Arrival at Dugu Manor, Prince Xuexin's Death Knell

Tang Shan's expression was somewhat strange - good heavens, when it comes to using drugs, how could Dugu Bo not be more proficient than his granddaughter? Yet before he left, he only told me to be wary of Dugu Yan.

Shaking his head to suppress his doubts, Tang Shan pushed open the door and walked out of the courtyard.

Golden Crocodile Douluo remained reclining on the chair, his posture as languid as ever, watching Tang Shan push open the door and leave. He couldn't help but click his tongue. "Hey, that kid's reaction is pretty slow. And Xiao Xue, she was taken advantage of but didn't say a word, tsk tsk----"

This was Tang Shan's first time visiting the Dugu Manor. He had expected it to take some time to find, but to his surprise, he spotted it as soon as he stepped into the area. The surrounding area was deserted, with only one house exuding a faint sense of human presence, which he assumed must be the Dugu Manor.

Moreover, a luxurious carriage is parked in front of the mansion gate today, which clearly indicates that a guest has arrived.

As soon as they reached the gate of the mansion, the heavy doors swung open, and a middle-aged man with a Blue-Black complexion and bloodshot eyes strode out. His face was filled with barely concealed excitement, and he carefully held a small brocade bag in his hands, as if it were some rare treasure.

As the man left, he merely glanced at Tang Shan before boarding the carriage. A hoarse yet urgent voice came from inside. "Back to the Prince's Residence! Quickly, I need to test the effects of this new medicine immediately!"

Tang Shan watched the carriage disappear into the distance. The carriage's withered and emaciated appearance seemed strangely familiar to him, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't recall any person in his memory who matched it.

He didn't dwell on it any longer; the most important thing right now was to get the Immortal Herb, and all other trivial matters could be put aside for the time being.

Gripping the cold brass ring on the gate, Tang Shan raised his hand and gently knocked. The crisp "ping-ping" sound echoed through the quiet alley.

"That old man's eyes are disgusting, Grandpa, shouldn't we teach him a lesson?"

The girl's voice carried obvious disgust. Her long, emerald-green hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, the ends swaying gently with her voice, shimmering with a faint, lustrous sheen. She wore a short, moon-white outfit paired with tight-fitting black trousers. The clean lines of the clothes perfectly accentuated her slender yet supple figure, highlighting her slim waist and long legs.

Her oval face was as white as snow, but her eyes were an extremely vibrant purple, with slightly upturned corners, naturally carrying a hint of allure. Yet, at this moment, they were filled with frost, brimming with disgust for someone.

Dugu Bo's face was equally gloomy, and his originally emerald green pupils had shrunk to vertical pupils at some point, with a cold light and intense killing intent swirling in his eyes.

"Prince Xuexin won't live much longer," he said in a deep voice. "The dosage of the Essence and Spirit-Draining Powder he's been using has been increasing, and his body has long since given way. I was still thinking of reminding him out of our past relationship, but he dared to harbor such lewd thoughts towards you. Let him fend for himself. Heaven's sins may be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins are unforgivable!"

Dugu Bo never expected that Prince Xuexin, relying on the life-saving grace from years ago, would become increasingly audacious. With the corrosive effects of the Essence and Spirit-Draining Powder, the man's mind had long since become clouded. Today, when he came to the manor to collect medicine, he brazenly stared at Yanyan with such unbridled eyes; the greed and filth in his gaze almost made Dugu Bo lose control of his murderous intent. If it weren't for the past favor, Dugu Bo would have likely already attacked and sent this arrogant prince to his death.

He should take a good look at himself. He's practically on his last legs, yet he still dares to covet Dugu Bo's granddaughter. It's utterly ridiculous!

Out of gratitude, he couldn't directly intervene, but he would never again advise Prince Xuexin to be cautious with the medicine. Not only did he not advise her, this time he even had his granddaughter increase the dosage when concocting the medicine—"You're after that fleeting pleasure, aren't you? Then I'll grant your wish. Double the dosage, and the effect will be ten times stronger. But don't blame him for being ruthless about the price behind it."

When Dugu Yan heard about Prince Xuexin's fate, the disgust in her eyes subsided slightly.

Just then, the crisp sound of a brass ring banging on the door came again from outside.

Dugu Bo's face darkened, a flash of anger crossing his mind: Could it be that Prince Xuexin has returned?

Dugu Yan, standing to the side, seemed to suddenly remember something, and a faint smile appeared on her Ice Seal face, "Grandpa, it must be Tang Shan has arrived."

Dugu Bo was taken aback. He immediately released his Mental Power to scan the doorway and indeed sensed Tang Shan's presence. He was about to tell his granddaughter to greet the guest when he glanced around and found that Dugu Yan was no longer by his side.

"You've come."

Dugu Yan's voice came first from inside the door, carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

Tang Shan nodded in agreement and followed her into the Dugu Manor. This was his first time stepping into this place, and he couldn't help but look around, his heart filled with curiosity.

"This is the poison house, where Grandpa raised poisonous creatures, mainly snakes, but also some centipedes, scorpions, toads, and spiders." Dugu Yan walked ahead, taking the initiative to introduce the layout of the mansion to Tang Shan.

"Are they all Soul Beast kept inside?" Tang Shan asked curiously.

"I suppose so." Dugu Yan slowed her pace and explained, "The cost of raising high-level Soul Beast long-term is too high. Although my grandfather is a retainer of the Heaven Dou Empire, he has always focused on deterrence and rarely takes action. The manor's financial and material resources simply cannot support the consumption of a large number of Soul Beast. Therefore, most of the poisonous creatures in the Poison House are low-level Soul Beast that are less than ten years old or have just broken through to ten years old. There are only two Five-Poison Snake among the Hundred-Year Soul Beast, and one of each of the other poisonous creatures."

