He changed Tiwat

This may indicate that the Order of the Fathers, or the previous Grass God, the Great Tree King, used some method to control this pollution within the territory of Sumeru, preventing it from spreading throughout Teyvat through the ley lines.

The tragedy lies in the fact that no matter how much the Sumeru people living on the "source of pollution" researched methods to treat the "Demon Scale Disease," they could only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Only by cutting off the "source of pollution" could the "Demon Scale Disease" be eradicated.

Considering the complex situation within Sumeru, Han Fulai could not simply "kill" Dina Zedai's "Demon Scale Disease" like that.

Once the news spread that "someone can cure 'Demon Scale Disease'", not only did people flock to his door seeking treatment, but the Order of the Church also had to quickly invite him to sit on the platform... From then on, every move he made would be under their watchful eyes, and he wouldn't be able to do whatever he wanted.

The real solution is to directly eliminate the "source of pollution".

On the other hand, he also had to find out the cause of this pollution and its connection with the Grass God, the Kyoryokuin, and even the fools of the Winter Kingdom—what if the pollution of Sumeru was also a "man-made disaster" rather than a "natural disaster," just like the case of Inazuma Hisukumura?

There are still many things to investigate, and he must not reveal his existence at this stage.

So he opted for a less ideal solution: instead of directly curing her, he used Xiao's amulet to suppress the "Demon Scale Disease" on Dina Zede.

Ying had previously told him about the experiences of a girl named Kolei, mentioning that the "Doctor" seemed to have mastered a method to suppress "Demon Scale Disease":

It is said that Cole was once captured by the Fatui and used as an experimental subject in a certain project, where she obtained the power of the remnants of a demon god. During the time she was an experimental subject, the "Demon Scale Disease" in her body was completely suppressed. It was not until she escaped from the laboratory that the "Demon Scale Disease" in her body relapsed.

Based on the details of the "Blackfire Case" he had learned from Jean in Mondstadt, as well as the methods used by Luminous and Tinari to clear the "Dead Zone," Han Fulai deduced the "Doctor's" method for suppressing "Demonscale Disease"—

To put it simply, it's about "fighting poison with poison".

The "Doctor" injected demonic remnants into Cole's body, using their power to suppress the contamination within her.

This is consistent with the principle that only those with the Eye of God can enter the "Dead Zone".

Injecting the remnants of the demon god artificially enhances the patient's vitality, which is equivalent to giving Ke Lai an extra "blood bar" to offset the impact of "blood loss".

"Demon Scale Disease" reduces a person's vitality, while the remnants of the demon god will erode a person's body while increasing their power. If either of these two things is present in the body, it is a deadly "poison".

However, when these two "poisons" met, they devoured each other, achieving a strange balance that allowed Cole to survive.

However, the dosage of demonic remnants injected into Cole by the "Doctor" must have been calculated precisely, just like a doctor injecting medicine into a patient. Too little, and it won't work; too much, and the medicine will become poison... After Cole escaped from the laboratory, both of the powers within him went out of control, and his condition became even more dangerous, almost to the point where he could die at any moment.

Later, Amber and Lisa contacted Seno, the "Grand Disciplinary Officer" of the Faith Council, and asked him to seal the remnants of the demon god in Corleone's body. They then took her to Tinari for care, which stabilized her condition.

The method Han Fulai used to help Dina Zedai suppress the "Demon Scale Disease" was also based on the idea of ​​"adding health bars" to Dina Zedai—using the immortal power contained in Xiao's amulet to offset the loss of life force caused by the "Demon Scale Disease," which was equivalent to "borrowing" several months of lifespan for Dina Zedai.

At least until Xiao's amulet expires, Dina Zede should be safe.

His treatment of Dina Zede wasn't entirely "without expecting anything in return," he just didn't want Mora.

It's perfectly normal that the extremely wealthy Huma Yi family acquired a treasure from the Liyue Asgardians, which could extend the young lady's lifespan. It's even more perfectly normal that the Liyue sailor who presented the treasure subsequently made contact with the Huma Yi family.

Even if the people in the Order of the Church did nothing but monitor them all day with the "Void Terminal," they wouldn't be able to detect anything unusual.

In this way, their communication channels with the Humayi family were completely opened, and at the same time, the path to seeing the mysterious grass god was also opened.

After all, the method to meet the Grass God still depends on Dina Zede.

