Old Man, Haven't You Heard That a Gentleman Watches in Silence?

After a brief moment of shock, Dugu Bo tightened his grip on the glass bottle, and his aged face darkened.

He pushed Dugu Yan aside and forced his weak legs straight, once again assuming the haughty bearing of the Poison Douluo.

"Hmph! Utter nonsense!"

Dugu Bo snorted. He cast a wary glance at Lin Ye behind the counter, then stubbornly declared, "This black liquid does have something to it. It's probably a secret medicine brewed from some rare ten-thousand-year ice essence and pain-relieving immortal herbs! If this brat can set up a peerless formation that suppresses my Soul Power, it's no surprise he can produce a medicine like this!"

Dugu Bo desperately searched for a way to save face.

He refused to believe in "cyber technology." He was more inclined to believe that a peerless Douluo skilled in formations and medicine was hiding in the shop.

"But! There's nothing wrong with this medicine that looks like black water. I've tried it myself!"

Dugu Bo changed tack. "Medicine is medicine, and an illusion is an illusion! You expect me to believe that a 'liver made entirely of iron' inside a fake illusion can cure poison? What a ridiculous joke!"

"Grandpa, why are you so stubborn? I saw it in Night City with my own eyes yesterday!" Dugu Yan protested.

"Silence! How can the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo let herself be taken in by such crooked tricks?"

Dugu Bo swept his sleeve, trying to assert his authority as head of the family. "Yan Yan, come home with me! I'll pay a fortune for the formula for this black liquid. As for that wretched illusion, you're never to touch it again!"

With that, he reached out to grab Dugu Yan.

"I'm not leaving!"

Dugu Yan flung his hand away.

Though she usually obeyed her grandfather in everything, defiance now shone in her eyes.

"Grandpa, it doesn't matter if you don't believe me! I've made up my mind. I'm going to get that organ called the 'Metabolic Editor' in Night City! I'll prove it to you!"

She ran to the register and slapped down some Gold Soul Coins.

"Zhu Qing, start up a machine!"

Under Dugu Bo's dumbfounded gaze, Dugu Yan put on the headset with practiced ease and was immersed in the game a second later.

"You... you ungrateful granddaughter! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?!"

Dugu Bo's beard bristled with anger. He wanted to rush over and smash the machine, but remembering the terror of being pinned to the floor just moments ago, he pulled back the foot he had raised.

He had no desire to embarrass himself again in front of the crown prince and that little girl from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

"Fine! Fine! Fine!"

Dugu Bo laughed in fury. He decided to stay.

He walked over to Dugu Yan's gaming station, pulled up a chair, and sat down with his arms crossed, watching her screen.

"I'll sit right here today! I want to see for myself what kind of foul den this so-called 'Night City' is! I'll point out every flaw in this illusion of yours and make this girl give up!"

Watching the stubborn Poison Douluo turn into a backseat spectator, Lin Ye nearly laughed aloud behind the counter.

Ah, the pride of a Titled Douluo... Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this up.

Lin Ye leisurely lifted his teacup. "Old sir, where's the fun in watching someone else play? Why not try a machine yourself? The activation fee is only 298. You can't go wrong!"

"Get lost! Even if I jumped off Heaven Dou City, even if the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison consumed me, I would never play your wretched illusion!"

Dugu Bo shot Lin Ye a cold glare, his tone resolute.

Ten minutes later.

On the screen, Dugu Yan was caught in a brutal street gunfight.

"Hmph! This is the peerless hidden weapon you were talking about?"

Dugu Bo stared at the screen and began a scornful running commentary. "That hunk of iron—the Kinetic Pistol—packs a decent punch, but it fires too slowly! Yan Yan, dodge left! Those thugs with clubs have no Soul Power. What are you afraid of? Just rush in and use your poison... Oh, right, you don't have poison now. What a useless way to fight!"

Twenty minutes later.

Dugu Yan pulled out a Chemical Grenade in the game.

Sickly green poison gas engulfed the enemies.

Dugu Bo's sneer froze. He leaned forward without realizing it, his brows furrowing.

"What... what kind of poison is that? It takes effect so quickly?! And it disperses more evenly than my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison? No, there's no Soul Power in that green gas. How is this possible?!"

Shock flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes, but he still refused to back down. "Ahem... It's only good for bullying ordinary people. Against my protective energy, it would be useless!"

Half an hour later.

In the game, Dugu Yan encountered a Cyberpsycho whose entire body had been converted to machinery. Mantis Blades sprang from his arms, and he chased her down with terrifying speed.

Dugu Bo rose from his chair, his breathing quickening.

"This... this is impossible! A body of pure steel, with no soul ring enhancement—how can it unleash physical speed and strength comparable to a Soul Sage's?! Those two blades... The way they cut through the air is even cleaner than the Seven Kill Sword!"

"Yan Yan! Watch your left! He kicked off the wall with that mechanical leg! Damn it, if I could get in there, I'd flatten that hunk of iron with one slap!"

An hour later.

The Poison Douluo stood behind station four. Not only had he failed to find a single flaw in the illusion, he was practically pressed against the screen.

His long, dark-green hair flew wildly as he shouted instructions, waving his arms in agitation.

"Shoot! Go for his head! Silly girl, stop hiding behind cover! Use that thing... Right, the grenade! Blow him up!"

"Argh, this is infuriating! How can you lose such an easy fight?!"

Ning Rongrong, seated nearby, couldn't stand it anymore. She took off her headphones and rolled her eyes. "Hey, green-haired old man, haven't you heard that a gentleman watches in silence? All your shouting back there is distracting me from my game!"

Outside, anyone who spoke to the Poison Douluo like that would already have been poisoned to death.

But inside the internet café, Dugu Bo held back for ages and still didn't dare release his Soul Power. He could only turn away in a huff and keep watching Dugu Yan play, itching to join in.

That clash of raw physical strength and technology... That all-out combat with no Soul Power holding anyone back... Damn it, why are my hands itching?

Dugu Bo swallowed, glanced at his hands, then at the empty machine in the hall.

Absolutely not... I just swore I'd never play such a childish game... The Poison Douluo made one last feeble attempt to resist.