The man was surrounded by the three brothers, and his expression grew increasingly gloomy.
Damn it. To think he would suffer at the hands of three nobodies today. If he'd known, he never would have come out.
Arrogant? Faced with death, how could he still be arrogant?
His lips moved as he asked, "What will it take for you to let me go?"
He had thought he could win, but the instant that purple Soul Ring appeared, he gave up. There was no way he could beat them.
Xu Xiao sized up the man before him. Dressed in luxurious robes, he appeared to be the son of a wealthy family.
"You know our secret, and you still want to live?"
"Third Brother, do it!"
Xu Xiao was no fool. He gave the order coldly. This was the wilderness; if one person died here, how many would care?
Even if someone did care, they would be gone after finishing the job. Who would know?
Sunset Forest was so vast. If no one found him in a couple of days, perhaps Soul Beasts would eat him.
That was why Xu Xiao dared to do this. No one would know who had done it.
The man's face instantly changed, and he hurriedly cried out, "Wait, wait!"
Terrified, he shouted, trying to use his voice to stop Xu Xiao and the others.
"I have money and resources! I can give them all to you, as long as you let me go!"
Xu Xiao rolled his eyes. He did not care about such things right now, and he could not be sure whether the man was telling the truth. Xu Xiao treated anything uncertain as the worst possibility.
"Kill him."
Xu Xiao spoke indifferently.
The man smiled bitterly, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! To think I, Dugu Bo, would die at the hands of three petty fools before I could conquer the world."
"Come on, then. Let me see just how strong you are!"
Conquer the world? Heh, what lofty ambition.
Wait, who did he say he was?
Dugu Bo?
"Third Brother, wait!" Xu Xiao immediately stopped Yue Guan, his gaze sweeping over Dugu Bo once more.
His features did bear some resemblance to the image Xu Xiao remembered.
"You said your name was?"
"Dugu Bo?"
"The Dugu Bo whose Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent?"
(PS: At this point, Dugu Bo's Martial Soul was not yet the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor!)
Xu Xiao asked instinctively.
When Dugu Bo saw that someone recognized him, he immediately became somewhat arrogant again.
"Hmph. It seems you do know me. Since you know the Dugu Family, I advise you to let me go."
The moment Xu Xiao heard that, he laughed. "Third Brother, do it. Just don't kill him. I still have something to ask him."
If you were the moody and unpredictable Dugu Bo from the original story, perhaps I would be afraid of you. But right now, you're only a one-ring Soul Master.
Why the hell would I be scared?
Think about it—weren't all transmigrators who encountered Dugu Bo faced with one who had already grown powerful? Weren't they all threatened by him?
But now, heh. You're not a Titled Douluo, and I'm not some weakling either. Let's see who deals with whom.
Beat him up first!
A single soul skill from Yue Guan blasted Dugu Bo flying. He was injured, but not dead.
Xu Xiao and the other two slowly walked over to Dugu Bo.
"Oh, so it's Dugu Bo."
"I was wondering who it was."
Xu Xiao looked teasingly at Dugu Bo, who was leaning against something before him and appeared seriously injured.
Yue Guan had held back just now. Otherwise, with the Soul Power of that six-thousand-year soul skill, how could a one-ring Soul Master possibly have survived?
"Cough, cough..." Dugu Bo curled his lips. He was already certain that the man before him would not kill him because of the Dugu Family's reputation.
But he still did not know what this man wanted.
Xu Xiao pondered. Dugu Bo was older than him now, but he did not know exactly by how much.
There was also the fact that Dugu Bo's talent was inferior to Yue Guan's and Gui Mei's. As far as Xu Xiao knew, Yue Guan had definitely become a Titled Douluo before Dugu Bo.
Looking at Dugu Bo now, Xu Xiao hesitated. Should he take this guy in as a subordinate, or simply kill him?
But Xu Xiao only hesitated for a moment before reaching an answer. He would let the other man choose.
"Follow us, and I'll help you remove the poison from your family's Martial Soul."
"Or die. Your corpse will be abandoned in the wilderness and devoured by Soul Beasts!"
No matter which Dugu Bo chose, it would not have much effect on Xu Xiao.
Xu Xiao would be happy to gain another follower, but if he lost one, he did not care. After all, even the Dugu Bo from the original story was not particularly powerful. He was on the same level as Snake Lance and Chi Xue.
But he had one advantage: he was a Titled Douluo. That alone was enough to put him among the notable figures.
At this time, how many Titled Douluo were there? Very few.
Hearing Xu Xiao's words, Dugu Bo's eyes widened. How did this man know about the Dugu Family's poison? How did he know his Martial Soul was poisonous?
Yue Guan and Gui Mei said nothing and simply watched. Since Big Brother was doing this, he must have his reasons. They would not try to guess what Big Brother was thinking!
"You... how can I be sure what you're saying is true?" Dugu Bo did not believe him.
Xu Xiao said nothing more. "Third Brother, do it. Just kill him."
He could not be bothered to argue anymore. He was only Dugu Bo.
Just as Yue Guan was about to act, Dugu Bo immediately gave in.
"Wait, wait! I agree! Isn't that enough? I agree!"
Their so-called Big Brother seemed completely unconcerned about his background and showed no fear of him whatsoever. Could this man be the heir of some great family?
Although the Dugu Family was not especially powerful in Heaven Dou, it was still considered a notable family.
Yet the man before him seemed not to care in the slightest. Even after learning his identity, he spoke of killing him without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing Dugu Bo's unwilling expression, Xu Xiao chuckled. "You don't need to feel resentful. Meeting me is your good fortune, Dugu Bo."
"Without me, both you and your descendants will suffer from the poison of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent."
"Didn't your father die because of it?"
Dugu Bo sighed. He was now certain that Xu Xiao was telling the truth, and that it was entirely true.
His own father had died from the poison of his Martial Soul.
If he did not solve this problem, he too would suffer terribly in the future.
This poison was a secret of the Dugu Family, yet the man before him knew about it and was so confident. Perhaps he truly had a solution.
If he could resolve his poison, what did it matter if he followed him?
Dugu Bo looked at the three brothers before taking a deep breath. "If what you say is true, then I, Dugu Bo, will acknowledge you as my boss. From now on, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west. If you tell me to kill chickens, I will never abuse dogs!"
Xu Xiao did not say much. He knew what kind of temperament Dugu Bo had. That arrogance was carved into his bones; once he made up his mind, he would not change it.
Not to mention that Xu Xiao was someone who could help him resolve the poison plaguing his family.
The Dugu Family had endured for generations, and every generation had wanted to eliminate this hidden danger, but no one had succeeded.
Even Dugu Bo's father had died because of it.
Resolving the poison brought by his Martial Soul had also become Dugu Bo's wish.
Dugu Bo was still not that old. With hope placed right before him, it was difficult for him to refuse.