Chapter 398: Do You Know About the Yi Stone?

Chapter 398: Chapter 398: Do You Know About the Yi Stone?

"No need. I sprayed on some Insect Repellent. I traded for it with Brother San." Tang Huai had no intention of putting on the Protective Suit, looking left and right. "Where’s the sheep? The wolf?"

Xiaqing carried the Green Light Yellow Powder Worms and led the goofball into her territory, warning him beforehand, "Don’t be jumpy. Otherwise, the sheep will ram you and the wolf will bite you. If you get hurt, you’re on your own."

"Got it, got it." After entering the Third Territory, Tang Huai shoved his Protective Suit onto the gate’s railing and followed Xiaqing to show her she could rest easy.

Quite the show of sincerity.

’No one ever comes through here, so the suit won’t get lost. If he wants to shove it there, then let him.’

Before leading Tang Huai near the shrubs, Xiaqing first alerted her two companions, "Leader, Second, a human has entered our territory. He isn’t very aggressive and has no weapons, so relax."

After they rounded the shrubs, before Xiaqing could say a word, Tang Huai was already using a classic Big Bad Wolf voice to warmly and eagerly greet the two Evolutionary Animals he had long wanted to meet. "Hello you two, I’m Tang Huai, from the territory next door. Leader, Second, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, a real pleasure."

’This guy... was just asking for a beating.’

The Sheep Leader didn’t even tolerate Hu Zifeng’s team, who frequently passed through the Third Territory, let alone a stranger trying to get close on his very first visit. It narrowed its eyes and began to paw at the ground.

As for Sick Wolf, he maintained a high state of alert around all humans except Xiaqing. His sharp wolf claws dug into the ground, his eyes were feral, and his nose wrinkled into a snarl, baring sharp fangs as he let out a low growl. If Xiaqing hadn’t been there, he would have already attacked the human who dared to approach him.

Tang Huai wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, his voice trembled with excitement. "Feral! Truly feral! Just as you’d expect from an Evolved Beast raised in the Evolution Forest!"

Xiaqing...

"This sheep definitely looks ill-tempered. It’s so much sturdier than the small-tailed sheep at the Safe Zone’s livestock center, and its coat is much glossier. You’ve raised it well!"

"Are you sure this is a wolf and not a wolf-dog, a hybrid of a sheepdog and a wolf? Look at its build, coat, and movements—it’s clearly a wolf-dog."

"BAA!" The Sheep Leader let out an enraged bellow.

"GRRR—" Sick Wolf also emitted a deeply menacing growl.

Xiaqing had Tang Huai back away. "Satisfied? If you stay here any longer, I really can’t guarantee your safety."

Tang Huai nodded reluctantly. "I’ve seen them. Let’s go somewhere else."

Xiaqing, who had been planning to go back for a nap, fell silent for two seconds. But for the sake of the tray of Green Light insects, she decided to lead this extremely generous trading partner to the reception room by her fields to talk.

’This guy wasn’t wearing a Protective Suit. Even with the repellent, I can’t let him stand in the Buffer Forest for too long.’

Both the Sheep Leader and Sick Wolf were very unhappy with Xiaqing’s decision, but on account of the rations and jerky she tossed them, they put up with it.

After entering the reception room, Tang Huai first rambled on about the rustic furniture before finally sitting down at the table to speak with Xiaqing. "You want to raise insects? A Harmful Element-free breeding chamber is very expensive to build. Without one, even if you keep these insects alive long enough for them to lay eggs, the quality of the next generation will decline."

Xiaqing asked, "How do you build one?"

"You need a new ventilation and air filtration system designed after the Natural Disaster. A thirty-square-meter chamber costs several hundred thousand points, and you have to regularly replace expensive components. If you aren’t breeding the insects to sell—just to eat yourself and feed chickens—it’s not cost-effective. Unless..."

Tang Huai lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Unless you have a Yi Stone. You know about Yi Stones, right? In the upper echelons of the Safe Zone, it’s pretty much an open secret."

