Chapter 14: Trivia
"Tianmeng, what do you say? Did you see anything?"
Lin Xuan wore a smile on his face, chatting idly with Dugu Qing, but his mind had already sunk into the Spiritual Sea to ask the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
"It's not good."
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The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's voice took on a rare gravity.
"This kid's Soul Power level isn't low—Rank 21 at eleven years old, his talent is decent—but his whole body is a walking poison vault!"
It paused and explained in detail,
"A massive amount of lethal poison has accumulated in this guy's body. It's likely because of that Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul you mentioned. Besides the poison accumulated in his bloodline through generations, a portion is probably a consequence of his own Martial Soul cultivation."
"Just as I thought." Lin Xuan understood; this basically matched his guess.
The poison backlash of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul was a nightmare the Dugu family could not escape.
"Lin Xuan, listen to my advice,"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's tone became anxious and sincere.
"Quickly find a way to switch dorms and stay far away from this kid! I know your Martial Soul abilities; neither of your Martial Souls has a way to detoxify or resist lethal poison!"
"Even if that monster Mahoraga can adapt to all poisons, you aren't him! Once you're contaminated by this overbearing Jade Phosphor poison, even if just a sliver enters your body, with your current physical strength, you'll still die!"
It spoke faster and faster, as if it could already see the tragic sight of Lin Xuan dying from poison.
"I don't want to wake up one day and find that you were killed in your sleep by toxins he accidentally leaked! If that really happens, dying like that would be way too fucking pathetic and unfair!"
"Rank 21 Soul Power? His talent is actually quite good."
Lin Xuan was somewhat surprised; after all, in the original work, Wang Dong's Soul Power was only Rank 23 when she entered the academy.
Of course, being only Rank 23 was purely because Wang Dong was too lazy.
In any case, Lin Xuan really couldn't understand how, with top-tier talent and massive resources, Wang Dong managed to be inferior to Tang San and the others during the Dou II era compared to the Dou I era.
If those conditions were given to him, and he hadn't absorbed a fourth Soul Ring by now, Lin Xuan wouldn't have a single word of rebuttal even if he called himself a total waste.
"Damn, I really want to say: I ask the celestial palaces above, I know not in what month or year we shall meet again..."
"Hey! Lin Xuan! Are you even listening to me?!"
Seeing that he seemed to be spacing out, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm grew even more anxious.
"That guy is really dangerous! Even if you're bold and skilled enough not to be afraid, at least consider my feelings! I just found a suitable host, I don't want to become a lonely silkworm soul so soon!"
"Tianmeng, what's the rush?"
Lin Xuan's response remained relaxed.
"Who said I don't have means to counter lethal poison? Besides, I just said I don't care about his status as a Dugu descendant. If I turn around and find an excuse to switch dorms, wouldn't I be slapping my own face and inviting suspicion for no reason?"
"You have counter-measures? How come I don't know? What are they?" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was confused and curious.
"There's plenty you don't know."
Lin Xuan didn't bother to argue further on this topic. Having died twice, he valued his life more than anyone.
Thinking three steps ahead for every one step was considered the bare minimum. When in doubt, place everyone else in front of you as a shield.
"Just keep your heart in your stomach. To me, if a matter only has an 80% chance of success, it's considered high risk."
"Fine... fine then."
"Oh right, did you see anything else on him?" Lin Xuan asked again.
"I was just about to tell you that."
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm paused, its tone turning low. "This kid has been shrouded in a not-weak mental force. It's not his own; it most likely comes from a spirit tool created by you humans."
"No wonder... so that's it." Lin Xuan came to a sudden realization.
It seemed this Dugu Qing wasn't as simple as he looked.
"But this is all I can do. Of course, this is definitely NOT because my ability is lacking!"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm paused and then quickly added loudly, as if afraid of being looked down upon by Lin Xuan.
"That bit of mental force is no different from a little bug in front of me! If I weren't afraid of alerting the enemy and scaring them off, I would have seen right through to his underwear long ago!"
"Right, right, I know you're very capable, Tianmeng. No need to explain."
After soothing the big worm that always loved to emphasize how "capable" it was, Lin Xuan casually responded to an interesting story Dugu Qing was telling about a family herb garden from his childhood, while secretly pondering.
What normal person would carry a spirit tool that can block mental detection at all times?
This Dugu Qing was indeed not simple.
So what secret was he hiding? Did it relate to the Dugu family inheritance, or something else?
Lin Xuan quickly searched his memory, but there were almost no detailed records of the Dugu family during the Dou II period. He had no clues for a moment.
The 'Three Ghosts of the Huang Family' were like that—as long as it was a character or power they'd written about, logic be damned, they'd pull them out whenever they wanted to use them, or act like they never existed if they didn't.
"Lin Xuan? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Seeing Lin Xuan's gaze lingering on his face, Dugu Qing couldn't help but touch his cheek and ask in confusion.
"Nothing."
Lin Xuan snapped out of it, immediately putting on a natural smile, and then changed the subject.
"I just suddenly felt a bit hungry, and it's almost time for a meal. Do you want to check out the cafeteria together? I heard Shrek's food is quite good."
Dugu Qing's eyes lit up.
"Sure! I was also wanting to get familiar with the cafeteria's location. Shall we go then?"
The two hit it off and got up to leave Dorm 108 together.
Walking on the broad roads of Shrek Academy, the pair was quite eye-catching.
Lin Xuan had a tall, straight posture and a handsome face. His black hair was a bit casual but not messy. Especially those calm, deep black eyes and his unique temperament frequently attracted the gazes of passing female students; hushed praise and whispers could be heard from time to time.
The attention Dugu Qing received was more complex.
With his dark green ponytail, overly delicate features, and slender build, at first glance, he definitely looked like a pure and elegant beautiful girl.
Therefore, most of the gazes cast upon him came from male students, mixed with amazement, curiosity, and even some rather impolite scrutiny.
Once, two male students who looked like upperclassmen walked straight over to strike up a conversation, warmly asking if "this junior sister" needed help with directions.
After Dugu Qing helplessly clarified once again that he was a boy, the expression of one of the boys instantly froze. His eyes shifted from fiery to stunned, and finally, he rubbed his nose resentfully, muttering "waste of feelings" as he walked away.
The other boy, however, after the initial surprise, had eyes that shone even brighter. His gaze lingered on Dugu Qing's face and body, a look that made even Lin Xuan feel a chill of disgust.
"Heh heh." Looking at Dugu Qing's expression, which was as uncomfortable as if he'd eaten shit, Lin Xuan said cheerfully,
"Trivia: when you tell a fellow man that you are a normal person, it's basically equivalent to telling him you're still a virgin."
Dugu Qing:???