Ch 41: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao held the fetal seed box, no larger than her fingertip, in the palm of her hand. The small, oval-shaped fetal seed inside was encased in a pale, translucent membrane, resembling a piece of overripe, decaying fruit.

Its tiny and peculiar form made it hard to imagine what a Nitean smallfolk might look like at birth.

Lu Yao pinched the sides of the box delicately, her fingers trembling slightly, afraid that even the slightest pressure might crush it.

She glanced up and called, “Yuanwei, Zhu Zhou, bring some thick towels and lay them on the floor.”

Once the floor was layered soft and secure, Lu Yao gently set the fetal seed box down.

Ziye, Qianlang, and Beibei had already come down from the fourth floor, with Ziye still holding the pot of Yangju Flower. Other little people gathered close, their faces filled with concern.

Lu Yao hesitated. The tiny object was so fragile that she didn’t dare touch or move it carelessly.

After a moment’s thought, she opted for the safest and most conventional approach—light magic.

Healing light magic was faster and more effective than any medicine. Concentrating, Lu Yao raised a hand, and a silvery-white glow began to coalesce at her fingertip.

The surrounding little people were transfixed, their wide eyes reflecting the shimmering light.

Lu Yao, feeling nervous, kept her hand a centimeter away from the fetal seed box, not daring to touch it. The orb of light at her fingertip grew steadily, finally enveloping the fetal seed entirely.

Thump, thump.

The box trembled twice.

The little people’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Lu Yao paused and gestured for Ziye to check.

Ziye carefully examined the fetal seed and sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not working.”

“But it moved!” Qianlang exclaimed, his voice laced with both hope and confusion.

Ziye explained, “It’s too weak. The movement was just…” He stopped himself from saying “a final struggle.”

The fetal seed was beyond saving.

Understanding the implications, Qianlang and Beibei began to weep again. Without this fetal seed, they would likely never have children of their own.

The temple would never grant them another.

The little people around them stood in mournful silence, their expressions heavy with sorrow.

Lu Yao furrowed her brow and extended her left hand. Slowly, dark markings began to emerge on her arm, resembling a mysterious, intricate totem.

The little people were stunned, their eyes as round as full moons, unable to look away.

They had always believed Lu Yao to be just an ordinary human. Even the most naïve and simple-minded among them now sensed something was amiss.

The power bestowed upon Lu Yao by Fula’s Blessing allowed her to manifest what she desired, so long as the result had once occurred in some form and had been observed, recorded, or imagined by her.

For instance, before gaining access to the store network, Lu Yao could never have conceived of such a reality-bending ability, nor would she have believed it possible.

After working alongside the Dream Fulfillment System and witnessing its use of this ability numerous times, Lu Yao had come to understand its intricacies—though the system often grumbled about the complexity of its tasks.

With sufficient understanding, Lu Yao had managed to replicate the ability using her own memory and intuition.

Even if the principles weren’t entirely the same and the results occasionally differed, the desired objects or outcomes would still manifest as needed.

But resurrecting a lost life was beyond her imagination.

Even in Alexander’s realm, resurrection magic was forbidden and deemed a taboo.

Ambrose once told her that the undead did not truly resurrect souls but transformed them into another kind of existence.

Lu Yao dared not even contemplate such possibilities with the fetal seed, fearing that Fula’s Blessing might interpret her thoughts too literally and transform the fetal seed into a dead soul.

Minutes passed. Beads of sweat formed on Lu Yao’s forehead, but tfetal seed inside the box remained unresponsive.

“Lu Yao,” Ziye finally broke the silence, his voice steady but heavy. “Let it go.”

The hopeful light in the little people’s eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by blank expressions as they silently accepted the reality of the fetal seed’s death.

Beside the fetal box, Qianlang and Beibei, their voices hoarse from crying, could no longer sob—only large, heavy tears rolled down their faces.

The room’s temperature seemed to drop abruptly, sending a chill down everyone’s spines.

Budu woke up from a nap, rubbing his eyes as he stepped out. “Mother, what’s going on?”

Lu Yao briefly explained the situation with the fetal seed and, considering Budu’s unique nature, asked if he could help.

Budu glanced at the wooden box, his brow furrowing slightly before he shook his head in resignation. “It’s not completely dead, but it can’t survive either. Apologies, my abilities are focused on destruction, not saving lives.”

Lu Yao blinked in surprise. “You mean it still has some life in it?”