The amulet's power only suppressed the erosion of "Demonic Scale Disease," allowing Dinazede to temporarily return to a relatively healthy state—but this "relatively healthy" state was only relative to Dinazede's previous state.

After all, she was a girl who had been confined to a hospital room since childhood, and her physical strength was much weaker than that of the average person.

After dancing with Nilu for two rounds, Dina Zede was clearly exhausted and had to sit down to rest.

Han Fulai then asked the most important question at the right time: "Miss Dina Zede, can you tell us about your experience of meeting the Little Lucky Grass King? We are all very interested in that experience."

When asked by her "savior," Dina Zede naturally answered all her questions.

She recounted in detail her experience of meeting the Grass God: "It was when I was very, very young, when I was still dreaming."

"Back then, because of my illness, I spent almost all of the year lying in my room. Although my parents were working hard to cure my illness and were afraid that I would be lonely, they equipped me with the 'Void Terminal' from the Order of the Church, so that I could read books, look at magazines, and come into contact with new and interesting knowledge while lying in bed... But in my condition, even the 'Void' felt that I was not qualified to come into contact with wisdom."

Ying and Paimon recalled that they had previously used the "Void Terminal" to search for the method to see the Grass God, but they received a reply that they did not have the corresponding permissions. If they tried to search, they would get dizzy and have a headache... Dina Zede must have felt the same way when she was a child.

Dina Zede recalled those days with a hint of bitterness on her face: "When I was a child, I had neither dreams nor expectations..."

“Once, I had a severe attack and was in a semi-conscious state for many days. One night, I woke up and there was no one in the room. I was really scared, but I couldn’t move or even cry.”

"At that moment, an incredible voice suddenly appeared in my mind, a voice that sounded like a child's voice, the same age as me. The voice said to me, 'Dina Zede, don't be afraid, and don't cry.'"

I asked her, 'Who are you, and why do you know my name?'

She replied, "Well, how should I explain it? I think you might not understand, but I know everything about you."

"Having been confined to my hospital room the whole time, I'd never seen any other children my age, so of course I didn't believe her. But she said, 'I know you're afraid of thunder, you hate taking your morning medicine, and you always like to count the flower petals on your mom's dress.'"

"She really knows about me, she knows everything about me!"

She also asked me, 'Dina Zede, what is your wish?'

“I didn’t have any wishes at that time… or rather, I felt I didn’t deserve to have any ‘wishes,’ since I was lying in the hospital room every day, unable to go anywhere or do anything…”

"But the voice said, 'You're still a child, aren't you? Children have wishes. Tell me your wish, and maybe I can grant it.'"

So I tried making a wish to her: 'Can you make me better?'

Her voice sounded very sad: 'I'm sorry, I can't do this with my current strength...'

I asked her again, "Then...can you be my friend?"

"Then she replied to me, 'Okay, I'll be your friend.'"

Chapter 42 Teyvat hasn't exploded yet, and Catherine has already been given a holiday!

Han Fulai could tell that this experience was Dina Zedai's most cherished memory. She even remembered every word of the voice in her dream and the tone of its voice.

Ying and Paimon clearly felt as if they were there, and both asked, "And then what happened?"

"Is your friend the Little Lucky Grass King?"

Dina Zede smiled gently: "In the days that followed, that friend's voice often appeared in my mind. She stayed with me and encouraged me throughout my illness."

"She described the outside world to me and told me many interesting things."

"Because of her, I learned that outside my window was the bustling city of Sumeru; beyond Sumeru lay a dense rainforest; and beyond the rainforest, there were sand walls, deserts, and the entirety of Teyvat..."

"...I finally survived that illness, but that voice...disappeared."

“I told my mother about it, but she said that I had been sleeping with a fever because I was sick and had never woken up... The voice I heard was just a dream.”

"But I know that the voice was not something I imagined! Because before that, I had no knowledge of the outside world. I didn't even know what a 'desert' was, what a 'sand wall' was, or that the world was called 'Teyvat'!"

"If it weren't for that voice, I would never have been curious about the world, nor would I have studied hard and read all kinds of books."

"That voice helped me get through the worst time and introduced me to 'wisdom,' giving me the motivation to live well and see the world properly—I firmly believe that she must be Lord Little Lucky Grass King!"

Ying and Paimon recalled the "little bird" they met on the "Golden Apple Islands," and sure enough, both its tone and personality were very similar to the "friend in their dreams" that Dina Zede had met.

