"Old Senior, curing your granddaughter's poison is both difficult and simple. It all depends on whether you believe me."
Lin Fan smiled, but his words left Dugu Bo furious.
"Nonsense! If I didn't trust you, why would I bring Yan'er here?"
Dugu Bo's face was ashen as he said coldly, "I'm a Titled Douluo. Would I lie to a little kid like you? As long as you purge my granddaughter's poison, let her Martial Soul evolve, and get rid of this flaw, I'll give you whatever you want!"
"Good. With your word, Old Senior, I can relax."
Lin Fan turned to Dugu Yan and said, "Since Old Senior is eager to see the results, Miss Dugu, please come with me."
"Where?"
Dugu Yan was slightly taken aback. Dugu Bo, Lin Qingfeng, Qian Shu, and Qian Ying all looked at Lin Fan in confusion.
"Obviously, my room."
Lin Fan instructed, "Dad, have someone boil a big barrel of hot water and bring it to my room. I'll need it in a moment."
The moment he finished speaking, everyone's expressions grew even stranger. Dugu Yan's eyes widened, then her cheeks flushed red.
But she glanced at Dugu Bo and managed to hold back her anger.
In her heart, her grandfather had abandoned the dignity of a Titled Douluo for her, speaking to a child like this. How could she still act spoiled?
No matter how things turned out, she would cooperate with the treatment.
If he couldn't cure her, Dugu Bo would naturally step in and avenge her without needing her to ask!
Seemingly noticing their odd expressions, Lin Fan pursed his lips and said, "Martial Soul Evolution involves quite a few things. I need to take Miss Dugu somewhere private and guide her cultivation."
"Fine!"
Dugu Bo agreed gravely.
After all, was chastity more important than life?
Now that Dugu Bo had agreed, no one else had anything to say. Lin Fan immediately led Dugu Yan to his room.
Once they were inside, Lin Fan shut the door and looked Dugu Yan up and down.
Dugu Yan was in her early twenties, the age when a young woman was at her most vibrant and beautiful. Though her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul brought her endless pain and left her body severely poisoned, her figure had still developed wonderfully.
She was also quite pretty, and her long, pale green hair and eyes gave her a distinctive charm.
"What are you planning to do?"
Noticing Lin Fan's stare, Dugu Yan blushed despite herself. She quickly backed away a few steps, folded her arms across her chest, and watched him warily.
"I want to."
Lin Fan answered with perfect seriousness. But he looked down at himself and let out a helpless sigh.
"Huh?"
His answer left Dugu Yan baffled. She'd asked what he wanted to do—what did he mean by just saying, "I want to"?
After hesitating a moment, Dugu Yan said, "I'm warning you: don't use curing my poison as an excuse to take advantage of me!"
"..."
Lin Fan rolled his eyes and said crossly, "Lady, how old do you think I am? What are you imagining?"
After he snapped at her, Dugu Yan finally remembered that Lin Fan was just a child.
Well, she didn't know that the "child" she had in mind had nothing in common with a child except his body. If she treated Lin Fan like a kid, she'd end up badly bullied.
Who knew? One day Lin Fan might already be inside her, and she'd still think it was just kids playing around.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Master, the hot water you requested is here."
A knock came out of nowhere. Lin Fan answered, and two guards immediately carried in a large barrel of hot water. They set it down, bowed slightly, and left.
"Miss Dugu, please take off your clothes and soak in there for a while."
Dugu Yan had been eyeing the barrel suspiciously, but the moment she heard him, her eyes widened. "Huh? I have to soak in it? Um... can I keep my clothes on?"
"Of course not!"
Lin Fan said solemnly, "If you keep your clothes on, they'll trap the heat against your skin. How would that have any effect?"
"To make your Martial Soul evolve, your Soul Power has to flow freely throughout your entire body, without the slightest obstruction."
"..."
Dugu Yan studied Lin Fan for a moment. Seeing his righteous expression, she then thought of his age and gritted her teeth. Her face red, she walked over to the barrel, gently removed her clothes, and revealed herself to Lin Fan in all her naked beauty, as white as jade.
Even though Lin Fan had been around more than his share of young models in his previous life, the sudden sight of her graceful figure still made his heart skip a beat.
But it was only one beat.
Lin Fan had seen plenty in his time and wasn't particularly interested in women. He quickly pursed his lips and said, "What are you still dawdling for? Get in already. Once your body has soaked through, I still have to evolve your Martial Soul!"
"..."
Dugu Yan's mouth twitched. She'd been worried he might take advantage of her, but after hearing him talk like that, she figured he hadn't hit puberty yet. She stopped feeling shy, turned around, and climbed into the barrel, sitting down.
Steam rolled up, shrouding Dugu Yan's whole body until only her head remained above the water.
She might have stopped feeling embarrassed, but when Lin Fan walked up to her, she still got nervous, her heart pounding wildly.
"You're getting quite a bargain, little guy."
Dugu Yan shot Lin Fan a look. Even Yu Tianheng, who was close to her, had never seen her body.
"Hey, what do I do now?"
Dugu Yan asked aloud.
"Cultivate as usual. When your Soul Power starts surging inside you, I'll help your Martial Soul evolve."
Lin Fan replied casually.
Actually, there was no need for such a drawn-out process to evolve a Martial Soul.
Lin Fan was stalling for time for two reasons. First, he wanted revenge for Dugu Yan cutting off his chance to make a fortune earlier. Second, the longer it took, the more it would prove that curing her poison and evolving her Martial Soul was difficult.
Then, when Lin Fan asked Dugu Bo to do something for him or give him something, would he really have the nerve to refuse?
Dugu Yan had no idea what Lin Fan was thinking. She closed her eyes and began to cultivate.
Buzz—
Steam and Soul Power surged into her body one after another. The sensation was peculiar, and Dugu Yan was secretly astonished.
Time passed slowly.
Before long, Dugu Yan had sunk into deep cultivation.
Only then did Lin Fan reach out. The Evolution Light Martial Soul shimmered with silvery-white radiance as he slowly pressed it against Dugu Yan's forehead.
A cool, slick sensation mingled with a trace of warmth. Lin Fan casually glanced down; through the water's surface, he could see everything clearly.
"Evolution Light!"
Steadying his mind, Lin Fan activated his Martial Soul's ability.
In an instant, a brilliant radiance burst from Lin Fan's hand and poured directly into Dugu Yan's body.
Boom—
Emerald Soul Power exploded. The phantom of a Jade Phosphorous Serpent appeared, roaring toward the sky as its body rapidly changed. A glimmer shone in its eyes.
"It's my first time evolving someone's Martial Soul... I wonder what it'll turn into?"
"Still, it's pretty exciting!"
Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, his heart full of anticipation. Once it was done, what should he ask Dugu Bo for?
Before you continue