Chapter 96: Dugu Bo, Whose Heart Ached Until He Couldn't Breathe — Detoxification
The two of them sped toward Sunset Town at incredible speed. Dugu Bo intentionally pushed himself to a pace close to that of a Soul Saint, yet, to his surprise, Lin Beiya was still able to keep up.
Every few seconds, Lin Beiya would suddenly flicker forward, instantly traversing nearly thirty meters without any effort, sticking close to Dugu Bo as if it were nothing.
"What a little monster..."
While sighing, Dugu Bo's curiosity about the two herbs Lin Beiya had consumed grew even stronger.
"Right, brat, what exactly do those two herbs you ate do?"
"Huh? Senior doesn't know?"
"...Should I?"
"Uh… those two herbs are called the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot. They grow in extremely cold and scorching environments, respectively. Taken alone, each one is an incomparably deadly poison. But taken together, they can temper the body, granting one a physique impervious to both ice and fire."
"Hm?"
Dugu Bo slowed slightly, shock lingering on his face. He hadn't been able to recognize the herbs at all, let alone their effects.
Yet two seemingly ordinary herbs actually possessed such astonishing power. The old poison master felt a pain in his chest so sharp it became hard to breathe.
And misfortune never comes alone—before leaving, this boy had stuffed quite a few herbs into his pockets. Could it be that…
"Hu… brat, don't you dare tell me the effects of the other herbs you took. This old man is afraid I won't be able to stop myself from slapping you to death."
"Understood."
Lin Beiya nodded, suppressing the laughter bubbling in his chest. He had already received the benefits; continuing to play dumb at this point would just be too cruel. If he were the one who had lost so many precious immortal herbs, he would probably be heartbroken too.
Despite lacking a bit of face, Dugu Bo was someone who kept his promises.
In the original story, Tang San had stripped the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well clean, yet the old poison master didn't complain much either.
Although part of that was because he feared Tang Hao, more importantly, he had already given his word.
"Right, Senior, there's also a fist-sized earthy-yellow melon-like herb in the garden. It's called the Land Dragon Golden Melon. It can help evolve dragon-type martial souls—perhaps it will benefit your Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul."
"Oh? You brat still have a conscience. Knowing to leave something for this old man—fine, I won't bother arguing with you about the rest."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo felt pleasantly surprised and even a little comforted. His gaze toward Lin Beiya softened—at least the boy wasn't the type to slaughter the chicken for its eggs and disregard others completely.
As for the herbs Lin Beiya had taken—without him, Dugu Bo wouldn't have known their properties anyway. Leaving them in the garden would've been a waste. Nothing worth regretting.
"That Land Dragon Golden Gourd will be left for Yan Yan to take. Also, is there any herb I can use?"
"Hm? There's one more—snow-white and slender like a swan's neck, called the Snow Swan Kiss."
"This herb itself is non-toxic, but it greatly amplifies any toxin that touches it, hundreds to thousands of times. I imagine it would be very useful to the Senior."
"Is that true!?"
Dugu Bo abruptly skidded to a halt, turning back to stare at Lin Beiya with shining, urgent eyes, as if terrified Lin Beiya were playing him for a fool.
Lin Beiya could only helplessly stop and spread his hands.
"Lying to Senior would bring me no benefit. Besides, Senior has already given me so much—I owe you a debt."
"Good! Once Yan Yan's poison is dealt with, I'll go check that Snow Swan Kiss myself."
To others, that herb might be useless, but to a poison master like him, it was a priceless treasure. Who would've thought such a thing grew under his nose all along without him knowing?
Watching Dugu Bo pound his chest as if he had just missed out on a billion gold soul coins, Lin Beiya couldn't help but laugh.
Soon, the two returned to Sunset Town. Dugu Bo escorted Lin Beiya to a secluded courtyard, then immediately dashed toward Heaven Dou City without wasting a single breath.
While detoxifying his granddaughter, he now also had the Snow Swan Kiss to look forward to. Like hell he'd waste even a second. Lin Beiya completely understood.
A Titled Douluo's speed was terrifying. Dugu Bo left at breakfast and returned by evening, completing a round trip to Heaven Dou City while carrying little Dugu Yan back to Sunset Town.
Seven-year-old Dugu Yan looked nothing like the mature sisterly figure from the original story. Soft and adorable, her short purple hair curled around her ears, her eyes matching her hair color—still not the green they would turn after years of poison accumulation. But with her first soul ring absorbed, a faint tint of emerald had already appeared in her pupils.
The little girl curiously examined the big boy before her. Grandpa had rushed all the way back—apparently because of him.
"Brat Beiya, this is my granddaughter, Dugu Yan."
"Yan Yan, this is Lin Beiya. Call him big brother."
"Big Brother Beiya!"
The little Dugu Yan sounded sweet and soft, her voice striking straight into Lin Beiya's uncle-like soul.
"Hello. May I call you Yan Zi?"
The little girl timidly nodded, accepting the nickname.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo was already impatient, signaling repeatedly with his eyes for Lin Beiya to hurry up. He still had herbs waiting for him in the garden!
Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. 'You can't even wait for a simple greeting. If I hadn't told you what the Snow Swan Kiss does, you still wouldn't know what it even is.'
He handed the Cancer Gold Cloth card to Dugu Yan and smiled.
"Yan Zi, try channeling your soul power into this."
Dugu Yan took the card and glanced at her grandfather. Seeing his encouraging nod, she began channeling her soul power into the card marked with a crab symbol.
Golden light erupted in the courtyard. A moment later, the Cancer Gold Cloth enveloped Dugu Yan's tiny frame, the skirt-like armor wrapping her completely.
Eyes full of wonder, Dugu Yan gazed at the armor shimmering on her body, galaxies swirling in her pupils.
"Wow! Such a cool outfit!"
"Yan Yan, don't worry about how it looks. Hurry—see if the poison in your body is improving!"
Seeing his granddaughter focused solely on appearances, Dugu Bo grew anxious. Who cares how pretty it is? What matters is whether it can cleanse the poison!
"Oh! Okay, I'll check."
At his reminder, Dugu Yan closed her eyes and examined her body.
On the way back, Grandpa had already explained their family's hereditary poison. The little girl had been heartbroken, terrified she would end up like her father.
Thankfully, the Gold Cloth truly could cleanse the toxin. After circulating her soul power once, she clearly felt the usual tingling and itching ease noticeably.
Opening her eyes in delight, she looked at her grandfather.
"Grandpa! It's really working! The poison is disappearing!"
Without waiting for a response, Dugu Yan immediately sat cross-legged again, determined to purge every trace of poison from her body.
"Good! Good!"
The boulder in his heart finally lifted, leaving Dugu Bo feeling light all over. His gaze toward Lin Beiya was now filled with gratitude.
This had resolved one of his greatest worries.
"Brat Beiya, favors need not be spoken. If you ever run into trouble, this old man will make a move for you once."
"Then thank you, Senior Dugu."
—
End of Chapter