Battle and Bargain

Dugu Bo clearly hadn't expected to run into someone he knew here, either.

He froze for a moment, his voice distinctly wary. "So it's you, Snake Lance Douluo."

"Dugu Bo!" She Long was surprised as well. "Why aren't you staying put in Heaven Dou City? What are you doing deep in Sunset Forest?"

Dugu Bo sneered at that. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Snake Lance, why aren't you staying in Spirit City? What are you doing in my Sunset Forest?"

"Since when did Sunset Forest become your territory, Dugu Bo?" She Long offered no courtesy, his voice tinged with disdain. "Spare me the nonsense. I'll be blunt. The Spirit Hall has its eye on this place. If you know what's good for you, leave now, and I won't make things difficult."

She Long's words were far too overbearing. Dugu Bo was furious.

Outsiders might not know what this place meant to Dugu Bo, but Zhang Fei knew all too well.

It was Dugu Bo's only means of suppressing the deadly poison inside him. Without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his own toxins would have dissolved him from the inside out into a puddle of bloody water long ago.

This treasure ground was his lifeline. He would never surrender it-not even if they beat him to death.

Sure enough, Dugu Bo's voice sank. "Snake Lance, you really don't think much of me, do you? Your Spirit Hall may be powerful, but I'm no pushover either. You want to steal my territory? Not a chance!"

Before his words had faded, Dugu Bo made the first move.

He stamped both feet against the ground, and nine Soul Rings erupted around him: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black-the standard configuration for a Titled Douluo.

Soul power surged, and the enormous phantom of a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor appeared behind him.

"Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison!"

A stream of thick, dark green venom gushed out, turning into a sky full of poisonous arrows that shot straight at She Long.

She Long snorted coldly and advanced instead of retreating. He gave the bluish-purple serpent lance in his hand a sharp shake, and the arcs of electricity crawling along its shaft flared with explosive crackles.

He swept the serpent lance sideways. A bluish-purple arc of lightning traced a semicircle through the air and slammed into the poisonous arrows.

A barrage of crackling explosions rang out. The instant lightning met venom, the scorching electrical arcs vaporized it into clouds of gray-green smoke that drifted away in all directions.

Then She Long flicked his wrist and lunged forward, his serpent lance becoming a streak of bluish-purple light aimed straight at Dugu Bo's face.

Clang!

She Long's serpent lance struck the scales of the serpent's body with a deafening clash of metal, sending sparks flying.

Although both men were the "floor tiles" among Titled Douluos, even floor tiles were still Titled Douluos. The shock waves from their battle were terrifying.

Waves of air rolled outward from the collision of their soul power, catching Zhang Fei as well and nearly knocking him off his perch.

He hurriedly clamped his legs tighter and dug both hands into the bark, yet his eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on the battlefield.

Bluish-purple lightning and dark green poisonous arrows flashed across one another in the dim forest, while sparks from the collisions between the serpent lance and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor flickered among the trees.

She Long fought with fierce, relentless force, every thrust carrying the force of Thunderous Might and whipping up arcs of lightning.

Dugu Bo, on the other hand, was unpredictable and cunning. The phantom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor would spit venomous spikes from treacherous angles or lash out with a poisonous tail.

The battle looked earth-shaking, but neither man was striking to kill.

Both were testing the other. Neither wanted a genuine fight to the death.

Even so, a clash between Titled Douluos was enough to leave Zhang Fei's heart pounding.

The shock waves from every exchange made his robes snap in the wind. The air reeked of scorched lightning mixed with the sickly sweetness of poisonous mist, choking him until he had to cover his mouth and nose.

A quarter of an hour later, another deafening crash came from ahead.

She Long's serpent lance slammed into Dugu Bo's serpent body, and the recoil hurled both men several yards apart.

She Long somersaulted in midair and landed steadily, shaking out the hand whose webbing had gone numb from the impact.

Dugu Bo landed opposite him, his chest rising and falling slightly. Several new, charred holes marked his gray-green robe.

The two stared at each other across the wreckage strewn over the ground. Neither rashly attacked again.

Zhang Fei's palms were sweating as he watched. He couldn't delay any longer.

If they kept fighting and truly lost control, letting their tempers flare, the situation would become difficult to contain.

Even if his grandfather managed a narrow victory, he would probably suffer serious injuries.

Zhang Fei scrambled down from the branch, using both hands and feet. The instant he reached the ground, he pulled something from his Storage Ring.

It was a black mask he had prepared long ago, with only two slits for his eyes-a truly indispensable accessory for murder and robbery, home life and travel alike.

Taking advantage of the brief standoff while the two men caught their breath, Zhang Fei sprinted behind She Long. "Both of you, stop! No more fighting!"

She Long turned his head to glance at him, his brows drawing together. But when he saw the black mask on Zhang Fei's face, he said nothing.

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes as well, suspiciously sizing up the masked child who had suddenly appeared.

Zhang Fei cleared his throat and tried to make his voice sound as steady as possible. "Senior Poison Douluo, let's make a deal."

Dugu Bo scoffed, the corner of his mouth curling mockingly. "A deal? A little brat who hasn't even grown all his hair thinks he's fit to bargain with me?"

"Don't be so quick to refuse, Senior." Zhang Fei paused, then said bluntly, "I can help you eliminate the backlash from the poison inside your body."

For a moment, the forest fell silent.

At those words, towering waves surged through Dugu Bo's heart, but his expression remained composed. He sneered. "What a joke. I'm the great Poison Douluo, the man who understands poison better than anyone on this continent. How could I be poisoned without knowing it? If you're going to spout nonsense here, you little brat, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Zhang Fei wasted no words and went straight to the "immortal herb password."

It amounted to pain here, pain there-pain everywhere, really.

"Am I right?"

Dugu Bo's expression shifted from mockery to bewilderment, then from bewilderment to shock, before finally settling into disbelief he could no longer conceal.

Watching his expression, Zhang Fei felt more confident.

She Long was astonished by the way Dugu Bo's face alternated between green and white. Could Dugu Bo really be poisoned?

He lowered his head and asked softly, "How did you know that, kid?"

Zhang Fei tilted his head and replied in an equally low voice, "I read it in a book."

She Long rolled his eyes and clenched his back teeth, inwardly cursing. Who do you think you're fooling? Every time, it's something you read in a book.

But this wasn't the time to press him. He held back, merely giving a heavy snort.

Across from them, Dugu Bo fell silent for a while before finally asking in a low voice, "Who exactly are you?"

"That isn't important." Secretly delighted, Zhang Fei continued in an even tone. "What matters is that I've already demonstrated my sincerity. Think about it, Senior. If we really meant you harm, we could simply come when your poison flared up. You wouldn't even be able to stand steadily then, and you couldn't stop us from doing whatever we wanted."

Dugu Bo drew a deep breath. "Fine!"

She Long's eyes flew wide. That settled it? Dugu Bo has already accepted the premise?

Dugu Bo stared at Zhang Fei, his voice hoarse. "What kind of deal do you want? Give me the details."

Zhang Fei had already thought it through. "First, this treasure ground belongs to me. You'll need my permission to enter. Second, you must agree to do three things for me. I haven't decided exactly what those three things will be yet, but don't worry. I won't ask you to do anything that goes against your principles."