Dugu Bo had seen with his own eyes that his son, who had been wishing for death only moments ago, could now sit up and eat.
At that moment, all his doubts vanished. He was wholly convinced by Poseinan.
"Young Master, from this day forth, my life belongs to you!"
Dugu Bo dropped to one knee, his expression utterly solemn.
Poseinan nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand. "Get up. We don't do kneeling here."
"Yes."
Dugu Bo rose and stood respectfully to the side, just like a servant.
The servants nearby watched in breathless silence, afraid to make even the slightest noise and incur Poseinan's displeasure.
They knew that, in their eyes, Dugu Bo was already a being as mighty as the heavens.
But what were they seeing now?
Dugu Bo had actually knelt before a boy about the same age as Dugu Yan?
The sight was enough to turn their whole world upside down.
Poseinan asked, "By the way, Old Monster, have you decided what you want for your ninth Soul Ring?"
Now that he had taken Dugu Bo under his wing, he naturally had to make plans for his subordinate.
He wasn't stingy and heartless like Tang San.
Tang San had even kept the inheritance of his own sect to himself...
If he'd passed down the methods for making high-level Hidden Weapons, the Tang Sect wouldn't have dwindled to just a few stragglers by the time of the Peerless Tang Sect era.
After all, when his subordinates grew stronger, didn't that mean he grew stronger too?
"Reporting to you, Young Master, I haven't decided yet. But I did spot signs of Medusa in Sunset Forest some time ago. I'd estimate she's at least seventy or eighty thousand years old."
"However, I'm afraid that on my own..."
Dugu Bo shook his head, having little confidence in himself.
After all, Medusa was the legendary empress of the serpents, with the power to turn her enemies to stone. She was nearly unbeatable among those of the same level.
And this one had cultivated for a full seventy or eighty thousand years.
Poseinan remembered the original story.
Dugu Bo had a Medusa skull there. Could it have come from obtaining his ninth Soul Ring?
"Sister Hai, go with him."
"But, Little Nan Nan, what will you do if I go?"
Sea Witch was taken aback. She had no objection to helping Dugu Bo hunt for a Soul Ring.
After all, this could bring a Titled Douluo to Sea God Island.
But the problem was, if she went...
There'd be no one to protect Poseinan.
"Young Master, perhaps we should forget it?"
Dugu Bo was also troubled and hurried to stop them.
After all, how could his Soul Ring possibly matter as much as Poseinan's safety?
The gesture made Poseinan and Sea Witch glance at him in surprise.
He'd only just joined their ranks!
Wouldn't it take at least a few days to get settled in before he could be so quick to consider his young master's needs?
Little did they know, that sort of thing had never crossed Dugu Bo's mind.
To him, if you took on a job, you gave it your whole heart.
Once he'd agreed, he had to see it through—and do it so well that no one could find fault with him.
Poseinan smiled. "It's fine. It won't affect anything. I'll be staying here in Heaven Dou City for the next couple of days, and I have some ties to Spirit Hall. I can take care of myself."
"Besides, if you miss out on a top-grade Soul Ring this time, who knows how long it'll take to find another like it?"
His self-sacrificing concern for his subordinate touched Dugu Bo deeply.
He looked at Poseinan with shining eyes. "Young Master!"
At last, someone who understood him!
He only regretted not meeting Poseinan sooner.
It was like a thousand-mile horse finally finding its worthy judge!
Poseinan couldn't stand such a sentimental scene. He turned away and urged them impatiently, "All right, all right, stop dawdling. You two, off you go."
After Sea Witch and Dugu Bo had left,
Dugu Yan came over timidly and asked in a small voice, "Um... is my grandpa working for you now?"
She hadn't heard exactly what the three of them had discussed,
but she'd grown up in the Dugu Family, and from Dugu Bo's respectful attitude toward Poseinan, she'd managed to guess the gist of it.
Seeing the little girl's timid expression, Poseinan curled his lips into a mischievous smile and deliberately bluffed, "That's right. From now on, you have to call me Big Brother!"
"Huh?"
Dugu Yan froze on the spot. Her little face instantly flushed red, and she twisted the hem of her clothes between her fingers, squirming as she quietly pleaded, "Th-then, can I maybe not call you that?"
Poseinan put on a stern face and shook his head, teasing her. "Nope. Rules are rules."
Dugu Yan puffed out her soft cheeks and wrestled with it for a long while before finally giving in with a small voice. "O-okay... I'm Dugu Yan. What's your name?"
"Poseinan."
The little girl bit her lip, her cheeks burning red. "B-Big Brother Nan. Is that good enough?"
After all, she was the big sister of her kindergarten class.
Calling a kid about her own age Big Brother was simply too embarrassing.
The little girl looked so flustered and bashful that it was hard not to laugh.
Poseinan smiled. "Sure, of course. Your Big Brother Nan isn't petty."
"Here, a little something to welcome you."
He took a jade box from his Soul Tool and handed it to Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan blinked her big, innocent eyes. "What is it?"
"Earth Dragon Golden Melon. It's good stuff."
Poseinan grinned.
He wanted to see just how far Dugu Yan could go after eating the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
Would the Jade Scale Snake evolve into a dragon?
Dugu Yan tilted her head, looking utterly confused. "I don't get it... Isn't it just a sweet potato? What's so special about that?"
Then she looked at Poseinan pitifully and muttered, "Big Brother Nan, is your family really poor? You think a sweet potato makes a good present?"
Poseinan was at a loss for words. He felt so helpless he nearly blurted out a curse.
Never mind. Why argue with a little girl?
"Just put it away. You'll understand what it's for someday."
"All right."
Dugu Yan obediently put the jade box into her Storage Soul Tool.
Poseinan took the opportunity to suggest, "I'm thinking of going out for a stroll. Want to come with me?"
Dugu Yan's eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, sure! I haven't been out in ages. Dad's in poor health and always gets sick. Hehe, good thing he has me! Listen, I'm really amazing!"
"Whenever Dad gets sick and rolls around on the floor in pain, all I have to do is blow gently on him, and it stops hurting!"
"Tell me, am I amazing or what?"
She lifted her little face, planted her hands on her hips, and proudly waited for praise.
Poseinan gently ruffled her hair, unable to bring himself to disappoint her. "Amazing. Yan Yan really is amazing. You're so young, yet you already know how to treat people."
Dugu Yan blushed a little at the praise, then quickly added, "Hehe... But actually, Big Brother Nan is amazing too. Even Grandpa was praising you just now!"
Suddenly, as if she'd remembered something, she asked earnestly, "By the way, Big Brother Nan, is this your first time in Heaven Dou City?"
Poseinan nodded. "Mm."
"I knew it! Come on, come on, I'll take you out to have some fun. I'll introduce you to a friend. She's really amazing!"
"Her medical skills are even better than mine..."