Six Hours Ago
Dugu Yan had just returned from her classes, ready to collapse into bed and recover from the exhausting all-nighter she pulled the day before.
But just as she was about to retreat to her dorm, a teacher stopped her in the hallway with unexpected news: a silver-haired girl was waiting for her outside the academy gates.
Dugu Yan's heart skipped. She hadn't seen her old friend since leaving Tian Duo Imperial Academy, and she'd missed her dearly.
Without a second thought, she dashed to the gates of Lanba Academy—and there she was. A petite figure with long silver hair, nervously glancing around as if scanning the crowd for a familiar face.
Dugu Yan's voice rang with joy. "Lingling? What are you doing here? Hehe, did you miss me?" She let out a silvery laugh and rushed forward.
Ye Lingling's response was less cheerful. She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Some friend you are! You didn't even inform me you were leaving. Do you have any idea what I had to suffer after you abandoned me?" she snapped, arms crossed as Dugu Yan led her inside.
As Ye Lingling ranted, Dugu Yan listened with growing disbelief.
Apparently, not long after she'd left Tian Dou Academy, Yu Tianheng showed up — flanked by his oh-so-precious uncle and his feliel disciple, Tang San. Without warning, Tianheng confessed his love to her that day... Just a blunt, out-of-nowhere confession of love.
She stared at him.
And rejected him coldly, without a pause, without a second thought.
But Tianheng—true to the arrogance that practically oozed from his clan's bloodline—didn't take the rejection well. His jaw clenched. His eyes darkened. And then, as if she owed him something, he sneered:
"I'm the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan — and you're rejecting me? Who even are you, Ye Lingling? You're not Dugu Yan. She at least has a Titled Douluo for a grandfather!"
So much for the refined, steady gentleman he pretended to be.
After that Dugu Yan's humiliating dismissal, Tianheng dropped the act. With Tang Yin's subtle telepathy fanning the flames of his frustration, his calm façade had already shattered. The noble prince of the Blue Lightning Clan had devolved into something desperate, something unhinged.
Yu Tianheng turned his obsession toward Ye Lingling. As he began pursuing Ye Lingling day and night with a level of persistence that bordered on creepy.
To make matters worse, Tang San practically moved in with the Emperor Team, constantly showing off that mutated monstrosity he called a martial soul. The combination was a living nightmare—literally. Lingling could barely sleep without dreaming of the horrendous tendril slithering & crawling out of the walls.
Eventually, she'd had enough. In desperation, she reached out to Dugu Bo for information—and tracked her friend all the way to Lanba Academy.
Now, yawning mid-sentence, Ye Lingling looked like a woman on the edge. Guilt bloomed in Dugu Yan's chest as she took in her friend's tired expression.
"You look dead on your feet," she said gently. "Go lie down in my room. I'll fetch something from the cafeteria. Just rest for now."
---
Back to the Present
Tang Yin stood frozen, eyes wide as realization dawned. His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Ye Lingling—it was her."
He turned toward Dugu Yan, who stood pale and silent, her eyes avoiding his.
Tang Yin stepped closer, looking directly into her emerald-green eyes, which darted around nervously.
"Didn't I tell you about tonight?" he asked "Or… did you forget?"
Dugu Yan didn't answer. Her head hung low, guilt written all over her face.
Taking her hand gently, Tang Yin said with a soft smile, "You don't have to feel bad, Yan Yan. It's fine. I'll just… take responsibility for her. With you."
Dugu Yan's jaw dropped. "You! "You—! Just how big is your appetite? Isn't Zhuqing, Rongrong, Yiran—and me—already more than enough?"
Tang Yin put on an innocent face. "Of course, it's enough! But this is a shared responsibility now. You can't blame just me."
He flashed a sly grin.
"Besides, aren't you and Ye Lingling best friends? When she wakes up, you can be the one to comfort her."
With that, Tang Yin slipped out the window like a ghost, vanishing into the night—dodging any hint of responsibility.
"Huff." Tang Yin let out a long sigh of relief.
"Well, let's just leave the rest to Dugu Yan. I'm sure she'll figure something out. After all, it's partly her responsibility too. No hard feelings, right?"
Just as Tang Yin was about to head toward his dorm, his sixth sense screamed a warning—danger was near. He reached to unleash his telepathy, but suddenly, his senses blurred, and darkness crept in. Slowly, he collapsed.
"Hmm... poison..." was the last thing he muttered before losing consciousness.
From the shadows, a green-haired, wrinkled old man stepped forward, eyes gleaming with a strange mix of curiosity and amusement as he looked down at Tang Yin.
