Chapter 24: The Model Worker Has Arrived!

Three days later that night, Yu Tianyun was sitting cross‑legged on the bed, meditating and resting, when a sudden chill ran down his spine, his brows involuntarily knit tightly, and the air in the room seemed to grow a few degrees colder.

Yu Tianyun snapped his eyes open, feeling a slight excitement; he knew the "Good‑Deed Boy" had arrived! In the darkness, a tall, thin silhouette stood before his bed, a pair of dark‑green eyes fixed on him.

"Kid, you claim that I and Yan Yan are poisoned—do you have any evidence?" Dugubo's sharp gaze fixed on Yu Tianyun.

Yu Tianyun looked at Dugubo's stubborn, duck‑mouth expression, realizing he had already been found yet still pretended. He decided not to be courteous, thought for a moment, and said, "Senior, forgive me; earlier I was babbling nonsense, I, the junior, acknowledge my mistake. Later I will bring a grand gift to apologize to Miss Duguyan."

Dugubo's heart leapt at the words.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to present evidence with a confident face, then, with my sincere approval, help me and Yan Yan detoxify, thereby earning my promise and Yan Yan's affection? Aren't you playing outside the script?"

"You stinky kid, how dare you toy with me! Do you think I'm really scared of your grandfather?" Dugubo, now realizing, threatened with fierce eyes.

Yu Tianyun paid no heed to Dugubo's threat, leisurely reciting what Tang San had originally said: "Senior Duguo, do you feel a tingling numbness in your flanks whenever it rains under overcast skies, once at the hour of the Rat and once at the hour of the Horse, and also at midnight the third watch, a needle‑like sting at the crown of your head and at your heart center?"

As Yu Tianyun finished speaking, Dugubo's body shivered, his eyes widened, and he was momentarily speechless.

Looking at the silent Dugubo, Yu Tianyun continued, neither humble nor arrogant, "Senior Duguo, let's stop beating around the bush; otherwise I couldn't bear to see Miss Duguyan perish so tragically, and I wouldn't bother meddling. What I said to Miss Duguyan contains not a single false word. The poison afflicting you and Miss Duguyan comes from your own martial soul."

Dugubo was silent for a moment, his complexion growing solemn. He knew the uniqueness of his martial soul and the many dangers it concealed.

"Alright, no need to say more; I believe you," Dugubo exhaled deeply, hearing Yu Tianyun's described symptoms match his own, and ceased doubting.

"Yan Yan says you can cure our poison? How exactly should we proceed?" Dugubo's eyes burned as he looked at Yu Tianyun.

"Of course I can." Since Dugubo had already bowed in effect, I could now reveal part of the antidote method: "Senior Duguo, from my observation, the poison affecting you and Miss Duguyan stems from the Emerald Phosphor Snake martial soul. Because it is a beast martial soul, you become corrupted by toxins. When a beast martial soul is employed, it enters a martial‑soul‑possessing state, tightly binding to the body, which is when poisoning occurs."

"Then, if we use an instrument soul instead? Clearly it wouldn't be the same; an instrument martial soul does not fuse with flesh, allowing toxins to condense on the instrument soul carrier without harming the body."

"Given that, why not find a carrier to bear the deadly toxin! For example, absorb a soul bone and transfer all its toxins onto it, so the poison on the body won't intensify as soul power cultivation rises! It could even boost the soul bone's skill damage."

"Although soul bones are treasures of the Blood River, with Dugubo's current strength it shouldn't be entirely impossible. I think a ten‑thousand‑year soul bone could keep Miss Duguyan free from toxins for a long period. Of course this method has limits; as power grows, one ten‑thousand‑year soul bone will eventually be insufficient, and then a second, a third will be needed."

Indeed, why hadn't I thought of using soul bones? Young friend, your method of storing toxins in a soul bone truly opened my mind; perhaps Yan Yan will no longer face life‑threatening danger. Consider this a debt I owe you; in the future, I, Dugubo, will repay you greatly.

At this moment, Dugubo fully believed Yu Tianyun, even his address became more familiar.

Dugubo hadn't mentioned curing his own poison because the toxins had seeped into his marrow, making it seem incurable by medicine. Yu Tianyun's lips curled, then he dropped a bombshell: "Actually, Senior, the deadly poison in you isn't impossible to cure. Though your toxins have penetrated your marrow, frankly, given your symptoms, you should have perished long ago. Yet you have broken through to Title Douluo, which proves you must have a method to suppress the toxin. If I combine my approach with your suppression technique, I have a fifty‑percent chance of eliminating the poison from you!"

Dugubo's heart stirred at the words, and he eagerly asked, "Really? Young friend, what must I do? Speak freely." Dugubo's face was full of urgency and anticipation.

"Hmm, it's true, but it requires some extremely rare medicinal herbs," Yu Tianyun said calmly, though his eyes flickered unintentionally.

"Herbs? Easy. I happen to have a herb garden filled only with precious herbs; it will certainly satisfy you, and my method of suppressing toxins is this very garden," Dugubo clasped his hands to his chest, proudly praising his garden.

Guided by Yu Tianyun, Dugubo, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, relayed all the information about the Ice‑Fire Dual Instrument Eye.

Yu Tianyun frowned, pondering for a long while as if contemplating grand schemes to unify the continent. Finally, he clenched his right fist, his expression confident, and said slowly, "A place where violent ice‑fire energy converges can suppress deadly toxins and harbors countless unknown exotic plants! Senior, if this treasure land is truly as wondrous as you describe, I have a ninety‑percent chance of curing you!"

Excitement flashed in Dugubo's eyes: "Really? Then I'll take you and Yan Yan to that herb garden right now."

At that moment, Yu Tianyun wrote a slip of paper and left it on the desk, stating that he would be out traveling for a few days so that Yu Tianheng wouldn't worry about him, and then followed Dugubo away.

Under the night sky!

Dugubo, taking Yu Tianyun and Duguyan, sped toward the Ice‑Fire Dual Instrument Eye.

"Young friend." Dugubo said mid‑flight.

"Senior may call me Tianyun, that's how my family calls me," Yu Tianyun replied with a smile.

"Very well, Tianyun, your looks are fine, your temperament good, and your talent is extraordinary; you're about to break through to level forty, aren't you? It's hard to imagine you're only thirteen!" Dugubo's face was full of admiration.

While flying with Yu Tianyun, he used soul power contact to learn Yu Tianyun's age and cultivation level.

"Tianyun, I'll be blunt: I like you very much. How about becoming my grandson‑in‑law? You helped us detox because you like Yan Yan, right? I agree now!" Dugubo's eyes held a hint of smile and anticipation.

"Grandpa, what nonsense are you spouting!" Duguyan scolded, her face flushed bright red, shyly lowering her head, yet her gaze remained fixed on Yu Tianyun.

"Kid, give me a straight answer—do you agree?" Dugubo pressed Yu Tianyun urgently.

(End of chapter)