The group headed into the city.
Dugu Bo walked at the front, with Beiming Lieyang and the other two following behind. Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling trailed at the very end.
Dugu Yan watched them the entire way, finding them stranger the longer she looked.
Every few steps, her grandfather would unconsciously turn his head and glance at the blond youth, as though afraid he might get lost.
The two women walked on either side of the youth, neither too fast nor too slow, yet faintly shielding him between them.
She had seen that formation before, in the Imperial Fighting Team as well.
It was a formation used to protect the core member.
"That blond one..."
Ye Lingling suddenly leaned closer, lowering her voice. "He's rather good-looking."
Dugu Yan: "...You're looking at his face at a time like this?"
"It doesn't cost anything to take a look."
Ye Lingling's expression remained unchanged. "The two women beside him are quite pretty too."
Dugu Yan glared at her. "Who do you think they are?"
Ye Lingling thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Hard to say, but your grandfather's attitude toward them is definitely strange. When has he ever been this polite to anyone? Someone who didn't know better might think he brought home an ancestor for you."
Dugu Yan choked. "Would it kill you to say less?"
"It would." Ye Lingling answered without changing expression.
Dugu Yan: "..."
While the two observed them, Beiming Lieyang, Ice Empress, and Snow Empress had all sensed their gazes.
Beiming Lieyang glanced back before withdrawing his gaze.
Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's granddaughter, while Ye Lingling was the current inheritor of the Nine Heart Begonia.
No matter how many Spirit Rings were added to this Martial Soul, it would produce only one skill: healing. Its range and potency increased with the age of the Spirit Rings.
However, this Martial Soul carried a curse: only one inheritor could exist in each generation, and no more than two Martial Soul holders could exist in the world at the same time. Otherwise, it might not have been unable to contend with the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
Still, the Nine Heart Begonia line had once saved countless Soul Masters. Many owed them favors, and those seeking treatment came in an endless stream.
Ordinary Soul Masters truly did not dare provoke them.
Everyone would get injured someday.
Still, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were only thirteen and twelve years old. The Imperial Fighting Team had probably only been formed not long ago.
Come to think of it, after leveling up so rapidly, he seemed not to have truly fought anyone yet.
His hands were starting to itch.
Dugu Yan could not be bothered to pay her any more attention. She continued staring at the figures ahead, and the more she looked, the more something felt off.
"Grandpa."
She suddenly quickened her pace and walked to Dugu Bo's side. "When exactly are you going to tell me who they are?"
Dugu Bo looked back at her, then glanced at Beiming Lieyang. His tone was cautious.
"We'll talk once we get home. Don't be impatient."
Dugu Yan opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that reached her lips.
Ye Lingling walked at the back. Seeing Dugu Yan's aggrieved expression, the corners of her lips curved slightly, while her deep blue eyes plainly conveyed one sentence.
So you have a day like this too.
Dugu Yan did not need to turn around to know what she was thinking. She turned and glared at her, only to receive an innocent shrug from Ye Lingling.
No matter how hard Dugu Yan thought, she could not figure out what kind of distinguished guest could make her stubborn old grandfather act like this.
"Yanyan, you haven't seen Senior Dugu in a long time, so I won't disturb you."
Seeing that they were nearly at Dugu Manor, Ye Lingling took the opportunity to bid farewell.
"Stay with me."
"I..." Ye Lingling cautiously glanced at Dugu Bo and Beiming Lieyang's group. As an outsider, she truly did not feel it was appropriate to get involved.
Yet Dugu Bo paid no attention to either of them, focusing only on introducing the surrounding geography to Beiming Lieyang.
At the end, he added, "My granddaughter Yanyan is rather familiar with Heaven Dou City. If you are interested, have her show you around. A stroll might help you relax."
He had his own plans.
His Lord possessed monstrous talent, and the poison in Yanyan's body still needed Lord's help to remove. The important thing was to have her build a good relationship with Lord.
Beiming Lieyang gave a slight nod, his gaze settling on the long streets of Heaven Dou City.
