After his disciple departed, Dugu Bo's body blurred, transforming into a streak of light that soared into the sky.
He needed to find his granddaughter as quickly as possible. The sooner she absorbed the spirit bone, the sooner her poison could be cured.
In the blink of an eye, he descended upon the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
"Hmm?"
He could not sense Dugu Yan's presence within the academy.
"Kid Tianheng, where did Yanyan go?" Dugu Bo suddenly appeared before Yu Tianheng, who was in the middle of cultivating.
The youth with the stiff, zombie-like face froze for a moment before snapping back to his senses. "Tianheng greets Grandpa."
"Shoo, shoo! Who's your grandpa? It's far too early for you to be changing how you address me." As soon as Dugu Bo thought about this boy's slow cultivation progress compared to his own disciple, Zhao Liuyun, a wave of irritation rose in his heart.
A direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan... even that Old Dragon couldn't protect his own son.
With a disdainful snort in his heart, Dugu Bo tapped Yu Tianheng's forehead with a moderate amount of spirit power. In a low voice, he asked, "I'm asking you a question. Where is Yanyan?"
"Because—" Yu Tianheng stole a cautious glance at Dugu Bo, "Because of that genius guest official from the Ye family, Lengleng has been emotionally unstable lately. She took a leave of absence to go home, and Yanyan went to comfort her."
A look of surprise appeared on Dugu Bo's face, and he let out a strange, mischievous chuckle.
His disciple wasn't very old, but his ability to provoke girls was certainly something, if he could make Ye Lengleng care this much.
His gaze shifted back to Yu Tianheng's wooden face.
Damn it, you useless Yu Tianheng!
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Dugu Bo snorted coldly and flicked his wrist. A mountain of spirit power crashed down, slamming Yu Tianheng face-first into the ground.
Lying flat on the earth, Yu Tianheng's mind went blank, and he even held his breath. He could only think that the Poison Douluo truly lived up to his name—his temperament was eccentric, moody, and impossible to predict.
Seeing that the boy didn't even dare to stand up, Dugu Bo felt even more disgusted.
A total blockhead. His disciple had far more guts.
At the Ye residence, Zhao Liuyun returned quietly with a light step. The gatekeeper still recognized him.
After a moment's thought, Zhao Liuyun decided to look for Ye Ren first. Along the way, he happened to run into the butler.
"Master Liuyun, the Head of the House is at the apothecary," the butler said. "The Madam, Yunying, is also there."
Zhao Liuyun nodded slightly; seeing them in the evening would be fine. He changed his question: "Where is Sister Lengleng?"
"The young lady took a leave today and is entertaining a guest in her courtyard. Miss Dugu Yan came to visit."
Dugu Yan? Why would she visit so suddenly?
A spark of curiosity flickered in Zhao Liuyun's heart. His feet instinctively turned toward Ye Lengleng's courtyard. He quietly circulated his spirit power, causing slight ripples in his sea of consciousness as he drastically suppressed his presence.
As long as he didn't appear directly in someone's line of sight, he would be difficult to detect.
He moved quickly and without a sound. Walking silently was a basic skill of the [Thief] class; after practicing Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step, his movement was like a specter passing through, not disturbing even a speck of dust.
Before he even reached the courtyard gate, he heard a slightly raspy female voice. It carried an ethereal quality, but the tone was filled with anxiety: "Yanzi, tell me, how did that bastard dare—how did he dare to go and visit the Excellency alone?"
She bit back the second half of a curse at the end of her sentence.
Zhao Liuyun heard it clearly—it was Ye Lengleng's voice.
Calling me a bastard?
However, he could feel the genuine worry in her voice. His heart warmed slightly, and he hid behind a corridor pillar to listen quietly.
"Don't be anxious," Dugu Yan comforted her in a gentle voice. "Since he dared to go, he must have something to rely on. Nothing should have gone wrong."
In truth, she couldn't understand it either. She didn't know why Zhao Liuyun had suddenly wanted to see her grandfather. Little brother Zhao Liuyun had high talent and extraordinary combat strength; his background wasn't high, but his courage was truly immense.
She only hoped he hadn't been swatted to death.
Ye Lengleng's voice carried a hint of hope, her slender white fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. "Yanzi, did you ask the Excellency after you went home?"
"Grandpa's whereabouts have been a mystery lately. He's been busy with something and hasn't even come home on weekends," Dugu Yan sighed softly. "But because of that, it actually suggests Liuyun should be fine. It's only been a week, so set your mind at ease."
"But my heart is always tight." Ye Lengleng pressed her hand against her chest. She felt her heart thumping uncontrollably, her voice trembling. "Yanzi, I'm truly worried—if something really happened to him, what should I do?"
