“Could the device be broken? Go get another one,” Ruan Ling’an suggested, already fetching another instrument himself. These handheld detectors, similar to mobile phones, were convenient to carry but obviously not as precise as those professional, large-scale machines.
Marshal Ruan Xiao, usually composed and steady no matter the danger, was now visibly short of breath.
The same went for Ruan He and Ruan Qingran, whose reactions mirrored his.
They were all thinking of the same possibility: could these plants that Shushu had nurtured actually counteract Jingshen contamination?
After testing with three different detectors, each yielding the same result, they had no choice but to believe it.
Ruan He’s voice trembled as he spoke, “It’s really… truly zero.”
After the initial shock and excitement, Ruan Xiao regained his composure. “These plants—Qingran and Xinglan, take them for research immediately, and make sure they’re well protected.”
This was crucial for his precious daughter’s safety. If these plants could really serve as a countermeasure, Ruan Shu would be far safer, and they could even use these mutated plants as a shield.
Ruan Qingran felt a surge of joy—finally, a breakthrough—and yet this was once again tied to his little cousin.
Everyone turned to Ruan Shu with even more complex expressions.
Ruan Shu: “…”
I honestly have no idea what’s going on here.
“Meow.”
Want a little kumquat? She thought about using it to make tea.
With a kumquat in her mouth, Ruan Shu motioned for her father to cut it into small slices and steep it in hot water.
A light, slightly bitter fragrance wafted through the air.
Initially, everyone had been fixated on examining the four special mutated plants, but soon enough, their attention shifted to the kumquat tea.
“This tea is made with a fruit that has a contamination level of zero. I’m curious about how it tastes.”
Ruan He was the first to try it. The taste was a little bitter but balanced by a hint of sourness. It was initially unfamiliar, but the aftertaste was incredibly pleasant!
Ruan Ling’an hesitated, remembering the taste of eating the fruit raw. That flavor was something he’d remember for life.
“Not bad.”
It didn’t feel particularly special, just that the flavor was smoother than ordinary plants.
Seeing everyone else drink, Ruan Ling’an cautiously took a sip. It was… surprisingly good?
The entire day passed, yet no conclusion could be drawn about whether these four mutated plants had any effect on Jingshen. But one thing was certain—their contamination levels were zero, even the soil showed a reading of zero.
When they asked Ruan Shu where she had dug up this soil, the little one pointed her paw outside.
Ruan Xiao recalled mentioning that those seeds might not sprout when she first planted them.
To his surprise, he had been proven wrong—his daughter had not only managed to grow them but had even produced mutated plants.
It was, honestly, unbelievable.
Yet when it came to Ruan Shu, maybe it wasn’t so unbelievable after all.
In the following days, Ruan Shu finally stayed out of trouble, refraining from causing any odd situations. Meanwhile, Ruan Qingran and Ruan Xinglan were focused on studying the mutated plants.
Three days later, both returned with expressions of pure excitement, and the Ruan family held an urgent meeting.
“Both the pothos and the Asparagus fern have a purifying effect on indoor air; they can filter out certain X pollutants indoors!”
Ruan Qingran and Ruan Xinglan, sporting dark circles under their eyes from days of sleepless research, were nevertheless filled with energy.
Ruan Qingran’s casual statement hit the room like a bomb, leaving everyone dizzy with shock.
Ruan He shot up from his seat. “What?!”
Ruan Qingran, with utmost seriousness, passed them a set of data.
“This is the pollution data for a room with pothos and Asparagus fern and another without. The room with these plants shows a daily reduction in X pollution levels.”
Ruan Xinglan added, “And there’s also the orchid and kumquat.”
Ruan Xinglan produced a vial of medicine. “This is an extract from the kumquat, which can stabilize Jingshen when it spirals out of control, and it has no side effects. However, it doesn’t reduce Jingshen pollution levels.”
Ruan He’s hands trembled with excitement. “This is more than enough. Such an effect is more than enough.”
Currently, suppressants forcibly contain uncontrolled Jingshen, but they come with clear side effects. Even star beasts, with their superior physical resilience, suffer from dizziness, stabbing pain, tinnitus, nausea, and more.
Not to mention, the continued use of suppressants often leads to a cumulative breakdown, with irreversible consequences, and resistance to these suppressants increases over time.
Take Ruan Linzhan, for instance—when he recently fought off the zerg queen, his mental breakdown was so severe it took five suppressants to bring him back to a semblance of clarity. They hurried back as fast as they could, and if it hadn’t been for Shushu, Ruan Linzhan might have been lost, transformed into a beast with no sense of reason, sent away forever.
Yes, those who lost all sanity and could no longer return to their human form were now called “Fallen Beasts” by everyone.
Fallen star beasts, no matter how hard they tried to resist, were ultimately pulled into a descent by X pollutants, turning into monstrous beings.
“Have you tested it yet? Truly no side effects?”
Ruan Xinglan replied, “In three days, where could I have found a test subject? Identifying the ingredients alone took time. There are many useful elements extracted from the kumquat. I deduced the lack of side effects by comparing its composition to existing suppressants, but yes, we do need someone to test it on.”
Testing among the Ruan family members was impossible; with Ruan Shu healing their Jingshen daily, none of them were currently at risk of Jingshen instability.
“I’ll take it and find someone to test it,” Ruan Xiao volunteered, taking the vial. Jingshen instability occurred frequently among his soldiers.
“Did you add anything else to the kumquat extract?” he asked.
Ruan Xinglan adjusted his glasses. “I combined it with some restorative elements, so it not only calms erratic Jingshen but also helps restore it to an optimal state.”
Ruan Xiao nodded and didn’t say more.
“Except for the kumquat, none of the other plants have this calming effect. But each plant has properties that help curb X pollutants in specific ways, like this orchid here.”
Ruan Xinglan lowered his gaze, fingers brushing one of the orchid’s leaves, only for it to brush him away in disdain.
He didn’t mind, instead showing fondness toward the plant.
“The fragrance of this orchid has a soothing effect if inhaled over a long time, and it can reduce pollution levels, though very slowly. Compared to Shushu’s healing abilities, it’s negligible, but it could be ideal for elderly individuals on the verge of Jingshen collapse.”
It can’t compare at all to Shushu’s healing abilities, but who cares about that?
There are elderly people on the verge of Jingshen collapse who have been tormented to the point of suicide!
Everyone can imagine the agony of teetering on the edge of collapse yet still retaining awareness—a feeling like hammers pounding inside the head. Every day, they rely on medication to keep going, and even sleep has to be induced with drugs.