"This brat," he muttered. "I had to use a poison potent enough to take out even a Soul Saint-level powerhouse. Just how strong is this kid?"
He smiled faintly, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Hmm... capable enough to capture the hearts of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect's princess—and now Dugu Yan's as well. I'll personally test your resolve. If you pass, maybe you'll earn this old man's recognition"
Dugu Bo grabbed Tang Yin by the collar and soared toward the Sunset Forest.
Halfway through the flight, Tang Yin stirred awake, blinking in confusion.
"Wait—I'm flying?!" he muttered, drool pooling at the corners of his mouth.
When he caught sight of the familiar figure holding him up, his heart eased.
"Oh, it's just this old guy. Hmph. If anything happens to me, I doubt your granddaughter will forgive you."
A mischievous thought flickered in his dark heart. "Didn't you just abduct me? Don't think I won't make you pay for this—I'll make you bleed your heart out."
With that, he pretended to be asleep.
Dugu Bo smirked knowingly.
"This brat... who do you think you're fooling, pretending in front of this old man?"
But he didn't call him out — not yet — as they arrived at their destination.
Before Tang Yin lay an ancient spring well, its waters perfectly divided in two—one side cold and shadowy, the other steaming and radiant, split by a shimmering, natural boundary.
The air around it pulsed with a strange energy, the very essence of Yin and Yang, dark and light, cold and hot, balanced in perfect harmony. Tang Yin fluttered his eyes open at this magnificent sight.
Dugu Bo was about to begin his test when he froze, hearing the shameless brat beside him speak up.
"Hey, old man," Tang Yin said with a sly grin tugging at his lips, "Since I'll be marrying your granddaughter, I might consider forgiving you for our little conflict back at Tian Duo Imperial Academy."
"After all, you are Dugu Yan's grandpa. I'll even reluctantly call you grandpa—and overlook the whole abduction thing. So, as compensation, how about handing over this place to me as a dowry?"
Dugu Bo almost lost control right there.
His veins bulged. His eyes twitched. For a brief moment, it looked like he was about to beat the living daylights out of Tang Yin and bury him right next to the well.
"You little bastard!" Dugu Bo growled, fists clenched. "You think this old man doesn't have the guts to poison you right here, right now?"
Tang Yin shook his head with a calm, almost smug indifference. "I'm already your precious granddaughter's man, old man. I doubt she'll forgive you for bullying me."
Without waiting for a reply, he strolled straight into the herb garden and began rummaging around like he owned the place—searching from memory for the most precious immortal herbs.
Dugu Bo stared at the audacious brat, momentarily stunned.
Was this kid for real?
He nearly choked from sheer disbelief. But then, his thoughts drifted to his beloved granddaughter… and the guilt he still carried from her parents' untimely deaths. His clenched fists loosened as he sighed deeply.
"Haiz… Young men nowadays don't even respect their elders," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
After collecting the precious immortal herbs, Tang Yin's gaze locked onto Dugu Bo's waist.
"Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse..." he muttered, eyes gleaming. Then, with no shame whatsoever, he asked,
"Uh, old man, why don't you throw in that bag too? I can't carry all these without a proper container. Don't worry, I've already picked enough for Dugu Yan."
Dugu Bo stared at him for a long moment, then asked, "Let me ask you something first."
Tang Yin nodded politely. "Please"
"Do you know what all these herbs are?" Dugu Bo asked, his voice unreadable.
"Of course," Tang Yin replied without hesitation. "Every single one. I also know you're poisoned. Want me to fix that?"
Dugu Bo's expression turned cold for a second before faltering. "You... can cure me? Wait—how do you even know I'm poisoned?"
Tang Yin scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Well, I figured it out last night. when I realized Dugu Yan was poisoned... uhm—" he coughed. "Damn it, I really need to control my mouth."
Dugu Bo's face darkened, and he slowly slumped to the ground with a weary sigh.
"Forget it. She deserves happiness. If she can't become a Titled Douluo by thirty, she'll follow her parents' path... let her be happy for as long as she can."
Looking into Tang Yin's sincere eyes, he finally said, "If you can cure both me and Yan Yan, this spring is yours. And I'll owe you three favors—my life if needed."
Tang Yin's eyes lit up. "Haha, don't be so serious, grandpa. We're family now!"
With a helpless shake of the head, Dugu Bo tossed him the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and left quietly.
Tang Yin approached at the edge of Ice & Fire Yin Yang Well. But he didn't jump in yet.
"I haven't told the girls I'm leaving. Better deliver their herbs first… then come back later and absorb mine."