Chapter 359: The Weasel’s Poisonous Gas

Chapter 359: Chapter 359: The Weasel’s Poisonous Gas

"We didn’t," Yang Jin explained. "We went there to gather herbs from the lakebed. Those herbs don’t seem to be important to the Snake Group; they just wanted to drive humans out of their territory. Our objective was to dig up herbs, so we didn’t fight to the death. I suspect that’s why the Python Group never revealed its greatest weapon—the Injuring Snakes."

’So, the scene in that picture was just a skirmish where neither side was fighting at full strength?’

Xiaqing glanced back at the bandages on the Queen’s four legs. "The fight between the Snake Group and the Wolf Group was a battle for territory. That’s why the Injuring Snakes were deployed, and they managed to severely wound the leader of the Wolf Group."

A sudden realization struck Xiaqing. The Wolf Group hadn’t been completely unprepared before its major battle with the Snake Group. "When I followed the Wolf Group over, the Queen was already injured and lying in a cave. It had herbs on its legs and in its mouth. They must be the same herbs you and your team gathered from the lake, Captain Yang—the kind that can be used in medicine to treat Qiang Synthesized Poison."

Yang Jin nodded. "It’s not the primary ingredient, but it does have some effect."

"In that case, there must be more than one Injuring Snake in that lake." Xiaqing frowned. ’This is a huge hidden threat.’

Yang Jin wasn’t as worried as Xiaqing. "The area south of the lake is the territory of the Wolf and Bear Groups. As long as they’re there, the Injuring Snakes can’t threaten human territory. A new ecological balance is forming on Blue Star, and the Injuring Snakes are just one part of the food chain."

Xiaqing understood. Humans could, in theory, use their weapons to kill all the Evolutionary Animals in the lake and on the adjacent mountains. They could even burn the mountains to the ground to eliminate the immediate threat.

’But what then?’

The human population on Blue Star was currently too small, and the number of combat-effective people was even smaller. It was impossible to dispatch a contingent of fighters to permanently garrison the lake and the two mountains.

After burning the mountains bare and clearing out all life from the lake, new creatures would emerge within half a year, following just one or two downpours of Harmful Rain.

These new evolved creatures could be even more formidable than the current Injuring Snakes. And this wasn’t just a hypothetical; it had happened before.

Then, the remnants of the Snake, Wolf, and Bear Groups would regroup, forge an alliance amidst the Harmful Rain, and charge into human territory to exact their revenge.

Suppressed by the Harmful Rain, humans wouldn’t dare use weapons of mass destruction unless they wanted to perish along with the vengeful animals. If things truly reached that point, the casualties would be unimaginable.

Hui San Base could not afford the consequences of razing the mountains and starting an all-out war.

Yang Jin then asked, "Where exactly on Mountain No. 60 did you pick your Green Light Mountain Walnuts? I’m sending a team to the lake to search for Injuring Snakes in the next few days, and I’ll have them see if they can find the walnut tree while they’re there."

Xiaqing wasn’t sure of the exact location either. "Mountain No. 60 is huge. All I know is that it was at the foot of the mountain, about ten-something meters up. There was a northeast-facing cave, over four meters high."

"Could you see the lake from there?"

Xiaqing was certain about that. "No, I couldn’t. The only thing I could see from that area was a single large walnut tree, and it had been snapped in half."

Yang Jin nodded and reminded Xiaqing, "You should just keep the walnuts for yourself. Green Light Mountain Walnuts are very particular about their environment, and the trees themselves are extremely aggressive. They’re not suitable for planting within the territory."

"BAA!"

Seeing that Xiaqing and Yang Jin were talking nonstop, the Sheep Leader let out an impatient bleat and began to paw at the ground.

As it happened, Yang Jin had finished his official business as well. He picked up his things and prepared to leave the Third Territory.

