Nuoding City: Ma Xiunuo

"Your Excellency Haotian, my business here is concluded, and I have fulfilled what I promised you. However, there is one thing I must remind you of."

"Oh? What is it?"

"This Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye was first discovered by the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo. If you come into conflict with him in the future, I hope you will act with restraint and not push him too far."

Tang Hao's expression tightened; he was clearly deep in thought. The resurrection of Ah Yin was of paramount importance, and in his view, the best way to avoid future trouble was to silence anyone who knew the secret.

"Your Excellency, I must remind you that this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye is Dugu Bo's territory. In truth, both you and I owe him a very great favor."

Tang Hao replied, "I am naturally aware of that. When I see him, I will weigh the situation myself."

"I understand your feelings, Your Excellency. You do not wish to entrust the fate of your beloved to another. But I must point out that this choice is the best one for Dugu Bo, for your wife, and for you."

"Dugu Bo is not your enemy—at the very least, he holds no affection for Martial Soul Hall!"

Tang Hao said in a deep voice, "I am well aware of that. However, I prioritize Ah Yin's safety above all else. If it truly comes to that, I will kill him to keep the secret! You know as well as I do that once Martial Soul Hall receives word, I will never be able to set foot here again. For my wife, I can do anything!"

"I cannot change your mind, Your Excellency, but I believe my suggestion is best for you, your wife, myself, and Dugu Bo."

Tang Hao frowned. "Oh? Should I take this as a threat?"

Su Yun Tao smiled. "This is not a threat. I am merely saying that if you push Dugu Bo into a corner, the only one who will suffer is you, Your Excellency."

"Oh?" Tang Hao laughed. "Young friend Su, I will tell you the truth: although we are both Titled Douluo, it would take me very few moves to kill Dugu Bo."

"That is natural. Your strength is indeed enough to crush Dugu Bo, but I must remind you that this Sunset Forest is the most suitable battlefield for him."

"His Jade Scale Snake Emperor martial soul is indeed suited for this place, but so what? Even in this Sunset Forest, he is still far from being my match!"

Su Yun Tao said slowly, "You are correct, Your Excellency, but I must remind you that once Dugu Bo releases the poison of his Jade Scale Snake Emperor, this entire region will become a poisonous swamp stretching for a thousand miles!"

"Is this a sight you wish to see, Your Excellency? Even if you do not fear his snake venom, what of your wife? What of this land? Your Excellency, in many cases, you do not have many choices. The path you take is yours to decide."

In truth, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye was formed by the remains of the two great Dragon Kings, and Dugu Bo's snake venom did not possess the power to truly destroy this area.

Su Yun Tao did this simply because he did not want to see Dugu Bo die in vain. In the original story, Dugu Bo was a decent man. Su Yun Tao had already taken his immortal herbs, which was a great favor owed; if he were to watch him die for nothing, his conscience would be heavy.

"Your Excellency, you may be thinking that you could track Dugu Bo and kill him outside this place. But Dugu Bo is not only a guest elder of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, he also spends all his time in Heaven Dou City when he is not here. While you could easily kill him, I believe it is impossible for you to do so silently and without leaving a trace!"

"Given this, please consider the consequences. Once the matter escalates, it will be beyond your control. The fall of a Titled Douluo would shake the entire soul master world of the continent!"

Tang Hao's expression began to shift; it was clear that he found the matter of Dugu Bo extremely thorny.

"Your Excellency, please believe me. I have absolute certainty that I can ensure Dugu Bo will not leak this news to Martial Soul Hall."

Tang Hao asked in a deep voice, "What is your leverage?"

"Your Excellency, when you see Dugu Bo, you can tell him that he is already suffering from a severe poison."

"Suffering from a severe poison?" A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Tang Hao's mouth, as if he had heard a joke.

"Your Excellency, tell him that every time it rains, he feels a numbing itch in his ribs, and it grows stronger day by day. It happens once at noon and once at midnight, each time lasting for more than half an hour."

"Every night, around the third watch, he feels a needle-like pain in the crown of his head and the soles of his feet. His entire body spasms for at least half an hour. This pain is so intense that even a Titled Douluo like him cannot endure it."

"He is already terminally ill, but he has been relying on his own body to resist and his soul power to forcibly suppress it. Now, even his hair and eyes have turned green; this is a sign that the poison has gone deep."

A hint of gravity appeared in Tang Hao's eyes. Although he found it incredible and was skeptical, this young man before him had done similar things more than once, and every time, the result had left him shocked.

"Your Excellency, please tell him that within five years, a fated person will come to cure his Jade Scale Snake Emperor poison. I believe that for the future of the Jade Scale Snake clan, he will wait patiently. You may also rest easy, Your Excellency, without worrying about him doing anything extreme."

Nuoding City Martial Soul Hall

Su Yun Tao walked slowly into the iconic building of Nuoding City, then navigated with familiarity to the office of Ma Xiunuo, the deacon of the Nuoding City branch of the Martial Soul Hall.

"Yun Tao, you've returned." An elderly man with a spirited demeanor spoke up.

The old man was still quite healthy. Although he was eighty-one years old, because he was a soul master, he was not yet considered decrepit.

"Yes, Master Ma Xiunuo. This is the awakening report for the remote areas of the Nuoding City region this year. Among them, three children have the potential to become soul masters."

Although Su Yun Tao had not remained to work at the Martial Soul Hall after graduating from the Junior Soul Master Academy ten years ago, choosing instead to head to Shrek with a sense of reverence, his bond with the old man, Ma Xiunuo, had remained intact.

"Sigh! Yun Tao, you were doing so well, why did you have to leave the Martial Soul Hall?"

Su Yun Tao waved his hand. "Master, please do not bring this up again."

Ma Xiunuo shook his head, picked up the report, and said while reading, "I do not understand the thinking of you young people, but Yun Tao, you really shouldn't have. You left the Martial Soul Hall without a word ten years ago; now, there is no possibility of you ever joining again!"

Su Yun Tao understood the old man's meaning perfectly. He was simply feeling regret on his behalf; for a civilian soul master with his level of talent, the Martial Soul Hall could be considered their only way out.

Ma Xiunuo was only at level twenty-nine. He had undergone his martial soul awakening at age six, and after graduating from the Junior Soul Master Academy at twelve, he had worked at the Nuoding City branch of the Martial Soul Hall. For decades, he had lived without worry for food or clothing. As a member of the Martial Soul Hall, he did not have to fear much of anything. For him, this was already a very satisfying life.