Eighteen Styles of Handling the Old Man, Immortal Grass is Free!

Even Dugu Bo had to admit that Ye Qing's demeanor naturally invited a sense of goodwill.

But he still decided to make things difficult for this brat who annoyed him so much.

Old Poison turned his head to look at Dugu Yan, "Yanzi, you saw it, didn't you? This is the man you've set your sights on."

"He even dares to scheme against your grandfather's belongings. With such cunning and treachery, do you really intend to spend your whole life with a person like this?"

"???"

Ye Qing's heart skipped a beat.

Good for you, Old Poison, so this is where you were waiting for me!

He couldn't help but look at Dugu Yan with a hint of nervousness.

"..."

Dugu Yan's expression was complex.

She looked at Ye Qing, her emerald eyes reflecting his silhouette.

From the very beginning, she knew that Ye Qing was scheming for these immortal herbs.

From the first time he mentioned her grandfather's herb garden, from the moment he specified that Golden Tulip, she had vaguely guessed it.

But she wasn't angry.

On the contrary, she felt gratified.

Yes, gratified!

The man of Dugu Yan could have a humble background, and he could have mediocre talent.

But he could not be content with mediocrity, nor could he be satisfied with the status quo.

When Ye Qing only had third-level soul power, he already dared to find ways to plot for her grandfather's immortal herbs.

This spirit of refusing to be beneath others, this courage to scheme—this was exactly what she valued most.

Yanzi took a deep breath and turned to face her grandfather.

"Grandfather."

Her voice was soft, but very firm, "I am willing to be with him."

"..."

The determination in his granddaughter's eyes left Dugu Bo speechless.

It seemed his granddaughter had her own ideas now...

This should be a good thing.

But why did it feel so frustrating?

Especially when he saw the increasingly smug expression on Ye Qing's face.

This bastard, he really deserves to die!

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan stared at each other for a long time.

The air was so quiet that one could hear the bubbling of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

In the end, Dugu Bo sighed.

"Sigh..."

This sigh contained too much—helplessness, heartache, and unwillingness.

Who hadn't Dugu Bo seen? What kind of situations hadn't he experienced?

But today, for the first time, he felt that he was getting old.

A daughter grown up is like water spilled!

"Brat."

Dugu Bo turned his head, glaring at Ye Qing with annoyance.

"I'll give you one year. Within a year, if you can initially resolve the poison in my body, I will let you marry Yanzi and join my Dugu Family."

Ye Qing's mouth twitched.

Marry into the Dugu Family?

This old man was completely treating him as a live-in son-in-law.

Fine, it didn't matter.

A mere title of a live-in son-in-law—what was that compared to this garden full of immortal herbs?

"Deal."

Ye Qing nodded without hesitation.

"Don't be in such a rush to agree."

Dugu Bo sneered, "Tell me, what if you can't do it?"

"If I fail to do so, there is no need for you to act, Senior; I shall submit myself to Yanzi's judgment."

Dugu Bo let out a scoff, amused by his words.

My granddaughter has been tricked to this extent; do you really think she could bring herself to punish you?

"However, Senior."

Ye Qing shifted the tone of the conversation. "I have one more condition."

Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, a dangerous glint flashing through his emerald-green eyes.

"You've already made off with my granddaughter, and now you dare to negotiate terms with me? You truly have some nerve."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

"It is just that this condition is directly related to whether or not I can help you detoxify."

"Let's hear it."

"I need to utilize the water from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to consume the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot Delicate."

Dugu Bo's expression froze instantly; he looked at Ye Qing as if he were staring at a dead man.

"Boy, do you have any idea what that pool water is? Even I wouldn't dare touch it lightly, and you want to jump in?"

"Yes."

"Are you tired of living?"

Ye Qing glanced at Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan was looking at him as well, her emerald-green eyes filled with worry.

"I value my life, but I value a future worthy of Yanzi even more."

Ye Qing's voice was not loud, but every word landed with the weight of a hammer.

"Senior, I was born with a trash martial soul."

"In the world of spirit masters, my original talent wouldn't even count as that of an ordinary person; I was nothing but a waste."

"If I don't gamble everything now, even if you and Yanzi don't despise me, I would despise myself."

"Ye Qing..."

Dugu Yan's eyes turned slightly red.

She had always known there was a drive deep within Ye Qing.

But this was the first time she had heard him speak with such earnestness.

"..."

Dugu Bo remained silent for a long while.

The way he looked at Ye Qing shifted once more.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection; his perception of the boy had changed so much along the way.

From initial contempt to later scrutiny, and now, to a faint sense of approval and appreciation.

This kid was truly extraordinary.

It wasn't because of how much he knew, but because of the ruthlessness buried in his bones.

That kind of grit, the willingness to stake one's life for a chance, was not something everyone possessed.

