As soon as Nozel laid out his terms, everyone in the room looked astonished. Even the people from Spirit Hall hadn't expected him to offer such generous conditions!
For a moment, every gaze fell on Lin Fan.
But what surprised them even more was that Lin Fan remained calm in the face of such an offer.
Could he not know how precious those things were?
"Sorry."
Noticing their gazes, Lin Fan said calmly, "I'm not interested in joining any faction."
"Huh?"
Hearing Lin Fan refuse, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even Qian Ying was surprised. "Xiaofan, do you know how important a Soul Bone is? If he can really help you obtain one that suits you, there's nothing wrong with joining Spirit Hall. After all, our family has no grudge against Spirit Hall."
Only Lin Qingfeng and Qian Shu let out a quiet sigh. They knew that Lin Fan never went back on a decision once he'd made it.
Nozel wasn't willing to give up either. After a moment's thought, he said softly, "Young Master Lin, before I came, my master gave me a Soul Bone and said that if you agreed, I should give it to you as a gift."
"!!!"
The instant he finished speaking, everyone stopped breathing.
A Soul Bone!
A gift from a Titled Douluo couldn't possibly be anything ordinary.
At an auction, it might fetch over a million!
Envy welled up in their hearts.
In their minds, he'd get a Soul Bone just by becoming the man's disciple—and his master was a Titled Douluo, no less. What a tremendous benefit! How could anyone refuse?
"Youngster from the Lin Clan..."
Just then, a voice suddenly came from outside. It wasn't loud, yet it carried terrifying Soul Power and rang crystal-clear in every corner of the hall.
In an instant, Nozel and Qian Ying felt an astonishing pressure. They hurried to their feet and looked toward the source of the Soul Power.
Another expert had arrived!
Their Soul Power was even stronger than theirs!
They were stunned. After all, the only people stronger than them were Titled Douluo.
They had thought that an Soul Douluo personally coming to recruit Lin Fan showed more than enough sincerity. They hadn't expected a Titled Douluo to show up as well.
Lin Fan merely raised an eyebrow. He'd already recognized the voice.
Dugu Bo!
That old poisoner sure moves fast. It hasn't been long at all, and he's already here!
Whoosh—
Light flickered, and Dugu Bo descended into the courtyard alongside a girl in her early twenties.
His gaze swept over the room. Wearing a calm expression, Dugu Bo ignored the people from Spirit Hall and strode straight into the hall. "Kid, come with me."
The girl's emerald-green eyes flickered with surprise as she looked at Lin Fan.
When she'd learned that someone could cure her poison, she'd been thrilled. She'd never imagined that the person Dugu Bo had brought her to meet would be nothing more than a child!
"P-Poison Douluo!"
Nozel cried out in alarm, his expression grave as he hurried to his feet and fixed his eyes on Dugu Bo.
"Now that you know who I am, why haven't you scrammed?"
Dugu Bo didn't even look at Nozel. A mere Soul Douluo was nothing in front of a true Titled Douluo.
Besides, Dugu Bo already had a poor relationship with Spirit Hall. If the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family hadn't intervened, Spirit Hall might still be hunting him down.
"Senior."
Lin Fan smiled. "They're guests of the Lin Clan, after all. Do me a favor and show them some respect."
"..."
"Hmph."
Dugu Bo swept his sleeve and stopped paying Nozel any attention. He sat down nearby, but kept his cold gaze fixed on him.
His meaning was clear enough: I'm here now. If you don't leave, and you get in my way, don't blame me for showing you no mercy!
"..."
Nozel's mouth twitched. He couldn't help asking, "Has Young Master Lin joined the Heaven Dou Empire?"
"I was born in the Heaven Dou Empire. What do you mean, 'joined'?"
Lin Fan chuckled. "I appreciate your kindness, but I don't want to join any faction. I'm happy to be friends, but anything beyond that is out of the question."
"I see."
Nozel's eyes shifted. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, took out a bag sealed with golden thread, and handed it to Lin Fan. "My master said that even if Young Master Lin doesn't wish to become his disciple, you should still receive this gift."
"Oh?"
Lin Fan glanced at Nozel and immediately knew he was lying.
No doubt seeing Dugu Bo arrive had made him feel threatened. Worried that another faction might recruit Lin Fan, he'd decided to hand over the gift after all.
At the thought, Lin Fan couldn't help smiling to himself. He hadn't expected Dugu Bo not only to help him make money, but to bring him something nice as well.
A gift handed to him on a silver platter was too good to refuse!
Lin Fan calmly accepted the bag and smiled. "A friend in every direction means another road to take. I'd be glad to get along with you."
"Then I'll take my leave."
After glancing at Dugu Bo, Nozel decided it was best to go.
He had no choice. His strength couldn't compare with Dugu Bo's.
What's more, Dugu Bo had already joined the Heaven Dou Empire. Under normal circumstances, Spirit Hall couldn't simply kill him. If they ran into him, it was only natural to keep their distance.
Nozel waved, gave Lin Fan a slight bow, then ushered the people from Spirit Hall out in a hurry.
Before long, only Lin Fan's family and Dugu Bo and his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, remained in the hall.
"Kid, now that the guests are gone, we can get to my business, can't we?"
Dugu Bo's voice was cold, but his words gave Qian Ying a tremendous shock.
She'd assumed that Dugu Bo, like Nozel, had come to recruit Lin Fan on behalf of someone else. But from the way he spoke, it sounded as if Dugu Bo had come to ask Lin Fan for help.
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Qian Ying couldn't believe that a Titled Douluo would ever need to ask a Soul Master for help.
Had the world gone mad?
Or had she?
"Senior, why the rush?"
Lin Fan chuckled. "You've made it through more than ten years already. There's no need to hurry over a little while longer."
"..."
Dugu Bo stared coldly at Lin Fan. "If you can cure my granddaughter's poison, then name your price. As long as it's within my power, I'll give you whatever you want."
"But if you can't, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
Lin Fan shook his head and asked, "Senior, are you sure you'll give me anything?"
"Anything within my power—and nothing that would make me, or my granddaughter, risk our lives."
Dugu Bo agreed without hesitation, which filled Dugu Yan with gratitude.
"Grandpa, you don't have to do that."
Dugu Yan spoke softly. "It's only a little poison. I can endure it."
"You can endure it, but your grandfather doesn't want to see you suffer."
Lin Fan cut Dugu Yan off, then fixed her with a fierce glare.
I finally got a promise out of Dugu Bo, and now you're trying to ruin it?
I'd been planning to help you evolve your Martial Soul normally. But since you put it that way, I might as well take advantage of the situation and make you suffer a little.
His eyes darted around. At once, Lin Fan came up with a plan to mess with Dugu Yan!
Before you continue