Dugu Shuo: I Had Eight Women Die Before I Had You!

"Knock, knock, knock."

The soft knocking continued without end.

In the cold wind, the sound seemed faint and indistinct.

"Second Uncle, it's me, Shu'er. I've brought Feng'er to see Brother Xin one last time."

"Second Uncle."

Dugu Feng held a jar of aged wine and watched his father knock on the door over and over. He thought that with Dugu Bo's strength as a Titled Douluo, he could certainly hear every word clearly.

But he simply refused to open the door!

When Dugu Feng had transmigrated into his namesake's predecessor last night, he had been rather excited. His second granduncle was Dugu Bo, so from now on, wouldn't he have immortal herbs whenever he wanted them, and spirit bones whenever he wanted them?

But after assimilating his predecessor's memories, his heart had cooled by half.

Although this body was only four years old, it already possessed quite a lot of memories.

That made it easy for him to understand what had happened.

His grandfather, Dugu Hao, and Dugu Bo were twin brothers. Dugu Hao was the elder, while Dugu Bo was the younger.

But for some unknown reason, the brothers' relationship had grown worse and worse.

In the end, they had agreed to fight a great battle before either of them broke through to the Spirit Saint realm. Although Dugu Feng's memories contained no description of that battle whatsoever,

Dugu Bo later broke through realm after realm, while his grandfather was never able to reach the Spirit Saint realm.

The result spoke for itself.

Even when his grandfather finally died around twenty years ago, unable to withstand the poison of the Jade Phosphor Serpent, Dugu Bo had not come to see him.

Just how deep was this grudge?

Dugu Feng was filled with curiosity.

Today was a very special day. It was the day Dugu Bo broke through to the Titled Douluo realm and shook the Heaven Dou Empire—and also the day his only son, Dugu Xin, died.

His father, Dugu Shuo, had brought him here.

Dugu Shuo's figure looked rather frail as he repeatedly knocked on the gate, appearing utterly desolate.

Creak!

The door opened.

A girl dressed in white mourning clothes poked her head out. She looked about eight or nine years old, with short, dark-purple hair and green eyes. Her face was somewhat pale, clearly because she had just been crying.

"Yanyan." Dugu Shuo spoke awkwardly.

A hint of guilt seemed to be contained in his voice.

The girl's eyes were moist, but her tone was cold. "You should leave. Grandpa doesn't want to see you, and Father doesn't need you to see him off!"

Bang!

The door shut completely.

"Ah, Feng'er, bring me the wine!"

Dugu Shuo seemed to have expected this. He took the jar of aged wine from Dugu Feng's hands.

Then he began pouring it onto the ground.

"Feng'er, kowtow to your eldest uncle. Consider it your farewell."

Dugu Shuo pulled Dugu Feng down to his knees.

After three loud kowtows,

the two stood up. Dugu Shuo held Dugu Feng's small hand and slowly walked toward the street.

Dugu Feng looked back at the mansion gate, which stood more than six meters high. A plaque hung high above the gate tower, bearing two large characters: Jade Phosphor.

It seemed he wanted to remember this place.

Inside the mansion, the main hall had been arranged as a funeral hall.

An old man with a thin, tall figure, straight as a javelin, rested his hand on the coffin. His eyes were filled with remorse and gloom.

He had broken through to the Titled Douluo realm, but his son had died from the poison.

The great joy and sorrow had come together. Even Dugu Bo did not know how he had made it through this day.

Footsteps sounded, and Dugu Yanyan returned to the main hall.

"Grandpa, I drove them away!"

"Hmph. You won't live much longer either, yet you still want me to save you?

"Xin'er is already dead. Why aren't you dead yet? What right do you have to live?

"Big Brother, you went too far back then. Did you ever think this day would come? I want to watch every last member of your poison-cultivating lineage die!"

Dugu Bo sneered inwardly.

His nephew, Dugu Shuo, had a head of green hair and deeply sunken eye sockets. He must have suffered from poison outbreaks day after day and would not last much longer.

His grandnephew, Dugu Feng, had hints of green mixed into his black hair. He had been born carrying potent poison from the womb and was likewise destined to die.

"Die. Just die. It would be best if you all died cleanly!" Dugu Bo muttered.

