For example, Lady Yunyang did not control the amount of water used by the irrigation system at all. The heritage plants and vegetable seedlings received exactly the same amount of water.
For example, although Lady Yunyang kept records of the growth of the heritage plants and vegetable seedlings, she merely recorded their condition. She never adjusted the watering or sunlight levels based on those observations.
And then there was Lady Yunyang’s explanation for why her vegetable seedlings grew so quickly: she had used her ability to establish a Blessing Domain.
Looking over the key points in their notes, the researchers fell silent in thought.
Even if they knew all this, they did not dare follow her methods exactly.
The vegetables at the base were not nearly so easygoing. Give them a single extra drop of water one day, and they might just die on the spot.
How could they possibly be that casual?
The researchers had every reason to suspect that vegetables, too, treated different people differently.
Most importantly, after carefully studying the vegetables grown by Lady Yunyang, they discovered that only vegetables cultivated within the Blessing Domain could reduce a male’s contamination level.
Among all the beastmen in the Federation—including those brought back from beyond the frontier—there was not a second person with a blessing ability.
Even if they wanted to imitate her, they lacked the means.
Yunyang also realized that the reason her vegetable seedlings could reduce contamination was entirely due to her blessing ability.
Fortunately, once a Blessing Domain had been established, it could remain in place indefinitely as long as it was supplied with enough insect cores.
Yunyang simply took her ten beast husbands back to Central Star and set up Blessing Domains around the vegetable plots at the cultivation base.
One was not enough, so she absorbed more insect cores and created several more.
It took two days before the Blessing Domains covered half the base’s vegetable plots.
After that, Yunyang left everything to the cultivation base.
Artificially cultivated vegetables already grew quickly. With the added effect of the Blessing Domains, the first batch of experimental vegetables was ready to eat just half a month later.
The base immediately recruited a group of males with contamination levels above eighty through the StarNet to participate in the trial.
The results showed that vegetables grown within the Blessing Domains could indeed reduce a male’s contamination level—by as little as three points and as much as five points at a time. However, contamination could only be reduced this way once per day.
For the sake of greater rigor, the researchers recruited another group of males and had them consume vegetables grown under different conditions.
Half of the males ate vegetables grown within the Blessing Domains.
The other half ate vegetables grown outside them.
The only difference between the two types of vegetables was this one factor. Their water supply, sunlight exposure, and even the composition of the soil were exactly the same.
Once again, only the males who ate the blessed vegetables showed a reduction in contamination levels.
The researchers compiled the findings into clear data and, after receiving Si Zhao’s approval, published them on the StarNet.
The entire Federation was stunned.
At the same time, Si Zhao sent the research report to the space station in the Death Starfield.
The Federation had still not found a way to completely eliminate contamination, but having more methods available would at least ease the pressure on the researchers at the space station.
Yun Shaoqi’s father, Bai Ke, was one of the researchers at the space station.
It was also because of him that Yun Conglan lived at the space station with his other beast husbands.
So, as soon as Bai Ke learned the news, he told Yun Conglan.
“Female Lord, things aren’t so urgent on the research side anymore. Would you like to go back and see Yangyang?”
Yun Conglan shook her head. Although she was far away at the space base, she had been keeping up with the news on the StarNet.
Her daughter, Yangyang, was already a capable adult female who could stand on her own. She controlled an entire planet now; she was no longer a child who needed her mother worrying over her all the time.
More importantly, Yangyang now had ten beast husbands, while she herself had eight.
If she went back, they would only get in each other’s way.
Yun Conglan had spent far too many years living cautiously and holding herself back. For beastfolk with such strong desires, that had been nothing short of a disaster.
Compared to returning to see her daughter, she preferred staying at the space base with her beast husbands and enjoying her retirement.
Still, Yun Conglan did not forget to let Yunyang know that she was safe.
Perhaps in another ten or twenty years, once she had had her fill of fun, she would take her beast husbands and settle down on Planet H2978.
But not now.
She was Yangyang’s mother, but she was also Yun Conglan.
She liked her life as it was. Not even her own daughter could make her change it.
·
When Yunyang received Yun Conglan’s message, she was lying on Leonardo’s back, scrolling through videos.
