Douluo: Jianmu Martial Soul, Am I an Abomination of Abundance?

Bone Douluo lovingly picked Ning Rongrong up and said with a smile, "All right, all right. We'll definitely find Rongrong a husband who will devote himself to her alone."

Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong, shook his head with a smile, and said, "Forget it, let's not watch anymore. Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, let's go."

"The more I watched, the more upset I got. I don't know if you two noticed earlier in the venue, but whenever I looked toward Mu Ci a few more times, Longevity Douluo and Salas would turn their eyes on me."

"As if I would lay a hand on a child."

"It's really awkward. Better not stay here and disturb them."

With that, Ning Fengzhi headed toward where Xue Qinghe was resting and stopped watching the many spirit fights in the arena.

Meanwhile, Mu Ci was approached by Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling

After Huo Wushuang, Yan Jing, and Xue Wu had each left with their respective team members,

Mu Ci sat outside the spirit fighting area with Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er, chatting while occasionally looking toward the Spirit Fighting Arena.

"Brother Mu Ci, what were you and Sister Huo Wu whispering about just now? Can Bing'er know?"

Shui Bing'er's somewhat cool question made Mu Ci feel a little guilty, as though he had been caught red-handed.

But before Mu Ci could explain, Huo Wu sat down beside Shui Bing'er and began speaking.

"Bing'er, Mu Ci and I made a bet earlier. We bet on whether Poison Douluo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan, had been poisoned. If he loses, he has to agree to one request from me."

Hearing about the wager, Shui Bing'er slightly furrowed her beautiful brows. She also found it rather hard to believe.

"Judging by Bing'er's expression, it seems she doesn't believe it either. How about joining the bet too, Bing'er?"

How could he pass up the chance to raise the stakes on a sure-win bet? Mu Ci looked at Shui Bing'er with a grin.

Mu Ci did not have any particular feelings about the two girls' disbelief. After all, to anyone else, this matter was simply unimaginable.

Looking at Mu Ci's smiling face, Shui Bing'er's furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on her delicate features.

"I believe Brother Mu Ci. Since you dared make such an obvious bet, you must be certain of winning. Bing'er isn't foolish."

"But Brother Mu Ci, are we going to find Dugu Yan now?"

Mu Ci shook his head, turning to look in a certain direction. "No need to look for them. They're already here."

Hearing that, Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu looked over as well.

On the academy path, two stunningly beautiful women were walking toward them.

One had shifting jade-green eyes and long purple hair draped over her shoulders. Her seductive curves swayed like a water snake as she walked. She was none other than the subject of their discussion, Dugu Yan.

The other was slightly shorter than Dugu Yan. Her silver hair danced in the breeze, reflecting a lovely shimmer beneath the sunlight.

A snow-white veil covered half of her beautiful face, while the exposed silver eyes carried an air of cold desolation.

The other girl from the Heaven Dou Team, Ye Lingling of the Nine-Star Begonia.

"Are you Mu Ci, the one everyone has been talking about?"

The distance of several dozen meters vanished in the blink of an eye. Dugu Yan led Ye Lingling before the three of them, swept her gaze around, and looked at Mu Ci as she spoke.

Mu Ci stood up and extended his hand to Dugu Yan with a smile. "Captain of the Plant Team, Mu Ci."

Looking at the large, well-defined hand before her, Dugu Yan hesitated for a moment before extending her right hand to shake his.

As they shook hands, Mu Ci carefully examined her hand. The dark green nail polish was eye-catching, but what drew his attention most was her exposed skin.

Her snow-white hand did not carry the healthy rosy tint of an ordinary person. Instead, it revealed a faint, nearly imperceptible grayness.

Compared to Dugu Yan, Huo Wu's hand felt like warm jade when held, smooth and giving off a faint warmth. Shui Bing'er's was the opposite, carrying a cool sensation.

These were all subtle effects of martial souls on Spirit Masters. They caused no problems, and their skin still appeared healthy from the outside.

But Dugu Yan's skin showed an abnormal color. This was the Jade Phosphor Snake Poison passed down through generations of Jade Phosphor Snake Spirit Masters.

By Dugu Yan's generation, if nothing changed, she would almost certainly be unable to live past forty. Even with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye suppressing it, she would only be barely clinging to life.

Dugu Yan did not possess Dugu Bo's nine-ring-level Soul Power to suppress it. The backlash from the snake poison would only be even more terrifying.

Their hands touched briefly before separating.

Only then did Dugu Yan explain why she had come.

"Captain Mu Ci, I want to ask something. Earlier in the venue, why were you and your girlfriend constantly looking in my direction? Is there some problem?"

Hearing Dugu Yan's question, Mu Ci was not overly surprised. He and Huo Wu had not hidden their actions, so it was perfectly normal for her to notice.

"I was betting with her on whether you had been poisoned."

