Prey in Heaven Dou City

Qin Chuan walked with a light step, crossing the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest and heading north.

By dusk, the silhouette of Heaven Dou City finally appeared on the horizon.

The massive city walls cast long shadows under the setting sun. The queue at the city gate was incredibly long, with merchants, travelers, and spirit masters all mixed together in a noisy throng.

Qin Chuan blended into the crowd to enter the city and found an inconspicuous inn to stay in.

The room was small, containing only a wooden bed and a washstand, with a window facing the back alley. He sat down to organize his thoughts.

[System Task: Locate the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and meditate within it.]

[The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well is located within the Heaven Dou Empire, inside a hidden valley deep within the Sunset Forest. The person who controls that valley is Dugu Bo.]

[Dugu Bo, a level 92 Title Douluo with the Jade Phosphorus Snake spirit. He has been eroded by the toxins of his own spirit for years and has only a few years left to live. He has been searching for a way to detoxify, but has never succeeded.]

[His granddaughter, Dugu Yan, suffers equally from the spirit poison. This pair of grandfather and granddaughter has been plagued by poison for most of their lives. As long as I can offer a glimmer of hope, Dugu Bo will obediently open the gates to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.]

Qin Chuan reviewed this information in his mind, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

The greatest advantage of a transmigrator is never some golden finger, but the information gap.

He knew what Dugu Bo wanted, where his weakness lay, and what words could move him.

Yet, Dugu Bo knew nothing.

[However, approaching him directly is definitely not the way. Dugu Bo is a Title Douluo with a suspicious nature; if a strange level 29 spirit master suddenly showed up claiming to be able to cure his poison, no one would believe it.]

[I must go through the Dugu Yan route.]

Qin Chuan fished a few pieces of dry rations from his pack, chewed them down, washed them back with a few gulps of cold water, and then lay on the bed to close his eyes and rest.

Tomorrow, he would go to scout the location of Dugu Bo's residence.

Heaven Dou City was the capital of the empire, densely populated and filled with the powerful. Although Dugu Bo was not a court official, his status as a Title Douluo guaranteed him a place in this city.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Qin Chuan left the inn and wandered through most of the city.

Heaven Dou City was much larger than Soto City, with wide streets and rows of shops ranging from spirit tool specialty stores to rare herb shops, offering everything one could imagine.

Qin Chuan did not rush to ask questions; instead, he first visited the largest teahouse in the city.

The teahouse was a hub for information, where people from all walks of life gathered. As long as you were willing to keep your ears open, you could pick up any piece of news.

He ordered a pot of the cheapest coarse tea and sat in a corner.

A few idlers at the next table were chatting, their voices loud enough to be heard clearly.

"Have you heard? That old man Dugu from the north of the city went to the pharmacy to buy snake gall again."

"Dugu Bo? That's a Title Douluo; who would dare provoke him? But his health—sigh, I heard he even struggles to walk now."

"Indeed. His granddaughter comes out to buy herbs every few days; it's quite pitiful."

The north of the city.

Qin Chuan left the tea money, stood up, and headed toward the north side of the city.

The northern part of Heaven Dou City was the wealthy district, where the mansions grew larger and the stone lions at the gates more imposing with every step.

Qin Chuan walked slowly along the main street, stopping occasionally to look at roadside stalls, pretending to be a casual stroller.

After about two quarters of an hour, a sprawling estate appeared before him.

The vermilion gates were tightly shut, and there was no plaque hanging above them, but the two ancient locust trees at the entrance were so thick it would take three people to encircle them.

The walls of the estate were high, at least three meters, and a faint green halo could be seen shimmering along the top.

That was a poison barrier.

An ordinary person approaching this wall would feel dizzy within a quarter of an hour, and prolonged exposure would lead to poisoning and collapse.

[This is it. Dugu Bo's residence. That green halo is a barrier formed by the natural dissipation of the Jade Phosphorus Snake's poison; it's more effective than any lock.]

Qin Chuan did not approach. Instead, he stepped back a few paces and found a spot to sit under a large tree across the street.

Qin Chuan leaned against the trunk, his eyes half-closed, looking like a passerby taking a nap in the shade.

Time ticked away.

The sun climbed from the east to its zenith and began to tilt toward the west.

Qin Chuan had waited the entire morning, but that vermilion gate had not moved once.

[Not coming out today? That's possible. Then I'll come back tomorrow.]

Qin Chuan was not in a hurry. Patience was the one thing he had in abundance.

Just as he was about to stand up and leave, the tightly shut gate suddenly opened a crack from the inside.

A slender figure squeezed out through the gap.

Qin Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

It was a young girl, shorter in stature than Qin Chuan. She wore a bright green short shirt over a matching pleated long skirt, the hem of which just covered her ankles.

A thin silver belt was tied around her waist, accentuating the graceful curve of her slender figure.

Her hair was long, dark, and lustrous, draped loosely over her shoulders with only a small white flower tucked behind one ear.

Her features were not exactly stunning, but she possessed a pair of large, round eyes, clear and bright, that radiated an innocent and lively spirit.

The young girl turned back and called out into the courtyard, "Grandpa, I'm going out for a stroll and will be back soon."

An aged voice drifted from the depths of the courtyard, "Alright, granddaughter, hurry back."

"Got it!"

The girl replied, skipping down the street.

Qin Chuan stood up from beneath the tree, brushed the dust off his clothes, and followed at a leisurely pace.

[Target appeared.]

Dugu Yan walked with a light, bouncy gait, as if her feet were on springs, hopping every few steps.

Her skirt swayed with her movements, revealing a glimpse of fair ankles and a pair of green cloth shoes embroidered with green snake patterns.

Qin Chuan trailed about twenty meters behind, blending into the crowd, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Dugu Yan was clearly familiar with these streets; she navigated through several winding alleys before finally arriving at the busiest market in Heaven Dou City.

The market was packed with people, and the sounds of hawking rose one after another. Stalls selling candied haws, roasted sweet potatoes, soul tool parts, and medicinal herbs were crammed together, leaving aisles so narrow that only two people could walk side by side.

Dugu Yan wove through the crowd as nimbly as a cheerful little fish.

She stopped at a hairpin stall, picked up a wooden pin carved with bamboo leaves, held it up to a bronze mirror for a long moment, and then put it back down.

She then ran to the neighboring stall, crouching down to examine a pile of colorful stones.

"Boss, how much for this purple stone?"

"Five copper soul coins."

"How about three?"

"Four, I can't go any lower."

"Fine, fine, here are four."

Dugu Yan pulled out her purse, counted out four copper soul coins, and handed them over. She clutched the purple stone in her hand, held it up to the light, and a satisfied smile bloomed on her face.

Qin Chuan stood a few steps away, watching her, and felt he had a handle on the situation.

[Extroverted, simple, and easy to approach. This will be easy.]

Dugu Yan wandered for a while longer, buying a few bags of roasted chestnuts, a wind chime, and two clay figurines.

Her hands were full of various items, making her walk look a bit unsteady.

Qin Chuan quickened his pace, slowly closing the distance.

Fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters.

Dugu Yan stopped at a mask stall. She picked up a mask painted with a fox face, held it up to her own face, and muttered to herself, "This looks good, I'll buy it to scare Grandpa."

Qin Chuan stood less than three steps behind her at an angle.

The bustling crowd, the noisy hawking, and the clamor of bargaining provided a natural cover.

No one noticed the faint golden ripple that emanated silently from the center of the young man's forehead.

[First Soul Skill, Shadow Hypnosis. Target: Dugu Yan.]