Withered Bone Forest

It was already evening when he returned to the Karma Pavilion.

Xiao Wu was on the first floor, organizing the records of several commissions received that day. Seeing Gu Han push the door open, she immediately walked up to him.

"You're back? Are you alright?" Her gaze swept over Gu Han quickly, and only after confirming there were no signs of injury did she relax.

"I'm fine."

Gu Han walked to the table and sat down. Xiao Wu handed him a cup of warm water. "I encountered some unexpected situations, but it can be considered a good thing."

He briefly recounted his experiences in the Withered Bone Forest and his encounter with Dugu Bo, omitting the thrilling combat details and focusing on the agreement with Dugu Bo.

Xiao Wu's eyes widened as she listened. "Poison Douluo Dugu Bo? That Titled Douluo who is skilled in poison?"

"Mm. The backlash from his poison cultivation has already begun to affect his bloodline," Gu Han took a sip of water, his eyes thoughtful. "If we can solve this problem, it will be a significant help to us."

"But... do you really have a way?" Xiao Wu was a little worried. She knew Gu Han had many secrets, but Dugu Bo's poison was a problem that had plagued the Titled Douluo for decades, and even the healing-type soul masters from Spirit Hall were helpless.

Gu Han smiled slightly, not answering directly, but instead asking, "How was the pavilion today?"

"There were three commissions," Xiao Wu flipped open the record book. "One is from Granny Wang on East Street. Her cat went missing, and she wants us to help find it— I took this one as you instructed, classifying it as 'weak karma,' charging ten copper soul coins. I've already accepted it and will go take a look tomorrow."

"One is from the butler of a soul master family in the inner city. They want us to appraise the authenticity of an ancestral soul tool. The appointment is for the day after tomorrow."

"And one more..." Xiao Wu paused. "It was someone wearing a cloak, their face hidden. They said they wanted to see you in person. I told them you weren't here, so they left, saying they'd come back tomorrow."

Gu Han nodded. "Well done. The missing cat issue can be easily resolved with Karma Sight, and appraising soul tools isn't difficult either. As for that mysterious person... I'll handle it tomorrow."

He got up and walked towards the stairs. "I'm going up to rest. You should rest early too."

"Wait." Xiao Wu called out to him. "Are you... really going to help Dugu Bo detoxify? Won't it be dangerous?"

Gu Han turned around, looking at Xiao Wu's worried eyes, his tone gentle yet firm. "Some things must be done. Don't worry, I'm confident."

For the next two days, Gu Han handled the daily commissions of the Karma Pavilion while repeatedly analyzing the transaction with Dugu Bo in his mind.

He knew what Dugu Bo cared about most—not his own life or death, but the future of his granddaughter, Dugu Yan. That girl, who inherited the Jade Phosphorus Snake poison martial soul, should only be six or seven years old now, but the seeds of poison had already been planted within her.

In the original story, it was precisely because Dugu Bo could not remove the poison from Dugu Yan that he remained melancholic for years, his personality becoming increasingly reclusive and eccentric. It wasn't until Tang San appeared later and solved the problem with the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well that this Poison Douluo willingly became an ally.

Now, Gu Han's task was to complete this plotline ahead of time.

But he couldn't directly say, "I know where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is, and there are immortal herbs there that can detoxify," as that would be too suspicious. He needed a plausible explanation, a reason that the suspicious Dugu Bo would believe.

On the morning of the third day, Gu Han woke up early.

He sat in meditation in the quiet room on the third floor for half an hour, adjusting his state to its optimal condition. Then, he took out a jade box from his storage soul tool. Inside were the essences of several medicinal herbs he had specially concocted over the past two days, mixed with a trace of the Ultimate Ice aura from the Sky Frost Sword. Although it couldn't eradicate the potent poison, it was enough to temporarily suppress the backlash of the poison, serving as an initial proof.

"I'm going out," Gu Han told Xiao Wu before heading towards the west city gate again.

Outside the Withered Bone Forest, the morning mist had not yet completely dispersed.

When Gu Han arrived at the agreed-upon location, Dugu Bo was already waiting there.

Today, Dugu Bo was wearing a dark green robe, standing with his hands behind his back under a withered tree. His figure was still gaunt, but his posture was upright, like a poisoned javelin. Seeing Gu Han appear, his pair of emerald green eyes swept over him sharply, as if trying to see through Gu Han from the inside out.

"You are punctual," Dugu Bo spoke, his voice still hoarse, but with three parts less hostility and seven parts more scrutiny.

