Lu Wanqing's expression changed slightly, filled with surprise, as she saw the little girl's arms transform into branches.
However, she was more curious about the meaning of "berserker" that her third brother had mentioned.
And what did this tree-like woman mean by not going to the main city and not harming others? Did berserkers harm others?
The little girl, seeing Lu Yang not letting go of her mother, remembered crying and suddenly burst into loud sobs.
Lu Wanqing's heart panicked, and she rushed to go over.
Xavier grabbed her.
"Be careful," Xavier warned.
Someone that Tianxing feared so much wouldn't be simple.
Lu Wanqing also hesitated. She turned to look at her third brother.
Lu Yang was silent for a moment, then finally released the tree woman.
With her freedom regained, the tree woman's branches instantly wrapped around her daughter, and with a whoosh, she retracted into the forest, disappearing.
Only Lu Wanqing and the others remained.
Little Harvey looked towards the forest, his eyes wide with curiosity. That little sister was so pretty; he liked her a lot!
Lu Wanqing looked at her third brother and couldn't help but ask, "Third brother, what does berserker mean?"
Lu Yang didn't reply. He looked at the prey and wild vegetables in Lu Wanqing's hands and said, "We have enough for today. Let's go back first."
Lu Wanqing was a little worried, looking in the direction of the forest. That little girl from before...
She was so young; would she be able to survive in the forest?
Even if she survived, life would be very difficult, wouldn't it?
However, this matter was clearly not simple. Lu Wanqing suppressed her urge to ask further and nodded in agreement, "Okay."
"Uncle, do that sister and her mommy live in the forest?" Little Harvey finally couldn't resist. He trotted along, following his uncle, and asked curiously.
Lu Yang looked at Little Harvey and nodded, "Yes."
Little Harvey frowned. He couldn't help but look back at the forest. "Can they survive?"
The forest was very dangerous. Back when he was in the forest with his father, their space pirate group was powerful, yet they were often ambushed by mutated animals and plants. It was very difficult.
"We'll talk about it when we get back," Lu Yang said.
Lu Yang didn't elaborate. It wasn't until they returned to the camp that he slowly began to explain the concept of berserkers to everyone.
Everyone in Tianxing knew that mutations could lead to increased power. Or rather, most people on Tianxing were more powerful than normal humans. They had undergone excellent mutations; some possessed special abilities, and some were very long-lived. Generally, such mutated individuals had difficulty reproducing.
But difficulty in reproduction did not mean impossibility. A very small number of people would be lucky enough to have offspring.
However, their offspring might not necessarily inherit the same excellent mutated genes. Those with extreme luck might inherit excellent mutated genes like their parents.
Those with average luck might just be ordinary people.
Those with bad luck, which was the vast majority... the offspring's genes might become disordered, leading to a complete loss of reason, like a madman, prone to attacking others. These genetically disordered and terrifyingly aggressive mutants were called berserkers.
Berserkers were dangerous beings. Throughout thousands of years of history, there had been countless incidents of berserkers harming people, big and small. In the most terrifying incident, one berserker had massacred an entire city, resulting in rivers of blood.
Subsequently, Tianxing enacted a rule: once a berserker was discovered, they would be apprehended and executed.
Lu Wanqing's heart suddenly clenched. "It's that terrifying?"
Lu Yang nodded. "Yes."
Lu Wanqing suddenly thought of the mother and daughter she had seen in the forest. If they hadn't approached, perhaps the other party could have lived in this forest forever. As long as they didn't go to the main city, they wouldn't harm others.
But then Lu Wanqing suddenly remembered that they had come here at the arrangement of Ouyang Jian...
Ouyang Jian was the City Lord of Tianxing. Did he really not know about the existence of berserkers here? Or was Ouyang Jian deliberately sending them here?
"Third brother, is there any way to resolve the situation with berserkers?" Lu Wanqing couldn't help but ask, her thoughts racing.
She had a hunch that all of this might have been deliberately arranged by Ouyang Jian.
Ouyang Jian was good friends with her third brother. If her third brother truly had a way to deal with berserkers, then Ouyang Jian sending them here was likely to enlist their help in resolving the berserker problem in this area.
Lu Yang looked at Qingqing. After a long moment, he raised his hand and indulgently rubbed her head. His Qingqing was so smart.
"I'll talk to Ouyang Jian," Lu Yang said.
Lu Wanqing: "..."
After speaking, Lu Yang turned and returned to his room, then opened his light computer and initiated a communication with Ouyang Jian.
City Lord's Mansion.
Ouyang Jian had anticipated this moment. The moment the communication came through, he answered.
Ouyang Jian's projection appeared before Lu Yang.
Lu Yang asked, "What is their relationship with you?"
Having lived for over three thousand years, neither of them was a benevolent person; kindhearted people wouldn't live this long. More importantly, the issue of berserkers on Tianxing wasn't a recent one. Ouyang Jian wouldn't have asked for his help before, and he shouldn't be asking him to act for people he didn't know now, unless... that mother and daughter had a connection to Ouyang Jian.
Ouyang Jian was silent for a moment before saying, "My wife and daughter..."
Lu Yang: "???"
Ouyang Jian said, "Five years ago, I went down below and accidentally met Sangsang. Perhaps I was lonely for too long, but I got together with Sangsang."
"I didn't expect her to become pregnant. You know, for people like us, having offspring is truly difficult."
"But I couldn't help but indulge in the hope. I also wanted a child. I wanted a home, a wife, children, and happiness."
"I originally wanted Sangsang to abort the child, but in the end, I couldn't bear to. Sangsang also didn't want to abort the child, so we decided to take a gamble."
"Ayang, I was wrong. I'm the one who harmed them..."
As he spoke the last sentence, Ouyang Jian's voice trembled, filled with a sob. His eyes were slightly red.
"Did something happen during childbirth?" Lu Yang asked.
Ouyang Jian nodded. "Yes."
"I understand," Lu Yang said.
Ouyang Jian suddenly fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing. "Thank you!"
Lu Yang hesitated for a moment, then added, "If you want to thoroughly resolve the issue of berserkers, perhaps you can try cooperating with the people below."
What did he mean?
Ouyang Jian was stunned. He looked up at Lu Yang blankly.
Lu Yang looked at Ouyang Jian.
Ouyang Jian also looked at Lu Yang.
After a long, long time, Lu Yang said, "Ouyang, over three thousand years have passed since the Earth era. Times have changed. Earth is gone. This is the interstellar era now."