Chapter 132

In response to Fang Junye's blunt statement, Lu Yinghuai appeared calm and composed, but Yuanyuan, out of anger, only showed the white wolf her leopard backside with her tail bristling.

The large white wolf guiltily pulled its tail out of the healer's grasp, handing the healer back to the petty leopard.

Yuanyuan quickly placed her tail in Xia You's hand, swiftly securing a favorable position.

Xia You looked up at the mature and steady-looking Lu Yinghuai, then back down to pet the tsundere Yuanyuan, utterly charmed by her cuteness.

After some chat between the two and the wolf, Lu Yinghuai asked, "Professor, we came here specifically to survey the energy stone vein. Would you like to accompany us, or should we pick you up after we leave the protected area?"

The white wolf's condition is rather complex; it's best to treat it back at the Blue Star base.

Xia You still harbored suspicions that the large white wolf's retained sanity might be due to its proximity to the energy stone vein.

The large white wolf paused for a moment, pondering for a while before typing: [You go ahead. I need to settle the wolf pack first.]

[Later, I'll set off the alarm myself and wait for the hibernation center to fetch me.]

Although he assembled this wolf pack for his own reasons, his initial plan was just to have the pack help him steal ammunition from around the energy stone mine site, then direct them away from the soon-to-be-exploded vein.

These wolves, like his soldiers, if Fang Junye chose to lead them, he wouldn't let them die in vain.

If he were to leave, he'd need to find a suitable lead wolf and a safe territory for the pack.

Just as he once did for the Fifth Legion.

*

The computer warned of an approaching blizzard. The large white wolf led the pack to shelter, while Xia You and her party remained in their tent, waiting out the storm and studying the Blue Star map given by Uncle Zhou.

Xia You shared her concerns about the unusual behavior of the white wolf with Meng Wenxuan. They debated over it for a while on the communicator, neither convincing the other.

Meng Wenxuan struggled to understand Xia You's perspective, equating the insect race with humans. He believed the energy stones became contaminated due to a zombie virus infecting the insect race.

In the perception of imperial citizens, the insect race is considered an underdeveloped species, devoid of reason, incapable of communication, driven only by an instinct to consume and conquer.

Even a rational researcher like Meng Wenxuan harbored deep-seated disdain and hatred for the insect race.

Xia You sighed, lowering her gaze to the two maps laid out before her.

Lu Yinghuai pulled Xia You into his embrace, offering her a cup of water.

Yuanyuan lay beside Xia You. A little farther away, Latiao was sleeping soundly, its little blanket, once covering its belly, now kicked aside by its tiger paws.

Xia You took the cup from Lu Yinghuai, leaning into his embrace, murmuring, "I still believe... perhaps the insect race, like humans, are victims too."

"Uncle Zhou mentioned that when he saw the insect queen on Blue Star, she appeared severely injured and weak, and the birthing insects died soon after."

"It made me think of the graft-versus-host response documented in insect genetics."

Both the Empire and the Federation have been at war with the insect race for too long, and the insect corpses retrieved from battlefields were extensively used for research to develop countermeasures.

The insect race has a strong rejection response to foreign elements. Unlike humans, who can mitigate such reactions with drugs, the insect race's bodies exhibit an intense rejection tendency with a clear self-destructive behavior.

The military once researched this aspect for weaponry. Unfortunately, while the insect bodies are indeed incredibly resilient and have a dangerous rejection property, no virus or bacteria has been found to trigger their self-destructive response.

Lu Yinghuai listened silently. After a sip of water, Xia You paused and said, "I may not have the extensive knowledge of Doctor Meng, but isn't research about setting aside biases, proposing hypotheses, and testing them objectively?"

If we adopt such a hypothesis, things would seem clearer and simpler. Why, then, is Meng Wenxuan even more convinced that this is a deliberate plan and retaliation by the insect race?

Lu Yinghuai gently kissed Xia You's earlobe, speaking in a calm tone, "Because he has witnessed the horrors of war."

"War creates separation, death, and pain, but it also fosters the most profound and enduring hatred."

"War is the embodiment of humanity's darker nature, even when faced with an external threat."

"Not all sacrifices carry equal weight or merit."

"Frontline warriors are propelled by valor and accolades. They yearn for victory, for distinction, for peace after the war, and they fight for it. However, those tending to the wounded in the rear only see the casualties and the fallen."

"This is why, during military campaigns, medical personnel must undergo regular psychological assessments. Their need for emotional support often exceeds that of the soldiers."