Budu nodded. “A faint trace.”

That minuscule flicker of life was something only an entity like Budu could perceive.

However, Budu’s “destructive” abilities were of no use in saving a life.

Lu Yao pondered which other entities might possess the power to revive it.

As she thought, the black pearl on her wrist glowed faintly, as if she were being watched by a pair of gentle, compassionate eyes.

In a flash of inspiration, Lu Yao retrieved a handful of Tears of the Sea Goddess from her portable storage.

The fetal box was too small to fit even a single pearl, and Lu Yao was worried about accidentally damaging the fragile fetal seed. She turned to Budu. “Bring me a small bowl.”

Budu returned with a bowl. Lu Yao placed a layer of pearls at the bottom, covered them with two soft towels, and gently set the fetal box inside. Then, she arranged more pearls around the box.

Using Fula’s Blessing once again, Lu Yao visualized the pearls dissolving like medicine and releasing their essence. She guided the divine power from the sea goddess into the fetal seed, bit by bit.

Thump, thump.

The fetal box trembled again. The pale membrane surrounding the fetal seed began to regain a faint pink hue.

As the pearls were absorbed, their size shrank from fingertip-sized to that of a grain of rice.

The fetal seed regained vitality, its steady “thump, thump” movements now so vigorous that the box itself quivered.

Lu Yao lowered her gaze. As the membrane returned to a healthy color, the shape and size of the fetal seed reminded her of something she had seen before.

Ziye quickly suppressed the astonishment in his eyes and went upstairs to retrieve the panels to reseal the fetal box.

Lu Yao, however, had noticed something curious just before the box was closed: a small tail-like structure at the seed’s base, seemingly connected to the box wall. Unfortunately, Ziye moved too quickly for her to get a clear look.

The little people exchanged uncertain glances, still dazed.

Xia Yin was the first to speak. “Is the fetal seed safe now?”

Lu Yao didn’t answer but instead looked at Ziye.

Kneeling on the ground, Ziye pressed his ear against the box.

Inside, the once faint movement now felt like an overactive heartbeat, thumping every few seconds. The box’s surface was warm to the touch, even livelier than when the seed had first been obtained from the temple.

Ziye nodded confidently. “It’s fine now.”

Qianlang and Beibei clutched the box tightly, tears streaming down their faces, but this time, there was light in their eyes. Looking up at Lu Yao, they tried to speak, but no words came out.

Lu Yao waved them off. “No need. Take care of it.” She relaxed slightly, but the effort left her parched. She turned to get a drink of water.

“Wait,” Beibei called out, her face flushed.

Lu Yao turned. “Yes?”

Beibei stammered, “I’m sorry. And… thank you.”

Qianlang, equally red-faced, bowed deeply. “I’m sorry. And thank you.”

Lu Yao was quiet for a moment before responding, “May I see the box one more time?”

They exchanged a look, embarrassed by their earlier behavior, and stepped aside.

Lu Yao didn’t touch the box, merely inspected it closely, noting the top structure. Satisfied, she stepped back. “That’s all. Thank you.”

The other little people, overjoyed, gathered around Lu Yao, their eyes filled with admiration.

Lu Yao felt the exhaustion hit her. After exchanging a few lighthearted words with the little people, she finally excused herself and returned to her room to rest.

Outside, the rain had stopped, and the sky was clearing.

The little people in the inn gathered around Qianlang and Beibei. Jiexiang asked, “Are you getting ready to leave?”

Qianlang and Beibei were packing their belongings. The rain had just stopped, and with the uncertain state of the fetal seed, leaving hastily seemed unwise.

Beibei rubbed her eyes, her face still flushed. “Yes, we’ll feel more at ease once we’re back at the tribe. When our little one is born, Qianlang and I will bring him back to thank Lu Yao properly.”

A mere apology wasn’t enough for their earlier outburst. Feeling embarrassed to stay any longer, they decided it was better to leave soon.

Xia Yin, pulling Fengqin along, stepped forward. “We’ll go with you. I haven’t been back home in a long time, so it’s a good excuse.”

Qianlang and Beibei, utterly exhausted, understood her intention. With the rain just stopped and night approaching, traveling now would make it difficult to care for the fetal seed properly.

Just as Xia Yin’s tone remained cold and her expression neutral, Lu Yao, though already lying down, felt uneasy. She got up and went to the door, listening to the conversation.

