Chapter 358: The Queen Also Agreed

Chapter 358: Chapter 358: The Queen Also Agreed

With the quantity settled, Xiaqing began to negotiate the price. "I picked these walnuts on the 22nd. The price Brother San paid for green-skinned walnuts on the 23rd was 400 points. The sun has been great these past three days, so a lot of moisture has evaporated from the walnuts. I’d like to set the current price at 420 points per jin. What do you think?"

"Acceptable," Yang Jin agreed without hesitation. "Four months of spring water plus 60 jin of Green Light Mountain Walnuts comes to a total of 198,000 points. Can we complete the transaction now?"

After confirming the point transfer was successful, Xiaqing stood up. "I’ll go get the walnuts and spinach seeds. Captain Yang, please have some tea and wait for a moment."

Yang Jin was tactful enough not to offer to help Xiaqing carry the walnuts. He obediently remained in the small cabin, quietly sipping Chrysanthemum Tea made with Pollution-free Spring Water.

It calmed the mind and cooled the body.

Xiaqing had left alone, but when she returned, she wasn’t just carrying a half-full bag of walnuts. A train of animals followed close behind her.

Leading the pack was her arrogant Strength-Evolved companion. The sheep had been well-fed by Xiaqing; it was a bit fatter than the last time he’d seen it, and the look it gave him was even more punchable.

Behind the Evolutionary Sheep was the Head Wolf, which had a small chunk missing from its left ear and all four legs wrapped in bandages. Judging by the way it walked, you’d think the bandages were just for show.

Trailing the Head Wolf was a small, timid animal—yellow, with a long body and round ears.

Upon seeing that small animal—one that appeared harmless but was, in fact, terrifyingly powerful—Yang Jin immediately retreated back into the cabin, terrified of provoking it.

The Head Wolf, with its powerful subordinate and the dimwitted Sheep Leader in tow, followed Xiaqing and stopped fifteen meters from the cabin, staring at the scarred-faced Yang Jin in the doorway.

They were standing farther away than the last time Yang Jin had visited and the Head Wolf had observed him. Moreover, this time it had brought the Sheep Leader and the Weasel.

’The message was clear: the wolf was unhappy. But since it’s injured, it must have felt that fighting alone would be too difficult, so it brought two helpers.’

’But why is it unhappy?’

’After our cooperation gathering herbs during the third Harmful Rain, I haven’t had any dealings with this wolf. There are only two possible sources of its displeasure: Xiaqing and her sheep.’

Yang Jin looked at Xiaqing.

Xiaqing appeared calm on the surface, but a cold sweat was trickling down her back. She pretended nothing was wrong.

’This was impossible to explain. Could she really admit that when she went back to get the items for the trade, she’d felt a pang of regret and complained about it to the distinguished guest in the sheep pen?’

’The Head Wolf probably didn’t understand her exact words, but it understood the hurt and grievance in her tone. And then, this SSS-VIP guest of hers had stood up with a low growl, rounded up the Weasel—which had been hiding in the front yard ruins—and the Sheep Leader, and came over to back her up.’

’If the Sick Wolf hadn’t needed to stay behind to protect the corn on the roof, the posse backing her up would have been two wolves, one sheep, and one weasel.’

’The group wasn’t large, but their combat power was off the charts. No matter how you looked at it, this formation looked like they wanted to teach Yang Jin a lesson to let off steam on her behalf.’

Xiaqing was touched, but she didn’t dare let them attack.

The Wolf Group and the Green Dragon Team were both important trading partners. If they got into a fight over a few of her grumbles, her losses would be immense.

Xiaqing secretly cleared her throat and fabricated an explanation for the current situation. "Captain Yang, I brought Her Majesty the Queen over because I wanted to discuss your joint herb-gathering expedition in front of both of you."

Seeing Xiaqing’s deadpan expression, Yang Jin could only play along, nodding. "Alright."

