Chapter 49: Please, Senior, Administer the Poison

"Senior, what you've brought here is a chrysanthemum, not a Tulip..." Qin Jian reminded him cautiously.

Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed slightly: "I am a master of poison; how could I misidentify it? I say it is a Tulip, so it is a Tulip."

Qin Jian froze. He looked at Dugu Bo earnestly, remained silent for a moment, and then said solemnly: "Senior, what price do you want me to pay?"

"Hahaha..."

Dugu Bo suddenly looked up and laughed heartily: "I actually like you little thing now; you're smart enough!"

He laughed for a while, then walked over to a chair and sat down, took a sip of water, and said: "You want me to wait three or four years; how do I know if you aren't just making empty promises? You must earn my trust."

Qin Jian shook his head and said: "Senior knows I am Jian Douluo's personal disciple and a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; how could I make empty promises?"

Dugu Bo snorted coldly: "With the reputation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Jian Douluo, I naturally don't need to worry, but I, Dugu Bo, have been a lone wolf my whole life; I cannot place my hopes on your sect's reputation."

"Senior, just say it, what must I do for you to believe me?" Qin Jian asked directly.

Dugu Bo stared at him with his snake-like pupils and said slowly: "Since you promised to detoxify Yan Yan and me, then I want you to be infected with the same poison as us!"

Qin Jian was stunned.

He truly had not expected Dugu Bo to be so cautious; he had thought that relying on the background of Jian Douluo and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would be enough.

He could have chosen not to negotiate himself, but instead to discuss this matter with Ning Fengzhi.

But the consequences of that would be unpredictable, as Dugu Bo's temper was truly too eccentric.

Moreover, this was the last thing he could do for Ning Rongrong before they parted ways...

"What? You don't dare?"

Dugu Bo gave a cold laugh: "Don't think you can use Jian Douluo and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to pressure me. Your faction is vast, but I am all alone; I don't think Sect Master Ning would want to offend a Title Douluo to the death."

"Senior..."

Qin Jian raised his head with a faint smile: "Please, administer the poison."

"Hmm?"

Dugu Bo was taken aback: "You really dare to accept my Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison? You should know that what I apply directly is far stronger than what is on Yan Yan. If you cannot cure it, you might die even sooner than this old man. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Please, Senior, administer the poison," Qin Jian said, cupping his hands.

Dugu Bo was somewhat moved: "Before that, can you tell me, what is it that makes you, this little fellow, willing to pay such a price?"

A gentle look appeared on Qin Jian's refined face: "For the person I love..."

The coldness peculiar to the snake pupils in Dugu Bo's eyes vanished.

"I have to say, your personality, little fellow, is quite to this old man's taste..."

Behind him, a massive martial soul, the Jade Phosphorus Snake, slowly slithered over and approached Qin Jian.

"However, a deal is a deal. Once you find someone to detoxify Yan Yan and me, we can talk about friendship then."

Hiss...

The Jade Phosphorus Snake opened its blood-red maw, and a pungent, fishy stench immediately surged out.

Only then did Qin Jian realize where that unpleasant smell on Dugu Bo came from...

"Chih!"

The Jade Phosphorus Snake didn't care what he was thinking; it bit down on Qin Jian's left hand in one go, and the visible green snake poison slowly invaded along his blood vessels...

A moment later, Dugu Bo retracted his martial soul.

"Alright, I originally intended to apply a snake poison that would only let you live for five years, but I changed my mind just now. The snake poison was only half-applied; you will live for at least ten more years," Dugu Bo said.

Qin Jian nodded lightly.

He was not at all worried about the snake poison on his body; after all, he would see Xiao Wu one day, and it would be inevitable that he would have dealings with Tang San. By then, detoxification would not be a problem at all.

"The mark on your left hand will disappear soon, don't worry. I'm going to get you that Tulip..."

The swift and decisive Dugu Bo disappeared again very quickly.

Qin Jian looked down at his left hand; the veins there had all turned green, looking quite terrifying.

"Jian'er, I heard Emperor Xue Ye brought Xue Qinghe over to propose marriage to Rongrong. Come with me quickly to take a look..."

At this moment, Jian Douluo walked into the reception hall.

"Teacher, what did you say?!"

"Jian'er! What happened to your hand?! Dugu Bo actually dared to poison you?!"

The two voices of shock and anger rang out almost simultaneously.

"Teacher, this is a transaction, please don't worry."

Qin Jian said anxiously: "Please, tell me what is going on with Xue Qinghe?"

Jian Douluo frowned as he looked at his left hand, then said: "You know, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always supported the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and the Sect Master is also the Crown Prince's teacher. This time, he came to propose marriage to completely bind himself to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Qin Jian's brows locked tight: "Originally, this never happened at all. Where did the problem arise, or is this just a false alarm that won't actually happen?"

"Teacher, let's go over and take a look."

Qin Jian tucked his left hand into his sleeve.

Jian Douluo looked at him and said: "Jian'er, you simply can't let go of Rongrong, can you?"

"Yes, Teacher, I will never be able to let her go," Qin Jian said.

Jian Douluo nodded slightly and walked toward the door first.

When the two arrived before the door of the council hall, before they even stepped inside, they heard Ning Rongrong's angry voice.

"Father! I don't want to get engaged to him! The one I like is Qin Jian!"

Qin Jian paused his footsteps, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift slightly.

Then he took a deep breath and slowly walked inside.

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi began to speak: "Your Majesty, Qinghe, you have both seen it; Rongrong and Qin Jian have long since pledged their love to each other. Now, to discuss the matter of Qinghe and Rongrong again is truly inappropriate."

Hearing Ning Fengzhi say this, Qin Jian immediately let out a sigh of relief.

The figures of Jian Douluo and Qin Jian walking in also attracted everyone's gaze.

Looking from Qin Jian's side, in the highest seats were naturally Emperor Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi, and next to them on the left and right were Xue Qinghe and Ning Rongrong; there was no one else in the hall.

"It's little brother Qin."

Xue Qinghe seemed not to care at all about her marriage proposal, and actually greeted Qin Jian.

Qin Jian nodded, and after he and Jian Douluo bowed to Emperor Xue Ye, he stood together with Ning Rongrong.

"Brother Jian..."

Without a word, Ning Rongrong took hold of Qin Jian's left arm: "I want to be with you!"

Qin Jian smiled and said: "Same here."

"Eh? Brother Jian, what happened to your hand?!"

Because his left arm was held by Ning Rongrong, his palm was inevitably exposed, and those streaks of emerald green veins attracted the attention of everyone present.

"I... it's nothing..."

Qin Jian covered his left hand indifferently and said: "This will disappear in a while."

"Are you really okay? Where did this come from?" Ning Rongrong pressed.

Before Qin Jian could speak, Jian Douluo glanced at Xue Qinghe opposite them and said: "Jian'er, isn't this the poison you contracted for Rongrong after making a deal with Dugu Bo?"

(End of this chapter)