Chapter 174: Banging the Food Bowl

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Banging the Food Bowl

Xiaqing replied, "Received."

Visual, Auditory, Smell, Speed, and Strength Evolvers were the standard lineup for a search team. After her father’s murder, Xiaqing had considered revealing her own Three Systems Abilities to join the Green Dragon Team as a High Level search team member, but she ultimately abandoned the idea.

To her, honoring the promise she made to her parents to live a safe life was more important than getting revenge.

The other person in the Su Feng Search Team, whose identity even the Green Dragon Team couldn’t ascertain, must be the key figure in this operation. Xiaqing set down the rope and grass, climbed onto the roof, and hid behind the solar panels. Unleashing her abilities, she focused on monitoring any activity in Territory No. 4.

Five minutes after Tang Huai’s team entered Territory No. 4, they made no sound that Xiaqing’s enhanced hearing could detect. Just as she was wondering what method the team was using to find the Pangolin, a loud, rhythmic whistling and the clanging of a food bowl echoed from within Territory No. 4.

WHISTLE, WHISTLE, WHISTLE—CLANG-CLANG! WHISTLE, WHISTLE, WHISTLE—CLANG-CLANG!

Without a doubt, this noise was meant to summon their tamed beast, the Pangolin. Xiaqing couldn’t decipher the whistle, but she recognized the sound of a metal food bowl being struck. Sheep Leader’s food bowl made the exact same noise.

As Xiaqing leaped from the roof into her yard, Sheep Leader kicked open the door to its pen.

"BANG—"

Xiaqing immediately rushed to soothe the charging Sheep Leader. "Easy, Leader. They’re not banging your food bowl. Calm down."

"Baa!"

Sheep Leader didn’t believe her and frantically searched for its food bowl.

"It’s inside, I’ll go get it for you." The moment Xiaqing rushed into the house, both the Lord communicator on her belt and the earpiece communicator she wore rang simultaneously.

Hu Zifeng’s voice came through, "Xiaqing?"

Then Tang Huai demanded, "Xiaqing, why is there a commotion in the Third Territory?"

"It’s nothing," Xiaqing replied to Hu Zifeng first. Then she grabbed Sheep Leader’s food bowl, went outside, and placed it in front of the agitated animal. She furiously keyed the Lord communicator. "Aren’t you an Auditory Evolver? Can’t you tell what that noise is? You’re banging a food bowl in Territory No. 4 and it startled my sheep!"

Tang Huai was skeptical. "This is a special rhythm we use to summon our Pangolin. Why would your stubborn sheep react to it?"

Xiaqing knew if she didn’t dispel the Su Feng Team’s suspicion, she’d face endless trouble. She keyed her communicator and struck Sheep Leader’s food bowl twice with her knife.

"CLANG—CLANG—"

"BAA—"

The clanging of the food bowl and Sheep Leader’s response both transmitted over the Lord channel. Then Xiaqing challenged Tang Huai, "Get it now? Three whistles and two clangs. What’s so special about that?"

Tang Huai rubbed his ringing ears and keyed his communicator to complain, "We get it, you’re a Strength Evolver, but couldn’t you have been a little quieter? Fine, I understand. Just please control your sheep and stop it from making any more noise. We need to use this sound to find the Pangolin."

Tang Huai led his team until the afternoon. With the exception of Territories One, Three, Seven, Eight, and Nine, they searched all twenty-three territories in the area. They didn’t find the Pangolin, and they’d given away over four hundred pounds of grain.

After returning to the Second Territory, a starving Tang Huai reported the situation to Xu Pin, the vice-captain of the Su Feng Team.

Xu Pin, who had been monitoring the Lord channel, deployed the next phase of their plan. "The territory search mission is over. I’ve already dispatched men to watch No.1 Territory, the Third Territory, Territory No. 7, and No. 9 Territory day and night. Especially the Third Territory."

