Long Nü gestured toward the man who had just spoken to her, and he scurried over to where we stood. Long Nü pointed at him. "This is Ru Shou; he's a power systems specialist. He fixed the main reactor on the Hass ship."

I shook hands with the expert of the unusual name, then asked Long Nü, "Are the others unwilling to serve Tai Hao?"

Long Nü replied, "Ru Shou said Hass has their sweethearts held captive. If they rebel, they’ll endanger the people they care about."

Since the concept of 'wife' didn't exist in this era, we had to use terms like sweetheart or lover. I said, "Tell everyone to come with us without worry. Their women will follow shortly. I’ll entrust this task to Zhu Da; his specialty is organized crime. Dealing with one Hass won't be a problem."

When we returned to Dragon Mountain City with control of all the ships and a group of scientists, we were given a grand welcome. After more than a month of recovery work, Dragon Mountain City was vibrant again, bustling with joyful activity everywhere. Long Nü suddenly remarked, "Has everyone noticed that all the people are wearing clothes?"

Ailena looked perplexed. "Is that important? If they're clothed, they can just take them off when the time comes for... other activities."

Long Nü shook her head. "I’m not talking about that. Brother Long Xi and I discussed the marriage law. Implementing it completely overnight will be difficult, but we can slowly shift people's thinking. The first step is clearly distinguishing humans from animals, and wearing clothes is a vital part of that. You all know that previously, wearing clothes was voluntary; no one cared if you were naked or dressed."

Ailena observed, "Six thousand years from now, walking upright is one of the markers of human appearance. But here, you can't tell man from beast; the Beastmen can walk upright too. It seems from now on, the only way to distinguish humans from animals will be by whether they are clothed or not."

Long Nü stated, "The rebels manufactured a massive number of clones and Beastmen, and they are scattered all over the world. It’s unrealistic to kill them all, and besides, we cannot commit such inhuman acts. Therefore, Tai Hao’s citizens will now include clones and Beastmen in addition to humans."

As we walked toward the palace, I asked Long Nü, "Are you planning to continue creating clones?"

Long Nü shook her head. "Brother Long Xi discussed it with Bai and Xue, and they decided to destroy all the technology related to cloning. After all, natural reproduction is the way for humanity to survive. Moreover, cloning technology is fundamentally flawed. Although those replicated clones can grow to maturity quickly, their lifespans are extremely short, and their intellects are very muddled. They will never adapt to Earth’s development. As for the existing clones and Beastmen, we can only let time phase them out."

I nodded. "Perhaps that is a good plan."

Long Nü continued, "The next steps are to prohibit public intimacy among humans, followed by promulgating the marriage law. It might seem like we are suppressing humanity's natural reproductive instincts, but to end this era of species confusion as soon as possible, we have no choice. Furthermore, I think the marriage law is good—it offers protection to women and also imposes constraints on you men."

Ailena interjected from the side, "Restraining everyone else won't restrain our husband, though."

Long Xi himself came to the palace gates to greet us. A grand banquet followed. After the feast, Long Xi engaged in a lengthy discussion with the scientists we brought back. I took Long Nü and Ailena to find Bai and Xue.

These two were practically old friends. Xue, now wearing clothes, was even more captivating. She and Long Nü were quite close, and they held hands, conversing privately for a long time, which left the three of us terribly bored. We couldn't communicate with Bai at all; not a single word passed between us.

I reminded Long Nü, "Don't get so caught up talking. The crucial thing is the wound on your neck—don't you care about yourself at all?"

Long Nü smiled, "Isn't it enough that you care about me?"

Long Nü pointed to the wound on her neck and began explaining to Xue. Xue examined it closely, her expression growing solemn. She told Long Nü that an in-depth examination in the sterile computation room was necessary. The three of them then entered the sterile chamber. Soon after, Bai emerged alone. Ailena and I were confused. Bai shrugged and returned to his own work.

After a long wait, Long Nü and Xue finally came out. Long Nü's face was somewhat pale. I anxiously asked, "What is it? How is it?"

Long Nü said, "Dragon Envoy, I have bad news. I’ve been infected by a strange virus. While it won't kill me immediately, Xue says this virus was specifically developed by them for the rebels—it's a parasitic mutation virus. When it flares up, it dramatically boosts the host's physical capabilities, increasing combat power dozens of times over in a short period, and the host feels no pain, only the drive to attack. This virus has side effects, too. Because it's derived from the genes of various species, irradiated and mutated, the host's body will slowly be controlled by the virus, eventually transforming into various creatures."

Damn! So the mutation virus was created by these two naked scientists right here! And before Long Nü was bitten by the Man-Faced Wolf, she was capable of being intimate with me! What a waste. If only I had rescued her sooner, if she hadn't been harmed by the Man-Faced Wolf, we could have shared a beautiful union!

"Long Nü, are you leaning towards turning into a cat or a snake? I still prefer cats."

Ailena stomped viciously on my foot. "Zhao Qian! Are you insane? Long Nü is infected, and you say things like that! Do you love her or not?"

Long Nü laughed instead. "Nana, thank you for caring so much about me. The Dragon Envoy saying that surely means he has a way to save me. Can't you even see that?"

Ailena suddenly realized. "That’s right; he cares about you so much, he wouldn't joke about this. Oh, Zhao Qian, the virus in Long Nü isn't the same type you discovered six thousand years later, is it? Thank goodness you two didn't consummate anything; you should thank me, or you might have actually shot Long Nü to death!"

I retorted, "I will certainly 'thank' you properly later. Based on the description of the pathology, it appears identical, but I’d need to examine the live virus to be certain."

Long Nü explained, "According to Xue, the virus is present in all the rebels’ clones and Beastmen, but it won't manifest without the necessary activation conditions. That’s why I haven’t mutated until now. The trigger wasn't set by Bai or Xue, but by Kang Hui himself, and the live virus is in Kang Hui’s possession."

I clenched my fist. "That bastard Kang Hui again! I’ll kill him sooner or later! Long Nü, don't worry. We're going to a place in Africa where they have a miraculous healing medicine that can destroy this virus. You'll be fine."

Long Nü, who had been deeply distraught, now threw herself happily into my arms. "Dragon Envoy, I am so happy. I don't know if I'd have the courage to live without you."

Holding her, I asked, "Why did Bai come out by himself earlier?"

Long Nü replied, "Xue asked me to undress for the examination. Do you think I’d allow him to see me then? I am your Dragon Envoy’s woman."

I affirmed firmly, "That’s right. My woman is absolutely not allowed to suffer any harm. Let’s go to Africa immediately!"