Knowing the Truth, I'll Go Ask Him Myself Tomorrow

After the day's classes ended, Jiang Nanchen looked around and realized that Qian Renxue had not come at all.

"Huh?" Jiang Nanchen frowned. "She actually didn't come? That's not like her!"

"Looks like I'll have to head back on my own first."

It was not his fault for not waiting. Jiang Nanchen had barely taken two steps when Porcupinefish Douluo appeared before him.

"Uncle Porcupinefish?" Jiang Nanchen asked in confusion. "Why are you here? Where's Crown Prince?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince was summoned by Xue Ye. He had me come pick you up. I was a little late, so don't mind it."

Porcupinefish Douluo explained with a smile.

Had he come any later, Jiang Nanchen probably would have reached the Crown Prince's Residence.

"Since Crown Prince has business to attend to, let's go back."

Jiang Nanchen nodded and walked ahead, with Porcupinefish Douluo following behind him.

Meanwhile, at Dugu Duke's Residence.

After finishing her classes for the day, Dugu Yan rushed home as quickly as she could. She did not even accompany Ye Lingling to Gathering Immortals Tower for a meal.

Because she desperately wanted to ask about something extremely important.

The force with which Dugu Yan shoved open the manor gates carried a rather peculiar air: Ah, Old Feng, I'm back.

Dugu Yan shouted, "Grandpa, are you home?"

"I'm in the back courtyard, Yanyan. Come on over."

Dugu Bo called out. His voice lacked its usual leisurely quality and instead sounded like he was busy with something.

Dugu Yan hurried to the back courtyard and found Dugu Bo squatting in the medicinal field, tending to several young herb seedlings.

"Grandpa, why are you messing around with these again? Don't you have plenty in Sunset Forest?"

Dugu Yan truly did not understand. The immortal herbs in Sunset Forest alone were enough to tend to every day.

"Grandpa has nothing else to do. Besides, I've dealt with medicinal herbs my entire life, so it's become a habit. I also use these to refine some potions and pills."

Dugu Bo said with a smile, clearly enjoying himself.

Dugu Yan shook her head, then said, "Grandpa, I want to ask you something. Why are there only the two of us left in the Dugu Clan? And what exactly happened to my parents? Were the things you told me before hiding something from me?"

The moment those words left her mouth.

Dugu Bo, who had been smiling warmly, fell silent at once. Even his hands paused noticeably as he tended the herbs.

Seeing Dugu Bo's reaction, Dugu Yan's heart tightened. Could Jiang Nanchen really have been right?

Dugu Yan stood up and patted the dirt from her hands. Her expression returned to normal as she looked at Dugu Bo. "Yanyan, didn't Grandpa already tell you before? Do you want me to tell you again?"

Even after he finished speaking, Dugu Yan still wore the same expression of wanting to know.

"Grandpa, don't lie to me. Tell me already."

Seeing that Dugu Yan would not let it go, Dugu Bo sighed. Rather than answering immediately, he walked over to the chair he had reclined in for many years. It creaked as he sat down.

"Yanyan, since you insist on hearing it, prepare yourself."

Dugu Bo spoke slowly.

"Go ahead, Grandpa. I'm prepared."

Dugu Yan was extremely serious. She had made every mental preparation.

"Actually, your parents died because of our Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul."

After saying only that, Dugu Bo's eyes began to redden slightly, and his voice trembled.

No matter what, they had been his son and daughter-in-law.

"What?"

Dugu Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. It had actually been because of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul.

"Why because of the Jade Phosphor Serpent? Grandpa, didn't you evolve the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul? And you're even a Title Douluo—how could Father and Mother..."

Dugu Yan trailed off.

"That was because Grandpa had better luck. I happened to find that medicinal garden back then. Otherwise, I could not have used it to break through. If I hadn't found that garden, Grandpa might have been in the ground long ago."

Even though Dugu Bo was strong, if he had failed to break through to Title Douluo, his death would only have been a matter of time.

By then, he had already been gravely ill.

Had he not broken through in time, he would have been unable to hold on.

Over the years, the poison within his body had only grown more severe. Whenever it flared up on rainy days, the pain was unbearable.

He endured through sheer force of will, only because Yanyan had not yet grown up.

If he died now, Yanyan would have no one to rely on.

"Grandpa, why?" Dugu Yan could not understand.

"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent line of the Dugu Clan grows more poisonous the stronger they cultivate. The poison will eventually backlash against the soul master himself."

"Many members of the clan did not live long. Your father died young after being consumed by the backlash of his own Martial Soul."

Dugu Bo sighed.

If Dugu Yan could not be cured, her own poison would eventually erode her life away as well.

"Grandpa..." Dugu Yan cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

Why had things turned out like this?

"This is the fate of our Dugu Clan," Dugu Bo said.

Dugu Yan threw herself into Dugu Bo's arms and began to cry.

Having learned the true cause of her parents' deaths, that it had been because of the Jade Phosphor Serpent, she could not accept it for the moment.

Dugu Yan did not try to stop herself. Crying for a while was better than bottling it up.

After a while, Dugu Yan gradually stopped crying. She raised a hand to wipe away her tears. Her nose was still red as she sniffed and murmured, "No wonder... Today, Little Nanchen said there might be something wrong with my body. So that was why."

Dugu Bo froze, then abruptly turned to look at her. "What? You said someone noticed something wrong with your body?"

The backlash of the Jade Phosphor Serpent was extremely subtle. Ordinary soul masters could not detect it at all.

"It's Jiang Nanchen, the Angel Martial Soul freshman I asked you to look into yesterday." Dugu Yan nodded. "He even said today that the Dugu Clan was sparsely populated and told me to ask you why. I didn't believe him at first, but now it seems he saw through it long ago."

Dugu Bo frowned deeply, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.

A six-year-old child could see through the backlash of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul? How was that possible?

He pondered for a long time before his eyes suddenly flickered.

If that child could truly see the root of the problem at a glance, did that mean he might have a solution?

But as soon as the thought arose, Dugu Bo shook his head. It was too absurd.

He was the renowned Poison Douluo. How could a six-year-old child have a solution to a problem he had failed to solve despite studying poison for his entire life?

The child had most likely guessed correctly by chance, or read about similar records in some ancient book.

"Grandpa, do you think he might really have a way?" Dugu Yan looked up, a trace of hope in her eyes.

Dugu Bo fell silent for a moment before saying gravely, "No rush. I'll go to the academy tomorrow and meet this child myself. Whether he truly has the ability or not, we'll know after testing him."

He had lived for so long. What storms had he not seen?

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he had to try it for Yanyan's sake.

He had to fight for a future for Yanyan.

"Grandpa, you can't make things difficult for him!"

Dugu Yan hurriedly said, "He's my friend. At the very least, you need to temper that Grandpa temper of yours."

"Oh, my dear granddaughter, Grandpa understands. You've only known him for a few days, and you're already defending him like this?" Dugu Bo said with a smile.

"He's a little genius, and he's especially interesting. Anyway, just don't make things difficult for him."

Dugu Yan urged.

"Don't worry. Grandpa knows what he's doing."

Dugu Bo assured her repeatedly.