Chapter 215: Installing the Yi Stone

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Installing the Yi Stone

Xiaqing carried the rainproof cloth back to the small cabin by the farmland.

With her collection of tools and supplies growing, Xiaqing had built an extension to the cabin using scavenged bricks and stones. The outer room served as a living and storage area, while the inner room was a lounge. A small portion of the lounge was used for supplies, but most of the space was taken up by three wooden plank beds for Hu Zifeng’s team to use when they stood night watch.

Inside the cabin, she cut the rainproof cloth into suitable sizes and placed them in each of the greenhouses. Then she began inspecting the bamboo strips, poles, and iron frames of the greenhouses. She immediately replaced any cracked parts and tightened any loose bindings. In each greenhouse, she also left a bundle of replacement materials to ensure that if an aggressive Qiang Evolved Plant damaged the rainproof canopy during the Harmful Rain, the shelter could be repaired within three minutes.

After inspecting the greenhouses, Xiaqing cleared the drainage ditches around them once more, making sure that no matter how heavy the downpour, the rainwater wouldn’t overwhelm the ditches and flow into the greenhouses, causing the crops to undergo Qiang Evolution.

By the time she finished these farm chores, it was three in the afternoon. There were thirteen hours left until the Harmful Rain.

Xiaqing still had three tasks left on her list: deliver a Yi Stone to the Sick Wolf, install Yi Stones in the greenhouses, and uproot the sunflowers.

Once the Harmful Rain started, she certainly wouldn’t be able to deliver medicine to the injured wolf on time. This was an unforeseen circumstance caused by the weather, so she had to go explain the situation in advance to her VIP guest living in the cave.

When Xiaqing arrived at the abandoned cave with the sprayer on her back, she found that the Black Wolf and the broken leg wolf were gone. Only the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf was there.

’Are those two really so trusting?’

After the injured wolf finished drinking its medicine, Xiaqing asked, "Broken Waist, has the Queen not returned yet? The third Harmful Rain is coming tonight. What are the three of you planning to do?"

The Brain Domain Evolution Wolf watched Xiaqing quietly, seemingly lost in thought.

’Why didn’t Blue Star grant humans the ability to communicate with animals?’ Xiaqing sighed. "I’m going to spray the cave with medicine to repel insects and get rid of the smell. During the Harmful Rain, try to stay inside the cave as much as possible. Don’t run outside."

Back when the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf was lying immobilized in the sheep pen, Xiaqing had cleaned it every day, so it was very familiar with this routine. It crouched at the cave entrance, watching Xiaqing work.

As Xiaqing went inside this time, she discovered a straight, circular opening leading upward at the very back of the cave. It must have been a ventilation shaft drilled by machines when humans built the Wild Boar Breeding Center. The Head Wolf used this shaft to get in and out.

’As expected of an Evolutionary Wolf. Its Jumping Power is amazing.’

When the humans retreated, they didn’t seal the vent. It would surely let water pour into the cave when it rained, contaminating the interior with the Harmful Rain.

After she finished spraying the medicine, Xiaqing climbed to the top of the hill over the cave and found several large rocks to block the opening. Then she called the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf back into the cave, avoided the camera at the entrance, and took out a satchel identical to the Sheep Leader’s. She whispered to the wolf, "Put this on. Don’t take it off during the rain. You can give it back to me after it’s over."

The Sheep Leader often wore a satchel like this, and the Head Wolf had one too, so the injured wolf recognized it. It obediently lay down and stretched its neck out for Xiaqing to put it on.

Xiaqing was always extremely cautious around this highly intelligent Evolutionary Wolf, whose back injury had yet to fully heal. ’Smart creatures are full of schemes. I have to be on guard at all times.’

’If it weren’t so cunning, would it have thought to lie down?’

If the wolf had been standing or crouching, its teeth and sharp claws would have posed a threat to Xiaqing. But lying down, it was much less dangerous. Xiaqing only had to watch out for its bite.