"An agreement is an agreement, punctuality is natural," Gu Han responded calmly, stopping ten paces in front of Dugu Bo.

The two looked at each other for a moment, the air filled with silent probing.

Finally, Dugu Bo spoke first. "You said you could cure my poison. Where is the proof?"

Gu Han did not answer immediately. Instead, he activated Karma Sight, carefully observing the deep black karma line on Dugu Bo's body. Two days had passed, and the cracks on the line seemed to have deepened, especially around the heart, where black mist coiled, faintly showing signs of eroding his life force.

"Senior's poison is not external, but originates from the martial soul itself," Gu Han said slowly. "The Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor is a top-tier beast martial soul, but its toxicity is too overbearing. During cultivation, the poison gradually infiltrates the soul master's internal organs, bone marrow, and blood. When the poison accumulates to a certain extent, it will begin to backlash against the host."

Dugu Bo's eyes flickered, but his expression remained unchanged. "These are common knowledge. Anyone with some understanding of poison knows this."

"But does Senior know why this poison is inherited by descendants?" Gu Han continued. "Because the poison has deeply penetrated the bloodline, altering the soul master's fundamental life source. Your granddaughter, Dugu Yan, should be showing early symptoms of poisoning by now, shouldn't she? Occasional chest tightness and shortness of breath at night, and a slight stinging sensation in her meridians when circulating soul power."

Dugu Bo's pupils contracted sharply.

He had never told anyone about Dugu Yan's symptoms! Even those healing-type soul masters from Spirit Hall only knew that he himself was poisoned and were unaware that his granddaughter was also affected.

"You investigated me?" Dugu Bo's voice turned cold, and a faint dark green mist began to emanate from him.

"There was no need to investigate," Gu Han shook his head. "This is what Karma Sight revealed. The poison line on your body, which connects to your bloodline, has its other end tied to your granddaughter."

He raised his hand and pointed to the area around Dugu Bo's heart. "The poison is most concentrated here. Every time it's a rainy day or a full moon, it flares up, like ten thousand ants gnawing at the heart, making life unbearable. The reason you are still alive is because you forcefully suppress it with your soul power, but this method is no different from drinking poison to quench thirst—each suppression makes the poison's counterattack more ferocious."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

Every word Gu Han spoke struck precisely at his pain points. The suffering he endured alone in the dead of night, the despair that welled up in his heart as he watched his granddaughter's innocent smile, the exhaustion from seeking renowned doctors all over the world only to be disappointed time and again...

"You say you can cure it," Dugu Bo's voice was a little hoarse. "How?"

Gu Han took out the jade box from his embrace and opened it. Inside was a mass of ice-blue paste, emitting a cool aura, mixed with the fragrance of several herbs.

"This is the 'Ice Heart Paste' I concocted, made from the essences of six cold-attribute herbs mixed with my Ultimate Ice soul power," Gu Han handed the jade box forward. "It cannot eradicate the poison, but it can temporarily suppress the backlash and alleviate the pain. Senior can try it."

Dugu Bo did not immediately take it.

He carefully probed the paste with his soul power, and only after confirming there were no hidden poisons or traps did he reach out and take it. The Jade Phosphorus Snake poison made him immune to most toxins, but it also made him instinctively wary of anything external.

"Consume it directly?" Dugu Bo asked.

"Apply it to your chest and catalyze it with your soul power," Gu Han said. "The process will be somewhat icy and stinging, but after half a quarter of an hour, you will feel the pressure on your heart diminish."

Dugu Bo stared at Gu Han for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, a hint of self-mockery in his smile. "I have lived for over seventy years; I never expected that today I would have to entrust my life to a young man to see if it works."

However, he did not hesitate. He unbuttoned his collar, applied the Ice Heart Paste evenly over his chest, and began to circulate his soul power.

A bone-chilling cold instantly seeped through his skin, piercing straight into his heart. That icy sensation clashed violently with the scorching poison within his body, causing Dugu Bo to let out a muffled groan as fine, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Yet, he could feel that the burning pain which had plagued his heart for years was being suppressed, bit by bit, by the cold.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the chill gradually faded, replaced by a long-lost sense of relief. The pressure on his heart had indeed lessened, and even his breathing had become much smoother.

Dugu Bo slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and retied his collar. The way he looked at Gu Han had changed completely.

"This is only a temporary suppression," Gu Han said at the opportune moment. "To eradicate it, we need to find two things: first, a supreme fire-attribute treasure capable of neutralizing the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison; second, a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth capable of reshaping the life essence eroded by the poison."

"Do you know where such things can be found?" Dugu Bo asked.

