Finding the Dugu residence wasn't hard in the slightest. After all, Dugu Bo was infamous for his mercurial temper, and when we asked around. Several merchants and inn owners very 'helpfully' told us to avoid the Dugu estate.
They all said that Dugu Bo's infamous poison's would melt us into a pool of pus should we anger him. Just that a mere glare of annoyance from the Title Douluo would make us wet ourselves and cry ourselves silly.
I could tell that the chubby merchant who said that, wasn't so appreciated by Tang Wutong. As she had that 'You have found your path to death!' Expression down to a science as she scowled while we walked away.
"At least he was the one who finally told us where Dugu Bo lives." I said with a helpless smile as Tang Wutong snorted.
And she still said flatly in turn. "A woman doesn't like being told they were going to wet themselves."
Tang Wutong took a deep breath before she gave me a side glance as we made our way through the busy street's of Tian Dou's capital city.
But she didn't say something... Despite clearly, very clearly having some inner monologue going through her mind at the moment.
Still with the blue haired young beauty following me. We made our way towards the Dugu mansion while I had an idle thought on my own end.
'Oscar and Ma Xiaotao should be fine in Shrek even if I still should help Ma Xiaotao with her evil fire issues as Flender and Zhao Wuji has helped me alot over the years. But I am curious as to what Zhu Zhuqing and and Ning Rongrong are going to be up to?' I wondered.
As a part of me thought it was very likely that Dai Mubai might just run off and hide in a small town or something with those twins who had his children at this point. Maybe? Just maybe he will think with my help/alchemy to help his growth he will still want to fight his elder brother.
And won't run off, but he has run away before and who knows what he will do in the future. As for Zhu Zhuqing... She will likely stick around Shrek for a while. I wasn't sure as she was a rather cold and enigmatic girl at times.
As for Ning Rongrong... Well, she was a spoiled princess and with how poor Shrek was. With how Tang Wutong, Xiao Wu and I left. She might also be running back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
While I was considering things, we had already reached the nobles area. And thanfully our clothes were rather nice. So the patrolling guards didn't give us any grief as we walked past massive estates.
And after a good ten minute walk, we finally reached the Dugu estate... Which had a giant snake statue which probably matched Dugu Bo's martial soul built into the gate and the surrounding walls.
Seeing the normal ringer used in this fuedal world in a rope that would lead to a bell inside of the mansion. I gave it a few rings and Tang Wutong asked rather dryly. "So Tian Long... How are you going to broach things to begin with?"
And I said sheepishly. "No matter how I open things up. It's certain that, that old bag of poison is going to threaten our lives when we point out his weak point. It's just getting past that hurdle is the hard part."
An older housekeeper gentleman can out of the mansion and walked down the path towards us and with a raised eyebrow he asked curiously. "May I help you youngster's? Are you friends with Lady Dugu Yan at the Academy?"
I shook my head before I said firmly. "My name is Tian Long, the founder of the new use of Whale Gel. And I would like to discuss business with your master for a new alchemical process."
The man gave me a long searching look before he sighed and said helplessly. "Haaa, you are that disciple of THAT Yu Xiaogang. That makes sense."
He looked conflicted for a moment before he nodded and said respectfully. "I will bring you two inside and bring you to a lounge. But my master's temper... He may not agree to meet you as he is a busy Title Douluo, so please don't take offense."
"We are well aware of the Poison Douluo's reputation, housekeeper. And we woudn't dare to disrespect Tian Dou's guardian Title Douluo." Tang Wutong said gently with a small smile.
While Dugu Bo would probably vehemently refuse the title of Guardian Douluo for the Tian Dou Empire... He owed his life to the royal family, who saved him with the royal army when he tussled with the Spirit Hall at one point.
The housekeeper brought us into the mansion and we were then lead into a very nice and ornate meeting room that was just dripping with the wealth that came with being a Title Douluo.
Because when a Title Douluo asked for something... You just gave it to them, so I had no doubt that the Tian Dou empire was giving Dugu Bo a very nice 'allowance' to remain living in the city and be a noticable shield against Spirit Hall and especially the Star Luo Empire.
-
The housekeeper quickly made his way to the private wing of his lord's mansion and respectfully knocked at the door of Dugu Bo's meditation chamber.