"Fine."

Dugu Bo waved his hand. "Use whatever herbs you want in this garden, just don't go and get yourself killed."

"Many of the herbs here require even me to handle them with extreme caution."

Ye Qing's eyes lit up. "Many thanks, Senior!"

Before the words had even faded, he turned and left.

He moved with such crisp decisiveness, such impatient haste.

Dugu Bo watched his retreating back, his mouth twitching.

Is this kid here to marry my granddaughter or to restock his inventory?

Ye Qing didn't care about any of that.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind—he had hit the jackpot!

The herb garden of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well contained far more than just the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot Delicate.

Gaze-Piercing Autumn Water Dew, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, Wonder Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum... they were all here.

Now, the doors to all these treasures were thrown wide open for him!

Free immortal herbs, here I come!

Ye Qing darted back and forth through the garden, his eyes shining so brightly they could have served as lightbulbs.

He was going to get his hands on every single immortal herb described in the original story!

Dugu Bo pulled Dugu Yan away to a spot far from Ye Qing.

He erected a barrier of soul power, ensuring that the brat could not hear a single word.

"Yan Yan."

Dugu Bo's expression was serious as never before. "Tell Grandfather the truth: do you really have a child?"

"???"

Dugu Yan's face turned red to the tips of her ears in an instant.

The speed was comparable to an agility-type soul master activating a soul skill.

"N-not yet..."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum. "Those words were what Ye Qing taught me to say. He said if I said that, Grandfather, you wouldn't lay a hand on him."

"?"

Dugu Bo's face turned green.

Instigating his granddaughter to lie to him?

That little bastard!!!

"What else did he teach you?"

Dugu Yan's gaze drifted, looking left and right, but she dared not look at her grandfather.

"Yan Yan."

Dugu Bo's tone deepened.

"Ugh!"

Dugu Yan lowered her head.

She stared at her toes, her voice growing quieter and quieter. "He... he also taught me a set of... 'Eighteen Ways to Handle the Old Man'."

Dugu Bo's temple throbbed twice. "Handle what?"

"Handle... the Old Man..."

Dugu Yan's face was almost buried in her chest, but she still honestly confessed the contents.

"The first style is called 'Swearing a Poisonous Oath'—it means when you threaten him, Grandfather, I swear that I'll never speak to you again for the rest of my life..."

Dugu Bo's face darkened.

"The second style is called 'Teary-Eyed'—it says that you can't stand seeing me cry, Grandfather, and that you'll soften up as soon as I do..."

Dugu Bo's face darkened further.

"The third style is called 'Running Away from Home'—"

Dugu Bo's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"There's also a fourth style, a fifth style..."

"Enough!"

Dugu Bo flicked his sleeve, his beard bristling with rage.

Was he, a Title Douluo, going to be handled by a little brat in the end?

And "Eighteen Ways to Handle the Old Man"?

Who gave him the right to call him an old man?!

"This little bastard is truly no good!" Dugu Bo gritted his teeth.

Dugu Yan looked up, seeing her grandfather's exasperated state, and suddenly couldn't help but smile.

Because she realized that although her grandfather was cursing fiercely, the killing intent that had been there at the start was gone from his eyes.

He was just angry, like an ordinary old man being angry.

"Grandfather, you aren't against it anymore?"

Dugu Bo snorted and turned his head away. "Would it matter if I were?"

"If I opposed it, wouldn't you just use those 'Eighteen Styles of Handling the Old Man' against me?"

"Oh, Grandfather~"

Dugu Yan lunged forward to hug his arm, pressing her face against his shoulder.

This was a gesture she had used to act spoiled ever since she was very, very small.

And it was quite effective on Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo's body stiffened slightly, then slowly relaxed.

His rough palm gently patted his granddaughter's head.

"Yan Yan, Grandfather only wants you to be happy."

"That brat may be full of mischief, but your grandfather's judgment is sound; he truly has you in his heart."

Dugu Yan let out a soft hum, her eyes growing slightly warm.

Dugu Bo watched his granddaughter's expression, feeling both angry and helpless.

Forget it, forget it. The rice was already cooked; what use was there in him opposing it now?

He couldn't exactly poison the brat into a pile of dust, could he?

Even though he really wanted to.

Dugu Bo walked toward the herb garden with his hands behind his back.

His gaze swept over the immortal herbs scattered across the ground, eventually landing on Ye Qing, who was happily hunting for treasures in the distance.

"This kid might be a spineless schemer with no real strength, but he makes up for it with brains and guts."

"If I leave Yan-yan to him, she shouldn't be bullied in the future."

He muttered to himself, then suddenly thought of something and added, "But that debt for the 'Eighteen Styles of Handling the Old Man'—I'll settle that with the little bastard sooner or later!"