"Captain Zhong, don't shoot! It's me, Zhao Ze from Plot 4!"
The tall Zhao Ze shouted as he ran over, panting as he leaned against the car. "Captain Zhong, someone on our team has been bitten by a venomous snake. Do you have any antivenom?"
"Yes, we do. Where is the person?" Zhong Tao greeted Xia Qing and immediately led Zheng Kui and Zhao Ze to the rescue.
Plot 4 is east of Plot 3, and also has a large buffer forest area. In spring, with everything coming back to life, it's not surprising that snakes emerge. But if the snake that bit someone was venomous, it would be troublesome.
Around 3 PM, Xia Qing received a text message from Zhong Tao:
An evolved venomous snake killed someone on Plot 4. The base has decided to re-inspect the buffer forest. Plots 1-10 will be under Captain Tan Junjie's responsibility. Don't worry, they're on our side.
In recent years, people have been dying every day from attacks by evolved creatures. Xia Qing was more concerned about the buffer forest inspection tomorrow.
She had to find a way to prevent anyone from discovering the spring, and she also had to catch the sheep before the inspectors arrived. Once the sheep escapes outside her territory and is caught, it's no longer her concern.
Upon reaching the mountain, Xia Qing noticed that the stone blocking the burrow entrance hadn't been moved, and there were no new hoof prints on the ground. After filling a bucket with water, Xia Qing didn't wait for the sheep at the burrow; instead, she followed the hoof prints to track its movements.
Xia Qing discovered that the sheep had left her buffer zone, crossed the isolation area, and entered the evolutionary forest.
The danger level of the uncleared evolutionary forest had increased; she definitely wouldn't be able to catch the sheep today and would have to try again tomorrow morning.
Early the next morning, before Xia Qing had even caught the sheep on the mountain, she received a call from Tan Junjie.
The danger detection team had begun their operation and was expected to arrive at Site 3 at 10:00 AM to inquire whether any evolved venomous snakes or other dangerous creatures had been found within her territory.
Xia Qing replied, "There were three evolved venomous snakes, which I've already killed. No other danger has been detected so far."
After hanging up, Xia Qing killed two more snakes but still couldn't find the sheep. She had no choice but to block up the cave and, carrying a machete and slingshot, went to the buffer zone outside the western buffer forest to wait for the inspection team.
Before the inspection team arrived, Xia Qing heard arguing coming from the direction of Plot Two. She listened intently. It turned out that the people from Plot Two had heard that a venomous snake bite had killed someone and wanted the inspection team to patrol Plot Two. However, the inspection team explained that their task today was to patrol the buffer zone and the buffer forest, not the cultivated area.
The people from Plot Two were dissatisfied and started shouting.
This mountain forest is shaped like an inverted S. Plot One is located south of the U-shaped bend in the rolling hills, and its territory, like Plot Three, includes cultivated areas and the buffer forest. Plot Two is east of Plot One, and its territory is entirely cultivated land.
Plots three, four, and five are located south of the N-shaped bend, containing both buffer forest and farmland.
Therefore, plot two is relatively safer than plots one, three, four, and five, which is why the person who sent Xia Qing two text messages recommended plot two.
The lord of plot two is Tang Lu, who certainly wouldn't personally cultivate the land; the people arguing with the inspection team were sent by the Tang family. The Tang family, accustomed to their arrogance at the Hui San Base, naturally wouldn't take a small inspection team seriously.
Xia Qing listened quietly, wanting to know what Captain Tan would do.
"I'm on a mission! If you don't move aside, you'll be treated as violators!" Hearing Tan Junjie's tough shout and the sound of a bullet being chambered, Xia Qing's lips curled into a smile.
Tan Junjie's principled approach and strict adherence to orders was a good thing for her.
Seeing seven soldiers in camouflage protective suits appear in the distance, wearing green badges on their chests, Xia Qing's mood improved even more.
A seven-person inspection team of evolved humans—that's formidable!
