The next morning, around ten o'clock, Gu Xuan led Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan to the main gates of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
As one of the Upper Three Sects, the clan held a reputation for wealth that could rival nations. Even the main gate was magnificent and golden, exuding an air of immense prosperity.
This was Dugu Yan's first time visiting. Although Dugu Bo had come to deliver a letter a week ago, he hadn't brought her along. Taking in the surroundings of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, even she had to sigh in admiration; it truly was the epitome of wealth.
The guards on duty at the gate were actually at the Soul King level. Upon seeing Gu Xuan, they bowed respectfully. "Young Master, you've returned. Shall I go and announce your arrival?"
Gu Xuan waved a hand and replied. "No need to trouble yourself. We can head up on our own."
"As you wish."
After greeting the guards, Gu Xuan led Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan toward the clan's main deliberation hall with practiced ease. If nothing was out of the ordinary, Ning Fengzhi would likely be there handling official business.
As they walked, Dugu Yan hurried to Gu Xuan's side and whispered in his ear. "Xiao Xuan, your family truly is as wealthy as they say. Even the flowers and plants along the path are precious varieties. I'm so envious of this lifestyle."
Gu Xuan smiled, plucked a beautiful rose from the roadside, and handed it to her. "You can live this life every day from now on. I'll take care of you."
At these words, Dugu Yan's face turned bright red, leaving her unsure of how to respond. Gu Xuan found it quite easy to handle a young, inexperienced girl like Dugu Yan.
Dugu Bo, following behind them, heard everything clearly. If this had been their first meeting and he'd heard Gu Xuan talking to his granddaughter like that, he would have broken the boy's legs! Now, however... he could only admit to the "true fragrance" law.
The boy was exceptionally talented and willing to sacrifice for Dugu Yan. After all, he was giving away a 35,000-year-old soul bone—and a right arm bone at that. How many people could actually do such a thing?
Since they weren't in a hurry, it took them a full thirty minutes to reach the hall. Along the way, Dugu Yan frequently stopped to admire the various beautiful sights.
When they arrived at the hall, the guards at the door were slightly surprised to see Gu Xuan, as they knew he was supposed to be at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Upon seeing Dugu Bo, the guards couldn't help but grow nervous. Seven days ago, this Poison Douluo had visited and seemingly had a pleasant conversation with Elder Gu Rong.
Now he was back? And returning with Young Master Xuan? It seemed the Young Master and this Excellency were quite well-acquainted. With Gu Xuan leading the way, no one blocked them, and the three entered the hall directly.
Inside the hall, Ning Fengzhi sat behind an exquisite desk carved from jade, writing furiously—likely handling official clan affairs. In a nearby ornate chair, Gu Rong sat casually, playing with two crickets in front of him.
Sensing something, Gu Rong suddenly looked toward the entrance. When he saw it was Gu Xuan, a delighted smile broke across his face.
"Xuan'er? Why are you back?" Gu Rong asked in surprise.
Ning Fengzhi also spotted Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan. He stood up immediately and said. "Senior Dugu? Why didn't you send word of your arrival beforehand? Fengzhi would have prepared a proper welcome."
Dugu Bo waved his hand. "No matter. Xiao Xuan brought us here this time; I didn't want to trouble Sect Master Ning."
Listening to the exchange, Gu Rong looked at Dugu Bo and laughed heartily. "You old poison freak! You could have just let the boy come back on his own. Why trouble yourself to make the trip?"
Gu Rong naturally assumed Dugu Bo was merely escorting Gu Xuan home. Dugu Bo gave a thin smile; he was indeed escorting him, but mainly he was here to collect a soul bone.
Gu Xuan spoke up. "Grandpa, Uncle, today's matter is a bit complicated and can't be explained in a few words. Let Grandpa Dugu have some water first, and we can sit down and chat slowly."
"Grandpa Dugu?"
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong both looked on in utter disbelief. He had only been out for a month, and he'd already gained another grandfather?
Since Gu Xuan was at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and generally safe, Ning Fengzhi hadn't sent anyone to shadow him, so they were mostly in the dark about his activities over the past month. The only thing Ning Fengzhi knew from his student, Xue Qinghe, was that the boy was very diligent and studious at the academy. He hadn't heard anything about contact with Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo had sent a letter a week ago explaining that Gu Xuan would be staying with him for a while, and Gu Xuan's own letter corroborated this. Because Gu Xuan's alchemy skills were quite good, Dugu Bo appreciated him and wanted to offer some guidance—but that was supposed to be it.
Did a single week of "guidance" result in him graduating and even acknowledging the man as a grandfather? It wasn't that Dugu Bo wasn't worthy, but from Ning Fengzhi's perspective of clan interests, having such a connection was great—it was just... too fast!
Looking at Gu Xuan's confident smile, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong then noticed that this brat seemed to have a "thing" going on with Dugu Bo's granddaughter. Seeing Dugu Yan hiding shyly behind Gu Xuan, they could guess what was happening. If that was the case, this wasn't official business; it was a family matter.
Both men trusted Gu Xuan implicitly. The boy had always been strong-willed and had his own opinions. Some of the things he had done since childhood seemed nonsensical to them, yet they always yielded extraordinary results. Thus, they weren't entirely shocked by this turn of events.
The group moved to a private room, where Gu Xuan explained the entire situation in detail. He didn't hide how he discovered Dugu Yan's poisoning or how he identified the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Since he had studied alchemy under Yang Wudi from a young age, none of this was a secret to Ning Fengzhi or Gu Rong.
As the explanation concluded, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong both saw something extraordinary in the situation, though from different perspectives.
While Ning Fengzhi treated Gu Xuan as his own, he was still a Sect Master. Upon learning that the two were a couple, his first thought was that this could be used to win over Dugu Bo. If they could recruit him, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would have three Titled Douluos. Their high-end combat power would form a perfect team: Ning Fengzhi for support, Gu Rong for defense, Chen Xin for attack, and Dugu Bo for control. It was a complete set.
Gu Rong, meanwhile, was thinking. 'My grandson has been out for a month and already found a girlfriend? And the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo at that? He certainly had a sharp eye for talent—one strike, one kill!'
But damn it, Gu Xuan was only twelve! Isn't it too early for romance? And what about Ning Rongrong? Would she have to be a concubine? Ning Fengzhi certainly wouldn't agree to that, and even Gu Rong himself wouldn't!
What a massive headache!
(TL/Note: Yay! Let's all forget the massive change in Gu Xuan's appearance, because why not? It's not like His appearance is any different than before. I am sorry for the rant, but how can they miss the change in the appearance of someone close to them? It eludes me.)
(End of Chapter)
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