Dugu Bo: Nooo, My Granddaughter!

Dugu Yan was decisive and quick to act. The moment she heard Yu Tianjiao's grave assessment that her grandfather and she might both be poisoned, she was consumed with worry. She immediately grabbed Yu Tianjiao and Ye Lingling and hurried out of the academy.

The three of them wasted almost no time. They hired a carriage and headed straight for Dugu Bo's estate deep in Sunset Forest.

Dugu Bo's estate lay in a mountain hollow.

Even with Dugu Yan, who knew the way well, leading them, the three still spent a full hour traveling through the mountains before finally reaching Dugu Bo's estate.

The estate was small, with an air of chill and solitude.

"Grandpa!"

Dugu Yan called out from a distance, her voice brimming with urgency.

A tall, thin old man with ink-green hair and beard, dressed in an ink-green robe, was bending over an unusual medicinal herb. At the sound of her voice, he straightened up. It was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.

His face showed a trace of displeasure at being disturbed, but when he saw that it was his granddaughter Dugu Yan, with Yu Tianjiao and Ye Lingling following behind her, the displeasure melted into a broad smile, along with a hint of surprise deep in his eyes.

This was the first time his precious granddaughter had ever brought anyone home.

"Yanzi? What brings you back so suddenly? And you brought company, too?"

As Dugu Bo spoke, his gaze paused on Yu Tianjiao, sizing him up.

"Yu Tianjiao? You've been gone for three years, and now you've finally come back. Hmm? Has your Soul Power recovered a little?"

His tone wasn't particularly warm, but he showed no clear hostility either. After all, Dugu Yan had stolen medicinal herbs for this boy back then, and the boy had turned her down decisively enough—not wasting his precious herbs.

Now that he'd noticed Yu Tianjiao's Soul Power wasn't still at level three, as the rumors claimed, he realized the boy must have recovered.

"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan rushed forward and grabbed Dugu Bo's arm, her voice anxious. "Tianjiao says you're poisoned, and that it's a problem with your Martial Soul. Is that true? Why have you never told me?"

"Hm?" Dugu Bo's brows knitted together at once, and his gaze shot toward Yu Tianjiao, sharp as a blade. The pressure of a Titled Douluo spread through the air, faint but palpable. "Boy, what are you saying? I've spent my whole life playing with poison. How could my own Martial Soul poison me? I've kept a close eye on Yanzi's health, too. Where did you get this talk of poison? If you're making things up, don't blame me for being rude!"

Though he said this, he was startled inside, because Yu Tianjiao wasn't wrong. He really was poisoned.

Ye Lingling felt the pressure and tensed, but seeing how calm and composed Yu Tianjiao remained, she felt a little more at ease.

"Grandpa, how can you treat Tianjiao like that? If you won't tell the truth, I won't speak to you anymore!"

With that one line, Dugu Yan dealt Dugu Bo a devastating blow.

It wasn't that she meant to undermine him.

As Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan had practically been raised by him, and knew him very well.

She could tell at a glance that he'd just been putting on a fierce front to hide his unease.

Yu Tianjiao seemed not to notice Dugu Bo's pressure at all. The gentle, composed smile never left his face.

He stepped forward and calmly met Dugu Bo's sharp gaze.

"Senior Dugu, I'm not making things up. The lingering trace of black qi between your brows and the dark, purplish tinge of your lips are both signs that poison has penetrated deep into your bones and is attacking your organs. As for Yanzi..."

He turned toward Dugu Yan, whose face was full of worry. His gaze softened with tenderness and sympathy.

"Yanzi doesn't have as much poison built up in her body as you do, but she was born with it. There's no way she could have made it to your age the way you have. You know how she's treated me all these years.

"So I could never stand by and watch her wither away in pain, and I would never let her lose the family member closest to her."

Hearing him touch on what weighed so heavily on his mind, Dugu Bo's expression shifted. But right after that, he noticed something seemed a little off about the relationship between Yu Tianjiao and his granddaughter, and suddenly felt as if the sky had collapsed.

This was bad!

His granddaughter!

"You two... Are you together?"

Even during the sleepless nights when the poison in his body tormented him, Dugu Bo had never felt as miserable as he did right then.

His granddaughter was going to be swept away by some blond—er, black-haired brat after all!

"Mm..."

Dugu Yan's cheeks flushed at his question. She quietly nodded, stealing a glance at Yu Tianjiao from the corner of her eye.

!!!

Dugu Bo flashed in front of Yu Tianjiao, seized him by the collar with both hands, and shook him violently.

