"The past is past."
Qian Daoliu stepped forward, pale golden soul power spreading outward and forcing the poisonous fumes around Dugu Bo back half a foot.
"Dugu Bo, Spirit Hall is willing to pay a high price in exchange. The medicinal herbs in your Medicine Garden are useful to us, and the method we offer would greatly help you suppress the serpent venom within your body. Wouldn't it?"
Dugu Bo's smile abruptly froze, and his expression darkened.
"What do you mean?"
Only then did Yue Guan turn around, his gaze falling on Dugu Bo's wrist.
Beneath the skin, jade-green veins were faintly visible, slowly writhing.
Regaining his uncanny air, Yue Guan said:
"Though the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul is powerful, it carries the risk of backlash. On top of that, the poison arts you practice are far too domineering. The toxins have already begun invading your bone marrow. Every night of the full moon, your entire body must ache as though ants were gnawing at it, correct?"
Dugu Bo abruptly stepped back, his eyes filled with shock and wariness.
"How do you know?"
Yue Guan smiled faintly and pointed at a small purple herb beside the pool.
"That is purple heart grass. It can temporarily suppress serpent venom, but it treats the symptoms rather than the root cause. Your Medicine Garden is full of it. You must have suffered terribly."
Qian Daoliu picked up the thread, his tone level but every word clear.
"If the toxins within your body accumulate beyond remedy, continuing like this will inevitably let the poison attack your heart and kill you. Worse still, this serpent venom is hereditary. Your descendants, I fear, will also..."
"Enough!"
Dugu Bo cut him off sharply. Poisonous fumes surged around him, and jade-green soul power rushed toward Qian Daoliu like a tide.
"You dared investigate me?"
Golden Crocodile immediately released his martial soul. The phantom of the Golden Crocodile King appeared, blocking the way before Qian Daoliu. Golden soul power collided with the jade-green fumes, producing a corrosive sizzling sound.
"Dugu Bo, do you have a death wish?!"
"It's all right."
Qian Daoliu raised a hand to stop Golden Crocodile, his gaze resting calmly on Dugu Bo.
"I am not trying to threaten you. I am offering a solution. I have a method that can completely purge the serpent venom from your body while also taking your poison arts to greater heights."
Dugu Bo's breathing quickened, conflict flashing in his eyes.
He had suffered from serpent venom for years and searched far and wide for renowned physicians, all to no avail. The words of the man before him were like a drowning man's last straw, impossible to ignore.
Yet he was also instinctively wary of anyone from Spirit Hall. He had never forgotten their pursuit of him all those years ago.
Dugu Bo studied Qian Daoliu's face for a long time, trying to find a trace of deceit in those golden eyes, but saw only complete candor.
He drew a deep breath, and the poisonous fumes slowly receded.
"Why should I trust you?"
Qian Daoliu smiled faintly.
"Simple. We will first trade for the dragon blood grass in your Medicine Garden as a show of good faith. Once you have verified our trustworthiness, we can discuss curing your poison. How does that sound?"
He paused, then added,
"Besides, if we truly meant you harm, would we still be talking to you after seeing this entire medicinal garden?"
After helping Xiao Wu’s Mother to one side, Bibi Dong finally spoke softly.
"Senior Dugu, my teacher never looses an arrow without a target. The medicinal herbs in your Medicine Garden are crucial to our pill refining, while the detoxification method we can offer is a matter of life and death for you."
"Both sides stand to benefit."
Bibi Dong then looked at the Soft Bone Rabbit in Xiao Wu’s Mother’s arms. Xiao Wu’s red eyes were wide as she stared curiously at the flame flower swaying beside the vermilion spring.
"Auntie Xiao Wu, the aura here..."
Xiao Wu’s Mother nodded gently, a faint blush appearing on her pale face.
"Very pure energy, but far too domineering for us to absorb in our current state."
Xiao Wu rubbed against her mother's clothing and murmured, "Mom, the icy spring water over there feels so nice."
Xiao Wu’s Mother held Xiao Wu and said gently:
"That spring water would freeze you and make you sick."
Her seemingly casual words nevertheless caught Dugu Bo's attention.
Xiao Wu curiously stretched out a paw and pointed at a moving herb beside the pool, diverting some attention.
Dugu Bo frowned at Bibi Dong and the others. That glance revealed something startling: he sensed the fluctuations of a Soul Saint's energy from Bibi Dong. Such a young Soul Saint.
And when he heard Xiao Wu's soft, sweet voice wheedling with her mother, Dugu Bo recoiled as though struck by lightning. He staggered backward, his already sinister expression abruptly darkening as his jade-green pupils contracted. A talking Soft Bone Rabbit.
"A talking Soft Bone Rabbit, and she called you Mom. You two are mother and daughter, so you are..."
Dugu Bo left the sentence unfinished and looked at Qian Daoliu, his eyes filled with wariness and bewilderment.
"Allow me to introduce them. This is Xiao Wu’s Mother, a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit who took human form to cultivate anew. This is Xiao Wu, whose cultivation currently stands at ninety thousand years."
As Qian Daoliu spoke, he also let a trace of soul beast aura leak from the Chaos Bell.
"Why would your Spirit Hall shelter two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts who have taken human form?"
Qian Daoliu remained composed and replied evenly:
"They have entered into a partnership with me. Naturally, they are under Spirit Hall's protection."
Dugu Bo stared fixedly at Xiao Wu and her mother, complicated emotions flickering in his eyes-wariness, scrutiny, and even a barely perceptible trace of sympathy.
He knew very well how difficult cultivation was for soul beasts, especially the risks of taking human form and cultivating anew.
For this mother and daughter to have made it this far, they had clearly paid an unimaginable price.
"Aren't you afraid the others in Spirit Hall will discover them?"
Dugu Bo snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
"If those greedy soul masters found out, these two would be enough to stir up a storm across the continent."
Xiao Wu’s Mother smiled gently, showing no fear whatsoever.
"We trust the Great Enshrined's promise."
Xiao Wu poked her head out of her mother's arms, her ruby-like eyes studying Dugu Bo curiously.
"Grandpa, you smell awful."
Dugu Bo choked on her words. Looking at Xiao Wu's innocent expression, he actually let his churning poisonous mist quietly subside a little.
He fell silent for a moment, then looked at Qian Daoliu with greater scrutiny. To earn such trust from two soul beasts, this man's methods had to run far deeper than he had imagined.
After another moment of silence, Dugu Bo looked at Yue Guan.
"How much dragon blood grass do you want?"
Yue Guan stepped forward and took out a list.
"Not much. Just three stalks, along with five Icefire Fruits. In exchange, we can provide two thousand-year poison vines."
Dugu Bo looked at the list, then at the dragon blood grass beside the pool. Other than occasionally using those plants to concoct poisons, he had little use for them.
Dugu Bo snorted coldly.
"Deal. But I warn you, if you dare try any tricks, this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well will be your burial ground!"
Qian Daoliu nodded.
"You have my word."
Yue Guan immediately stepped forward and carefully harvested the dragon blood grass and Icefire Fruits, his movements as gentle as though he were handling priceless treasures.
Golden Crocodile took the poison vines and a Pill Formula out of his Soul Tool and tossed them to Dugu Bo.
With the trade complete, Dugu Bo held the Pill Formula and looked at Qian Daoliu with a complicated expression.
"What are you planning to refine with these medicinal herbs?"
Qian Daoliu made no attempt to conceal it.
"Soul Ring Age Pills."
Before you continue