Xiaqing asked, "During the third Harmful Rain, the Queen brought back a clump of soil-caked herbs and two sealed bags. I sent them all to Territory Land No. 7. Brother San said that the herbs in the sealed bags were all gathered by you, is that correct?"

Yang Jin clarified, "It was my team. We gathered them with the... assistance of the Wolf Queen and the Evolved Weasel, and the Queen brought them back."

Xiaqing nodded. "There were two types of herbs in the sealed bags. One type was for Brother Luo, and the other was for the Sick Wolf. Since you and the Queen obtained them together, we can consider it a mutually beneficial cooperation. There’s no need for payment or compensation between you. Is that agreeable?"

A smile touched Yang Jin’s eyes. "Agreed."

Xiaqing turned around and asked the Head Wolf with utmost sincerity and gentleness, "Your Majesty, is that agreeable?"

’Please, Your Majesty, don’t start a fight. I’ve already accepted his points. If we beat him up, we’ll have to pay compensation. I promise I’ll never grumble in front of your esteemed self about my resources again...’

The Head Wolf gave no indication, and the Weasel remained hidden behind it. Only the Evolutionary Sheep let out a "BAA."

Xiaqing turned back to Yang Jin and announced with a perfectly straight face, "Her Majesty the Queen agrees."

Yang Jin...

"Please inspect these. Here are the sixty jin of walnuts and six hundred spinach seeds."

Yang Jin took the bag. "Before the spinach is harvested, let Hu Zifeng know. He will come and transport the plants away as soon as possible."

"Of course." Xiaqing nodded. She and Yang Jin had reached an agreement long ago: after the spinach on the terraces was harvested, the High Yi Element Spinach plants would be sold to the Green Dragon Team for six hundred points per jin. The High Yi Element Spinach plants from the greenhouse south of the reservoir would go to Territory Land No. 7.

Producing High Level Nutrient Liquid from the spinach plants required precision instruments and a complex process. The Third Territory lacked this production capability, so Xiaqing exchanged the plants for points or Special Level Nutrient Liquid.

"One more thing." Yang Jin set the walnuts aside, took out his phone, and pulled up a picture of a python. "Did you happen to take a photo of the Hardness-Evolved Python the Wolf Group delivered to you? I want to confirm if it was one of the ones I encountered while gathering herbs. All of these were Hardness-Evolved."

The place where Yang Jin had been gathering herbs for Luo Pei was a lake south of Mountain No. 62. Even farther south of that lake was Mountain No. 60, the site of the great battle between the wolves, bears, and pythons.

The picture Yang Jin displayed showed two giant, colorful-patterned pythons flanking an even larger black one in the center, all of them rearing up high out of the water. Countless smaller snakes were coiled around the bodies of these giant pythons, and one look at their colors and heads told you they were all venomous.

The combination of immensely strong, Hardness-Evolved Giant Pythons and highly venomous small snakes was a union of strengths, making them incredibly difficult to deal with.

However, an Evolver wielding a sharp dagger was fearlessly charging toward the five Giant Pythons.

Xiaqing’s eyes flew wide open. "Is that... Yan Long from Territory Land No. 7?!"

Yang Jin nodded. "I invited her to join my team."

’No wonder the people from Territory Land No. 7 looked so relaxed and unworried when she came to the Third Territory’s reservoir to fish during that thunderstorm. Yan Long, a woman who could fight five pythons at once, going fishing... It was like using a forty-meter-long machete to mince ginger—complete overkill!’

After admiring the image of Yan Long in battle, Xiaqing finally took a closer look at the pythons. They varied in size, pattern, and color.

Xiaqing quickly made the connections. "The third one from the left died at the foot of Mountain No. 60. The first one from the left was delivered to my territory by the Wolf Group on the morning after the battle between the wolves, bears, and snakes. I also brought back the Injuring Snake that bit the Head Wolf and gave it to Doctor Wang. When you and Sister Yan were fighting the Snake Group, did you not encounter any Injuring Snakes?"