The first time she saw Xuan Ming, she sensed that his two black dragons possessed a fierce nature, which was merely being suppressed.
Since these two black dragons had attacked Xuan Ming before, that meant that after his Martial Soul Mutation, his black dragons had developed a tendency to turn on their master. At the very least, there was a risk of losing control.
Whether they turned on their master or went out of control, any problem at a critical moment could prove fatal!
"Your Martial Soul is very dangerous. Be extra careful when you cultivate from now on," Ye Lan said.
"Senior Dugu told me about that too. He said there's a high risk of my Martial Soul going out of control and told me to be careful," Xuan Ming said.
"But I don't think the risk is that high."
"Not that high?" Ye Lan found that rather amusing.
Even Dugu Bo said there was a high risk of losing control. That meant this Black Dragon Martial Soul was extremely dangerous!
The boy could suppress that ferocity because his willpower was strong enough to make the Black Dragon Martial Soul obey him.
Yet the boy did not seem to have much self-awareness.
Chapter 18: Bodyguards Who Never Rest
As evening approached, since they had only just encountered that incident during the day and Dugu Bo was away from home, Dugu Yan brought Xuan Ming to stay overnight at Ye Lan's house.
"What's this for?"
After stretching his body in the courtyard, Xuan Ming returned to the room Ye Lingling had arranged for him and looked in puzzlement at the large wooden tub inside.
"A bath," Dugu Yan said.
"A bath?" Xuan Ming frowned slightly.
"Aren't you staying across the way?"
"It's not for me. It's for you," Dugu Yan said.
"I wanted to say something when Grandpa first brought you back, but I thought we should eat first. Then all that happened."
Xuan Ming did look rather disheveled. While he could not be called dirty, he was hardly clean either.
His black robe, in particular, had clearly been made by casually altering an adult's clothes. With those two dragons there, two holes had even been cut in the back, making it look rather strange.
Objectively speaking, it was no wonder that brainless prince had mistaken Xuan Ming for a slave during the day.
Still, a misunderstanding was one thing. Insisting on using force even after she had denied it was another matter entirely!
"What are you standing there for? Take your clothes off and get in." After adjusting the water temperature, Dugu Yan began urging Xuan Ming into the tub.
"Aren't you leaving?" Xuan Ming asked.
"Why would I leave? I still have to bathe you," Dugu Yan said.
Xuan Ming frowned slightly. "Thank you. I can wash myself. There's no need to trouble you."
Dugu Yan raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me you're shy?"
She had already found him a little strange during the day. He was clearly only a six-year-old child, yet he spoke and acted like a little adult.
That line about men and women not touching, in particular, had really made her laugh.
What did a six-year-old child know about men and women not touching?
"..."
"All right, all right. Wash yourself."
Seeing the two black dragons behind Xuan Ming begin to show a cold edge again, Dugu Yan did not dare insist.
If she forcibly stripped Xuan Ming and tossed him into the water, only for his twin dragons to fly into a rage and bite her, that would be awkward.
Early the next morning.
Knock, knock!
"Xuan Ming? Are you awake?"
"Xuan Ming?"
Receiving no reply, Dugu Yan opened the door and walked straight in, only to find the bed empty.
Turning her head, she saw that Xuan Ming was still in the tub.
Had this guy soaked in the water all night?
At that thought, Dugu Yan tiptoed over. But just as she came within a meter of the wooden tub, the black dragon that had been resting on Xuan Ming's right shoulder with its eyes closed suddenly opened them and lunged its head toward her, jaws snapping.
"Aah!!!"
The early-morning scream was especially loud, drawing Ye Lan and Ye Lingling over from the courtyard.
"What happened..."
Before she could finish, Ye Lan and Ye Lingling saw Dugu Yan, who had fallen to the floor in fright, along with the black dragon extending out of the tub, suspended in midair and staring fixedly at her, and Xuan Ming, who had been startled awake by the scream and poked his head out of the tub.
Ye Lan quickly filled in what had just happened in her mind.
Dugu Yan must have sneaked up on the sleeping Xuan Ming and disturbed that black dragon.
"You silly girl, didn't I tell you his Black Dragon Martial Soul was unstable?" Ye Lan said helplessly.
Even Xuan Ming himself could be attacked, let alone anyone else.
"I... I just wanted to check on him." Dugu Yan was still shaken.
"Besides, he was still asleep. How could I have known those two dragons were awake?"
It had snapped at her in an instant!
And it had gone straight for her neck!
It had meant to bite her to death!
"Martial Souls are sustained by Soul Power. The very concept of sleeping or staying awake doesn't apply to them," Ye Lan said.
"Does your Martial Soul fall asleep?"
Dugu Yan looked dumbfounded. "Then doesn't he have two utterly loyal bodyguards who never sleep or rest?"
"They certainly never sleep or rest, but utter loyalty is another matter," Ye Lan said.
This was her first time seeing a case like Xuan Ming's. She had never even heard of one before, and she did not know exactly what problems might arise.
After the commotion, Xuan Ming got out of the wooden tub and put on his old black robe.
In truth, he had been awake just then. Otherwise, if the black dragon had really bitten to kill while Dugu Yan was unprepared, something truly could have happened to her.