Yun Conglan had not contacted her in a long time, so Yunyang immediately opened the message.
[My darling daughter, you probably already know about Mom’s situation, right?]
[Your fathers and I are living happily and safely over here. For the time being, we don’t want to return to the Federation.]
[Don’t worry about us. Just live well with your beast husbands.]
Yun Conglan had not said much, but Yunyang understood what she meant.
With a smile, she replied: [I understand, Mom. If you ever get tired of playing and want to come back, Planet H2978 will always welcome you.]
She was now the one in charge of Planet H2978. Of course there would be no problem if her mother wanted to move there.
Yun Conglan: [All right. Mom understands.]
[Sweetheart Yangyang, your father is fighting with Uncle Bai again. Mom is going to deal with it.]
Yunyang: “…”
Her father and Uncle Bai really could not go a single day without causing trouble.
Her own beast husbands were much better. They competed for her affection too, but they never brought their fights right in front of her.
Yunyang stretched lazily atop the little fox’s back, then looked up at the other beast husbands keeping watch nearby.
“I want grapes.”
All nine beast husbands rose to their feet at once.
“Female Lord, I’ll get them.”
Xuan Yu seized the initiative. Shifting into his beast form, he dashed toward the villa.
The others could only sit back down. But when Xuan Yu returned with the grapes, Fu Shiyi was the first to reach out. He picked up a grape, swiftly peeled it, and fed it to Yunyang.
Yunyang opened her mouth and deliberately drew Fu Shiyi’s fingertips in with the grape.
His fingertips were enveloped in warm softness. Fu Shiyi’s gaze flickered, but he still restrained himself and withdrew his hand, continuing to peel the next grape.
Yunyang had only meant to tease him, nothing more, so she soon focused on eating the grapes.
Ever since vegetables had become plentiful, two more orchards had been added to her estate. Now, fruit was freely available as well.
These grapes came from her own orchard. They were large, sweet, and seedless—ten thousand times more delicious than anything produced by the cultivation base.
Yunyang lay back against the little fox, eating grapes with such contentment that her eyes narrowed blissfully.
“Honestly, Yangyang—you’re sneaking grapes without inviting Zhiwei and me?”
At the familiar voice, Yunyang made no move to get up. She merely turned her head toward the entrance of the estate.
You Lu and Chu Zhiwei approached with smiles, casually handing the ingredients and drinks they had brought to Yunyang’s beast husbands.
The two of them did not need Yunyang to play hostess at all. They simply sat down on the chairs her husbands had brought over for them.
You Lu picked up a grape and peeled it for fun, her smiling gaze settling on Yunyang.
“Yangyang, what are we having for dinner tonight?”
Chu Zhiwei took a grape as well. As she ate it, she suggested, “How about hotpot?”
You Lu immediately agreed.
“Sure! But I want mine extra spicy!”
Yu Wenxu reminded her, “My lady, last time you had extra spicy, you felt unwell for three days.”
“I don’t care. I want it!”
Yu Wenxu gave a helpless smile. Since his lady liked it, all he could do was make sure the medicine was ready.
Chu Zhiwei thought for a moment. “Then I’d like spicy, but not too spicy.”
Yunyang sat up from Leonard’s back and counted on her fingers. “Then let’s have a three-section hotpot tonight: spicy, extra spicy, and clear broth.”
You Lu and Chu Zhiwei both asked, “What’s a three-section hotpot?”
Yunyang had been about to say it was based on a car logo, before remembering that the Federation no longer had such things as cars.
She could not help laughing, then explained, “It’s a hotpot divided into three sections, so we can have three different soup bases at once.”
You Lu raised her hand. “Then I want to cook pea shoots in the clear broth!”
Chu Zhiwei nodded enthusiastically. “Me too.”
Pea shoots were the most delicious when cooked in clear broth!
“You two are really going to wipe out all my pea shoots,” Yunyang said, pretending to be heartbroken, though she had already instructed Butler No. 5 to harvest some.
In the Federation, vegetables did not need to be planted according to the seasons. Once the pea shoots were eaten, they could simply grow more.
You only lived once—so enjoy life while you could.
