After leaving the teahouse, Bai Mu wandered leisurely through Heaven Dou City.
As he passed by the Prince's Residence, an idea for making money suddenly popped into his head.
"Good brother, before you die, let's do our duty one last time."
"This time… I'll have to charge more."
A strange smile crept onto Bai Mu's lips.
---
One day later, on a dark and windy night.
The moon was obscured, and the wind howled.
The Prince's Residence was heavily guarded, with elite soldiers conducting routine patrols. Many of them even emitted fluctuations of spirit power—they were clearly Spirit Master guards.
"I really don't get it," one Spirit Master on night watch muttered under his breath.
"A useless… noble prince. Why do we Spirit Masters have to guard him? Aren't ordinary soldiers enough?"
"I heard Prince Xue Beng was kidnapped once before," his companion replied, glaring at him.
"The prince is just being extra cautious now. Watch what you say—there might be a powerful Spirit Grandmaster protecting him in the shadows."
"Oh? Really? I don't believe it!"
Inside the prince's residence, Bai Mu had already been there for half a minute. After a quick scan, he confirmed that no one had noticed him.
He looked at the barely conscious Xue Beng, efficiently stuffed him into a sack, tossed him into a spirit tool, and after looting and cleaning out the residence, slipped straight into an underground tunnel.
The tunnel sealed shut as soon as he left.
The entire process took less than three minutes.
Only shattered floor tiles remained as proof that someone had been there.
---
"Ahhh!!!"
Early the next morning, a maid's scream echoed throughout the prince's residence.
"What happened?!"
Guards rushed in, and even the powerful Spirit Grandmaster secretly protecting the place revealed himself.
"The… the prince is gone!"
The maid pointed at the cracked floor.
"Damn it!!!"
"Not again?!"
Prince Xue Xing stared at the familiar note on the table, his hands trembling.
After Xue Beng's last kidnapping, he had personally strengthened the security to protect him.
And yet—
Nearly a year later, Xue Beng had been kidnapped again.
And this time, it happened inside the prince's own residence.
If the royal family couldn't even protect its own princes, Heaven Dou would become a laughingstock.
Suppressing his fury, Xue Xing looked down at the note:
[My dearest prince, seeing you again feels like meeting an old friend. I've missed you all so much!]
[You guessed it—the gentle and low-profile Fourth Prince, Your Highness, has fallen into my hands once more.]
[Last time, due to inexperience, the ransom did not match a prince's status. I regret this deeply.]
[You have three days. Prepare five million gold coins (anonymous black cards are acceptable) and place them at the usual location west of the city.]
[Fail to do so, and I will castrate your nephew, dress him as a woman, and send him to the Wolfman Tribe to enjoy being ridden.]
[If the prince disappears, Your Highness had better prepare the ransom in advance!]
"This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
Xue Xing erupted in fury and immediately sent someone to summon Dugu Bo.
Poison Douluo arrived swiftly, frowning as he read the note.
He released his Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit, fully activating its senses and carefully sweeping the entire Prince's Residence.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Dugu Bo slowly shook his head.
"The kidnappers left no trace at all. They possess extremely strong concealment abilities."
"You couldn't find them this time either?"
Xue Xing's face turned pale.
"The other party is highly professional," Dugu Bo said gravely.
"There were no signs of struggle, and even the alarm spirit tool beside the bed was untouched. That means the prince was subdued instantly."
Such skill indicated at least a Spirit Saint, and one proficient in stealth, excavation, and concealment.
Xue Xing collapsed into a chair. After a long silence, he clenched his teeth.
"Prepare the money!"
"Your Highness, five million is no small sum. Even the royal treasury—"
The steward spoke cautiously.
"Take it from my private treasury," Xue Xing waved his hand.
"And pull another portion from the operating funds of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. His Majesty must not find out!"
He turned to Dugu Bo.
"Poison Douluo, this time… please investigate the drop-off location in advance. See if you can find any clues."
Dugu Bo nodded. "I'll do my best."
But—
It was useless.
With no other choice, Prince Xue Xing personally went to the western hillside of the city under cover of night and arrived at the familiar boulder.
Alone, he tossed the bulging storage pouch into the cave beneath the rock.
Following the instructions, he quickly withdrew and hid three miles away with Dugu Bo to observe.
One hour.
Two hours.
Until dawn, the valley remained silent.
Xue Xing anxiously ordered people to dig open the cave—only to find it completely empty.
The items had vanished without a trace.
"How can someone be this terrifying?!"
Xue Xing's face was filled with resentment.
"The kidnappers are no ordinary people, but—"
Dugu Bo spoke confidently, "I placed a special poison on the spirit tool and the black card. Anyone who touches them will be marked. They won't escape me next time!"
"Dugu Bo, you old bastard, trying to scheme against me?"
"Good thing I kept a billion Miracle Eyes!"
A hundred miles away, Bai Mu looked at the spirit tool held in Little Soft's mouth, a cold smile appearing on his face.
"Poisoning? What's the point of poisoning?"
"With Jungle Healing and Safeguard, toxins are meaningless."
Bai Mu transferred everything into his storage bracelet, then raised his head to look at the poison array ahead.
"Let's go. It's harvest time."
"Awoo~" ×2
With two Dragon Hounds—one black, one white—Bai Mu activated Safeguard and swaggered straight into the valley of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The valley was filled with countless precious herbs and many unique Immortal Herbs, a truly magnificent sight.
"Luring the tiger away from the mountain—feint east, strike west."
Bai Mu gazed at the red and blue mist rising from the valley, inhaled the sulfurous air, and smiled.
"I'll return the prince to you… but the Immortal Herbs are mine."
"Z2, prepare."
Bai Mu nodded to Z2.
He was currently Level 40, with a total of 59 Z-Cells—perfect for Little Soft and Z2 to transform into a hound and a serpent.
"Awoo~"
Z2 stepped forward, releasing a dense green light with an eerie allure.
Swish, swish, swish—
The excess Z-Cells in Bai Mu's body surged out in a flash of green light, pouring into Z2.
"Gah—!"
Amid a strange growl, the light shattered, revealing a five-meter-tall white-and-green cobra radiating terrifying pressure.
Z2 slithered into the valley and stopped at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Targeting every herb in the valley, it released countless green energy bubbles resembling cells.
Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Blazing Apricot Delicate, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Autumn Water Dew, Narcissus Jade Bone, Earth Dragon Golden Gourd, Nine-Grade Purple Spirit, Snow Silkworm—
From rare Immortal Herbs to ordinary medicinal plants.
Not a single one was spared.
The energy bubbles contracted into fist-sized orbs of light and, under Z2's control, flew into Bai Mu's storage bracelet, perfectly stored.
The entire process took less than half an hour.
The once-lush Immortal Herb Valley was left with nothing but bare red and blue springs and exposed soil.
Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—emptied completely.
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