Stop, That Place Is Off-Limits!

"How could the granddaughter of the illustrious Poison Douluo, the vice-captain of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's Imperial Battle Team, come alone to the depths of the perilous Sunset Forest?"

Ning Chen's gaze gradually sharpened as he continued asking,

"Where is your grandfather, Dugu Bo? Didn't he come with you?"

At those words, the blush on Dugu Yan's face instantly faded, replaced by utter shock.

She abruptly raised her head, looked at Ning Chen, and asked in confusion,

"Y-you... how do you know who I am? How do you know my grandfather is Dugu Bo?"

Other than a handful of people at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and the upper ranks of certain top factions, hardly anyone knew about this!

How could this mysterious young man know so much?

"Hmph." Ning Chen chuckled, wearing a helpless expression.

"Your surname is Dugu, and your Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul. Is that really so hard to figure out?"

"As for you being the vice-captain of the Imperial Battle Team... I just happened to know."

Dugu Yan was left speechless. Thinking it over carefully, it did seem to make sense.

At present, she and her grandfather appeared to be the only ones in the Heaven Dou Empire with the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul.

Anyone with even a little knowledge could easily guess her identity.

Yet the way he acted as though it were obvious still made Dugu Yan feel as if this guy knew everything.

In front of him, she felt as though she were naked, with no secrets at all.

Seeing that Dugu Yan remained silent, Ning Chen pressed her again.

"You still haven't answered me. What are you doing here by yourself?"

At the mention of this, Dugu Yan's expression immediately darkened, and a trace of worry and grievance appeared in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to tell the truth.

After all, the young man before her had just saved her life. By all rights, she should not conceal anything from him.

"Ah..." Dugu Yan sighed and said dejectedly,

"Actually, I haven't seen Grandpa in Heaven Dou City for several days."

"I'd heard Grandpa say before that he often secluded himself in a medicinal garden somewhere in Sunset Forest, a place I'd never visited."

"And... lately, something has been wrong with my body. I've been feeling very uncomfortable, so... I came to Sunset Forest to look for him and ask him what was going on."

"I see." Ning Chen understood at once.

It seemed his guess had been entirely correct.

With these past few days of overcast rain, that old poisoner Dugu Bo was certainly staying at the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eyes.

And Dugu Yan's condition was clearly a sign that the poison backlash from her Martial Soul was beginning to worsen.

"Over the past few days, has your body often started itching for no reason, sometimes so badly that it cuts to the bone?" Ning Chen asked slowly as he looked at her.

Dugu Yan's eyes flew wide open at Ning Chen's words.

Ning Chen did not stop and continued,

"And does your chest sometimes feel tight, like you can't catch your breath? Especially on rainy days, does that feeling become even worse?"

Dugu Yan was completely stunned. Her mouth hung open as she stared at Ning Chen as though she had seen a ghost.

"Y-you... how do you know?!" she stammered, her voice full of disbelief.

She had not even told her teammates about these symptoms. How could this man know every detail so clearly? Could he read minds?

"That isn't important." Ning Chen waved a hand and spoke mysteriously.

That was exactly the effect he wanted. The more mysterious and all-knowing he made himself seem, the more advantage he would have in the negotiations to come.

"What matters is," Ning Chen said, the corners of his lips lifting into a confident smile.

"I can take you to your grandfather."

"Really?" Dugu Yan's eyes instantly lit up.

She looked at Ning Chen excitedly, her voice trembling with anticipation.

"Can you really help me find Grandpa?"

The worry of being unable to contact her grandfather these past few days, along with the fear over her condition, had nearly crushed her.

Now, this mysterious and powerful man before her was like a lifeline, giving her hope.

"A gentleman's word cannot be taken back."

Ning Chen nodded, his tone carrying unquestionable confidence.

Of course he could find him. Locating the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eyes was not difficult for him.

"That's wonderful! Let's go, quickly!"

Overjoyed, Dugu Yan struggled to rise from the ground.

But the instant she exerted herself, a tearing pain shot through the wound on her calf. She could not help sucking in a sharp breath and collapsed back down.

"Damn it..." Dugu Yan struck the ground in frustration.

Ning Chen watched her and shook his head with an amused smile.

"With your leg injured like that, how are you supposed to walk?"

Dugu Yan's expression fell at once. That was right—she could barely stand steadily. How could she travel through this dangerous forest?

"Then... then what should we do?"

She looked helplessly at Ning Chen, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears, making her look utterly pitiful.

Ning Chen stroked his chin, seeming to think of something before saying,

"It's not as though there isn't a way..."

"What way?" Dugu Yan hurriedly asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Before Dugu Yan could react, he bent down, slipped one arm beneath her back and the other beneath her knees, then directly lifted her from the ground in a bridal carry.

It was an absolutely standard princess carry.

"Ah!"

Startled by the sudden movement, Dugu Yan cried out instinctively and wrapped both arms around Ning Chen's neck.

Her body instantly left the ground and fell into a broad, warm embrace.

A powerful masculine scent enveloped her at once, making her mind go blank.

She could clearly feel the solid muscles of Ning Chen's chest, as well as the steady, powerful beat of his heart.

"Y-you... what are you doing?!"

Only after several seconds did Dugu Yan come back to her senses. Her pretty face instantly turned crimson, and even the tips of her ears burned.

"This... this isn't appropriate, is it? We... we only just met..."

Shyly, she buried her head against Ning Chen's chest, her voice soft and quiet.

Though she said it was inappropriate, her arms around Ning Chen's neck showed no intention of loosening. Instead, she held him even tighter.

Her body honestly snuggled further into his arms as if trying to find a more comfortable position.

This embrace... feels so safe. So warm.

Ning Chen lowered his head to look at the woman in his arms, amused inwardly.

Still pretending, huh?

He deliberately put on a stern face and said in a serious tone,

"Oh? It isn't appropriate? Fine, then."

As he spoke, he made as if to loosen his grip and place her back on the ground.

"Then I can only leave you here and go find Dugu Bo myself. With your injured leg, staying alone in this forest should be... very safe, right?"

"Don't!"

The moment she heard Ning Chen intended to leave her behind, Dugu Yan immediately panicked.

Without thinking, she wrapped both arms around Ning Chen's neck like an octopus. Her long legs instinctively wound around his waist as well, and her entire body clung directly to him.

"No! I don't want to stay here alone!" she said urgently, raising her head.

"I... I'd better go with you!"

What a joke!

Leave her alone in this godforsaken place, where there was neither village nor inn in sight and an eight-thousand-year soul beast had just died?

Wouldn't that be like waiting to become another soul beast's meal?

She did not want to die.

Seeing how nervous she was, Ning Chen nearly laughed aloud.

"Are you sure? You don't think it's inappropriate anymore?" He raised an eyebrow and deliberately teased her.