Chapter 52: You Will Be More Powerful Than the Fire Phoenix

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: You Will Be More Powerful Than the Fire Phoenix

Although the possibility was extremely low, Xiaqing had indeed worried that her spring water flowed down from the mountain, meaning there might be a springhead up there. If someone were to discover the springhead, occupy the mountain, and divert the flow, it could reduce or even dry up the spring within her territory.

That’s why Xiaqing planned to wait for winter, when the Evolution Forest entered its low-risk period, to go into Mountain No. 49 and search for an unpolluted springhead. If one truly existed, she would find a way to seal it up completely.

As for the option of buying the mountain, she had never even considered it. ℯℯ𝑙.

Before Blue Star’s great biological evolution, a mountain dense with vegetation was a resource. But after the evolution, it became a ticking time bomb.

All it took to light the fuse on this time bomb was a few hours of red Harmful Rain.

To stop the dangerous Evolutionary Biology in the Evolution Mountain Forests from entering the human-inhabited Safe Zones, the base had long ago introduced a policy for leasing the mountain forests.

Whether it was a team or an individual, as long as they paid a certain number of points, they could lease a mountain or a certain area of the Evolution Forest within the base. All resources produced within the leased area belonged to the lessee. However, the lessee was also responsible for clearing out the dangerous Evolutionary Biology within the forest.

If they failed to clear them out, or did an incomplete job, causing dangerous Evolutionary Biology to spread from the leased forest to other areas and inflict major harm, the base would hold the lessee accountable.

In previous years, those who leased mountain forests were either wiped out by Evolutionary Biology during the Harmful Rain or suffered devastating losses after the creatures escaped. After that, no one was foolish enough to try it in recent years. That was why the state had continuously improved upon the original policy and proposed the territory plan.

Within Xiaqing’s knowledge, the only person who currently held the rights to a mountain and had hundreds of people guarding it was the female powerhouse from Hui Yi Base One, Fire Phoenix.

She had bought the mountain because it had an unpolluted springhead.

Therefore, if Xiaqing were to suddenly step up and buy the rights to Mountain No. 49, it would be tantamount to revealing that the mountain held an important resource, drawing everyone’s attention to her territory and Mountain No. 49.

The idea of the Green Dragon Team buying the mountain and giving it to her struck Xiaqing as even more unbelievable than buying it herself.

Xiaqing was a straightforward person. "Brother Luo, I tend to speak my mind, so please don’t take offense. Would the base even agree to sell the mountain to the Green Dragon Team?"

The Tang Family, led by the base’s second-in-command, Tang Zhengrong, had always seen the Green Dragon Team as a thorn in their side. Whatever the Green Dragon Team wanted to do, the Tang Family would surely find a way to stop it.

Luo Pei explained in detail, "For three hundred li to the north and east of Mountain No. 49, it’s all densely vegetated Evolution Mountain Forest, filled with countless dangerous Qiang Evolutionary Biology. The area of arable land is minimal, so that mountain range isn’t included in the territory development plan."

"Establishing the Lord system and having people go outside the Safe Zone to establish territories, grow food, and expand production is a project being pushed hard by the highest authorities. That’s why our base is putting so much effort into it. But even with large numbers of troops sent to patrol and stand guard, the territories near the Evolution Forests still suffer immense losses during the Harmful Rain. The base is worried about this too."

"If the Green Dragon Team buys Mountain No. 49, which is right next to the territories, we’ll be obligated to guard it and prevent dangerous Evolutionary Animals from coming down to hurt people or destroy farmland. For that reason, Tang Zhengrong won’t truly object. Even if he’s suspicious of our motives for buying the mountain, he’ll just assume we’re trying to find a safe place for me to retire, now that I’ve been poisoned and have lost my combat strength. As for the military, their only concern would be that after we buy the mountain, we might pose a threat to the garrison stationed at the old regimental headquarters. But you know the Green Dragon Team’s origins; gaining the military’s trust won’t be difficult for us."

’Now that he put it that way, buying it really is possible.’ Xiaqing continued to voice her thoughts, "It would be great for the Green Dragon Team to establish a training base on Mountain No. 49. Once you build your base, the security of my territory will increase by several levels. Brother Luo, after you buy the mountain, it should belong to the Green Dragon Team. There’s no need to transfer it to me."

