The Heartlessness of an Emperor

He raised the corner of his mouth slightly. "Perfect timing, I heard that 'I'll never be able to walk again' too."

Xiao Wu: "!!!"

She wished she could dig a hole and disappear into it, her ears burning with rage. "I... I'll go pack my clothes!" Before she could finish speaking, she had already slipped into her room, the door slamming shut behind her, and there was no sound for a long time.

Lin Chen then walked slowly to the courtyard gate. When he saw the familiar figure by the stone table, he paused slightly, then stepped into the courtyard with a calm expression.

"Master, when did you arrive?"

"You've been here for a while now." Dugu Bo chuckled, standing up from the stone bench and shaking off the hem of his robe. "I thought you'd be back by now, having gone out on errands. But not only have you returned, but you've brought back a whole way—"

He paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his words.

"... lively."

Lin Chen remained expressionless. "It's just a joke between master and disciple."

"Hmph, a brat is a brat..."

Dugu Bo strode into the house without turning his head, his voice drifting out. "What are you standing there for? Come in and make some tea. You've been carrying people around for ages, aren't you tired?"

Lin Chen stood in the courtyard, smiled to himself, and followed him inside.

Lin Chen took last year's Jiuhua Spring Rain tea, brewed two cups of hot tea, and pushed one cup in front of Dugu Bo. The tea was clear and the aroma was delicate, condensing into thin columns of smoke in mid-air.

"Master, where have you been for the past two weeks?" Lin Chen asked as he sat down. "Did Sunset Forest?"

Dugu Bo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and didn't rush to answer.

His gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the night outside the window, and his tone was somewhat grave. "They went to the palace."

"The Imperial Palace?"

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.

"Yes. Prince Xue Xing personally sought me out and asked me to examine Xue Ye."

Dugu Bo put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The Emperor has been unwell, listless, and no matter how many renowned doctors we consult, they can't find anything wrong. Prince Xue Xing suspects someone has given him a slow-acting poison and specifically asked me to investigate."

On Xue Ye, the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, who had been living a secluded life in recent years, was rumored to be frail and sickly, and bedridden for many years.

Lin Chen knew in his heart that Xue Ye was indeed poisoned, and not just any poison, but a poison called Seven- Seven-Colored Splendor.

The forbidden poison of the Breaking Clan: seven originally non-toxic medicinal herbs, when mixed together in precise proportions, become an undetectable, chronic, and wondrous poison.

Routine tests cannot detect any toxins; they are simply mistaken for weakness and fatigue, slowly eroding a person's vitality. By the time people realize something is wrong, the toxins have already seeped into their vital organs, and there is no cure.

"Did Master find out?" Lin Chen asked casually, following up on the question.

Dugu Bo shook his head, his brows furrowed. "No. We checked his diet, medicine, and personal items, but found nothing. His pulse is just weak, like he's overworked. But Prince Xue Xing said that the Emperor's health has been deteriorating year by year for no apparent reason."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "I stayed in the palace for half a month, observing every day, but I only detected a very faint anomaly, like a tiny amount of toxin scattered in the blood, but it was too faint to find the source, and I wasn't even sure if it was just my imagination."

"The waters within this palace run very deep."

Dugu Bo slowly said, "The Crown Prince, princes, nobles, and various factions are all deeply entrenched, and there are at least two hidden Titled Douluo- level experts."

"As an outsider seeking refuge, I'm restricted in many ways. There are many places I can't touch, and many people I can't ask. After half a month, I still haven't figured anything out."

Lin Chen was silent for a moment before speaking, "Master, how about... I give it a try? Maybe my Martial Soul's special ability will have some effect."

"You? No, absolutely not."

Without a second thought, Dugu Bo refused outright, his tone resolute.

"You little brat, do you think you can wade into these muddy waters? Even I have to be careful. Do you think you're so capable?"

He looked at Lin Chen with a solemn expression, "What do you think the palace is? It's the most dangerous place for the struggle for power, a trap at every turn, a danger at every turn. If you cure him, it's someone else's credit; if you don't, it's your fault. You might not even know how you died."

Having lived for nearly a century, he had seen all kinds of human nature. The imperial family was the most ruthless place, and he didn't want his precious new disciple to die before he could even warm him up.

"Besides, if Xue Ye really was poisoned, to be able to remain so discreet in the palace, he's no ordinary person. Killing you would probably be a piece of cake for him."

"Do you know why I agreed to Prince Xue Xing's request and wasted half a month in the palace?" Dugu Bo suddenly changed the subject, gazing at the night outside the window, his voice lowering slightly, "Back then, I owed him a life."

Lin Chen slightly raised his eyes.

"In my early years, not long after I broke through to the Titled Douluo, I was arrogant and refused to submit to the Spirit Hall."

Dugu Bo slowly said, "The Spirit Hall sent Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo to ambush me halfway. At that time, I was only Level 90. How could I be a match for two Titled Douluo? I was severely injured in less than thirty moves. I fled for my life and was on the verge of death when I reached the border of Heaven Dou."

"It just so happened that Prince Xue Xing was patrolling the border with his army." He paused, "Prince Xue Xing is a ruthless man. He directly ordered his troops to form ranks and used the military power of the Heaven Dou Empire to put pressure on them, forcing Ju Gui and the other man to leave. Otherwise, I would have died on the border long ago."

So when Prince Xue Xing invited him to become a guest advisor to the royal family, he agreed, as he could not fail to repay the life-saving grace.

But gratitude is gratitude, and separation is separation.

Dugu Bo withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Chen. "I am a guest advisor, not a subject. He gives me face, and I do things for him. I need to be clear about the boundaries. The royal family is a very complex place, and you can never truly know what's in someone's heart. You never know if he's smiling and talking to you while secretly on guard against you, or if he might use you as a pawn someday."

"Take this drug diagnosis, for example. He knows I'm skilled with poisons, but even after half a month, he still won't let me touch many things." He chuckled. "He claims to trust me, but he's still wary of me."

Lin Chen listened quietly and nodded.

He understood what Dugu Bo meant. In the royal family, no matter was insignificant. Favors were one thing, but interests were another. The life of Xue Ye was related to the interests of too many people, especially the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

No matter how polite Prince Xue Xing, he was still a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, and he always put the interests of the royal family first. Dugu Bo saw through this, which is why he maintained the distance of a guest advisor and did not get too involved.

Now that I am so weak, if I were to actually be healed by Xue Ye, Qian Renxue would skin me alive.

"So you absolutely cannot get involved in this, at least not now." Dugu Bo picked up his teacup and took another sip. "You should focus on your cultivation and improving your strength; that's the important thing."

Lin Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I understand."