"Senior's virtue and wisdom are far above mine. If there's ever a chance, I'd love the opportunity to learn from you," Oscar replied with a look of utmost sincerity.
Dugu Bo, however, wasn't buying it. He said bluntly,
"Excessive humility is arrogance in disguise. The fact that you could diagnose Yan Yan's problem just through observation, and even refine a pill to accelerate cultivation... to be honest, even I can't do that."
At this, Dugu Yan looked at Oscar in astonishment. A pill that boosts cultivation speed?
She knew that some herbs were helpful in cultivation, but to actually refine one into a usable pill that was something she hadn't even imagined Oscar capable of.
Oscar smiled bitterly.
"You flatter me, senior. I just got lucky, that's all."
But Dugu Bo pressed on,
"May I take a look at the ancient text you mentioned? If possible, I'd like to keep a copy for my collection. Name your price."
Now it all made sense to Oscar why Dugu Bo had earlier gone out of his way to mention his love for collecting ancient texts. So this was what he had been leading up to.
It was obvious Dugu Bo wanted to study the ancient text Oscar had mentioned, hoping to extract some practical knowledge from it likely to aid himself or his granddaughter. After all, Oscar had said that much of his knowledge came from that book.
But Oscar absolutely could not hand it over.
Why? Because that ancient text contained detailed information on immortal grade herbs.
If Dugu Bo got his hands on that knowledge, he'd instantly grasp the real value of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in his possession. And once that happened, not even Tang San would be able to acquire a single herb from it in the future.
Currently, Dugu Bo had no idea what the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well really was. If he remained in the dark, Oscar might be able to negotiate access to it just like Tang San did in the original story. He might even be offered a top tier herb as compensation.
But Oscar wasn't satisfied with merely replicating Tang San's success.
This rare encounter first meeting Dugu Yan, then Dugu Bo was a potential turning point. No matter how slim the odds, Oscar had to seize this opportunity.
If he succeeded, he could win usage rights to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, dramatically boost his own cultivation, and more importantly lay the foundation for his own independent path.
That's right. Oscar had no intention of joining any faction or becoming someone's subordinate.
He had grown up, and with his foresight and knowledge of the future, he refused to live under someone else's shadow.
He wanted to establish his own force, maybe not the top power on the continent, but at least a legendary one.
If that failed, then sure he could fall back on the original storyline and tag along with Tang San toward godhood.
But now, another road had appeared before him. Whether he could walk it depended entirely on his own judgment and strategy.
Back in the conversation, Oscar's bitter smile turned into a troubled look:
"It's not that I'm unwilling, Senior. It's just that... I didn't bring the ancient text with me. It's not on me right now."
"But, if you're willing, and can provide the necessary herbs, I can refine some pills for you for free. They may not be of much use to you, but for Dugu Yan, they'll definitely help her improve."
Dugu Bo observed Oscar's sincere demeanor and didn't press further. After all, even if Oscar did have the book on him, it was still his personal treasure. The two of them had just met not being willing to hand it over was completely reasonable.
What did please Dugu Bo was that Oscar was willing to make some pills for free.
Of course, that assumed he could gather the necessary ingredients.
But therein lay the problem Dugu Bo couldn't.
Despite being a pharmacological expert, even he didn't have the necessary resources at hand.
Then a thought hit him:
His hidden trove the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
That place was overflowing with rare herbs, most of which he couldn't even identify.
If Oscar could identify and utilize some of those, maybe he could produce powerful pills for Dugu Yan.
If so, this accidental meeting would turn out to be a stroke of pure luck.
But Dugu Bo's thoughts weren't limited to alchemy.
He also noticed that in her 15 years of life, Oscar was the first boy Dugu Yan had really clicked with.
And not just any boy Oscar had top tier looks and physique, was only 11, and already a Soul Elder.
Yes, he was a food type soul master, but with his external soul bone, his combat power could rival assault types of the same level.
He was strong enough to support Dugu Yan, had superb self preservation, and above all, was a genius.
He was earnest, talented, charming and most importantly seemed able to connect with Dugu Yan.
Despite having just met him, Oscar was now sitting atop Dugu Bo's mental list of ideal grandson in law candidates.
The only issue? Oscar was still too young.
But even that could be spun as a positive: the two kids could spend time together, develop feelings naturally.
If something blossomed, Dugu Bo would be more than willing to let his granddaughter marry Oscar.
After all, Oscar was the first and only person in over a decade with whom Dugu Yan could have a real conversation.
And so, Dugu Bo began to seriously consider letting his granddaughter attend Shrek Academy.
Sure, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had better resources, but it lacked something vital: happiness.
And Dugu Bo wanted Dugu Yan to be happy above all else.
So, while Dugu Bo's conversation with Oscar carried subtle motives, it was fundamentally a test.
He needed to determine if Oscar was truly worth trusting and perhaps... something more.
Although he didn't get the ancient text, Dugu Bo wasn't disappointed.
Because if Oscar did end up marrying his granddaughter,
then wouldn't that ancient text eventually become... part of the family collection anyway?
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