Gu Han did not answer directly, instead asking, "Has Senior ever heard of the 'Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well'?"

Dugu Bo's body jolted.

Of course he had heard of it! It was one of the three legendary treasure basins, a miraculous place formed by the convergence of the world's most extreme cold and heat, nurturing countless immortal-grade herbs. He had been searching for clues to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in secret for years, but had always come up empty-handed.

"You know where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is?" Dugu Bo's voice carried irrepressible excitement.

"I do not know the exact location," Gu Han shook his head. Before Dugu Bo could show disappointment, he changed the subject. "But my [Karma Sight] can see that the source of the poison line on your body points faintly toward the northwest, about three hundred miles from here. There is an extremely dense aura of life and fluctuations of dual-pole energy there—it is very likely where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is located."

This was the explanation he had prepared long ago. He could neither reveal the plot directly nor fail to provide reasonable guidance.

Dugu Bo closed his eyes and sensed carefully. A moment later, he opened them, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. "Three hundred miles to the northwest... the depths of the Sunset Forest!"

He had indeed discovered a strange place in the Sunset Forest in his early years, where two extreme energies of cold and heat existed, but because his strength was insufficient at the time and the place was occupied by powerful soul beasts, he had not explored it deeply. Later, after becoming a Titled Douluo, he had returned to search for it, but could never find the entrance again.

Now, hearing Gu Han say this, all the clues connected instantly.

"If it truly is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, there must be immortal herbs within that can cure my poison." Dugu Bo looked at Gu Han. "But why are you helping me? What do you want?"

Finally, the key question was asked.

Gu Han said calmly, "Three things."

"First, if we find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, I want priority in choosing three of the herbs found there."

"Second, after the poison is cured, Senior must act for me three times within your capabilities—provided it does not violate your principles."

"Third..." Gu Han paused, "I hope Senior can become a guest elder of the Karma Pavilion. You do not need to be stationed there; you only need to be registered and occasionally preside over the pavilion."

After hearing this, Dugu Bo did not agree immediately, instead carefully weighing these three conditions.

The first condition was reasonable; without Gu Han's guidance, he might never find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The second condition was subtle, but the limitation of "not violating your principles" gave him sufficient autonomy. As for the third condition...

"A registered guest elder?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "You want to borrow my reputation?"

"The Karma Pavilion deals with matters of karma, and it is inevitable that we will touch upon the interests of some people," Gu Han said candidly. "Having a Titled Douluo presiding will save a lot of trouble. Of course, I will not bother Senior with trivial matters; only when encountering enemies of Titled Douluo level will I need you to act—this is already included in the 'three actions' of the second condition."

Dugu Bo pondered for a long time.

The conditions Gu Han offered could be considered quite sincere. He had not taken advantage of his plight; instead, he had given him sufficient respect and autonomy. Moreover, if the poison could truly be cured, saving his life and his granddaughter's, this favor itself could not be measured by conditions.

"Fine," Dugu Bo finally nodded. "I agree. But the premise is that you can truly lead me to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and that the immortal herbs within can indeed cure the poison."

"Naturally," Gu Han smiled. "There is no time to lose. When does Senior intend to depart?"

"Now." Dugu Bo had always been decisive. "I will return to my residence to give instructions, and we will meet outside the North City Gate in one hour."

"Agreed," Gu Han nodded. "I also need to return to the city to make some preparations."

The two parted ways.

On the way back to the city, Gu Han's mood was quite complex. He knew that this trip to the Sunset Forest would completely change his relationship with Dugu Bo and would also allow him early access to the massive treasure that was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

But opportunities are often accompanied by risks. In the original work, the area around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was guarded by powerful soul beasts, and it was Dugu Bo's territory—although the current Dugu Bo had not yet discovered it, given his sensitivity to poisonous things, he might have already set up some defensive measures there.

More importantly, what excuse would he use to explain his knowledge of these immortal herbs?

"It seems I must do some homework in advance," Gu Han muttered to himself, quickening his pace.

One hour later, outside the North City Gate.

Gu Han was carrying a simple pack, the Sky Frost Sword hanging at his waist, already waiting there.

Before long, a flash of green light appeared, and Dugu Bo's figure stood before him. Dugu Bo had changed into a tight-fitting outfit convenient for movement and had an herb basket on his back, clearly prepared for a long exploration.

"Let's go." Dugu Bo did not waste words, soaring into the air and flying toward the northwest.

Gu Han channeled his soul power and followed closely behind.

The figures of the two soon disappeared into the distant horizon.

Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.