The solution they had been searching for all along was finally resolved, and the most dramatic part was that Ruan Shu herself solved it.
After pondering for a moment, Ruan He said, “Let’s ignore the other three pots for now. I want to present this orchid to His Majesty. We can use it as a way to draw the dragon clan to our side.”
No matter how strong their physical strength, the dragon clan could not withstand a Jingshen breakdown. Once they reached a certain age, unless it was a matter of life and death for their people, they usually ignored everything and retreated to Dragon Island for rest. Some even went directly into deep sleep.
If any dragon’s Jingshen broke down beyond recovery, they had to be killed, as a dragon who descended into a beastly state would become uncontrollably destructive.
This was the tragedy of the dragon clan. What’s more, pure-blooded dragons hadn’t birthed a single youngling aside from Almer in so long. Dragon Island was populated only by elderly dragons, and the entire universe had only about two hundred dragons.
Most were still in hibernation.
By giving this orchid to the dragon clan, Shushu would be more secure.
Additionally, they could subtly reveal a hint of Ruan Shu’s abilities to His Majesty.
“Just say she’s capable of nurturing mutated plants.”
Her healing abilities were absolutely off-limits; they couldn’t be disclosed to anyone, not even His Majesty. They didn’t want to take even the slightest risk.
Throughout the discussion, Ruan Shu obediently lay on her father’s knee, listening attentively. When the discussion concluded, she meowed eagerly, signaling her desire to try more seeds.
“Of course, we’ll let you experiment,” her grandfather replied with a smile. “I’ll prepare a whole room for you, and we’ll select seeds from the botanical garden—vegetables, flowers, fruits—you can try them all. If the mutated plants you grow can counteract the X-pollutants, the risk of growing these plants would be much smaller than that of someone who can heal Jingshen.”
After all, mutated plants could be grown in large quantities, whereas only one person possessed the ability to heal Jingshen.
In the afternoon, Almer arrived.
The little cat was watching various plant care videos, intently seated on a soft cushion, tail flicking as she watched with full concentration.
Suddenly, she noticed something grabbing her tail. Startled, she leapt up, spun around, and swatted with her paw, fur puffed up like a spiky ball.
But her little paw was caught between two fingers, unable to budge.
Then, in a well-practiced move, the person grabbed her scruff, lifting her up and holding her against his chest.
“Not a single ounce of vigilance—only when your tail was grabbed did you think to swipe your paw. How effective do you think that attack would be?”
With a gentle tug on her head and ears, a voice tinged with laughter sounded above her. His chest vibrated as he spoke, sending a tingly sensation through her ears.
“Meow!”
Ruan Shu protested indignantly, blaming him for scaring her!
Almer chuckled. “Who told you to be so engrossed? I didn’t even bother to conceal my presence.”
Ruan Shu’s eyes flickered with a hint of guilt. Well, she was just a pet cat, after all. She hadn’t learned any hunting skills, and once she became absorbed in something, it was hard for her to pay attention to her surroundings.
Almer settled down with the little cat in his arms, glanced at the videos she was watching, and chuckled, “When did our little mascot take an interest in gardening videos? Are you planning to become a fAlmer now?”
Did he doubt her abilities?
Having already grown four pots of mutated plants, the little cat felt proud and ready to prove herself. She lifted her head high, conveying her determination.
Yes, she was going to farm, and she was going to be the best at it!
Almer couldn’t help but find this little cat’s expressions utterly adorable. He leaned in and gave her a little kiss on her furry head, then held her paw and gave it a gentle peck as well.
Shushu quickly pushed her paw against his chin to keep him at bay, but her soft paw pads only ended up receiving another kiss.
The little cat: “….”
This dragon was a total pervert!
Feeling defeated, the cat meowed grumpily, almost like she was scolding him.
“Your Majesty…”
Ruan He’s voice drifted over, calm yet piercing: “What exactly are you doing to my granddaughter, Your Majesty?”
Almer, caught up in the moment of petting the cat, realized he might have gone a bit overboard.
“Ahem… Ruan, is there a reason you called me here?” he asked, still holding his little mascot in his arms without letting go.
In Almer’s embrace, Ruan Shu only swatted his hand with her paw and began to nibble on it, not really trying to break free.
Ruan He looked on with visible distress. “Shushu, you shouldn’t just go around biting everything!”
Almer chuckled. “It’s alright; let her chew if she wants. My hand doesn’t hurt.”
Ruan He huffed, his mustache bristling with irritation. Who cares about your hand? I’m worried my sweet granddaughter’s delicate little teeth will get damaged!
Feigning ignorance of Ruan He’s exasperated expression, Almer casually inquired about the reason for his visit.
Ruan He, still somewhat indignant, took out the pot of orchids and, with a measured tone, began explaining its effects.
Almer froze.
“What… did you just say?” Almer’s golden eyes fixed on the orchid, his fingers unconsciously stroking the fur on the little cat’s back.
Ruan He chuckled. “Your Majesty, you’re still young, and yet your hearing seems to be slipping. I said that this orchid can have a calming effect on someone whose mental state is nearing collapse. Keeping it close over time might even reduce their Jingshen pollution levels.”
Almer’s gaze settled on the orchid, a serious expression taking over his youthful features. In that moment, he exuded the true authority of an emperor.
This was the first time Ruan Shu had seen Almer so solemn. She couldn’t help but tilt her head to gaze up at him.
The next second, a pair of hands covered her eyes.
Even so, Almer’s voice still reached her ears.
“Are you aware of what this implies?” His tone was more grave than she’d ever heard.
Ruan He straightened his back, unfazed by the young emperor’s imposing aura.
“As an old minister, of course I understand!” he replied firmly.
His expression grew serious as well. “If Your Majesty has doubts, you can send it to the research institute for testing. And besides this, I have something else for you to try.”
Ruan He presented a glass of water infused with small golden kumquats. They had discovered that simply soaking kumquats in water also seemed to have a calming and soothing effect on Jingshen.
Although the effect was subtle, drinking it consistently over time might help maintain a stable level of Jingshen pollution.
That little kumquat plant was indeed a treasure—who knew when it would bear fruit again?
At Ruan He’s suggestion, Almer took a sip of the infused water.
Given his powerful mental abilities, Almer barely noticed any effect from the kumquat-infused water, unless he focused intensely.
Naturally, such a small amount of water had no real effect on his Jingshen.
However, Almer did detect a faint, unusual energy—a tiny trace, like a single drop of water falling into the ocean. If Ruan He hadn’t pointed it out in advance, he might not have noticed it at all.