At the sight of Dugu Bo, Qin Yuan's heart leaped. He hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Poison Douluo."
He had asked Ye Lingling to pass on the message that he could cure the Martial Soul Poison precisely to draw Dugu Bo out.
He simply hadn't expected Dugu Bo to come so quickly. His trip to Heaven Dou Royal Academy had been worth it.
Dugu Bo had no intention of harming him. He soon withdrew his Martial Soul and stepped forward, his aged eyes bright and keen. "Let's speak plainly. You must know what caused Yanyan's poisoning."
"To tell you the truth, this has been a secret passed down through dozens of generations of the Dugu Clan. When an outsider like you learned of it, I intended to get rid of you at once. But since you saved Yanyan, I won't hold it against you. If you try any tricks, though, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Qin Yuan didn't take it as a threat.
Dugu Bo had always cared about saving face. He probably couldn't bring himself to ask for help and was speaking harshly on purpose.
Qin Yuan cupped his hands. "The poison comes from her Martial Soul. No matter what precautions Dugu Yan takes, she can't avoid it. One day, it will erupt in full force. Unless she stops cultivating for the rest of her life and never uses Soul Power in battle again, she's trapped in a vicious cycle."
Dugu Bo nodded, acknowledging Qin Yuan's understanding of the Martial Soul Poison.
Then Qin Yuan turned his attention to Dugu Bo. "Compared with Dugu Yan, though, Your Excellency Dugu is the one who needs treatment more urgently. After so long, you may no longer notice the foul, fishy smell on your body, but it's strong enough to detect from a hundred meters away."
"Your illness has reached your bones. By rights, someone in your condition couldn't have lived this long, much less become a Titled Douluo. You must have found some way to suppress it temporarily."
Dugu Bo's interest was piqued.
Even with his secrets laid bare, he wasn't angry. Instead, he admired Qin Yuan all the more.
He was a physician himself and knew that anyone capable of curing an illness completely had to understand it inside and out.
"Oh? It seems you want to negotiate with me. Speak. If the price is right, I won't be stingy. But if you toy with me, I'll make you wish for death and deny you even that!"
Qin Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. "First, I can treat you, but you must give me a Formal Commission. Second, even a clever cook can't make a meal without rice. If you have any high-grade medicinal herbs, I hope you'll bring them out. They would help greatly in curing you."
Dugu Bo considered this for a moment.
Qin Yuan's first request was strange, but to Dugu Bo, who urgently needed a cure, it was only an extra step. It wouldn't take long.
The second request, on the other hand, set his mind at ease.
He knew his own condition best. Without high-grade medicinal herbs, nothing else would help against the poison in his body. If Qin Yuan had claimed ordinary herbs would suffice, that would have made him suspicious.
"Very well. I'll give you a Formal Commission to cure me. As for your payment, once it's done, I'll give you all my surplus medicinal herbs, along with the next batch of high-grade herbs to mature!"
[Five Star mission detected. Accept Dugu Bo's commission and cure his Martial Soul Poison. Reward upon completion: one opportunity for Martial Soul Evolution.] [Warning: The poison within Dugu Bo is exceptionally potent and extremely dangerous. Detoxification carries a high risk of losing control and endangering your own life.]
With a Three Star mission, he could avoid physical danger by being careful.
A Four Star mission posed a serious threat to his safety, beyond the time it demanded. If he hadn't thought quickly and said exactly what Bibi Dong wanted to hear, he might well have been dragged off to Spirit Hall—or even killed.
He had guessed right: Five Star missions did exist, but they came at the cost of enormous danger to his life.
To be safe, he decided to draw on the Method of Detoxification Tang San had proposed in the original timeline and combine it with his own approach. He would attack the problem from both sides!
He would avoid every unnecessary risk he could.
"Hmm?" Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes.
It was the first time a Five Star mission had appeared. The generous reward had made Qin Yuan lose his composure for a moment.
Coming back to himself, he explained, "My apologies. I didn't expect such generosity from Your Excellency Dugu. But aren't high-grade medicinal herbs found only in Spirit Beast forests? Have you discovered some way to cultivate them?"
Dugu Bo laughed aloud. "There's no harm in telling you. I'll take you to see it shortly."
"I have a Medicine Garden in Sunset Forest. Its unusual environment is rich in spiritual energy, which allows high-grade medicinal herbs to grow there..."
Dugu Bo told him plenty, picking and choosing his words, but never touched on the crucial details.
After all, the treatment hadn't begun. He couldn't trust Qin Yuan completely yet.
The two did not leave at once. They waited in the dormitory until Dugu Yan woke.
As the eastern sky turned pale, Dugu Yan slowly sat up, her head throbbing.
"Yanyan, you're awake." Dugu Bo looked at her with concern.
Before she had passed out, Dugu Yan had known she was poisoned, but she couldn't imagine when she had come into contact with it. Her first question was about Ye Lingling; she feared Ye Lingling might have run into trouble too.
"Yanyan, your condition is a little unusual. Grandpa can't tell you about it yet. You'll understand in a few days. And you should thank Qin Yuan. If he hadn't acted in time, you might not have survived until I arrived."
Dugu Yan noticed Qin Yuan beside them and tried to get up to thank him, but he stopped her.
"Miss Dugu, there's no need. Ye Lingling paid my commission fee. I accepted the commission, so of course I gave it my all. And as a rule, I don't charge extra halfway through or raise my prices on a whim!"
Qin Yuan had brought up commissions more than once. Dugu Bo found it odd, but paid it little mind, taking it for a personal quirk.
[Three Star Commission Mission completed. Reward: Spirit Ring age increased by five hundred years.]
A surge of pure Soul Power flowed into Qin Yuan, filling him with a pleasure unlike anything he had felt before.
His Spirit Ring had not appeared, but he could clearly sense that its age had increased.
After making the necessary arrangements, Dugu Bo left with Qin Yuan.
Their destination was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Qin Yuan had not brought it up; Dugu Bo had invited him there himself.
Not long after they left, the sun climbed above the horizon. A new day had just begun.
Early that morning, Lei Meng rushed up to the Three Education Commissioners as soon as they arrived at the Education Committee and asked for news.
He didn't want to miss his chance to have Qin Yuan as a teacher. Deep down, he even felt this was his chance to soar into the sky.
After hearing his explanation, the corner of Meng Shenji's mouth twitched.
He knew exactly what kind of person Lei Meng was. If Qin Yuan could make him beg to become a disciple, Qin Yuan must have something remarkable about him.
No wonder he managed to win over Ning Rongrong, Meng Shenji thought with a quiet sigh.
Compared with Ning Rongrong's temperament, Lei Meng was a little witch beside a great one.
"All right. I'll ask him for you. Whether it works out depends on your luck, boy."
Unfortunately, they were a step too late. Qin Yuan had already reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and he would not reappear for a long time.
Still, after that lesson, Lei Meng reined in his temperament. He began communicating with his teachers and working with them to plan tactics.
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