Xiaqing calmly retorted, "Do you have a Yi Stone?"

"No way!" Tang Huai leaned back in his chair. "Yi Stones are a scarce mineral resource. You can’t buy them even if you have the points. Have you ever seen one?"

Xiaqing nodded. "I saw Tang Lu and Fire Phoenix wearing them back in the Safe Zone. They had a black and white pattern. I only heard later that they were Yi Stones, capable of blocking the Harmful Element."

"Hmph."

Tang Huai snorted, though it was unclear whether it was aimed at Tang Lu or Fire Phoenix. He then continued, "Yi Stones are the ultimate status symbol for the top social circles these days. A tiny stone that can continuously emit the Yi Element, not only nourishing the body but also dispelling the Harmful Element. How miraculous..."

Xiaqing waited for him to finish his spiel before pressing, "Since it’s a mineral resource, it must have a source. Do you know where any Yi Stone Mines are located?"

Xiaqing’s territory was very quiet, a paradise for an Auditory Evolver. Tang Huai was clearly comfortable and in the mood for a long chat. "The conditions for Yi Stone formation are still a mystery, just like with the Pollution-free Spring Water. They’re only found occasionally in the Evolution Forest, or they wouldn’t be so valuable. At the New Year’s Eve dinner in Year Six of the Natural Disaster, Tang Zhengsu had too much to drink and couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He was bragging to my dad about sending people to mine for Yi Stones when Tang Zhengrong cut him off."

"Others might not have heard him clearly, but my hearing is excellent, and I heard him perfectly. He said: the Divine Grass Shelf Forest Area. Before the Natural Disaster, that place was a no-man’s-land of high mountains and dense forests. After the disaster, the entire three-thousand-square-kilometer region became a forbidden zone for humans." Tang Huai turned to look at Xiaqing. "You know why, don’t you?"

Xiaqing nodded. "Because of the Evolutionary Monkey Group."

The Divine Grass Shelf Forest Area was within the territory of Hui City Base, right on the border of Hui Liu Base. The forest was home to numerous Brain Domain Evolution Monkeys that frequently went to war with humans, robbing and plundering the fruits and vegetables from human Planting Centers. They were the greatest threat to Hui Liu Base’s security.

"Exactly. After Blue Star’s evolution, monkeys got a lot smarter. They’re incredibly difficult to deal with." Tang Huai let out a lazy yawn.

Xiaqing pressed, "Did the Su Feng Team manage to mine any Yi Stones?"

"Mine my ass! Tang Zhengsu sent Hu Shaojiang to lead a team of over twenty people, and only one came back. You should know Hu Shaojiang, right?"

Xiaqing nodded. "The Su Feng Team’s Third Combat Power at the time. Who was the one who made it back alive?"

Back then, the Su Feng Team’s No. 1 Combat Power was Tang Zhengsu. The Second Combat Power was Tang Feng, who went missing in the fourth year of the Natural Disaster. The Third Combat Power was Hu Shaojiang. Tang Feng was never seen again after his disappearance and was presumed dead. Hu Shaojiang was also killed in action during a mission in the summer of Year Six of the Natural Disaster, a massive blow to the Su Feng Team’s strength. The Green Dragon Team arrived at Hui San Base that same summer, taking advantage of the Su Feng Team’s period of weakness and adjustment to rapidly establish a foothold.

"Xu Pin. The current vice-captain of the Su Feng Team." Tang Huai yawned again.

Xiaqing’s expression darkened. "I remember Xu Pin didn’t join Hui San Base until the summer of Year Six of the Natural Disaster."

"You sure know a lot. That’s right, it was right around then. You can smell the conspiracy, can’t you? I also think Xu Pin was the one who got Hu Shaojiang killed. Someone must have used a massive Yi Stone Mine as bait to lure Hu Shaojiang to the Divine Grass Shelf. Otherwise, what moron doesn’t know how dangerous that place is? It would make more sense to just spend points on an air filtration system than to risk your life mining for Yi Stones."