Then What Was That, Exactly?

"You, you..."

Xue Beng stammered, but after a long while, he was still only repeating the word "you."

Danheng could not be bothered to spare him another glance and simply turned away.

Seeing Danheng turn around, Xue Beng's legs gave out, and he plopped onto the ground without the slightest regard for his image.

"Damn it! If Uncle weren't away today, I'd definitely make you pay!"

Xue Beng had run out of options. Danheng did not fall for his spoiled playboy act! Still, he had to maintain his persona.

Danheng slowly walked over to Qin Ming and gave him a slight nod.

"Mister Qin Ming, sorry for the trouble."

Qin Ming nodded as well. After glancing at Xue Beng, he led Danheng away.

Having received no response, Xue Beng immediately felt like a clown, and genuine anger rose in his heart.

Especially since quite a few people had already gathered to watch. If outsiders saw him in such a sorry state, he would probably get scolded again when he returned to the palace!

"You... you've got guts! Just you wait!"

Xue Beng pointed at the two men's departing backs, his eyes wide with fury as he panted heavily. His entire body rose and fell with each breath, clearly enraged beyond measure.

"Bastard, bastard, bastard! Qin Ming is one thing, but that lowborn nobody actually dared to ignore me like this!"

Under countless watchful eyes, Xue Beng cursed as he left the area, perfectly fitting his image as a spoiled playboy.

Usually, though, it was all an act. Being ignored and threatened by Danheng today had stirred up some real anger in him.

Danheng was clearly slapping the royal family across the face!

In the Heaven Dou Empire, a commoner with a bit of ability dared to threaten a prince? This was outrageous!

"The Fourth Prince has always been arrogant and overbearing. My apologies, Mister Danheng."

Elsewhere, Qin Ming led Danheng around most of the academy, apologizing somewhat helplessly.

"It's nothing. I've seen plenty of spoiled brats."

"Then... would you like to stay at the academy for a few days first, sir? Poison Douluo should still need another day or two before he arrives."

As he spoke, Danheng suddenly turned his gaze behind him. An old man in gray robes, tall and thin, was calmly watching the two of them.

"I've already arrived."

The old man slowly approached them. His dark green eyes stared coldly at them like those of a venomous snake, and the temperature around them seemed to drop by several degrees.

"Mister Danheng, this is Dugu Yan's grandfather, Poison Douluo, Senior Dugu Bo."

Enduring Dugu Bo's icy gaze, Qin Ming introduced him to Danheng.

"Mister Dugu Bo, hello."

To Dugu Bo's surprise, this young man named Danheng remained utterly calm beneath his aura.

Moreover, Danheng's form of address made it sound as though he were speaking to him as an equal?

"You were the one who saw the poison in my granddaughter?"

Dugu Bo withdrew his aura and looked indifferently at Danheng.

"Let's talk somewhere else."

As soon as he said that, Danheng sensed an extremely faint poison entering his body. If he had not deliberately checked, his body would likely have eliminated it the moment it entered.

It was not a lethal poison, merely something that would put someone to sleep.

"Hm?"

Dugu Bo stared at Danheng in astonishment. The other man showed no reaction whatsoever, and the look in his eyes seemed to be one of watching an idiot.

"You didn't need to use poison. Let's go."

Ignoring Dugu Bo's stunned gaze, Danheng walked ahead.

"Then what was that, exactly?"

Countless questions surfaced in Dugu Bo's mind. His poison had been useless?

What was this young man's background?

Interesting.

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes and glanced at Qin Ming, who had witnessed everything from the side. With a sweep of his sleeve, he sent him collapsing to the ground.

"You can't let this matter get out. Sleep for a while. The ground is a little cold, though, so you'll have to bear with it."

After confirming that there was nothing wrong with his poison, Dugu Bo followed Danheng with great curiosity.

An interesting young man.

Not long afterward, Qin Ming, who was sleeping soundly on the ground, was discovered.

"Teacher Qin Ming!"

The one who found Qin Ming was his student Osler. Seeing Qin Ming lying on the ground, he thought that an enemy had infiltrated the academy and hurriedly shouted, drawing quite a crowd.

"Hm? Osler? What's going on?"

Qin Ming rubbed his temples, his head feeling muddled. Seeing so many people gathered around him only made him more confused.

"Teacher Qin Ming, who attacked you?"

"Huh?"

Osler's words confused Qin Ming even more. Attacked? Him?

He only remembered taking Danheng around the academy, then encountering Dugu Bo, and then...

He could not remember anything after that.

It seemed to be Dugu Bo's doing, but why would Dugu Bo poison him for no reason?

"I'm fine. Everyone, get back to what you were doing."

Qin Ming stood up and patted his head, trying to clear it.

"Osler, don't spread word of this. No one attacked me. No, rather, the person who attacked me bore no ill will toward the academy."

"Where is Mister Danheng?"

"Oh, Yan's grandfather had something to discuss with Mister Danheng. They left first."

Osler nodded thoughtfully. No wonder Qin Ming had told him not to make a fuss. It seemed this matter was related to Dugu Yan's grandfather.

"Sir, can you explain now?"

After arriving at a quiet garden within the academy, Danheng and Dugu Bo sat down facing each other.

"You poisoned me three times along the way. The last two were lethal."

Dugu Bo's hands clenched slightly. He felt somewhat uncertain, having never expected his poison to truly have no effect on Danheng at all.

"I had to confirm whether you possessed the qualifications to make me take you seriously."

After closing his eyes in silence for a moment, Dugu Bo slowly opened them and spoke unhurriedly.

"Mm. But you should understand one thing: everything comes at a price."

Danheng stood up. Seeing the displeasure on his face, Dugu Bo tried to rise as well, only to discover that some force seemed to be pressing him firmly into his chair.

"If you had merely used ordinary poison, I could have let it go. But the poisons you used the last two times would have left an ordinary person without even a corpse."

Danheng's tone remained calm, though he even sounded a little weary.

Since arriving in Heaven Dou City, all sorts of strange characters had begun showing off their tricks again.

They were not as weak and irritating as Tang Hao, but they had still shown Danheng just how diverse the creatures on the Douluo Continent could be.

I'm just a drifter wandering around this continent, so why do people keep picking fights with me for no reason?

"So, what price are you prepared to pay?"

Danheng summoned Cloud Piercer and used the flat of the spear to lift Dugu Bo's chin, his gaze gradually turning cold.

He did not care who someone was if they tried to kill him.

Qin Ming's student's grandfather? That connection was far too distant.

Dugu Bo was completely unable to move. When he tried to circulate his Soul Power, he found that it had also frozen beneath this force.

At this moment, let alone Danheng, even his granddaughter could take him out!

"I have a Herb Garden containing many rare and precious plants. I am willing to offer it to you as an apology!"

The moment he said that, the pressure on Dugu Bo vanished.

"Take me to see it."