Leaning against the doorway, she said, “Even with four people, traveling at this time isn’t a good idea. The nights on Nitean Continent are still cold. It’s better to rest for the night and leave in the morning.”

After speaking, she called for Hudie and Zhu Zhou to arrange guest rooms, yawning as she headed back to her room. “Don’t wake me up for dinner.”

The little people stared in awe toward the kitchen, their eyes sparkling.

Jiexiang cupped her face with her hands. “I love Lu Yao so much!!!”

Ziye: “…”

Hudie: “I love Lu Yao too!”

A’dai: “Who wouldn’t love Lu Yao?”

…

Thanks to Lu Yao’s considerate suggestion, Qianlang and Beibei didn’t insist on leaving and instead checked back into Room 402.

The other big people had been sent away by Lu Yao, and she herself had gone to bed.

Budu sat on the windowsill opposite, stacking blocks, presenting a cold and indifferent back that seemed to say he didn’t want to be disturbed.

The little people in the inn were left feeling bored, sprawling haphazardly across the miniature theater’s chairs.

Jiexiang sighed, “I’m so bored.”

Hudie said, “I feel like we’ve forgotten to do something, but I can’t remember what.”

A’dai suddenly sat up. “The acorus!!!”

Jiexiang grabbed Ziye. “Lu Yao planted acorus in the flower house—come on, let’s go look!”

They had intended to check earlier when they first heard, but it had slipped their minds after being interrupted.

Ziye was skeptical. “How’s that possible?”

But on second thought, considering Lu Yao had both Yangju seeds and sun tangerine, having acorus didn’t seem far-fetched either.

The little people made their way along the wall past the Rose Garden, while Ziye and Zhu Zhou carried the Yangju flower bowl back into the glass flower house.

Although they knew about the flower house behind the Rose Garden, this was their first time actually entering it.

Transparent walls, a spacious interior, and many empty wooden shelves.

Only a few flowerpots filled with soil were placed on the shelf to the left of the entrance.

“It’s really Acorus! Ahhh!” Jiexiang couldn’t contain her excitement and pulled on Ziye’s sleeve with vigorous enthusiasm.

The little people who came to the flower house with her were also stunned—it truly was the legendary Acorus grass.

Acorus was recorded in the murals of every tribe.

This grass didn’t possess any particularly unique effects but symbolized beauty and harmony.

In the customs of the little people, during the Iris Ceremony, having a real Acorus plant displayed in the room would make every guest envious.

But over time, Acorus had gradually disappeared.

For many years, the little people performing the Iris Ceremony with their partners had to use painted stones as substitutes. It was rare for anyone to find a real Acorus.

Jiexiang, overwhelmed with excitement, hugged Ziye. “When Lu Yao wakes up, let’s ask her to trade us an Acorus.”

Even though her own Iris Ceremony had taken place years ago, Jiexiang still longed for a real Acorus plant.

Ziye, however, seemed distracted. His gaze shifted from the Acorus saplings to the slightly wilted Yangju flower at his feet, and then to the barren tea bowl beside it. A suspicion grew in his heart.

Could she have planted Yangju here?

Why would she casually plant it in such a way?

Yangju trees were notoriously delicate. Could it even sprout?

And the Yangju flower wasn’t enough.

Ziye began to contemplate whether he should return to his tribe to collect more Yangju flowers.

When he had left the tribe, he had no intention of ever going back. Now, imagining himself brazenly returning to say:
“Elders, please give me a hundred Yangju flowers to gift the big people of Thorn Valley…”

If he dared utter such a sentence, he would surely be chased out.

But even if he told the truth, it wasn’t likely anyone would believe him.

Jiexiang nudged Ziye with her elbow. “What are you thinking about? You’re not even listening to me.”

Ziye snapped out of his thoughts. “Nothing.”

Jiexiang crossed her short arms, looking indignant. “You’re lying.”

Ziye sighed. “I was just thinking about how to convince Lu Yao to trade us an Acorus. After all, she only has three, and everyone wants one.”

Only then did Jiexiang notice the unusually tense silence in the flower house. Everyone’s gaze was locked on the three small flowerpots.

She quickly tugged on Ziye’s arm and whispered, “Let’s go. Let’s find Lu Yao first.”

In the lounge, Lu Yao lay on the bed, her eyes shut tightly, her brow furrowed, trapped in a strange dream.

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