The next morning, the gates of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy were bustling with people. Students dressed in uniform were chatting and laughing or walking briskly in twos and threes, creating a lively scene.
Just then--
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A sudden burst of rapid and loud gong and drum sounds erupted, the dull thud making everyone's eardrums buzz. Many people instinctively covered their ears, their faces full of annoyance and confusion.
"What are you doing? Making such a racket so early in the morning!"
"Who dares to cause trouble at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
"This is outrageous! It's utterly ridiculous!"
The students all looked in the direction of the sound and surrounded the person aggressively, but when they saw who it was, all the shouts stopped abruptly.
Standing at the entrance were three or five young men dressed in the exclusive uniforms of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Their clothes were splendid, and their brows carried an innate arrogance and haughtiness. The leader, a tall and straight-backed boy, raised his chin slightly and glanced at the students watching. He arrogantly waved his hand and said, "Go and call out Dugu Yan from your Imperial Fighting Team. We want to spar with her."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has come to get their revenge!
Yesterday, in front of the three education committee members, Dugu Bo crumpled up Ning Fengzhi's letter of recommendation and threw it back. Such a disrespectful act was something the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School could not tolerate.
But would it really be necessary to go toe-to-toe with the titled Douluo Dugu Bo? That's unlikely.
You have to pick the softest persimmon to squeeze. If you can't control Dugu Bo, surely you can control his precious granddaughter, Dugu Yan?
A one-on-one duel between young people, if won, would bring honor to the sect; even if lost, it would just be a friendly spar between juniors, not causing any major trouble, and certainly not creating a deadly feud with Dugu Bo.
Moreover, among these disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, some possess Martial Soul souls that are naturally effective against the Jade Phosphorus Snake, making them capable of easily defeating Dugu Yan in a one-on-one fight.
As for why five people came? Naturally, it was to guard against Lin Kong.
Ning Fengzhi roared angrily, "If that brat dares to stand up for Dugu Yan, beat him up badly! Show no mercy, flatten him! If he cowers in the side and doesn't dare to step forward, fine, then he's a coward. Let Dugu Yan see his cowardly side!"
Um...
Upon hearing this almost childish plan, Sword Douluo Chen Xin helplessly covered his face with his hands, unable to bear to look.
The best way to control Lin Kong would be to send someone to the Shrek Academy to dig out his secrets. If he was worried about alerting Ning Rongrong, he could send a Soul Douluo to make a secret trip. Or, if he was bored, he could even make a trip himself.
Is it really meaningful for Ning Fengzhi to play such childish, petty tricks?
Today, just as the disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were waiting for Dugu Yan to come out, preparing to show off their power, a figure strode out of the academy—it was Qin Ming.
With a polite smile on his face, he stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Are you distinguished guests from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect here to see fellow student Dugu Yan?"
"Not bad!" The leading boy nodded arrogantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Unfortunately," Qin Ming said, his smile unchanged, but his tone tinged with apology. "Yesterday afternoon, Dugu Yan left the academy with His Majesty the Poison Douluo, and her return date is uncertain. If you have anything to say, please leave a message, and I will certainly pass it on when she returns."
"Huh?" The five disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were stunned. Their arrogant and haughty expressions froze, and finally turned into bewilderment.
The orders they received before their departure were simple and clear—defeat Dugu Yan in a one-on-one duel, and if anyone stood up for her, attack them en masse. Yes, don't worry about fairness or morality, just swarm and beat them up.
But now, the real protagonist, Dugu Yan, is not here!
So what was the point of their trip? Did they come for nothing?
We can't just block the school gate and shout threats at thin air, can we?
The boy in the lead opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time. The others behind him looked at each other, their eyes filled with helplessness.
Let's move forward in time.
On the tree-lined path of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the golden rays of the setting sun filtered through layers of branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow.
