Transaction with Dugu Bo

"Elder Ge, let's wait right here then. Once I awaken my Martial Soul too, I'll definitely wash away this humiliation!"

Nalan Yanran's eyes burned with raging fury, reducing the Divorce Letter in her hand to smithereens.

Inside the Mittel Auction House.

Ya Fei sat inside the room, her fingertips gently rubbing her Dagger Martial Soul, lingering sorrow that she could not shake off wrapped between her brows.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A knock on the door rang out at just the right time.

"Come in."

An auction house attendant pushed the door open and walked in, bowing in salute.

"Miss Ya Fei, as instructed, we've already sent the message to the Imperial Capital while simultaneously contacting merchants from all walks of life here, having them help spread the message to the surrounding towns."

Ya Fei smiled gently.

"Mhm, thanks for the effort. Go collect your reward."

The attendant hastily bowed in thanks, turned to exit the room, and gently closed the door behind him.

The room grew quiet once more, and the smile on Ya Fei's face slowly faded.

She walked over to the window and stood still, her brain working at high speed.

Wanting to resolve her aptitude issue, the price to be paid would definitely not be small.

She currently had nothing, and what she could actually pull out and present was nothing more than her looks and the sharp vision honed from years of doing business.

Brother Lu was a businessman as well, and a businessman wanting to expand his influence inevitably needed people to run errands and handle matters for him.

Just like this large-scale message transmission this time, relying on a single person alone made it hard to accomplish; a complete set of channels was needed.

A busy man like him certainly wouldn't be willing to waste time on these trivial matters.

This was her advantage.

Three days later.

Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire Crown Prince's Residence.

Zhu Zhuqing faced the wooden stake in front of her, her figure flashing as her Soul Power surged along the meridians of her right hand.

"Rish—"

A claw shadow flashed past, and the wooden stake was torn into pieces with wood chips flying.

She steadied her figure and smiled happily as she looked at her masterpiece.

"Brother Lu, I did it!"

"Clap, clap, clap—"

Lu Chuan gently clapped his hands, praising approvingly:

"Awesome! You actually mastered it this fast."

I have to admit, Zhu Zhuqing's comprehension was still quite good, but her Innate Soul Power and talent were relatively poor.

However, these could all be slowly made up for with Immortal Herbs and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid, which was no big deal.

And just as the two of them were sharing the joy,

two figures walked in.

Xue Qinghe wore a gentle smile, followed closely by Dugu Bo in a green robe with a reclusive and stern temperament.

His gaze landing on Lu Chuan, Xue Qinghe spoke softly.

"Brother Lu Chuan, I've already invited the Poison Douluo senior you wanted to see over for you."

Dugu Bo at the side kept his hands behind his back, his narrow eyes slightly squinted as he sized up Lu Chuan from head to toe.

A faint, faint oppressive feeling unique to a Titled Douluo drifted out from around his entire body.

"I heard from His Highness the Crown Prince that you want to make a deal with me?"

Lu Chuan raised his hand and gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's shoulder, signaling her with his eyes to go inside the room and wait first.

Zhu Zhuqing understood tacitly, said nothing more, and quietly turned to walk into the room.

Having finished all this, Lu Chuan turned around, his gaze landing on Dugu Bo. His expression neither humble nor arrogant, he calmly met the other party's scrutinizing gaze.

"That's right, there is a deal I want to talk about with you, and you definitely won't refuse."

"Hmph, what could a brat like you possibly have that is worth trading with me?!"

Dugu Bo released pressure at the Soul Sage level, enveloping it toward Lu Chuan in an attempt to suppress the other party's arrogance.

Yet who would have thought that the opposite party wouldn't be moved in the slightest.

He frowned, and the Soul Power he released gradually intensified.

Level 80! Level 85! Level 90! Level 91!

Even with all his might, the floorboards beneath Lu Chuan's feet had cracked layer by layer, yet he still stood in place unscathed.

Lu Chuan yawned lazily and glanced toward Xue Qinghe at the side.

Since Dugu Bo could do such a thing, it meant Xue Qinghe had merely passed on a message that he wanted to trade with Dugu Bo, without revealing any details about his own background.

