Meeting Dugu Bo

Dugu Yan grew a little shy under Lan Hong's gaze and could not help asking.

"What are you looking at?"

"Your hair and eyes are already faintly turning green! That is a sign of poison!"

Lan Hong took out silver needles and had Dugu Yan sit on the bed.

"You are not going to make me take off my clothes again, are you?!"

"You are overthinking it! Focus and calm your mind, I am starting! It might hurt a little, so endure it!"

Only after speaking did Lan Hong realize that his words sounded rather inappropriate. Still, it did not matter. Anyone whose thoughts went astray had only themselves to blame.

Once Dugu Yan was ready, Lan Hong circulated his qi and controlled the silver needles, inserting them into several of her major acupoints.

He then sent Rain Flower True Qi through the needles and into Dugu Yan's meridians, using it as a guide to strip away the toxins within them.

He then directed those toxins into her middle dantian, at the navel acupoint.

The process truly was painful, but Dugu Yan was proud and did not make a single sound. Still, the cold sweat covering her body made her suffering plain.

It was not easy for Lan Hong either. The process consumed an immense amount of mental energy, and even at this point, it was not yet over.

"Summon your Martial Soul!"

Hearing Lan Hong's voice, Dugu Yan instinctively summoned her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul.

As the Martial Soul appeared, fresh toxins began entering her meridians.

Lan Hong once again guided those toxins into her middle dantian, preventing them from wandering through her meridians.

Finally, under the guidance of Rain Flower True Qi, he formed the toxins in her middle dantian into a vortex. Only then was the process truly complete.

When Lan Hong withdrew his Rain Flower True Qi, his mind was already exhausted. Yet suddenly, his blood and qi churned, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lan Hong immediately realized what had happened. When he withdrew the Rain Flower True Qi, he had brought back a trace of Dugu Yan's poison with it. Caught off guard, he had been poisoned at once.

He took out a Detoxification Pill he had refined earlier from his Spatial Soul Tool, swallowed it immediately, then sat cross-legged and circulated his qi to expel the poison.

Only after a long while did he open his eyes. Thinking back on it, he had been too overconfident this time. If Dugu Yan had wished him harm at that moment, he would have been in great danger.

"Are you all right?"

"I am fine. You did not poison me to death, at least! How are you now? I constructed a toxin vortex within you. From now on, the poison in your body will gather there and eventually condense into a poison pill."

"Mm! I can feel it! My body feels much lighter now! Thank you!"

"No need to thank me. I have my own purpose! I want to meet Poison Douluo, and I ask you to introduce me!"

"You saved me just to meet my grandfather?"

"You can consider it repaying kindness with a demand!"

"That is not what I meant. I definitely will not forget what you have done for me!

Besides, you can help my grandfather detoxify himself too, right? I know he has been tormented by poison for many years!"

"I cannot do that at my current strength. There is not much poison in your body, yet even the backlash made me cough up blood. I do not even dare touch the poison in Poison Douluo's body!

Unless my strength improves. That is also why I want to meet Poison Douluo."

"Can Grandfather help you become stronger?"

"He can!"

"I understand! I will persuade my grandfather! No matter what, thank you so much!"

The next day, Dugu Yan took leave and returned home. Dugu Bo was away, and only returned several days later.

"Yanzi, why did you come back? Were you bullied at school again?"

"No, Grandfather. I have good news to tell you!"

"What good news? Tell Grandfather!"

Dugu Bo stroked Dugu Yan's head, his face full of affection.

"Grandfather, do not get too excited when I tell you!"

"What could possibly excite Grandfather? Hurry up and tell me!"

"The Martial Soul Poison in my body has been cured!"

"Oh, so that is it. Wait a moment, Yanzi. Say that again!"

"The Martial Soul Poison in my body has been cured!"

Dugu Bo immediately used his Soul Power to examine Dugu Yan's condition. When he saw the toxin vortex that had been created within her, he was immensely surprised.

"Yanzi, how did you do this? Gathering the toxins together so they can no longer harm the body and meridians—such an exquisite method.

Do not tell me you came up with it yourself. Your grandfather knows perfectly well what you are capable of, little girl.

The one who previously saw the hidden danger in the training method was not you either, was it? Someone exceptional has been guiding our Yanzi from behind the scenes!"

"Grandfather! You said you would not cause him any trouble!"

"Of course not. He is your lifesaver, Yanzi! I do not even have enough time to thank him!"

"His name is Xue Zhi. He is a bookworm, and he said he wants to meet you too!"

"He wants to meet me?"

"He said you can help him increase his strength, and that once he becomes stronger, he can also help Grandfather detoxify yourself."

"If this had been before, I would have taken him for a braggart. But since he could detoxify you, Yanzi, your grandfather has no choice but to take him seriously!

And he helped you detoxify yourself before asking to see me. That shows he did not intend to use you to control me. I rather like that!

Go invite him tomorrow. I will hold a feast at home to receive him!"

"Mm!"

At this time, Lan Hong was practicing medicine from a street stall, while calculating what to do after meeting Dugu Bo.

If he could successfully enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he would inevitably have to reveal some things before Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo had a strange temperament, but as long as he earned his approval, he would indeed be a valuable ally.

His move of curing Dugu Yan had already been made. Now it depended on how Dugu Bo made his next move, and that would also affect Lan Hong's further actions.

If, even after Lan Hong had shown him kindness, Dugu Bo still resorted to force and tried something like a nighttime ambush, then Lan Hong could only use Purple Crystal Cloud to flee before going back to steal from him.

With Purple Crystal Cloud's mobility, as long as Dugu Bo did not constantly guard the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he would have a way to steal the immortal herbs.

However, when he and Dugu Bo were not enemies, he disdained doing something so underhanded.

Influenced by Hong Mao, he had always believed in the path of chivalry. He was not some expelled disciple of the Tang Sect like Tang San.

Early the next morning, Dugu Yan came to Lan Hong's dormitory to find him.

"Let us go! Grandfather agreed to meet you!"

"Mm!"

Lan Hong followed Dugu Yan to Dugu Manor. Dugu Bo was rather surprised when he saw the Lan Hong Dugu Yan had brought back.

"Yanzi, are you sure you did not make a mistake?"

"Of course not. Xue Zhi, this is my grandfather!"

"Greetings, Poison Douluo!"

Suddenly, Poison Douluo reached out to grab Lan Hong, but Lan Hong dodged aside.

"What do you mean by this, Poison Douluo? This is no way to treat a guest!"

"Grandfather! What are you doing?"

"Yanzi, do not speak! You were the one who cured the Martial Soul Poison in Yanzi's body!"

"Yes!"

"What is your purpose?"

"To become stronger!"

"Explain."

"A trade!"

"You wish to make a trade with me, Dugu Bo? Do you think you are qualified?"

"I believe I am!"

"Heh heh! Good boy, you have guts! Take your seat, then! Do you dare?"

Lan Hong smiled faintly and strode openly toward the main hall. Dugu Yan, meanwhile, positioned herself between Lan Hong and Dugu Bo, then turned back to glare at him.

"Heh heh! A girl really does favor outsiders once she grows up! But this boy is far from simple. I need to test him properly!"