Chapter 410: Found It?

Chapter 410: Chapter 410: Found It?

Even though the fields were bare of Green Light Spinach, Xiaqing wasn’t short on Special Level Nutrient Liquid.

She had traded the roots, stems, and leaves of the High Yi Element Green Light Spinach from her farmland to Zhang San for 38 vials of Special Level Nutrient Liquid. The liquid had a two-month shelf life, meaning any leftovers would lose their nutritional value after that time.

In a month, the High Yi Element Spinach in her greenhouse would be ready for harvest, allowing her to make more Special Level Nutrient Liquid. Therefore, Xiaqing used the liquid, which others considered worth two thousand points a vial, without a second thought.

Hu Zifeng contacted Commander Yang Jin and, after confirming the location of the refugees from the Second Territory, called to inform Xiaqing, "A total of four teams, forty-five refugees from the Second Territory, have entered Mountain No. 50. Two teams are hunting in the Evolution Forest below the Second Peak, and two teams are on their way back with their haul. If you enter the valley from Zone Seven of Mountain No. 49 and head toward the Third Peak of Mountain No. 50, you should be able to avoid being seen by the refugees on the Second Peak."

After he finished, Hu Zifeng stressed, "But that only means you’ll be out of sight."

If that group of refugees included High Level smell or Auditory Evolvers, they could still detect Xiaqing’s presence through scent and sound.

"Understood. Thanks, Captain Hu." Xiaqing hung up and led Sick Wolf around to Zone Seven of Mountain No. 49. From there, she left the Green Dragon Team’s training grounds, crossed the valley, and entered the Evolution Forest at the base of Mountain No. 50’s Third Peak.

Then, Xiaqing heard gunshots from the refugee hunting party on the Second Peak. Based on the sound, they were using homemade firearms.

Xiaqing gently patted Sick Wolf’s back, signaling him to be quiet. The two of them continued tracking the Red Squirrel’s bloody scent, pressing onward.

Given her current strength, Xiaqing wasn’t afraid of encountering a refugee team from the Second Territory. Still, the fewer complications, the better; avoiding them was the best option. Her purpose for this trip, after all, was to find Green Light Peanuts.

After entering Mountain No. 50, Xiaqing’s pace slowed considerably. Unlike the cleared-out Mountain No. 49, Mountain No. 50 was a completely wild Evolution Forest. It was Xiaqing’s first time setting foot in these woods, and every step was a potential risk.

Xiaqing pushed her Visual and auditory senses to their limits, listening for the wind, the water, and the slightest rustle beneath the fallen leaves. She scanned her surroundings for any hint of danger, trying to minimize the risk as much as possible.

But some dangers were simply unavoidable.

Xiaqing followed Sick Wolf, placing her foot on a rock he had just crossed. The stone had been silent under the wolf’s weight, but the moment she stepped on it, it let out a SQUEAK.

An Evolutionary Rat darted out from beside the rock, covering less than half a meter before a massive Evolutionary Centipede burst from a pile of leaves and snatched it. The rat let out an even louder shriek.

"SQUEAK SQUEAK, SQUEEE—"

Before the Evolutionary Centipede could poison the rat, a falcon that had been lying in wait shot out from the nearby bushes. It seized both the Evolutionary Rat and the centipede—a payload larger than itself—and rapidly ascended.

Just as Xiaqing thought the falcon was the final winner, a vine that the centipede had entangled in its struggles suddenly constricted, ensnaring the falcon and the centipede together. Immediately, all the vines within a four-meter radius began to tremble, tightly coiling around anything they could touch.

This innocuous-looking dead vine was actually an aggressive plant!

Xiaqing hacked through an approaching vine and leaped onto a large nearby rock with Sick Wolf, dodging the other tendrils.

The falcon, struggling to escape the vine, was forced to release the prey from its talons.

No matter how much it kicked with its talons or pecked with its beak, it couldn’t sever the vine and was only bound tighter. The Evolutionary Rat it had dropped, however, hit the ground and quickly scurried back into the leaf litter.