’If the mountain belonged to me, how would I even guard it? With just me and Sheep Leader?’

’Spend points to hire a large group to guard it? Who would I hire? The Green Dragon Team?’

’The Green Dragon Team buys the mountain, transfers it to me, and then I spend points to hire the Green Dragon Team to guard it...’

’Isn’t that just making things needlessly complicated? This couldn’t help but make Xiaqing suspicious of their motives.’

’Brother Luo might consider things from her perspective, but Yang Jin, the Iron Rooster, wouldn’t. And neither would Xie Yu, who was terrifyingly sharp after his brain domain evolution.’

’For all she knew, they were using this transaction to trick her into forfeiting the spring itself.’

Xiaqing wasn’t like Sheep Leader; she wasn’t blindly confident enough to think she could win a battle of wits against two of the Green Dragon Team’s top leaders.

’It’s better to let the mountain belong to the Green Dragon Team. Let them guard it. She had a cooperative relationship with them, so they wouldn’t actively expose the secret of the spring. They could even help draw away attention, making everyone think the secret was on Mountain No. 49.’

’Xiaqing would just hide in plain sight, laying low and staying safe.’

The only downside to this plan for Xiaqing was that she probably wouldn’t be able to enter Mountain No. 49 to gather Green Light plants anymore.

’If she couldn’t enter Mountain No. 49, she could just go to other mountains! There were mountains everywhere she looked; why get hung up on just one?’

’So she couldn’t dig up Green Light Bamboo Shoots anymore?’

’Even if she didn’t dig them herself, she’d still have them to eat. She could just wait for the Green Dragon Team to dig up the shoots and trade a barrel of spring water for them.’

Luo Pei understood Xiaqing’s concerns, but he still tried to persuade her to accept. "Important resources are always safest when held in your own hands. You can trust me and cooperate with the Green Dragon Team now. But once Yang Jin, Xie Yu, and I are gone, who can guarantee that the next leader of the Green Dragon Team, or the one after that, will still be trustworthy?"

In truth, the three leaders of the Green Dragon Team were not unanimous on this matter. Luo Pei and Xie Yu had advocated for the team to own Mountain No. 49, but Yang Jin had insisted on giving it to Xiaqing.

In the end, Yang Jin had persuaded Luo Pei and Xie Yu.

Hearing Luo Pei’s words, Xiaqing couldn’t help but sigh.

’If the situation deteriorated to the point where the top combat powers of Hui San Base, the three leaders of the Green Dragon Team, were all dead, then Hui San Base would be finished. For a rookie like her to survive, she’d probably have to abandon her territory and flee to another base.’

Hearing Xiaqing sigh, Luo Pei opened his still-reddened eyes, stared at her, and said with utmost seriousness, "Xiaqing, you’re only twenty-five this year. You still have ten years to improve your Three Systems Evolutionary Ability. As long as you want to, your future will surely be more brilliant than the three of us. You’ll become even stronger than the Fiery Fire Team’s Fire Phoenix. If Fire Phoenix can protect one springhead, you certainly can too."

Yang Jin had said that Xiaqing would become a powerful force in Hui San, and even the entire Hui City Base, one that no one would dare to underestimate. If the Green Dragon Team did her a favor now, it would definitely pay off in the future.

Yang Jin had said that an ally and the spring were not mutually exclusive options. By buying the mountain and giving it to Xiaqing, they could have both the fish (an ally) and the bear’s paw (trading for spring water).

At the time, Xie Yu had asked Yang Jin why he was so certain that Xiaqing, a woman who lived by selling her labor, would one day become a powerful force on par with them.

Yang Jin gave a reason that neither of them could refute:

Because Xiaqing’s will to survive was stronger than anyone else he knew. A person who single-mindedly wanted to live on by their own strength would definitely seize any available opportunity to make themselves stronger.

Her biggest secret exposed to her face, Xiaqing’s eyes widened instantly. Her mind raced: ’Should I run immediately, or should I silence Luo Pei first and then run?’

"Heh." Her reaction amused Luo Pei, the Level 10 Visual Evolver. "You silly girl, did you really think that after all the missions we’ve done together, I’d be so blind as to not have figured out your abilities?"