A wolf that could figure that out was definitely smart. Xiaqing even suspected it was more cunning than the Head Wolf.

’If this creature partnered up with Yang Jin, they’d be an unstoppable force, sweeping across all of Blue Star.’

Xiaqing quickly fastened the satchel on the wolf. She then pulled a small piece of Yi Stone from her pocket to show it and whispered, "You guys traded this kind of stone to me, so you definitely know what it’s for. I’ve tucked it inside the satchel. Broken Waist, you have to make it through this Harmful Rain safely. If you’re in danger, come find me and the Sheep Leader in my territory."

With that, Xiaqing tucked the Yi Stone into a hidden pocket in the satchel. Still worried, she added, "Don’t take the satchel off, and don’t let any other humans find out about the Yi Stone, or you’ll be in danger."

After saying her piece, Xiaqing left the cave and returned to her territory.

To be honest, it pained her to give the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf even a small piece of Yi Stone. But there was no helping it. The creature’s injuries hadn’t healed, so its ability to withstand the Harmful Rain was poor. If it went berserk in the red Harmful Rain, the hundreds of thousands of points Xiaqing had invested in this wolf would all go down the drain.

So, she had to part with this small piece of Yi Stone.

As she left the abandoned cave and headed back to her territory, she looked at the vast white clouds gathering in the western sky. Although the Harmful Rain hadn’t arrived yet, Xiaqing already felt a sense of pressure.

She entered a greenhouse and inserted a small, pre-cut piece of Yi Stone into a small hole in the frame of the greenhouse at the center of the High Slope Green Light terraces.

This Yi Stone for the Green Light terraces was twice the size of the one on the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf. Xiaqing had calculated that the protective sphere formed by the Yi Element released from this stone would be large enough to cover the more than six hundred spinach plants in the terraces.

With the protection of this Yi Stone, as long as the rainproof cloth on the terrace greenhouse didn’t break and the spinach wasn’t directly touched by the Harmful Rain, it wouldn’t undergo Qiang Evolution.

After installing the Yi Stone for the spinach terraces, Xiaqing installed the second cut piece in the most densely planted Green Light sweet potato terrace. Sweet potatoes were one of her favorite foods, so she had to protect enough of the Green Light variety to ensure she could plant at least three full terraces next year.

Xiaqing installed the third small piece of Yi Stone on a frame within the Green Rice paddy.

Anything from Zhang San was guaranteed to be top-quality. Xiaqing had traded for one hundred rice seedlings from Zhang San, and ninety-five were still alive. Whether in terms of growth or leaf color, these rice plants were superior to the seedlings she had bought from the Safe Zone. These were the ones Xiaqing planned to use for seed, making every single stalk a treasure that had to be protected.

Whether the rest of her crops could survive the third Harmful Rain was up to fate. Even if more than half of them were lost, the food produced by the surviving portion would be more than enough for Xiaqing to eat.

After installing the Yi Stones, Xiaqing went to a small shelter not far southeast of where the Qiang Evolved cotton was planted. The nearby Qiang Evolved cotton plants had been battered into bare stalks by the hail and subsequently cleared away by Xiaqing. A ground-bubble plant that had originally grown in the small shelter was also killed by the hail. Now, four sunflower plants grew there instead.

It was now five in the afternoon. The flowers of the two sunflowers that were in bloom faced west. The heads of the other two, which were past their flowering stage, no longer followed the sun and instead faced the direction where Xiaqing was standing.

She stared silently at these four Yellow Light Sunflowers, her expression grave.

The Sick Wolf stood beside Xiaqing, also staring at the sunflowers. The Sheep Leader grew impatient and nudged Xiaqing with its head.

It was getting late. Time to herd the chickens back and make dinner.

Lost in thought, Xiaqing was nearly knocked to the ground by the Sheep Leader’s shove. After steadying herself, she continued to stare at the sunflowers.

’Should I pull them all up, or leave one to see what kind of trouble this thing gets into during the Harmful Rain?’