"Xiaoyu, the Imperial Star is far from the frontier."

Lu Yinghuai's tone held neither discontent nor frustration; he simply stated a fact calmly.

As Xia You tilted her head back, Lu Yinghuai's fingers caressed her taut neck, pressing lightly on the prominence of her Adam's apple.

"So far that the brutality and hatred of war are lost amidst the vast expanse of the galaxy."

Those who have never truly experienced war only resent the existence of the insect race and lament the cost of conflict.

The nobility, however, remains indulgent, reveling in their merriment.

"Moreover, if the insect race became victims of viral parasites due to residing on the Blue Star, consider this, Xiaoyu — why did the insect queen ascend to Blue Star so stealthily and choose to give birth there?"

Xia You's lips tightened, her Adam's apple trembling beneath Lu Yinghuai's touch.

He suddenly realized how naive his previous statement had been.

The reason the insect queen chose the Blue Star is glaringly evident.

Despite its remote location, the Blue Star is still within the empire's borders, surrounded by wormholes that allow swift interstellar travel.

If the insect race captures the Blue Star, they could potentially flank the empire during wartime, catching it off guard.

If such a scheme succeeded, the peace the empire now enjoys would never have materialized.

"I..."

Xia You looked somewhat remorseful: "I just feel that if the insect race hadn't invaded the Blue Star, this disaster might have been avoided."

Lu Yinghuai chuckled softly, caressing the back of Xia You's head, and murmured, "Xiaoyu, as an imperial general, I'm actually grateful that the Blue Star intercepted the insect queen. Even though it led to the contamination of the energy stones, it allowed Uncle Zhou to obtain a sample of the queen's psychic energy, significantly weakening the federation's strength."

"More so, it possibly diminished the insect queen's power, allowing me to successfully ambush her on the battlefield at that time."

"The period of recovery and rapid progress following this war is crucial for the empire."

"However, as a researcher, Wenxuan should indeed adopt a more objective perspective."

Before Lu Yinghuai finished speaking, a notification tone emanated from Xia You's smart device.

It was a message from Meng Wenxuan.

[Although I don't agree with your speculation, I've run simulations and extrapolations. There's a possibility it might be accurate. I need the insect queen's psychic energy sample—the fake one has been dispatched for quite some time now. You know what I mean, right?]

Xia You cast a suspicious glance at Lu Yinghuai.

Lu Yinghuai whispered, "My hands were on you the whole time; I definitely didn't message him."

Xia You felt Lu Yinghuai's hands and glanced at the paws resting beneath the leopard's head, realizing the truth.

After reading the incoming message, Xia You replied to Meng Wenxuan: [Arrive at Blue Star in two days. Come with the energy stone transport. Major General Wei Cheng will pick you up.]

The fake sample created by Meng Wenxuan retained its activity for only a brief period. In the end, Uncle Zhou pointed Wei Cheng to a wormhole near the Blue Star, leading directly to the federation, ensuring timely delivery of the fake sample to Yin Wei.

Of course, after this event, that wormhole would undoubtedly be taken over and monitored by the empire.

Meng Wenxuan, eagerly awaiting Xia You's message, promptly replied: [I'll come pick it up!]

Meng Wenxuan didn't send any more messages, likely off to find Wei Cheng.

The sound of the howling wind and snow outside could be heard beating against the tent.

Enveloped in Lu Yinghuai's scent, Xia You felt a drowsy sense of security.

He slept deeply, but his dreams were far from pleasant.

He dreamt of the Blue Star after the great disaster.

Following humanity's great migration, animals and plants soon became extinct, leaving behind only a wasteland, a testament to human existence, and endless hordes of zombies.

With no fresh flesh to feed on, the zombies began to attack and consume their decaying kin, absorbing energy cores, giving birth to higher-level zombie kings.

However, soon enough, the more sentient zombie kings realized that allowing zombies to devour each other would only produce more of their kind, threatening their own existence.

The zombie kings demarcated their territories. Within these domains, zombies roamed, clustering around their respective kings. Periodically, a zombie would be consumed to satiate the hunger, with its core essence absorbed by the king.

Though she had never witnessed such scenes before, Xia You felt as if she was amidst the devoured zombies. At times, she was a boy, sometimes a woman, occasionally a zombie cat, now and then a skeletal tiger, at other moments an old man, and at others still, a man...

Gazing upon the wasteland teeming with the walking dead, Xia You realized that these zombies wouldn’t last long on Blue Star.

This was because there were no more beings left on Blue Star to transform into zombies.