Han Fulai smiled and said, "I really envy you for having such a good friend."

That evening, Han Fulai, Ying, and Paimeng met Mr. Sheikh Zubair and the other members of the troupe through Nilu's introduction. Nilu hadn't forgotten that their sponsorship of the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" was to ask the great playwright Mr. Zubair to use his reputation to introduce them to that old man from Humayi.

In truth, Mr. Zubair and Mr. Humayi didn't have a deep relationship, at least not one that could secure sponsorship. Moreover, after gaining Dina Zede's friendship, they no longer needed Zubair's introduction. But having more friends means having more opportunities, and getting to know a multi-talented playwright was itself a very good thing.

After having a simple but cozy dinner with everyone from the Zubair Theatre Company, Mr. Zubair invited several "sponsors" to stay and watch the special performance of "The Legend of the Flower Knight" that evening.

Because the troupe members have been busy "soliciting sponsorships" lately, the actors have neglected to practice, and the performance was far from spectacular. However, everyone still enjoyed it very much. Whether it was the people in the Grand Bazaar or Dina Zede and Dixia who secretly mingled in the crowd to watch the performance, they all ended up dancing the "Dance of the Flower Goddess" with Nil on stage.

As Nilu said, "body language" can convey emotions. The feelings she conveyed in her dance were communicated to every audience member without reservation, and she received a warm response.

In a joyful atmosphere, this special performance, which also served as a "rehearsal" for the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival," came to a successful close.

Not wanting to leave the performance behind, Dina Zede didn't go home immediately. Instead, she strolled through the market in the Grand Bazaar—today was not only her first time watching a performance at the theater, but also her first time shopping.

Girls seem to have a natural talent for shopping. Even Dina Zede, who had never shopped before, unleashed a stamina that rivaled that of battle-hardened mercenaries and renowned adventurers.

The "medical fee" that Dixia couldn't give to Han Fulai before has now become Miss Dina Zedai's shopping expenses.

And Dixia seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit—this mercenary, who was usually as cold and sharp as a blade and as fierce as a beast in battle, seemed to be a regular at the Grand Bazaar in private.

Han Fulai watched as Dixia skillfully haggled with the street vendors, compared prices, and even took Dina Zedai to several "hidden gem shops," bringing out a large pile of specially made face powder.

It is said that the face powder here is not only cost-effective, but also has a longer-lasting fragrance than that bought elsewhere, and it does not irritate the skin, making it an essential item for home and travel... Although Dixia claimed that she found these places from "friends", everyone knows in their hearts whether this "friend" is actually herself.

Han Fulai also bought some as a souvenir. Hmm, Miss Dixia's taste in choosing cosmetics is very trustworthy.

After satisfying her shopping desires, Dina Zedai finally decided to go home—she had "run away from home" today, and if she didn't go home soon, Old Man Humayi would probably be worried to death.

Having arranged to meet Dina Zede at the "Flower Goddess's Birthday Festival" a few days later, Han Fulai and the others embarked on their journey back to the hotel.

As the "Birthday of the Flower Goddess" approaches, the festive atmosphere in the Grand Bazaar is becoming increasingly intense. From time to time, you can see people who have just watched a performance at the Zubair Theater dancing in the street, imitating Nilu, while people next to them bang on round stools to accompany them, and some even spontaneously sing a rap.

While the residents of the Grand Bazaar may lack academic talent, they certainly don't lack artistic talent; almost everyone is proficient in singing, dancing, rapping, and more.

Ying and Paimon lingered in this sea of ​​joy, reluctant to leave.

Among the crowd watching the street dance, Paimon spotted a figure wearing a white and green dress—

"Hey, look, that person over there looks like Catherine!"

Ying and Han Fu looked up at the sound and actually saw Catherine, the receptionist from the Adventurers' Guild.

In their minds, Catherine was always behind the counter at the Adventurers' Guild.

Whether it's windy and rainy, or a holiday, or even if a "meteor" falls from the sky or a "dragon plague" strikes the city, Catherine never leaves her counter... This has led to a joke among adventurers that goes, "Catherine doesn't take a holiday unless Teyvat explodes."

I never thought Catherine would have a day off!

Catherine swayed her body along with the dancing crowd, humming an off-key tune, looking very relaxed.