"Damn you! My granddaughter really has been tricked away by you, you little brat! If you ever make Yanzi shed a single tear or suffer the slightest grievance, I'll make you wish you were dead! Do you hear me?!"

Dugu Bo's face twisted as he spoke.

"Grandpa, don't scare Tianjiao! Tianjiao would never bully me!"

Dugu Yan was still hopelessly in love, her elbow swinging wildly outward.

"Hmph..."

At her words, Dugu Bo felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his chest. He gave a muffled groan and dropped onto his rear.

What was so great about this kid?!

He was just a little handsome, a little talented, a little gentle, and his family background was...

Hm?

He was actually quite the catch!

The thought only made Dugu Bo more depressed. He tilted his head back and stared at the sky.

"Ah, forget it. If Yanzi's set her heart on you, I won't say anything. Let's leave it at that!"

After a moment, Dugu Bo recovered somewhat, sighed, and waved a hand.

"Hehe, Senior Dugu, don't worry. I'll protect Yanzi with my life. How could I ever let her suffer or shed tears?"

As he spoke, Yu Tianjiao helped Dugu Bo to his feet and made his promise with utmost seriousness.

"Good. I'll take you at your word for now. We'll see how you do from here on out!"

Dugu Bo nodded, regaining the poise and bearing of a Titled Douluo. Like an elder, he gently patted Yu Tianjiao on the shoulder.

Setting everything else aside, when Yu Tianjiao's Soul Power had fallen to level three, he hadn't collapsed over it. He'd kept cultivating as usual, his resilience and composure astonishing even Dugu Bo.

Now it seemed Yu Tianjiao's talent had returned. With that experience behind him and such a resolute will, he was sure to become a true powerhouse someday. It wouldn't even be surprising if he surpassed Dugu Bo.

Then, even if something happened to him, Yanzi would have someone dependable to lean on.

That wasn't so bad!

"By the way, this is the good friend you're always talking about, the one with the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, isn't it?"

Dugu Bo turned his gaze to Ye Lingling and asked his granddaughter.

"That's right, Grandpa. She's my very best friend!"

Dugu Yan stepped over, slipped an arm around Ye Lingling's, and spoke with great affection.

"Greetings, Senior Dugu. I'm Ye Lingling."

Ye Lingling gave him a courteous bow and smiled.

"Hehe, since you're Yanzi's good friend, you can call me Grandpa just like she does from now on. Grandpa will look after you, too!"

Dugu Bo's affection for his granddaughter had clearly reached its limit.

Loving the one his granddaughter loved, he had already started treating Ye Lingling as another granddaughter.

"Grandpa Dugu."

Ye Lingling naturally took the hint and changed how she addressed him.

Dugu Bo burst into hearty laughter.

In truth, he wasn't one to pay much attention to outsiders. But Ye Lingling's Martial Soul was the Nine Heart Begonia, and she was so close to his granddaughter. For Yanzi's sake, he was willing to rein in his temperament a little.

Of course, that didn't apply to Yu Tianjiao.

He understood people like Yu Tianjiao all too well.

Geniuses like him would never lack women around them.

But he couldn't exactly order Yu Tianjiao to be with his granddaughter alone.

After all, Yu Tianjiao was the adopted son of the head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Although that old rascal refused to acknowledge it, Yu Tianjiao's Martial Soul was clearly the Ancient Void Dragon, a mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. That plainly proved he had the clan's bloodline.

On top of that, his terrifying talent was enough to leave a bold, indelible mark on the Soul Master World. Yu Tianjiao was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy with a chance of reaching level one hundred and becoming a god.

To be honest, Dugu Bo didn't want to pass up a grandson-in-law like him.

And since Dugu Yan had fallen deeply in love with him, Dugu Bo had no choice but to accept it.

But earning Dugu Bo's wholehearted approval wouldn't happen overnight.

Until then, he would have to be strict with Yu Tianjiao, lest the boy get his precious granddaughter too easily and fail to cherish her.

"Senior, why don't you let me take your pulse? If I've correctly identified your symptoms, you'll have to listen to my treatment and let me detoxify you."

Yu Tianjiao spoke with a smile.

"Fine! I'll let you give it a try!"

Dugu Bo snorted softly and held out his hand.

The Seven-Colored Poison Manual hadn't given Yu Tianjiao any medical skills.

But the First-Grade Alchemy skill he'd obtained earlier included a method for alchemists to use their soul power to examine the human body.

Yu Tianjiao had already successfully claimed the First-Grade Alchemy skill on the way here.

