Du Xixi did not explicitly state it, but after sitting on the sofa with Mo Ying, she turned on the Light Computer and projected a few simple drawings she sketched in her spare time into the air. Although they looked quite simple, the main features were depicted, namely animals that could be eaten like chickens, ducks, and geese.
"This is..." Mo Ying saw Du Xixi smiling silently, gesturing her to look at the pictures. She leaned in to take a closer look. At first glance, it was nothing, but the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed. After thinking for a while, she finally recalled those fragments she was unwilling to remember from deep in her memory.
Mo Ying squinted, feeling her whole body subconsciously tense, and the blurred fragments in her mind grew increasingly clear—an unfeeling battlefield, the ferocious Insect Clan, and... sacrificed comrades, and herself being forced to withdraw from the battlefield.
"Sister Mo Ying, do you recognize them?" Du Xixi stared intensely at Mo Ying, her gaze full of expectation. She genuinely wanted to eat meat!
Mo Ying slowly turned her head to glance at her, took a deep breath, and opened her own Light Computer. After tapping a few times, she projected some photos next to Du Xixi's drawings.
Du Xixi looked up, her pupils slightly contracting.
If Du Xixi's drawings were as childlike as kindergarten sketches, then Mo Ying's photos were undoubtedly a portrayal of reality—a boar with tusks, a rooster with its large comb turned into pointed spikes, a green duck with enormous webbed feet that would leave a big pit with each step...
How could these be so different from the animals in her memory!
Du Xixi: ... Can these still be eaten?
"Their names differ, but they all belong to the same species—Insect Clan!"
As Mo Ying spoke, she withdrew the photos and switched to a video: On the screen, a pig about three or four stories tall was howling wildly, its body as stout as seven or eight people combined. In front of it was a team of soldiers, attacking it with their weapons, yet it was unfazed, charging straight ahead, lifting the soldiers, and when they fell to the ground, pressing down hard, crushing them into minced meat.
After watching the video, Du Xixi instinctively covered her mouth and nose, but she couldn't help the fear welling up inside and the churning in her stomach, turning her head to retch for quite a while.
Meeting Mo Ying's concerned gaze, Du Xixi's eyes were slightly red, even filled with tears: "Is this what Ke Lian and the others have to face?"
The original owner of the body was not in good health, protected at home by Du's father and Du Mu, a proper lady, with no direct contact with the world's good and evil. To put it nicely, the original owner was naive and well-intentioned; bluntly, she was too innocent.
In her memory, the original owner had never been in contact with or even heard of anything about the Insect Clan, so Du Xixi's reaction at this moment was so intense.
Du Xixi dared not look at the frozen video frames again, but those shocking scenes had already settled in the depths of her mind, occasionally surfacing, which made Du Xixi's complexion increasingly unpleasant, and her concern for Ke Lian's safety on the battlefield grew.
Seeing Du Xixi's genuine worry for Ke Lian's safety, Mo Ying smiled inwardly but kept her face gentle: "Yes, but you don't need to worry too much. The Marshal's strength is formidable, and the Empire's army assigned to him is top-notch, so nothing will happen."
Though she said so, Du Xixi didn't need Mo Ying to say much to understand that the Insect Clan requiring the Marshal to personally battle must be much stronger than those in the video.
But seeing Mo Ying sincerely comforting her, Du Xixi could only relax her expression outwardly and shelve the anxious concern in her heart.
Seeing this, Mo Ying also felt relieved.
Du Xixi raised her eyebrows and glanced at the video again, whispering: "Sister Mo Ying, has anyone eaten these Insect Clan?"
"No one has..." Mo Ying hesitated. Their Military Department always stayed away from the Insect Clan, sparing no effort when facing them, just to kill them. Precisely because of the Insect Clan's immense lethality, every encounter resulted in significant losses for the Military Department. Who would have the inclination to eat them?
Du Xixi's facial expression suddenly darkened a bit, and her tone was quite distressed: "I see..."
Mo Ying seemed to have a flash of something in her mind, and her mouth worked faster than her brain, continuing, "But I heard the Cultural Relics Bureau seemed quite interested in the Insect Clan, frequently sending people to the battlefield to collect their corpses and even raised a few young Insect Clan."
After speaking, Mo Ying bit her tongue slightly in annoyance but didn't regret it much in her heart. Matters concerning the Cultural Relics Bureau ought not to be mentioned to outsiders, but since Du Xixi married Ke Lian, her background certainly has been investigated, so there's no need to hide the Cultural Relics Bureau's dealings from her.
So let it be said.
Cultural Relics Bureau! Du Xixi's eyes instantly brightened. She remembered the Cultural Relics Bureau. Currently, in the Star Era, the few remaining recipes were found by them.
Though the taste was hard to describe, it was out of interest in gastronomy that they ventured to produce recipes. Now that they're researching Insect Clan, could it be that the meat of the Insect Clan might actually be edible?
Du Xixi, emboldened, glanced at the video a few more times, feeling more and more excited. Maybe these Insect Clan were merely mutated chickens, ducks, and geese, with their forms and powers changed.
Hmm, her appetite had also improved greatly.
"Um..." Du Xixi had a bold idea, rolling her eyes, "Sister Mo Ying, is there any way I could get one of the Insect Clan?"
"Hmm?" Mo Ying widened her eyes, seemingly puzzled about Du Xixi's motive for wanting an Insect Clan, but the aroma of the rice reminded her. Could it be...
"You want to make something delicious like the rice porridge?"
Mo Ying wasn't a fool. She had been invincible on the battlefield. If it weren't for the collapse of her spiritual power while saving a comrade, she might still be roaming some battlefield today.
Although the higher-ups required her to stay away from the battlefield to ensure safety and transferred her to the logistics department, she had some connections with the Cultural Relics Bureau and naturally knew their purpose for wanting the Insect Clan.
Du Xixi's porridge was incredibly delicious, and if she wanted the Insect Clan, maybe she could make some very delicious food with it too!
Du Xixi nodded, her eyes bright and fixed on Mo Ying, full of anticipation for her agreement.
Unfortunately...
"I'm sorry, the Insect Clan's destructive power is too great, and the young Insect Clan in the Cultural Relics Bureau are monitored around the clock. I can't ensure your safety here, so..."
Mo Ying shrugged, flashing a very apologetic smile. For Du Xixi's safety, Mo Ying couldn't agree to this request, which was her responsibility toward Du Xixi.
"I see..." Du Xixi pouted. Though a bit saddened, she knew Mo Ying's reply was the correct one. She couldn't jeopardize her safety just to explore making new dishes.
Seeing Du Xixi looking so dejected, Mo Ying chuckled softly, patting her head as she leaned in and said, "Considering how pitiful you are, I can take you for a visit to the Cultural Relics Bureau."
Du Xixi raised her eyebrows, looking puzzled at her. Visiting the Cultural Relics Bureau, could it mend her little heart broken by the inability to eat meat?
Seeing this, Mo Ying laughed loudly, almost unable to resist giving Du Xixi a bopping on the head: "Silly! The Cultural Relics Bureau has a lot of Insect Clan meat; using a little of it wouldn't matter!"
"Thank you, Sister Mo Ying!"