"A normal life."
"Can we ever go back?"
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance, bitterness filling their eyes.
There was no going back—absolutely no way back.
From the moment Dugu Yan was implanted with the Evil Poison Chain—
No.
From the moment Dugu Bo and Bai Mu became enemies, they had already stepped onto a road of no return.
Bai Mu, meanwhile, chose the most cautious approach, remaining calm and composed. The two of them were completely powerless to resist.
"Let's go."
Dugu Bo patted his granddaughter on the head and finally let out a soft sigh.
"At the very least, in front of outsiders, we still have to be the formidable Poison Douluo and his proud granddaughter."
"Mm!"
Dugu Yan suppressed her emotions and nodded firmly.
Not long after, Dugu Bo reappeared in Heaven Dou City with Dugu Yan.
When Prince Xue Xing saw them, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
Dugu Bo's signature green hair had mostly turned black, making him look far younger overnight. That alone might have seemed like a good thing, but what was even stranger was that his aura was clearly weaker than before.
"Lord Dugu," Prince Xue Xing approached carefully. "Are you… alright? Has the criminal been caught?"
"…"
Dugu Bo did not answer. He only gave Xue Xing a deep look, the complex emotions in his eyes making the prince's heart tighten.
"…Xue Xing."
Dugu Bo finally spoke, his voice low and heavy.
"Once this matter is concluded, I will remain a Guest Elder of the Heaven Dou royal family and fulfill my duties. But our personal relationship ends here."
"Lord Dugu!"
Xue Xing's body shook violently, his face turning deathly pale.
His greatest pillar of support had vanished just like that.
The twenty million gold soul coins he had been extorted for—nearly all his personal wealth and a large portion of the treasury—were gone in an instant.
Could it be… that even a Titled Douluo like Poison Douluo had been powerless against that person?
"…Sigh."
Dugu Bo glanced at the stunned Xue Xing and sighed.
Without another word, he turned and led Dugu Yan back to his residence in Heaven Dou City.
In the courtyard, Dugu Yan stopped and turned back, giving her grandfather a gentle smile.
"Grandpa, this is enough. I'll take good care of myself."
Dugu Bo felt a sharp pain in his heart as he looked at his granddaughter's forced composure.
"I'm sorry, Yan Yan. It's all because Grandpa is useless… If only I were stronger…"
"There's no need to say any more, Grandpa."
Dugu Yan interrupted him with a laugh. "Actually… this outcome isn't that bad, is it?"
"At least, as long as I don't provoke Life Qi, I've found a powerful backer. You can rest easy from now on."
As she spoke, a complicated glimmer passed through her eyes—one she didn't even notice herself.
"Yan Yan…"
Dugu Bo hesitated, then finally sighed.
"Grandpa, please stop."
Dugu Yan gently reassured him. "Go and complete the task Master assigned you. Yan Yan will take care of herself."
"That's not what I meant…"
Dugu Bo hesitated again, lowered his voice, and spoke with a complicated expression.
"What I meant was… don't forget what Master instructed… serve him well tonight… serve him well…"
His voice trembled.
These were the most humiliating words he had ever spoken in his life—and they were directed at his own granddaughter.
"I will."
Dugu Yan's smile stiffened for a moment before she relaxed again.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. Just do your best. You don't need to worry about Yan Yan."
They parted in front of the residence. As Dugu Bo turned to leave, his back looked more hunched than ever.
That night, at Dugu Bo's residence.
Dugu Yan sat quietly on the edge of the bed, as if waiting for something.
The door opened.
Bai Mu entered, his tone light.
The night passed in silence.
—
The next morning, when Dugu Yan woke up, no one was beside her.
Only a note lay on the pillow:
[Cultivate diligently. I hope to see Swallow make even greater progress.]
Poison power surged in her palm, and the note vanished completely.
Life… still had to go on.
Dugu Yan gave a faint smile, changed into her academy uniform, and headed toward Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Everything at the academy was as usual.
But when Dugu Yan entered the training grounds, the members of the Heaven Dou Battle Team immediately surrounded her.
"Swallow! Are you alright?"
Yu Feng was the first to rush over. "We were so worried when we heard you'd been kidnapped!"
"Yeah, Swallow. Did Senior Dugu catch the kidnappers?"
Oscar asked with concern.
Shi Mo and Shi Mo stood off to the side, saying nothing, but worry was clear in their eyes.
Looking at her teammates, warmth welled up in Dugu Yan's heart.
She laughed and scolded them, "You guys—were you hoping something bad would happen to me? I'm fine. It's already been taken care of."
She deliberately kept her tone light and even patted Yu Feng on the shoulder.
"But you lot—have you been slacking off in training these past few days?"
Seeing that she seemed to be in good spirits, everyone finally relaxed, laughing as they resumed cultivation.
Only one person remained outside the crowd, quietly watching her.
Yu Tianheng.
The usually composed genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was frowning deeply.
As Dugu Yan's boyfriend, he could sense that Swallow—though outwardly unchanged—had become different in some subtle way.
The most obvious sign was that today, she didn't throw herself into his arms like she usually did.
Even when their eyes met, Dugu Yan's gaze quickly shifted away.
Training began.
As time passed, Yu Tianheng's doubts only grew deeper.
In the past, Dugu Yan would always find chances to interact with him during training.
But today, she trained alone and never once took the initiative to speak to him.