Qin Chuan walked briskly through the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, heading north.
By dusk, Heaven Dou City's outline finally appeared in the distance.
The massive city walls cast a shadow in the setting sun. A long line stretched from the city gate, where merchants, travelers, and Soul Masters mingled in a noisy crowd.
Qin Chuan entered with the throng and found a modest inn to stay in.
The room was small, with a wooden bed, a washstand, and a window facing the back alley. He sat down and began to sort out his thoughts.
[System Mission: Find the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and cultivate in seclusion within it.]
[The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well lies within the Heaven Dou Empire, in a hidden valley deep in the Sunset Forest. The valley is controlled by Dugu Bo.]
[Dugu Bo, a ninety-second-level Titled Douluo, possesses the Jade Phosphorus Serpent Martial Soul. He has been suffering for years as its deadly poison corrodes him from within, and he has only a few years left to live. He has been searching for a way to detoxify himself, but has never succeeded.]
[His granddaughter, Dugu Yan, is likewise suffering from her Martial Soul's poison. The two of them have been tormented by poison for most of their lives. If I can offer even a glimmer of hope, Dugu Bo will obediently open the way to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.]
Qin Chuan ran through the information in his head, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
A transmigrator's greatest advantage had never been a cheat, but an information gap.
He knew what Dugu Bo wanted, where his weakness lay, and what words could move him.
And Dugu Bo knew nothing.
[Still, going straight to his door won't work. Dugu Bo is a Titled Douluo with a suspicious nature. If some stranger—a mere twenty-ninth-level Soul Master—suddenly showed up claiming he could cure him, who would believe it?]
[Better to approach him through Dugu Yan.]
Qin Chuan took a few bites of the dry rations from his bundle, washed them down with a few swallows of cold water, then lay back on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
Tomorrow, he would find out where Dugu Bo's residence was.
Heaven Dou City was the empire's capital, densely populated and full of powerful families. Dugu Bo wasn't part of the imperial court, but with his status as a Titled Douluo, he certainly had a place in the city.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Qin Chuan left the inn and spent most of the morning wandering around the city.
Heaven Dou City was considerably larger than Suotuo City. Its streets were wide, and shops lined both sides in close succession. There was everything from Soul Tool stores to shops selling rare medicinal herbs.
Qin Chuan didn't rush to ask around. Instead, he first went to the largest teahouse in the city.
Teahouses were places where information flowed, where all sorts of people gathered. If you were willing to prick up your ears, you could fish out all kinds of information.
He ordered a pot of the cheapest rough tea and sat in a corner.
A few idlers at the next table were chatting, their voices just loud enough for him to hear.
"Did you hear? That old man Dugu in the north of the city went to buy snake gall at the apothecary again."
"Dugu Bo? He's a Titled Douluo. Who'd dare provoke him? But his health... Sigh, I heard he can barely walk now."
"Exactly. His granddaughter comes out to buy medicinal herbs every few days. Poor girl."
The north of the city.
Qin Chuan paid for his tea, got up, and left the teahouse, heading north.
The northern part of Heaven Dou City was a wealthy district. Each residence was grander than the last, and the stone lions at their gates more imposing.
Qin Chuan strolled slowly along the main street, occasionally stopping to glance at a roadside stall, pretending to be out for a casual walk.
After about half an hour, an enormous manor came into view.
Its vermilion gates were shut tight, and there was no plaque above them. But the two ancient locust trees at the entrance were so thick that it would take three people to wrap their arms around each one.
The manor's walls were very high, at least three meters tall. A faint green glow shimmered atop them.
A toxic miasma.
Ordinary people who went near the wall would feel dizzy within fifteen minutes. If they stayed too long, they might even be poisoned unconscious.
[This is it. Dugu Bo's residence. That green glow is a barrier formed by the poison gas naturally given off by the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison. It's more effective than any lock.]
Qin Chuan didn't go any closer. Instead, he stepped back and found a place to sit beneath a large tree opposite the manor.
Leaning against the trunk with his eyes half closed, Qin Chuan looked like nothing more than a passerby dozing in the shade.
Time passed bit by bit.
The sun climbed from the east to the top of the sky, then began to slant westward.
Qin Chuan waited the entire morning, but the vermilion gates never stirred.
[Not coming out today? That's possible. I'll come back tomorrow.]
Qin Chuan wasn't in a hurry. If there was one thing he had plenty of, it was patience.
Just as he was about to get up and leave, the tightly shut gates suddenly opened a crack from within.
A slender figure slipped sideways through the gap.
Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes.
It was a girl, a little shorter than he was. She wore a short, emerald-green jacket and a matching pleated skirt that fell to her ankles.
A thin silver belt cinched her waist, accentuating its graceful curve.
Her hair was long, glossy black, and loosely draped over her shoulders. A small white flower was tucked behind one ear.
Her features weren't stunning, but her large, round eyes were bright and clear, brimming with an innocent, carefree energy.
The girl looked back into the courtyard and called, "Grandpa, I'm just going out for a stroll. I'll be right back."
An elderly voice came from deep inside the courtyard. "All right, granddaughter. Don't be long."
"Got it!"
The girl replied and skipped down the street.
Qin Chuan stood up from beneath the tree, brushed the dust off his clothes, and followed at an unhurried pace.
[Target spotted.]
Dugu Yan walked with a light, springy step, bouncing every few paces as if the ground were a trampoline.
Her skirt swayed back and forth with her movements, revealing a glimpse of her fair ankles and green cloth shoes embroidered with jade serpents.
Qin Chuan followed about twenty meters behind her, blending into the crowd and keeping his distance.
Dugu Yan clearly knew the area well. She wound through several lanes before finally reaching Heaven Dou City's busiest market.
The market was packed with people, and hawkers' cries rose one after another. There were vendors selling candied hawthorns, roasted sweet potatoes, Soul Tool parts, and herbs. Stalls crowded together, leaving only a narrow passage barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
Dugu Yan darted through the crowd like a lively little fish.
She stopped at a stall selling hairpins, picked up a wooden one carved with bamboo leaves, and spent a while holding it up in front of a bronze mirror before putting it back.
Then she hurried to the next stall and crouched down to look at a pile of brightly colored stones.
"Boss, how much is this purple stone?"
"Five Copper Soul Coins."
"Would you take three?"
"Four. I can't go any lower."
"All right, all right. Four it is."
Dugu Yan took 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 smiled with satisfaction.
Qin Chuan stood a few steps away, watching her, and felt certain.
[Outgoing, innocent, and easy to approach. This should be simple.]
Dugu Yan wandered around a while longer, buying several bags of sugar-roasted chestnuts, a wind chime, and two clay figurines.
Her hands were full of things of all sizes, and she swayed as she walked.
Qin Chuan quickened his pace, gradually closing the distance.
Fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters.
Dugu Yan stopped at a stall selling masks. She picked up one painted with a fox's face and held it up to her own. "This one's cute. I'll buy it and scare Grandpa," she murmured.
Qin Chuan stood less than three steps behind and to the side of her.
People streamed past them. The clamor of hawkers and the din of haggling provided perfect cover.
No one noticed the faint golden ripple that silently spread from the center of the boy's forehead.
[First Spirit Ability: Shadow Hypnosis. Target: Dugu Yan.]