And for a moment, there was a silence before a soft but cold voice rang out. "What is it?"
The housekeeper, well used to his master's temper and attitude, only spoke out calmly. "My lord, the disciple of that Yu Xiaogang who 'discovered' Whale Gel has arrived at your mansion with the desire to meet with you."
The heavy door to Dugu Bo's meditation chamber slide open with a heavy grinding noise, which was purposefully put in there so no one could sneak into his chambers remotely silently.
And from the darkness came Dugu Bo himself. An older gentleman with bright, toxic green hair and a set of glowing slitted eyes gave him a terrifying visage as he also wore a cold smile as he came out.
"Yu Xiaogang's disciple... The disciple of that waste who, for sure copied his own clan's libraries to make up his own so-called theories. Still, I suppose I owe a favor for helping my Yan'er strengthen herself with that whale gel."
"They are in the front meeting room my lord. Shall I excuse myself then?" The housekeeper said with a bow. And Dugu Bo gave a small smile and nod before waving off his family's housekeeper to go back to his other duties.
And as the housekeeper left, Dugu Bo mused to himself. "The so-called inheritor of an alchemist family... I wonder what you are here for Tian Long."
Still, with a snort, the proud Poison Douluo strode onwards into the meeting room, as just wondering would do him no good.
-
The arrival of Dugu Bo wasn't something subtle nor something we could prepare for. As the man, a walking literal bomb of poison spirit energy that could nuke a city off the face of the earth didn't knock or announce himself when he entered.
He almost... Slithered into the room with elegant but calculating pressure, and that wasn't to even mention the subtle spirit energy pressure that came from him being a Title Douluo. A literal higher lifeform that could normally live for a couple of centuries at least.
"Tian Long, the alchemist disciple of Yu Xiaogang... And you must be the other disciple of his that was mentioned in that newsletter he put out." Dugu Bo said with some thought as she glanced at Tang Wutong.
But he focused on me, those slitted snake-like eyes locked onto me with an actual pressure that felt all to much like Zhao Wuji's gravity targeting spirit ring!
"Now, what do you want of me. Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo, that without any prior connection... You would drop by without warning on my front doorstep?" He demanded in a cool voice.
I took a deep breath before I said with a helpless smile. "This leads into it I promise Lord Poison Douluo... But I ask that before I fully explain my request, you promise not to kill or crush us with your Title Douluo spirit energy."
There was a pause as Dugu Bo blinked before he chuckled sinisterly, before he said almost teasingly. "Hmm? And maybe I should use my spiritual energy to make you both a little tense. As you should feel the need to remind me, a Title Douluo, to control myself. Maybe I should be a bit of a bully?"
My face twitched as this old poison was just as I had feared. Completely a snake who would snap out at those he wasn't close to with lethal intent just for messing with him. As I could feel his roiling spiritual energy just... Barely on the leash of his control.
Just teasing at the prospect of utterly crushing us into our seats and hurting us with it's mere pressure.
But still, I took another deep breath before I mentally said fuck it. There was no point in playing around.
I went with the prepared 'lie' that Tang Wutong and I discussed that would lead us to the best path towards getting into Dugu Bo's graces. "After seeing you, Lord Poison, and seeing your granddaughter having an episode with her own poison. I am sure that I can cure your bloodlines' inherited Martial Soul flaw!" I said with a deeper voice.
And for a brief moment.
Dugu Bo was stunned, that was obviously the last thing that he expected me to just bluntly say.
And the moment he reacted, both Tang Wutong and I groaned with Tang Wutong's hand next to mine on our seat's shooting over to hold my own as our seats groaned in concert to the force of Dugu Bo's projected spirit energy that crushed us into said seats.
"You dare... You dare assume that I, a Title Douluo, have a defective Martial Soul? What foolish nonsense is-"
Tang Wutong cut him off as she said past gritted teeth.
"You are poisoned by your martial soul Dugu Bo! Your head is always itching from the poison in your hair. When it rains, your bones feel like they are rotting and crackling like they are in a fire. When you lie in bed, at times it feels like your very organs are fighting one another as your muscles contract against your will due to toxic shock!"
Dugu Bo's eyes snapped towards Tang Wutong with a wild glint in his eyes before he forcefully pulled back his soul energy. And there was a moment of silence before he looked to me before he said with a chilling smile.
