Chapter 79: Doesn’t It Hurt?

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Doesn’t It Hurt?

’Did I Evolve an accelerated healing ability?’

’Was it because the Protective Suit I got from the Green Dragon Team is so effective that it blocked most of the damage, preventing any injury to my muscles and bones?’

’Or is it because I only eat Green Light food, which has enhanced my body’s recovery capabilities?’

Although she couldn’t figure out the reason just yet, Xiaqing was thrilled that she no longer had to endure the extreme pain. She put on her clothes and Protective Suit, then began her first daily task: patrolling her territory and clearing out insects.

Under the sunlight, the concentration of Harmful Element in the air decreased, significantly lowering the probability of plant Qiang Evolution.

After one night, none of the crops in her territory had undergone further Qiang Evolution. Looking out toward the Buffer Forest, no trees had suddenly shot up in height or changed color and started writhing bizarrely. Everything was normal.

Sheep Leader was grazing in its exclusive pasture, no longer limping or hobbling. ’Looks like I can rule out the first possibility,’ she thought. ’I haven’t Evolved an accelerated healing ability.’

She had been too exhausted last night to listen to the weather forecast, so Xiaqing wasn’t sure if she could take down the rainproof cloth today. She turned on her walkie-talkie, intending to ask about the weather.

The neighboring Lords were all awake as well, currently discussing the losses their respective territories had suffered in this Harmful Rain.

The second Harmful Rain of the tenth year of the Natural Disaster had lasted for fifty hours, with a hundred milliliters of precipitation. The two waves of red-level Harmful Rain had each lasted less than an hour, so they wouldn’t cause major casualties or property damage within the Safe Zone.

But for the territories outside the Safe Zone, the losses were substantial.

Territory No. 4 lost over half its crops, with three injured and two dead. Territory No.5 didn’t report its crop losses, but six people were injured and one died. No. 6 Territory lost a quarter of its crops, with five people injured and three dead.

No one from the other territories spoke up, but they all had ability users, so their casualties probably wouldn’t exceed those of Territories No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6.

In the Third Territory, the highest crop loss was among the Yellow Light Potatoes, reaching forty percent. Next were the newly planted sweet potato vines, at twenty-five percent. One person and one sheep were injured, with no fatalities.

Xiaqing cleared away the snakes and bugs around Sheep Leader’s pasture, then gave its head a good, rough scratch. Her voice was so gentle it could practically drip water. "Take your time eating, Leader. I’m going home to eat too."

Of course, Sheep Leader, who was busy eating, paid no mind to its underling. As Xiaqing pulled up Injurious Grass while walking toward the fishpond, she heard Zhao Ze ask in a tearful voice, "Blue Star really isn’t leaving any way for ordinary people to survive. Xiaqing, how are things on your end?"

Xiaqing dumped half of the Evolved Insects she had caught into the fishpond. Watching the water churn, she replied, "I lost over a third of my crops, and I was injured too. I was too tired to listen to the weather forecast yesterday. Is there any more rain in the next few days?"

It went without saying that the personnel casualties reported by each territory were real, but the crop losses were definitely exaggerated. Naturally, Xiaqing wouldn’t be foolish enough to report her actual losses either, lest she attract jealousy.

"The forecast says it’ll be sunny for the next five days." Zhao Ze’s voice was a mixture of envy and jealousy. "A Level 4 Ability User is just on another level. You can defend so much farmland all by yourself and still save two-thirds of your crops. Not like us ordinary people who fight to the death and can’t even save half."

The last scrap of insect was devoured by the fish in the pond, and the water’s surface returned to calm. Xiaqing’s voice, however, was cold enough to freeze water. "Whether or not you can save your food and vegetables has nothing to do with being an ability user. I spent two months preparing for this second Harmful Rain. How long did you prepare? To protect my crops, I hired seven people to help me patrol and stand watch at night. And you?"

Hearing the anger in Xiaqing’s voice, Zhao Ze didn’t dare say another word.

Qi Fu spoke up, his voice hoarse. "Xiaqing’s right. I also prepared for two months, and that’s how I saved most of my stuff. Zhao Ze, if you don’t want to starve to death or give up your territory, then you need to settle down and work hard. Blue Star may have evolved, but the land is the same as before—it doesn’t lie. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. Is Brother San there? I’d like to trade Green Light vegetables for some injury medicine and antidotes."