Clearly, the other party intended to use Dugu Bo's hands to test his strength.

However, it did not matter; the more he tested, the more apprehension he would feel.

Seeing Lu Chuan's indifferent demeanor, Dugu Bo also understood that the other party was a tough nut to crack, and instantly reined in his Soul Power with a laugh:

"Hahaha, truly a hero among youths! I admire you. I wonder what kind of trade you want to make with me."

Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want to talk about it here? This concerns your Martial Soul."

Dugu Bo's pupils constricted, and his expression instantly turned serious. How did the other party know about him suffering from toxin backlash?

He cast a sidelong glance at Xue Qinghe and said calmly:

"Your Highness, could you grant this junior and me some private space?"

Xue Qinghe still wore a warm and proper smile on his face, nodding calmly:

"Naturally. As it happens, this crown prince still has some estate matters to attend to. You two take your time talking, I'll take my leave first."

With that, Xue Qinghe lingered no longer, turning and leaving.

Only the moment he turned, deep within those gentle eyes, they were already filled with thick suspicion and inquiry.

Once the courtyard was completely left with just the two of them, Dugu Bo's surrounding aura sank entirely, staring dead at Lu Chuan with a stern tone:

"Kid, what on earth do you know?"

"Your Jade Phosphor Serpent lineage will be counter-choked by its own toxins, right? Not only that, these toxins are even hereditary, just like your granddaughter Dugu Yan.

Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful, to perish so young~"

Lu Chuan's words caused a pang in Dugu Bo's heart.

How could he not be clear about this matter? The side effects of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor were passed down from generation to generation, and he had long suffered from Toxin Erosion, his vitality continuously decaying.

Even his son and daughter-in-law had all died of poison, but what he could not let go of the most was his granddaughter Dugu Yan.

"Kid, so you know how to solve it? Do you know what the cost of deceiving me is?!"

Looking at Dugu Bo's man-eating gaze, Lu Chuan's expression remained calm, without the slightest bit of panic.

"Let's make a deal, one you cannot refuse, have no reason to, and have no room to maneuver."

"I'll provide you with a way to treat the toxins, and you'll give me your herb garden while acting as a bodyguard by my side."

Dugu Bo's frown deepened.

What on earth was the background of this kid? How did he even know about his secret?

"If it can really be resolved, I can agree!"

"Rest assured, I am a conscientious businessman!"

The corners of Lu Chuan's mouth curled up as he raised his hand and condensed a page of a contract.

"Sign this, and I'll tell you the method."

Dugu Bo didn't even look at it and directly signed the contract; after all, this sort of trinket couldn't possibly restrict him.

Lu Chuan nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he retrieved the Poison-Locking Pill and the toxin-guiding method from the System Space, which he had obtained after completing a transaction with Yao Lao in the Battle Through the Heavens World a day ago.

"Absorb this Poison-Locking Pill, and then I'll help you using the toxin-guiding method."

Dugu Bo pinched that black pill and hesitated slightly.

The icy medicinal body touched his palm, and though he couldn't feel the slightest bit of toxicity at all, it instead radiated warm and pure medicinal power. Yet the more perfect it was, the deeper the guard in his heart became.

"I can't trust you. I need to make an insurance policy, as I can't figure out your strength.

Then I'll poison the young girl by your side; if I'm fine, you'll help her undo it, but if something happens to me, she'll have to be buried with me!"

Lu Chuan's face darkened, and he snatched the Poison-Locking Pill right back. He detested it the most when people dragged those close to him into matters.

"Take it or leave it; if you don't believe me, forget it. After all, the one about to be poisoned to death isn't me, and at worst, I'll just go collect your herb garden after you die. The door is over there, take your time and don't let me see you out."

Dugu Bo's expression changed. This was his granddaughter's chance at survival, and nothing must go wrong!

Besides, judging by what the other party said, he didn't seem to have any reason to deceive him.

Immediately, he hurriedly stepped forward to block him.

"Hey hey hey! Why is your temper even worse than mine? I won't poison anyone, alright?"