His eyes turned toward the coffin again. Xin'er, you played best with Dugu Shuo when you were children. Don't worry. He'll be going to keep you company soon.

Dugu Bo gathered his thoughts, and his expression softened. Only then did he turn around and pull Dugu Yanyan into his arms. "That's right. Yanyan is very strong. From now on, you'll stay with Grandpa. Grandpa will take care of you."

Comforted by her grandfather, Dugu Yanyan could no longer hold back. She buried herself in Dugu Bo's arms and began sobbing loudly.

There were almost no people on the street outside the Dugu residence. The Dugu clan's reputation was known throughout Heaven Dou, and most people kept their distance from poison, not daring to approach.

There were only two mansions on the entire street.

One to the east and one to the west.

Both belonged to the Dugu family, though they belonged to two different branches of the Dugu family.

Dugu Shuo tightly gripped his son Dugu Feng's hand, as though worried that something might happen to him.

A short while later, the two returned to their own residence.

Dugu Feng felt that the mansion was like a maze. If not for his predecessor's complete memories, he would have gotten lost. Even so, many of the colorful courtyards were forbidden areas to him.

His predecessor had never entered them either.

The enormous mansion had almost no servants and was extremely deserted. There was even something eerie about it.

He happened to glance at his father, Dugu Shuo.

He was immediately surprised. From his father's performance outside Dugu Bo's residence, it seemed that Dugu Shuo had shared an excellent relationship with Dugu Bo's only son, Dugu Xin. His father should have been devastated.

Yet Dugu Shuo's eyes were gloomy, and a chill occasionally flashed through them. He was completely different from the awkward man who had faced Dugu Yanyan.

Dugu Feng was startled, and a feeling of fear suddenly arose within him.

This came from his predecessor's instincts. Combined with his memories, it was all a record of how Dugu Shuo had sternly forced him to study all kinds of knowledge ever since he had learned to read.

Dugu Shuo was truly ruthless toward his son—more ruthless than even the most extreme parents of later generations who pushed their children to study.

At such a young age, Dugu Feng spent all his time outside of rest studying knowledge.

Knowledge of spirit beasts, medicinal herbs, spirit power, and combat types.

If he was even slightly distracted during his studies, he would receive a punishment.

Dugu Feng's heart trembled. He had transmigrated here last night, and that morning he had already been brought to Dugu Bo's residence.

He had not yet had time to carefully familiarize himself with these memories.

Now that he sorted through them, he immediately felt a chill run through him.

Squeak.

A grating sound of a door opening interrupted Dugu Feng's thoughts.

He hurriedly raised his foot and stepped over the threshold into the room.

"Ancestor tablets? This is the ancestral hall!" Dugu Feng was startled. This was where the ancestor tablets were enshrined.

The altar table in the main hall was divided into dozens of rows. Yet each row had, at most, three tablets scattered across it, showing that the Dugu family had always had few descendants in every generation.

Wisps of incense smoke curled before the tablets, shrouding the entire room in mist.

"Kneel!" Dugu Shuo said coldly.

Dugu Feng knelt at once, as though guided by muscle memory.

"Feng'er, I knew you wouldn't die so easily.

"Eight women have died because of me. Four of them died along with the children in their wombs.

"It wasn't until I was thirty-six that the eighth woman was able to bear the bloodline of my Dugu family, giving birth to you. You were born by taking your mother's life.

"You have a very hard fate!

"But you suffered a poison outbreak at four years old. I never expected that. According to the clan records, members of the Serpent Cultivation lineage only suffer poison outbreaks after reaching the Spirit King realm.

"Those of our poison-cultivating lineage should not suffer a poison outbreak until at least the Spirit Elder realm.

"But you were only four years old and had not even awakened your martial soul when the poison erupted.

"This shows how potent the Jade Phosphor Serpent poison within you is. Your talent is definitely greater than mine!

"Your grandfather lost to the Serpent Cultivation lineage, but I'll live longer than Brother Xin. I've won.

"You have greater talent than I do. You must fulfill your grandfather's final wish and surpass your second granduncle.

"Do you hear me?"

Dugu Shuo's voice was chilling. Combined with the room full of ancestor tablets and drifting incense smoke, it was somewhat sinister.