As expected of a nation's capital. It truly was bustling.
Ice Empress looked around curiously, her golden eyes filled with novelty.
Over the past few years, for the sake of Whale Rubber, she had often gone to large human cities to steal...
Ahem, borrow. She had borrowed it.
After all, only Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue was good enough to serve as material for Xiaoyang. A single city only had so much in stock; how could that possibly be enough?
She could only visit the city lords' estates and sect storehouses one by one, helping them reduce their inventory.
She was an honest and well-behaved Soul Beast. What did she know about all those human schemes and twists?
If she wanted something, she took it... Mm-hmm, borrowed it. Borrowed it.
Only later did she learn that in the human world, this stuff was used by nobles as a stimulant for pleasure.
When she heard that, her face had been full of disgust.
That did not match what Xiaoyang had told her at all.
Fortunately, Xiaoyang had said it needed to be tempered and burned with fire-attributed Soul Power before it could be used.
That made sense, then.
Each of them had their own thoughts, and after quite some time, they finally arrived at Dugu Manor.
After entering, Dugu Bo's demeanor became even more respectful.
"Lord, this is your subordinate's residence. The conditions are rather modest. Please do not take offense."
"This environment of yours is already quite nice, Old Poison." Xiaoyang looked around.
Xiaoyang looked around.
Dugu Bo's residence was indeed luxurious.
After all, Xue Ye had expended great effort to win him over.
Yet Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, who were following behind, both froze at the same time.
Wait, what had Grandpa / Your Excellency Dugu just said?
Lord?
And the other party had called him "Old Poison"?
The two stiffly turned their necks to look at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Grandpa / Your Excellency Dugu, a Title Douluo, had actually called himself "your subordinate" before a youth who did not look very old?
That posture had lowered him to the very bottom.
Was this a joke?
Dugu Yan truly could not hold herself back any longer. She stepped forward and grabbed Dugu Bo's sleeve.
"Grandpa, what exactly were you doing just now?"
"Yanyan, do not be disrespectful!"
Dugu Bo's expression turned stern. "From now on, you must show Lord and the two ladies the same respect I do."
Dugu Yan could not understand it.
Her grandfather was a Title Douluo. How had he gone out once and returned with a Lord for the Dugu family?
"Then what should I call him?" Dugu Yan asked somewhat unwillingly.
Beiming Lieyang looked at her. "Just call me by my name. Beiming Lieyang."
Dugu Bo hurriedly said, "Lord, Yanyan is of too junior a generation. Calling you by name directly... would be disrespectful."
"A name is only a designation."
Beiming Lieyang waved a hand. "Otherwise, how should she address me outside? She cannot exactly follow you and call me Lord."
Dugu Bo hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not persist.
Dugu Yan muttered softly, "Beiming Lieyang..."
It was not hard to remember.
Yet the curiosity in her heart grew stronger and stronger.
Just who was this person, to make her grandfather act this way?
Since Lord had spoken, Dugu Bo stopped dwelling on it and immediately arranged their accommodations.
He cleared out the largest main residence and several adjacent rooms for Beiming Lieyang, Ice Empress, and Snow Empress.
Ice Empress and Snow Empress, however, were somewhat hesitant.
With this arrangement, would they not have to sleep separately from Xiaoyang?
They had slept together all these years. Suddenly separating felt somehow wrong.
But they were in the human world now, so the two women could not simply speak up.
If it led to unnecessary speculation, it would ultimately cause trouble for Xiaoyang.
Anything that could bring him trouble was unacceptable.
Dugu Yan stood to the side, watching her grandfather bustle about making arrangements, and could not help clicking her tongue.
This did not look like an act at all. He might truly have invited an ancestor back for the Dugu family.
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, yet she had to admit that she had never seen her grandfather wear such a reverent expression.
Her stubborn old grandfather had a day when he bowed his head too.
Dugu Bo, however, was completely unaware of his granddaughter's thoughts and was still considering how to make Lord's stay more comfortable.
Before you continue