"Senior Dugu, there's no need to doubt me. My Martial Soul inherited my parents' extreme cold and healing, and it's very sensitive to toxins."
Gu Wuchen could clearly sense that the toxins in Dugu Bo's body had blocked his meridians, obstructing the flow of blood throughout his body.
"Then do you know what poison I'm afflicted with?"
Dugu Bo was somewhat surprised. Had the boy before him seen through it in a single remark, or was he guessing blindly?
To find out, he only needed the boy to name the poison afflicting him.
"Very simple."
"Senior Dugu, the poison afflicting you is naturally the Jade Phosphorus Snake Venom that comes from your own Martial Soul."
At those words, Dugu Bo's expression went blank.
He had named the poison afflicting him so casually.
This boy was definitely no ordinary child.
Just how had the Gu Clan's two Titled Douluo raised the boy before him to be like this?
He could recognize it at a glance.
Suxin Douluo's healing-the Soul Beast Realm's publicly acknowledged strongest healing Soul Master. She alone had reached the rank of Titled Douluo.
As for Nine Heart Begonia and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they could not reach that level.
"Senior Dugu, even without that method, I could tell just by looking at the color of your hair and eyes."
"Generally, when a Martial Soul is stronger than its owner, their hair and eyes will take on its color."
"For example, Qian Daoliu, the Great Enshrined of Spirit Hall, has the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. His hair and eyes are gold."
"So the only one who could poison a master of poison was himself."
Gu Wuchen spoke lightly, but his words struck Dugu Bo with immense shock.
Not many people in the world knew he was poisoned.
The world knew only that he, Dugu Bo, was a Titled Douluo. They did not know that, poisoned as he was, he endured torment every day.
He appeared glorious and resplendent, yet in private he suffered terribly. His strength came hand in hand with the ravages of the poison.
His wife and daughter-in-law had both died because of it.
How could he not be in pain?
His loved ones had departed one by one before his eyes, and he had been powerless to do anything.
Dugu Bo asked again, "Then, Young Master Gu, might you have a way to cure the poison?"
"Of course there's a way to cure it."
"Senior Dugu, curing your poison isn't difficult. The source lies in your Martial Soul. First, you could disperse all your poison arts. Of course, that wouldn't be a good thing either, since you made your name with poison."
"Second, you could force all the poison into a Soul Bone. That would ease the problem, but it would treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. Not to mention how valuable Soul Bones are on the continent today."
"Third, and the best and safest method, would be to use a medicinal catalyst to cure the poison. This medicine grows in a very rare place, and with the purifying power I inherited from my mother, I can remove the poison."
Gu Wuchen's words left Dugu Bo somewhat surprised.
All three methods could work, but each came with undesirable consequences. The third was good, but it required a medicinal catalyst.
Perhaps his treasured land would have the catalyst. The natural Qi there was far denser than outside; it would not be an exaggeration to call it a paradise.
Dugu Bo pondered this in his heart.
Just as he was about to speak, Gu Wuchen spoke first. "Senior Dugu, it seems you have doubts about all three methods."
Dugu Bo immediately knew there was more to his words.
"So you have another method?"
"Yes. The fourth method is to let your Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul cross over to a higher level once more and directly refine the poison in your body."
"This method is the safest, and it would also raise the Martial Soul passed down through the Dugu Family to a higher level, like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Clear Sky Sect's Clear Sky Hammer Martial Souls."
"This method requires a very rare medicinal catalyst to help your Martial Soul break through."
Everything Gu Wuchen said, directly or indirectly, pointed to the need for precious medicinal herbs to help Dugu Bo's Martial Soul evolve.
"Medicine? Then do you know what herb is needed, Young Master Gu?" Dugu Bo asked.
Gu Wuchen said calmly, "Naturally. Moreover, your granddaughter is also mildly poisoned now. You can also use this method to let you know your granddaughter's Martial Soul evolves."
It could make Yanyan's Martial Soul evolve.
Dugu Bo was wild with joy. If Dugu Yan's Martial Soul could evolve, it would be a momentous cause for celebration.
Dugu Bo said at once, "I know where this place is! It might have the Immortal Herb you mentioned, Young Master Gu!"
After his initial excitement, Dugu Bo calmed down and continued, "Young Master Gu, tell me what you want."
"I, Dugu Bo, never owe anyone a favor."
The other party surely could not be helping him for nothing.
"My condition is simple: join the Gu Clan. The Gu Clan won't restrict your freedom."
"I know you've never liked being tied down, Senior Dugu, so you can carry on as you do now. But joining the Gu Clan is a requirement."
After saying so much, he naturally had to help the Gu Clan grow stronger.
The Gu Clan was powerful, with two Titled Douluo, but compared with the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall, it truly fell somewhat short.
So it needed more people, enough for the Gu Clan to become a power spoken of in the same breath as Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect.
"That's all?"
"That's all!"
Dugu Bo agreed at once without hesitation.
His freedom would not be restricted. The terms were too good.
"There are plenty of benefits to joining the Gu Clan. It's much better than working for Prince Xue Xing."
Dugu Bo nodded. "I know the Gu Clan is good. Yanyan buys its products every month."
"Wouldn't that make things even better? I can bring Miss Yanyan each month's new products, so she won't have to complain to you, Senior Dugu."
Gu Wuchen smiled. "Everyone has a love of beauty."
"You're a straightforward man, Young Master Gu."
Seeing that they had reached an agreement, Dugu Bo could not help laughing. "Young Master Gu, I'll bring Yanyan to see you at this time tomorrow, and we'll go to the place I mentioned."
"It's a deal."
Dugu Bo nodded, turned, and left.
Dugu Bo had barely left when Ye Yuan'er, who had just returned from buying groceries, walked into the courtyard residence. She saw Dugu Bo on the way and came before Gu Wuchen.
"Young Master, Dugu Bo was just here. Could he be the person you were talking about?"
"He is," Gu Wuchen said. "And why did you come back with groceries?"
"Madam Gu taught me a few dishes you like, Young Master, so I bought the ingredients especially to make them for you."
Ye Yuan'er shook the ingredients in her hand.
Though she had only learned them for one evening, as a Soul Douluo, she had an excellent memory and was very good with her hands.
"Mother, honestly. Bishop Ye, you really don't need to cook."
Ye Yuan'er shook her head. "How could that do? In any case, Young Master, just wait for the food."
With that, Ye Yuan'er went to the kitchen in the courtyard residence and began cleaning the ingredients.
Just then, the Snow Empress's delicate voice rang out in Gu Wuchen's mind.
"Little Wuchen, I didn't expect everything you said to be so well reasoned. Not bad, not bad. You've made progress."
"Sister Xue really likes seeing you so confident, with ideas of your own and the resolve to act. Actually, Sister Xue can help the Gu Clan too."
Gu Wuchen stirred a thought and replied, "Sister Xue, could you stop being so suspicious?"