Ah! There it goes again.
Dugu Yan leaned her forehead on her hand and lightly smoothed her hair, a trace of helplessness fixed between her brows. She had a bit of a headache.
Ye Lengleng's heart was completely tied to Zhao Liuyun. Ever since that strange feeling in her heart had been exposed, her favorability toward him had grown uncontrollably. With the person she admired in danger, she had fallen back into that state of irrational anxiety.
Thinking too much and caring too deeply—how could she live a relaxed and happy life?
Dugu Yan tried to enlighten her in various ways: "Didn't he leave a note saying he wanted you to live happily and maintain an optimistic attitude?"
"Have you been practicing well lately? If you don't practice hard, how will you be strong enough to break the shackles of the Nine Heart Begonia in the future?"
"I—as soon as I think that he might no longer be in this world, I can't find the motivation to cultivate." Ye Lengleng's voice shook slightly, tinged with a sob.
It all stemmed from the mark Zhao Liuyun had planted in her heart using [Hypnosis]. The person who first pulled her out of loneliness and infected her with his convictions would always seem special. After nights of sleepless worry and struggle, she had solidified the direction of her heart.
"I—"
"Why do I hear someone crying?" Zhao Liuyun stepped out with a smile.
"Liuyun!" Ye Lengleng hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, her eyes instantly lighting up with radiance.
"Huh? Little brother, you're actually still alive?" A flash of surprise crossed Dugu Yan's green eyes.
When she had come to the door, she had carried a bit of deception; in truth, she hadn't held much hope in her heart, feeling that the possibility of his survival was slim. She hadn't expected—
"I am now the Teacher's disciple. Sister Dugu Yan, you should return home. The Teacher is likely looking for you."
"I'll stay with Sister Lengleng." Zhao Liuyun naturally took Dugu Yan's place.
"Grandpa is looking for me?" Dugu Yan was slightly stunned.
"It's an important matter, not convenient to reveal to outsiders."
In fact, it wouldn't matter even if the matter of the poison was revealed. A poison-attribute Title Douluo who was heavily poisoned and on the verge of death was someone no faction wanted to face. Likewise, Dugu Yan could not be allowed to come to harm; she was Dugu Bo's only concern. Even if it were told openly, the world would only remark that Zhao Liuyun had done a good deed.
As long as the secret of the Immortal Herbs wasn't leaked, everything was secure. And Dugu Yan couldn't even touch the Immortal Herbs, nor would Dugu Bo be so foolish as to make a slip in that regard.
Dugu Yan left quickly in confusion. Ye Lengleng looked at Zhao Liuyun with slightly red eyes.
"Sister Lengleng, I'm back."
Zhao Liuyun broke into a grin. His smile was as bright as sunlight, carrying a powerful infectiousness, like a small, warm sun. Even without using [Hypnosis], the light he had lit in Ye Lengleng's heart was awakened, smoothing over the waves in her soul.
She had intended to interrogate him, to pour out all her worries and complaints. But when her gaze met the smiling youth, her thousand words condensed on her lips, turning into a gentle, faint smile: "It's good that you're back..."
Her voice was as soft as spring water brushing over willow branches, making the listener feel a sense of self-reproach.
Zhao Liuyun's heart stirred. Crossing an invisible boundary, he reached out and took her hand directly. "Sister Lengleng, you weren't this gentle the few times you took me shopping before."
The joy in Ye Lengleng's eyes hadn't faded yet, but upon hearing this, she suddenly stiffened. She spat out resentfully, "Idiot!"
She wrenched her wrist, trying to shake off the burning warmth, but Zhao Liuyun held on even tighter.
The sensation of soft, warm jade came from his fingertips. The youth leaned in with a playful grin: "Sister Lengleng, don't be mad. I brought you a gift—"
"Ta-da!"
Before his voice died away, Zhao Liuyun provided his own sound effects and pulled out that twenty-thousand-year Whale Glue from the Imperial Family.
He raised an eyebrow with pride. "This is twenty-thousand-year Whale Glue. It can significantly improve your physique. If you eat it, it will increase your soul ring absorption limit by at least a thousand years."
Ye Lengleng also knew the miraculous effects of Whale Glue—it could harmlessly improve the physique. However, its side effect of being an aphrodisiac would not change.
Just how strong would the effect of a twenty-thousand-year piece be? She was also consuming some, but they were at most a thousand years old. Because of the side effect, she never dared to eat too much at once.
Whale Glue side effects...
At this thought, her earlobes suddenly burned with the color of sunset clouds. Ye Lengleng bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her slender hand hesitating before taking it. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Who gives a gift like this..."
"I do!" Zhao Liuyun straightened his back and answered righteously.
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