Although the number of purification slots had increased, the hours spent at the Purification Tower remained unchanged.
Every afternoon at three, Yunyang would meet her two close friends in You Lu’s residential district, and the three of them would head to the Purification Tower together.
Over on the Frontier Planet, Qin Mo and the other two maintained a schedule of video calls with Yunyang once every two days.
None of them mentioned anything about the battlefield. They only told Yunyang not to worry and assured her that they were safe.
Their habit of reporting only good news and keeping the bad to themselves was remarkably consistent.
Yunyang did not ask about it either. If something truly happened to her beastmen husbands, someone would naturally inform her.
For example, Commander Lei Ou.
After her first call with Qin Mo, Yunyang discovered that she did not have the commander of the 23rd Army on her contacts, so she asked Leo to put her in touch with him.
Now, she had not only added Leo, Leonardo’s superior, but also Wu Zhengming, Commander of the 3rd Army, and Sheng Li, Commander of the 23rd Army.
Qin Mo and the other two had already publicly revealed their identities as Yunyang’s beastmen husbands on the Star Network.
As a result, Yunyang did not need to say anything herself. Qin Mo and the others naturally received special attention from their beloved commanders.
Of course, Cang Zhuonian himself was already one of the 3rd Army members most closely watched by Wu Zhengming.
While Qin Mo and the other two served the Federation on the Frontier Planet, Yunyang was doing her part on the Central Star.
The military would not leave the beastmen as ignorant caged birds, so every day, Yunyang could learn about the state of the war from the military’s official accounts.
To be honest, the beastmen had no advantage.
This assault by the Insect Race was fiercer than any attack in the past two years.
Casualties were unavoidable, and countless males saw their contamination levels skyrocket.
Purification Towers across the various planets received large numbers of highly contaminated Federation soldiers.
The three of them could not be everywhere at once and could only take care of the Central Star. Fortunately, they were not the only three females in the Federation.
Other females also went to the Purification Towers on their respective planets to help. They could not purify S-rank ability users, but there were far more ability users below S-rank, and those were people they could purify.
Besides Yunyang and her friends, several more females had joined the Purification Tower on the Central Star.
One of them was Adaina Lawrence, Yun Zhanming’s female.
The first time Yunyang encountered Adaina at the Purification Tower, she specifically asked whether she had found Camilla.
Adaina shook her head. “Not yet. But a few days ago, the Empress told me that Camilla is safe, so I shouldn’t worry.”
Hearing those familiar words, Yunyang suddenly had a feeling that Camilla and her mother might be in the same place.
And that place… if her guess was correct, was probably outside the Federation’s star domain.
Still, as long as her family was safe, that was enough. Yunyang did not have the time or energy to dwell on it for now.
On the tenth day after Qin Mo and the other two returned to the Frontier Planet, Yunyang got her period.
Although she had taken painkillers in advance and felt no physical discomfort, Yunyang still chose to sleep alone.
After taking a shower, she received a video call request from Leonardo.
Yunyang sat on the bed and accepted the call.
The familiar little fox appeared within the pale-blue holographic screen.
This was the first time Leonardo had used his beast form to video-call her in all these days, so Yunyang could not help but worry. “Leon, has your contamination level gone above ninety?”
Once the contamination level exceeded ninety, it became very difficult to maintain human form.
The little fox shook his head. His eyes were still the familiar emerald green Yunyang knew so well.
Only then did Yunyang relax. As usual, she asked, “How was your day? Were you injured?”
Almost at the exact moment she spoke, Leo, who had not contacted her on his own until now, suddenly sent her a message.
【Lady Yunyang, Leonardo has gone missing. Can you reach him?】
An S-rank healing ability user was no less valuable on the battlefield than an SS- or SSS-rank combat ability user. Therefore, the moment Leonardo disappeared, the captain of his squad reported it to Leo.
While ordering people to search for Leonardo, Leo had not forgotten to contact Yunyang.
When she saw Leo’s message, Yunyang froze and instinctively asked, “Leon, where are you right now?”
On the holographic screen, the little fox’s body blocked almost the entire background. The tiny portions visible around the edges were pitch-black.
Given Yunyang’s familiarity with T01, she could not distinguish where he was at all.
“Female Lord, don’t worry about me. I’m perfectly safe.”
The little fox spoke in a lowered voice, avoiding the question of where he was.
Yunyang could tell that he did not want to say. She did not press him, since she could find out from Commander Lei Ou afterward anyway.
For now, she simply replied to Leo:
【I can reach him. He’s safe at the moment. Commander Lei Ou, you don’t need to worry.】
The little fox spoke again. “Female Lord, the Insect Queen’s injuries keep getting worse. It’s dying.”
Yunyang: “!”
Her eyes widened instantly.
Seeing that the little fox still wanted to continue, she did not interrupt him.
“That’s why the Insect Race’s attack has been so fierce this time. The Insect Queen knows that a female’s mental power can improve the Insect Race’s healing abilities, so it wants to seize the Federation and capture the females.”
Yunyang could not help asking, “How did the Insect Race find out?”
The Empress had always arranged for people to keep watch, and there truly were no traitors within the Federation. So how had the Insect Race learned of this?
“It seems to be the special ability of a female insect.” Even the little fox was not entirely certain.
A female insect?
Yunyang’s brows furrowed.
The Insect Queen would never allow any other female insects to exist. Whenever a female insect appeared among the larvae, the Insect Queen would devour it as nourishment.
How could there be a female insect with a special ability besides the Insect Queen?
“Female Lord, what I mean is that nearly two-thirds of the Insect Race’s forces are currently on the Frontier Planet. Perhaps the Federation can take this opportunity to completely exterminate the Insect Queen.”
“Leon, how do you know all this?” Yunyang sensed the deeper meaning behind his words. “Where are you right now? Are you in danger?”
If he was not in danger, the little fox could have simply returned to the command post and told Commander Lei Ou instead of telling her first.
“Leonardo, answer me.”
“If you don’t answer, I’ll immediately have the Marriage Center dissolve our match!”
Yunyang knew exactly how to force Leonardo to speak. Being unloved or abandoned by one’s female lord was something no male could easily accept.
The little fox’s green eyes flickered as he looked at Yunyang hesitantly.
He should not tell his female lord. She would worry.
But if he did not tell her, she might truly divorce him.
He could not accept that possibility.
The little fox remained silent for a long time—so long that Yunyang thought he would refuse to answer.
At last, he said softly, “I’m inside an Insect Race base.”
Before Yunyang could question him, he hurriedly explained, “Female Lord, don’t worry. I’m wearing equipment that conceals my presence, so the insects haven’t discovered me for now. I’ll return to the base in a little while. I promise nothing will happen!”
Yunyang was so shocked that she did not know what to say.
How reckless was the little fox? He had actually dared to go alone into an Insect Race base.
Did he have a death wish?!
No wonder he had been hemming and hawing from the beginning, refusing to tell her where he was.
Yunyang took a deep breath and did her best to calm herself.
When she spoke again, all warmth had vanished from her expression. “Leonardo, I don’t care what other information you’re trying to find out. Return to the military base immediately—at top speed!”
“That’s an order!”
