Only Playing Matchmaker

Dugu Yan stood before Ye Qiu, studying him curiously. She held out a slender, fair hand and introduced herself. "My name is Dugu Yan. My Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, and I'm a level thirty-seven Soul Elder."

At the sight, Dugu Bo nodded, immediately feeling gratified.

Ye Qiu smiled and reached out to take Dugu Yan's hand. It was smooth and cool to the touch. He replied warmly, "My name is Ye Qiu. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. I'm a level thirty-four Soul Elder."

"Blue Silver Grass? Are you kidding me?!"

Dugu Yan cried out in surprise, staring at Ye Qiu with a mixture of shock and doubt.

"You didn't even use a Soul Skill, and I couldn't break free... How could your Martial Soul possibly be a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass?!"

"But that's the truth."

Ye Qiu shrugged and looked innocently at Dugu Bo. "If you don't believe me, Miss Dugu, you can ask Senior Dugu."

"?!"

Dugu Yan knitted her brows and turned to look at him.

Dugu Bo immediately smiled and nodded. "Yanyan, this kid's Martial Soul really is Blue Silver Grass. Grandpa's eyes wouldn't deceive him."

"So there really is such a thing..."

Dugu Yan was astonished, and her curiosity about the boy before her only grew. Her red lips parted slightly. She wanted to ask Ye Qiu about his Soul Ring Configuration, but stopped herself.

It was a secret she could hardly pry into.

Perhaps, if she had the chance later, she could ask Grandpa in private whether he knew.

"Miss Dugu, could you let go?"

Ye Qiu gently squeezed Dugu Yan's hand and reminded her in a soft voice.

"Huh? Hmph!"

Dugu Yan instantly came to her senses. Her face reddened slightly, and she let out a dainty huff before flinging Ye Qiu's hand away.

"Haha-!"

Dugu Bo couldn't help bursting into laughter at the sight.

"All right, you two got acquainted through a fight. Stop standing around outside and come in for some tea with this old man."

Dugu Yan started forward as he said.

Ye Qiu, however, shook his head and politely declined. "Senior Dugu, there's no need for tea. I only came to deliver the antidote today. I'm planning to visit the auction house in Heaven Dou City later."

"Oh? The auction house?"

Dugu Bo's eyes turned. Seeing the curiosity and inquisitiveness written all over Dugu Yan's face, he immediately had an idea.

"How about this? I'll have Yanyan accompany you to the Heaven Dou Auction House."

"Hm?"

Ye Qiu was taken aback.

Dugu Bo smiled. "My Dugu Family are honored guests there. Whether you're buying or selling, it'll save you far more money and trouble than going alone. What do you say, kid?"

Ye Qiu's eyes lit up.

"I certainly have no objection, but I don't know whether Miss Dugu has the time."

Dugu Yan folded her arms and glanced at Ye Qiu. "I have to return to Heaven Dou City sooner or later anyway. It's just a small matter on the way."

"Then thank you, Miss Dugu."

Ye Qiu smiled faintly.

Dugu Bo waved a hand. "My Yanyan is right. It's just a small matter, nothing worth thanking her for. In that case, though, you can just give the antidote to Yanyan later, kid."

"That works."

Ye Qiu nodded and immediately set about it.

Under Dugu Yan's somewhat puzzled gaze, Ye Qiu stepped to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. A strange, blood-red light flashed in his eyes.

"Senior Dugu, we'll be off now."

"A T-Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring? What is this now?!"

Dugu Yan couldn't help crying out in shock.

Her green eyes widened into circles as she stared at the boy beside her in disbelief.

Those strange blood-red eyes, and the black Soul Ring beneath his feet!

Ye Qiu asked in puzzlement, "Miss Dugu, this is my second Martial Soul. Didn't Senior Dugu tell you?"

"A second Martial Soul? You have Twin Martial Souls!"

Dugu Yan was stunned.

