Prince Xuexing, the Young Dugu Yan

The next day, Su Yu awoke from cultivation only when the eastern sky had begun to pale.

He had been a little tipsy last night. Qian Renxue had gone into seclusion to break through, so Su Yu had not disturbed her.

Today, it was time to take a look around the city.

When he stepped outside, Greenlark Douluo was sitting on the roof. Seeing Su Yu, he waved in greeting. "Xiaoyu, heading out?"

"Yeah, I'm going to look around the city."

"Want Grandpa to accompany you?" Greenlark Douluo asked.

"No need. I'm going to see Dugu Bo."

After leaving those words behind, Su Yu departed Crown Prince Manor.

Naturally, Greenlark Douluo was not at ease. He silently followed after him anyway. As long as Su Yu did not notice, it was an easy task.

Now that Xiaoxue had finished absorbing the Immortal Herb, it would take until evening at the latest.

Su Yu left Crown Prince Manor and headed straight toward Dugu Manor in the city.

He certainly did not know the route, but a casual inquiry was all it took.

Quite a few people could not help taking a second look when they saw Su Yu's peerless face, and they were more than willing to tell him where Dugu Manor was.

In less than ten minutes, Su Yu arrived before the gates of Dugu Manor. Just as he was about to knock, he heard voices speaking inside.

"Dugu Bo, how have you been lately?"

The voice was deep and resonant, clearly belonging to a middle-aged man. It was magnetic, so it was likely Prince Xuexing.

"Thank you for your concern. I've been doing quite well lately."

Dugu Bo answered leisurely.

I'm no longer your man.

You saved me back then, and I'm grateful for that. But of the three things I promised you, only one remains.

That old bastard keeps holding onto it. It's really irritating.

Prince Xuexing sipped his tea, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

Dugu Bo, I simply won't tell you what my final request is. Let's see what you can do about it.

For now, he could not let Dugu Bo walk away.

Otherwise, he would have no one to rely on in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was far from as simple as he appeared. He had always had his nephew, Xue Beng, play the fool, all to wait for an opportunity.

Once the time was right, it might not be impossible for him to rise in rebellion.

Both men were seasoned schemers.

At that very moment, Su Yu knocked on the gate.

"Dugu Bo, someone is visiting you at a time like this?"

Prince Xuexing was somewhat surprised.

He knew Dugu Bo's temperament well. Dugu Bo did not meet people easily.

"Who knows?" Dugu Bo shook his head.

"I'll get the door!"

Prince Xuexing smiled as he rose and went to open the gate.

The moment the gate opened, Prince Xuexing froze. Even his smile stiffened.

"Huh? Mister, why aren't you moving?"

Su Yu asked curiously.

"Y-you-you!" Prince Xuexing stammered.

He stared at the young man before him: dazzling golden hair, handsome features, sharp brows and eyes, and pale golden pupils that carried an innate pride and majesty.

Most importantly, his features and outline looked far too much like Qian Xunji, the Former Pope of Spirit Hall.

Especially those eyes and that bearing—they were practically identical.

Prince Xuexing nearly dropped to his knees.

Could this be Qian Xunji's illegitimate son?

His daughter had already died young as well.

Prince Xuexing came back to himself, only to find his back drenched in sweat. Looking again at the youth before him, his heart was filled with awe. But in the end, this was only a child.

It was not as though the Pope himself had arrived. Why was he scaring himself like this?

After steadying himself, Prince Xuexing asked, "You are?"

"I am Senior Dugu's guest. Senior Dugu invited me here," Su Yu replied.

"Invited?" Prince Xuexing was astonished. Dugu Bo had actually invited someone over.

"Prince Xuexing, let him in. He's a drinking companion I met in Tiandou City. We had a very pleasant conversation last time."

Dugu Bo offered an explanation.

A drinking companion?

Though Prince Xuexing was quite puzzled, he knew very well that Dugu Bo deeply detested people from Spirit Hall.

He did not dwell on it and instead stepped aside.

After Su Yu entered, Prince Xuexing smiled. "Then you and this guest may take your time talking, Dugu Bo. I'll take my leave first."

With that, Prince Xuexing closed the gate and left.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Once Prince Xuexing had left, Dugu Bo immediately rose and invited Su Yu to sit.

"I just came to chat. I'll be staying in Tiandou City for a while."

Su Yu sat down, and Dugu Bo refilled a cup of tea before handing it to him.

Su Yu accepted the teacup, took a light sip, then set it back on the table and continued, "You still haven't severed ties with Prince Xuexing?"

Dugu Bo sat down and sighed. "When Yue Guan and Guimei were hunting me down before, Xue Qinghe saved me. I still owe him a favor. And Prince Xuexing is an old fox too. He knows he cannot cut ties with me, or his situation will become very difficult."

The real difficulty lay with Xue Qinghe.

Even though Dugu Bo did not concern himself with palace affairs, he knew that the deaths of several successive princes were all connected to Xue Qinghe.

"I'll create an opportunity for you."

Su Yu's words immediately enlightened Dugu Bo.

"Then I ask Your Highness to act."

"Don't worry. I'll notify you when it's time to act. Just be prepared."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Dugu Bo clasped his hands in thanks.

With Prince Xuexing gone, Dugu Bo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"How is it? Has your granddaughter taken the Earth Dragon Golden Melon?"

Su Yu did not continue discussing Prince Xuexing with Dugu Bo, instead shifting the topic to Dugu Yan.

"She already has. The effects were good. Not long ago, she used the Earth Dragon Golden Melon to break through to level thirty. It's just that after her Martial Soul evolved, her soul skills became attack-type."

Dugu Bo did not care much about the shift to the attack type. Being able to remove the poison was what mattered most; everything else was secondary.

Compared to poison, the attack type was more practical.

"An attack type is certainly better than relying on poison."

There was a reason Dugu Bo was called the weakest Title Douluo. He could only use poison, unable to compare with others in close combat or long-range attacks.

But his poison techniques truly were exceptional. His area attacks would certainly rank among the best.

While the two were talking, the gate was pushed open again. This time, a young girl walked in.

She had short dark-purple hair, delicate and pretty features, and a pair of emerald-green eyes that carried an eerie, bewitching air.

Her figure was slender, with a touch of pride between her brows. Her nails glimmered with a faint green hue, and she possessed the seductive temperament unique to snakes.

The girl was Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

When Dugu Yan saw her grandfather treating a young man so politely, she was instantly dumbfounded.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?" Dugu Yan's face was full of disbelief. "You're actually being this polite to him?"

"Yanyan, do not be rude. He is our lifesaver," Dugu Bo rebuked her.

"Our lifesaver?" Dugu Yan looked puzzled, then recalled what Dugu Bo had said before—the person who had gifted them the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.

"So it was you!"

Dugu Yan suddenly understood.

"You saved our Dugu family."

"You're not completely foolish," Su Yu said with a smile.

Dugu Yan gave a huff. "I'm very smart, thank you. Besides, I'm already a Spirit Venerable at my age."

"Is that so impressive?" Su Yu said dismissively. "Don't get too complacent."