"Good... Good, Tian Long your alchemy has garnered my interest. But one thing. When you came here with this new's, did you expect me to allow you to keep this secret that concerns my family's lives?"
I shuddered feeling the undiluted killing intent from Dugu Bo, as he should not calm down and be rational. There was literally not a single fucking thing Tang Wutong could do to stop him from taking our lives.
Still, I powered on as with a grimace, I said bluntly. "I came here with a solution to your families martial soul, Lord Poison. I have no intention to hold it over your head remotely. I need your help with something you have instead."
Dugu Bo's head tilted to the side before he said slowly. "Oh I heard you the first time. But as for how you could help us? You think you have skills that I, a title douluo do not?"
And with zero fucking shame I said as bluntly as a rock. "I have three ways to fix your families martial soul issue. Using a heaven and earth treasure, performing surgery to give you a poison sac, and lastly, the simplest and least effective way is to use spirit bones and push the poison into them."
There was a pause as Dugu Bo just went stock still... And he said slowly in horrible realization. "A spirit bone... Especially from a serpent or poisonous spirit beast. How could I not even think about that?'
And I could see it in his mind's eye. His son died in horrific agony from the accumulated poison his body had filled up. And then every time he saw his granddaughter shudder at the building pain within herself.
A building pain that was only going to result in one thing... Her death in the relatively near future.
As she barely had ten years left before she would obviously lose control over her poison.
Dugu Bo took a deep breath before he said in a cold voice. "Your other two options. How are they better then using a Spirit Bone? And what heaven and earth treasure do you mean? Do you mean like that wretched Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum that the Chrysanthemum Douluo harps on about all the time?"
I nodded before I explained. "The surgery portion is... Less me actually performing surgery but making a Beast Organ Pill. Where I will condense the aspects of dozens of serpent spirit beasts gall bladders and their own poison sacs into a pill that will give the consumer of the pill their own innate poison sac."
I took a breath before finishing. "That innate poison sac with your family's inherited martial soul would thus be passed down through the generations as it would bond with your bloodline. Not only curing your marital soul's defect. But also enhancing the poisons you could call upon within your body without needing to marshal your spirit energy or soul rings!"
Dugu Bo's face was filled with wonder at the thought as he imagined the scene. Not only that... I could literally see his tongue briefly slide across the inside of his cheeks as he imagined feeling a small bulge or something near his fangs in the future.
Then he said thoughtfully. "The last option... How is the heaven and earth treasure the best option out of those three?"
And with a more 'normal' smile he said in an almost friendly tone. "In fact, you both can calm down now... I decided that just for the information on the Soul Bones absorbing poison which I myself am already certain will work. I will allow you both to walk away from this meeting alive as well."
My face twitched as his friendly 'gift' with Tang Wutong sniffing under her breath as I could mentally hear her screaming that Dugu Bo had found a 'Path to Death' with that almost taunting mercy that was an insult to her proud mind.
Still, I responded thoughtfully. "Well Lord Poison. There are... Many Heaven and Earth treasures with the ones we want right now being in the form of Immortal Herbs. Which, yes, Chrysanthemum Douluo's own Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, is an immortal herb."
I took a breath before I said respectfully. "Dugu Bo, I won't play with you. You are too intelligent and will pick up sooner rather than later. I know you found a treasure land of extreme heat and cold that is locked in a perfect cycle, which has produced a herb garden filled with beautiful and terrible herbs."
Dugu Bo's face twitched as I added rather sheepishly. "As if it wasn't for that Yin/ Yang Well, you Dugu Bo would be dead without it's suppression of the poison within your body right?"
For a moment I thought he was going to lash out at me in annoyance, even with his promise of our lives being safe for now.
But then with a tsking noise, he said in realization. "Those herbs... That's what you wanted all along, isn't it?"
I nodded before adding on calmly. "I want the Yin Yang Well itself. It is a treasure land where I can grow herbs that only need a century of growth in a few months. Not only that, but the water within the Yin Yang Well is, despite how dangerous they are. Are both a potent weapon and a tool for my own alchemy."
As with my second spirit ring with my Dragon Cauldron, which allowed me to do water-based alchemy. Using the Yin Yang Water as a base would HEAVILY increase the quality of any elixers I made using that method.