep Leader trotted over, opened the security door, and tried to drag the Python inside.

When Xiaqing saw this, her rage exploded. She went ballistic!