He had also done this to give Dugu Yan a warning. Otherwise, if he really was asleep next time and Dugu Yan sneaked over to try something again, things could get awkward.
After all, his black dragons even dared to bite Dugu Bo!
"Are you thinking about your Soul Rings?"
Seeing Xuan Ming sitting on a stone stool, looking weighed down with worries, Ye Lan walked over.
"Yes." Xuan Ming nodded.
"Your situation is rather unusual, and you have Twin Martial Souls. I don't know what you should do either," Ye Lan said.
"What kind of Soul Beast's Soul Ring you should absorb, and which Martial Soul you should add a Soul Ring to first-I don't know any of that either. We should wait until Dugu Bo returns and see what he says."
"His Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor is also a special dragon-type Martial Soul. When it comes to your cultivation, his ideas will certainly be better than mine."
Twin Martial Souls were exceedingly rare. As far as she knew, including Xuan Ming, only three people had appeared with them in the past century.
She had met one of those Twin Martial Souls possessors decades ago. By adding Soul Rings to both Martial Souls at the same time, that person had cultivated extremely quickly. However, it was later rumored that the person had burst while absorbing a Martial Soul, much like the possessors of Twin Martial Souls in the past.
As for the other possessor of Twin Martial Souls, that was Bibi Dong, the current Pope of Spirit Hall. Rumor had it that she had already solved the cultivation difficulties of Twin Martial Souls.
Xuan Ming not only had Twin Martial Souls but also a special Martial Soul Mutation. Ye Lan did not dare offer careless advice.
Dugu Bo had brought this boy back, so she would leave the worrying to that old poisoner.
"Are you very close to Senior Dugu?" Xuan Ming asked.
"Medicine and poison are branches of the same tree. The Nine Heart Begonia lineage is passed down through a single line, and we could be considered old family friends of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent lineage," Ye Lan said.
"He once came to me because of his son. Unfortunately..."
Although the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul possessed healing abilities that could be called miraculous, it was utterly helpless against poisoning.
Dugu Bo stood supreme among poison users, yet he could not save his own son. Who knew what would become of Dugu Yan in the future...
"Grandma Lan, we want to take Xuan Ming shopping. Could you come with us?" Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling ran over.
Yesterday's incident had still left something of a shadow over her. She would be rather nervous taking Xuan Ming out alone.
"Shopping?" Ye Lan came back to her senses.
"Yes. Just look at him. Is that outfit presentable?" Dugu Yan said.
Ye Lan looked Xuan Ming over. "He could indeed use some dressing up. Let's go."
They set off at once. With Ye Lan leading the way, Dugu Yan and the others arrived at a tailor's shop.
After all, with Xuan Ming's body, the only way to get suitable clothes was to have them custom-made.
It was the proprietress's first time seeing such an unusual appearance. After Ye Lan explained, she too came forward to take Xuan Ming's measurements.
"Senior Ye, Lingling, Yanzi, what a coincidence."
Just as Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were helping the proprietress measure Xuan Ming, the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, entered with a group of attendants.
"Your Highness?" Ye Lan was somewhat surprised, but soon realized the reason.
This was no coincidence. Yesterday's incident involved Prince Baers of the Balak Kingdom and had offended Dugu Bo. If it was not handled properly, it would have an extremely detrimental effect on relations between the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the Balak Kingdom.
Dugu Bo did not yet know about this and was not in Heaven Dou City. The eldest prince clearly wanted to work on Dugu Yan first and see whether he could smooth things over.
Otherwise, if word of this reached Dugu Bo's ears, Baers would surely die without a place to be buried!
Chapter 19: What Else Can I Say?
"Have you come to plead for that idiot, Your Highness?"
Before Xue Qinghe could speak, Dugu Yan spoke first.
"I wouldn't exactly call it pleading for him." Xue Qinghe sat down.
"Baers was indeed in the wrong yesterday."
"But Poison Douluo rarely appears in public, and there is little discussion of him in the Soul Master World. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul is so rare, too. They genuinely did not mean to offend you."
The fact that Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's granddaughter circulated only among Soul Masters in Heaven Dou City, having gradually spread from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. There had been no nationwide announcement. Even if outsiders knew of Poison Douluo, they would not know he had a granddaughter.
Although Dugu Yan had identified herself at the time and said that her grandfather was Poison Douluo, announcing a name did not mean others would believe it just because she said so.
If someone randomly jumped out on the street and claimed to be the child of a Spirit Hall elder, would everyone simply believe him?
Baers was arrogant and overbearing, and he had been in a temper at the time. As for his guards, they knew only to follow orders.
Besides, how many Titled Douluo were there on the entire continent?
When it came to such legendary figures, if people had never heard of the connection and no one of standing stepped forward to verify it, it was truly hard to believe.
"So you're saying their actions were excusable?" Dugu Yan said.
"That's not what I meant," Xue Qinghe said.
"Baers rarely goes out, and he's been spoiled since childhood. On his first visit to Heaven Dou City, he was indeed a little mischievous."
"I've already given him a stern lecture. He has also recognized his mistake and sincerely wishes to apologize to you."
"Sincerely?" Dugu Yan raised her eyebrows.
"Then why didn't he come himself, instead of asking you to plead his case, Your Highness?"