"Captain, look! There's a girl up ahead, wearing a green badge. She must be Xia Qing from Area Three, a Level Four Evolutionary, twenty-five years old, and single!"
"Shut up!" Tan Junjie growled. "All of you, be serious."
"Yes, sir." The six team members responded in unison.
At this distance, whispers are inaudible to those without auditory evolution, so Xia Qing stood quietly, pretending not to hear anything.
Tan Junjie led his team up to Xia Qing, removed his protective mask, and saluted her. "Captain of the Sixth Danger Investigation Team, Tan Junjie."
After seeing his badge, Xia Qing volunteered, "Captain Tan, I'm Xia Qing from Area Three, a four-times strength evolved human. Before leaving the safe zone, I completed six missions to clear the evolutionary forest. I request to patrol the Area Three buffer forest and isolation zone with you."
The mission to clear the evolutionary forest was issued for three months, with each mission lasting ten days. Xia Qing survived a sixty-day mission unharmed, demonstrating that even as a low-level strength-type evolved human responsible for transporting and disinfecting, she possessed considerable danger-handling capabilities. Moreover, since the patrol was of her own territory, Tan Junjie had no reason to object. "You stay behind me."
"Yes." Xia Qing explained the situation in the territory's buffer forest as she walked. "I checked the north slope twice, killed five snakes, and found no other dangers. I haven't had time to check the west slope yet."
Xia Qing was the most capable of the fifty lords in the northern district, and also the most likely to encounter danger. This is because those with higher abilities are more confident and proactively explore their environment, making them more prone to dangerous situations.
Tan Junjie reminded her to be careful. "The temperature is starting to rise recently, and hibernating animals are gradually waking up and becoming active. Try to stay within the cultivated areas. If you are bitten by a snake, call me and Zhong Tao immediately, and we will arrange for antivenom."
"I understand, thank you, Captain Tan." Xia Qing obediently agreed, taking out her protective mask from her backpack and putting it on. Although she felt it was unnecessary, the entire inspection team was wearing masks, and she couldn't ask for special treatment.
Upon entering the buffer forest, a team member behind Tan Junjie exclaimed, pointing down the hillside and asking Xia Qing, "Miss Xia, did you turn over that entire large area by the reservoir all by yourself?"
Xia Qing recognized this as the one who had called her "girl" earlier. "Just call me Xia Qing. I'm a strength-evolved human; besides being strong, I don't have any other skills, and I'm only good at these kinds of manual labor."
The team member also introduced himself, "Sister Xia Qing, my name is Su Ming, a level three visual evolutionist. You turned the land so well; did you farm before the natural disaster?"
Xia Qing shook her head. "I live in the suburbs, and we only have a small vegetable garden, so I don't really farm. But over the years, I've often worked in the safe zone's planting area, so I learned."
"There's movement forty-five meters away at nine o'clock; it's probably a snake or a lizard," the hearing-evolved member of the team warned, alerting everyone.
Tan Junjie immediately ordered, "All personnel on alert! Xia Qing, stand behind me. Numbers three, four, and five, go check."
Xia Qing took another step behind Tan Junjie, watching Su Ming and the other two search in the nine o'clock direction. After a few sounds, the three quickly returned carrying a patterned snake over a meter long.
Su Ming grinned and handed the snake to Xia Qing, "Sister Xia Qing, it's a small snake."
Xia Qing shook her head, but then heard Tan Junjie state the regulations, "All resources within the territory belong to the lord."
Xia Qing didn't refuse again and stuffed the snake into her basket.
The search team finished searching the western buffer forest, catching a total of six snakes and two arm-length evolved venomous centipedes. Looking at the evolved centipedes, Xia Qing's scalp tingled.
After Xia Qing had already checked the northern buffer forest twice, the search team found no dangerous creatures and bid farewell to Xia Qing, preparing to enter Area Four.
Xia Qing, carrying a basket on her back, asked Tan Junjie, "Captain Tan, can I trade these meats for seeds with you?"