So now he really could use his soul perception to examine Dugu Bo.

After taking his pulse for a full quarter of an hour, Dugu Bo was starting to get impatient. Only then did Yu Tianjiao finally speak.

"Senior, whenever the weather turns rainy, do you feel an itch in your ribs at noon and midnight? Does it gradually intensify and last for a full hour?

"Besides that, at the third watch, do you feel stabbing pains in the crown of your head and the soles of your feet, with your whole body convulsing for at least half an hour?"

Yu Tianjiao's words landed like hammer blows, each one striking Dugu Bo's heart.

The symptoms Yu Tianjiao described matched his condition exactly!

Dugu Bo's face changed instantly. The arrogance and doubt in his eyes gave way to shock and gravity.

He stared hard at Yu Tianjiao.

"You really can tell?"

Hearing Dugu Bo say that, Dugu Yan grew frantic as well.

"Grandpa, you really are poisoned?"

Dugu Bo didn't know how to face his granddaughter. He only fell silent.

Over the years, his strength had indeed improved, but behind that power, he had endured torment beyond what an ordinary person could imagine. It had been worse than death.

He hadn't dared let Dugu Yan know, and he hadn't dared let her see him in such a wretched state, broken by the agony.

"That's because I inherited the complete poison arts of a Titled Douluo from ancient times, a man who proved his Dao through poison and suppressed an entire age." Yu Tianjiao continued his bluff in a steady voice. "This inheritance is called the Seven-Colored Poison Manual. Its contents are all-encompassing and delve into the very source of poison. I studied it painstakingly for years before gaining even the slightest insight."

He looked around at the herb garden, brimming with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His gaze swept over the Immortal Herbs radiating astonishing energy before returning to Dugu Bo.

"Senior, your problem isn't a simple case of poisoning. It's a fundamental conflict that arose as your Martial Soul and life force coexisted.

"The formidable poison of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor is certainly a weapon in your hands, but it's also a double-edged sword, constantly corroding the vessel that bears it—your body and Yanzi's.

"The poison comes from your Martial Soul and is rooted in your bloodline. Ordinary methods of detoxification won't work. They could instead upset that delicate balance and hasten the collapse of your bodies."

Dugu Bo's expression had grown extremely grim. He looked at Dugu Yan, whose eyes showed both concern for him and trust in Yu Tianjiao's words, and felt a jolt in his heart.

Back when he'd been at the height of his glory, he'd never imagined that the Martial Soul he was so proud of would become a sword hanging over his granddaughter's head!

All these years, he had searched tirelessly for a way to detoxify himself, but he'd found nothing.

Now that his granddaughter's boyfriend had seen through his condition, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"I'm sorry, Yanzi. Grandpa never told you about this."

He sighed and reached out to stroke the crown of Dugu Yan's head.

"Tianjiao, you can save Grandpa, can't you?"

Dugu Yan's eyes reddened at once. She turned to Yu Tianjiao and asked him pleadingly.

Just as Yu Tianjiao was about to answer, the familiar system panel appeared before his eyes.

[During your travels, you came across Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire, at a shop selling Ancient Maps!

There, you discovered a treasure of vital importance to you. To obtain it, you agreed to help him break the seal Queen Medusa had left inside his body.]

[Mission: Refine a pill to resolve the hidden danger inside Hai Bodong's body.]

[Mission reward: Hai Bodong's friendship and a gift.]

[Temporary mission bonus: Break Calamity Pill recipe, one six-grade alchemy skill trial card.]

So he was supposed to refine medicine for Dugu Bo?

Yu Tianjiao paused briefly before realizing that the Break Calamity Pill must have been automatically adapted by the system into a detoxifying pill.

Still, the mission reward was awfully vague...

Never mind. It was something he could do along the way, and he wanted to see just how profound six-grade alchemy was.

"Tianjiao? Do you not have a way to help me?"

Seeing that Yu Tianjiao still hadn't said anything, a hint of despair flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes. Her voice trembled as she asked him.

Yu Tianjiao came back to himself. Seeing that Dugu Yan was about to burst into tears, he strode over and pulled her into his arms. He didn't care that Dugu Bo was glaring at him from the side as if he wanted to kill him with his eyes. His voice was gentle as he said:

"Don't worry. I was thinking about how to detoxify you, and I've got a few ideas now."

Dugu Yan's tears instantly turned to laughter, and she even excitedly kissed Yu Tianjiao on the lips.

"Wonderful! I knew you could do it!"

Dugu Bo: (╬ಠ益ಠ)