For an instant, it was as though she understood how Ye Qiu's Soul Ring Configuration had come about, but in truth, she hadn't understood anything at all.

Even with Twin Martial Souls, shouldn't he have a Hundred-Year Soul Ring as a foundation?

What the hell was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring doing there?!

And since when was an eye Martial Soul a Trash Martial Soul?

And what was going on with that Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring?!

Dugu Yan was completely dumbfounded. She stared at Ye Qiu, seized by an urge to strip him bare...

No wonder even Grandpa had such high praise for him!

He'd declared that Ye Qiu's talent surpassed that fellow Yu Tianheng's by more than a hundredfold!

This kid had brought two Trash Martial Souls to such a level,

he was an utter monster!

"..."

Ye Qiu looked at Dugu Bo.

"What are you looking at me for?"

Dugu Bo clasped his hands behind his back and said with righteous dignity, "That's your secret. Naturally, I wouldn't say anything without your permission."

"Then thank you, Senior."

Ye Qiu couldn't help smiling. He turned back to Dugu Yan and said with a smile, "Miss Dugu, to save time, let's use my Soul Skill to go straight to Heaven Dou City. Please relax and don't resist my power."

When he finished speaking,

Ye Qiu asked Dugu Bo, "Senior, would you like to come back to the city with us?"

"I'll pass. You two go ahead."

Dugu Bo waved a hand. He had wanted to give Ye Qiu and Dugu Yan a chance to be alone, so why would he tag along and get in the way?

He knew Ye Qiu had a fiancée, but so what? The capable should shoulder more work!

Besides, he wasn't forcing anything.

He was only playing matchmaker. The two young people had ideas of their own...

Strangely enough, he trusted Ye Qiu, a young man he'd only met twice, an extraordinary amount. He even let him take his granddaughter away.

"All right."

Ye Qiu looked away and squeezed Dugu Yan's shoulder, reminding her once more, "Miss Dugu, relax. Don't be nervous."

"..."

Dugu Yan looked blankly at Ye Qiu and Dugu Bo, dumbfounded the entire time.

Only when she saw the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring beneath Ye Qiu's feet shine and felt an invisible force tugging at her body did she come to her senses...

She instinctively wanted to resist, but she couldn't do it at all!

She could only let her field of vision twist violently...

Before she could say anything, she vanished from where she stood along with Ye Qiu.

Dugu Bo clasped his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "Tsk... I'd better tell Yanyan that kid has a fiancée sooner rather than later, lest some trouble break out. It wouldn't be good to bring the fire down on myself, haha..."

"..."

"Where is this?"

Inside the Kamui Dimension, Dugu Yan looked around blankly at the empty world filled with stone platforms, somewhat at a loss.

Ye Qiu explained from beside her, "This is an alternate dimension connected through my Soul Skill."

"An alternate dimension?!"

Dugu Yan didn't understand, but thought it sounded impressive.

"In any case, there's no need to be afraid, Miss Dugu. It's perfectly safe here."

Ye Qiu reassured her.

"Hmph!"

Dugu Yan shook off Ye Qiu's hand and huffed twice, stubbornly saying, "Who's afraid? I don't think you'd dare do anything to me anyway."

As she spoke,

Dugu Yan met Ye Qiu's eyes, then immediately looked away, feeling a little guilty.

"Haha..."

Unable to hold back his laughter, Ye Qiu reached out and gripped her shoulder. "In that case, let's go. We'll be outside Heaven Dou City in a moment."

"Wait... Ah!"

Amid Dugu Yan's startled cry, Ye Qiu took her with him and vanished from the Kamui Dimension.

When the two appeared again,

they were standing beneath the sun, with Heaven Dou City's walls visible in the distance.

"..."

Dugu Yan blinked, adjusting to the light. Looking at Heaven Dou City's walls, she fell silent for a moment.

In less than a minute,

they had returned from deep within Sunset Forest to the gates of Heaven Dou City?