Dugu Yan froze. Then her face turned cold, and her jade-green snake eyes fixed on Mu Ci. A sneer curled her lips as she said,

"Whether I've been poisoned? I could be poisoned? Do you know who my grandfather is?"

Mu Ci nodded. "Of course. Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. Every Spirit Master in the Heaven Dou Empire knows his name."

"But who says Poison Douluo's granddaughter can't be poisoned? I can even say that you were poisoned from the moment you were born."

Mu Ci's words made Dugu Yan's chest heave with anger, her eyes filled with rage.

At that moment, Ye Lingling, who had remained silent at the side, spoke to Dugu Yan. "Yanyan, don't get angry yet."

Then her lifelessly calm eyes glanced at Mu Ci.

"I've heard my grandfather mention him. I think you can believe his words for now."

Her best friend's advice calmed Dugu Yan slightly. She shot Mu Ci a fierce glare and asked Ye Lingling,

"Your grandfather? What did he say?"

Dugu Yan might not believe anyone else, but she could not disregard the words of her best friend's grandfather, the auxiliary-system Spirit Douluo who had healed countless people throughout the Heaven Dou Empire.

"My grandfather said that he has traveled throughout Heaven Dou for decades and treated hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of patients. But when it comes to the use of medicinal ingredient combinations, he is inferior to Mu Ci."

"Even the Soul-Breaking Spear Yang Clan far away in the Star Luo Empire is inferior to him in alchemy."

"So, if he says you've been poisoned, I think you should believe him for now."

Once Ye Lingling said that, all the girls present looked at Mu Ci.

Admiring light shone in Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er's eyes, while Dugu Yan fell silent.

Mu Ci smiled at Ye Lingling. "Please convey my thanks to Elder Ye for his praise, Miss Ye."

"So, Miss Dugu, do you believe it a little more now?"

Dugu Yan, who had been silent, glanced at him. The anger from before had faded as she said,

"Although Elder Ye says you're very capable, I still find it hard to accept that I could be poisoned. It's too absurd. How are you going to prove it to me?"

Mu Ci shook his head and looked at Dugu Yan.

"Actually, I don't need to prove anything to you. I only want you to pass a message to Senior Dugu. I can resolve your family's inherited poison."

"But since you want to know, I can tell you a few things."

"Miss Dugu Yan, do you think you're healthy?"

Hearing Mu Ci's question, Dugu Yan fell silent, unsure how to answer.

"See? You actually know something already. Your hair color, your eye color—you must have noticed them."

As though he had struck a nerve, Dugu Yan said somewhat hoarsely,

"That proves nothing. It only proves that the Dugu family's appearance is rather rare. Besides, there are others on the Douluo Continent who look like me."

Mu Ci nodded and did not deny that fact.

"But haven't you noticed? Your hair and eye colors have been deepening year by year. And your skin and nails—do you really wear that nail polish because you like it, rather than to hide something?"

"As a girl, I don't believe you don't care about beauty, and I believe even less that you failed to notice these problems."

Mu Ci saw that Dugu Yan no longer had any desire to argue. She looked as though she had lost her soul.

His tone softened slightly. "You don't have to be like this. Go home and confirm it with Senior Dugu. He definitely knows about these things. Just tell him that I can resolve it."

Hearing that, Dugu Yan seemed to seize a glimmer of hope. Her eyes shone as she looked at Mu Ci.

How could she possibly have failed to notice her own problems?

She had merely preferred to believe that her family had some hereditary defect. She would never have imagined that she had actually been poisoned.

"Fine!"

Dugu Bo's Confession

Evening.

Heaven Dou City, Dugu Manor.

Ever since speaking with Mu Ci, Dugu Yan had been restless. She could not wait to return home and find her grandfather to ask about her condition.

She endured the anxious wait until afternoon, then boarded a carriage back to Heaven Dou City under Ye Lingling's comfort.

Dugu Yan hurried into the manor, where the butler immediately came forward to greet her.

"Miss!"

"Is my grandfather home?"

Dugu Yan looked at the elderly butler before her and asked.

It was not that Dugu Yan did not want to find Dugu Bo directly. His whereabouts were simply too unpredictable, and there was no telling when he might disappear for several days.

So that Dugu Yan could know where he was, Dugu Bo always informed the old butler of his approximate return time before leaving. That way, his granddaughter would not worry.

"In reply to Miss, Master returned not long ago. He is resting in the rear courtyard."

Hearing the butler's answer, Dugu Yan immediately used her Soul Power and raced toward the rear courtyard.

After passing through the winding corridors, Dugu Yan spotted the old man reclining in a lounge chair in the courtyard at a glance.

Dugu Bo, who had just used the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye to suppress the backlash of his snake poison, lay in the chair, easing the terrifying agony that had only recently faded.

With his mind relaxed, he had not released his senses.

And so, he failed to notice Dugu Yan rushing toward him at high speed.