Overcome with curiosity, Paimon immediately flew forward: "Hey! Catherine—"

Chapter 43 My House Is Quite Big

Hearing Paimon's call, Catherine turned around, seemingly a little surprised: "Hmm? Oh, it's Ying and Paimon, hello there. Ah, and Mr. Han Jiangxue, it's nice to meet you again. So you're all friends?"

Han Fulai nodded with a smile.

He entered the city a few days earlier than Ying and went to the Adventurers' Guild branch in Sumeru as soon as possible.

After all, Ying needs the Adventurers' Guild to gather intelligence and build connections; and she also needs to find commissions from the guild to take on missions and earn money, so going to the Adventurers' Guild is the fastest way to find Ying.

It was no coincidence that he met Ying on Baoshang Street today.

As a "Han Jiangxue" visiting relatives, he couldn't post a commission at the Adventurers' Guild or ask Catherine to leave a message for him. So he usually took some time to "wait for the rabbit to come to the tree stump" near the Adventurers' Guild—pretending to stroll around the area casually, and then casually chatting with Catherine about recent events to subtly inquire about Ying's whereabouts.

After a while, his face became somewhat familiar to Catherine.

Seeing Catherine's relaxed reaction, Paimon couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Wow, is this Catherine when she's resting? What a difference in her demeanor! I thought you would always start with 'towards the stars and the abyss' no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Han Fulai couldn't help but think to himself: Usually it's "Towards the stars... thank you," right? Who would listen to the whole set line?

Catherine smiled slightly and said, "While it's true that standing behind the counter doesn't require such complicated functions, wouldn't always saying the same things and doing the same things be like playing the same Fontaine opera over and over again? Wouldn't that get boring?"

"You travel the world to have a richer life, don't you?"

"While we do enjoy experiencing different cultures and customs, we're mostly looking for clues about her family." Paimon glanced at Yingmei, thinking to himself, "You seem to have almost forgotten about your brother lately?"

Catherine smiled again, her eyes crinkling: "It's good to keep it this way, because the real answer isn't necessarily at the destination, but rather along the journey."

Her words surprised Ying a little.

Well, Catherine usually speaks clearly and straightforwardly, explaining quest requests to adventurers in a very direct way. I don't think I've ever heard such philosophical words from Catherine before... So, in private, Catherine is actually the kind of, uh, artsy young woman?

Moreover, Catherine's facial expressions seem to have become much richer, no longer always the same "business smile" as before.

Han Fulai interjected, "It's fate that we met. I've troubled the Adventurers' Guild many times back in Liyue. How about we invite Miss Catherine for a late-night snack? By the way, Miss Catherine, are you here to watch the performance at the Zuber Theater, or is it because of the 'Floral Festival'?"

“‘Flora’s Birthday Festival,’” Catherine tilted her head. “Well, I’m less here for the festival itself and more for the festive atmosphere. The atmosphere here has been really nice lately, so I came to take a look. If festivals bring joy to people, then they have a reason to exist, right…”

As she spoke, she glanced up at the clock by the roadside, her voice tinged with apology: "Oh, it seems like it's almost time to go back..."

It looks like she has to work the night shift tonight.

Paimon quickly waved goodbye to her: "Catherine, see you at the Adventurers' Guild next time!"

Catherine gently pulled at her skirt and bowed to her: "May the blessings of the grass element always be with you, and may you have a wonderful journey in Sumeru."

Ying whispered to Paimon, "Don't you think that the Catherine we met tonight is a little different from the one we met this morning?"

Paimon nodded vigorously: "Yeah, I also think she's acting a little different than usual..."

Han Fulai gazed thoughtfully at Catherine's retreating figure: "Perhaps... she's not the same person we usually see in the association."

"Huh?" Ying and Paimon both turned to look at him. "You mean, that Catherine from earlier was a fake?"

Han Fulai blinked: "Just kidding."

After leaving the Grand Bazaar, Ying and Paimon began arguing about where to stay for the night.

Yingmei suggested finding a cheap hostel in the harbor area, as she has always been quite frugal in terms of food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation; Paimon, on the other hand, said that they should find a big hotel on Baoshang Street and treat themselves to a soft, comfortable bed.

Their shared demand was—absolutely not to share that kind of room with Han!

In response to this disagreement, Han Fulai offered a "compromise" solution: "Why not find a place to stay that doesn't cost money and has a soft, comfortable bed?"