Yet before the zombies could meet their own end, Blue Star began its self-purification. Tsunamis, earthquakes, typhoons... Amidst the raging fury of natural disasters, Xia You's vision plunged into darkness, her body and consciousness trapped in an airless confinement, motionless, voiceless, lost in prolonged despair.

"Xia You?"

A faint call echoed. Xia You's eyes snapped open, grasping Lu Yinghuai's clothes, breathing desperately as if she had been drowning or suffocating.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Lu Yinghuai, gazing down at her sweat-drenched face showing signs of lingering fear, held her close.

Struggling to steady her breathing, Xia You shook her head in a daze.

After a moment, she whispered, "Your Highness, what... what exactly is the zombie virus?"

It was undoubtedly a catastrophe. But was this calamity a punishment from Blue Star to humanity or a disaster humans had brought upon themselves?

"It's history," Lu Yinghuai responded. "History that we must not repeat."

Xia You remained silent for a long while before leaning into Lu Yinghuai's embrace, and after a moment, she murmured in agreement.

***

After the snowstorm, when the great white wolf returned, it no longer had the pack behind it. However, it carried something furry in its mouth from afar.

It wasn't until the white wolf approached and spat out what it held onto the ground, nudging it with its snout.

[Is this someone from your First Legion?]

Lu Yinghuai's gaze sharpened as he crouched down to scan with his device. The creature's features perfectly matched those of the owl that had vanished after its identity had been usurped.

"Where did you find this?" Lu Yinghuai inquired.

The white wolf swished its tail: [Found it on my way. It had the legion's insignia scratched beside it with its claws. Quite a clever little one.]

Inside the Blue Star base, iris and genetic checks were everywhere. Federation spies wanting to move freely would surely choose to keep the real owl close at hand.

Clearly, this owl had found a way to escape, but it's baffling how it ended up in the polar region, miles away from the base.

As for its human counterpart, we would only know once the companion beast awakens.

After returning from the protected zone, Xia You had learned many procedures to examine the health of companion beasts. She expertly checked the owl's physical and mental conditions and sighed in relief, "It seems to have been drugged and partially frozen. Fortunately, it was found in time. Its mental state is currently stable. Let's bring it back to the base for treatment."

The white wolf gave its fur a shake, stretching out and presenting its neck towards Xia You.

Xia You: "?"

Seeing her not understanding, the white wolf resorted to typing with its paw: [Attach a pouch to me, I'll carry this bird back.]

[This climate isn't suitable for it. If it stays, it might turn into an ice sculpture.]

Keeping it in his mouth wasn’t ideal either; the wolf feared accidentally swallowing it with a yawn.

Grasping the situation, Xia You rummaged through her spatial ring, pulling out a fluffy, soft scarf. She wound it twice around the white wolf's neck and gently nestled the unconscious owl amidst the warm and thick fur.

The wolf’s pristine white fur, piercing gaze, and white scarf outlined in pale gold.

This matched the platinum and white uniform of the Fifth Legion.

Fang Junye looked down at the scarf. Whether by intent or coincidence, he greatly appreciated the platinum shade Xia You had chosen for him.

Just as he was about to motion the duo and their cats to leave for more pressing matters, Lu Yinghuai took a step forward, standing before him and kneeling on one knee.

The white wolf was taken aback.

From his spatial ring, Lu Yinghuai retrieved a badge symbolizing the Fifth Legion. With a gentle yet solemn motion, he pinned it to the platinum-trimmed scarf on the wolf’s chest.

"Master," Lu Yinghuai said with a smile, "They've been waiting for you."

……

The aircraft from the Dormancy Center arrived swiftly, preparing to land on a nearby patch of land in a matter of minutes.

The white wolf said its goodbyes, giving Yuan Yuan a lick with its tongue, then began striding towards the aircraft.

Just then, amidst the frosty snow and icy winds, a prolonged wolf howl pierced the air, cutting across the horizon, sweeping past the frost and snow, resonating beside their leading wolf.

Gradually, the grey wolves settled by the great white wolf began to emerge around the hillside. They did not approach but watched the white wolf from afar, their postures suggesting understanding, as they began to howl.

A chorus of howls rose, intermingling and echoing across the wilderness.

The white wolf turned to the pack, its chest heaving. Then, joining the farewell, it let out a long, resonant howl.

As the howl subsided, the massive white wolf grinned, its metallic badge gleaming amidst the snow.

The white wolf then turned away and, under the watchful eyes of the pack, strode toward the aircraft where figures awaited. It never looked back.