Once it was clear the entangled falcon and centipede couldn’t escape, more than twenty Evolutionary Rats emerged from the leaves with a RUSTLING sound. Carefully avoiding the vines, they crawled over to gnaw on the trapped pair.

’This is the Evolution Forest. You never know who’s the predator and who’s the prey until the very end.’

With their path blocked by the vines, Sick Wolf paced in a circle on the rock, searching for a place to jump across.

"Second, I’ll clear the vines." Xiaqing had already located the plant’s root and planned her footing. Not wanting to alert the Hunting Team on the Second Peak, she used her long black blade to sever the entire plant at its base.

Once the vine lost its vitality, its constricting movements slowed to a halt. Xiaqing prodded it with her blade, and after confirming it was inactive, she signaled for Sick Wolf to press on.

The sun dipped behind the mountain, and the light within the Evolution Forest grew dim. Xiaqing lifted her Protective Mask, wiped the sweat from her face, and put on her Night Vision Goggles. She said to Sick Wolf, "Second, we search for another half hour, tops. After that, we head back the way we came, whether we’ve found it or not."

「Half an hour later.」

Just as Xiaqing was about to call back Sick Wolf, who was still scouting ahead, she saw that he had stopped in front of a crevice in the mountain. He sniffed the air a few times and let out a low WHINE, indicating the scent of blood was strong here.

’We found it?!’ Xiaqing’s eyes lit up. She moved forward cautiously. "In there?"

Sick Wolf nudged his body against Xiaqing’s leg, his movement a clear answer: ’Right here.’

It was a fissure in a massive rock formation, only a palm’s width wide. Neither Xiaqing nor Sick Wolf could fit through, but the Red Squirrel could have. A strong wind howled out from the crevice, sounding eerily like a human wail. Mixed with the wind was the SLITHERING sound of a reptile.

’Peanuts are plants that require a lot of sunlight, warmth, and humidity,’ she reasoned. ’So, on the other side of this crevice, there must be an area with good soil that’s open to the sun.’

Xiaqing took out her phone and snapped a picture of the towering rock and its surroundings. As she did, she casually crushed a thin snake that shot out of the crevice to ambush her.

’A snake that isn’t hibernating at this time of year is definitely not a normal snake!’

"Second, let’s head back. We’ll come again tomorrow."

’Green Light food is important, but safety is more important.’

Night was falling fast, and many nocturnal predators were already beginning to stir. Even with Night Vision Goggles, Xiaqing couldn’t guarantee her and Sick Wolf’s safety.

Moreover, Sick Wolf had been leading them uphill, and Xiaqing had personally seen two Evolution Bears on the Third Peak of Mountain No. 50. While the bears should have been hibernating for the season, she still didn’t dare enter an Evolution Bear’s territory at night.

BUZZ.

Xiaqing felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her Protective Suit. She pulled it out and saw a message from Hu Zifeng:

The ten-person refugee team from the Second Peak is heading back. Four are moving out through the valley.

’Four heading out, six unaccounted for,’ she thought. ’They could be dead, but it’s more likely the team split up. I haven’t heard any sounds of a major fight from the Second Peak.’

Xiaqing replied with an acknowledgment, slipped the phone back into her pocket, and bent down to whisper in Sick Wolf’s ear, "Warn me if you hear anyone approaching."

Sick Wolf nudged his head against Xiaqing’s leg and took the lead.

Their return trip was much faster, but the risks remained. Xiaqing tightened her grip on her long blade, taking each step with extreme caution.

As they were about to leave the Evolution Forest on Mountain No. 50’s Third Peak, Sick Wolf, walking ahead of Xiaqing, suddenly froze. His body tensed and lowered, his tail straightening out like an unsheathed saber.

It was the posture of a wolf that has sensed danger and is about to attack.

By now, the sky was almost completely dark. Xiaqing placed a hand on Sick Wolf’s back, pressing down gently as she strained her ears to listen.

A small group of people was approaching their position.