Tang Huai vouched for Xiaqing. "On the day the Pangolin went missing, Xiaqing was inside the Third Territory fighting off Evolved Fierce Birds. The next day, she was digging a cellar in her territory. She never left. And the sound of her food bowl really is very similar to our call for the Pangolin."

Xu Pin raised an eyebrow. "If the sounds are so similar, how can you be sure the Pangolin wasn’t summoned and didn’t enter the Third Territory?"

Tang Huai explained, "The Third Territory’s Evolutionary Sheep never leaves its land. I’ve never heard Lord No.3 use a banging food bowl to call it."

Xu Pin shot back impatiently, "If she doesn’t use that method to train her Evolutionary Sheep, then why did it have such a strong reaction to the sound of a banging food bowl?"

’Damn it!’

Seeing his brother was about to blow up, Tang Heng quickly intervened. "Captain Xu has a very good point. To be safe, we should definitely keep a close watch on the Third Territory."

Xu Pin had no time to argue with the simple-minded Tang Huai. "The moment the lookouts spot anything, move in."

"Yes, sir." Tang Heng pulled his brother out of the room, pushing him toward Territory No. 12.

Tang Huai was cursing under his breath. "Reasonable, my ass! The damn Pangolin gets excited at the sound of a food bowl and that’s fine, but the sheep gets excited and it’s not? He’s just a goddamn bully, picking on the weak and kissing up to the strong. If he has any guts, why isn’t he putting Territory No. 7 and No. 9 Territory under heavy surveillance? Who the hell doesn’t know Pangolins can be used in medicine? Those two territories are way more suspicious than the Third Territory!"

His brother was still fuming, so Tang Heng knew better than to argue. Instead, he lowered his voice and tried to distract him with a bit of conspiracy. "Bro, did you notice? Captain Xu is only watching No.1 Territory, the Third Territory, Territory No. 7, and No. 9 Territory. He didn’t mention No. 8 Territory. He’s never been inside it, so how does he know the Pangolin isn’t there?"

Tang Huai was immediately hooked. "Why’s that?"

’Finally got him settled down...’

Tang Heng breathed a sigh of relief. As they walked, he pulled his brother along, deliberately leading his imagination astray. "Captain Xu might know Lord No.8, Xin Yu. What do you think their relationship is?"

"I know."

Inside the Third Territory, Xiaqing was discussing strategy with Yang Jin. "They’ll definitely find a way to search the Third Territory. Captain Yang, is there any way to draw Su Feng’s men away for a little while? I need to get the wolves out of my territory first. Otherwise, Su Feng’s people will find out I have wolves here tonight. Since a wolf pack could have hunted the Pangolin, they’ll be even more suspicious of me."

’If the Su Feng Team really sets their sights on me, the secret of the Pollution-free Spring Water in my territory will be impossible to keep. There’s no telling how much bloodshed that would lead to.’

Yang Jin laid out a plan. "Contact Chang Li and have her come over to treat the Evolutionary Sheep. That will give you one hour to prepare. Tranquilize the wolves and get them out. In an hour, ninety percent of the Su Feng Team’s men will pull back, leaving only one or two behind."

"Thank you, Captain Yang. I’ll get on it right away." Xiaqing didn’t have time to ask how Yang Jin planned to get Su Feng’s men to leave. She hung up and immediately used her Lord communicator to call Chang Li.

"Doctor Chang, are you there? My Evolutionary Sheep is very agitated, and the wound on its face has split open. Could I trouble you to come and take a look?"

In the Second Territory, Xu Pin frowned.

Zhou Xun, who had remained in the room, carefully explained, "The Green Dragon Team’s team doctor, Chang Li, is stationed in No.1 Territory. She handles external injuries, so people and animals from the surrounding territories all go to her. After the sheep in the Third Territory was injured by the ultrasound attack, Chang Li went over to treat it once."

Of course, that had also been an excuse Xiaqing used to get Doctor Chang to the Third Territory to clear away various scents.

Xu Pin’s frown eased slightly. "Let her in. Monitor all activity within the Third Territory."