Idle Chatter

After entering the room and closing the door, Dugu Yan spoke first. "A'man, the areas that need acupuncture include the backs of my knees. It'll be inconvenient sitting down, so let's go to the bed."

"Mm, that works. You'll be more comfortable lying down too."

Lin Manshan nodded.

"..."

A faint blush appeared on Dugu Yan's pretty face as she nodded gently.

She silently walked to the bed, rolled up the sleeve on her left arm to expose her elbow, removed her shoes, and lay down quietly.

Lin Manshan first walked to the table, opened the bundle he had not taken with him when he went downstairs earlier, and retrieved the leather case containing silver needles. He then picked up a wooden chair from beside the table, carried it to the bed, sat down, and pinched a silver needle between his fingers.

"Let's start with your left elbow."

"Mm, I'll trouble you then." Dugu Yan nodded and closed her eyes.

Lin Manshan said nothing more and began administering the needles in earnest.

After a while, Dugu Yan, growing slightly bored, finally could not help but speak.

"A'man, you seem to know a lot about the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. Have you heard of Dugu Bo?"

How could a commoner from some small village possibly know the renowned Poison Douluo? Is this girl testing me? Does she suspect I have ulterior motives? Lin Manshan guessed correctly. He asked in a confirming tone, "Your grandfather?"

"Mm. When you come to Heaven Dou City, I'll have to trouble you to help treat him as well," Dugu Yan said politely.

"Sure, no problem," Lin Manshan replied readily.

Having confirmed that Lin Manshan did not know her grandfather, Dugu Yan's tone became noticeably brighter. Teasingly, she said, "A'man, that Miss Yue'er from Skywater Academy seems to like you quite a bit. When are you planning to marry her and bring her home?"

Shui Bing'er seems somewhat interested too... but that probably won't happen. The Shui Family definitely won't agree.

"I'd like to, but I don't know whether her parents would agree. Miss Yue'er said that if I want to marry her, I have to beat her father into submission. So I'll need to work hard at cultivating from now on," Lin Manshan said somewhat awkwardly.

The Shui Family's head seems to be a level seventy-nine Soul Sage. Dugu Yan raised her brows slightly. "Then I wish you success."

Once I get my hands on the Mysterious Heaven Skill, I'll head to your family's Medicine Garden and take all the herbs. I'll give one each to Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er too. When their strength skyrockets, if my future father-in-law gets happy enough, he might just tie them up and send them to my house. Lin Manshan was brimming with confidence. Glancing at Dugu Yan's pretty face from the corner of his eye, he thought, Maybe when your grandfather's strength surges, he'll sell you off along with them.

But aloud, he said courteously, "Miss Yanzi, then I'll accept your kind words. Though it's still too early for that."

"Take it slowly." Dugu Yan laughed heartily. "When the time comes, I'll definitely bring my grandfather to cheer you on."

After saying that, she could not help asking again, "A'man, Miss Yue'er said earlier that you have a very impressive dream, but she wouldn't say what it was. Can you tell me?"

He had first revealed a way to purge toxins, then promised to come to Heaven Dou City later to help eradicate them. Now he was even helping suppress her poison. She owed him far too much—she had to repay him!

So Lin Manshan told her about his dream.

Challenge the world and become the strongest person alive—now that was certainly ambitious. But marrying several wives, having plump sons to continue the family line, and then living happily together as a family... that dream was really...

Dugu Yan was so stunned that she did not know what to say.

It was a little strange, but it did not seem wrong either.

Many children meant many blessings. That was practically the ingrained belief of every commoner family on the continent.

To strengthen their national power, the Two Great Empires had encouraged childbirth for many years. There were many commoners with multiple wives, and they formed the main source of labor for the Empires. Spirit Masters, on the other hand, rarely practiced polygamy, since they had to consider social standing, matching strength, and other factors when marrying. After all, they were all far too powerful—one minor quarrel could tear down a house.

Still, A'man had actually said something like that directly in front of two girls... Dugu Yan blinked and reassessed him. She had not expected A'man to be so intelligent in his research into medicinal principles and Martial Soul knowledge, yet when it came to relationships, this... he was truly too straightforward.

"A'man, your dream is actually quite good," Dugu Yan finally offered an impartial assessment.

It feels a little womanizing, but at least he isn't hypocritical. If he can remain true to his original intentions and not betray anyone, then he can be considered someone who dares to act and take responsibility, she silently added.

"Heh heh, it's all right."

If this world did not revere strength above all else, Lin Manshan really would have wanted nothing more than to be a wealthy man, living a carefree life with food and clothing, wives and concubines aplenty, and abalone and sea cucumbers every day. As long as there was no Old Wang next door, life would be peaceful.

Unfortunately, this was a fantasy world. Though it was only at the level of a fantasy world's basement.

"All right, it's time to switch to your wrist." As Lin Manshan spoke, he shifted his position.

"Mm." Dugu Yan responded, then continued asking questions with great interest.

Most were stories and curiosities from among the common folk. Out of boredom, Lin Manshan was happy enough to answer.

Dugu Yan greatly enjoyed these conversations. Whenever they reached something novel, her eyelashes would flutter and she would smile sweetly. Ever since following Dugu Bo to Heaven Dou City, she had studied at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. The students around her were all children of nobles; they either feared her or flattered her, and she disliked that feeling greatly. Yet with Lin Manshan, she felt incomparably relaxed.

It was like a deer leaving its cage and returning to the forest.

Thinking back on her once turbulent life, Dugu Yan suddenly understood. She even began to think that once the poison in both her and her grandfather had been cured, returning to a pastoral life together might not be so bad. Too great a reputation could instead become a burden. As the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo, she had felt that deeply over the years. Status, power, fame, and fortune—too many people had immersed themselves in such things and lost their original hearts.

Those noble children who had never suffered hardship could not understand such feelings.

That was also why, during her years at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, she had never been able to get along with those students.

Time passed bit by bit. Lin Manshan's acupuncture was not slow, with each joint taking roughly a quarter of an hour.

His wrists, elbows, ankles, soles, and the backs of his knees—excluding the areas treated before dinner, there were nine joints in total.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed.

Outside the door, Yu Tianheng had arrived once more. Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er had also arrived afterward, along with a Female Mentor who had followed them over out of concern.

"Teacher Qin Ming, why haven't they come out after so long? Nothing could have happened, right?" Yu Tianheng asked with a frown.

"It's fine. They seem to be chatting inside," Qin Ming said with a smile. This was an inn in the wilderness, and the rooms were not as soundproof as those in the Main City. Though he could not make out their words, if he listened carefully, he could still hear their laughter. As an experienced man of the world, he could say with certainty that the two were simply chatting—not making those sorts of sounds.

"Chatting?" Yu Tianheng's expression immediately darkened. "What kind of treatment is that?"

He immediately reached out, intending to push open the door and take a look.

"What are you doing?" Shui Yue'er sprang forward and glared at him.

"I'm starting to doubt whether that kid named A'man is really treating Yanzi," Yu Tianheng said with a slight frown.

"And what does that have to do with you? Who are you to her?" Shui Yue'er raised her chin and met his gaze.