As Xiaqing walked him toward the North Buffer Forest, she asked, "If the pythons were mainly trying to intimidate and drive humans away, then there shouldn’t have been any intense conflict, right? So... did you and Sister Yan get into such a fierce fight with other teams that your Protective Masks cracked?"

Yang Jin answered, "The three squads from Red Eleven Base and Hui Liu Base were hired by Su Feng."

Su Feng and Azure Dragon belong to the same Alliance of Teams, so it wasn’t convenient for them to make a direct move. That’s why they found helpers. While Hui San is technically adjacent to Hui Liu and Red Eleven, it’s separated from Red Eleven to the north by an Evolution Forest stretching for over a thousand kilometers, and from Hui Liu to the east by another thousand-kilometer stretch of Evolution Forest.

Xiaqing and Su Feng were enemies, but all she knew about them over the years was peripheral information. She seized this rare opportunity to ask Yang Jin for more details.

Yang Jin answered all of Xiaqing’s questions. "Hui Liu and Red Eleven Base are indeed far from us, but Su Feng has helicopters, so distance isn’t a major issue for them. The teams from Hui Liu Base have spent years fighting a Monkey Group led by a Brain Domain Evolution Monkey, so their real-world combat skills in the Evolution Forest are exceptional."

"Captain Yang, one moment." Passing a greenhouse on a low slope, Xiaqing went inside and came out with a basket of vegetables. She handed it to Yang Jin before continuing her questioning. "Did the Su Feng Team know in advance that you were forming a team to find herbs near Mountain No. 62, or did they have those people track your squad there?"

Yang Jin turned to look at Xiaqing, his dark eyes filled with appreciation. "That point you just raised is the key. They were lying in ambush for us. I’m certain there were no leaks on my end, which means Su Feng already knew we were going there for the herbs. That’s why they hired so many experts to set up the ambush. From this, we can deduce that the Injuring Snake Su Feng used to poison Brother Luo was captured from that same lake. I’ll follow this lead, find proof that Su Feng poisoned Brother Luo, and then I’ll have just cause to kick them out of the Alliance of Teams."

All things in nature have their counters. Within the territory of the Injuring Snake, there must be an herb that can cure its venom.

Being praised by a Brain Domain Evolver made Xiaqing feel delighted inside, but her expression remained as calm as still water. "Since the herb you found in the lake isn’t the primary ingredient for curing the Qiang poison, could there be other antidotal herbs there?"

Yang Jin had considered that as well. "If there are, they must be incredibly difficult to obtain. That would explain why the Brain Domain Evolution Wolf came to you to detoxify the Wolf Queen. We already have Qiangwu Grass; there’s no need to risk our lives searching for an herb that even the Wolf Group can’t get its paws on."

Xiaqing nodded. "I understand."

Seeing Xiaqing’s dead-serious expression, Yang Jin suddenly said, "The Brain Domain Evolution Wolf is highly intelligent, and the Wolf Group is extremely powerful. And that Evolved Weasel you just saw... whatever you do, don’t provoke it."

Speaking of the Plucker, Xiaqing asked curiously, "Is that weasel’s toxic gas really that potent?"

A look of lingering fear crossed Yang Jin’s face as he recalled the weasel’s gas. "Back then, I was leading my team in a pitched battle against assassins hired by Su Feng. When they saw Yan Long unearth the herbs, their attacks grew even more frenzied. The Head Wolf leaped out to grab the herbs, and it had that weasel on its back. The weasel snatched the sealed bag of herbs, then turned and unleashed its toxic gas on the assassins. The three men who took a direct hit instantly lost their ability to fight, and several others nearby started vomiting. I fought back the urge to retch and used my maximum Speed to eliminate all of them, but after it was over, I couldn’t hold it in and threw up myself."

"For a whole week after that, the only thing I could smell was a foul stench. I couldn’t even eat..."

Xiaqing was struggling to keep a straight face.

Finally managing to make Xiaqing laugh, Yang Jin picked up the walnuts and the basket of vegetables, then happily departed from the Third Territory.