Dugu Bo walked at the front with his hands behind his back, his pace unhurried; Lin Kong and Dugu Yan followed side by side behind him, the boy with a tall and straight figure, the girl with bright and lively eyes, the two of them separated by half a step, the atmosphere quiet and subtle.
As she walked, Dugu Yan seemed to suddenly remember something. Her eyes lit up, and she skipped a few steps to Dugu Bo. She backed away, a bright smile on her face, and said in a sweet voice, "Grandpa, you have to stand up for me!"
"Oh?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, paused slightly, and waited for Lin Kong to catch up, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "What do you want Grandpa to do for you?"
Dugu Yan smugly sniffed, pointed her jade-like hand at Lin Kong behind her, and snorted as if complaining, "He said I was poisoned!"
"..." Dugu Bo's heart skipped a beat, his pupils contracted slightly, and he suppressed the turmoil in his heart, not revealing the slightest flaw on his face. He casually reached out and put his hand on Lin Kong's shoulder.
The hand, seemingly light as a feather, landed on Lin Kong's shoulder, yet carried the weight of a thousand pounds. Dugu Bo's voice was calm. "You brat, don't talk nonsense."
"Hehe! That's right!" Dugu Yan immediately raised her chin smugly, her eyes full of cunning as she looked at Lin Kong. "Trying to fool me? No way! I'm an expert in poisons!"
Lin Kong felt the heavy pressure on his shoulders and instantly understood. He smiled helplessly and followed her words, saying, "Yes, yes, Yanzi, I was lying to you. I was just making things up."
Dugu Bo then withdrew his hand with satisfaction, patted Lin Kong's shoulder, and said in a calm tone, " Yanyan, come on, let's go home with Grandpa."
"Alright!" Dugu Yan reluctantly agreed, and when she turned to look at Lin Kong, a hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes.
Seeing this, Lin Kong quickly changed the subject. "I just enrolled today, and I don't know what the dorms are like yet. I need to go check them out quickly."
He had no intention of going to Dugu Yan's house on the first day.
Tsk tsk, running to a girl's house on the very first day, what kind of talk will that make? He's way too eager for a relationship.
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan gave up, waved to Lin Kong, and then skipped after Dugu Bo.
That evening, in a single dormitory room at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The Full Moon shone through the wide-open window into the room, falling on Lin Kong and into the small teacup on the table, clear and bright.
Suddenly, the tea in the cup rippled slightly, scattering the full Full Moon. Dugu Bo, who had entered the dormitory at some point, sat down at the table, looked down at the tea, shook his head, and said disdainfully, "It doesn't even have any aroma."
"Senior, I've been waiting for you for a long time!" Lin Kong cupped his hands in greeting.
Dugu Bo has arrived.
For his granddaughter's safety, and for his own life, he finally couldn't resist and sneaked over quietly in the dead of night.
Dugu Bo sat up straighter, looked at Lin Kong, and after a few seconds asked, "Boy, how exactly did you know that Yanyan was poisoned?"
Dugu Yan has met countless people, including Soul Douluo like Meng Shenji, yet no one noticed she was poisoned. How could such a secret be known to Lin Kong, a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster?
"Perhaps it's because... I held Yanzi's hand!" Lin Kong's lips curled into a smile.
Dugu Bo's expression froze. "You..."
Lin Kong's eyes remained calm as he spoke, word by word, " Yanzi was indeed poisoned; the poison originated from her Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul. Senior, you are the same; the poison from the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul has already seeped deep into your bones."
Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at Lin Kong, as if trying to see through him. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly, his tone firm. "Get ready, come with me."
"Okay." Lin Kong replied without hesitation.
He walked to the table, picked up a pen, and wrote a few lines on a sticky note, explaining that he had to go out temporarily to avoid trouble for the college staff the next day.
After he finished writing, he weighed the note down with a teacup.
Dugu Bo said no more, grabbed Lin Kong's arm, his Soul Power surged, and he transformed into a black shadow, speeding towards Sunset Forest.