Zhang San’s voice was as lazy as ever. "What grade are you trading?"

Qi Fu, Zhao Ze, and Kuang Qingwei immediately reported the Green Light goods they could offer and the condition of the injured in their territories, trading with Zhang San for the appropriate medicines.

Tang Huai also pleaded with Zhang San to trade some medicine to him, but Zhang San ignored him. Instead, he proactively asked Xiaqing, "Xiaqing, do you need any injury medicine?"

Xiaqing pressed the button. "I haven’t used up the common medicines I traded for before. Thank you, Brother San."

Everyone was speechless...

The other Lords had to beg Zhang San if they wanted medicine. But when it came to Xiaqing, it was the other way around. Zhang San offered to trade her medicine, and she didn’t even want it.

Several Lords secretly made a resolution: they had to successfully grow the Green Light Spinach Seeds they got from Xiaqing, and then trade with Zhang San for supplies!

Lying in bed and groaning, Tang Huai pressed the button. "Xiaqing, you were wounded by the aggressive, Qiang-Evolved potato vines, weren’t you?"

"Yes," Xiaqing replied.

"How many times were you whipped? What medicine are you using?"

Xiaqing hadn’t had the time to count how many welts were on her body, but she deliberately downplayed her injuries to prevent anyone from thinking she was too hurt to protect her territory and trying to steal her grain. "A dozen or so lashes. I’m using the painkillers and Anti-inflammatory medicine I brought from the Safe Zone."

’Bullshit!’

Tang Huai, who had been whipped three times and was now lying in bed groaning despite using special painkillers and anti-swelling medicine, refused to believe Xiaqing was using ordinary medicine. ’She must be using the Special Medicine Hu Zifeng gave her!’

Suppressing his anger, Tang Huai asked again, "What are you doing now?"

Xiaqing, who was currently testing the Harmful Element content of a captured snake, answered crisply, "Patrolling my territory and clearing out Qiang-Evolved plants."

Kuang Qingwei pressed the button, his voice filled with disbelief. "Sister Xiaqing, don’t you feel any pain? Or are the Qiang-Evolved potatoes in your territory just weak?"

A worker in his territory had been whipped to death by a Qiang-Evolved potato vine!

Xiaqing pressed the button. "The potato vines snapped the thick bamboo poles I used for my trellis, so I wouldn’t call them weak. Of course it hurts, but it’s bearable. If I don’t clear out the Injurious Grass soon, it’s going to seed."

Ordinary, non-aggressive Injurious Grass grows rapidly during a Harmful Rain. After the rain ends and the sun comes out, its growth slows as it goes to seed. The seeds take only a few days to mature and fall to the ground, where they lie in wait for the next Harmful Rain before the parent plant slowly withers.

Therefore, the Injurious Grass had to be cleared out before its seeds matured. If it wasn’t, its density would increase, and higher density raised the chance of it undergoing an aggressive Qiang Evolution.

Xiaqing could endure it, but Qi Fu, whose arm had been broken by a lash, could not. "Xiaqing, how about I have my wife come over and take care of you for a few days?"

Qi Fu’s wife, Yuan Yan, lived with him in the territory. When Xiaqing worked in the Safe Zone, she had seen Yuan Yan bringing meals to Qi Fu. Yuan Yan was around the same age as Qi Fu and had several acid rain burn scars on her face, which made her look quite fierce.

After the Natural Disaster, everyone armed themselves with their toughest facade. Xiaqing, of course, wouldn’t judge a book by its cover. It was just that she was used to being reserved and quiet, so she had never interacted with Yuan Yan.

Just as Xiaqing was about to press the button to refuse, Zhang San spoke up. "Xiaqing, how about I send a professional medic to take care of you? All you have to do is give me a few spinach leaves."

’Is the spinach really that good? Or is it...?’

Xiaqing pressed the button. "Thank you for your concern, Brother San, Brother Qi. If I really can’t hold on, I’ll be sure to trouble you then."

Tang Huai demanded, "You’re lying, aren’t you? How can you endure a dozen or so lashes?!"

Before Xiaqing could answer, Hu Zifeng shot back, "Xiaqing is an Evolver. Of course her body’s recovery ability is better than an ordinary person’s like you."

Tang Huai, who was pretending to be an ordinary person, cursed at Hu Zifeng, "Have the potatoes in your territory even sprouted yet? As a Lord, you can’t even grow potatoes. You have the nerve to criticize me!"