Led by Dugu Yan, Tang Shan glanced briefly at the interior of the poison house before following her into the mansion.

"This is the alchemy hall. My grandfather and I usually refine medicines and make poisons here."

Standing in front of an old-fashioned wooden house, Dugu Yan stopped. When she mentioned the alchemy hall, her brows furrowed involuntarily, and a clear displeasure flashed in her purple eyes.

Tang Shan, being perceptive, immediately noticed the change in her mood and casually asked, "What's wrong? You don't seem to like it here?"

"It's not that I dislike it here," Dugu Yan gently shook her head, her long emerald hair swaying as it brushed against her shoulder. "It's just that the person who was refining medicine for someone here just now was truly repulsive."

"Oh? Who could make you so disgusted?" Tang Shan became interested and couldn't help but think of the middle-aged man with weak Qi and Blood and a withered face that he had just met at the door.

"It's Prince Xuexin."

Before Dugu Yan could finish speaking, an aged voice came from behind her.

Tang Shan turned around and saw Dugu Bo walking slowly towards him, wearing that unchanging gray robe.

"Greetings, Your Majesty Dugu." Tang Shan quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully.

Dugu Bo stepped aside to avoid his bow, and waved his hand, saying, "Young man, you have done me and Yanyan a great favor, there's no need for such formality."

Tang Shan smiled but didn't say much. Before his strength was sufficient, it was always better to be cautious. A little extra courtesy might prevent him from getting into trouble. Gou Dao was serious about this.

Dugu Bo walked to the two of them, his gaze sweeping over Tang Shan and Dugu Yan meaningfully. Dugu Yan's cheeks flushed slightly under her grandfather's gaze, and she subconsciously turned her head away, not daring to meet his eyes. Tang Shan, on the other hand, met Dugu Bo's gaze frankly, his eyes filled with curiosity, clearly very concerned about the matter of Prince Xuexin that had just been mentioned.

"Let's talk inside." Dugu Bo withdrew his gaze and gestured towards the living room.

Tang Shan immediately followed, Dugu Yan, seeing that her grandfather didn't say anything more, secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed after him.

Although the Dugu Manor is called a "mansion," it doesn't occupy a large area, presumably because the Dugu Family is small.

Upon entering the living room, Tang Shan and Dugu Bo sat facing each other, while Dugu Yan very sensibly turned around to make tea.

Seeing his granddaughter take out the tea from the cabinet, Dugu Bo couldn't help but twitch his lips. That was Awakening Spirit Tea he had painstakingly found at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It was a rare and precious treasure. Long-term consumption could not only stabilize emotions but also subtly enhance Mental Power. He himself was usually reluctant to drink much of it, but as soon as Tang Shan came, his granddaughter took it out to entertain him without hesitation. It's true that daughters grow up and leave home.

Taking a deep breath, Dugu Bo forcibly suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and refocused his attention on Tang Shan.

Prince Xuexin's days are numbered, and the forces behind him are destined to crumble when he falls. The Dugu Family must find a new patron as soon as possible.

With his strength Titled Douluo, he shouldn't have been so wary, but he has Yanyan as his weakness. As long as his granddaughter is around, he is destined to have something to worry about. Moreover, he is the only Titled Douluo in the Heaven Dou Empire. Unless he leaves for distant lands, he will inevitably be drawn into the vortex of the struggle for the throne sooner or later.

Rather than wavering between various factions, it's better to bet on the future crown prince as soon as possible. With Xue Qinghe's current strength and influence, coupled with Xue Ye's high regard, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the future throne is surely his.

Dugu Bo had seen Tang Shan's talent and potential. He believed that this young man would surely grow into a powerful figure who would dominate the world. Befriending him would be entirely beneficial to the Dugu Family.

A silence fell over the living room. Seeing that Dugu Bo Jiujiu silent, Tang Shan broke the silence, cupping his hands and saying, "Senior Dugu, what about the Prince Xuexin you mentioned earlier?"

He hadn't forgotten that in the original story, Prince Xuexin was one of the key figures who caused Xue Qinghe's plan to fail. Although he was now mediating, it was always wise to be cautious and to know more about others.

"Prince Xuexin? He's not far from death." Dugu Bo spoke slowly, and his words stunned Tang Shan.

Now that things had come to this, Dugu Bo had nothing left to hide, so he told the whole story about Prince Xuexin's addiction to the Essence and Spirit-Draining Powder, the increasing dosage, and his ulterior motives towards Dugu Yan today.

Finally, he added, "Years ago, this old guy came to me, wanting me to get rid of you, but I refused."

Hearing that someone had tried to harm him, Tang Shan wasn't surprised. Douluo Continent was a world where strength reigned supreme, and geniuses were always targets for various forces to either win over or eliminate. If it weren't for his apparent backing by Xue Qinghe, which eased the vigilance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire, his good relationship with Yu Tianheng, which prevented the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan from targeting him, and his secret alliance with Qian Renxue Mo, which neutralized the threat from the Spirit Hall, he would probably have faced countless assassination attempts long ago.

In the original novel, Tang San was assassinated by Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo on his way to Spirit City, but the matter was eventually dropped, which shows that assassinating geniuses was already an unspoken rule among major forces.

His ability to grow steadily to where he is today is ultimately due to his reliance on Xue Qinghe. Without Xue Qinghe's protection and support, even with his solid theoretical knowledge, he would never have been able to improve his strength so smoothly.

P. S.: Thanks to Gu Yuena for the donation. I currently have 464 monthly votes. Please continue to support me, and I'll try to get an extra chapter tomorrow when I reach 500 monthly votes. Also, to avoid affecting audiobook listeners, there won't be any more P. S. s at the end of the chapters except for the first chapter updated daily.