Chapter 42: Of Course It Can Be Cured

Drawing closer for a sniff, an unusual fragrance darted into his nostrils. Lu Hao couldn't help but swallow.
"If you want to eat it, you can do so now," Zhang Quan said.
For reasons unknown, Lu Hao seemed to detect a subtle expectation in Zhang Quan's words. Was it just an illusion? Why would Zhang Quan care whether he ate the fruit or not? It couldn't be envy; after all, Zhang Quan was the one who gave him the fruit.
Besides, Zhang Quan still had two fruits in his own hand.
"I'll wait," Lu Hao replied. He wanted to save it for a quiet moment when he was alone.
"That's fine," Zhang Quan said, sounding slightly disappointed. He had given Lu Hao a fruit mainly to see if there was any risk in eating it. Ever since he had tasted that fragment of lotus leaf, Zhang Quan had developed a shadow of doubt towards things that appeared harmless and ordinary, yet radiated spiritual energy and hinted at something extraordinary.
Whatever the big shot gave was undoubtedly valuable, of that there was no question.
But valuable did not always mean risk-free.
The piece of lotus leaf he had eaten gave him a powerful teleportation ability, but had nearly killed him with pain. Until he could be sure this fruit wouldn't harm him, Zhang Quan dared not eat it himself, nor give it to his frail grandmother.
Indeed, one of the two fruits he kept was reserved for her.
Thinking of his grandmother, Zhang Quan shifted his shoulders, lowering them slightly so the figure on his back could rest more comfortably. Before the arrival of the replica world, his grandmother's body was beyond hope of healing.
But now, with the replica world here and so many miraculous things happening, perhaps—Zhang Quan's eyes brightened at the thought of a possibility, and he quickened his pace.
"So, you're hoping to cure your grandmother?"
Half an hour later, sitting on the villa's first-floor sofa, Yu Yan finally understood Zhang Quan's intention. She cast a meaningful glance at the elderly woman carefully placed at the other end of the sofa, who lay there listless, as if all her bones had been removed.
She sagged into the curve of the sofa like a puddle of mud.
According to Zhang Quan, his grandmother had heart trouble and underwent a major surgery. Then the replica world arrived before she could receive further treatment, resulting in a cascade of complications that drained her spirit over time.
Could Cloud Child's healing light pattern help with such an illness?
"Yes, that's right!" Zhang Quan answered, lacking confidence.
He clung to a one-in-ten-thousand chance, fully aware of his grandmother's condition.
Before the replica world, there was no hope for her survival. The doctor had already given him the final notice—his grandmother had three months at most. He had never wanted to accept that.
"She can be treated, of course."
Yu Yan's words made Zhang Quan's eyes shine instantly.
But she sighed immediately after, "However, with your grandmother in this state, only a spiritual item of Profound rank or higher, and without any attribute, can heal her."
Most spiritual items produced in the replica world were attribute-based.
Attribute-less ones were exceedingly rare, yet only attribute-less items were safe for ordinary people to refine.
For example, if Yu Yan gave Zhang Quan's grandmother a piece of fire rhino meat—even the lowest grade, fourth rank—her frail body couldn't withstand it, and she would end up dying from spiritual energy overload.
Therefore, attribute-less spiritual items were the most precious products of the replica world.
The Wen Stem Fruit and Wen Stem fruit tree Yu Yan acquired today were such attribute-less items.
Despite collecting many Wen Stem Fruits, only a few dozen were of Profound rank and above; the rest were Yellow rank, grades one to three.
Even the Wen Stem fruit tree she had transplanted into her Plant Spirit Small World was merely grade two.
"What?"
Zhang Quan wilted like a frost-stricken eggplant. "Profound rank or higher, and attribute-less? Where am I supposed to find that? Grandmother, it seems I’ll never hear your voice again."
Yu Yan remained silent.
With the replica world’s arrival, how many had been separated by life and death? In her previous life, Cloud Child had perished during the adaptation period.
For Zhang Quan’s grandmother to survive this long with such a frail body was already a stroke of luck. This alone showed Zhang Quan, for all his shortcomings, possessed certain shining qualities.
After pondering a moment, Yu Yan said, "Didn't I give you three Wen Stem Fruits?"
"Though only grade one, if you let your grandmother eat them, she should at least be able to talk with you for a while."
Hearing this, Zhang Quan did not hesitate to place a fruit in his grandmother’s mouth.
"Boss, so the fruit you gave me is attribute-less?"
A hint of joy flickered across Zhang Quan’s face, but it quickly froze. The fruit remained in his grandmother’s mouth for a long time, yet it was still intact, not even a corner bitten off. Zhang Quan realized his grandmother no longer had the strength to chew.
Recently, Liu Jiao Jiao had been making minced meat and other liquid foods to keep her alive.

Awkwardly, Zhang Quan retrieved the Wen Stem Fruit. "Boss, I need to step out for a bit."
He intended to ask Liu Jiao Jiao to turn the remaining two fruits into liquid food for his grandmother. As for the one he gave Lu Hao—well, would the boss want his pride back? He couldn’t bring himself to reclaim a gift from his junior; that would be too disgraceful.
Once Zhang Quan left, Yu Yan went upstairs.
Lu Hao, who had been carefully preparing to speak, was left speechless.
Was he not worthy of conversation?
His face alternated between pale and flushed.
The night passed in silence.
Early the next morning, Yu Yan pushed open her door, refreshed, with Cloud Child following energetically behind her.
"Chirp~" Little Blue let out a clear call, circling Yu Yan and her daughter before settling on Yu Yan’s shoulder, its bean-sized green eyes alertly scanning the surroundings.
Cloud Child stroked her arm, where the invisible Golden Spirit rested.
Mother said it was important to be cautious of others. Her "Illusion" skill had advanced, allowing her to conceal Golden Spirit’s presence.
As for the Fuzhu trailing after them, Yu Yan had already stored it in her Plant Spirit Small World shortly after entering the villa.
She explained to Zhang Quan and the others that her ability was Illusion, allowing her to completely hide anything she didn’t want others to see. The hidden items still existed nearby, just invisible to the naked eye.
Zhang Quan believed this wholeheartedly.
He had witnessed Yu Yan emerging from "Lake Light and Water Color" with a sizable piece of lotus root.
That devilish replica was full of illusions; after obtaining the lotus root, it was only natural for Yu Yan to possess the Illusion ability.
It also explained why, when Yu Yan first appeared, neither Cloud Child nor Little Blue were with her.
Upon seeing her again, she not only had her daughter but also a bird companion.
If she could "hide" Cloud Child and Little Blue before, then hiding a beautiful deer today was hardly surprising. Zhang Quan believed, and the rest—Lu Hao and the others—had no choice but to believe as well.